Waste World

Mason McNeill, Denali Chief Commercial Officer, joins Gage Edwards on the Waste World to discuss the growth of food waste recycling and the infrastructure needed to expand organics diversion across the United States. As more communities and businesses look for alternatives to landfilling organic waste, companies like Denali are investing in the collection, processing, and recovery systems needed t...

In this episode of Waste World, Charlotte Dreizen, Senior Director of Sustainability & Environment at the Plastics Industry Association, joins the podcast to discuss Operation Clean Sweep and the industry's efforts to prevent resin loss. Dreizen explains the program's role in promoting responsible resin handling, the importance of putting best practices into action, and why participa...

On this episode of Waste World, Gage Edwards is joined by Ryan Nordt, executive director of Recycling Operations at WM. Ryan has spent more than 20 years in the recycling industry, where today he helps guide the company’s growth investment strategy while overseeing technology, capital deployment, innovation and business optimization.  During the episode, Ryan talks about the challenges and opportu...

On this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards talks with Cean Comley of Cox Fleet about the challenges of keeping waste and recycling fleets running efficiently. The two dive into the importance of preventive maintenance, technician training and the processes that help fleets avoid breakdowns and keep trucks on the road. Comley also discusses the workforce challenges facing fleet mainte...

On this episode of the Waste World podcast, Gage Edwards sat down with Patrick Krieger, senior vice president of sustainability and policy at the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), during the National Plastics Conference in Houston, Texas. The two examined the challenges of advancing plastics sustainability and the role policy, manufacturing, and recycling infrastructure play in improving e...

On this episode of Waste World, Gage Edwards chats with Myles Cohen, founder of Circular Ventures, about new research challenging some of the conventional thinking around packaging recyclability and consumer behavior. Cohen discusses survey findings and what they reveal about how consumers actually view recycling and what they could mean for brands and the broader recycling industry. Cohen also di...

In this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards chats with Ryan Fogelman, co-founder of Fire Rover, about his new children's book, Supercharged! Batty and the Battery Rescue Team , and its goal of teaching young people about lithium-ion battery safety and proper disposal. Fogelman explains why he believes education should start before batteries enter the waste stream and how reaching...

On this episode of the Waste World podcast, Gage Edwards travels to Houston, TX, to chat with Matt Seaholm, CEO of the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), about the conversations taking place at the National Plastics Conference and the importance of bringing the industry together. Seaholm discusses what he's hearing from attendees, the policy and economic issues facing plastics manufact...

In this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards chats with Christy Hurlburt, Senior Director at Viably, about the challenges and opportunities facing the waste and sustainability industries. With experience spanning climate technology, the circular economy, food waste diversion, and resource recovery, Hurlburt discussed what it takes to move sustainability initiatives beyond ambitious goa...

On this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards speaks with David Lawes, CEO of Interchange 360, about the role of product stewardship and collection system design in improving recycling and recovery. Lawes explained why the way materials are collected can have a major impact on participation, contamination, and recovery rates, particularly for specialized products such as lubricants and...

On this episode of the Waste World podcast, Gage Edwards talks with Emily Darchuk, founder and CEO of Wheyward Spirit and a 2026 Waste360 40 Under 40 award winner. Darchuk discusses her entrepreneurial journey, the inspiration behind building a business around upcycled whey, and the challenges of bringing an unconventional circular economy concept to the consumer market. Through Wheyward Spirit, D...

On this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards chats with Dr. Brenna Ellison, director of the Center for Food Conservation and Waste Reduction, about what research can tell us about why food waste happens at home and how families can make meaningful changes. Ellison discussed some of the behaviors and decisions that contribute to wasted food, from shopping and meal planning to food stora...

On this episode of the Waste World podcast, Waste360's Gage Edwards talks with Hassan Murad, CEO and Co-Founder of Intuitive AI, a 2026 Waste360 Top 40 Under 40 honoree, and recipient of the Waste360 Innovator Award. Murad discusses his journey into the waste and recycling industry, the development of Oscar Sort, Intuitive AI's AI-powered recycling assistant, and how technology can impro...

