AGP Executive Report

Waste Enforcement: The Philippines’ DENR gave Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte five days to explain alleged illegal dumping of unsegregated mixed waste outside its Region XI office, and separately filed a criminal complaint against a vehicle owner caught on CCTV. Public Access to Waste-to-Energy: Veolia will host free guided tours of the Chineham Energy Recovery Facility in the UK (Aug 27), showing how non-recyclable household waste is turned into electricity for the grid. Water & Sludge Infrastructure: Ulaanbaatar commissioned a new central wastewater treatment plant with 250,000 m³/day capacity, designed to process sludge and generate energy to cut electricity costs. E-Waste Collection: South Africa’s DFFE launched an e-waste collection and recycling pilot in Cape Town under EPR, building on drop-off points since 2024 and aiming to protect health from hazardous materials. Local Recycling Accountability: Ireland reported record e-waste recycling in 2025 (21.1 million items; ~39,000 tonnes collected) but warned Europe’s measurement rules miss longer product lifespans and newer waste streams. Landfill Pressure: Kauai County moved toward expanding Kekaha Landfill capacity as the island’s only permitted landfill nears full capacity, with public comment starting the review process. Household Sorting Rules: England councils can fine households £80 for breaking four bin-day rules, including causing nuisance, blocking access, attracting vermin, or leaving bins out unsafely. Medical Waste Warnings: Pakistan faces scrutiny over improper medical waste disposal, with infectious waste allegedly mixed into regular garbage and sent to unregulated sites.

Global Plastics Funding: The Philippines has formally asked the World Bank for $1 billion to cut plastic leakage and strengthen solid waste management, starting with Metro Manila, citing low recycling rates and major ocean-bound losses. Policy Pushback on Glass Recycling: Victoria’s glass-only bin mandate faces resistance from regional councils over cost, cross-border processing realities, and calls to align with national standards and expand the Container Deposit Scheme. Local Enforcement in Dhaka: A Shahbagh clean-up drive in Dhaka South City fined 10 traders for illegal dumping and paired enforcement with awareness and distribution of bins. Food Waste Diversion Support: New York State is seeking proposals for technical help to reduce wasted food and boost food-scrap recycling, aiming to keep organics out of landfills and cut methane. Sanitation Infrastructure Update: Davao City targets reopening its new sanitary landfill on June 16 after a May trash-slide suspension, with stabilization and compliance steps underway. Battery Recycling Rules: Colorado signed a law making EV battery end-of-life management more accountable, requiring recycling or second-life options and setting recovery and reporting expectations. Circularity in Action: A Philippines-linked “Cartons to Creatures” push highlights beverage carton recycling, while other reports spotlight reuse and upcycling efforts turning waste into new products.

World Environment Day push: Malaysia’s deputy minister says real sustainability needs government, NGOs, schools and communities working together, highlighting volunteering, lake cleanups, composting and waste segregation demos. Recycling rules of thumb: A UK recycling partner warns residents not to contaminate bins with items like tissues, wet wipes, cotton buds and ceramics, stressing correct disposal to avoid fines. Local governance & waste contracts: Port St. Lucie, Florida will vote Monday on how to use a $24M settlement from Waste Pro, with possible resident refunds after missed pickup complaints. Dengue risk tied to waste: Sri Lanka reports rising mosquito breeding linked to poor waste management and stagnant water, urging urgent cleanup at homes, schools and public sites. City waste system overhaul: Kathmandu Metropolitan City plans to manage waste in 7 clusters using tech, a mechanized recovery facility and a fee system under the polluter-pays principle. Bengaluru tender controversy: Karnataka’s R Ashoka urges an independent review of a ₹39,437-crore solid waste management tender, alleging political pressure and long-term harm to public finances. Composting & circular culture: Indonesia’s tourism ministry expands its Clean Tourism Movement to cut single-use plastics and improve destination waste management. Waste-to-energy momentum: India’s bio-energy push is framed as both a green growth pillar and a way to tackle waste, with new committee plans to speed adoption. Recycling service upgrade: Scotland’s Aberdeenshire Council wins an award for expanding app alerts for trade waste customers, including missed-bin notifications and bin schedules. Landfill safety monitoring: Davao, Philippines reports progress toward reopening its sanitary landfill after a trash slide suspension, with ongoing audits and engineering works. Upcycling spotlight: A US “Recycled: A Masked Art Show” invites artists to submit original works made from recycled materials for display in September.

