NERC | Northeast Recycling Council
NERC in the NewsAugust 2010
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ISRI to Sponsor State Electronics Challenge
Resource Recycling, August 2010 The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) is the first official sponsor of the State Electronics Challenge, a voluntary program that encourages state, regional and local governments, and other public entities, to purchase greener electronic products and responsibly recycle end-of-life electronics. ISRI is the first non-governmental entity to support the State Electronics Challenge, which is administered by the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC). "We at ISRI are extremely excited to be working with the State Electronics Challenge to promote the responsible recycling of obsolete electronics in an environmentally safe way," said Robin Wiener, ISRI president, in a press release announcing the partnership. "ISRI, as the largest organization of responsible electronic recyclers in the world, is a logical partner to work with the vast numbers of regional, state, and local governments to address the growing volumes of discarded electronics." "We are ecstatic that ISRI has come on board as the first SEC Sponsor," said Lynn Rubinstein, NERC executive director. "ISRI's commitment to sound end-of-life management fits in exactly with the goals of the challenge."
Important Workshop on Harmonizing State Electronics Recycling Programs to be Held at E-Scrap Conference 2010PRWeb, August 2, 2010
Electronics recycling programs continue to proliferate across the country as well as internationally. There are now 23 states with some type of electronics recycling law, all at different stages of implementation and with varying rules and regulations. Many are looking for joint solutions to common problems as well as areas where they can harmonize and share lessons learned. The Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC), an organization formed earlier this year, will hold a pre-conference workshop on Tuesday, September 28, in conjunction with the 2010 E-Scrap Conference in New Orleans to discuss these issues and others. The workshop, entitled “Harmonizing the State Electronic Recycling Programs – A Roundtable Discussion,” will be held from 1 to 4 p. m. at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Participants will hold an open dialogue featuring topics such as registration challenges, consumer education, performance metrics and areas for potential harmonization. The goal of the workshop is to develop key recommendations for harmonization on a regional or national basis and present the conclusions in a summary report. The report will be a valuable tool for participants in addressing policy issues within their own communities. The workshop will be led by the National Center for Electronics Recycling, which manages the ERCC jointly with the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC). It is open to managers of state and local electronics recycling programs, electronics manufacturers, retailers, recyclers and other stakeholders. Registration for the workshop is free for ERCC members, $100 for non-members and $50 for those with government or non-profit status. Fees can be paid as a part of the E-Scrap registration process. The E-Scrap Conference will be held September 29-30, 2010 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. To register for the conference and the ERCC’s pre-conference workshop, contact Jef Drawbaugh at jef@resource-recycling.com or call 503-233-1305, extension 118. For more information on the ERCC or to become a member of the organization, please call 304-699-1008 or visit www.ecycleclearinghouse.org.
Success: ISRI 2010 Convention & Exposition HighlightsScrap Magazine, July-August 2010 ISRI could not have picked a more appropriate theme — "Success" — for its 2010 annual convention and exposition. That event, May 4-8 in San Diego, was the second-largest convention in the association's 22-year history, attracting 4,546 attendees from 34 countries and 48 U.S. states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Included in Scrap's 20-page round-up of the convention: Certification, along with the growing burden of state e-scrap laws, were the focus of a diverse panel of speakers that addressed managing change in electronics recycling. . . . . . . State governments, school systems, and other institutional entities have been demanding certification of electornics recyclers for years, said Lynn Rubinstein of the Northeast Recycling Council (Brattleboro, Vt.). She asserted that BAN's e-Stewards program is winning the publicity battle with these audiences, adding the "R2 deserves a higher profile."
NERC Elects Officers
C&D World, July-August 2010 The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) has elected Jeff Schmitt, President; Sarah Kite, Vice President; and Donald E. Maurer, Treasurer. They will serve as the association’s Executive Committee, along with the standing position of Secretary held by NERC’s Executive Director Lynn Rubinstein. Schmitt is the Director of the Bureau of Solid Waste, Reduction & Recycling at the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, where for the past seven years he has managed all facets of the New York State Solid (non-hazardous) waste regulatory program. Kite is the Director of Recycling Services for the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation. She has more than 10 years of experience in the solid waste and recycling industry. Maurer will continue in his fourth year as the Treasurer for NERC. Mr. Maurer is the supervisor of the Solid Waste Compliance Assurance Section of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
Making Sense of Recycling's Alphabet SoupResource Recycling, July 2010
By Henry Leineweber State recycling organizations (SROs) may not be thriving, but they're certainly not sinking either. Surprising, considering that, at this time last year, conventional wisdom held that the impending demise of the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) threatened to cast SROs into the woods. With no unified national voice, recycling industry observers predicted that competing interests would undermine what was best for the recycling industry on the national stage. To make matters worse, the Great Recession sent demand for materials plummeting, while simultaneously making it harder for collection service providers, municipalities and processors to secure the funding they needed to sustain their operations. It was a perfect storm of circumstances. These tough times forced state recycling organizations, from coast to coast, to make some difficult decisions over the past year. SROs may have the luxury of multiple options, regarding access to national resources and support; but, when it came to day-to-day operations and program budgets, many were faced with a diminishing amount of choices. Surprisingly though, SROs, either through structural adjustments or old-fashioned belt-tightening, have emerged in relatively stable condition. . . . The dust is still settling on the national scene, but the inflamed opinions of a year ago seemed to have been soothed somewhat. . . Despite the failed merger attempt in 2009, Keep America Beautiful has still emerged as a leading national recycling organization in the eyes of many SROs. . . Tenaciously and seemingly miraculously, the NRC has also persisted, and continues to restructure with the goal of transitioning to a collaborative network of recycling individuals and organizations. . . NRC now faces competition from an unlikely source. The Recycling Organizations of North America (RONA) was formed in the fallout of the NRC collapse and includes many former members and prospective backers. . . . . . [But] the reality is that no national body currently fills the needs of all SROs, thus most are pursuing relationships with multiple national organizations out of necessity. Additionally, recycling organizations are supplementing affiliation with a national group, with membership in a regional body like the Solid Waste Association of North America or the Northeast Recycling Council, which better represents their interests. . . .
ISRI Now Official Sponsor of State Electronics ChallengeWaste Recovery Report, Waste and Recycling News, Recycling Today, and Reverse Logistics News; July 12, 2010
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries is now an official sponsor of the State Electronics Challenge, the scrap association announced. The State Electronics Challenge is an effort to promote safe and responsible recycling of electronics by state, regional, and local governments and schools. "We at ISRI are extremely excited to be working with the State Electronics Challenge to promote the responsible recycling of obsolete electronics in an environmentally safe way," said ISRI President Robin Wiener. "ISRI, as the largest organization of responsible electronic recyclers in the world, is a logical partner to work with the vast numbers of regional, state, and local governments to address the growing volumes of discarded electronics." The state effort is modeled after the Federal Electronics Challenge, which was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive. The State Electronics Challenge is administered by the Northeast Recycling Council and saw its first members join in 2008. In addition to safely recycling electronics, the challenge also hopes members will purchase greener electronics when making equipment replacements and will reduce the environmental impacts of electronics when in use. For more information, visit www.stateelectronicschallenge.net.
New Haven Takes Another Step Forward in Creating a Sustainable Environment
ShorelinePlus; Stamford, CT; June 23, 2010 By City of New Haven The City of New Haven Office of Economic Development announced the launch of the State’s first Contractor Deconstruction Training Program The program runs from June 14-27. Deconstruction is a relatively recent practice in which buildings are carefully dismantled to salvage components for reuse and recycling. Benefits of this practice include reducing the amount of construction and demolition waste going to landfills, conserving resources through recycling, generating products from salvage and creating jobs.
Awning Shop Adds Line of 'Green' FurnitureConnecticut Post; Bridgeport, CT; June 22, 2010
By Michael C. Juliano, Staff Writer Professional Awning & Cover Care is not crying over spilled milk. The full-service awning dealer founded in 2005 at 3 Production Drive in Brookfield recently expanded its offerings by becoming the exclusive New England dealer of lawn furniture made out of recycled milk and water jugs by By the Yard Inc. of Jordan, Minn. "The reason why I took this on is because I was trying to round out my store with something different and exclusive that people would go `Wow' about," said owner David Will, who was impressed by the durability of By the Yard's maintenance-free outdoor chairs, stools, tables, benches and accessories. "It's the only recycled product that I've found that has a 35-year warranty." By the Yard also offers a portable bar, coffee tables, trash receptacles, an outdoor podium and signs in their line of products that are 94 percent made up of recycled milk and water jugs. The products gain their durability and strength from the plastic's thick gauge and use of an ultraviolet-ray inhibitor to deter wear and tear from prolonged sunlight, Will said. "There's no weight limit to this furniture," said Will, whose business employs four workers. "If you can sit on it, it can hold you." By the Yard's 48-inch Chippendale Glider bench -- its most popular piece at Professional Awning & Cover Care -- sells for $499, while a standard Adirondack chair costs $299. "Sure, that sounds a little pricey, but that's the last time you'll buy it," Will said. Since bringing the product, which comes in nine colors, into his 2,000-square-foot shop in February, about 500 units have sold, in great part because of exposure at home shows and fairs throughout the state, Will said. "When people see it, they buy it," he said, adding that about 85 percent of sales come from residential customers. "Commercial is picking up because more businesses are seeing it." Professional Awning & Cover Care's commercial focus for By the Yard is on medical facilities, hotels and condominium complexes with a pool. A local hospital is considering the use of By the Yard furniture with memorial engravings done by his company, Will said. By the Yard makes its products out of high-density polyethylene, which gives them a high degree of strength and flexibility, said Ann Holzer, By the Yard's marketing manager. "We use 250 clear milk and water jugs in every chair," said Holzer, who declined to give any sales numbers for the privately held company. "We're not struggling in this economy." More companies are making their wares from recycled materials as consumers look to buy more environmentally friendly products, said Lynn Rubinstein, executive director of the Northeast Recycling Council in Brattleboro, Vt. "There'd be no recycling programs if there weren't any entrepreneurial efforts to use recycled plastic," Rubinstein said. "Having plastic diverted from the landfills is critical."
R.I. Environmental Journal:
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Providence Journal, May 30, 2010
By Peter Lord, Journal Environment Writer
The numbers of used syringes that people are improperly discarding with their plastic recyclables has increased so dramatically lately that the conveyors at the state’s recycling center in Johnston had to be shut down every half hour recently so the syringes could be removed without harming employees.
“We shut down the conveyers 18 times to clear off sharps, which must be a record,” said Sarah Kite, director of recycling services at the state’s Resource Recovery Corporation, said of one recent day. “Sharps are considered hazardous waste because they can cause infections and spread disease. Everyone using needles must learn the correct way to dispose of their used sharps and stop this alarming trend.”
Last week, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill that directs the Resource Recovery Corporation to prepare a statewide plan for collecting residentially generated medications. It is expected to go before the full Senate this week.
“The purposes of this program are to protect the public from the health hazards of flushing or disposing of unused medications in household trash, protect the public drinking water supply and aquatic ecosystems from the harmful chemicals in unused medications; and limit drug-related crimes and opportunities for drug abuse,” reads the bill.
The bill does not address the used needle problem, but Kite said she expects to spend the summer trying to devise a plan that addresses both the medications and the needles. Because both issues are problems throughout the country, Kite said she hopes for federal help as well.
Recently elected vice president of the Northeast Recycling Council, representing 10 Northeastern states, Kite said she hears about similar problems throughout the region.
Ironically, the needle problem in Rhode Island is partly caused by Resource Recovery. The agency used to contribute $25,000 annually to the Diabetes Foundation of Rhode Island, which distributed containers at pharmacies to collect used needles.
Budget problems caused the agency to discontinue the grants. At about the same time the Diabetes Foundation folded. Then more needles began arriving in plastic containers at the state recycling center.
“It was a good program,” Kite said. “But we just couldn’t support it anymore.”
Resource Recovery and the state Health Department urge people to put used needles in plastic containers, but to then throw the containers in the garbage, not into recycling bins.
Kite said people should use thick, plastic containers such as those containing bleach or laundry detergent. When full, people should tape the caps on them and throw them in the garbage.
“We only want empty containers at the recycling facility,” Kite said. “Empty containers are safe and easily managed.”
Kite believes more syringes are being discarded because more people are developing diabetes and other diseases that require regular injections. AnnMarie Beardsworth, spokeswoman for the Health Department, said diabetes is increasing, but the increase is largely type 2, which doesn’t require injections.
The problem, she said, is the lack of a safe place to dispose of needles.
Kite says she hopes to work with the departments of Health and Environmental Management, and to approach local drug stores for additional help.
Workers at the state recycling plant have their hands in the flow of plastics all day long, and in the past, she said, some have been stuck by needles.
Disposing of the needles in the landfill isn’t a perfect solution either, she said. That can put garbage haulers at risk.
“We all need to find a solution,” Kite said.
State College, PA, Regional Technology Program Recognized for its Environmental Accomplishments in 2009
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International City/County Management Association,
May 25, 2010
The State College Regional Technology Program has received recognition from a Northeast program—the State Electronics Challenge—for its environmental stewardship of computer equipment in 2009. The Regional Technology Program participants include Patton Township, Ferguson Township, the State College Borough, College Township, the Centre Region Council of Governments, and the Centre Area Transportation Authority.
Through the Centre Region’s efforts to buy “green” computers and properly manage unwanted computer equipment at the end-of-life, the Technology Program has avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 24 cars from the roads and enough energy savings to power 42 Pennsylvania homes. And, it did it by buying only desktop computers and monitors that met the highest environmental standards as defined by the Electronics Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®), as well as ensuring that computer equipment was recycled by companies with strong environmental standards.
In addition, by purchasing “green” computers, the Regional Technology Program avoided the use of 14 pounds of toxic materials such as lead and mercury in the manufacture of new computers, while recycling computers at the end-of-life avoided the generation of more than 1,300 pounds of hazardous waste. The State Electronics Challenge (SEC) is a program that assists state, regional, and local governments in the Northeast to reduce the environmental impact of their computers. It annually recognizes the accomplishments of Partner organizations. In addition to its environmental accomplishments through the SEC, the Regional Technology Program received a bronze level recognition for its end-of-life recycling program for computer equipment.
The SEC is a voluntary program developed and administered by the Northeast Recycling Council. The SEC provides an opportunity for state, regional, and local government to reduce the environmental impact of the more than $35 billion worth of technology equipment purchased annually by state and local governments in the U.S. Currently, 38 state, regional, and local government agencies, collectively employing almost 50,000 people, have joined the SEC as Partners. For more information on the SEC, including a list of current Partner organizations, visit www.stateelectronicschallenge.net.
For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Program Manager, State Electronics Challenge at 802-254-3636, lynn@nerc.org.
National Center for Electronics Recycling Shows 8% Increase in Electronics Collection Rates in 2009
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PRWeb and Earth Times, May 5, 2010
The NCER has published its annual Per Capita Collection Index for electronics recycling programs. In 2009, collection volumes rose 8 percent over results in 2008.
Parkersburg, WV (PRWEB) May 5, 2010 -- The National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER) announced today the 2009 per capita collection index (PCCI) for electronics recycling programs as an increase of 8% over 2008. The PCCI is a an annual measure of collection volumes of used electronic equipment in six ongoing electronics recycling programs across the United States. This compares to the 2008 index value of 7% over 2007. The increase seen in the 2009 PCCI would have been even higher if it had not been for a shift in CRT glass markets causing delays in submitting official claims in California that will carry over into 2010.
Except for California, every program tracked by the NCER saw a per capita increase between 5 and 50%. The results in Maine, whose program saw a 50% increase in its third year of operation, as well as other programs challenge the assumption that state mandated programs will see surges in collection in the initial years due to pent-up demand for recycling options before falling off. Had California increased at a rate similar to 2008, the overall PCCI would have been closer to 15%.
“Once again, collection volumes are up and our PCCI shows steady increases in participation among established recycling programs,” said NCER Executive Director Jason Linnell. “Although one outlier affected the overall increase in 2009, it’s safe to say that the increase means consumers are both becoming more aware of the need to properly recycle their unwanted electronics and finding increased availability of collection programs.”
A rising PCCI indicates an increase in the collection of e-waste across the programs included in the index and suggests a similar trend nation-wide. The jurisdictions included in the index are the states of California, Maine, and Delaware; a large municipality in Hennepin County, Minnesota; and two smaller municipalities in Branford, Connecticut and Frederick County, Virginia. For a complete explanation of the assumptions and calculations behind the PCCI, please see: http://www.ecycleclearinghouse.org/content.aspx?pageid=55.
The PCCI was developed under an NCER project known as the National Electronics Recycling Infrastructure Clearinghouse (www.ecyclingresource.org), a joint project with the Consumer Electronics Association. For additional information about the NCER and any of their research projects or programs, call 304-699-1008 or visit www.electronicsrecycling.org.
About the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER): The NCER is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Parkersburg, West Virginia that is dedicated to the development and enhancement of a national infrastructure for the recycling of used electronics in the U.S. The NCER manages the statewide network of collectors and recyclers under the Oregon State Contractor Program and administers the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse with the Northeast Recycling Council. For more information about the NCER, visit their website at www.electronicsrecycling.org.
The E-Waste Disconnect
WasteAge, May 1, 2010
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By Jason Linnell
States continue to implement differing e-waste laws but a federal electronics recycling program doesn't appear to be on the immediate horizon.
Compared to previous years, 2009 was a relatively quiet one when it came to states passing new electronics recycling legislation. However, several states began implementation of their e-waste recycling programs. Other state programs kicked in at the start of 2010, and by the end of this year, all 20 current state e-waste laws will have been implemented, barring any legislative or regulatory delays. Meanwhile, at the federal level, Congress in 2009 took its first concrete action to address the challenge of electronics recycling, but the bill does not directly address the patchwork of state regulation. With all of this activity, there are a number of notable trends in the policy landscape and things to keep an eye out for as the year progresses.
To recap, we now have one advanced recycling fee and 19 differing forms of producer responsibility among the state laws that provide some sort of financing for e-waste recycling programs. California was the first state to pass such a law, but is the only state with a fee charged to the consumer at the time of sale. The producer responsibility laws adopted by other states are designed to shift the costs of recycling to the manufacturers or producers. These laws require various registration, reporting and payment obligations of electronics manufacturers, and offer varying levels of access to recycling opportunities to residents of the states. Some require manufacturers to set up their own take-back programs but don't set recycling goals, and some dictate that manufacturers pay for recycling based on the volume of their brands that are recycled. There has been a trend in the newer laws to require that manufacturers pay recycling fees based on "market share," or how many of their products are sold.
What's New
Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin passed e-waste laws in late 2008 and 2009 that follow roughly the same model but have some key differences as well. The Michigan law was signed at the very end of 2008 and took effect last October. It requires manufacturers of computers and televisions to submit a plan to the state describing their takeback program. In this sense, it is similar to laws in Texas and six other states.
