NERC
EMAIL BULLETIN
NOVEMBER 2006

TOPICS

Guide to EPP Business Mentoring Now Available

New NERC Board Members & Fond Farewells

Solid Waste Management Plan – Update on Progress

The draft of the Proposed Amendment to the State Solid Waste Management Plan was completed in June after more than a year of hard work by Connecticut DEP staff, R.W. Beck Associates, and the members of the External Stakeholder Committee. The Plan addresses solid waste management issues affecting Connecticut and well as many opportunities for pollution prevention. Although information about the Plan was posted on the DEP website throughout the entire process, the next step was to give the public additional opportunities to learn about the Plan and provide input on the final document.

The DEP made the Plan available on our website and in July over 400 copies were sent out on CD to state and local government officials, solid waste and recycling facilities, environmental organizations, and community groups. In addition, three informational meetings were held in Hartford, Waterbury and Groton in late July and early August and three public hearings took place in Hartford, Bridgeport, and Norwich in August. The DEP received over 70 written or oral comments about the Plan from the public and private sectors.

The comments to the draft Plan will be summarized in the Hearing Examiner's Report to DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy sometime this fall. If the Commissioner accepts the Report, the Proposed Amendment will be revised accordingly and adopted as the State Solid Waste Management Plan. The Plan will then serve as the basis for solid waste management planning and decision making for the short and long-term future. For more information -- see www.dep.state.ct.us/wst/solidw/swplan/index.htm or contact Tess Gutowski.

Camels Have a Mania for Recycling

The Connecticut College Camels, that is. Connecticut College, in its first year in the national RecycleMania contest, finished 5 th in the Per Capita Classic category, collecting more than 56 pounds per person of recyclables over a ten-week period. They also excelled in the Targeted Materials category, coming in 2 nd in Food Service/Organics, 3 rd in Bottles and Cans, and 4 th in Paper. Ninety-three colleges and universities participated this year's events.

Amy Cabaniss, Campus Environmental Coordinator, and student volunteers launched an educational campaign, which included posters, presentations, articles, ad, and prompts including a large banner, baseball caps with a stitched logo, and more.  Individuals were invited to sign a Pledge to RecycleMore and the pledges were entered into a bi-weekly drawing for prizes. Amy was amazed that they were able to recycle so much material and believes that next year they will place even higher. The competition was a great awareness builder, call-to-action, and community effort.

For more information on RecycleMania and results of the 2006 contest - http://www.recyclemaniacs.org/index.htm.

Curbing Your Enthusiasm

Connecticut has had mandatory recycling since 1991. All towns started recycling the same items at the curb. But after fifteen years, many municipal programs have changed -- some accept more materials, especially PETE and HDPE plastics; some have gone from weekly to semi-weekly collections and most have decreased the amount of education they provide about their programs. So here are some tips for recycling right:

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - - your priority should be to reduce the amount of trash you generate, reuse what you can, and then recycle the rest.
• Call your town's Public Works Department or transfer station. (Or you can go to DEP’s website listed below to see who your town's recycling contact is.) Ask what can be put in the bin or what is allowed at the transfer station. Your town may also have places where you can drop off white office paper, textiles or phone books and other mandatory recyclables not taken at the curb such as leaves, scrap metal, waste oil, and batteries.
• Ask how the recyclables should be prepared. Of course, cans, bottles, and plastics should be rinsed, but labels are okay. Other items might be a little trickier. For example, some towns may accept corrugated cardboard tied-up with string, but not tape; other may only take it loose, but cut up into a manageable size. Do not put your recyclables in plastic bags. If the hauler is still leaving items in your bin, call them to find out why. It could be that their staff has not been trained properly and need a refresher, too.
• Some plastics are easily recycled and have good end markets; others are not. If your town takes plastics, you can look for the resin code in the triangle on bottom of the container. PETE (#1) or HDPE (# 2) are the plastics taken by most towns. Do not include other plastics, including shopping bags, in your bin. Different resin codes may not be able to be recycled together and plastic bags can clog recycling machines. Major chains like Stop & Shop usually have a container in the front of the store for recycling of clean bags.
• Lastly, close the loop. Make your effort count by buying products with recycled content. That plastic water bottle you recycle today may become part of the polar fleece jacket you buy tomorrow.