Organics Expansion: Simcoe County is rolling its multi-residential organics collection pilot into a full county-wide program, adding 49 properties (1,959 units) in the first month and aiming to keep more food scraps out of landfills. Local Enforcement: West Kameng’s district officials are pushing strict compliance with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, stressing four-way segregation and shared responsibility. City Cleanliness & Compliance: Montreal’s Parc Extension is tightening up cleanliness after sanitation inspectors issued dozens of violation notices, as moving-day approaches. Anti-Plastic Crackdown: Navi Mumbai’s civic teams seized 158 kg of banned plastic and fined 30 businesses during a special enforcement drive. Holiday Service Impacts: Richmond, Virginia will pause trash and bulk pickup for Juneteenth while keeping recycling running. Community Action: Ghana’s Let Love Lead mobilized about 3,000 volunteers for a major Nima sanitation drive to prevent flooding by clearing drains and waste. Circularity Guide for Islands: A new framework urges island communities to tackle waste with a broader circular approach tied to food security, water, energy resilience, and livelihoods. Composting Upgrade: Guernsey is offering free compost as it switches garden waste processing to windrow composting for more consistent, nutrient-rich soil. Policy & Politics: Karnataka’s opposition is calling for a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in a solid waste management tender. Tech for E-Waste: Google is backing research to repurpose retired smartphones into data-centre-style computing clusters, reducing e-waste while reusing hardware.

Zero Waste Islands Framework: A new regional guide from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives Asia Pacific urges island communities to tackle waste through circularity, linking waste reduction to food security, water conservation, energy resilience and local livelihoods as tourism and imported goods strain collection systems. Marine Pollution Incentives: Indonesia is preparing incentive and disincentive rules for local governments—penalizing areas where waste leaks into the sea and rewarding proper waste handling—after noting tens of millions of tons reach ocean waters annually. Plastic Collection Push: India’s NDMC launched “Project D.R.O.P.” to strengthen plastic waste collection, segregation and recycling in Lutyens’ Delhi, including recycled-plastic community bins and a dedicated collection vehicle. Textile Recycling Momentum: California and EU rules are accelerating textile-to-textile recycling, with brands moving toward reuse and recycled fibers as circularity requirements tighten. Local Service Strain & Fires: Iraq’s Baqubah faces vehicle, fuel and staffing shortages limiting waste collection; in the UK, Dudley’s energy-from-waste site disrupted bin and food waste collections after hydrated lime release, while Victoria suspended a Drouin transfer station for non-compliance. Circular Tech in Practice: Mangaluru’s Pachanady plastic-to-fuel plant produced nearly 10,000 litres of pyrolysis oil in a month using landfill RDF, aiming to reduce hard-to-handle plastic fractions.

Waste-to-Energy Push in Dhaka: Dhaka North City Corporation says it’s rolling out a modern, environment-friendly waste system under the Aminbazar Landfill Expansion and Modernisation Project, targeting about 3,000 tonnes of solid waste a day to generate up to 42.5 MW, alongside new compactor and hook-lift trucks and pilot plastic bins to boost household segregation. Coastal Restoration via Shell Recycling: Texas A&M Corpus Christi researchers report major oyster-reef losses and say their “Sink Your Shucks” program has recycled 3.5 million pounds of oyster shell to rebuild more than 45 acres of reef. Local Recycling Service Changes: Marion, Oregon will end curbside recycling June 26 and shift residents to a city drop-off site starting July 6; Corvallis is also running a free mattress recycling weekend. Community Cleanups & Drop-Off Rules: St. Charles, Illinois holds a curbside Community Clean-Up Day June 13 with strict limits on what can be set out. E-Waste Circularity in Qatar: Qatar University launches “E-Tadweer,” using a mobile app, kiosks, and a digital marketplace to steer electronics into circular reuse and cut e-waste. Sanitation Funding Pressure in Ghana: The Environmental Service Providers Association warns it can deliver better sanitation under public-private partnerships, but says it needs urgent government support and a shift in public attitudes.

Recycling Safety & Disruptions: Norfolk’s electrical waste ban remains after a major recycling-centre fire, with only some items still accepted while residents are told to store other electricals safely at home. Illegal Dumping: A man was fined £200 for dumping household waste, including broken furniture, into non-public moor-user containers. E-waste Incident: Singapore’s Enviro-Hub Holdings says an early-hours fire at its e-waste recycling site is out, with recovery work underway and the cause under investigation. Landfill & Public Health: Cambodia inaugurated a new landfill in Serei Saophoan to cut pollution, replace an open-burning site, and improve leachate controls for seven communes. Local Governance & Waste Fees: Tennessee’s solid waste task force is weighing changes to the “Jackson Law,” which lets local bodies block landfill proposals—an issue as capacity tightens. Circular Economy Push: West Northamptonshire launched toy and book banks at household waste recycling centres to boost reuse and reduce disposal. Policy & Accountability: UK Packaging PRO and the Foodservice Packaging Association urged clear, trusted rules as EPR recyclability assessments and fee modulation move forward. E-waste & Community Impact: London’s recycling-centre warehouse fire led to evacuations and heavy smoke, underscoring how quickly waste facilities can become public-safety emergencies.