However, unlike Indiana and Wisconsin's laws, Michigan's law established no mandatory collection goals. Instead, manufacturers are asked to voluntarily collect an amount equaling 60 percent of the weight of the products they sell in the state; however, that is not a requirement. This is balanced by the fact that takeback programs are required to be "convenient." One interesting aspect to the Michigan law is the fact that recyclers, like manufacturers, are required to register with the state and pay an annual registration fee. This kind of requirement was not common in the first dozen state e-waste laws.
Indiana, on the other hand, does require manufacturers to meet a minimum collection goal of 60 percent of the weight of products sold in the state. However, manufacturers have almost two years to meet this initial goal before it becomes an annual mandatory minimum. This follows the model of the Minnesota law passed in 2007, under which manufacturers recycle a set number of pounds based on their sales weight of video display devices, but can count a larger array of products (such as computers, DVD players and printers) towards meeting that goal. Under the Indiana law, manufacturers are not required to provide "convenient" collection locations, but they are given an incentive to collect in rural areas. Manufacturers were allowed to begin collecting toward the first annual goal almost immediately after the law was passed in July 2009. Unlike Minnesota, where the collection percentage increased to 80 percent after the first year, the Indiana target stays at 60 percent of sales weight indefinitely.
The Wisconsin e-waste law also follows the rough model of requiring manufacturers to collect a defined percentage of their sales weight in a given year. But, Wisconsin's legislature added desktop computer and printer manufacturers to the list of covered producers, and the collection goal is 80 percent. The Wisconsin program began at the start of 2010.
What Do We Know?
Good data is hard to come by when evaluating the relative success and failure of the state electronics recycling programs. That's due to the fact that only half of the programs only have been operating for a year or more. That being said, the early results, at least in terms of collection volumes, are interesting to examine and compare as long as they are put in context. Figure 1 outlines the most recent results in pounds collected per capita among the state programs, but also shows key differences in terms of products collected and types of customers/entities whose devices are counted in these totals. Unless all columns show the exact same set of conditions, such as identical product scope and covered entities, the final per capita results should be not compared as absolute numbers. A recent article in Waste Age ("Sparking Green Jobs," January 2010 issue) failed to note many of the key differences in population and product scope when comparing the total volume collected in California versus other states.
As shown in the table, there is a stark difference between the collection results under the Texas and Virginia programs, as compared to the newer systems in Washington, Oregon and Minnesota. Even after considering that the Texas and Virginia programs might collect roughly 50 to 60 percent more volume if TVs were included and small businesses were allowed access to the system, the per capita rates still are an order of magnitude smaller.
At the Federal Level
In 2009, electronics recycling took a major step forward at the federal level as the House of Representatives adopted a bill that addresses the issue. However, this bill, (H.R. 1580) is focused on the research and development of recycling technologies rather than addressing the patchwork of regulatory programs. Unlike many other aspects of the electronics recycling issue, this bill has been non-controversial, and is expected to pass the Senate. Another bill on export restrictions for used electronics has been introduced but has not yet received a hearing due to strongly differing views on its merits and approach from environmental groups and the recycling industry.
Despite the fact that a federal e-waste solution is unlikely in the immediate future, there are still positive efforts underway to address the challenges posed by the myriad state approaches. For one, the National Center for Electronics Recycling and the Northeast Recycling Council have launched the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC) to serve as a forum for stakeholder input and for state agencies to encourage consistency in the implementation of their e-waste laws. Secondly, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has been methodically researching the challenges presented by the patchwork of state programs and is expected to make constructive recommendations to Congress before the end of the year.
With the momentum gained by these efforts, as well as the ongoing evaluation of state laws, 2011 could prove to be the year when all stakeholders get a real sense of how e-waste recycling laws should be harmonized.
Area Group Recognized for Environment Work
Rutland (Vermont) Herald, April 26, 2010
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BRATTLEBORO — A local nonprofit organization received national recognition for its environmental work during an Earth Day celebration on Thursday.
The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse received an Environmental Merit Award from the Environmental Protection Agency during a ceremony at Faneuil Hall in Boston.
"Today, on this milestone anniversary of Earth Day, I'd like to acknowledge and honor people, communities and businesses that have made significant strides in protecting New England's health," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA New England.
The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse is a national leader in reducing the toxicity of packaging. The clearinghouse is administered by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. and helps its 10 member states — including Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island — put into effect toxics-in-packaging laws, and during the past few years the clearinghouse has used X-ray fluorescent technology to screen more than 750 packaging samples to detect the presence of heavy metals regulated by state laws. Lead and cadmium in particular are commonly used in packaging materials.
In 2007, the organization sent the results of its screening projects to companies distributing packaging that allegedly violated state laws. As a result, many companies changed their actions and reduced the amount of toxic packaging entering the solid waste stream.
Governor Rell: Connecticut Environmental Initiatives Earn National Acclaim on Earth Day
Ameriborn News; Windsor Locks, Connecticut; April 24, 2010
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Governor M. Jodi Rell said Connecticut’s strong commitment to environmental protection and conservation through innovative initiatives and individual effort earned national recognition today during a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Merit Awards ceremony in Boston.
“On this 40th anniversary of Earth Day we should all take pride in the recognition our state has garnered through our leadership in critical environmental issues,” Governor Rell said. “I am tremendously proud that one of the honors recognizes the efficiencies we have made in our state Department of Environmental Protection through innovative Lean practices. DEP is showing that we can take prompt action on permits while maintaining important environmental standards that have served our state well.”
Connecticut Winners of EPA’s 2010 Environmental Merit Awards are:
Connecticut DEP LEAN Implementation Team and All Participating Staff:
Presented to DEP Commissioner Amey Marrella and DEP staff members involved with development and implementation of a program to improve efficiency at the agency. The ongoing LEAN program has reduced the review time for permit applications and for completing enforcement actions.
Connecticut Disaster Debris Plan Team:
An inter-agency group comprising staff from the state DEP and the Departments of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) and Administrative Services (DAS). This team developed statewide plans and contracts for Connecticut to manage debris in the event of a major hurricane or other natural disaster.
Partnerships for Green Jobs for the Water Sector
Among team members for this award were the Connecticut Section of American Water Works Association, Water and People Program – Portland Conn., Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) and New England Water Works Association. This award recognizes a unique training program developed by water system operators to ensure the availability of staff professionals in the future.
Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse
The Clearinghouse, which is administered by the Northeast Recycling Council Inc., was recognized for its work in reducing the toxicity of packaging that enters the solid waste stream, and ultimately, the environment in New England and across the country. DEP Employee David Westcott serves as a member of this Clearinghouse.
Jonathan Rose Companies, New Haven
The company was recognized for its efforts to develop “green” real estate nationwide and for its leadership in developing the “green” and affordable Metro Green Apartment building in Stamford, which serves as a model for future environmentally friendly property development
Lee E. Dunbar
Winner of a Lifetime Achievement Award, Lee Dunbar of Mansfield is a recently retired DEP employee who played a key role in the development and successful implementation of major water quality programs during his 30 years at the agency.
For more information on the awards and award-winners: www.ct.gov/dep and www.epa.gov
Group Honored by EPA
Brattleboro (Vermont) Reformer; April 23, 2010
By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN, Reformer Staff
BRATTLEBORO -- A Brattleboro organization has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for its work in helping remove toxic metals from packaging.
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The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse, a group that has been in Brattleboro for 20 years, was one of three groups from Vermont honored by EPA at an Earth Day ceremony held in Boston on Thursday afternoon.
The Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, which did energy audits at all of its buildings within the 49 parishes, and the city of Burlington, which addressed deficiencies in its wastewater plant to protect Lake Champlain, also won 2010 Environmental Merit Awards during a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day held Thursday at Faneuil Hall.
The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse helps its 10 member states crack down on wholesale and retail companies that are allowing metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium in products such as labels, inks and packaging.
In 1992, following the Model Toxics in Packaging Legislation, the group came together to help states identify companies that are not following the environmental law.
Over the past few years, the clearinghouse has used X-ray technology to screen more than 750 packaging samples to detect the presence of heavy metals regulated by state laws.
The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse is a program within the Northeast Recycling Council, which is also in Brattleboro, and Northeast Recycling Council Executive Director Lynn Rubinstein said the award Thursday was an important recognition of the work the group has been doing for the past two decades.
"This is a tremendous program and we are very excited about the award," Rubinstein said Thursday while members of the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse were in Boston at the EPA ceremony. "The members have been working very diligently and they have made huge strides over the last few years. It is exciting to see them recognized like this."
Vermont has adopted the legislation but is not a member of the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse.
New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island are three of the 10 states that have contracts with the Brattleboro-based organization.
EPA has been giving out the Environmental Merit Awards since 1970 to individuals and groups that have worked to protect the environment.
"Today, on this milestone anniversary of Earth Day, I’d like to acknowledge and honor people, communities and businesses that have made significant strides in protecting New England’s health," EPA regional administrator Curt Spalding said in a press release.
When states sign on with the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse the group assists the states so all of the technical and bureaucratic challenges are handled through a single source
The group also tests packaging and holds companies accountable if the tests show the presence of metals.
Lead and cadmium are routinely used in many packaging materials.
Over the past few years the organization has been focusing on large retailers and Wal Mart made major changes to how it procures packaging after Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse members spoke to the national retailer.
Earlier this year, the state of New Hampshire fined Barnes & Noble for alleged violation of the state’s Toxics in Packaging law.
The state alleged that the book stores were distributing bags that contained high levels of lead.
"Their efforts have resulted in the removal of significant amounts of toxic packaging from the environment," Rubinstein said. "We hope this will help spread the word and more people will hold manufacturers and retailers accountable.
Earth Day 2010 Boston: EPA Merit Awards
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Environment News Service; April 22, 2010
BOSTON, Massachusetts - Celebrating Earth Day's 40th anniversary in Boston's Faneuil Hall, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England Office is presenting its annual Environmental Merit Awards.
Presented by the EPA New England since 1970, this year the awards recognize contributions to environmental awareness and problem solving by 40 people and groups across New England from a Harvard professor to a sixth grader.
"Today, on this milestone anniversary of Earth Day, I'd like to acknowledge and honor people, communities and businesses that have made significant strides in protecting New England's health," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA New England.
Seven people and 10 organizations from Massachusetts are being honored today.
A Lifetime Achievement Merit Award was presented to Professor Jack Spengler and George Buckley, who offer Environmental Management courses as part of the Harvard University Extension School Distance Education Program.
The program founded by Spengler and Buckley now includes over 20 courses, and they have become leaders in distance education programs, virtual field trips and sustainability. More than 5,000 students from business, industry, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, the military, education and the media have have taken courses in environmental management, global climate change, sustainable communities, ocean management, and many other specialized courses.
An individual Merit Award was presented to Jacqui Vachon-Jackson and Steve Fischer for protecting people in Worcester from exposure to toxic lead. As director of housing programs for the Worcester Community Development Program, Vachon-Jackson has won more than $46 million of federal Housing and Urban Development lead abatement grants to help make low-income housing safe. Fischer of the Worcester Regional Environmental Council started and coordinated the Worcester Community Mobilization Network to prevent childhood lead poisoning in Worcester.
One of the Merit Awards given to environmental, community, academia and nonprofit organizations was presented to a New England-wide group known as Partnerships for Green Jobs for the Water Sector.
This partnership takes in the Massachusetts Water Works Association; Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection; Minuteman Career and Technical High School of Lexington, Massachusetts; the Connecticut Section of American Water Works Association's Water and People Program based in Portland; the Connecticut Department of Public Health; and the New England Water Works Association.
Up to 50 percent of drinking water operators in the United States will be eligible for retirement in five to 10 years, with New England the hardest hit. The Massachusetts and Connecticut agencies and associations named in this award have pulled together to solve this upcoming crisis while fostering a new trained work force. Massachusetts and Connecticut are training a new group of water system operators. To promote enthusiasm for the water profession, these states formed unique public-private partnerships that are national models.
Four individuals and one organization from Rhode Island were honored with Merit Awards. Richard Grant, president of the Narrow River Preservation Association, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award for his work on cleaning the Narrow River, a tidal inlet that opens into the Atlantic Ocean at Narragansett Beach.
With help from EPA and the town of Narragansett, he spearheaded the program that has completed three of the 11 proposed detention pond systems at the river's edge, replacing straight drainage piping of contaminated runoff that previously flowed unfiltered into the Narrow River.
From New Hampshire, three individuals and two groups received Merit Awards.
An award was presented to the New England Carbon Challenge, started in 2007 by Julia Dundorf of Clean Air Cool Planet and Denise Blaha of the University of New Hampshire as the New Hampshire Carbon Challenge to address climate change as well as poor air quality in New England.
The goal is to help residents identify actions they can take to reduce energy consumption, energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. With its emphasis on metrics, the group's web-based Carbon Calculator tracks progress in each community that uses it.
Now expanded into the New England Carbon Challenge, the effort has to date reduced emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide by 17.5 million pounds and has saved residents $1.8 million.
Three organizations in Vermont were honored with Merit Awards today, including the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse, which is administered by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. The clearinghouse helps its 10 member states, including Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, put into effect toxics-in-packaging laws. Over the past few years, the clearinghouse has used x-ray fluorescent technology to screen more than 750 packaging samples to detect the presence of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium regulated by state laws.
The clearinghouse in 2007 first sent the results of its screening projects to companies distributing packaging that allegedly violated state laws. As a result, companies changed their actions, reducing the amount of toxic packaging entering the solid waste stream. Many of the companies contacted were nationally recognized brand owners with great influence. The changes made have had a tremendous ripple effect throughout the world-wide packaging supply chain.
Two people from Maine were honored at the ceremony in Faneuil Hall today, including Sophie Towle, a sixth grader from South Berwick, Maine who led her school to take on a composting program, and the spread the program to two other schools. She convinced her school cafeteria to switch from polystyrene bowls to compostable sugar cane bowls. She made bookmarks out of recycled materials and sold them to raise money for real silverware instead of throw-away plastic, until she learned that the school district would save money by switching to metal cutlery.
Finally, a Lifetime Achievement Merit Award was presented to environmental educator and conservationist W. Donald Hudson, Jr., who joined the staff of the Chewonki Foundation in 1966 and has been president since 1991.
Capping decades of land preservation work, in 2009, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company asked Hudson and Chewonki to manage the restoration of fish passage on Montsweag Brook, the largest stream in Wiscasset, as part of a natural resources damages settlement.
This requires the removal of a dam at the Maine Yankee site that is expected to result in the return of as many as seven species of fish to the brook.
Maine Recognized for Environmental Stewardship
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Village Soup-Capital Weekly; Augusta, Maine; April 10, 2010
Augusta — The state of Maine has received silver-level recognition from a Northeast program — the State Electronics Challenge — for its environmental stewardship of computer equipment in 2009; the second year it has been so recognized.
According to a press release from the Maine State Planning Office, the state has avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to almost 200 cars on the roads and enough energy savings to power 280 Maine homes through its efforts to buy “green” computers and properly manage unwanted computer equipment at the end-of-life,.
It did it by buying only computers and monitors that met the high environmental standards defined by the Electronics Product Environmental Assessment Tool, extending the life of computers through reuse programs, and recycling obsolete equipment at facilities that adhere to environmentally sound management practices.
By purchasing “green” computers, the state avoided the use of 262 pounds of toxic materials, such as lead and mercury used in the manufacture of new computers. Recycling computers at the end-of-life reportedly avoided the generation of more than 16 tons of hazardous waste.
The State Electronics Challenge is a program that assists state, regional and local governments in the Northeast to reduce the environmental impact of their computers. It annually recognizes the accomplishments of partner organizations.
SEC is a voluntary program developed and administered by the Northeast Recycling Council. It provides an opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of the more than $35 billion worth of technology equipment purchased annually by state and local governments in the U.S. Currently, 38 state, regional and local government agencies, collectively employing almost 50,000 people, have joined the SEC as partners.
For more information on the SEC, including a list of current partner organizations, visit stateelectronicschallenge.net.
Recycling in Cyberspace: Don't Waste Your Next Event
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Resource Recycling, April 2010
By Roger Guttentag
Henry Leineweber’s article “An inside guide to event recycling,” found on Page 28 in this month’s Resource Recycling, does a great job of discussing how to reduce the waste created by all types of special events, ranging from small community festivals to giant sport stadiums. Unlike a lot of topics I have dealt with, there has been a lot of good content published on the Web within the last five years addressing special event waste management. A recommended listing of these informational resources can be found at the end of this column. However, there is a lot of overlap between them. So, for the balance of this column, I will focus on recommending where you should go if there are specific tools or techniques you need to know more about.
General information
sites
If you are unfamiliar with special event
recycling, then the recommended starting
points for your research should be the following
sites:
• CalRecycle – Venues and events:
Reducing Waste
• Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection (CTDEP) – Event
recycling resources
• North Carolina Division of Pollution
Prevention and Environmental
Assistance (NCDPPEA) – Event and
venue recycling
• Recycle Together – Venue Recycling in
the USA (NAPCOR report)
All these sites have links to how-to technical guides, as well as other resources that you will find extremely useful.
The most extensive technical reference available is the 2008 National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) report Venue Recycling in the USA, which can be found on the Recycle Together site. It is oriented to beverage container recycling, but its findings can be applied to any type of venue-based waste reduction program. In particular, the report’s analytical approach to venue recycling, by establishing seven distinct venue categories based on location (indoors or outdoors) and infrastructure (transient or permanent), is very helpful.
Another recommended resource is the Special Events Best Practices Guide published by the Stop Waste Partnership (Alameda County Waste Management Authority – California), which can found as a link on many of the general reference sites listed above. It provides a well-organized, succinct overview of all the key issues affecting special event recycling, including a one-page suggested timeline that thoroughly summarizes the key planning milestones.
Case studies
Case studies are a great way of illustrating
how theory can be put into practice, as well
as highlighting innovations or potential
pitfalls. The following sites provide case
studies that accomplish these goals.
• U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) – Special events
• Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) – Special Events Recycling
• Race to Recycle – Final report, City of
Tampa (Florida), ‘07-’08
• Recycle Together – Venue Recycling in
the USA (NAPCOR report)
Waste composition
One of the most important planning tasks
to be undertaken, as part of a special events
recycling program, is getting a handle on
the wastes that can be recycled, composted
or reduced through re-use. The references
listed below can help you with this task,
especially the CalRecycle report that includes
a detailed discussion of venue-based
waste composition. The NAPCOR report
is another important resource since it will
provide beverage container generation data
by venue category.