Acquisitions have become a powerful growth tool across the waste industry, but a deal is about far more than adding another company to a portfolio. Behind every transaction are questions about strategy, integration, employees, customers, and what the combined organization can accomplish that the two companies could not do separately. On this episode of the Waste World podcast, HP Nanda, CEO of Arc...

 In this episode of the Waste World podcast, Gage Edwards chats with Cameron Douglas, Lead Product Manager at AMP and a 2026 Waste360 40 Under 40 award winner. Douglas discusses his career journey, AMP's role in advancing large-scale recycling infrastructure projects, the evolving relationship between technology and recycling operations, and why collaboration between technology providers, mun...

Our latest Waste World podcast spotlights Carolina Lobel, director of reuse at Closed Loop Partners' Center for the Circular Economy and one of our 2026 Waste360 40 Under 40 honorees. Carolina shares why she believes the circular economy is reaching an inflection point. We talk about her journey from consumer goods to helping launch Loop at TerraCycle, and how she's leading reuse initiat...

In this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards chats with Victoria Taylor, CEO of Probe Industries, about why odor management is becoming an increasingly important priority for waste and recycling operations. Taylor discussed how persistent odors can affect more than just neighboring communities, explaining that air quality also plays a role in employee well-being, operational performanc...

In this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards chats with Kevin Kelly, CEO of Emerald Packaging, about the rollout of California's SB 54 and the challenges businesses are encountering as the state's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program moves from legislation to implementation.  Kelly discussed the law's intent to reduce packaging waste while shifting responsibili...

In this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards sits down with Todd Ellis, Vice President of Services and Solutions at The Battery Network, to discuss one of the fastest-growing challenges facing the waste and recycling industry: battery collection and recycling. Ellis explains why consumers often struggle to understand where batteries should be disposed of and how that confusion contribu...

In this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards recaps his experience attending the Waste Leadership Summit and highlights some of the biggest conversations shaping the waste and recycling industry. From interviews, panel discussions, and other events at the show, he explores recurring themes that surfaced throughout the summit, including artificial intelligence, safety culture, PFAS mana...

In this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards sits down with Dave Riordan, chief customer officer at Lytx, and Ryan Brandos, senior director of strategic accounts, to discuss how AI, video analytics and connected technologies are reshaping fleet operations in the waste industry. Riordan and Brandos discuss emerging uses for AI-powered video systems, including service verification, conta...

In this episode of the Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards chats with J.T. Marburger, CEO of Circular Solutions, about the importance of recycling verification and how better data can help improve transparency across the industry.  The podcast centers on the company's deployment of its Circular OS™ platform at the Indianapolis 500, where Circular Solutions tracked beverage containers from colle...

On this episode of the Waste World podcast, Gage Edwards is joined by Liz Bothwell, Head of Content at Waste360 and founder of the 40 Under 40 program, for a conversation reflecting on a decade of recognizing the waste and recycling industry’s rising stars. Together, they discuss how the awards program has evolved over the years, the changing face of leadership across the industry, and the impact...

This episode of the Waste World Podcast features a session from WasteExpo 2025, moderated by Gage Edwards. The session “Cleaner Streets, Smarter Routes: How AI is Shaping Waste Collection” explored how municipalities, fleet operators, and technology providers are applying AI to route optimization, maintenance, contamination detection, and curbside collection.  Panelists included Craig Vanderhyde o...

On this week’s episode of the Waste World podcast, Gage Edwards breaks down key takeaways from the 2026 ReMA conference. This year’s discussions highlighted how industry is navigating increasing complexity, from operational safety risks to evolving regulatory frameworks and the growing role of advanced technologies. But one question remained: how can the industry scale effectively while managing n...