Recycling Pilot: Ketchum, Idaho is testing 24/7 aluminum recycling for three months at its Lewis Street Recycling Center, tracking demand and collected pounds to decide whether to expand. Plastic Recycling Certification: Borouge International says its SYNDIGO1 polyethylene mechanical recycling facility in Connersville, Indiana has earned APR post-consumer recycled certification and ISO 9001, aiming to boost circularity for plastic film. Fishing Gear Take-Back: Ghana’s Shama fishing harbour plans advanced further with a Norway-backed plastic recycling push, targeting marine plastic waste and creating new local income. Beach Litter Crackdown: India’s National Green Tribunal orders Tamil Nadu local bodies to fine beach litterers and require pre-event waste plans for major gatherings. Incineration Health Pressure: Residents near Chennai’s Kodungaiyur WtE incinerator report widespread health impacts and demand permanent closure. Battery Fire Warning: Toronto’s fire chief warns lithium-ion e-bike battery fires are escalating, after another blaze at an e-bike shop. Deposit Return Success: Ireland’s Re-turn Awards highlight Deposit Return Scheme wins, including a school campaign that boosted returns and community fundraising. Local Waste Budget Cuts: Shallotte, North Carolina keeps its property tax rate but discontinues its municipal recycling program due to rising costs. E-waste Art for Kids: Epson’s ReCreators contest in Dubai rewards students for artwork made from recycled materials, pushing waste-to-value learning.

Waste Policy & Enforcement: England’s new bin rules mean councils can refuse collections and issue fixed penalties if households put the wrong items in the wrong bins, with takeaway boxes and greasy paper often landing in general waste. Marine Debris Tech: Bali gets a push for full waste sorting from July 1, while Pertamina launches an automated trash-skimming vessel to pull aquatic waste from Sekeh Beach. Circular Materials & Recycling: Cornell researchers say they can regenerate “dead” EV batteries back to near-full performance without conventional recycling steps, cutting costs sharply; and a UK report warns plastics recycling capacity may lag if more plastic is collected. Local Waste Management Disputes: Karnataka’s BJP alleges a massive Bengaluru waste-management tender scam and seeks a CBI probe, as households face bin-day fines and councils deal with illegal dumping and fires. Community & Cleanup: Honolulu clears a storm-debris site after soil testing found no harmful contamination, and Port Moresby runs a detainee-led cleanup to improve sanitation. Industry & Markets: PET packaging demand is forecast to keep rising, with recycled PET increasingly tied to sustainability targets.

Transfer Station Security: Weber County signed a 10-year lease with Waste Management to keep its transfer station operating, with Waste Management taking over most general waste collection and household hazardous waste handling from July 1. Budget Pressure on Recycling: Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District approved a $2/ton surcharge increase and new fees tied to hazardous waste and bulky-day staffing as it works to close a deficit. Hazardous Waste Fees: NEKWMD also reduced remote hazardous waste events starting in 2027 and capped liquid hazardous waste disposal at 25 gallons per person. Local Recycling Disruptions: East Suffolk’s “Better Recycling” food waste collections are running behind in some areas due to new-vehicle technical issues, with missed rounds made up the following week. Farm Waste Cut: A pesticide jug recycling day (June 22) lets farms return clean, triple-rinsed HDPE jugs for free, keeping containers out of dumpsters and reusing the plastic in agriculture. Recycling Facility Recovery: Fife’s Lower Melville Woods recycling centre is set to reopen after a two-week fire, with investigations ongoing. Circular Materials in Action: A regional tire recycling firm is turning old tires into crumb rubber for athletic fields and emerging equestrian uses. Sanitation Funding Talk: Ghana’s local government minister reiterated commitment to sustainable solid waste management and said delayed payments to service providers are being addressed.

