In This Issue:

1 | EPA report: MSW down, recycling up

As the national economy sputtered in recent years, the total amount of trash produced by Americans fell alongside consumption. During that same period, however, recycling totals actually climbed slowly, according to recent figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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2 | RR Conference 2013: Will China's Green Fence change recycling in North America?

When President Xi Jinping of China told customs inspectors in February to enforce a five-year-old importation law, his decision created huge levels of concern and consternation throughout the recycling world. Operation Green Fence has resulted in inspectors refusing to allow some loads of paper, plastics and metals from Europe and the U.S. to enter the country because they contained high levels of contamination. Some containers were sent back to the supplier, at a great expense. What has been the effect of increased diligence by custom officials? Can MRFs comply with these new standards? Is this good, or bad, for recycling? Resource Recycling's editorial team has focused on this issue over the past months, and Jerry Powell will report some new and intriguing findings.

Discover something new at the 2013 Resource Recycling Conference to be held August 27-28 at the Marriott Louisville Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, including information on booking a hotel room, session topics, or exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.rrconference.com or click on the banner below.

3 | Casella sees recycling sales slide

Casella Waste Systems, the publicly-traded waste management and recycling company, recorded a loss in its 2013 fiscal year, due in part to weaker recycling sales.

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4 | New York state closes in on thermostat-collection law

New York state lawmakers last weekend passed legislation that would require thermostat manufacturers to develop programs for more efficiently collecting old, mercury-containing devices once they are no longer in use. The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

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5 | California battery processor allowed to reopen

Exide Technologies, operator of one of two lead-battery recycling facilities in California, has been permitted to temporarily reopen after being shut down for two months for alleged environmental infractions.

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6 | EPA seeks industry input on landfill emissions standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking input from municipal solid waste landfills as the government body reviews and considers possible amendments to the emissions guidelines and standards it applies to waste facilities.

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7 | Don't miss the next big idea in recycling

Single-stream collection of recyclable materials. Optical sortation of plastic beverage containers. Composite lumber made from scrap plastic film. What is the next concept or item that will help shape the future of the recycling industry? The 2013 Recycling Innovators Forum hopes to find that "next big thing."

Out of nearly 50 proposals submitted, nine finalists have been selected to compete in the inaugural Recycling Innovators Forum, to be held the afternoon of August 26 at the Louisville Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Recycling Innovators Forum was created to recognize and reward original and actionable innovations that have the potential to transform the recycling industry. The Forum has long-term goals of fostering invention, originality and measurable improvement in recycling customer experiences, processes, technology and markets. The nine finalists offer promising ideas covering a broad range of topics including plastics sortation and processing, new opportunities for recycled glass, multi-family recycling, social-local-mobile technology and more.

Finalists will present their proposals to a panel of judges the afternoon before the fourth annual Resource Recycling Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The judges, recognized leaders in recycling and market development, will choose three top finalists who will receive honorariums of $20,000 (first place), $5,000 (second place) and $2,000 (third place). Anyone can attend the Recycling Innovators Forum to learn more about the next big idea in recycling.

For more information, visit recyclinginnovators.com or click on the banner below.

8 | NewsBits

Recycling grants, "Portlandia" and the FBI — all in this week's NewsBits.

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9 | Requests for proposals

Request for Proposal: Experienced research firm to conduct Nebraska recycling study. Nebraska State Recycling Association, Omaha, (402) 933-3059. Details and bid document can be found at www.recyclenebraska.org.

The King County RFP for the Sustainable Solid Waste Management Study is here — to access click "enter site as guest."

10 | Upcoming conferences & webinars

Click here for a complete directory of upcoming conferences and webinars! If you have a conference or webinar that you would like listed, please send an email to [email protected] for consideration.

11 | Jobs Available & Sought

State Program Administrator — Intermediate, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (St. Paul, Minnesota).
Details are available online.

Plant Manager, Sims Recycling Solutions (Elkridge, Maryland).
Details are available online.

Account Executive — Mobile Devices, Sims Recycling Solutions (West Chicago, Illinois).
Details are available online.

Sales Representative, TKO Polymers (Atlanta).
Details are available here.

Senior Analyst, MSW Consultants (Orlando, Florida).
Details are available online.

Outside Sales Representative, Waste Management (Tempe, Arizona).
Details are available online.

Outside Sales Representative, Waste Management (Oakland, California).
Details are available online.

Public Sector Sales Representative, Waste Management (Palmdale, California).
Details are available online.

Industrial Account Manager, Waste Management (Seattle, Washington).
Details are available online.

MRF Manager III (Materials Recycling Facility), Waste Management (Spokane, Washington).
Details are available online.

Executive Director, California Resource Recovery Association (California).
Details are available online.

Business Development Supervisor, IMS Electronics Recycling (Vancouver, Washington).
Details are available online.

Business Development Associate, Lifespan Technology Recycling, Inc. (Multiple Locations).
Details are available here.

General Manager, Emterra Environmental (Regina,Saskatchewan).
Details are available here.

BuRRT Site Manager, Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency (Santa Fe, New Mexico).
Details are available here.

VP of Business Development, Integrated Communications and Technologies (Malden, Massachusetts).
Details are available here.

General Manager, Reworx Recycling (Kennesaw, Georgia).
Details are available online.

Sales Personnel, American Reclamation, Inc. (Los Angeles, California).
Details are available here.

Various, Product Stewardship Institute (Boston, Massachusetts).
Details are available online.

Various Positions Highlighted by the Northern California Recycling Association (Northern California Area).
Details are available online.

Jobs Sought
Database of job seekers available here.

If you would like to submit a job available or job sought listing, send an email to managing editor Dylan de Thomas at [email protected].