For more information on recycling in CT, visit DEP’s website at http://www.dep.state.ct.us/wst/recycle/ctrecycles.htm.

Good Things Come In No Packaging

Product packaging serves many purposes -- it protects the contents, makes shipping and handling easier, prevents tampering or theft, conveys information, and of course, gets your attention. But as you may have noticed, we seem to be buried in packaging trash. A bout one-third of all the trash that is thrown away in the United States is packaging alone!

But packaging is not just a disposal problem, it costs you money. The Environmental Defense Fund estimates that $1 of every $10 spent on food goes to packaging. And if you have ever attempted to open products that are surrounded by rivets and that hard plastic casing, most of us would agree that it could be downright dangerous.

As a consumer, you control not only what you spend your hard-earned dollars on but also where you spend them. A well-crafted, constructive letter has more influence than you think. Use your power as a consumer to demand that manufacturers and retailers make products you buy more environmentally preferable. For tips on how to write an effective message, go to http://www.consumerworld.org/pages/company.htm.

Here are some tips to limit packaging waste and use your money to pay for the product and not the package:

• Consider refillable containers or buy in bulk quantities on items that have a long shelf life or you use often. Some stores allow you to bring in containers for things like shampoo and vegetable oils.
• Can you get the same item that meets your needs with less packaging or recyclable packaging? For example, buy food in containers that can be recycled (i.e. glass or metal and usually #1 and #2 plastics). Corrugated cardboard is a mandatory recyclable, but many towns also take cereal boxes or paper milk cartons. Call you town to be sure.
• Watch packaging on take-out and convenience food items. Can you bring your own cup to your favorite coffee shop? Can you get your take-out sandwich in foil instead of polystyrene foam?

Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Solid Waste Tours Facilities in Maine

The Blue Ribbon Commission, as part of their learning process, scheduled three tours across the state to see how the various components solid waste management work in Maine. For the first tour, which took place on October 4 in Aroostook County, commission members and other interested parties toured the Tri-Community recycling and disposal facility located in Fort Fairfield. The facility is owned by Caribou, Fort Fairfield, and Limestone and serves about three dozen communities in northern Aroostook County. The group then toured the City of Presque Isle’s landfill and recycling center, which are used by six other area communities. Following lunch, the commission conducted a short meeting where discussion focused on the areas of interest, including the recommendations of the solid waste policy task force that was convened by the State Planning Office. Tours held at two other meetings in October included visits to facilities in Southern Maine, (the Waste to Energy facilities in Biddeford and Portland) and to two landfills in the Bangor area, Juniper Ridge (the state-owned landfill) and Pine Tree (owned by Casella Waste Systems). The commission is staffed by the Department of Environmental Protection with assistance from the State Planning Office.

For more information, contact George MacDonald.

Gearing up for Maine Recycles Week - November 8 - 15

This year marks the 8th celebration of Maine Recycles Week. During the week, citizens across the state help raise public awareness about recycling in their communities and promote the purchase of products made from recycled materials. To raise student awareness, Maine Recycles Week sponsors an art competition for all grades; the winning entry of which is turned into a poster the following year to promote Maine Recycles Week. This year’s poster design was drawn by Danny Mears, a 7th grader at the South Bristol Central School. So far this year, more than 4,000 posters for the 2006 Maine Recycles Week have been distributed to municipal offices, schools, and businesses throughout the state to help promote recycling. In addition to the poster contest, schools are encouraged to establish or expand their recycling program and promote recycling in their communities. Schools can win cash awards for their creative prowess in supporting and encourage recycling. For a copy of the poster or for more information on Maine Recycles Week, visit the office’s Web site at www.recyclemaine.com.