Industrial Policy Push (India): Gujarat is drafting an “ultra mega” industrial category for projects investing at least Rs. 10,000 crore and creating 3,000 jobs, with extra job requirements for higher investment; the plan also expands thrust sectors and explicitly includes textile waste recycling support. Market Signals (India): CMR Green Technologies’ IPO drew heavy demand and a strong debut, spotlighting India’s fast-growing metal recycling sector. Municipal Fleet Upgrade (US): Meridian Waste in South Carolina is launching a new contract with 13 McNeilus refuse and recycling vehicles, aiming to improve residential collection reliability from day one. Recycling Rules (UK): England’s Simpler Recycling reforms are tightening household guidance, including keeping metal lids on glass jars to reduce sorting losses and avoid missed collections. Local Service Strain (UK): South Gloucestershire reported thousands of missed bin collections during a heatwave, blaming early shift cutoffs, vehicle breakdowns, and sickness, while officials promise better contingency planning. Battery Recycling Expansion (Uzbekistan): China’s Si Jie Stone is exploring battery recycling and export-focused lighting manufacturing in Uzbekistan, positioning the country as a regional production hub. Circular Packaging (Europe): Elopak says it has cut emissions in European carton production by switching to aluminium made with renewable electricity, and it’s pushing recyclability improvements ahead of upcoming packaging rules. Food Waste Diversion (Ireland): Ireland’s brown bin uptake is rising, with a survey showing a 70% jump in brown bin waste collection and more households using food waste recycling services. Waste Crisis Pressure (India): Bengaluru’s garbage crisis is worsening again, with uncollected waste piling up, spreading odours, and increasing mosquito risks as collection remains irregular. Battery Recovery Research (US): Cornell researchers report an electrochemical approach that can recover up to 95% of lithium-ion battery power after use, aiming to cut recycling costs and landfill risk. Upcycling for Social Impact (Philippines): Eurotel is turning retired hotel linens into tote bags, funding support for children with disabilities and their families. Waste Management & Climate (Indonesia/Bali): Bali’s tourism-driven waste strain is prompting higher-level government attention, with landfill closures and hazardous waste shipping costs cited as key bottlenecks. Recycling Cooperation (Mongolia/South Korea): Mongolia and South Korea are running an eco-innovation seminar to boost SME competitiveness and recycling cooperation, including investment opportunities in the sector.

Enforcement & Accountability: Davao City officials face a DILG probe after the mayor allegedly ordered uncollected garbage dumped in front of the DENR office, with possible penalties ranging from reprimand to removal. Coastal & Landfill Planning: England’s Environment Agency awarded a £1.23bn beach and coastal flood-defence framework to Van Oord and VBA JV, while Southampton’s landfill expansion is still moving through an Environmental Assessment as capacity runs low. Battery & Recycling Loop: GM expanded its Redwood Materials partnership across the full battery lifecycle, adding second-life grid storage at a Michigan plant, and GM also unveiled sodium-ion work aimed at lower-cost energy storage for AI data centers. Recycling Disruptions & Fire Risk: London saw major fires at recycling centres, including a Bermondsey blaze that triggered “avoid the area” smoke warnings and rail disruption; in New Jersey, a court ruling highlights how privilege can be waived in workplace investigation disputes involving recycling firms. Circular Economy in Action: Cape Cod recycled 67.5 tons of boat shrink wrap in 2025 through a regional program, and Moldova’s EcoVoucher collected 300+ tons of used appliances for recycling. Local Waste Services: Warrington approved a five-year textile and shoe recycling contract, and Hamilton (Bermuda) adjusted garbage collection for National Heroes Day while keeping recycling drop-offs running.

Recycling Enforcement Under Fire (Lagos): Nigeria’s LAWMA condemned attacks on enforcement officers during illegal dumping crackdowns along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, vowing continued action to protect sanitation and public health. Local Governance & Waste Missteps (Philippines): Malacañang says Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and officials face a DILG investigation over alleged administrative lapses after ordering uncollected garbage dumped in front of the DENR office. Circular Packaging Push (UK): Amcor won RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability certification for PCR-containing flexible films ahead of stricter UK Plastic Packaging Tax rules that will only count PCR toward recycled-content exemptions. Reuse Over Throwaway (Global): PR3 launched a new global symbol to help identify truly reusable packaging systems, aiming to cut packaging waste and plastic pollution beyond recycling labels. Circular Paper at Scale (UK): Essity expanded its Tork PaperCircle closed-loop service, recycling used paper hand towels into new tissue products and reporting strong growth in both customers and volumes. Major Recycling-Plant Fire (London): Multiple reports describe a large blaze at a south London recycling centre with heavy smoke and major travel disruption, underscoring ongoing fire risks in waste facilities. E-Waste Trade Warning (Bangladesh): A report says Bangladesh is importing e-waste despite Basel commitments, with weak enforcement and limited recycling capacity driving informal processing. Materials & Policy Backdrop (India): Haryana set a Dec 2027 deadline for Yamuna pollution-control projects, pushing sewage and industrial effluent treatment to improve river water quality. Training for Climate & Waste (India): IGNOU announced a new MSc Climate Change programme that includes waste management and circular economy topics, targeting students and professionals. Thrift & Reuse Culture (US): Coverage highlights thrift shopping’s rebound as a sustainability and cost-saving trend, reflecting broader demand for reuse.

