Application Announcement
for the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center Grant
Applications for the Recycling
Markets Center Grant are now available from the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection (Department). With this program, one grant
will be awarded on a competitive basis to a qualified non-profit organization
or educational institution for the establishment, support and oversight
of the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center. The Department will accept
grant applications until 4 PM on May 28, 2004.
Businesses need marketing
information to identify new opportunities for smart growth since such
information enables businesses to develop strategic plans that chart
a course to profitability. Developing reliable recycling market information
involves: the compilation of economic, political, regulatory, societal
and technological data; the interpretation of how current and anticipated
events will impact business practices and relationships among solid
waste, scrap and manufacturing industries; the identification of those
business practices that need to be adjusted; and good communication
skills in order to transfer such knowledge to a targeted audience. Furthermore,
in order to remain competitive in the ever-changing recycling environment,
recycling businesses need to be introduced to the latest technologies
that increase efficiency and productivity in collection, processing
and manufacturing activities.
The Department sees the need
to assure that recycling market information is available to Commonwealth
businesses. To fulfill this need, the Department is seeking a nonprofit
organization or educational institution to establish, support and oversee
the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center ("Center"). This
Center will serve to expand and develop more secure and robust markets
for recovered secondary materials by helping to overcome market barriers
and inefficiencies.
Applications for the Recycling
Markets Center grant program may be obtained by contacting Georgia
Kagle of the Bureau of Land Recycling and Waste Management.
Environmentally Preferable
Purchasing Videoconference Scheduled for March 17th
The
Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP), Pennsylvania's NRC
affiliate, is hosting an environmentally preferable purchasing videoconference
on March 17, 2004, from 10:00 to noon EST. The program will be broadcast
via satellite to more than 20 downlink sites in Pennsylvania and will
be available to other states with access to the satellite. Viewers at
the downlink sites who are registered with the PROP Recycling Professional
Certification Program will receive 0.2 CEU credits from Penn State University.
Pennsylvania participants are encouraged to continue a dialogue on the
issues following the broadcast.
The program will feature
Mr. Scot Case, Director of Center for the New American Dream's purchasing
program and a roundtable of green purchasing experts including Karen
Hamilton, Environmental Purchasing Manager for King County, WA, and
Villanova University's Kevin O'Donnell. Topics will include establishing
and implementing a green purchasing policy, the environmental impacts
of green purchasing, consumer preferences and how to find green products,
and influencing purchasing decisions, or rather, how you the customer
can get what you need. The roundtable panel will entertain live questions
in the time permitted.
The program will also be
available as a live web cast from the PROP
website, where you can find additional details about the videoconference
and the PROP Recycling Professional Certification Program. Please encourage
others involved in procurement in the government, private or non-profit
sectors and others who may be interested in green purchasing to participate
in the videoconference via satellite or live web cast.
New Materials Exchange
The Pennsylvania DEP has
announced the formation of a new Materials Exchange:
To Help Businesses Cut
Costs, SBDCs Launch On-Line Marketplace for Waste Materials
Responding to the needs of Pennsylvania businesses, the Pennsylvania
Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) have introduced the Pennsylvania
Material Trader, a new on-line service that makes it easy to exchange
and reuse traditionally discarded materials, such as outdated inventory,
used shipping containers, old computer equipment, etc.
Material Trader is a free
service designed to match businesses and organizations that produce
wastes, by-products, or surplus materials with businesses and organizations
that need them. The website,
allows users to easily place materials on the exchange, as well as search
for and respond to materials already listed. Participants have the option
to list their materials confidentially.
"In these challenging
economic times, businesses are looking for every opportunity to stay
competitive and grow," explains Gregory L. Higgins, Jr., state
director of the Pennsylvania SBDC program. "Using Material Trader,
businesses can see reductions in their disposal, purchasing and production
costs. These cost savings could make the difference in keeping businesses
in Pennsylvania."
Material Trader provides
a unique opportunity for businesses to save money. The materials offered
through Material Trader are either free or have a nominal cost. Users
may be able to find feedstock or supplies for free or at much lower
costs than what they normally pay. Users who produce surplus materials
and list them on Material Trader can not only reduce their disposal
costs; they may even generate revenue through the sale of these materials.
Almost any business or organization
can benefit. For example, an office or retail store may have used equipment
or extra supplies. A manufacturer may have excess inventory, factory
seconds, scrap materials, or reusable shipping containers. Any items
that are currently being thrown away may have value to someone else.
Although Material Trader
is a new service for Pennsylvania businesses, many other states already
have successful Materials Exchanges, helping keep thousands of tons of
material out of landfills each year and saving businesses thousands
of dollars.
- As the largest statewide
provider of entrepreneurial services, the SBDCs play a unique and
vital role in the Commonwealth's economic development initiatives
as the only organization that:
- utilizes the expertise
and resources of 1 of the best colleges and universities in the
Commonwealth;
- assists entrepreneurs
in all stages of business, from prospective entrepreneurs to mature
small businesses looking for growth opportunities;
- works with firms in
all industry sectors, including the fast growing service and retail
sectors that comprise the bulk of the state's firms, as well as
manufacturing, construction and wholesale;
- is nationally accredited
as mandated by Congress; and
- can draw upon the
resources of a national network of more than 950 Centers.
- Since 1990, the SBDCs
have helped Pennsylvania entrepreneurs:
- start more than 13,000
new business;
- obtain $1.3 billion
in start-up and expansion funding;
- expand sales by $5.1
billion, including $1.4 billion of government contracts and $1
billion in export sales;
- create over 70,000
new jobs at an average cost of $926 per job; and
- generate nearly $500
million in new tax revenues.
The Pennsylvania Small Business
Development Centers are funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
the U.S. Small Business Administration, the private sector and the host
colleges and universities. This support enables consulting services
to be provided at no charge. SBDCs are located at Bucknell University,
Clarion University, Duquesne University, Gannon University, Indiana
University, Kutztown University, Lehigh University, Lock Haven University,
Penn State University, Saint Francis University, Saint Vincent College,
Temple University, University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, University
of Pittsburgh, University of Scranton, and Wilkes University.
For additional information
on the Pennsylvania Material Trader, please contact Nancy
Crickman.
REGISTER
NOW FOR NERC'S EXCITING SPRING CONFERENCE! 
Connecticut
Recycles Day, 2004 - Already? We want to know what you think about America
Recycles Day!