• Recycle Together – Venue Recycling in
the USA (NAPCOR report)
• Race to Recycle – Final report, City of
Tampa (Florida), ‘07-’08
• CalRecycle – Targeted Statewide Waste
Characterization Study (June 2006)
Composting
In general, special events generate food
waste. It is for this reason that composting
needs to be considered as one of the key
strategies in an overall event waste reduction
plan. One state that has aggressively
promoted the composting of event-based
organic waste is California, and it is not
surprising that some of the best sources of
information on this practice originate from
the Golden State. The Cities of San Francisco
and San Jose sites not only address
how compostable wastes can be recovered
from special events, but they also suggest
how non-compostable products can be
replaced by their compostable equivalents,
such as eating utensils, cups and plates.
• San Francisco Environment – Special
events recycling
• City of San Jose – Zero Waste Event
Program
Container listings
You can’t recover what you don’t collect.
But, it is equally important to use the right
containers for the right purpose. Both the Connecticut and North Carolina sites have
online directories of container vendors,
with information on container type, function,
design and intended location, along
with Web addresses and vendor contact
data.
• CTDEP – Event recycling resources
• NCDPPEA – Event and venue recycling
International
I like to add some international references,
since I believe it is helpful to see how other
countries handle the same problems we
have. Two non-U.S. based guides on
event recycling that I found to be worth
reviewing were created respectively by
Waste Awareness Wales (U.K.) and Zero
Waste South Australia.
• Government of South Australia (GSA) – Waste Minimisation Guide: Events
and Venues
• Waste Awareness Wales – Wales Event
Recycling Guide
Final thoughts
There is no question that successful special
event waste reduction requires careful
planning and the right tools and people
to implement. However, one common
element that all the technical guides agree
on is that you need the endorsement of
event organizers and participating vendors
to make it work. Make sure you get those
endorsements or your waste reduction
goals will become uneventful.
Roger M. Guttentag is a recycling and solid waste consultant located in Harleysville, Pennsylvania. He can be contacted at (610) 584-8836 or rguttentag@comcast. net.
Reprinted with permission from Resource Recycling, P.O. Box 42270, Portland, OR 97242-0270; (503) 233-1305, (503) 233-1356 (fax); www.resource-recycling.com.
Group Helps Businesses to Recycle Among Themselves
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Champlain Business Journal, March 2010
By RACHEL CREE SHERMAN
Among the many efforts introduced in Vermont to conserve resources of all types by re-using and recycling in every conceivable way, businesses and individuals can now benefit from the Vermont Business Materials Exchange (VBMX) program.
Cratred by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation's Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), the Vermont Business Materials Exchange is overseen by the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) in Brattleboro.
From paper bags to cmputer equipment, from shelving to cement mixers, businesspersons and residents throughout the state can access a Web-based list of materials of every description.
[Click here to view a PDF of the full article.]
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Government Organizations in the Northeast Save Power and Avoid Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Distributed Energy, the Journal of Energy Efficiency and Reliability; March 29, 2010
The efforts of twelve government organizations—ranging in size from a regional technology program in Pennsylvania to the state of Maine—participating in a voluntary environmental challenge made significant environmental strides in 2009. Their combined efforts resulted in avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing more than 1,800 cars from the roads and enough energy savings to power 1,450 homes. And, they did it by buying green computers, being sure that energy saving strategies were implemented for each computer, and reusing and recycling computers in ways that protect the environment.
Purchasing more environmentally friendly computer equipment avoided the use of 569 pounds of toxic materials such as lead and mercury in the manufacture of new computers, while recycling computers at the end-of-life avoided the generation of almost 35 tons of hazardous waste. Reusing and recycling computer equipment rather than discarding it also reduced municipal solid waste equivalent to the amount of trash generated by 32 households a year.
The voluntary program that the government organizations are participating in is the State Electronics Challenge (SEC). It assists state, regional, and local governments in the Northeast to reduce the environmental impact of their computers.
Four SEC Partner organizations have recently been recognized for demonstrating exceptional leadership in electronics stewardship for 2009. SEC Partners are eligible three recognition levels – Bronze, Silver, or Gold – based on completion of SEC program requirements. This year the following achievements are recognized, including the first gold level recognition issued by the SEC:
- The City of Providence, Rhode Island, School Department received the SEC’s first gold recognition for purchasing green computers, reducing the energy consumption of computer units in operation by implementing strategies to better manage and control energy consumption, and implementing environmentally sound end-of-life recycling practices.
- Maine’s State government and the Town of Windsor, Connecticut each achieved silver recognition for purchasing environmentally preferable computers, extending the life of computers through reuse programs, and recycling obsolete equipment at facilities that adhere to environmentally sound management practices.
- The Regional Technology Center Program, State College, Pennsylvania, achieved bronze recognition for its end-of-life recycling program for computers and computer components.
The SEC is a voluntary program developed and administered by the Northeast Recycling Council. The SEC provides an opportunity for state, regional, and local government to reduce the environmental impact of the more than $35 billion worth of technology equipment purchased annually by state and local governments in the U.S. Currently, 38 state, regional, and local government agencies, collectively employing almost 50,000 people, have joined the SEC as Partners. For more information on the SEC, including a list of current Partner organizations, visit www.stateelectronicschallenge.net.
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Zero Waste C&D Pilots
BioCycle, March 2010
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) received an EPA Resource Conservation Challenge grant for construction and demolition pilots in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, to take place over the next two years. The pilots will strive for zero waste through source reduction, reuse and recycling. As part of the project, NERC will work with construction site managers to develop zero waste materials plans; provide on-site technical assistance; document materials diverted at each location; and develop training tips, implementation tools, fact sheets and case studies. For additional information, visit www.nerc.org.
In the Spotlight: Mary Ann Remolador from Vermont Business Materials Exchange
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iWasteNot Systems Resource Newsletter, March 2010
A bit about Mary Ann
I’ve been working at the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) for the last 15 years. I arrived here wanting to make a difference while working on environmental issues. With a background in Natural Resource Economics and International Administration, my first projects were focused on recycling business development issues. Since then, I’ve worked on a variety of recycling, reuse, and green purchasing projects; both research and hands-on implementation with recycling entrepreneurs, business service providers, other businesses, financiers, state governments, municipalities, schools, and non-profit organizations. I also organize and implement a Conference and Workshop each year for the Northeast region and am the Administrator for the Vermont Business Materials Exchange (VBMX).
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| Mary Ann Remolador |
Life as an exchange administrator
I’ve been the VBMX Administrator for the last year and four months and have really enjoyed it. It’s exciting to see the different items that people are looking to get rid of or are looking for. It’s even more exciting to see how many items get exchanged and knowing that the Exchange has kept valuable materials from being wasted.
Any challenges?
One of the hardest parts to running an Exchange is to make sure people know you exist and to remind them to use the Exchange. Consistently marketing the Exchange takes the most time, but you can see the results almost immediately. You can actually watch the spikes in activity anytime an ad gets printed or you make a presentation at an event.
The other biggest challenge is funding to keep the Exchange going. Since we began working with VBMX, we have been searching for funding sources. We haven’t found the answer yet, but continue to search and discuss possibilities.
Advice for new admins
It’s easy to administer/manage an Exchange—five to ten minutes each day. One or two phone calls or emails from Exchange members each month may take a few more minutes of your time, but it’s a great way to stay in touch with your constituency.
iWasteNot’s platform also makes it easy for administrators to navigate the site, download statistics on exchanges made and web traffic, as well as keeping in touch with members.
Great results!
Since I’ve been administering VBMX:
- There have been 117 successful exchanges made.
- Our membership has grown to 806.
- 519 members have opted to receive daily alerts on new listings.
- The site averages 90 listings at any given time.
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Website Integrates Materials Exchanges
in Seven States
Waste Recovery Report, February 2010
A Reuse Marketplace Website is on-line at www.reusemarketplace.org. It lets users browse and search "wanted" and "available" listings maintained by eight materials exchanges in seven East Coast states. For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, Northeast Recycling Council, Inc., 139 Main Street, Brattleboro VT 05301-2800, 802 254-3636, fax 802 254-5870, www.nerc.org.
NERC Launches Online Reuse Marketplace
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Scrap Tire News, February 2010
The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC), Brattleboro, Vermont, has announced the launch of the Reuse Marketplace, the nation’s first multi-state materials exchange network, which enables businesses, government agencies and nonprofits that have unwanted materials to connect with markets beyond their local areas. The Reuse Marketplace helps participants in seven states find alternatives to the disposal of valuable materials, and in the process, trim their waste removal costs, reduce the quantity of items they send to landfills, and lower carbon emissions.
“The Reuse Marketplace is the first step in what could become a national effort to link materials exchanges in all 50 states,” NERC’s announcement stated. NERC serves as the administrator of the Reuse Marketplace, which has partnered with eight materials exchanges in seven states: Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Vermont.
A quick visit to the new exchange site found a listing for new and used bias tires, complete with dimensions, prices and availability details. www.reusemarketplace.org
Two Nonprofits Partner on Electronics Recycling Clearinghouse
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Recycling Today Magazine, February 18, 2010
Two nonprofit organizations, the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER), Parkersburg, W.Va., and the Northeast Recycling Council Inc. (NERC), Brattleboro, Vt., have announced the formation of the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC), based in Parkersburg. The ERCC’s goal is to serve as a forum for coordination and information exchange among state and local agencies that are implementing electronics recycling take-back laws.
The NERC will administer the ERCC, while the NCER will act as manager.
“Despite the patchwork of state requirements on electronics recycling, the ERCC will play a valuable role in reducing administrative overlap and simplifying compliance efforts for manufacturers and other impacted stakeholders,” says Jason Linnell, NCER executive director.
The governance, dues structure and basic activities of the ERCC are modeled on the successful organization currently managed by NERC known as the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse.
More information will be available at www.ecycleclearinghouse.org.
First Electronics Recycling Certification to Regulate Toxic Exporting
Earth911.com, February 16, 2010
By Lori Brown
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has announced its endorsement of the first-ever certification program for the recycling of electronics.
The e-Stewards Certification and Standards program, held by the Basel Action Network (BAN), is touted as a giant step forward in an effort to slow the tide of overseas shipment of hazardous electronics.
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The e-Steward Certification is a fully accredited certification program which utilizes independent third-party auditors to verify safe and ethical disposal of electronic waste. The program aims to clearly separate responsible recyclers with those that utilize unethical practices such as municipal landfill disposal, incineration and exportation to developing countries.
“This initiative is sorely needed,” said NRDC Senior Scientist Allen Hershkowitz. “Many e-waste recyclers claim to be green, but in reality, they rely on unsafe and ecologically damaging methods like dumping millions of tons of toxic waste each year in China, India and Africa. E-Stewards provide businesses and consumers with a first-of-a-kind seal to identify the truly responsible recyclers.”
The first companies to receive the e-Stewards “Enterprise” designations and the first Certified e-Steward recyclers will be announced in March. There are currently about 50 North American recyclers considered “Pledged e-Stewards,” which have been licensed and will be certified in the next 18 months.
Electronics Recycling Laws on the State Level
In order to regulate the recycling of electronics in the absence of a federal law, many states have implemented their own laws pertaining to proper collection and disposal. Currently, 20 states and one municipality (New York City) have put laws into place.
Because each law is tailored to its state, compliance has become a challenge for retailers, manufacturers and consumers. In order to encourage information exchange regarding the various regulation, ecoATM, which provides in-store electronics recycling options to consumers, has become a founding affiliate member of the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC).
“It is clear there will be no federal (EPA) legislation for years to come,” said ecoATM’s Chief Green Officer, Seth Heine. “Ironically, as more states develop these laws, the need for federal involvement becomes more clear, yet it is that much more challenging for a federal law to take precedent and for states to accede to a federal law.”
Founded by the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER) and the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), ERCC aims to provide a forum for information exchange of recycling laws among state agencies and impacted stakeholders.
Online Reuse Marketplace Engages Multiple States in Network
Environmental Protection, the news service of 1105 Media Inc., February 4, 2010
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The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC) of Brattleboro, Vt., has launched the Reuse Marketplace , the nation’s first multi-state Materials Exchange network, which enables businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits that have unwanted materials to connect with markets beyond their local areas.
The Reuse Marketplace helps participants in seven states find alternatives to the disposal of valuable materials, and in the process, trim their waste removal costs, reduce the quantity of items they send to landfills, and lower carbon emissions. “The Reuse Marketplace is the first step in what could become a national effort to link Materials Exchanges in all 50 states," said Mary Ann Remolador, assistant director, NERC.
NERC serves as the administrator of the Reuse Marketplace, which has partnered with eight Materials Exchanges in seven states; Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Vermont. The Reuse Marketplace integrates the individual state reuse Exchanges into one to allow for easy access and increased listing of materials. The project was funded with a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “This project keeps valuable materials in the marketplace and keeps them out of the landfill,” said Christine Beling of EPA, Region I.
A Materials Exchange provides an around-the-clock venue for businesses, government, and nonprofits to advertise a wide range of items they no longer have a need for, from packing peanuts to office cubicles. Participants offer their unwanted items at below-retail cost or for free.
Entities wishing to list items with the Reuse Marketplace can post them on their state’s participating Materials Exchange. Visitors to the Reuse Marketplace will be able to browse all listings from the eight exchanges.
“Material Exchanges strengthen our local economies by promoting the use of recovered materials,” said Greg Cooper, MassDEP’s director of Consumer Programs for the Bureau of Waste Prevention. “And keeping these products out of the waste stream lengthens their life cycle and greatly reduces their environmental impact. By linking Exchanges into a national network, the Reuse Marketplace is helping to increase the potential environmental and economic benefits that local and regional Exchanges offer.” Ontario-based iWasteNot Systems has developed the technical platform for the site. The Reuse Marketplace includes the following Materials Exchanges:
- Connecticut: CT Reuse Materials Network;
- Florida: Southern Waste Information eXchange, Inc;
- Massachusetts: Ecostar Exchange;
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Material Trader;
- New York: New York C&D Material Trader;
- North Carolina: North Carolina C&D Material Trader;
- Rhode Island: ResourceXchange;
- Vermont: Vermont Business Materials Exchange.
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NERC Shines Light on Re-Use
Resource Recycling Electronic Newsletter, February 3, 2010
The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC) recently launched what it's calling the "nation's first multi-state materials exchange network" — The Reuse Marketplace, a Website that looks to enable businesses, government agencies and non-profits with unwanted materials to find markets for those items outside their local areas.
The Marketplace, which is administered by NERC, involves eight materials exchanges in seven states, including Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Vermont, and is funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid Waste Emergency Response.
The Reuse Marketplace can be found at www.reusemarketplace.org.
Barnes & Noble Pays Fine for Lead in Store Bag;
First Fine for Toxics in Packaging Levied in NH
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News release from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, February 1, 2010, picked up by Media Newswire, the Nashua Telegraph, and Seacoastonline.com.
Concord, NH - Commissioner Thomas S. Burack of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services announced today the execution of an Administrative Fine by Consent Agreement with Barnes & Noble, Inc. of New York City in the amount of $3,000. The Agreement resolves alleged violations of the state’s Toxics in Packaging laws.
Under the terms of the agreement, Barnes & Noble, which operates five retail stores in New Hampshire, has not admitted liability for the alleged violations but will pay administrative fines totaling $3,000 to the State. The fines resolve allegations that the company distributed plastic store bags that contained high levels of lead and failed to submit Certificates of Compliance upon request.
In June and in August 2008, the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH, administered by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.), which coordinates implementation of the law on behalf of ten state members, notified Barnes & Noble of the potential violation and requested a Certificate of Compliance and supporting documentation to prove compliance. State toxics in packaging laws require the submittal of Certificates of Compliance within 60 days of receiving a request. Commissioner Burack said, “New Hampshire passed the toxics in packaging law in 1990, so this is not a new law. We conduct outreach with nine other states through the TPCH, which provided Barnes & Noble the opportunity to address problem without enforcement.”
Once contacted by the States of Iowa and Washington in the spring of 2009, Barnes & Noble began removing non-compliant bags from circulation. Payment of the administrative fine followed an Administrative Order issued to Barnes & Noble by DES in September 2009. The Barnes & Noble response to the Administrative Order included a statement that the company had removed the non-compliant bags from all of its New Hampshire stores prior to the date of the Administrative Order.
For more information on this case or on New Hampshire’s toxics in packaging law, contact Sharon Yergeau, Planning, Prevention & Assistance Unit, at 603 271-2918.
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Liberty, Eldred Chosen for New Recycling Program
Sullivan County Democrat, Callicoon, New York; January 15, 2010
By Dan Hust
Sullivan County Recycling Coordinator Bill Cutler told legislators recently he has good reason to be excited.
Out of thousands of possible candidates, the Eldred and Liberty central school districts were selected to receive specialized recycling help from the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC).
According to NERC Projects Manager Athena Lee Bradley, the districts are special in another way: both have more than the high school participating.
Two high schools in Connecticut, two in New Jersey and two in Delaware are part of this new NERC venture. But in Liberty, the middle school will also be part of the program and, in Eldred, the Mackenzie Elementary School in Glen Spey will join the junior/senior high school in the activities.
“The project, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Services Solid Waste Management Grant Program, is to work with rural schools to increase solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, and toxic product use reduction,” said Bradley.
Both Liberty and Eldred already recycle, but NERC is pairing the $40,000 USDA grant with $20,000 of its own money to help the districts find new ways of dealing with their waste.
“I’m trying to do projects with them that won’t cost them any funding,” explained Bradley, who wrote the grant.
“Both Eldred and Liberty are already doing great things,” she acknowledged, but her hope is to streamline their recycling operations and introduce innovations such as worm composting.
“This is tremendous,” affirmed Cutler, who has been working with NERC for the past two years to land this program locally.
He joined Bradley at Eldred last month to conduct a waste audit, and also at Liberty to discuss a waste assessment with faculty and staff.
Neither district is getting any money out of this program, nor are they intending to use it to save money – though that could be a result.
“For us, it was just someone to give us some guidance to do something we’d been wanting to do,” explained Eldred Superintendent Berneice Brownell.
Liberty’s director of student services, Eileen Conway-Whitaker, added that students will learn how to apply educational concepts to the real world.
“This is going to be very exciting for them,” she said, predicting this may spur some to one day seek jobs in the recycling market. “I think recycling is going to be a big thing in the future for these students.”
The exact activities of the program are still being worked out and are expected to commence later in the school year. Bradley said it will run through September and feature at least two more trips from her Vermont headquarters to the schools.
“It’s a great opportunity and wonderful to visit these rural schools,” she acknowledged.
“It’s a wonderful educational tool,” Brownell added. “I think it will save us all something in the long run.”
“We only have one earth,” agreed Conway-Whitaker, “and I think we should be taking better care of it.”
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WeRecycle! Featured on CBS News
Recycling Today, January 14, 2010
WeRecycle! LLC recently was featured by the CBS Evening News during a segment focusing on the economy and green jobs. The company’s services include asset management, data destruction, recycling logistics services and compliance assistance services.CBS Evening News reporter Anthony Mason toured WeRecycle! facilities in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., and Meriden, Ct., to see firsthand the role the company is playing in creating local, sustainable jobs through the responsible recycling and refurbishing of used electronics.
