A new federal bill aims to close the gap between what recycled plastic content claims say and what can actually be verified, looking to bring more certainty for producers and consumers. On the flip side, a large contract doesn’t guarantee business success in the waste industry: Otto Environmental Systems’ bankruptcy shows what happens when a mandatory bin program’s real-world uptake falls short of the volume its contract was built around. Finally, autonomy is arriving at the landfill, with WM and Caterpillar testing equipment that can be operated remotely, potentially allowing one individual to operate several pieces of equipment simultaneously.
The big picture
This Week in Waste
Bipartisan Bill Would Create a Federal System for Tracking Recycled Plastic Content
Senators Schiff, Merkley, Wyden and Booker introduced the Tracking Plastic Act, which would set up a federal working group to standardize how recycled plastic content is measured, traced and reported. The bill has drawn backing from the Association of Plastic Recyclers, The Recycling Partnership, World Wildlife Fund and, most recently, the Plastics Pipe Institute. This is an area where digital watermarking technology could play a growing role in enabling verification at scale.
Key takeaway: Growing bipartisan and industry support signals real momentum toward federal recycled-content verification standards, which could eventually reshape how recycled claims are substantiated nationwide.
From SWEEP: SWEEP’s certification process rewards jurisdictions for measuring and verifying program performance, a framework that pairs naturally with the Tracking Plastic Act’s push for standardized verification.
Sources: Recycling Today ·
Packaging Dive
NYC’s Official Trash Bin Supplier Is in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy as Fines Begin
Otto Environmental Systems, which holds New York City’s contract to manufacture its mandatory curbside bins, was forced into involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy after suppliers alleged nearly $2.6 million in unpaid debts. The city is set to start fining property owners who lack the official bins on September 8, even as the manufacturer says the program’s sales fell nearly $119 million short of projections.
Key takeaway: Mandatory container programs carry real financial risk for suppliers when adoption lags projections, a cautionary data point for other cities weighing standardized bin mandates.
Sources: Waste Dive ·
Inc.
WM Tests Autonomous Heavy Equipment at Its Arizona Landfill
WM is expanding its Cat Command remote-control pilot at the Marana Regional Landfill into a new phase testing autonomous equipment, partnering with Caterpillar on a self-operating landfill compactor. The company says it is the first in the solid waste industry to deploy this technology, building on a bulldozer pilot that ran through 2025.
Key takeaway: Autonomous and remote-controlled equipment is moving from pilot to expansion at the landfill level, a safety and labor story distinct from the MRF sorting automation already underway across the industry.
Sources: Waste Dive ·
Waste Today
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From a bipartisan push for standardized recycled-plastic verification, to a bin supplier’s bankruptcy exposing the financial risk behind mandatory container programs, to autonomous equipment moving from pilot to expansion at the landfill, this week’s news shows an industry wrestling with what real standardization takes to deliver. A measurable, third-party standard is how that progress gets held to account. Join SWEEP and help set the standard for what good waste management actually looks like.
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