When we think about innovation, we usually picture exciting advancements that make our lives better, easier, and when we’re really hitting it out of the park, innovation often makes things cheaper too.  But in the world of waste management, that last part—things getting cheaper—can actually cause some serious headaches. Imagine this: new technologies make it possible to process waste more efficiently, recycle more materials, and do it all at a lower cost. Sounds great, right? Lower costs should mean lower prices for managing waste services, and who doesn’t love a good deal? But here’s where things get tricky. When prices start to drop across the board, it creates what’s called deflation, and for waste management companies, that’s not necessarily as...

It’s probably safe to say first principle thinking is one of those phrases you’re either familiar with or have never heard at all.  Popularized by innovators the likes of Elon Musk, at its core, first principle thinking is about breaking down complex issues to their simplest forms.   Say what you will about Mr. Musk, just stop and think about that for a minute. First principle thinking is simply breaking down complex issues to their simplest forms. Or to borrow from an oft-quoted proverb—a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In our advanced age as a company—all seven of them—this concept is nothing short of mind blowing for us at Food Loops. That’s because the sheer...

For countless Northwest Arkansas residents, Sunday, May 26, 2024, will be among those dates they will always remember as knowing exactly where they were and precisely what they were doing.  It was in the early morning hours that day, that massive winds whipping upwards of 165 mph from an EF3 tornado forever changed lives and the landscape throughout an entire four-county area.     With the rising of the sun, words like heartbreaking, devastating, shocking, and soul crushing emerged as neighborhood after neighborhood of damaged homes and businesses demolished by the block-full became all too visible.       To no one’s surprise, in the days and weeks that have since followed, the NW Arkansas community have banded together showing phenomenal resilience as...

For those of a certain age, the lyrics to Nat King Cole’s “Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” surely brings a smile to the face. For those of less than a certain age however, those same lyrics might well bring a quizzical look to the face...

In 1924, recycling in the US began as a frugal way to conserve resources, mainly scrap metal, paper, and glass, due to scarcity. Individuals and small businesses led the effort, with scrap metal dominating at 70% recycling rate, followed by paper (20%), and glass (5%). This marked the humble beginnings of a movement that would evolve into a global environmental effort over the next 100 years.