"We've grown 50 percent over the last six months," Gina Chiarella, WeRecycle!'s executive vice president said in the report. Referring to the positive impact that domestic recycling can have on our economy, Chiarella adds, "We're providing 'green collar' manufacturing jobs and we plan to do that all over the country."
WeRecycle! also notes that the company is committed to advancing globally accepted best practices for managing e-waste, in accordance with standards set forth by the Basel Action Network. As an ISO 14001:2004 & NAID certified business and an e-Stewards Founder, WeRecycle! says it affirms a promise to provide environmentally responsible recycling.
WeRecycle! is a member of the Northeast Recycling Council, National Association for Information Destruction and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, among others.
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iWasteNot Systems: A Dating Service for Trash
Triple Pundit business news service, January 13, 2010
By Kathryn Siranosian
Looking for 50,000 pounds of inedible egg product, a gently used photocopier, a few 55-gallon drums of alkaline degreaser, or a dozen wooden cable spools?
As the old adage says, to some that’s trash . . .but to others, it’s treasure.
Just ask James Ruttan, CEO of iWasteNot Systems, Inc., in Ontario, Canada. He, together with his father and three out of four younger siblings, has built a business centered on the concept of reuse –both residential and commercial.
Started in 2003, iWasteNot Systems is a software-as-a-service company that supplies web-based surplus materials exchanges for organizations throughout North America. By providing software, web-hosting, security, support and training, iWasteNot Systems helps clients create and operate residential, mixed industrial-commercial, agricultural-biomass-forestry, electronics and in-house materials exchanges.
And, what’s more, the company can even track and report on the weight and nature of the materials reused and then calculate the dollar savings and the greenhouse gas emissions avoided through the waste diversion.
As Ruttan explains it, iWasteNot Systems is grounded in “preaching the path,” making the choice to reuse materials as easy, inexpensive and effective as possible. Or, put another way…
“Think of it as a dating service for trash,” he quips.
To see how these exchanges work, take a look at one of the 20 or so listed on iWasteNot System’s Portfolio page.
At the Vermont Business Materials Exchange, for instance, companies with surplus or by-product materials connect with other businesses or individuals who can reuse these materials productively. This particular exchange is sponsored by the Northeast Recycling Council Inc. (NERC) and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, and if you explore the site today you’ll find numerous available items, such as oil furnaces, padded stacking chairs, school gym lockers, and cardboard boxes.
“Our family has had an environmental ethic running through it since the 1960s. It has always been important to us, and we started the company because we wanted to best leverage our efforts to enable others,” Ruttan says. “Right now, the problem is so big that everyone needs to pitch in. The way I see it, we provide tools that enable others to make the right call. I think the awareness is out there. What people need is a way to make it happen.”
iWateNot Systems customizes each client’s website using these modular units:
- Online material (waste) exchanges where people can easily list items to give away, trade, locate or repair
- A “Recyclopedia” –an innovative A to Z Reuse and Recycling Guide by type of material (A resource for “what to do with it when you’re done with it,” Ruttan says.)
- Directories for Reuse & Recycling Businesses and Non-profit organizations
- Events Listings for garage sales and recycling events
- Recycling News Section
- Recycling Links
Ruttan says that over the years, a remarkable variety of items has been reused, ranging from bicycles, computers, and office desks to whole houses, an entire hockey rink, and an antique printing press.
“The challenge is to overcome the premise that because it’s not new, it’s not useful,” he concludes. “We’re here to provide the logistical support and to put the focus on reusing locally.”
New Clearinghouse to Encourage Cooperation among State Electronics Recycling Programs
PR Web, posted January 7, 2010
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Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) January 7, 2010 -- Today at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, two leading non-profit organizations in advancing recycling efforts across the country announced the formation of the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC). The ERCC will serve as a forum for coordination and information exchange among state and local agencies that are implementing electronics recycling take-back laws. While the laws vary in their structure and impact, there are many basic areas of overlap that can be implemented in a consistent manner. The ERCC, which will be administered by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC) and managed by the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER), will serve to identify and coordinate joint approaches to those common challenges.
“Despite the patchwork of state requirements on electronics recycling, the ERCC will play a valuable role in reducing administrative overlap and simplifying compliance efforts for manufacturers and other impacted stakeholders,” said NCER Executive Director Jason Linnell. The ERCC is not starting from scratch in creating a multi-state cooperation forum. The governance, dues structure, and basic activities are modeled on the successful organization currently managed by NERC known as the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH). “TPCH has demonstrated over the years that providing this type of coordination can provide benefits to and reduce costs for state governments and the regulated community in addition to providing consistency to the impacted industry, and we are excited to extend this model to electronics recycling programs,” said NERC Executive Director Lynn Rubinstein.
The ERCC is divided into two basic types of membership. The first are the voting members, who are states and local governments that are implementing electronics recycling laws. The ERCC also includes an affiliate, non-voting membership consisting of industry and other organizations. The ERCC provides affiliate members a forum to efficiently and effectively meet with state regulators to discuss the various aspects of their legislation, and a single resource destination for important information needed to make timely decisions that affect issues in multiple states.
NCER will host a press event on Thursday, January 7th at noon Pacific standard time in room S221 of the Las Vegas Convention Center to announce the ERCC and recognize the Founding Members. The ERCC will kick off key projects in the coming months to collect and maintain updated data on collection volumes, manufacturer contact information, and return share. Additionally, Member States will be able to pursue projects such as combining manufacturer registration forms and joint access to needed market research data. More information and news will be posted to the ERCC website located at http://www.ecycleclearinghouse.com.
About the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER): The NCER is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization based in Parkersburg, West Virginia that is dedicated to the development and enhancement of a national infrastructure for the recycling of used electronics in the U.S. For more information about the NCER, visit its website at http://www.electronicsrecycling.org.
About the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC): NERC's mission is to advance an environmentally sustainable economy by promoting source and toxicity reduction, recycling, and the purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services. For more information on NERC or any of their projects visit its website at http://www.nerc.org.
State and Local Recyclers Aim for Coordination
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E-Scrap News Electronic Newsletter, January 5, 2010
Electronics recycling will be on the agenda at this week's Consumer Electronics Show, with a formal announcement of the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC) — a partnership between the Northeast Recycling Council and the National Center for Electronics Recycling.
The ERCC, which will be formally announced on Thursday, is aiming to be a forum where state agencies implementing or administering electronics recycling programs can share information, address common challenges and coordinate policies. The organization will also collect and consolidate information on collection volumes and performance measures, manufacturers, product types, and return shares.
The organization is modeled on the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse, an organization set up by NERC in 1992 to promote packaging legislation. Membership with the ERCC is reportedly two-tiered, with states and local governments administering or implementing electronics recycling programs comprising the voting members and a secondary group of producers, industry members and other organization forming a non-voting affiliate membership. More details are available here.
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The Ecology of Recycling
UN Chronicle; posted December 4, 2009
By Marian Chertow
While not on the front line of climate solutions, recycling of waste materials, wastewater, and wasted energy is a locally available and highly desirable means of reducing greenhouse gases. One potent greenhouse gas, the methane emitted from landfills and wastewater, accounts for about 90 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from the entire waste sector. That amount is 18 per cent of human-caused methane emissions globally and about three per cent of total greenhouse gases, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.1 Diverting waste bound for landfills and putting it to good use, then, is an obvious and proven means for conserving land and resources, as we have known for a long time; we can now add the knowledge from numerous studies that these practices also bolster climate protection.
This article draws on examples from around the world to describe the climate effects of 1) household recycling and reuse, 2) the cyclic resource flows across clusters of companies known as “industrial symbiosis”, and 3) far reaching policy proposals for national scale resource use. It draws lessons from the system’s perspective provided by industrial ecology, a new field resolutely focused on the flows of material, energy, and water through systems at different scales, from products to factories to countries and regions.
How does resource reuse affect climate? Cycling energy through cogeneration, reuse of agricultural wastes, or recovery of energy-intensive materials such as aluminium, reduces greenhouse gases. Since most commercial energy is produced from burning fossil fuels, the power generation sector emits more greenhouse gases than any other industrial sector. Cycling materials for use in other production processes reduces the lifecycle impacts, when compared with virgin materials that must be extracted from the earth and then transformed and transported through numerous stages. Recovered resources free up land and capital for other opportunities that would have been required for the equivalent amount of goods to be made from virgin resources. Cycling water means using it more than once, a critical and increasingly urgent practice where water is scarce owing to expected changes in precipitation patterns brought on by climate change. To capture these concepts, industrial ecologists use the term “embedded utility”: the total amount of the water, energy, and materials used for all different lifecycle stages of a product from beginning to end.2 Embedded utility is central to industrial ecology: if a product is landfilled, these resources are lost.
Household Waste and Recycling
Study after study in the last five years from Brazil to Canada and from Europe to Asia affirms the ability to quantify greenhouse gas emissions from household waste on a lifecycle basis. Each of these lifecycle studies finds a clear, positive impact of recycling and reuse on reducing greenhouse gasses, principally because of recapturing, rather than discarding, the embedded energy, water, and materials used to make the products in the first place. These studies have included “upstream” (production stage) impacts, such as the effect of replacing virgin materials with recycled ones, as well as “downstream” (waste management) impacts that result from alternative strategies such as landfilling, incineration, composting and recycling. The sum of upstream and downstream amount to a dual benefit from recycling. Even when the emissions from collection trucks and additional transport to recycling facilities are included, greenhouse gas savings prevail.
The scale and mechanism of greenhouse gas reductions for a particular location, however, depend on the specific materials involved, the extent of recovery, the availability of markets, and the mix of fuels avoided through recycling of resources. Recycling metals carries a large energy benefit, while paper recycling often contributes to forest carbon sequestration benefits. Replacing power generated by oil or coal, two carbon-intensive fuel sources, adds more greenhouse gas benefits to recycling than replacing power generated from renewables or hydro energy. Thus, there are no universal claims, but significant regional differences occur when measuring comparative climate impacts from waste recycling and disposal.
There are now many tools to calculate greenhouse gas impacts of different solid waste management options and materials. One example is the Environmental Benefits Calculator of the Northeast Recycling Council in the United Sates, which estimates the environmental benefits of a selected study area based on the tonnages of materials that are source reduced, reused, recycled, landfilled, or incinerated. The Calculator, a Microsoft Excel-based tool, incorporates findings from several lifecycle studies based on “typical” facilities and operating characteristics in the United States.3 The Brazil study measured in detail the greenhouse gas impacts of individual materials, including aluminum, plastic, paper, steel and glass.4
With some exceptions for mixed or contaminated materials that are difficult to categorize or recycle, a broad array of policy programmes is available to reduce climate-related impacts of waste management. Some of the most successful programmes include recycling pick-up from homes or drop-off at district centres; requiring residents who generate a lot of waste to pay more than those who generate less (“pay as you throw”); instituting policies that originated in Europe and are diffusing quickly in Asia that require producers of goods to play a larger role in taking back products (extended producer responsibility); and assessing fees and taxes on categories of goods such as tyres or batteries, or on landfill use overall.
Industrial Symbiosis
While geographic concentrations of industry are often heavy generators of greenhouse gases associated with global climate change, impacts can be modulated through collaborative approaches. Emerging from industrial ecology is the notion of “industrial symbiosis”: where a cluster of geographically proximate companies exchange material by-products, energy, and water in a mutually beneficial manner, such that waste from one industrial process becomes the feedstock for another. Through such systems, transportation costs and emissions are minimized and embedded utility is conserved, enabling greenhouse gas emissions to be greatly reduced at the industrial scale.
A simple but prevalent reuse of an industrial by-product is fly ash from coal plants used to make concrete. A British expert estimated that there were 600 million tonnes of coal ash worldwide in 2000.5 For each tonne of fly ash that is substituted for Portland cement to make concrete, the dual benefit is realized: not only is a tonne of material being diverted from landfill downstream, but assuming reasonable transportation distances, close to one tonne of carbon dioxide is also avoided upstream.6 Still, using the United States as an example, over 50 per cent of coal fly ash winds up in landfills.7
At the level of an industrial district, there are numerous cases of multi-firm exchanges of process by-products. The most famous of these includes over 20 exchanges across eight member companies and many other ancillary operations in Kalundborg, Denmark. The primary partners in Kalundborg include an oil refinery, a power station, a gypsum board facility, a pharmaceutical plant, and an enzyme manufacturer. They share ground water, surface water, wastewater, steam, and fuel, and also exchange a variety of by-products such as coal ash and synthetic gypsum that become feedstock in other processes.8
An even larger example is in Tianjin, China where over 80 exchanges of materials, energy, and water across companies have been identified at the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), which hosts some 60 international Fortune 500 companies.9 Preliminary analysis at TEDA indicates substantial greenhouse gas reduction from process energy recovery and energy cascading (such as condensate recycling), significant water reuse, and savings in transport, given the shorter distances these materials travel in and around a region rather than being shipped in from more distant areas. Staff of the National Industrial Symbiosis Program (NISP) funded by the British Government routinely use publicly available conversion factors to assess the greenhouse gas impacts of every industrial exchange they broker across parties. In the last four years, NISP reports having diverted over five million tonnes of waste from landfill, saved nearly eight million tonnes of virgin material from use in the United Kingdom, while eliminating over five million tonnes of carbon emissions throughout its industrial network.10
Far-Reaching National Policy Proposals
Given the benefits to the climate of source reduction, reuse, and recycling over other waste options, it is not surprising that some Governments have been interested in implementing these practices on a national basis. Germany and Japan are credited with the earliest legislation to encourage more recycling-oriented societies. In 1994, Germany passed the “Act for Promoting Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management and Ensuring Environmentally Compatible Waste Disposal” with the explicit goal of conserving natural resources and providing for sound waste disposal.11 In 2000, Japan enacted the “Basic Act for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society” and in 2003, established the “Fundamental Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society”, seeking reductions in waste disposal and increases in jobs in businesses related to promoting recycling and the sound material-cycle society. Japan has taken this logic to the international community through its “3R Initiative” to urge waste policy based on the 3Rs of “reduce, reuse, recycle” that was agreed to at the G8 Summit of 2004.
Most recently, China enacted, as of 1 January 2009, “The Circular Economy Promotion Law” a progressive and far-reaching policy based on the need to balance China’s rapid economic growth with the realities of a deteriorating environment. The “circular economy” is defined comprehensively in the law referring to the reduction, reuse and recycling of resources during the processes of production, circulation and consumption.
Discussion
It is important to keep in perspective that while climate-related impacts of waste management are significant, many other waste-related issues must also be addressed, from air pollution, to water quality at waste management sites, to land degradation and resource scarcity. In the least developed countries where waste scavenging is prevalent, often in highly organized pods of the informal economy, numerous social, economic, and public health issues accompany waste management decision-making. Still, climate impacts in the waste sector are projected to rise by another 20 per cent by 2030, according to a study by McKinsey & Company. On the reduction side, a full 60 per cent of the potential to abate these increases could be achieved through recycling.13
Historically, increases in waste generation have had a clear statistical relationship with gross domestic product per capita: the stronger the economy, the more waste. Yet some countries have successfully decoupled economic growth from waste. Even with more income, less landfilling means more source reduction, reuse, and recycling which, in turn, reduces climate impact. Early studies about “green jobs” indicate that recycling and composting create much more employment than disposal, providing opportunities for training, employment, and new investment in next-generation waste technologies. Cascading benefits from technology and innovation for conserving and reusing materials, water, and energy are growing and are likely to make an enormous difference in decreasing climate impacts from waste.
Notes
1 Bogner, J.E., 2007. “Mitigation of global greenhouse gas emissions from waste: conclusions and strategies from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report. Working Group III (Mitigation)” Waste Management & Research, 26 (1), pp 11-32.
2 Graedel, T. E and Allenby,B. Industrial Ecology, 2nd Edition: (New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 2002)
3 See: http://www.nerc.org/documents/environmental_benefits_calculator.html#whatinfo
4 Pimenteira, C., 2004, “Energy conservation and CO2 emission reductions due to recycling in Brazil”, Waste Management, 24 (9), pp 889-897.
5 Tenenbaum, D.J., 2007. “Recycling: Building on Fly Ash Waste”, Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 115, no. 1, Jan 01.
For comparison, 600 million tons is approximately twice the amount of municipal solid waste generated in the US every year according to US EPA.
6 O’Brien, K. et al, 2009, “Case Study Reducing GHG Emissions from the Concrete Industry”, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment; Springer.
7 American Coal Ash Association, 2008, 2007 Coal Combustion Product (CCP) Production & Use Survey Results (Revised), September 2009.
8 Symbiosis Institute, Kalundborg, Denmark, www.symbiosis.dk
9 Shi, H. and M. Chertow, 2009. “Developing Country Experience in Eco-Industrial Parks: a Case Study of the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area in China.” Working paper. Yale Center for Industrial Ecology.
10 National Industrial Symbiosis Programme, http://www.nisp.org.uk/
11 “Kreislaufwirtschafts–und Abfallgesetz–KrW-/AbfG.” Federal Law Gazette (BGBl) I 1994, 2705
12 The Basic Act for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society, Act No.110 of 2000, Japan. This is sometimes translated into English as the “Recycling-Based Society.”
13 McKinsey & Company, 2009, Pathways to a Low-Carbon Economy.
Recycling in Cyberspace: So, You Want to Be a Recycling Coordinator?
Resource Recycling; November 2009
Following up on an October article about resources for municipal recycling coordinators (see below), columnist Roger Guttentag includes the Northeast Recycling Council among five Internet resources that local recycling coordinators can turn to for general information.
. . . All these sites should be used like "virtual" libraries of documents on a very wide range of recycling and waste reduction topics that were developed over the last decade or so. . . .
Outreach to Handouts
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Resource Recycling; October 2009
A municipal recycling coordinator's guide is offered on how to move beyond basic community outreach, and express the importance of diversion to elected officials.
By Keefe Harrison and Elizabeth Bedard
Successful community recycling program managers understand that outreach is a smart way to ensure strong participation and low contamination levels. With those two components, recycling programs can work toward stronger economic efficiency. While this is a basic understanding among recycling coordinators, surprisngly few communities actually focus such outreach beyond basic appeals to households. Even fewer set their sights on elected officials.
Recent economic woes have shattered the idea that, come budget-cut time, it's best to fly below the radar. Recyclig programs that successfully weather market dips, like the one currently affecting us, often rely on their local elected and appointed officials to help them through, or at least not cut them out. Gaining supprt from elected officials sounds good; but making it happen is a little harder. Fortunately, it isn't impossilble.
The full article, available as a PDF by clicking here, includes the following sections:
- Beyond the landfill: Considering recycling's broad impact and its affects on communities
- Building trust: How to get an audience with your elected official
- Targeting the demographic: What to say once you have your audience (This section recommends using NERC's Environmental Benefits Calculator to show the amount of energy conserved from a community's recycling program, reductions reductions in greenhouse gas production, and savings in landfill space.)