For more information, contact Bruce White.

Signs Made & Distributed to Aid Transfer Stations

As a way to educate the public, and help transfer station operators, the Waste Management and Recycling program has had signs made that are now available at no cost for Maine transfer stations and disposal facilities. Each aluminum sign is 24"x30" and lists common items that are banned from disposal in Maine. Items listed include televisions, computer monitors, laptops, automobile batteries, rechargeable batteries, and mercury added products such as thermometers, thermostats, switches, and fluorescent bulbs. Signs will be distributed in March and April at DEP Universal Waste Training sessions and at the Maine Resource Recovery Association’s Annual Conference. Signs will not be mailed out but can be picked up at our Augusta office by contacting us to arrange pick-up. For more information, Tom Miragliuolo.

MassDEP Co-sponsors Successful SWANA Conference

MassDEP recently worked with the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Massachusetts Chapter and the Construction Materials Recycling Association to hold the 4th Annual SWANA Mass Chapter Solid Waste Conference. The conference, which was held on October 16th in Sturbridge, brought together 180 participants from around Massachusetts and from other states to discuss current issues and trends in solid waste management, including Managing for Zero Waste, Evaluating Emerging Solid Waste Conversion Technologies, Targeting the Paper Waste Stream, and Increasing Collection Efficiency. The conference agenda is available at http://www.swana.org/sections/communicate/chapter_chapterevents.aspx?pageID=3&chapterId=8. Conference presentations will be posted on this web site shortly.

MassDEP Awards Municipal Grants

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has announced that 40 communities and regional organizations have been awarded technical assistance grants and in-kind services totaling more than $170,000, including nearly 1,500 hours of dedicated MassDEP staff time to work on waste reduction projects.

The funding and staff time will support innovative local and regional projects to reduce waste, including: expanding a regional recycling center; developing a regional food and yard waste composting facility; curbside enforcement of state waste bans ; implementing school recycling programs; pay-as-you-throw evaluations and campaigns to get more paper out of the waste stream.

Recipients of larger awards include:

• Blackstone – $15,000 for the expansion of a regional recycling center.
• Easton - $30,000 and 50 hours of staff time valued at $1,750. Funds will support the contracting and implementation of a new curbside recycling program and the purchase of recycling bins.
• Framingham - $10,000 and 60 hours of staff time valued at $2,100. Town seeks to implement district wide school recycling program
• Freetown - $15,000 and 60 hours of staff time valued at $2,100. Town seeks assistance developing and implementing new curbside recycling program; Monetary award conditional upon Town adopting a curbside recycling program; for solid waste services;
• Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District - $10,000 for piloting "bin and win" program in conjunction with curbside enforcement of waste bans.
• Lynn - $10,000 and 80 hours of staff time valued at $2,800 for outreach and enforcement of the waste bans;
• Northampton - $25,000 and 30 hours of staff time valued at $1,050 to develop a food waste composting site at the city owned landfill.

Contact Amy Roth for more information.

NJDEP Awards $4.5 Million to Support Local Recycling Programs

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson has announced $4.5 million in grants to counties and municipalities to support local recycling programs.

“With New Jersey generating more than 20 million tons of solid waste every year, we need to do all we can to boost recycling rates,” said DEP Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson. “This funding will support local recycling programs and help reduce the amount of waste going to landfills and other facilities.”

The recycling grant awards are performance-based, requiring specific documentation of total material recycled during calendar year 2004, the latest annual statistics available for the state. In 2004, New Jersey generated 21.7 million tons of solid waste, which includes not only glass, cans, plastic and newspapers from municipal waste, but also scrap iron, concrete, wood, and other items from commercial waste. Of that total, 12 million tons or 55 percent was recycled with 9.7 million tons sent for disposal.

The Solid Waste Management Act provides the framework for the collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste in New Jersey. New Jersey is required to create and implement a Solid Waste Management Plan, which outlines the steps necessary to foster recycling at the state, county and local government levels. Currently, the municipal solid waste recycling rate is 34 percent. In January 2006, DEP revised the Plan to require counties to update their plans to identify strategies and enforcement measures that will increase recycling rates.

