Articles Authors About RWE OWI Platform

Author Profile

Elena Ruiz

Policy & Regulatory Affairs. Former environmental program manager advising waste-to-energy developers on permitting, ESG compliance, and regulatory strategy. Published by Renewable Waste Energy.

A publication by Renewable Waste Energy - 30+ years transforming waste into resources.

152 Units, No Fixed Compliance Date: How the Large Municipal Waste Combustor Rule Hands Your Clock to the States
7 min read

152 Units, No Fixed Compliance Date: How the Large Municipal Waste Combustor Rule Hands Your Clock to the States

The large municipal waste combustor rule covers 152 units but sets no compliance date. Your state plan does, and if the state misses, EPA writes it instead.

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Rhode Island Froze a $150M Sludge Pyrolysis Plant Over a Control Efficiency Nobody Could Measure
9 min read

Rhode Island Froze a $150M Sludge Pyrolysis Plant Over a Control Efficiency Nobody Could Measure

Rhode Island froze a fully permitted $150M plant. The real sludge pyrolysis permitting risk was a control efficiency nobody could actually measure.

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EPA's Biosolids PFAS Guidance Binds No One. It Will Still Shrink Land Application Faster Than a Rule.
10 min read

EPA's Biosolids PFAS Guidance Binds No One. It Will Still Shrink Land Application Faster Than a Rule.

EPA's biosolids PFAS guidance is non-binding, which is exactly why it will shrink land application acreage before any Part 503 rulemaking arrives.

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99.99 Percent Destruction Is the Easy Part of Hazardous Waste Treatment
9 min read

99.99 Percent Destruction Is the Easy Part of Hazardous Waste Treatment

EPA's June 2026 rule adds hydrogen fluoride and cyanide limits to hazardous waste treatment permits. The kiln will hit its numbers. The monitoring plan won't.

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Where California's Textile EPR Sends the Clothes Nobody Can Recycle
7 min read

Where California's Textile EPR Sends the Clothes Nobody Can Recycle

California textile EPR hit its July 2026 registration deadline, but nothing's collected until 2031 and the blended, PFAS-laden residual has no recycler.

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11 to 179 Cents a Pound: Why 2026 Packaging EPR Fees Track Format, Not Weight
8 min read

11 to 179 Cents a Pound: Why 2026 Packaging EPR Fees Track Format, Not Weight

The 2026 packaging EPR fee schedule charges 11 to 179 cents a pound by format, not weight. How the invoice is computed, and why your reported data sets it.

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Do the 2026 Lithium Battery EPR Laws Land on You or the Producer?
7 min read

Do the 2026 Lithium Battery EPR Laws Land on You or the Producer?

NJ producer reporting opened Jan 8; California's SB 1215 fee started Jan 1. Which 2026 lithium battery EPR laws bind producers, and which hit waste handlers?

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108 Euros a Tonne by 2030: What EU ETS Waste Incineration Inclusion Does to Your Gate Fee
8 min read

108 Euros a Tonne by 2030: What EU ETS Waste Incineration Inclusion Does to Your Gate Fee

EU ETS waste incineration inclusion could add EUR 74-132 per tonne to gate fees by 2030. The biogenic share you can't defend is what sets your bill.

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EPA Just Set Compliance Limits for 152 Waste-to-Energy Units. The State Plan Clock Is What Actually Matters.
8 min read

EPA Just Set Compliance Limits for 152 Waste-to-Energy Units. The State Plan Clock Is What Actually Matters.

EPA's March 2026 final rule on waste-to-energy regulations: 152 units, 57 facilities, 0M retrofits. The real compliance window is 18 to 24 months, not five years.

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Why EPA's April 2026 PFAS Guidance Is Quietly Bad News for Most Waste-to-Energy Operators
9 min read

Why EPA's April 2026 PFAS Guidance Is Quietly Bad News for Most Waste-to-Energy Operators

EPA's April 2026 PFAS guidance recognizes thermal destruction above 1,100°C, a temperature most municipal waste combustors miss. What operators must verify.

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CSRD Omnibus Will Make ESG Diligence Worse for Waste-to-Energy Reporting, Not Better
8 min read

CSRD Omnibus Will Make ESG Diligence Worse for Waste-to-Energy Reporting, Not Better

Directive 2026/470 cut CSRD datapoints 61%. For waste-to-energy operators, the simplification removes guardrails Article 9 lenders still demand.

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What Investors Actually Verify on an ESG Waste-to-Energy Project
8 min read

What Investors Actually Verify on an ESG Waste-to-Energy Project

Inside ESG due diligence on waste-to-energy projects: five claims that fail verification under EU Taxonomy, IFC Performance Standards, and Article 9 funds.

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ESG and Waste Management: Meeting Environmental Compliance Goals
7 min read

ESG and Waste Management: Meeting Environmental Compliance Goals

How waste-to-energy and circular economy strategies help companies meet ESG reporting requirements, reduce Scope 1-3 emissions, and demonstrate environmental compliance.

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Waste-to-Energy vs Recycling: Complementary, Not Competing
4 min read

Waste-to-Energy vs Recycling: Complementary, Not Competing

Why waste-to-energy and recycling work together, not against each other. How integrated resource recovery achieves near-zero landfill dependence.

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Zero Waste to Landfill: Achieving 100% Diversion
4 min read

Zero Waste to Landfill: Achieving 100% Diversion

How companies achieve zero waste to landfill through integrated sorting, pyrolysis conversion, and closed-loop systems that eliminate disposal entirely.

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