- Keeping the communication gates open: One community's approach to building a long-term relationship with elected officials
- Tomorrow's support starts today: Local action feeds whole industry support.
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UConn Going Green At The Rent
The Hartford Courant; September 11, 2009
By Jeff Otterbein
First step, inside the stadium. Then maybe out into the tailgating area in the parking lots.
UConn and Sodexo, which operates concessions at Rentschler Field, are implementing a recycling program this season, starting with Saturday's home opener against North Carolina.
"We're focusing on the inside this year because it is a smaller area and more controlled," said Jay Martin, operations manager for Northland AEG, which runs Rentschler Field. "The outside is very tough to control. We want to educate people before turning them loose."
There will be recycling bins in every suite and throughout the concourses for bottles and cans, which get hauled away by Windsor Sanitation. Food waste will be recycled and end up at Global Environmental Services. Cooking oil from fryers will be turned into biodiesel fuel, all of which remains in the state. EcoHusky, a student group that puts on events and spreads awareness about environmental issues, will help educate people about the program on game days. There also will be messages on the videoboard. Working with the Sodexo staff will be staff from the Northeast Recycling Council and Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
Other Division I-A schools have developed similar programs. The University of Colorado-Boulder, which began a program last season, also concentrated on the inside.
Last season more than 40 tons of recyclables and compost material came from football games at Folsom Field, according to the UC-Boulder website. About 80 percent of all material generated inside the stadium during most home games never made it to a landfill because of re-use, recycling or composting. This year the plans are even more intense; the program is hoping to reach the 90 percent mark.
More than 300 gallons of cooking oil from concessions at CU-Boulder became biodiesel for the school's bus fleet. Composting material was used in campus landscaping.
"This is all about doing the right thing, and people respond to that," said Dave Newport, director of the CU-Boulder Environmental Center.
Newport said start-up costs were about $20,000, but the program more than covered that. He said donors stepped up with more money because they supported the initiative, and environmentally friendly companies in Boulder have contributed cash or services.
Martin would not reveal the start-up costs for the Rentschler program, but he said there will be savings, too. For one thing, not as much trash needs to be hauled away. Sodexo is also beginning to phase in biodegradable food containers.
Newport said CU-Boulder has not tried zero waste in the tailgating areas because there is so much more that cannot be controlled, but added the school is looking at ways to do more there, too.
"It's not easy work, but it's rewarding work," Newport said. "At the end of the day, you've done something."
Governor Rendell Awards $1.2 Million to Help Businesses Increase Use of Recyclable Materials in Finished Products
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Daily Update, September 9, 2009
HARRISBURG – Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced four Pennsylvania companies will receive $1.2 million in financial assistance to increase their use of recycled materials in the production of finished goods.
Recycling Market Infrastructure Development grants enable companies to invest in their own operations, contribute to the growing recycling industry in Pennsylvania and at the same time help improve the overall business and economic climates in the commonwealth.
Recycling plays an important role in managing the waste we generate,” said Governor Rendell. “It reduces the amount of material that is sent to landfills and incinerators for disposal. But it does much more than that. To truly complete the recycling process and make it work to everyone’s advantage, we must also reuse our recycled materials more efficiently.”
The reimbursement grants are awarded to businesses and nonprofit organizations that manufacture a product or reuse an existing product with recyclable material from Pennsylvania. Entities that want to begin using recyclable material are also eligible. Grants of up to $500,000 are available for any single recycling infrastructure development project.
“Our goals are to build strong markets for recycled materials in Pennsylvania and increase the use of recyclable materials in the production of finished products,” said Governor Rendell. “We realize that by putting our recycled materials to better use, these companies will help generate economic growth and opportunities for themselves and others. Recycling makes good business sense because it saves our resources, saves energy, and reduces pollution which makes for a cleaner and safer environment.”
According to the 2009 Recycling Economic Impact Study completed by the Northeast Recycling Council, Pennsylvania has approximately 3,800 recycling and reuse establishments and 52,000 Pennsylvanians employed in recycling, reuse, or remanufacturing operations. These businesses have an annual Pennsylvania payroll of approximately $2.2 billion and sales receipts of approximately $20.5 billion.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a by-county list of the four Recycling Market Infrastructure Development grants:
BLAIR COUNTY
Team Ten, LLC (dba American Eagle Paper Mills) – $500,000 to add dispersion and bleaching systems to its recycled fiber operations. This will enable AEPM to process and use an additional 14,880 tons annually of fiber rejects and junk mail from Pennsylvania sources, increase the post- consumer fiber content in its paper products, and reduce its annual operating expenses.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Chambersburg Waste Paper Co. Inc. -- $82,240 to purchase a high-capacity fiber shredder, capable of manufacturing up to 5,750 tons of animal bedding annually. The bedding material will be made from recycled newspaper, cardboard, and junk mail collected from the local area.
LANCASTER COUNTY
Casual Living Unlimited LLC -- $493,936 to purchase post-consumer and post-industrial high density polyethylene plastic processing equipment and an additional extruder. This will enable the company to improve the quality of its recycled plastic feed stock used to manufacture outdoor furniture. The company will be able to use 890 tons of recycled waste plastic from Pennsylvania sources. This project will also create five new full-time positions.
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
Meridian Precision Inc. -- $132,047 to purchase pulverizing equipment that will increase the use of recyclable plastic materials and allow the company to process traditionally more challenging waste plastics such as post consumer film, shrink wrap and other commingled and cross-contaminations plastics. The company will use an additional 900 tons per year of waste plastics, 240 tons of which will be from post-consumer sources and create six new full-time positions and three part-time positions.
Concession company to Begin New Recycling Program at Rentschler Field
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CT Environmental Headlines; September 8, 2009
Sodexo, the company that provides concessions at Rentschler Field, will implement a new recycling and composting program starting with the Sept. 12 UConn vs. North Carolina football game. Food waste, soiled paper, and biodegradable serviceware will be collected during the game from the Club Area, Luxury Suites (Skyboxes), Corporate Tents, and Press and Media Boxes.
Staff from the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) and Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will provide assistance with implementing the compost and recycling collection for the Sept. 12 game.
“Sodexo is committed to working with our customers and clients to take action that is good for the environment,” said Joanne Gagnon, Sodexo general manager at Rentschler Field. “Recycling and composting the tons of trash generated at UConn football games will help to significantly reduce waste.”
NERC will also be conducting a waste assessment of the entire Rentschler Field operation and developing a report for Sodexo on how to expand the composting and recycling to all parts of the stadium, including all concessions and public areas.
To make the separation and collection of organics easier, Sodexo has begun the phase-in of purchasing biodegradable food service containers made from paper to use in its operations. Sodexo will also be separating recyclables and food waste at its catered special events during the year.
The Connecticut DEP has adopted a statewide solid waste management plan that calls for expanded efforts of recycling and composting, and especially seeks to increase organics recycling from the institutional, commercial and industrial sectors. “The composting effort at Rentschler Field is certainly consistent with the goals in the solid waste management plan and will serve as a model for other stadiums and similar venues throughout the state,” said K.C. Alexander, the organics recycling specialist at CT DEP.
The Northeast Recycling Council works to advance an environmentally sustainable economy by promoting source and toxicity reduction, recycling, composting, and the purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services. The mission of the CT DEP is to conserve, improve and protect the natural resources and environment of the State of Connecticut. NERC’s involvement with this composting program is funded by a US EPA grant.
Sodexo, Inc. is a Gaithersburg, MD-based integrated facilities management services company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., Sodexo Inc. is a member of Sodexo Group, and funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation, an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $11 million in grants to fight hunger in America.
NAA Podcast: Lynn Rubinstein Discusses Newsprint Recycling Partnership
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Newspaper Association of America; August 26, 2009
Lisa Rabasca, NAA managing editor of digital communications, talks with Lynn Rubinstein, executive director of the Northeast Recycling Council in Brattleboro, Vt., about the successful newsprint recycling partnership between NERC and NAA.
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WeRecycle! Emerges from Chapter 11
Recycling Today, August 3, 2009
WeRecycle!, a Meriden, Conn.-based company specializing in the recovery, management and recycling of end-of-life electronics, has announced that it has emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring as WeRecycle! LLC.The company benefits from significant support from New York-based Hugo Neu Corp., which is now the largest shareholder in the company. Hugo Neu has been an internationally recognized leader in recycling for more than 60 years and will bring “its considerable resources and expertise to help WeRecycle! LLC grow and expand,” according to a press release issued by WeRecycle!
Management of WeRecycle! remains, with Mick Schum, P.E., having been appointed president of WeRecycle! LLC, while Gina Chiarella serves as executive vice president.
“We believe the newly restructured WeRecycle! LLC is perfectly positioned to continue our growth and expansion in the months and years to come,” Schum says. “This new investment by Hugo Neu Corp. will provide new opportunities to build upon our record of excellence in IT asset recovery and e-waste recycling.”
Chairman of Hugo Neu Corp. John L. Neu says, “In WeRecycle!, we saw an opportunity to make an investment in an electronic recycling company with a platform for growth and expansion. They have a proven commitment to the highest safety and environmental standards and business practices. We’re looking forward to working with WeRecycle! to establish the company as a national leader.”
WeRecycle! LLC offers management for IT asset recovery, data security and recycling. The company’s services include asset management, data destruction, complete recycling, logistics services and compliance assistance services.
The company is a member of NERC (Northeast Recycling Council), NAID (National Association for Information Destruction) and ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries), among other associations.
Hugo Neu Corp. is a privately owned firm that manages, builds and invests in recycling, real estate, water transportation and cleantech businesses.
Until 2007, Hugo Neu Corp. was one of the largest metal recyclers in the world. In 2005, Hugo Neu merged its recycling business with Sims Group, creating the largest recycling company in the world. Hugo Neu was Sims’ largest shareholder until mid-2007, when most of its shares in Sims were sold to Mitsui & Co. Ltd. Hugo Neu and Sims Group are now distinct and unrelated companies.
Toxic Heavy Metals Found in 14 Percent of Retail Packaging
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Packaging Digest; July 23, 2009
Illegal packaging violates state laws -- manufacturers, distributors and retailers crack down
Fourteen percent of retail packaging failed a screening test for toxic heavy metals and is likely in violation of state laws, according to a report just released by the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH, or Clearinghouse, which is administered by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.). Imported products using flexible polyvinylchloride (PVC) packaging and the printing inks and colorants used on shopping and produce bags were most likely to contain these toxic metals, including lead and cadmium, known environmental and health hazards.
The report, An Assessment of Heavy Metals in Packaging: 2009 Update, found that lead concentrations detected in printing inks and colorants used on plastic bags were typically 20 times greater than the legal limit established by states. Toxics in packaging laws in 19 states prohibit the intentional use of any amount of lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium. These laws also establish a maximum concentration limit of 100 parts per million (ppm) for the incidental, or unintentional, presence of the four metals combined.
Lead or cadmium were also found in 52% of flexible PVC packaging, mostly imported from China and Pakistan, making these imports the most likely to be in violation of state laws. Flexible PVC, a “heavy-duty” plastic material, is frequently used to package home furnishings, pet supplies, cosmetics, and inexpensive toys. Metals, including cadmium and lead compounds, can be used as heat and ultraviolet stabilizers in PVC resin to control degradation during processing and use.
These findings were based on the screening of over 400 packaging samples using x-ray fluorescent (XRF) analysis by the TPCH, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
TPCH contacted companies whose packaging failed the screening tests to alert them about the results. “Most companies were responsive,” noted Sharon Yergeau, the TPCH representative from New Hampshire and current Chairperson. “We were dealing primarily with major national brands. They recalled products from retail shelves that were packaged in non-compliant packaging. In one case, seven shipping containers of product were turned around at a U.S. port due to lead-containing inks in its packaging.”
“We were also pleased to see these companies put in place new quality assurance procedures that will hopefully prevent these heavy metals from winding up on retail shelves in the future,” said Yergeau. “With increased awareness about tainted products imported into the U.S. from Asia over the past few years, companies can’t take for granted that their suppliers are delivering packaging in compliance with state laws. Some level of testing is necessary to avoid costly recalls and state penalties.”
Walmart is already taking this proactive approach. The largest U.S. retailer now requires suppliers to provide a certificate of compliance with state toxics in packaging laws or submit packaging samples for testing before they can sell their products in Walmart stores.
State officials are working cooperatively to educate companies through the TPCH and bring packaging into compliance with our state packaging laws, according to Ron Ohta of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). “We will enforce our laws if companies do not cooperate with us,” he said. Just last year, the State of California reached a settlement with Forever 21 that resulted in fines.
Penalties for non-compliance can vary by state. In New York, for example, the penalties for violations of the Hazardous Packaging Act are up to $10,000 for the first violation and up to $25,000 per violation for each violation thereafter, with each package on the shelf constituting a separate and distinct violation. Similarly, in Connecticut, a violation could result in a penalty of $10,000 per day per violation.
“The Clearinghouse and member states plan to undertake additional compliance screening. Companies can expect more aggressive enforcement of state toxics in packaging laws in the future,” said David Westcott of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
The Clearinghouse was created to support states and help coordinate the implementation of individual states' toxics in packaging laws. The TPCH, which is administered by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC), serves as a central location for processing information requests from external constituencies and promoting compliance with the laws.
Of the 19 states with toxics in packaging laws, 10 states -- California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington -- collaborated on this study.
The report, An Assessment of Heavy Metals in Packaging: 2009 Update, is available for download from the TPCH website at www.toxicsinpackaging.org.
NERC, MassDEP Launch Massachusetts Material Trader
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Massachusetts Recycling Coalition Digest; July 12, 2009
By Brian LaValle, MassDEP, 617 348-4076, brian.lavalle@state.ma.us
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) and MassDEP are pleased to
announce the launch of the Massachusetts Material Trader, a FREE on-line
material exchange network funded by the EPA.
Is your business wondering what to do with surplus inventory,
manufacturing by-products, or even office furniture? If so, please visit http://www.massmaterialtrader.com today and reduce your carbon footprint by signing up as a member and posting any unwanted materials.
How to become a member:
1. Visit http://www.massmaterialtrader.com
2. Post a listing for
something your business no longer wants or needs. Do it today, if you
can. (Don't worry, you can always include the picture later). To list an
item you must create a company profile first: http://massmaterialtrader.com/?content=company.new
3. NERC &
MassDEP encourage you to forward this email to colleagues or any
businesses that you think will be interested.
Thanks in advance for your support and help trying to promote reuse in
Massachusetts.
Budget Cuts Hit Vermont Recycling Support
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Resource Recycling; July 10, 2009
Reeling from the budgetary woes that most state governments are facing in today's economic climate, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) was cut by almost 10 percent, including the one full-time staffer dedicated to supporting recycling.
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas eliminated 58 positions within the agency, 30 of which were vacant, and 28 through layoffs. The cuts included fully one-third of the solid waste management staff and included the lead for supporting recycling in the Green Mountain State.
"It's certainly going to affect outreach for recycling," said George Desch, recently-appointed director of the waste management division of the ANR, in an interview with Resource Recycling. "We'll be tapping into regional resources like NERC [Northeast Recycling Council] … but it will be difficult for us to be working in an active mode."
One solid waste staffer called the cuts "a gut-a-thon," in a Burlington Free Press story.
Desch says that the agency will continue to support the state's environmental goals, noting that many of the objectives are mandated by law. "The priority for recycling hasn't changed," says Desch. "Just how it's going to be done."
Waste and Recycling Overview
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Green Matters, the newsletter of the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference; July 6, 2009
An article in this bulletin from the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference, called Waste Prevention and Recycling Overview, provides a quick summary of some of the environmental and economic benefits of waste prevention, and reviews federal and state policies governing disposal of hazardous and solid waste. The article includes a link to NERC's website for further information on approaches to waste management by state and local governments.
Impact of Recycling: What the New Numbers Mean
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The Pennsylvania Recycler, published by the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP), Summer 2009
By John Frederick, Outgoing PROP Executive Director
The economic benefits of recycling, composting and reuse have been widely publicized in Pennsylvania over the last ten years since the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) first completed its initial Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study.
Good News and Bad News
The magnitude of benefits in that first study were impressive and helped to build support for recycling, even among those who were not particularly motivated by its environmental benefits. But the report was based on data that was somewhat dated even in 2000. By 2008, the accuracy of the data became a concern.
At the urging of our Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Pennsylvania helped support funding for an update of REI. Beyond updating the information, the study partners also wanted to improve the methodology of the analysis, further enhancing the credibility of the report.
This turned out to be good news and bad news . . .
Click here to continue to read John Frederick's full report and the sidebar "Changes in Methodology." 
Three-Year Grant for Marketing On-Farm Compost
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BioCycle, June 2009
Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), based in Brattleboro, was awarded a three-year grant from Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), a USDA competitive grants program. The project, “Marketing On-Farm Compost for Sustainability & Economic Viability,” will work with on-farm compost operations in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and New Hampshire. Twenty farms and state agencies have signed on as project team members to work with NERC to develop and implement the project. Through the project, NERC will provide free field day/workshops for farmers and agricultural specialists, a Compost Marketing Toolkit, and technical assistance with developing and implementing compost marketing plans.
NERC, along with its project team members, will provide tools to help farmers: explore compost as a value-added product to support their current business operation; understand the importance of quality control and compost recipe development; learn how to acquire the necessary permits to operate and market compost in their state; explore potential feedstocks and pricing structures; develop marketing and sales strategies to effectively meet local and regional demand; and develop and implement a compost marketing plan. For more information, contact Athena Lee Bradley, NERC Projects Manager: athena@nerc.org.
SolarFest 2009 Is a Zero Waste Event!
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Solarfest news bulletin; June 10, 2009
With the help of the Northeast Recycling Council and the Rutland County Solid Waste District, SolarFest 2009, the 15th annual New England Renewable Energy Festival, is undertaking a zero waste initiative. Participating in a zero waste event allows all attendees to act and think about how a zero waste world could happen. At a zero waste event, food scraps, service-ware, and packaging are either recycled or composted. The key to a zero waste event is detailed planning to ensure that all materials used and discarded at the event are reusable, recyclable, or compostable. The first step is to gain the support of event organizers. SolarFest.org organizers fully endorse creating a zero waste event as a vital component of the event's mission and a sustainable future.
Zero Waste stations, consisting of recycling and compost containers, will be located throughout SolarFest. Plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and aluminum foil can be placed in the recycling containers. SolarFest vendors will recycle their plastic bottles and metal cans and serving pans as well. All food scraps, paper plates, cups, napkins, and biodegradable serviceware can be placed in the compost collection containers. Volunteers will monitor the Zero Waste Stations and be available to answer any questions that attendees may have.
