Weird Waste: 8 Strange Things We’ve Sustainably Processed

When you think of waste, you probably picture food scraps, old products, or some type of packaging. But in the world of waste solutions, we've seen it all—from the unexpected yet familiar, to the undeniably freaky. Here are 8 examples across that spectrum in which we’ve transformed the strange into the sustainable.

1. Especially “Light” Tomato Sauce

One rogue flashlight slipped into a jar of tomato sauce that was quickly lost to the assembly line, jeopardizing the entire batch. We recycled all the packaging and contents!

2. Macro-Scale Microwavables

A microwavable snack that many of us have enjoyed on the go had a recall on a macro scale when it was exposed to bacteria. Instead of its 1,500 truckloads being sent to a landfill, we provided our own "on-the-go" (logistics) solutions and processed that entire stream into renewable energy.

3. Soda That Fell Flat

When a new soda was poorly received by the market, we gave the situation some much-needed effervescence by fully recycling its 6,000 cases. Despite the product falling flat, the solutions to handle it ended up helping their brand’s sustainability efforts pop!

4. “Big Shot” and “High-Risk” Goods

Over the years, we’ve securely managed and destroyed a lot of illegal materials on behalf of law enforcement agencies. Seized weapons, intercepted contraband, and plenty of drugs—with 50 tons of cocaine (a weight equivalent to 30+ cars) being one recent example.

5. Top-Dollar Materials

We’ve processed illegal tender too. Due to printing errors, one load included thousands in 100-dollar bills. When this happens, we can recycle the cash into products like agricultural beddings, absorbents or low-carbon fuel, or turn it into cost-effective renewable energy—a rare case where “burning money” ends up saving it.

6. Pandemic Pandemonium

From face masks to gloves, the amount of contaminated, pandemic-related PPE that was in need of safe and secure destruction was in the billions globally. During that crazy time, we handled loads of it domestically, eliminating its risks and transforming it into renewable energy to further support our communities. Even today, the amount of medical waste we manage on behalf of the healthcare industry is nothing to sneeze at.

7. Toys with Grub

A storage site that housed toys meant for children’s meals was infested with bugs, meaning the toys had to be destroyed due to food safety requirements. We recycled their components and processed what remained into renewable energy, ensuring no creepy crawlies (or toys contaminated by them) became unexpected surprises.

8. Eerie Effigies

One of the creepiest, most unsettling jobs: processing truckloads of discarded mannequins. Seeing their human-like shapes wrapped in strange contortions and sent for processing was chilling despite the task’s proximity to our thermomechanical treatment facility's combustion chamber.

As strange as these examples may be, they highlight an important truth: every type of waste, no matter how unusual, offers an opportunity to be processed in a sustainable way. Whether it’s turning failed food products into energy, safely destroying high-risk materials, or recycling the odd remnants of industries into new products or low-carbon fuel, we ensure that there is always an opportunity to create value from even the weirdest of waste streams.

To get a better understanding of our solutions and how we help businesses and communities drive their sustainability goals (no matter how "weird" their waste may seem), chat with us.