WASTE WATCHERS BLOG

To say 2022 was a landmark year for RoadRunner might be something of an understatement. We expanded into new markets from coast to coast. We put our commitment to diversity and inclusion on display with the Pittsburgh Pride event. And we raised tens of millions of dollars to continue our mission. As we look ahead to the promise the new year brings, we just wanted to highlight a few big things that got us to this point in 2022.

  To say 2022 was a landmark year for RoadRunner might be something of an understatement. We expanded into new markets from coast to coast. We put our commitment to diversity and inclusion on display with the Pittsburgh Pride event. And we raised tens of millions of dollars to continue our mission. As we look ahead to the promise the new year brings, we just wanted to highlight a few big things that got us to this point in 2022. CLICK HERE to read more from the Waste Watchers Blog!

Every year on April 22, people around the world celebrate Earth Day, the modern environmental movement created in the 1970s. What does that mean for your business? This day gives you a chance to have an impact on the future of the planet and learn about the small changes that can truly have a major impact.

  Every year on April 22, people around the world celebrate Earth Day, the modern environmental movement created in the 1970s. What does that mean for your business? This day gives you a chance to have an impact on the future of the planet and learn about the small changes that can truly have a major impact. What is Earth Day? Recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, more than a billion people mark the day as a chance to change human behavior and impact public policy to ensure sustainability. Earth Day now celebrates the work people are doing to help save the planet, and highlights the work that still needs to be done.   Here are 5 easy things your business can do to mark Earth Day this year:

What started as a lights-out event expanded into a global event to raise awareness for climate change. Earth Hour is held every year on the last Saturday in March at 8:30 pm. The event has evolved far past switching off lights toward a global movement to raise awareness for the climate. Earth Hour is a great time to consider what we can do For the Greener Good.

  What started as a lights-out event expanded into a global event to raise awareness for climate change. Earth Hour is held every year on the last Saturday in March at 8:30 pm. The event has evolved far past switching off lights toward a global movement to raise awareness for the climate. Earth Hour is a great time to consider what we can do For the Greener GoodTM.

As the world welcomes a new year where sustainability will be near the top of every discussion, businesses can’t afford another broken resolution. We set your company up for lasting commitments.

  As the world turns over a new leaf—with very green attitudes toward everything from purchasing decisions to improved recycling—businesses need more than just another empty resolution. This year, and every year from this point, will be about lasting commitments to sustainability.  Every habit, whether for an individual or an organization, takes small steps to build into an ongoing practice. With budgets resetting and brand reputations on the line, it’s time to consider adopting one or more of the following sustainability tips with a little intention. In doing so, you’ll witness the positive changes, both big and small, that ensue. 

During the holiday season, Americans produce an additional one million tons of waste each week! We put together a resource that will help you reduce your waste this holiday season.

  As we leave our workplaces and sign off of Zoom for the holidays, we trade the stress of the job for the stresses of upholding traditions, hosting festivities, feasting, and gift-giving. And that leads to a shift away from typical non-holiday behavior, particularly around how often Americans are running garbage bags out to the curb. During the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Years, Americans toss 25% more trash, producing an additional one million tons of waste every week. Between trends of surging online retail, the rise of convenience-driven takeout meals, and ornate gift wrapping, Americans stand to make more waste than ever this holiday. This means that we need to be both proactive and mindful about reducing the amount of waste we generate and dispose of—and RoadRunner has just the tips you need to make this season a little greener.

Between food scraps and convenience-based shortcuts, the holidays heighten waste production more than any other time of year. But, by following a few simple tips for waste reduction and recycling, you’ll have the opportunity to make sustainability a Thanksgiving tradition.

  To many, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season—a time for togetherness, cheer… and, unfortunately, 25% more U.S. waste generation than any other time in the year. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans send an additional one million pounds of trash to landfill every week. And not to be overshadowed by the December celebrations, convenience-factor flatware choices, inevitable spill cleanup, and a feast’s worth of food scraps have made Turkey Day increasingly wasteful.  But, it doesn’t have to be.  By following a few simple tips for waste reduction and recycling, you’ll have the opportunity to make sustainability a Thanksgiving tradition.

Amidst criticism of America’s broken waste and recycling system, more headlines crop up each day doubting recycling’s efficacy. So, to mark America Recycles Day this Nov. 15th, RoadRunner is reframing the issue for sustainable businesses: Conventional recycling is actually a waste issue.

  This year alone, you may have seen a handful of headlines raising serious doubts about the practice of recycling. Is Recycling Worth It Anymore?, asks NPR.  Is Recycling a Waste?, questions CNBC. Recycling is not the answer, posits British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. But as America Recycles Day takes place as usual this November 15th, RoadRunner has a new message for sustainable businesses:  Conventional recycling may have its flaws, but pledging to harness its power—and learning to do it right—is a crucial component to overall responsible waste management.

A full-scale return to schools is a unique opportunity to create a "new normal" with sustainability at the forefront. And as educators from pre-K to university return to a world of misprints and chaos in the cafeteria, the ability to recycle more materials and curb waste is a curriculum worth exploring.

  Even with personal laptops, Zoom classrooms, and term papers submitted through the cloud, the world of in-person academia won’t break free from collages on construction paper, extracurricular fliers, and securely stapled course syllabuses anytime soon. After the unprecedented school years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a return to primary, secondary, and higher education will signal the resumption of routine consumption on campuses around the country—a cycle known to yield mountains of food waste, paper, cardboard, and plastic during a typical seven-hour school day. Yet, a full-scale return to schools is a unique opportunity to create a "new normal" with sustainability at the forefront. And as educators from pre-K to university return to a world of misprints, basketball hoop waste bins, and chaos in the cafeteria, the ability to recycle more materials and curb waste is a curriculum worth exploring.

Plastic Free July is a challenge born out of a simple idea: small changes can have a big impact in addressing plastic pollution. As RoadRunner marks its third year of participation, we saw an opportunity to share our tips, advice, and own industry knowledge on how to make this plastic-free challenge a success for your business.

This post was originally published in July 2020 by Shelby Bell and has been updated. When synthetic plastic was invented in the early 1900s, it was seen as a once-in-a-century innovation that would change society as people knew it. Today, it has become an ecological and societal problem we’ll be dealing with for centuries to come. Plastic is everywhere. According to a 2017 study, researchers estimated the world had created 8.3 billion metric tons of virgin plastic to date. Additionally, over half of all plastics were produced in the past two decades, with some estimates suggesting production could double from today’s figures (currently around 368 million metric tons/year) by 2050. Developed for practical purposes like electrical insulation and car parts, its creators couldn’t have envisioned how ingrained with everyday life plastics would become, nor could they imagine a future where consumers would throw away their life’s work after a single use. Single-use and “disposable” plastics—such as thin plastic film for packaging, lightweight water bottles, and durable plastic bags—account for roughly 50% of all modern production. Designed with convenience in mind, there’s often no second thought as to what comes next for the products. That’s why, globally, less than 9% of all plastics are recycled. Looking deeper, despite being plastic’s most easily recyclable polymers, the rate for PET and HDPE (famously used for bottles and bags) barely scratches 15% (by the most favorable estimates). So, where does it go instead? 79% of the world’s plastic now resides in landfills or the natural environment—a crisis many experts suggest is completely out of control. Plastic Free July, a global movement created by Plastic Free Foundation, encourages us to take control back in how we use (or don’t use) single-use plastic. And it’s time for everyone to join in! Breaking your reliance on plastic will be a challenge, so consider the following tips, advice, and activities, a playbook for the habit-breaking, sustainable month to come.