Annual Taste of Cambridge Pledges to Produce Zero Waste or "Darn Close"
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Cambridge (Massachusetts) Chronicle, June 8, 2009
Cambridge — The 7th Annual Taste of Cambridge on June 18 in it's new location at the Charles Hotel, features 55 local restaurants who are committed to providing the most sensational "taste of" event with the least negative environmental impact possible.
"Going green will never taste the same after sampling the sumptuous and mindfully served dishes in abundance at the Taste of Cambridge," said Denise Jillson, Executive Director of the Harvard Square Business Association — one of the event co-chairs along with Robin Lapidus (HSBA) and Jeffrey Moy, Hong Kong Restaurant.
The Taste of Cambridge presented by the Cambridge Licensee Advisory Board (CLAB) celebrates our city's diverse restaurant scene while benefiting local charities. TOC has raised over $50,000 for local non-profit organizations that hold the prevention of underage drinking and alcohol abuse as key components of their mission. This year's beneficiaries are Youth on Fire, under the auspices of Cambridge Cares About AIDS and Club Passim's Culture for Kids / Music Speaks program.
This year we've added another goal to the Taste of Cambridge (TOC) event, a "zero waste (or darn close)" outcome to help protect the environment, reduce waste, and lower event disposal expenses.
In addition to collecting recyclables at the TOC, this year we are piloting a new program to collect and compost all food remains and service-ware that is bio-degradable. To implement our "zero waste (or darn close)" pilot program, we have collaborated with Taste of Cambridge participating restaurants, vendors, and location hosts to make composting at such a large scale tasting event feasible.
We have asked our participants to try to follow new pilot Zero Waste program guidelines to the best of their abilities! We will continue to work with the city of Cambridge on sustainability initiatives and hope to fully implement the Zero Waste program at next year's event.
Our proposed Taste of Cambridge waste reduction guidelines were developed in collaboration with Northeast Recycling Council and Save that Stuff. The"Taste of" event guidelines for participating restaurants are as follows:
- Use only reusable, compostable or recyclable dishware.
- No Styrofoam (polystyrene), other plastic serviceware, plastic film or plastic bags for serving food.
- Do not provide straws or lids.
- Use wooden coffee stirrers.
- Foods that need wrapping, such as cookies and pastries can be wrapped in wax paper or contained in wax paper baggies.
- Serve beverages in aluminum cans and plastic bottles, or compostable cups.
- Consider providing a "spork" instead of both spoons and forks.
- Consider serving food that requires minimal packaging (such as foil or napkin), foods that come with "edible wrappers," such as burritos, or "finger foods."
- Use refillable pump condiment dispensers or bulk containers instead of individual packages of condiments (sugar, cream, ketchup, mustard, etc.)
- Dispense napkins upon request.
- Flatten cardboard for recycling.
- Place food wastes and paper (such as paper towels, napkins, etc.) in the compost container.
We have encouraged our restaurants to check with their food service-ware sales reps for compostable products and have recommended www.BPIWorld.org as a great resource. We also suggested two local distributors of Green Ware products Mansfield Paper (800) 225-2641 www.mansfieldpaper.comand John Calarese & Company, Inc. (800) 221-2384 or (508) 533-5700 in Medway, MA www.jcalarese.com
Our participating restaurants, the Charles Hotel, and the City of Cambridge Recycling Department made terrific recommendations on how to best achieve our Zero Waste (or darn close) Pilot Program goals! We asked several Taste of Cambridge participants what specific steps they have taken to become more waste efficient in their preparations for this year's TOC and here is a highlight:
Boloco will recycle or compost all waste collected from the materials distributed at our table at the event. Bins will be marked and Boloco employees will be on-hand to educate attendees on the benefits of recycling and composting, and to direct them as to which bins to place used materials in! The corn cups and bamboo bowls that we regularly use in our restaurant are 100 % compostable, and the recycling program in place in our restaurants has prevented 175 tons (yes TONS) from going into the landfill!
Jose's Mexican Restaurant in North Cambridge is planning to recycle cans, cartons, boxes, aluminum, and all food waste. They said that since they became members of Save That Stuff they recycle everything including all compostable food waste. Several of our participants who are members of Save that Stuff and the Green Restaurant Association were fully up to speed on the pilot program request.
As Mary Catherine Deibel of UpStairs on the Square pointed out "going green is a process - it takes time and sometimes requires upfront costs, but in the long run you know you are doing the right thing, and it will save you money particularly in the energy department." She added "going green has been great for staff morale because the young people who work in restaurants believe in the future of the planet and they have come to see this as a way of life."
As members of the Green Restaurant Association for the past three years, UpStairs on the Square, has followed the GRA program of "getting green" step by step. They are recycling, soon will be composting, have replaced equipment with energy efficient brands, changed light bulbs, gone to green take-out containers, and now use house-produced sparkling and still water (rather than buying bottled water).
Holly Heslop, owner of Cambridge Common, Christopher's, Lizard Lounge, Toad, and the West Side Lounge says "We opened Christopher's 28 years ago with a commitment to going green (long before we ever heard that term!). All these years later, we recycle bottles, paper, cardboard, and plastic and we compost at all of our restaurants. Whenever possible we use earth-friendly supplies: our ramekins are made from corn and are completely biodegradable, we use eco-friendly take out containers and, our fry oil is recycled and converted into bio fuel."
One important new addition to the Taste of Cambridge energy and waste reduction is our new HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE tray with wine and beer cup holders and thumb drive (or place to hold the tray with your thumb!). Instead of handing out plates at each of the 50 plus food tables.all attendees will be provided a lovely tray to hold a sizable collection of gustatory goodies! Many of our restaurants including "Bukowski's" wrote to say that they were planning to create delicious finger foods in an effort to reduce plate waste. Redline is serving Carne Asada Steak on a wooden skewer with napkins that are recycled, in order to cut-out the need for utensils or plates. The folks at Om restaurant will also skip the plates, and our "sweet" friends at Finale put in a big order for wooden spoons for this occasion.
The Taste of Cambridge event committee was delighted with the "green event planning experience" of the staff at the Charles Hotel, who made wonderful suggestions about designing and executing an event with the least negative environmental impact. "Everything," from the compostable Burlap Table Coverings we opted for over linen (which needed laundering), to the potted plant restaurant name plaques, was carefully thought through.
The Charles Hotel has recently won several distinguished awards for their Green Efforts. Chef Peter Davis and the Henrietta's Table staff recently received the Boston Business Journal's Sustainable Boston 2009: Green Business Awards for Innovation.
Chef Davis enthusiastically supports local farmers and local fisherman, buying only products that he hand-chooses with the assistance of local purveyors, and refusing to use genetically-engineered food. Not only does this support of local farmers provide fresher food for Henrietta's Table, but it also reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the environment by decreasing the distance the food has to travel.
He is a member of Chefs Collaborative - a group that partners with local farmers, ranchers, and artisanal producers, and develops new systems that allow them to stay in business while providing farm-fresh produce directly to kitchen doors.
Chef Davis is indeed dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture. Since 2005, Henrietta's Table has provided guests with "Know Your Farmers" baseball-type cards. These unique cards inform guests what farm their food comes from, provide stats and photos from New England's best producers, and promote the best practice of buying local products. The cards are distributed with check-stuffers in the restaurant, and complete sets are given out in the market at Henrietta's Table. The cards are so unique that they have even been profiled in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and Food Arts.
Even behind the scenes at Henrietta's Table, there are environmentally friendly practices in place. Here, all trash is sorted for biodegradable and compostable waste and is given to Save That Stuff, a local compost service. This compost is picked up three to seven times per week, depending on production, and enables the restaurant to limit the amount of garbage that it produces. The waste is even disposed of in environmentally friendly bags. "BioBags" are made with corn and are designed to biodegrade within a month. Henrietta's Table in The Charles Hotel is the only lodging facility in the greater Boston area to implement such an important practice for the environment, and the hotel was recently profiled by NECN (New England Cable News) for putting this program into effect.
This past year, the environmentally friendly practices of Henrietta's Table and its staff have led to great accomplishments and recognitions. Henrietta's Table was the recipient of the City of Cambridge's 2008 GoGreen Awards for Waste Reduction, as well as for "Regional Sustainability" by the Santé Magazine Awards.
For those lucky enough to work with Chef Davis, they learn about an individual's relationship with the Earth and ways in which they can make a difference. "Chef Davis is indeed one-of-a-kind," says Charles Hotel, General Manager Alex Attia. "He guides his staff and encourages us each to be a steward of the Earth."
In addition to Henrietta's Table participants at the 2009 Taste of Cambridge include: Hungry Mother, Grafton Street Pub & Grill, Chez Henri, The Border Cafe, The Asgard, Craigie on Main, East Coast Grill, Rialto, Hong Kong Restaurant, Jasper White's Summer Shack, Noir, Finale, Savenor's Market, Formaggio Kitchen, Sandrine's Bistro, Legal Sea Foods and many, many, many more.
Highlights of this year's events include:
- Dancing to music by Afro-Brazil, DJs from "Soul Clap" and the Sweet and Low Down.
- Special areas include a Pastry Corner, a Region of Grills, a Garden of Beer and Wines, and a VIP area featuring specially designed Grey Goose Cocktails prepared by our Celebrity Bartenders.
- NEW THIS YEAR - A Tasting Ticket for Kids under Twelve (accompanied by a parent). This is a great event for exposing the kids to new flavors and foods in an entertaining and inviting (no pressure) manner.there is so much for them to choose from, and it all looks, smells, and tastes so good - it's hard for even the pickiest kid to resist! Kids Tasting Tickets are available for $15.00 each for children aged Six to Twelve and kids under six are free!
The Taste of Cambridge will be held on Thursday, June 18 from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Upper and Lower Courtyards of the Charles Hotel. Rain date is June 25th. To purchase tickets or find more information about the Taste of Cambridge, please visit www.tasteofcambridge.com and www.harvardsquare.com
For directions to the Taste of Cambridge at the Charles Hotel or more information about the hotel or Henrietta's Table, please visit www.charleshotel.com
Recycling, Reuse Valued at $35 Billion in Five States
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Scrap, the bimonthly magazine of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI); May-June 2009
Recycling and resuse create a $35 billion annual industry in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania, according to a Northeast Recycling Council (Brattleboro, Vermont) study. The study finds that more than 11,000 recycling and reuse businesses employ more than 100,000 individuals in the five-state region and pay them combined wages that exceed $4.2 billion. Recycling operations in the five states also save the energy required to power nearly 2 million households and eliminate 6.4 million tons of greenhouse-gas emissions, NERC says. See the full study on the NERC website.
Pay-As-You-Throw in the USA: Economic Stimulus in Your Own Backyard — Recycling Programs Create Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Pay-As-You-Throw Bulletin, published by the EPA; May 2009
In North Carolina, recycling industries employ more than 8,700 people. The job gains in recycling in this state far outnumber the jobs lost in other industries. For every 100 recycling jobs created, just 13 jobs were lost in the waste hauling, disposal industry, and timber harvesting industry. In addition to North Carolina’s proven success, the Northeast Recycling Council’s (NERC) "U.S. Recycling and Economic Information (REI) Study Update" released in February 2009 demonstrates that nationwide recycling and remanufacturing activities could account for approximately 2.5 million jobs in recycling and recycling reliant industries, and more than $400 billion in annual sales.
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Along similar lines, neighboring Pickens County Council in South Carolina issued Resolution No. 08-09 in 2008-09, which requests that the South Carolina General Assembly continue to support recycling incentives to benefit the environment and the economy. All 42 counties in the state subsequently adopted the resolution. Specifically, the resolution states:
“Whereas, by converting waste into valuable products, recycling creates jobs, contributes feedstock to manufacturing and adds significant value to the South Carolina economy. In South Carolina, the recycling industry is directly responsible for more than 15,000 jobs, $1.5 billion in annual personal income and $69 million in tax revenue each year.”
The resolution goes on to say that “upgrading and processing of recycled materials adds $6.5 billion annually to the State’s economy and that South Carolina’s recycling industry will grow around 12 percent annually during the next five years, with an economic impact of more than $11 billion.”
In addition to recycling creating jobs, buying recycled products also has a major effect on job creation. The reuse industry provides local jobs and increases money being put back into the local economy. Companies that provide local services, such as refillable bottle washing plants, cloth diaper services, tire retreading and others, all create jobs in local communities because generally they are smaller and locally owned and operated. Recycling and reusing are tools that can enhance local economics while enabling cities and towns to be more self-sustaining.
According to the NERC Information Study Update, out of the five participant States (Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania), 104,885 people were employed within the recycling industry, with an annual payroll of over $4 billion and a revenue of nearly $35 billion! These numbers demonstrate the importance of the recycling industry to the economy and prove that the industry is good for both the environment and economy.
Rhode Islanders Receive Earth Day Honors with Prestigious Regional EPA Environmental Award
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EPA News Release on TMCnet.com (Technology Marketing Corporation); April 22, 2009
One civilian and four Rhode Island groups will be honored on Earth Day in Boston's Faneuil Hall as EPA presents the 2009 Environmental Merit Awards. Recognizing significant contributions to environmental awareness and problem solving, the Rhode Island awardees included an individual merit award winner, two environmental/ community/ academia/ non-profit organization award winners and one business, Industry and professional organization award winner.
The merit awards, recognizing significant contributions to environmental awareness and problem solving, are a unique way that EPA can recognize individuals and groups that are making significant impacts on environmental quality in distinct ways.
Given out by EPA since 1970, the merit awards honor individuals and groups who have shown particular ingenuity and commitment in their efforts to preserve the region's environment. This year's competition drew 49nominations from across New England.
The Rhode Island Environmental Merit Award winners were among 31from across New England. Awards were given in the categories of individual; business (including professional organizations); local, state or federal government; and environmental, community, academia or nonprofit organization. Also, each year EPA may present lifetime achievement awards for individuals. The Environmental Merit Award Winners from Rhode Island are: Individual Environmental Merit Award: Cynthia Gianfrancesco Principal Environmental Scientist in the Office of Waste Management Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Cynthia Gianfrancesco has worked hard to find funding and support for the development and implementation of a successful targeted brownfields assessment program for the state of Rhode Island, establishing a successful means of providing assistance to the communities of the state who have contaminated properties in need of assessment as the first step in plans for site redevelopment and revitalization. Although Cynthia started out by utilizing some portion of the 128(a) Brownfields funding annually allotted to Rhode Island, her success in attracting properties to her program quickly outstripped her funding capacity. In an effort to better respond to the overwhelming needs of the communities in her state for the past two years, she has applied directly for assessment funding through the very competitive Brownfields annual competition. She received awards of $200,000 in 2007 and $400,000 in 2008. The additional funding has allowed her to expand the number of communities she is serving, including Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Warwick, West Warwick, Cranston, and Coventry. Cynthia's success had been both a model and an impetus for other state brownfields programs to build upon their existing capabilities. Cynthia's dedication, ability to think beyond what she is given and her relentless effort has helped make many brownfields projects in Rhode Island to become a reality.
Environmental, Community, Academic & Non-Profit Organization Environmental Merit Award: Project 20/20 In Providence, Rhode Island, a Brown University student-run program called Project 20/20 has developed and perfected a replicable model to reduce global warming pollution on a large scale, while helping communities of modest means cope with fluctuating energy costs. Their strategy involves the replacement of incandescent lighting in low-income households with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's) at no charge to the residents. This simple act generates significant utility bill savings and concomitant greenhouse gas reductions, empowering the family to take steps to further reduce their bills while protecting the environment. Since the spring of 2008, student employees of Project 20/20 replaced 36,242 light bulbs in 2,415 Rhode Island low-income residences, saving the families over $700,000 on their utility bills and offsetting over 4,000 metric tons of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere. The success of Project 20/20 has received widespread, national recognition. Their work will continue into the coming year as it begins its first seed expansion at low-income neighborhoods, working for the DC Department of the Environment. Here they will continue their efforts to curb the global climate crisis, while providing valuable green-collar job vocational skills and educational opportunities in the field of energy efficiency.
Environmental, Community, Academic & Non-Profit Organization Environmental Merit Award: Rhode Island Hospitality Association Recognizing the responsibility for all industries to employ sustainable and green practices, Rhode Island's lodging, restaurant and tourism industries are taking a leadership position in employing green and sustainable business practices. Partnering with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), the Rhode Island Hospitality Association developed the Rhode Island Hospitality Green Certification program, charting a roadmap for hospitality and tourism business to employ green business practices with a focus on energy conservation, waste minimization and recycling, and sustainable operating and business practices. Since the program was announced in January 2008, more than 35 hotels, restaurants and convention facilities have attained Green certification, with new companies applying each day.
Local, State or Federal Governmental Environmental Merit Award: State Electronic Challenge Partners -- City of Providence, RI, School Department Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Team -- RI DEM The state government of Maine; the Department of Environmental Protection in Connecticut; the City of Keene in New Hampshire; and the school department in the city of Providence, Rhode Island, are all being recognized for their involvement in a voluntary program that promotes greener use and disposal of government technology equipment. The challenge is administered by the Northeast Recycling Council. In its first year, the State Electronics Challenge signed on 29 partners, including entire state governments as well as small municipal departments. The four organizations chosen for awards have shown exceptional leadership in the field. The achievements of this group include purchasing greener or 'environmentally preferable' computers, reducing energy use by computers through software and employee education, and managing old electronics through reuse, recycling and other methods that reduce their impact. Altogether, the partners in this program reduced energy by the amount used by 1662 households a year; avoided greenhouse gases equivalent to taking 1,370 cars off the road for a year; and eliminated 152 metric tons of trash, the amount of waste generated by 76 households a year.
More Information: Environmental Merit Awards (www.epa.gov/ne/ra/ema) Contact Information: EPA Office of Public Affairs, (617) 918-1010
A Word About Recycling
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San Marcos (Texas) Daily Record; April 5, 2009
Sometimes we wonder, besides the “feel good” result of recycling, does it really pay in other ways. From a recent article in the Resource Recycling e-newsletter, we find the difference it is making in just the northeast part of the country.
“According to a new study commissioned by the Northeast Recycling Council, recycling and re-use in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania was a $35 billion industry in 2007. The Recycling Economic Information Study Update found that the region boasted over 11,000 recycling and reuse businesses, employing in excess of 100,000 people.”
Recycling Economic Impacts Updated
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The PROPonent, A Publication of the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania, Spring 2009
By Jill Reigh
"Our nation's economic and environmental health are inseparably linked, and when one struggles, so does the other. The right path forward leads to policies that allow both to flurish." Donna Harman, President & CEO, American Forest & Paper Association.
The Northeast Recycling Council's (NERC) recently released update of the Recycling Economic Impact study reinforces the benefits. In Pennsylvania, the study found that recycling directly supports over 52,000 jobs and another 49,000 jobs related to recycling.
