Waste Management Services NAICS 562

Sep 22, 2025 - Stakeholders Outline Recycling System Best Practices

• Speakers at a recent conference of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) emphasized that well-designed, audience-specific recycling systems are key to boosting participation and reducing contamination, according to Waste Dive. Tailoring programs to local realities—such as income levels, housing types, and waste stream composition—can improve outcomes, especially in multifamily buildings where bin placement and sizing often hinder recycling. Convenience centers with intuitive layouts and engineered bin designs help residents sort materials correctly. Landfill operators are urged to adopt creative diversion strategies to recover valuable recyclables and extend landfill lifespans.
• The recycling rates for paper and cardboard declined slightly in 2024 compared to the year before, according to the latest data from the American Forest & Paper Association (AFPA) and reporting by Resource Recycling. In 2024, the US recycling rate for paper was between 60% and 64% compared to about 65% to 69% in 2023. Over the same period, the recycling rate for cardboard slipped to between 69% and 74% from 71% to 76% in 2023. Despite the drop in recycling rates, US paper and paperboard mills increased their use of recycled fiber in 2024 by nearly 1.3 million tons to 32.7 million tons. A spokesperson for the AFPA said a change in methodology last year makes recycling rates more sensitive to trade flows. The rate is now a measure of recycling’s share of material available for recovery instead of how much recycled fiber mills consume. Recycling rates can vary more year-to-year as they mirror imports and exports of packaged goods.

• In September, prices for curbside recyclable materials continued to trend downward across most categories, according to RecyclingMarkets.net. The US average price for post-consumer PET bottles and jars fell 19% month-over-month and plunged 74.6% year-over-year. Natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE) dropped 7.8% from August but remained flat compared to September 2024. Color HDPE rose slightly by 3.9% month-over-month but was down 71.4% year-over-year. Polypropylene (PP) declined 4.3% from August and 23.9% compared to the same time last year. Prices for old corrugated containers (OCC), used in manufacturing new boxes, held steady month-over-month but were down 33.3% year-over-year. Aluminum can prices remained unchanged from August but increased 3.3% over September 2024. Sorted residential paper prices also held steady month-over-month but were 38.8% lower than a year ago.
• Municipal solid waste landfills in the US could cut methane emissions in half compared to a 2023 baseline, and biogas revenue could more than cover implementation costs, according to a recent study by nonprofit Energy Vision and reporting by Waste Dive. Adding gas collection and control systems in landfills would cost an estimated $1.3 billion but could yield about $1.9 billion in biogas revenue. The proposed improvements include early gas collection, real-time monitoring, and targeting high-emitting landfills lacking controls. These upgrades would reduce emissions significantly, even with complete food waste diversion. While federal regulations have eased, states like California and Colorado are tightening rules, and operators are pursuing biogas opportunities.