The Morning Wire — Thursday, October 1, 2026
In this issue:
Albuquerque landfill flooding delays collection. Heavy rain closed the Cerro Colorado Landfill on Tuesday, and it reopened with very limited capacity, leaving some drivers waiting up to six hours to unload and city curbside pickup running one to two days behind.
Commodity pricing. Fiber gained about $5 per ton across most grades for the month and OCC is up roughly $10 per ton since January, while aluminum remains the best-paying MRF material at nearly a dollar a pound and PET sits at its floor.
Regional fuel prices. Diesel fell in every region except the Rocky Mountains, with the West Coast excluding California at $6.64, and prices remain more than $2.50 a gallon higher than a year ago almost everywhere.
Mergers & acquisitions. Ecowaste Solutions acquired Georgia hauler Taylor Waste Services, GFL Environmental closed its purchase of Calgary-based SECURE Waste Infrastructure, and Refinyx bought Northvolt's battery recycling technology unit.
Franchise & contract watch. Universal City, Texas signed a five-year exclusive deal with Frontier Waste Solutions that caps annual increases at the lower of CPI or 5%, Buda's franchise term with Texas Disposal Systems ended September 30, and California's new SB 1371 voids strike-related force majeure clauses.
Open RFPs. Solicitations from Fort Bliss, Yavapai County, and two TxDOT offices close on October 1 and 2.
Industry headlines. California banned single-use vapes and awarded its first flexible film recycling contracts, Governor Newsom vetoed a recycled content claims bill, and New York City nearly doubled its curbside organics capture.
Correction. The issue corrects the previous day's report that Paradise Valley, Arizona was in active franchise contract negotiations, noting that item was based on 2017 coverage rather than a current procurement.
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