In the midst of this good news, ripple effects from our country's economic downturn have caused a $22 million shortage from the state Recycling Fund, threatening both jobs and the future of recycling.
The $15 million withdrawal of funds from the Recycling Fund to the General Fund last year has also seriously complicated the Fund's cash flow projections.
The PROP Board of Directors believes that if all PROP members communicate their challenges and successes to their state legislators, then policies will be made to ensure the future of recycling in Pennsylvania. (For more facts on recycling and the urgent need to pass reauthorization, see Special Insert, "Eleventh Hour.")
At a recent PROP Certification class, "Business Planning for the Solid Waste Professional," the group concensus was that recyclable markets and, therefore, program stability, was improving. None of the nearly 25 class participants, nor the three-person panel, knew of any program planning to close.
(The entire NERC report can be viewed at: NERC's website.)
East Coast Economic Information: Understanding the Economic Impact of Recycling
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Southeast Recycling Development Council Newsletter; April 2, 2009
The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. recently released its updated economic impact report for the Northeast. They report that recycling and reuse fuel a $35 billion annual industry in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. The research found that more than 11,000 recycling and reuse businesses employ over 100,000 individuals in the five-state region, and pay them wages that exceed $4.2 billion.
Eco One Solutions Partners with Habitat for Humanity
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PR-USA.NET; March 24, 2009
Eco One Solutions (E1S), an innovative, Natick, Massachusetts-headquartered company that specializes in reuse and recycling, has entered into a formal partnership with the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Through this arrangement, E1S will provide the store with donations of furniture and other property. The Bridgeport ReStore will then distribute this property to needy businesses and families in the area. The goal is to similarly engage other ReStores in the New England-New York area and, eventually, around the country.
By so doing, Eco One Solutions and Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org) will not only be helping people in need but making a positive impact on the environment.
"About 90 percent of surplus furniture is dumped into a landfill," explains John Gundling, president of Eco One Solutions, a subsidiary of Integrated Green Building Solutions (www.integratedgreen.com). "The material has to be transported and processed, and that uses a significant amount of energy. By reusing the property, we are saving energy and reducing harmful emissions. Not only that, but we are donating it to people who can really use some help."
As part of recent laboratory renovation projects in New Haven, E1S redistributed 59 tons of furniture, which saved 455 barrels of oil, enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 745 tons. That is equivalent to taking 38 cars off the road for one year (source for calculations: Northeast Recycling Council).
Through its work in Construction Waste Management Recycling, Eco One Solutions has access to surplus furniture and property. This property is typically part of a renovation project or a client request to downsize or replace furniture. E1S's Surplus Reuse Program typically costs 25-30 percent less than simple disposal, making it a popular and cost-effective option for these types of projects.
"Teaming up with Eco One Solutions is a great situation for us," says T.J. Jenney, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity's Coastal Fairfield County branch. "We're able to get high-quality donations and distribute them to people in need. Plus, we're helping to green up the area."
- Integrated Green -
About Eco One Solutions
Eco One Solutions provides consulting for waste management and surplus materials projects with a focus on reducing environmental impacts. E1S has developed a strong network of charitable organizations, facilitating the distribution of surplus materials and avoiding disposal into landfills. E1S's waste management projects typically achieve recycling rates of 95 percent or more, far surpassing LEED Gold requirements.
About Habitat for Humanity
Based in Americus, Ga., Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that provides housing and other support for needy individuals throughout the United States. Habitat for Humanity operates ReStores in 48 states, donating furniture and other property to those in need. There are eight ReStores in New England and nine in New York.
NERC Shows the Value of Recycling
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Resource Recycling; March 20, 2009
NERC has news for people who doubt recycling's contribution to the economy. According to a new study commissioned by the Northeast Recycling Council, recycling and re-use in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania was a $35 billion industry in 2007. The Recycling Economic Information Study Update found that the region boasted over 11,000 recycling and reuse businesses, employing in excess of 100,000 people.
2007's survey methodology was modified to more accurately estimate the contribution of the recycling industry on the economy. For example, the study divides recycling into 26 categories, grouped into collection and material suppliers, manufacturers and re-use and refurbishment operations. Collectors and reclaimers were identified as being particularly beneficial to the economy, employing workers locally for the 7,300 businesses in the region. Additionally, reclaimers employ 43 percent more workers than raw material producers in the region, and pay them approximately 62 percent more.
Manufacturers of recycled products employed nearly 55,300 workers, or about four percent of the total number of manufacturing jobs in the five-state area. Re-use and refurbishment operations also put up impressive numbers, with 3,079 operations employing 17,765 people, and claiming a combined gross revenue of over $2 billion.
The study was prepared by DSM Environmental Services of Windsor, Vermont, and Mid-Atlantic Solid Waste Consultants of New Market, Maryland.
A thorough assessment of the NERC study will be featured in an upcoming issue of Resource Recycling.
Economic Impact Of Recycling, Reuse Industry
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BioCycle, March 2009
Recycling and reuse fuel a $35 billion/year industry in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, according to a report released in February by the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC). The research, which updates NERC’s 2000 Recycling Economic Information Study, found that more than 11,000 recycling and reuse businesses employ over 100,000 individuals in the five states, and pay them wages that exceed $4.2 billion. There are three categories of establishments studied in the survey — recycling industry; relying on recycling; and reuse/remanufacturing. New York has the largest number of those establishments (3,948), followed by Pennsylvania (3,803). However, in terms of direct economic impact, Pennsylvania is more than double that of New York — $20.6 million versus $10.1 million. Pennsylvania employs over 52,000 in the three categories studied; New York employs over 32,000, followed by 14,000 in Massachusetts, 4,500 in Maine, and 1,900 in Delaware.
NERC also evaluated the environmental benefits related to recycling and reuse. Each year, recycling operations in the five states save the amount of energy needed to power close to two million households, and avoid almost 1.25 MTCE of greenhouse gas emissions — equivalent to taking 2.8 million cars off the road, according to an estimate by NERC based on the study’s findings. Research for the Recycling Economic Information Update included several significant changes to the methodology used in the 2000 study to examine the economic impacts of the industry, says Lynn Rubinstein, NERC’s Executive Director. “The changes were designed to more accurately estimate the economic contribution of the recycling industry in the five participant states for the year 2007. Those changes also make it difficult to compare the studies to one another.” The complete report is available on the NERC website, www.nerc.org.
Recycling and Reuse Industry A Significant Economic Player in Northeast, Study Shows
Green Matters, the newsletter of the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference; March 19, 2009
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The business of recycling also yields significant environmental benefits. Each year, recycling operations in the five states save the amount of energy needed to power more than two million homes, and avoid 7.5 million tons of greenhouse-gas emissions – equivalent to taking three million cars off the road, according to an estimate by NERC based on the study’s results.
The Recycling Economic Information Update was prepared by DSM Environmental, Inc. on behalf of NERC. Itexamines the business of recycling and reuse in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. NERC is based in Brattleboro, Vermont.
“The research clearly shows that the recycling and reuse industry plays an integral role in the region’s economy," said Brenda Grober, economic developer at Empire State Development in Albany, New York. "Plus, these businesses go beyond typical economic returns and offer proven environmental benefits,” she said.
The recycling and reuse industries are extremely diverse. They range from long-established sectors like paper and steel making, to new entrepreneurial ventures in composting, plastic and rubber product manufacturing, plus computer remanufacturing and wood reuse.
The study is an update of a similar report published in 2000. The research included several significant changes to the methodology that was used in the earlier report to examine the economic impacts of recycling, said NERC Executive Director Lynn Rubinstein.
Overall, the study suggests that the recycling industry’s economic importance to the region exists in tandem with its environmental benefits.
“As the impacts of climate change become increasingly well documented, the industry’s emphasis on using secondary materials in lieu of mined virgin resources -- and the associated reductions in energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions -- will render the environmental advantages of recycling ever more critical to a sustainable materials management policy,” said Rubinstein.
Despite these benefits, in recent months, the recycling industry has been reeling from the global economic slowdown. Prices for commodities, recovered paper and cardboard have plummeted, and demand for exported recyclables has slowed considerably in China, the biggest export market for U.S. recyclables.
The complete report is available on the NERC website at www.nerc.org.
 Lynn Rubinstein, executive director of the Northeast Recycling Council, works at her desk in the office in Brattleboro. |
Waste Not, Want Not: Local Firm Advises States on Recycling, Solid Waste
The Brattleboro (Vermont) Reformer, March 6, 2009
By Bob Audette
BRATTLEBORO - If you dig around in Windham County long enough, you're bound to unearth a gem. But if you dig around in the basement of the Hooker Dunham Building in downtown Brattleboro, you just might find a veritable treasure trove.
There, hidden in a warren of offices, is located the office of the Northeast Recycling Council, a nonprofit organization that promotes "environmental sustainable materials management" in the 10 states of the Northeast.
What exactly is environmental sustainable materials management? you ask.
"Our primary purpose is recycling market development," said Lynn Rubenstein, who has been NERC's executive director for the past 10 years. "We really focus on various aspects of solid waste."
NERC, which just recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, was founded by Brattleboro resident Sally Dresser.
Rubenstein and her staff of four research and develop programs to help municipalities, both non- and for-profit businesses, states and even individuals deal with waste from cradle to grave.
Not only does that include recycling, it also includes topics such as composting, how to make purchases that are "environmentally preferable," how to decrease the toxicity of the solid waste stream and how to reduce waste at the source.
NERC'S activities are funded by a variety of grants, said Rubenstein, which are specific to a certain topic or task.
For example, NERC operates and administers Vermont's Business Materials Exchange, an online service that lets you sell, give away or trade things you don't want with people who do. The site works like a classified ad section and is free.
Renew Building Materials and Salvage in Brattleboro is a "physical tangible example" of a hands-on materials exchange, said Rubenstein.
"They are finding customers for waste. It's a great niche."
NERC is also using a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to put together information for the hospitality industry to help hotels and restaurants to produce less waste and buy green products.
What might be especially interesting for area residents is work NERC has been doing relating to "hobby farms."
For those who have a cow or a few chickens in the backyard, said Rubenstein, a major concern is what to do with the manure and other waste. The United States Department of Agriculture asked NERC to put together booklets to cover the topic.
"The Manure Management Handbook for Hobby Farms" includes a compilation of existing resources on acceptable manure management, state specific information, regulations and programs, manure management options and technical assistance resources.
"The Quick Guide to Developing a Manure Management Plan" is a template for developing a farm-specific manure management plan, simple calculator tools to assist with determining how much manure a farm produces, how much can be land-applied on the farm, best management practices for the farm manure management and how much manure is surplus.
NERC is also developing a program using a national grant that is starting in the Northeast but will soon be applied across the country.
The project, based on the Federal Electric Challenge, is designed to help people and communities purchase, operate and dispose of computers and monitors in an eco-friendly manner.
Municipalities can sign up online for free and learn how they can save money and be green at the same time, said Rubenstein.
While many of the projects NERC is working on are state-specific, lessons learned and programs developed can be a great resource for other towns, cities and states, said Rubenstein.
All the work NERC does can be found on the Web site, she said.
"Information, steps to take. Everything is at your fingertips."
Included on NERC's Web site is a data base called the Toxicity in Packaging Clearinghouse, where people can learn what hazardous products might be in the boxes, bags and plastic liners that make up modern packaging.
The amount of heavy metals and toxic materials in packaging was an eye-opener for Rubenstein.
"The results are nauseating."
Other items on the Web site include green management tools, asphalt shingle waste management, a calculator used to determine how business practices affect a company's carbon footprint, hazardous waste disposal options and how to buy a "green" computer.
The Web site also includes "how-to" manuals such as best management practices to collect unwanted medications, how to set up and operate a municipal recycling facility and steps to develop a green purchasing program.
To learn more about Northeast Recycling Council and the information it makes available to the public, visit www.nerc.org.
Bob Audette can be reached at raudette@reformer.com, or 802-254-2311, ext. 273.
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NERC Recycling and Reuse Industry Study
Industry Valued at $35 Billion Five States, with Employment Topping 100,000
Scrap Tire News, March 2009
MSW Management, the Journal for Municipal Solid Waste Professionals, February 27, 2009
Recycling and reuse fuel a $35 billion annual industry in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, according to a new study released by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC). The research, which updates NERC’s 2000 Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study, found that more than 11,000 recycling and reuse businesses employ over 100,000 individuals in the five-state region, and pay them wages that exceed $4.2 billion.
Reuse and recycling businesses also yield significant environmental benefits. Each year, recycling operations in the five states save the amount of energy needed to power almost two million households, and avoid 6.4 million tons of greenhouse-gas emissions – equivalent to taking close to 3 million cars off the road, according to an estimate by NERC based on the study’s findings.
This REI Update was prepared by DSM Environmental Services, Inc. and MidAtlantic Solid Waste Consultants on behalf of NERC and the five participating states. The research included several significant changes to the methodology that was used in the 2000 Recycling Economic Information Study to examine the economic impacts of the industry, said NERC Executive Director Lynn Rubinstein.
“The changes were designed to more accurately estimate the economic contribution of the recycling and reuse industry in the five participant states for the year 2007,” said Rubinstein. “Those changes also make it difficult to compare the studies to one another,” she added.
Some of the changes came in response to industry concerns regarding the methodologies used in the earlier report. The new study attempted to address those concerns. For example, Rubinstein explained, “the updated study reports economic data for the recycling industry separate from economic data for the establishments that purchase secondary materials from the recycling industry. These establishments were labeled “demand side” activities in the 2000 report and were included in “recycling industry” data. In the new study, the demand-side industries are listed separately as “recycling reliant” industries.” She added that “this separate category reflects the fact that, for example, a paper mill would commonly be thought of as part of the paper industry, which relies on a mix of recycled and virgin materials.”
In addition to this change, the new study allocates recycling economic activity only to the portion of the mill that uses recycled materials. For example, if a pulp mill uses an estimated average of 25 percent recycled fiber, then 25 percent of employment, payroll, and gross receipts is allocated to recycling.
The study update also reports on the indirect and induced economic impacts of the recycling industry on a sector-by-sector basis. However, unlike the 2000 report, the new study does not add the indirect and induced effects to the direct economic impacts to calculate the total contribution of the recycling, recycling reliant, and reuse and remanufacturing industries due to concerns about double counting.
The study divides recycling into 26 categories. Six of the categories represent the supply chain that provides recycled raw materials to manufacturers -- including municipal and commercial collection programs, sorting facilities, composting operations, scrap wholesalers, and plastics reclaimers. The study found that businesses that utilize recycling raw materials due so in lieu of “virgin” products that are often mined and manufactured outside of the region. As a result, these businesses create jobs closer to home and have a smaller environmental footprint than companies that rely on raw material extraction. In the five states, the research showed that there were 7,313 establishments working in this sector. This is 43% more workers than mining operations there, paying wages that were approximately 62% higher than those offered by mining jobs, according to U.S. Census figures.
The study identified 13 categories for businesses that manufacture new products with recycled materials. Using conservative methods to estimate the amount of manufacturing employment directly attributable to recycling, the study found that approximately 1,000 recycled-product manufacturers employ nearly 55,300 individuals, or around 4% of total manufacturing jobs in the five-state region according to the U.S. Census. Wages from this sector are comparable to those in the overall manufacturing sector, also according to U.S. Census figures.
Seven additional categories are devoted to the reuse sector. This sector is comprised of 3,079 businesses that employ 17,765 individuals, and have annual gross revenues that exceed $2 billion. “This is an emerging sector -- and one with great future potential,” noted Rubinstein.
The complete report is available on the NERC website at www.nerc.org/documents
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NERC Updates Recycling and Reuse Industry Study
Recycling Today Magazine, February 23, 2009
According to a new study released by the Northeast Recycling Council Inc. (NERC), Brattleboro, Vt., recycling and reuse fuel a $35 billion per year industry in the states of Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. The research, which updates NERC’s 2000 Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study, found that more than 11,000 recycling and reuse businesses employ more than 100,000 individuals in the five-state region, and pay in excess of $4.2 billion in wages.
Reuse and recycling businesses also yield significant environmental benefits. Each year, recycling operations in the five states save the amount of energy needed to power almost 2 million households, avoiding 6.4 million tons of greenhouse-gas emissions, the equivalent to taking close to 3 million cars off the road, according to an estimate by NERC.
DSM Environmental Services Inc., Windsor, Vt., and MidAtlantic Solid Waste Consultants, New Market, Md., prepared the study for NERC and the five participating states. The study incorporates several changes to the methodology that was used in the 2000 Recycling Economic Information Study to examine the economic impact of the industry, NERC Executive Director Lynn Rubinstein says.
“The changes were designed to more accurately estimate the economic contribution of the recycling and reuse industry in the five participant states for the year 2007,” Rubinstein says. “Those changes also make it difficult to compare the studies to one another.”
Some of the changes came in response to industry concerns regarding the methodologies used in the earlier report. For example, Rubinstein says, “the updated study reports economic data for the recycling industry separate from economic data for the establishments that purchase secondary materials from the recycling industry. These establishments were labeled ‘demand side’ activities in the 2000 report and were included in ‘recycling industry’ data. In the new study, the demand-side industries are listed separately as ‘recycling reliant’ industries.”
In addition to this change, the new study allocates recycling economic activity only to the portion of the demand-side consumer’s use of recycled materials. For example, if a pulp mill uses an estimated average of 25 percent recycled fiber, then 25 percent of employment, payroll, and gross receipts is allocated to recycling.
The study update also reports on the indirect and induced economic impacts of the recycling industry on a sector-by-sector basis. However, unlike the 2000 report, the new study does not add the indirect and induced effects to the direct economic impacts to calculate the total contribution of the recycling, recycling reliant and reuse and remanufacturing industries in light of concerns about double counting.
The study divides recycling into 26 categories. Six of the categories represent the supply chain that provides recycled raw materials to manufacturers, including municipal and commercial collection programs, sorting facilities, composting operations, scrap wholesalers, and plastics reclaimers. The study found that businesses that use recycling raw materials do so in lieu of “virgin” products that are often mined and manufactured outside of the region. As a result, these businesses create jobs closer to home and have a smaller environmental footprint than companies that rely on raw material extraction, according to NERC. In the five states, the research showed that there were 7,313 establishments working in this sector. This is 43 percent more workers than mining operations there, paying wages that were approximately 62 percent higher than those offered by mining jobs, according to U.S. Census figures.
The study identified 13 categories for businesses that manufacture new products with recycled materials. Using conservative methods to estimate the amount of manufacturing employment directly attributable to recycling, the study found that approximately 1,000 recycled-product manufacturers employ nearly 55,300 individuals, or around 4 percent of total manufacturing jobs in the five-state region, according to the U.S. Census. Wages from this sector are comparable to those in the overall manufacturing sector, according to U.S. Census figures.
Seven additional categories are devoted to the reuse sector. This sector is comprised of 3,079 businesses that employ 17,765 individuals and have annual gross revenues that exceed $2 billion. “This is an emerging sector—and one with great future potential,” Rubinstein says.