New Jersey 's recycling industry employs more than 27,000 people in New Jersey with total receipts valued at $5.9 billion annually.

The Clean Communities and Recycling Grant Act enacted in December 2002 provides funding for municipal and county recycling efforts. In addition to the recycling grant money, the Act provides financial assistance to towns and counties through the Clean Communities anti-litter program.

To view the list of grant recipients and the 2004 payout schedule, please visit DEP’s website.

Winners of the 2006 Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Recycling

The 26 th Annual Recycling Symposium & Awards Luncheon, sponsored by the Association of New Jersey Recyclers (ANJR) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, was held October 18, 2006. This year’s symposium theme was “HOT Topic…Chill Global Warming – Recycle!”

While the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s annual recycling awards ceremony is not shown on national television, the achievements of the award winners are definitely “prime time” material. The awards program is designed to recognize excellence in recycling by businesses, agencies, individuals and others who go beyond the norm to advance recycling. The winners of the 2006 awards for outstanding achievement in recycling are as follows:

This year’s award winners are:

INSTITUTION:

DOE Princeton University Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)

In support of its scientific research mission, PPPL has proactively managed its environmental performance in several key areas including energy and water usage, recycling, environmentally preferred purchasing, and pollution prevention. PPPL’s recycling program includes office papers, cardboard, packaging materials, wood, concrete, construction waste, various scrap metals, and electronic waste. PPPL has steadily increased its municipal solid waste recycling rate to over 50%, meeting the federal government is recycling goal for 2010 six years ahead of schedule. Environmentally preferred purchasing at PPPL, 85% of all purchasing in FY ‘04 and ‘05, includes the extensive use of bio-based products, recycled-content office supplies, and recycled-content building products.

BUSINESS:

Toyota Logistics Services, Inc

In 2004 and 2005, Toyota Logistics Services achieved a recycling rate of 87%, a full 27% higher than the state-mandated 60% recycling rate. Non-traditional materials recycled and included in the 2005 recycling rate are struts, Styrofoam, soft plastic, and rapguard. Toyota is constantly identifying innovative ways to recycle and make a positive impact on our environment.

GOVERNMENT:

Borough of Fair Lawn

The Borough of Fair Lawn has been recycling since the mid-1980s prior to the adoption of the mandatory recycling law in 1987. Recycling collection in the Borough consists of weekly curbside collection for residential, small businesses, multi-family units, and schools. The Borough also has a full-time recycling drop-off center that operates 7 days a week. Fair Lawn has implemented enforcement and education initiatives that have contributed to the achievement of a recycling rate of 54% in 2005.

RISING STAR:

Franz Adler, Recycling Coordinator, City of Margate

Margate is a shore community and has a relatively large tourist population. Mr. Adler realized that educating the public, particularly the tourists, was his best chance of creating a successful recycling program. He provided educational materials to real estate offices, renters, and public and private schools, and improved the recycling of construction and demolition debris by working with local builders. All of the schools and 135 of 140 businesses in the city now have a recycling program. The inclusion of so many businesses, school, and builders into the recycling program, as well as the targeted outreach to the tourist population, have contributed to a 28% municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling rate, comparable to the 27.7 countywide MSW recycling rate.

RECYCLING INDUSTRY:

Global Recycling Solutions

Global Recycling operates a full Class “A” recycling facility on County property located directly at the Monmouth County Reclamation Center (landfill). The facility accepts all grades of fiber and commingled containers, as well as mixed broken glass from other recycling facilities, thus providing a stable market for this problem material. Global felt that if they could find a use for all the glass, without going through all the expense of sorting the glass into colors, the problems typically associated with accepting commingled containers would no longer be an issue. They determined that the perfect solution would be to pulverize all of the glass into an aggregate for beneficial uses such as filtration and landfill cover. Global Recycling assumed full cost for the operation of the recycling facility, and they also funded the purchase of necessary equipment. Global pays the County a fee for every ton that is delivered to the site, and all of the glass processed by Global is given to the County at no cost.

