Non-CDL Driver Landfill

RCon 2026: collaboration will be critical to recycling's next chapter. As the industry looks toward 2030, the future of recycling will depend on how well brands, municipalities, haulers, recyclers, end markets, and consumers work together to build a system that can move materials efficiently from the products people buy to the products made from recovered materials. September 30, 2026 Recycling doesn't start at the curb, and it doesn't end at the MRF. As the industry looks toward 2030, the future of recycling will depend on how well brands, municipalities, haulers, recyclers, end markets, and consumers work together to build a system that can move materials efficiently from the products people buy to the products made from recovered materials. That was a central theme during the opening panel at RCon 2026, where Jeff Bezzo, executive director of Plastics and Packaging Sustainability at SC Johnson, moderated a discussion with Jeff Fielkow, CEO of Circular Action Alliance (CAA); Mo McReynolds, director of the Office of Sustainability for the City of Indianapolis; and Ryan Nordt, executive director of Recycling Operations at WM. For Nordt, the future means thinking about recycling differently. "The waste stream becomes less of a waste stream and more of a material supply chain," Nordt said. WM has invested approximately $1.4 billion across 39 projects over the past five years, adding 2.8 million tons of recycling capacity and expanding access for residents, Nordt said. Those investments include a recycling facility in Indianapolis, which is preparing to launch a universal curbside recycling system in the first quarter of 2028. For McReynolds, the Indianapolis experience illustrates the importance of public-private partnerships. "Public-private partnerships couldn't be more important to us," McReynolds said. But building the infrastructure is only part of the challenge. Residents still need to understand how to use it. "They don't care about EPR. They don't care about the particular plastic makeup. They care about, 'does this go here?'" McReynolds said. That simplicity will become increasingly important as communities work to increase participation and reduce contamination. Fielkow said access and education are two of the biggest drivers of behavior change. CAA is taking a more data-driven approach to consumer education and outreach, he said, working with municipalities, haulers and producers to better understand how to change recycling behavior. The goal isn't simply to get more material into the recycling bin. It's to get the right material into the bin. "It's really important that we don't wish cycle," Fielkow said. Nordt pointed to batteries as one example of where consumer education can have an immediate impact. WM has invested in fire detection and prevention technology at its facilities, but Nordt said preventing batteries from entering the waste stream in the first place is even more important. That requires meeting consumers with a simple message. WM's "Recycle Right" approach focuses on basic guidance for bottles, cans, cups, tubs, paper and cardboard, while also emphasizing that batteries belong in neither the recycling nor trash stream. The same collaborative approach is helping expand recycling for materials such as polypropylene and paper cups. Nordt highlighted work involving WM, the Recycling Partnership, Starbucks and Closed Loop Partners that has expanded access to recycling for those materials. For brands, Bezzo said the collaboration needs to extend directly into recycling facilities. "Bring your packaging engineers and everybody involved in packaging to MRFs on a regular basis, just so you really understand what's happening there," Bezzo said. That firsthand experience can help connect decisions made at the product-design stage with what actually happens once packaging reaches a MRF. Ultimately, the panelists agreed that no single part of the recycling system can solve its challenges alone. Producers need to understand the system. Municipalities need effective partnerships. Recyclers need reliable end markets. And residents need clear, consistent information about what belongs in the bin. Fielkow said the industry is already seeing signs that the pieces are coming together. "Producers are showing up. They're engaged," he said. "The haulers, the recyclers, and the programs we work with, I was expecting and anticipating resistance, [but] they're leaning in." For an industry looking toward 2030, that collaboration may be one of its most important resources. Content Producer, Waste360 Gage Edwards is a Content Producer for Waste360.com and the host of the Waste World podcast. Gage serves as a content strategist and digital media creator specializing in storytelling across trade shows and industry events such as WasteExpo, WWETT, GWMS, CES, E3, PAX, TISE, World of Concrete, and more. Gage has spent more than a decade creating articles, videos, and podcasts, while hosting live events, including Waste360's 40 Under 40 Awards. Join a network of more than 90,000 waste and recycling industry professionals. Get the latest news and insights straight to your inbox. Add Waste360 as your preferred source to get quicker access to the news you trust.