The complete report is available on the NERC Web site at www.nerc.org/documents/recycling_economic_information_study_update_2009.pdf.
Recycling and economic development agencies in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania provided funding for the study.
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A crew from ReCycle North’s Deconstruction Services re´move a piece of the tin roof from a barn in Winooski (Free Press file photo). |
Recycling Can Create Jobs
Burlington Free Press, February 9, 2009
By Matt Sutkoski
If it doesn’t end up in the landfill, does it create jobs?
Anecdotal evidence suggests recycling and reusing everything from an empty soda can to an entire house will help employment. As one small example, ReCycle North, a Burlington-based organization that recycles or repairs a wide range of material and products, has more than 50 employees, said Tom Longstreth, executive director.
The June 2000 Recycling Economic Information Study that examined the industry in the Northeast reported that 242 reuse and recycling establishments in Vermont employed 1,955 people and had a payroll of $58 million. However, no comprehensive follow-up studies have since been completed, said Caroline Grodinsky, waste prevention coordinator of the state Waste Management Division. [This article relied on a 2000 report produced by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. Highlights of the study and the complete text of the study can be viewed at NERC's website. The updated study has just been released and can be found at 2009 Recycling Economic Information Study Update.]
The businesses include anything from trash haulers who take recycling to demolition companies that use material from torn-down structures to make new products.
ReCycle North is growing, despite lean economic times that cut down on the amount of material the organization collects for repairs and resale, Longstreth said. ReCycle North is opening a new reuse center in Barre, which created three new jobs, he said. Another two people will be hired in Barre later this year, he said.
The existing ReCycle North in Burlington has employees who repair donated appliances and electronics, people who run a store full of second-hand goods and others who work in their deconstruction program, which uses material salvaged from structures being torn down or renovated. ReCycle North also offers job training programs. Some lead to jobs in the reuse and recycle sector, while others have the broader goal of helping people obtain general job skills, Longstreth said.
Longstreth sees growth in the recycling business, especially once the economy recovers from its current doldrums. For now, people are making do with what they have, leaving ReCycle North and similar organizations short of merchandise to resell. “Nobody is buying anything right now,” he said.
Demand on resources will rise, Longstreth predicted. He expects the price of commodities to soar again, just as they did early last year before the economy dived. Then, it will make more sense to reuse what exists instead of paying for new products, he said.
It’s hard to tease out how many jobs there are in recycle and reuse, since many employees have some tasks related to recycling and some that don’t. For instance, a trash hauler might take garbage to the landfill Monday and take recycling to a processing center Tuesday.
Jim Bohlig the chief development officer for Casella Waste Systems Inc. said he can’t predict how recycling and reuse will affect jobs in Vermont, but in general, environmental concerns will force American companies to innovate. Done right, that could create plenty of jobs, he said.
“We have to turn over every part of our business models and behave differently,” Bohlig said.
The End Game of Horse Care: A USDA Program Educates Owners on Managing Manure
Mid-Atlantic Horse, January 2009
(Supplement to Lancaster Farming, January 3, 2009)
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By Guy Steucek
There may be more horses in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states today than during the revolutionary times. For example, USDA statistics state that 7,600 equine facilities exist in New Jersey caring for 49,000 horses. This represents a $682-million industry. As many as 30,000 horses live in New Hampshire today. Most of these equines are on small, hobby farms or in suburban environments . . .
While horse owners love their animals and spend substantial amounts on feed and health care, they often put manure concerns on the back burner. Just pushing manure out the barn can influence the health of animals and the environment. For this reason, a USDA Rural Development Solid Waste Management Grant has funded a program developed by the Northeast Recycling Council to help the small farm and suburban animal owner deal with animal waste.
As a result of this effort, Athena Lee Bradley, projects manager at the recycling council, has conducted 20 workshops on manure management in New Jersey, New Hampshire and Vermont for more than 350 livestock owner s. . .
Athena has written a wonderful 26-page hand booklet entitled "Manure Management for Small and Hobby Farms." This text is well organized and will be welcome reading during the cold winter months while the manure is steaming next to the barn . . .
For the full story, go to the January 2009 Mid-Atlantic Horse supplement of Lancaster Farming.
Connecticut DEP Joins the Northeast States Electronics Challenge
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Environmental Leader, January 5, 2009
Storage & Destruction Business Magazine, January 5, 2009
Recycling Today, January 5, 2009
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has joined the Northeast States Electronics Challenge to reduce the environmental impact of electronics products that it purchases, uses and needs to replace, according to a press release.
“Through the Northeast States Electronic Challenge, the DEP is committed to purchasing ‘greener’ computer products, taking steps to reduce the energy demands and impact of computers during use and making certain that we properly manage the disposition of obsolete equipment,” says DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy.
McCarthy says DEP is moving forward to finalize details of a statewide “e-waste” program that will lead to a system of free and convenient municipal collection points for unwanted computers, monitors and televisions by July. With this system, the public will be able to take obsolete electronic equipment to a location where it will be properly stored and then recycled, the press release says.
“This collection and recycling system was called for in landmark legislation that established Connecticut as a leader,” McCarthy says. “The ‘e-waste’ program will remove thousands of tons of electronics equipment from our waste stream. This new system will also eliminate threats to the public health and environment caused by the release of hazardous materials when old computers and televisions are improperly discarded.”
The Northeast States Electronics Challenge is managed by the Northeast Recycling Council Inc., with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
More information about Connecticut’s program is available at www.ct.gov/dep/recycle.
Recycling Is the Vermont Way
Bennington Banner, December 16, 2008
Burlington Free Press, January 7, 2009
By Carolyn Grodinsky
Over the past 20 years, Vermonters have enthusiastically embraced recycling and — more importantly — what it conveys, that we care deeply about the health of our environment and are making the effort to preserve and enhance it.
It's true — the prices recycling centers can get for recycled materials fluctuate all the time and they are currently at an all-time low. But bear in mind they will rise again (and when they do, we will have an established recycling program in place to capitalize on them). Moreover, the cost to simply throw away trash does not fluctuate; Vermonters pay about $100 per ton simply to throw stuff away.
Reuse and recycling save energy, reduce greenhouse gases, conserve resources and landfill space, and are a vital part of Vermont's economy. A study by the Northeast Recycling Council in June 2000, found that the recycling industry is a $44 billion dollar industry in the Northeast, with more than 13,000 recycling and re-use businesses employing more than 206,000 people and paying wages in excess of $6.8 billion.
In 2006, Vermont's recycling programs reduced greenhouse gases and saved energy — equivalent to 18,289,126 gallons of gasoline and representing the amount of energy that would be required to power 21,890 Vermont homes for one year.
One of Burlington's leading reuse businesses, ReCycle North, employs more than 45 people who sell, repair, and provide job training for its used household goods, electronics, appliances and used building materials departments.
Finding uses for materials collected through Vermont's recycling programs provides ample new business opportunities that have yet to be fully exploited. For example, about 30 percent of the state's waste could be composted or used to generate energy. Farmers could use food scraps for composting or energy production; they could sell the compost itself or use it to improve their own soil. They could use the energy they produce on their farms to lower their own energy costs or they could sell it to electric companies.
Reuse and recycling create far more jobs than simply sending our trash to landfills does. According to the Institute for Local Self Reliance, for every one job at a landfill, there are 10 jobs in recycling processing and 25 jobs in recyclables-based manufacturing.
While recycling is important, the greatest environmental and economic benefits however come from not creating waste in the first place. For example, reducing product packaging and buying products that are built to last, reduce transportation costs (as there is less product to ship and more durable items don't need to be delivered as often), and reduce the energy required to make, distribute and, ultimately, dispose of products.
In sum, reuse and recycling play major roles in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing Vermont's green economy. As important, they promote the values we cherish and the natural beauty of our state.
Carolyn Grodinsky is a waste prevention coordinator for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation at the Agency of Natural Resources. She lives in Montpelier.
Green Seeds: Recycle Paper
Lincoln Journal, Concord, Massachusetts
December 5, 2008
By Diana Smith
Lincoln - The following information comes from The Mass Recycles Paper Campaign.
The Mass Recycles Paper Campaign is a partnership between MassRecycle, Inc., MassDEP, EPA New England, and a number of recycling and waste management companies to increase the amount of paper recycled in Massachusetts each year.
The goal of the Campaign is to recycle 1 million tons of paper that is currently buried or burned each year in Massachusetts. MassDEP estimates that Massachusetts residents, businesses, and government agencies throw away 1.5 million tons of paper each year. Throwing away 1.5 million tons of paper costs these entities as much as $100 million in disposal fees each year. Paper that is thrown away also represents lost revenue. The DEP estimates that this paper, were it recycled instead of thrown away, is worth $30-$50 million annually.
Recycling more paper also has significant environmental benefits. If we recycle one million more tons each year we would:·
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 928,000 metric tons of carbon equivalents, or more than 3 million tons of carbon dioxide.
- Save approximately 22 trillion BTUs of energy (this is the amount of energy required to power 212,000 homes for one year in Massachusetts, or the equivalent of removing 318,000 average passenger cars from the road).
The Mass Recycles Paper Campaign points to a 2000 Northeast Recycling Council report that notes recycling supports more than 1,400 businesses and 19,000 jobs and generates about $64 million in state tax revenues.
Add to that the interesting tidbit that much of our paper and cardboard is remanufactured right in Massachusetts — made into corrugated cardboard at Rand-Whitney in Worcester; and into cereal boxes, book covers (including the last Harry Potter book) and game boards at the Newark Group's Fitchburg plant.
And if somehow you've forgotten why we recycle, one reason is it saves the paper from clogging landfills. If state residents and businesses actually recycled more than 1 million pounds of paper, MassRecycle officials say, Massachusetts would reduce 3 million tons of greenhouse gases and reduce energy needs by the equivalent of 3.8 million barrels of oil.
For more information or to get involved, visit www.MassRecyclesPaper.org or contact Campaign Manager Molly Fraust at paper@massrecycle.org.
Reform Isn't in the BagCity’s plan to ban plastic bags will face obstacles in Richmond
Alexandria (Virginia) Gazette Packet
Thursday, December 4, 2008
By Michael Lee Pope
It’s an age old question: Paper or plastic? But Councilman Tim Lovain says it’s also an existential predicament, threatening the future of the planet. The first-term councilman has proposed that Alexandria ban plastic bags, following the lead of countries such as Ireland, Bangladesh, South Africa, Thailand and Taiwan. He first proposed the idea in an Alexandria Gazette Packet op ed published in May, and now he has added an item to the city’s legislative packet during the upcoming General Assembly session.
"They are a plague," Lovain declared during a City Council discussion last week about the upcoming General Assembly session. "The time has come to do something."
At Lovain’s request, council members added a plank to their legislative agenda that asks member of the local delegation to introduce legislation that would allow Alexandria to pass an ordinance prohibiting retail merchants from using plastic carryout bags. Under Virginia’s "Dillon Rule," the General Assembly would be required to grant the city permission for such a prohibition before the City Council could take action on the plan. But a similar effort in the Isle of Wight was rejected in Richmond earlier this year, and a similar attempt by Alexandria could meet the same fate.
"It’ll be tough," admitted Bernie Caton, the city’s legislative director. "There’s a lot of resistance by certain members of the General Assembly to give localities greater authority."
Under newly created Republican rules, members of the House of Delegates are limited to introducing 15 bills each this year, so Alexandria’s three delegates are carefully weighting their own priorities against the needs of the local jurisdictions they serve. Del. Adam Ebbin (D-49) said that he is considering introducing a bill that would add a fee of up to 5 cents per bag that could fund environmental causes such as the Chesapeake Bay Fund.
"The fee would give consumers the choice to pay a fee or bring their own reusable bags," said Ebbin. "We need to get people into a different mindset about the use of plastic bags."
Efforts to ban plastic bags or give localities the authority to do so are certain to face stiff opposition from retailers and their allies in the General Assembly. According to the Virginia Retail Merchants Association, paper bags will last just as long as plastic bags in a modern landfill because of the lack of water, light and oxygen required for the degradation process. And association officials say that adding a per-bag fee for the Chesapeake Bay Fund or any other cause would create additional layers of bureaucracy for businesses that are already struggling with the current economic environment.
"It would be yet another record-keeping issue where we would have to track, segregate and collect the money," said Tom Zapf, chairman of the Virginia Retail Merchants Association. "If you have to drive back home because you forgot your reusable bag, what will your carbon footprint be then?"
The plastic bags are most prevalent in grocery stores, where customers are now given a choice of using paper, plastic or a reusable bag purchased at the store or brought from home. Although some grocers such as Whole Foods have banned plastic bags, others such as Safeway say their customers overwhelmingly choose plastic bags over paper or reusable. Many grocers challenge the notion that paper bags are more environmentally friendly than plastic, citing research from the American Chemistry Council showing that plastic bags require less energy to produce, transport and recycle.
"Prohibiting these bags or adding a fee would increase the cost of doing business substantially and would end up being a hidden tax on consumers," said Gregory Ten Eyck, director of government relations for Safeway. "Studies consistently show that paper bags have a larger environmental footprint than plastic bags."
Plastic bags are made from petroleum or natural gas with similar environmental impacts of harvesting fossil fuels, and they are one of the most ubiquitous consumer items on the planet. According to one recent study by a group known as "Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse," the inks and colorants used on some bags contain toxic levels of lead. [The Toxics in Packaging Clearninghouse is administered by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.] Other groups, such as the California-based Earth Resource Foundation have created a "Campaign Against the Plastic Plague" to discourage their use.
"Less than 5 percent of plastic bags are recycled while 52 percent of paper products are recycled, so we really need to compare apples to apples," said Stephanie Barger, founder of Earth Resource Foundation. "We would prefer a stiff fee for the bags rather than an outright ban."
State Sen. Patsy Ticer (D-30) said she is considering introducing legislation similar to the language adopted by the City Council in its legislative packet that would grant jurisdictions the authority to create local bans — a move that some retailers say would add to the environmental footprint by needlessly complicating shipping routes of bags to various localities. Ticer said she agreed with Lovain that the use of plastic bags should be curtailed or eliminated, although she was skeptical about the potential for success with Republicans maintaining control over the House.
"They are bad for the environment, and that’s just all there is to it," said Ticer, who is the chairwoman of the Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. "Ireland banned them long ago, and I’d certainly like to see us minimize their use as much as we can."
On-Farm Compost Production and Sustainable Agricultural Practices Discussed
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Country Folks
Lee Publications, Palatine Bridge, New York
Monday, December 1, 2008
The workshop, sponsored by the New Hampshire Horse Council and the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), was one of several organized by NERC’s Manure Management Project. NERC describes the project as “an educational effort to assist small and hobby farmers and livestock owners in understanding and adopting best management practices for handling and utilizing manure.” The project is funded by the USDA Rural Development Solid Waste Management Grant, and its main goal is to reduce water pollution by showing people how to manage livestock manure more carefully and effectively.
During the workshop, NERC Project Director Athena Lee Bradley explained the need for conscientious management. “Owners of livestock — no matter what the type of animal — face similar challenges when managing manure. Often manure is stockpiled because farmers do not know what to do with it. These piles can seep manure runoff into waterways or wells. Disposal of manure in gullies, ditches and other ‘out of the way’ places also can lead to water contamination.”
Bradley also spelled out the benefits of effective management: “Used on the farm, manure can supply nutrients needed for forage or crop production; used off-farm, manure supplies nutrient resources to crop or organic farmers, gardeners, soil producers and others.”
She discussed several specific management considerations and options, beginning with bedding requirements and housing needs. She pointed out that the more bedding we use up when handling manure, the greater the expense, as well as the greater amount of waste material to manage with the manure. Bradley also discussed the relationship between grazing strategies — particularly rotational grazing — and manure management. She cautioned that farmers should keep livestock away from streams as much as possible, to prevent contamination of water supplies.
Bradley gave the workshop participants some advice about manure storage and went on to consider the many options for managing manure. Because manure contains so many valuable nutrients, manure management should be geared toward recycling these nutrients to produce forage or other crops.
One of the several composting options on the market now is a mechanized, self-rotating, in-vessel composter, made by B W Organics. On hand to describe this method and demonstrate such a composter were Bob Spencer and Bill Paige, of Mass Natural, a recycling outfit in Westminster, MA.
Spencer began with a slide presentation explaining the benefits of this type of composting system. In addition to keeping contaminants out of streams and groundwater, a mechanized, in-vessel composter can be operated year-round and can accomplish in three to five days what takes most other composting systems several months or years to achieve. At the same time, this method does what any good composting method will do: lock in and stabilize nutrients, kill weed seeds, and get rid of pathogens and parasites. This happens because the composter slowly, but constantly rotates the material inside, drawing in air and thereby accelerating the normal process of aerobic microbial digestion. After this initial, intensive stage of composting, the material can be cured in windrows in another four to six weeks.
The B W Organics system comes in several sizes, ranging in handling capacity from one to thirty-three cubic yards per day. It can compost manure, food waste, and animal mortalities. Spencer said, “We’re testing food wastes and biodegrading packaging right now for a big paper company. So, we are renting the unit and we have a mix of wood chips and supermarket waste from Hannaford Brothers in this unit. Right now, we’ll load some manure — it’ll be good for our mix, I’m sure.” For optimum performance, the mixture of material in the composter should contain a proper ratio of carbon, nitrogen, water, and air.
Spencer discussed the growing market for compost, especially in areas like New England, with our poor soil and high demand for local produce. “Now, part of the business of composting for farmers these days is they’re starting to take food waste from local restaurants and supermarkets because they can make money on it. Most states have an agricultural exemption for composting food waste on the farm. . . There’s a revenue stream potentially. Also, if you go into business as a composter, you can take in other farms’ manures.”
Following Spencer’s slide presentation, Mass Natural owner Bill Paige led the workshop participants outside for a demonstration of a B W Organics composter. He explained that “the drive unit runs on a one-sixth horsepower motor and runs on less power than a household dryer.”
Hugh Wilkerson, of NorthEast Organics Recycling, was also present at the workshop to answer questions. His organization advocates sustainable agricultural practices through improved composting methods. To carry out this goal, he works with both non-profit and for-profit companies. “Really, what we’re trying to do is get manure cooperatives and get marketing going with small compost-producing facilities and then find a market with the landscapers and farmers and CSAs and that kind of thing. It’s a coordinated effort.”
Wilkerson is planning to establish some pilot programs to help make the connection between folks with compostable material and those who need the compost to improve their farmland. Wilkerson can also offer interested people help with business plans and marketing strategies, as well as all the needed technical assistance.
Please call Hugh Wilkerson at 603-724-6722 or e-mail him at neorgrec@earthlink.net for more information about the pilot programs. Resources for small and hobby farm manure management are posted on NERC’s website, at www.nerc.org.