RETAIL MERCHANT:

Whole Foods Market

The Whole Foods Markets in New Jersey are innovators in the field of recycling primarily because a majority of the stores participate in on-site source separation of organic materials for composting. This enables the stores to recycle about 50% of their waste in one category. In addition, the stores separate and recycle many items including, cardboard, stretch film plastics, meat renderings, and cooking oil, mixed office paper and newspaper, and electronics.

LEADERSHIP:

Joseph Fallon, Fort Monmouth

Mr. Fallon is the manager of the overall recycling program at Fort Monmouth. Mr. Fallon established the Class D/Universal Waste Recycling Center in 2002 and the Beneficial Use Project for oil spill debris in 2003. The Center augments the long established Class A, B, and C recycling programs that were also initiated by Mr. Fallon. The purpose of the Center is to promote recycling and the safe handling of recyclable materials generated by regional US Armed Forces installations and other federal installations. Materials accepted at the recycling center include used oils, oil filters, oil spill debris, used anti-freeze, oil-based paint, all battery types, and mercury containing lamps. Fort Monmouth personnel and residents are educated about the recycling program in ways that are appropriate to their responsibilities. All new employees are advised to recycle batteries, beverage containers, toner cartridges, and office paper. Similarly, new residents are provided with information regarding the recycling of these items as well as household hazardous waste and Class D. waste.

EDUCATOR/EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM:

Jeannette Rea-Keywood

The “Caring Keepers of our Planet Earth” 4-H Environmental Ambassador Program, established by Jeannette Rea-Keywood, is a 3-day/2-night educational opportunity for youth in grades 5 – 7 from three South Jersey counties. Through this program, students are able to study waste management and environmental issues, and to become ambassadors in their schools and communities. This program brings waste management alternatives and environmental issues to life for students through a variety of activities that use experiential, inquiry-based, interactive, and cooperative learning techniques.

SOURCE REDUCTION/RESOURCE MANAGEMENT:

New Jersey Resources (NJR)

New Jersey Resources provides reliable retail and wholesale energy services to customers in New Jersey and in other states across the country. Its principal subsidiary, New Jersey Natural Gas, is one of the fastest-growing local distribution companies in the United States, serving more than 465,000 customers in central and northern New Jersey. NJR currently participates in the voluntary EPA WasteWise program. This program allows NJR to reduce, reuse, recycle, and buy remanufactured products while emphasizing waste prevention and environmental preservation. Over 760 employees make this program a success, especially the buyers who purchase reused, remanufactured, or recycled-content products whenever possible. In order to obtain participant cooperation, NJR has written friendly reminders to tenants, e-mailed and posted messages to employees, held meetings with janitorial staff, and generated procedure information in Spanish.

DROP-OFF/DEPOT LOCATION:

Burlington Township

The Burlington Township Compost Site is a unique facility designed to make recycling convenient for all residents, schools, and small businesses. The facility is open 7 days per week and is the only one of its type in Burlington County. The site accepts glass, tin, aluminum, 1 and 2 plastics, cardboard, magazines, newspapers, used motor oil, clothing, concrete, computers, branches, leaves, grass, vehicle batteries, and other items. The Center also offers an area where residents can recycle books, and provides residents with free leaf mulch, firewood, and fill dirt.

NJDEP will also announce the winners of this year’s recycling poetry contest at the Awards Luncheon. A winner and two runners-up for each grade level were selected. There were 750 contest entrants from grades four through six.

For more information, visit ANJR or contact Vicki Kerekes.