Recycling Fire & Transit Disruption: A huge blaze at a Bermondsey recycling centre in south London drew 100 firefighters and triggered “major incident” status, with rail services into London Bridge cancelled or diverted for hours. Plastic Reduction Policy: Angola’s Huíla province is reinforcing its single-use plastic reduction plan, pushing reusable alternatives and selective collection while admitting plastic build-up still persists in markets and public spaces. Local Waste Enforcement: Havering Council issued multiple planning enforcement and breach notices in May, including orders tied to missing refuse and recycling facilities and unauthorised extensions. Circular Economy in Practice: A data-center industry discussion highlights circularity beyond recycling—designing infrastructure to reuse resources and reduce future waste via heat reuse and smarter operations. Textile Recycling Tech Dispute: Harvest Nano and Dr. Refael Aharon confirmed termination of license rights tied to a Michigan textile-waste recycling system, ending a dispute over converting post-consumer textiles into higher-value cellulose products. Return & Earn Recycling: Nasinu (Fiji) launched a Return and Earn beverage-container refund program to cut litter and boost cleanliness. Water Reuse Upgrade: Anglian Water began upgrades at Rendlesham Water Recycling Centre to improve wastewater treatment and reduce phosphorus impacts on local waterways. PoP Idol Management: Mumbai’s Ganesh festival organizers oppose an immediate plaster-of-Paris idol ban, backing 100% collection plus recycling and reuse instead.

Waste Crisis Response: Davao City’s sanitary landfill suspension after a May trash-slide has triggered emergency disinfection and decontamination as garbage piles up, with officials urging residents to hold waste at home until disposal resumes. Policy & Compliance: England’s “Simpler Recycling” rules are tightening—households are warned that tissues can’t be recycled and shouldn’t be flushed, or councils may refuse bin collections. Circular Economy Push: Qatar says it will steer 35% of factories to circular economy practices by 2030, tying sustainability to its national manufacturing strategy. Local Landfill Fight: Honolulu City Council budget votes have removed funding for a proposed West Oahu landfill site at Makaiwa Hills, a win for residents concerned about carrying the next waste burden. Community Recycling Wins: South Africa’s Petco Awards spotlight recycling entrepreneurs and separation-at-source projects diverting recyclables and creating jobs, including initiatives in Orange Farm and Alexandra. Construction Waste Diversion: Holcim launches low-carbon cement plus a platform to recycle construction and demolition waste into new building materials in the UAE. Plastic-to-Fuel Breakthrough: Researchers report a low-pressure chemical process turning polystyrene waste into jet-fuel-range fuel, aiming to make plastic waste conversion more cost-competitive. Regional Cooperation: Nepal’s environment minister calls for stronger South Asian cooperation to tackle plastic pollution, climate impacts, and biodiversity loss.

Waste Crisis Response: Davao City’s sanitary landfill suspension after a May 20 trash-slide has triggered emergency disinfection and decontamination across neighborhoods as garbage piles up, with officials urging residents to temporarily store waste at home while the city scrambles for disposal options. Rights of Nature Push: The Catholic Church in the Cordillera is urging local governments to adopt “Rights of Nature” ordinances so forests and polluted waterways can be legally protected and even sued for. Zero-Waste Jobs & Capacity: Türkiye-backed zero waste projects showcased at Istanbul’s Zero Waste Forum highlight recovery-rate gains, skills transfer, and planned expansion across dozens of countries. Coastal Cleanup: St. Johns County (Florida) volunteers removed 651 pounds of trash during the Turtletown USA Beach Cleanup, timed to protect sea turtle nesting habitat. Textile Waste to Value: The UAE’s Naseej initiative is mobilizing residents to recycle and remanufacture textile waste, targeting 220,000 tonnes annually. Circular Composting: Tata Steel UISL launched “Prakriti Sneh,” turning biodegradable municipal waste into compost to cut landfill burden and support urban gardening. Enforcement Focus: Ghana’s sanitation authorities are calling for stricter prosecution of sanitation offenders and pushing “one household, one dustbin” to curb open dumping and unsafe practices.