Garbage Becomes Gold

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Food and other organic waste makes up a significant portion of our country’s solid waste stream. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the nation’s landfills contain up to 66% of paper and paperboard, food discards, yard trimmings and wood—adding – all compostable waste.

In the state of Massachusetts, an innovative, market-driven program for diverting organic waste from landfills was created. This farm-based composting program turns the compostable waste into material suitable for sale to farmers, landscapers, golf courses and recreation sites, and individuals.

Within three years of launching the program, more than 45 commercial waste generators and 70 supermarkets, restaurants, schools, and wholesale food distributors were providing their organic waste which was transported by six regional commercial haulers and delivered to seven farm locations throughout the state. The composted material is then made available for sale.

By composting the wastes instead of allowing it to sit in landfills, in four years the greenhouse gas reductions were approximately 6,000 metric tons of carbon equivalent
—an amount comparable to what over 6,000 acres of five-year-old trees could accomplish in a year.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Organic food and paper waste has value and can easily be diverted from landfills. Consider this idea and see if your business can turn garbage into gold!

 

Hazardous Waste at Home and Work

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Were you aware that many products found in our homes and offices contain reactive, corrosive, ignitable, or toxic ingredients and are considered household hazardous waste? Paints, pesticides, oils, cleaners, and batteries all contain potentially hazardous components and caution must be taken when disposing of them.

What are some things you shouldn’t do to dispose of these products? Don’t place these items in your regular trash or pour them down the drain or flush them through the toilet. Doing so will contribute to water and environmental contamination. Instead, contact your local environmental protection agency or municipal transfer station to determine how to best, and safely, dispose of these items.

One of the easiest things you can do to reduce the presence of hazardous waste in your home or office is to limit or eliminate your purchase of toxic products. Purchase environmentally friendly cleaning products instead of toxic ones, purchase rechargeable batteries that can be used many times, and look for greener alternatives to any area which currently utilizes hazardous products.

So how do you dispose of these hazardous items when they are finished or you’re making the switch to less toxic alternatives? Your community may provide the following options:

  • Check with your local government to see if they have special drop-off or collection points for this household hazardous waste.
  • In smaller communities, there may be special days for collection of hazardous wastes including tires, electronics waste, paint, pesticides… Contacting your local transfer station should provide you with the information you need.
  • Contact local businesses as some may provide collection points for tires, cell phones, motor oil, and other items.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Even a little hazardous waste is still hazardous. Be sure to properly dispose of all toxic materials. Failure to do so endangers not only your family or employees but others in your community!

Hazards of Mercury

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Mercury is a natural element found in the earth’s soil, water, and air and has been used in the manufacturing of appliance switches, thermometers, some forms of light-bulbs, and select pharmaceutical applications and medical devices. Mercury is also found in coal and when burned, it is released into the atmosphere and the environment. Mercury is considered hazardous so proper treatment of products – natural or manufactured – that contain this substance is essential.

Exposure to mercury needs to be taken seriously – especially if your business uses the substance for manufacturing or energy production. Mercury that is released into the environment ultimately finds it way to local water sources where it poisons the water and is consumed by native fish and plant life. When fish from contaminated water sources are consumed by human, mercury poisoning occurs. The EPA releases annual reports on local fishing advisories and mercury contamination to alert the public to problems that may be occurring in their area.

Being exposed to mercury can harm the brain, lungs, kidneys, heart, and immune system of all people – especially when exposed to higher-levels. While occasional exposure to fish tainted with mercury is unlikely to cause health problems in healthy adults, those who work daily with the substance – either in manufacturing or disposal – need to take safety precautions.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Mercury is a hazardous substance and needs to be treated as such in all manufacturing and disposal operations. If your business is involved in mercury, make it your business to keep your employees and the environment safe.

Hazardous Waste Management for Small Businesses

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Are you a small business owner who generates small amounts of hazardous waste? The EPA has issued a manual to assist you with regulations for hazardous waste management that apply to businesses of your size. Federal and state waste regulations can often be difficult to understand, but compliance is essential. However, generators of small amounts of hazardous waste often have different policies to follow than those businesses generating significant amounts.

This manual, which can be located on the EPA’s website, helps you to understand your responsibilities. While it is not a substitute for the actual laws and regulations, it’s a great place to start to develop and understanding of what you need to do with the amount of hazardous waste you generate.

Generators of hazardous waste are classified into three categories based on the total amount of waste produced each year. Most small businesses would be classified in the small quantity category and conditionally exempt from certain regulations. However, the size of the business and total amount of hazardous waste produce is never an excuse for not complying with the regulations! Failure to do so can result in fines and possible legal action.

While the manual provides thorough details about federal regulations as they apply to small businesses, business owners are also required to comply with state and local regulations. If you are producing small quantities of hazardous materials, be sure to contact your state’s environmental protection agency to ensure that your disposal and waste management techniques are approved and that you’re following good environmental practices.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Whether you’re a large producer of hazardous waste or a small one, complying with regulations for management and disposal is essential – not just for protecting the environment, but for protecting the reputation of your business!