New Recycling Primer Unveiled

The Association of New Jersey Recyclers (ANJR) recently unveiled The Recycling Coordinator Primer. The Primer was developed as a result of workgroup discussions from the Reinvigorating Recycling Initiative (further detail in the following article). This publication is meant to provide recycling coordinators with information on the laws and regulations governing recycling in New Jersey, as well as a fundamental understanding of the duties of a recycling coordinator. The challenge has been to produce a work that is both basic and comprehensive for use by those new to recycling, as well as an informative reference manual for those who have been familiar with recycling for a long time. While specific to New Jersey laws and regulations, much of the fundamental recycling information can be useful to recycling professionals outside the Garden State.

The primer was written to be a dynamic work, one that will be available on-line so that it can be updated when new, current or additional information becomes available. The Recycling Coordinator Primer is available free of charge in PDF format.

Reinvigorating Recycling Initiative Progresses

The Reinvigorating Recycling Initiative began in June of 2005 with an open stakeholder meeting to discuss recycling issues in the state. Four workgroups were defined and a 2006 Action Plan was developed. The plan has 10 Action Items that were to be accomplished over the course of the year, without needing any additional funding. Much progress has been made on these Action Items in the past year, with most of the original 10 items complete or nearing completion.

Reinvigorating Recycling Initiative Action Plan Progress Report

Action #1 – A statewide recycling logo has been developed to provide a consistent message and to “brand” recycling in New Jersey.

Action #2 – Meetings are held periodically through the year to report on Action Plan Progress to the Stakeholders. Additional participants and interested parties are continually being added to the contact list in order to expand the initiative’s reach.

Action #3 – The NJDEP issued numerous letters to mayors, freeholders, elected officials, and haulers throughout the state outlining legal requirements of The Recycling Act and the Statewide Solid Waste Management Plan.

Action #4 - The Recycling Coordinator Primer has been completed and posted on the web. A Best Business Practices for Recycling Manual will follow as an additional chapter. In the future, other “sector-specific” chapters will also be developed.

Action #5 – Model municipal ordinances for recycling, as well as a position paper regarding the minimum requirements necessary for recycling exemptions are currently being reviewed by the NJDEP. Both documents will eventually be incorporated in The Recycling Coordinator Primer.

Action #6 – A marketing plan is being developed, in conjunction with Rutgers University students, for a branded Recycling Message

Actions #7 – The Recycling Awards have been revamped for 2006. Criteria, eligibility, and judging have been revisited and new categories have also been defined. This year’s award winners are noted above.

Action #8 – Stormwater rules and Recycling Synergies will be incorporated into The Recycling Coordinator Primer in the future.

Action #9 – A strong focus has been placed on business recycling. Initiative stakeholders have been reaching out to the Business Community through County and Local Business Partnerships and Chambers of Commerce. A recent successful event entitled “Business Recycling Guidelines for Compliance” was held in Somerset County and sponsored by the Somerset County Business Partnership.

Action #10 – The NJDEP Commissioner’s Office took the lead in approaching other organizations and industry groups. The Department recently met with members of the NJ Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (NJHEPS) to promote the Reinvigorating Recycling Initiative, who are excited to become part of this stakeholder group.

For more information on the Reinvigorating Recycling Initiative, or to participate in one of the workgroups, contact Guy Watson.

2006 NYS Recycling Conference

The New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling, Inc. (NYSAR3) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation are co‑sponsoring the 17th Annual New York State Recycling Conference to be held on Thursday, November 16 and Friday, November 17, 2006 at the University Sheraton in Syracuse, New York. The theme for this two‑day conference is Greening New York and includes tracks on the Go Green Initiative, Materials Management and Green Design. In the morning of November 16 there will be a Go Green Initiative Summit and a Compost Session ‑ What Is It Worth? and in the afternoon of November 17 there will be tours of three local facilities: Naef Recycling, a source‑separated MRF; Waste Management, a single‑stream MRF and Solvay Paperboard, a recycled cardboard manufacturer. Fridays luncheon will feature the school‑aged winners of the New York Recycles! Poster Contest and the presentation of NYSAR3 Recycler of the Year Award.

You can find NYSAR3’s Recycling Conference information on the web.