Recycled Waste Management Market grows on circular economy and sustainability mandates. As per recent findings, the Recycled Waste Management Market is on a robust growth trajectory, driven by the increasing global focus on circular economy principles, stringent environmental regulations, and the growing awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of recycling. Recycled waste management encompasses the collection, processing, and reuse of waste materials to create new products, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and conserving natural resources. The market is being propelled by the need to reduce carbon emissions, the growing demand for recycled materials from manufacturers, and the development of advanced recycling technologies. The market is being shaped by several key trends. The increasing adoption of extended producer responsibility regulations is driving demand for recycling services and infrastructure. The development of advanced sorting and processing technologies, including AI-powered robotics and optical sorters, is improving the efficiency and quality of recycled materials. The growth of chemical recycling is enabling the recycling of plastics that were previously difficult to recycle. The increasing focus on reducing plastic pollution is driving demand for recycled plastics in packaging and consumer products. The growth of the circular economy is also creating new business models, such as product-as-a-service and shared platforms. Market segmentation reveals that the municipal segment holds a significant share, driven by the need to manage household waste. The industrial segment is also significant, with businesses adopting recycling to reduce waste disposal costs and meet sustainability goals. The commercial segment is emerging as a high-growth application, driven by the growth of recycling in offices, retail, and hospitality. Key players in the market include Veolia, Suez, Waste Management, and Republic Services, who are investing in advanced recycling technologies and infrastructure. Recent developments include the expansion of chemical recycling capacity and the development of new recycling facilities. Regionally, Europe is the largest market for recycled waste management, driven by stringent EU regulations and the focus on circular economy. North America is also a significant market, driven by the growth of recycling infrastructure and the increasing focus on sustainability. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing market, driven by rapid urbanization, industrialization, and the increasing awareness of environmental issues in countries like China and India. The future of the recycled waste management market is exceptionally bright, with new opportunities in developing advanced recycling technologies, expanding into emerging markets, and supporting the transition to a circular economy. Gain valuable insights through comprehensive Market Analysis analysis:

Town of Surfside, Florida Beverage Association & Waste Management, Inc. launch communitywide recycling education initiative. September 20, 2026 The Town of Surfside, Florida Beverage Association (FBA) and Waste Management, Inc. (WM) are partnering on a communitywide initiative designed to make recycling easier, reduce contamination, and help residents and businesses better understand what belongs in their recycling bins. Over the coming weeks, new "Recycle Right, Surfside!" labels will be placed on recycling receptacles throughout the Town, including at single-family homes, multifamily residential properties, and commercial locations. The easy-to-read labels provide clear visual guidance showing which materials should be recycled and which items should be kept out of recycling bins. To help reach Surfside's diverse community, the recycling guidance will be available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. "This initiative is about making recycling easier, more accessible, and more effective for everyone in our community," said Sandra N. McCready, Acting Town Manager & Town Clerk. "By partnering with the Florida Beverage Association and Waste Management, we are giving residents and businesses clear, practical guidance while reinforcing our shared responsibility to keep Surfside clean, sustainable, and beautiful for generations to come." The labels encourage residents to recycle commonly accepted materials including plastic bottles, tubs, jars and jugs; aluminum, tin and steel beverage containers and food cans; glass bottles and jars; paper; and cardboard and paperboard. They also reinforce an important recycling practice: recyclables should be placed loose in the bin, not inside plastic bags. The label rollout is part of a broader public education campaign being developed collaboratively by the Town, FBA and WM. The campaign will use community outreach and educational materials to reinforce proper recycling habits, explain common sources of contamination and encourage residents and businesses to "recycle right." "Recycling works best when people know exactly what belongs in the bin," said Liz DeWitt, President and CEO of the Florida Beverage Association. "This partnership puts clear information directly on recycling receptacles and pairs it with community education to help more materials get recycled properly. We're proud to work with the Town of Surfside and WM on a practical program that can make a measurable difference." To measure the program's impact, WM is conducting a pre-program audit of Surfside's recycling stream to establish a baseline before the full rollout. Additional assessments throughout the initiative will allow the partners to track changes, identify opportunities for continued education and evaluate the effectiveness of the program. "Successful recycling starts with making it easy for people to know what belongs in the bin and what doesn't," said Jason Neal, Waste Management's Government Affairs Director. "By establishing a baseline before the program begins and tracking the recycling stream over time, we'll be able to measure progress and identify where additional education can help."