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The Future of Recycling in America

By Keith Schneringer  |  November 1, 2018

Recycling is an activity which has been a part of human societies practically since history has been recorded, and there is evidence of recycling going back to Byzantine times, and even much earlier according to some studies.

Archaeologists have deduced over time that recycling activities increase during times of distress or scarcity, and this observation can be still be seen and validated today as recycling activities have been less than consistent in the post-World War II era of disposable consumerism which continues to thrive to this day. As this article is being written, recycling and waste diversion rates stand at just shy of 35%, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Despite the best efforts to increase waste diversion rates in America by the U.S. EPA, along with various States and Municipalities, and millions of citizen volunteers, the recycling industry faces enormous challenges in 2018 and moving forward.

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Topics: Recycling, Sustainability, Waste Management

Trojans and Rams Get the Gold for Going Green in 2016, Crossing Zero Waste’s Goal Line

Photo by Mike Anderson/WAXIE Sanitary Supply

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, in partnership with USC Sustainability, becomes largest NFL stadium and second-largest college stadium to achieve zero waste status, repurposing over 90 percent of waste created by over 1M patrons, totaling 233 tons

As the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum concludes the football season with the final Rams game this Sunday, it will be the culmination of a historic campaign for a venue that now hosts both the Los Angeles Rams and USC Trojan football. Fans in attendance at the game will be a part of a Coliseum sustainability effort that will help push the facility over the “zero waste” goal line.

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Topics: Zero Waste, Recycling, Sustainability, Waste Management

America Recycles Day: A Day to Think About Year Round Waste Reduction Strategies

By: Keith Schneringer  |  November 15, 2016

Today is America Recycles Day!

It is a day to educate and motivate our communities on the possibilities of what can be accomplished when everyone works together to recycle and also buy products with recycled content.

And the evidence shows that this focus on recycling is working – according to the EPA, Americans are recycling more and discarding less. In 2014, Americans recycled over 34% of the waste which was generated, a slight increase from 32% in 2005, and a big increase from 16% in 1990 and 10% in 1980.

Yea America!

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Topics: Recycling, Sustainability, Waste Management

America Recycles Day: Highlighting San Diego’s Path to Zero Waste

For the last several years in recognition of America Recycles Day on November 15, WAXIE has posted an article on the topic of recycling to this blog page. In keeping with the tradition this year, WAXIE is excited to partner with the Environmental Services Department at the City of San Diego who have been kind enough to provide the following article on the topic of Zero Waste for our blog.

To learn more about America Recycles Day: http://americarecyclesday.org/

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San Diego’s Path to Zero Waste

Guest Post By: Chelsea Klaseus & Rebecca Hays, City of San Diego Environmental Specialists

Did you know that the State of California has a goal to divert 75% of trash from landfills (AB 341)? The City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department (ESD) is making great strides on the path towards Zero Waste in order to achieve that goal and go beyond. On December 16, 2013, the City adopted a Zero Waste Objective that established the precise targets for the City to develop a Zero Waste Plan (ZWP) of 75% diversion of waste from landfills by 2020 and Zero Waste by 2040. 

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Topics: Recycling, Sustainability, Waste Management

How BigBelly Solar Compactors are Improving Waste Diversion at UCSD

By: Briana Smith, Social Media & Product Branding Specialist, WAXIE Sanitary Supply

Accumulation of waste is a major challenge for most college or university campuses. Buildings are spread out across hundreds of acres, requiring a lot of time and effort not just to check the levels of trash in receptacles, but also in travel time. It gets even trickier for larger sprawling campuses, especially those with steep hills.

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is one such campus. It is comprised of six undergraduate colleges, five graduate schools, and two medical schools; in addition, UCSD also operates research institutes. From students to staff, tens of thousands of people are on campus daily, so waste receptacles tend to fill up rapidly. The staff, in particular the landscaping crew, has a lot of ground to cover with a large to do list and only so many resources available.

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Topics: BigBelly, Recycling, Waste Management