R.I. Resource Recovery Awards 3 Municipal Grants

Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) recently awarded three grants to the towns of Block Island, Burrillville, and Smithfield. The grants will assist each municipality with their recycling efforts.

New Shoreham, Block Island

A $25,000 grant was awarded to Block Island Recycling Management (BIRM) in New Shoreham. BIRM has operated Block Island’s waste management and recycling services for the past 19 years. Due in part to their efforts, BIRM has helped to maintain one of the state’s highest recycling rates and, this year, received the “Most Improved” award from Resource Recovery for increasing their recycling rate from 6% to 14%.

During the winter, New Shoreham’s population barely reaches 1,000, while in the summer 15,000-20,000 visitors come and go on a daily basis and burden the town’s services. To address this challenge, BIRM requested a grant to assist in the effectiveness of its recycling program.

The grant will be used to purchase collection and processing containers and develop informational signage and brochures to educate residents and visitors alike about Block Island’s recycling efforts.

Burrillville

The Burrillville Department of Public Works, responsible for the collection of recyclable materials produced by its approximately 16,500 residents, has been recognized by Resource Recovery with a $14,450 grant. The grant will aid the town in reducing the amount of solid waste being sent to the Landfill and increase recyclables sent to the RIRRC MRF.

To do this, the Town of Burrillville will update and redistribute its municipal recycling-based calendar for fiscal year 2007. The town first created a recycling calendar last year and it was tremendously successful. In FY 06, Burrillville achieved a 23% recycling rate – the fifth highest in Rhode Island.

The calendar will contain recycling and proper disposal information pertaining to each month, recycling tips, Compost Site hours of operation, acceptable disposal materials, proper delivery, weekly trash collection routes, and specific information regarding the blue and green bins. A 3-5% increase in recycling is anticipated for this second year of calendar distribution and a similar rate of increase is expected for each year following.

Smithfield

The Town of Smithfield was awarded a $30,000 grant from Resource Recovery to fund the position of a Recycling Coordinator for the town. The position was established last year. The coordinator monitors the contracted hauler for compliance, responds to resident concerns, organizes special collections, and generates earned media for the town.

This year’s grant will allow the department to increase outreach efforts. There will be an effort to target and educate residents about the importance of recycling via direct mail and organize public events such as bin turn back days, shredding events, and electronics collections. Printed materials will also be updated for distribution to the public at various events.

NEWS FROM ADVISORY MEMBERS

At its annual meeting on Wednesday November 8 th, the CRC will be showcasing experts on cutting edge recycling issues.  Jeannette Brown will be speaking on the efforts being made in Stamford, CT to improve management of sludge through energy recovery.   The Institution Recycling Network will be providing an overview of its efforts to recover construction/demolition, fixed assets, electronics, and other institutional discards.

The event will be held in Hartford at the CRRA's Visitor's Center.  It will run 8:30 through 1:00.  Lunch will be catered.  Registration is $20 (Members) or $25 (Non-members).  To join the CRC visit them online at www.ctrecyclers.org or bring a check to the annual meeting.  Membership forms are available at the website.

Bring business cards, brochures, freebies and other items to share with other attendees. There will be a table set up in the hallway for these items.

For more information contact CJ May.

Members of the CT League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) and the CT Recyclers Coalition (CRC) met on October 16th with a representative of the Electronic Manufacturers Coalition for Responsible Recycling (EMCRR).  All parties seek to find common ground so that a jointly prepared bill on electronics recycling might be submitted to the CT legislature when its 2007 session opens in January.

Frank Marella of Sharp Electronics, representing the EMCRR, laid out arguments supporting the Advanced Recycling Fee (ARF) model such as used in California.  CRC and CTLCV members will explore information about nascent ARF, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and other models during November and December.

For more information, contact CJ May.

The Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center, located on the Penn State University Campus in Middletown, PA, is conducting a search for an Executive Director. For details on this position, please visit the PA RMC website at www.parmc.org.

If interested, please forward your cover letter and resume to: