Looking back at the last several months, the waste and recycling industry has experienced some changes that foreshadow implications for 2026. Bryan Staley, President and CEO of Environmental Research & Education Foundation discusses his perspective on what he has seen so far this year.
As we enter the fall, what significant shifts or trends have you seen/heard in the industry since the beginning of the year? Industry discussions around Elevated Temperature Landfills (ETLFs) continue to increase, as well as those around the accurate measurement of GHG emissions. The Environmental Research & Education Foundation鈥檚 (EREF) controlled release research delivered the industry鈥檚 most robust comparison of methane measurement technologies to date. Further results are expected later this year.
Another area of interest is an increased focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) being applied across various aspects of the industry to enhance efficiency, optimize processes, and improve environmental outcomes. We鈥檙e seeing AI being deployed to attempt to predict MSW generation鈥攗sing historical data, demographic information, socio-economic factors, and environmental data to forecast waste quantities and types. This has the potential to help optimize collection routes, plan for treatment facilities, and allocate resources.
In sorting facilities, AI-driven computer vision and advanced sensors (like Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) are being used to enable rapid identification and separation of diverse waste materials, potentially improving material recovery and reducing reliance on manual labor.
Lithium-ion battery fires continue as a hot button issue in both collection and post-collection. How have you seen this addressed and what more can the industry to mitigate this challenge? New technologies are being developed that can scan a load and detect batteries. However, the larger issue is working to get consumers to not put batteries in waste bins in the first place. Even if the education is moderately effective, it could have significant reductions in fires.
EREF continues to provide data and research and information on the science of critical industry challenges. Our recently released report 鈥淔ires in the Materials Management Sector鈥� highlights the limited information available on the causes, what management practices are used, and the overall impact of these incidents. It aims to address these gaps by analyzing survey data collected from material recovery facilities (MRFs), transfer stations, and metals recycling facilities. Facility owners and industry decision makers can use research like this to inform their consumer education efforts.
A few state bills for EPR have advanced or passed; do you believe that more will continue to follow? How will it affect collection/recycling? There is the perception that EPR will advance materials recovery in various circles and, as a result, this will likely spur additional EPR legislation. However, definitions used, metrics for success, and a lack of transparency create substantial challenges in the long-term implementation and success of EPR. In this respect, a distinct possibility is that the taxpayer pays more for waste management only to see no or marginal increases in recycling.
There are many PFAS solutions that are available now verses several years ago when this became a hot topic issue, what additional work needs to be done? I think the spate of PFAS solutions we are seeing involve a lot of claims or solutions that are challenging to implement for a variety of reasons. Despite the crowded playing field, there are still only a few tried and true approaches for PFAS management in leachate right now鈥攖he rest are largely unproven or lack a track record at field scale to validate effectiveness. Many of the issues today remain. We can detect only a handful of PFAS and there are few options that exist that truly destroy it; most technologies to treat PFAS create a residual that must be managed.
What kinds of issues do you think the industry will be keeping an eye on by the start of 2026? AI will become an even bigger item of focus. The effectiveness of recycling is a topic that needs to be addressed. Existing issues will still remain on the radar: PFAS, elevated temperature landfills, GHG emissions in general, but specifically focusing on avoided emissions.
I wouldn鈥檛 say EREF is preparing for any specific changes. We continue to fund research into PFAS including upcoming projects and reports on PFAS in leachate, composting, and a Treatment State of Practice. We also recently updated our full list of PFAS Resources.
We just released our EPR Lit Review, primarily finding that there isn鈥檛 enough data yet to properly say EPR policies are or aren鈥檛 working. There continue to be too many differences in 鈥渞ecycling鈥� definitions nationwide, and there鈥檚 a general lack of transparency around data on the topic. We鈥檒l be releasing these key findings soon.
Looking ahead, the challenges facing our industry won鈥檛 slow down and neither will the opportunities to address them. AI, with its advanced, more accurate, measurement technologies, and evolving policy frameworks will continue to test our ability to adapt, collaborate, and innovate. The real progress will come from pairing these tools with sound science and practical implementation. At EREF, we鈥檒l keep asking the hard questions and providing reliable research and data to drive sustainable solutions. | WA
Bryan Staley, Ph.D., P.E. currently serves as President and CEO of the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF), one of the largest sources of industry data, research funding, and scholarships related to solid waste management. He joined EREF in 2008, where he started as vice-president of environmental programs, and has 27 years of experience in the environmental engineering field. Prior to EREF, Bryan held key positions in consulting firms where he managed projects ranging from wastewater treatment system design, to retail/commercial land development and environmental management of large-scale livestock operations. For more information, visit .
Resources
鈥� https://erefdn.org/product/fires-in-the-materials-management-sector
鈥� https://erefdn.org/pfas-resources
鈥� https://erefdn.org/product/extended-producer-responsibility-literature-review