Regulations for Heating Oil Tanks

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If you’re in the business of demolition, deconstruction, or property rehabilitation, it’s important to be aware of the federal and state regulations concerning heating oil tanks. Tanks can be for many different grades of heating oil – ranging from numbers 1 through 6 and including both heavy and light designations. Diesel and kerosene are also considered a heating oil when used for that specific purpose. The use of the oil is not limited to heating only but all forms of power generation.

When undertaking a project involving heating oil tanks, it’s essential to contact your local or state environmental agency to obtain specific information about handling, removal, or repair. Failure to properly comply with regulations can result in fines, legal problems, and environmental destruction.

The EPA provides a flow chart to help determine if the heating oil tanks qualify for exemptions under federal guidelines. The main determining factors involve if the contents are consumed in the same place as they are stored and if the heating oil stored is used for   fuel purposes. However, these guidelines do not override state and local laws, so it’s essential you fully understand what is required of both.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Heating oil tanks can degrade over time and cause significant environmental problems as the oil leeches into the ground and water systems. Be in the know about state and federal regulations so that your project is in full compliance!

 

Sustainable Communities Resources

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If you’re a local government official wanting to know more about making your community a more sustainable one, check out the resources available on the EPA’s website for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.  This partnership is a collaborative effort between the EPA and the Departments for Housing and Transportation and its goal is to help communities of all sizes improve transportation choices, affordable green housing, and sustainable growth.

One of the benefits is access to information about greenhouse gasses and strategies for how municipalities can reduce emissions. All communities can benefit greatly in economic, environmental, and health areas when appropriately addressing greenhouse gasses as reducing emissions is an important part of all aspects of local government including energy usage, transportation, community planning, and waste management.

The resources are designed with government policy makers, such as mayors, council members, city planners, planning organizations, and private and nonprofit partners, in mind and they can assist each group with information to help them determine which sustainable strategies will be most effective for their communities. Information includes topics on benefits, planning, involving stakeholders, considerations for policy, costs and opportunities, and examples.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Be a leader in your community by enhancing and improving your sustainable practices. You’ll make a better place to live for your family and all those who live and work there as well.

Recycling Asphalt Shingles

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If you’re in the roofing, construction, or demolition business, making a plan to recycle asphalt shingles can help to save you money while reducing disposal costs for landfill dumping.

Before you begin your shingle recycling plan, take some time to organize and ensure that you have a clean supply. Waste materials should ideally be separated into different reuse and recycling categories for greatest ease. However, some facilities will accept mixed materials containing a variety of roofing waste. Regardless of which plan you implement, you must be aware and ensure that all materials brought to your recycling facility are free of asbestos.

Some states and municipalities do require that asbestos testing be performed on waste construction materials so be aware of your local regulations and plan accordingly to avoid fines and penalties. If your business is in a state or county requiring this testing, it may be more cost-effective and timely is establish your own certified “lab” for testing and detection of this hazardous material. This allows you to reduce costs for outside testing and actively manage your waste and recycling streams. Information about establishing a certified asbestos testing facility can be obtain through your local environmental protection and hazardous waste office.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Asphalt Shingles have great recycling properties and are a valuable commodity even after they’ve exhausted their lifetime on a roof.

Dumpster Dollars

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Are you throwing dollars away with every dumpster load? Did you know that it might be less work and less expensive to recycle and reuse your jobsite waste than disposing of all of it in a landfill? How can you determine if this is right for your business? Ask yourself these questions:

  • Are the construction materials in use or being generated at the jobsite ideal for re-use and recycling?
  • What quantities of waste materials are being generated?
  • Do you have prior disposal receipts to help gauge the value of current and future projects?
  • Does your project include unique, but reusable items such as carpeting, plastic, ceiling tiles, asphalt roofing, or paint?

Once you’ve decided on the effectiveness of reusing and recycling jobsite waste materials, a diversion and removal plan needs to be put in place. Fortunately, there are several options to choose from.

  1. Salvage companies can be brought in to remove any and all materials with resale or reuse value.
  2. If you separate recyclables, a hauler can be brought in to remove to a recycling facility.
  3. If separating materials at the jobsite isn’t possible, a hauler can be contracted for delivery and sorting at a recycling facility.
  4. Depending on the jobsite size you may wish to haul your own recycling and reusable materials – thus increasing your profit and return.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: While every jobsite will generate some waste that needs to be disposed of in a landfill, take a look at the contents of your dumpster – do you see potential “dollars” waiting for you to reuse and recycle them?

Cut Costs With Deconstruction

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Did you know that salvage and deconstruction can be more cost effective for your business than demolition? With demolition, almost all building materials are destroyed and removed as waste material. However, by combining salvage with deconstruction, a building is disassembled which allows for all valuable or re-usable materials to be recovered.

When your business utilizes deconstruction and salvage practices for a demolition job, it’s an effective way to reduce costs and increase your profit margin. The secret to successful deconstruction and salvage is to fully understand the scope of the project first and then identify the best techniques to reclaim as much valuable material as possible.

Why should you be considering deconstruction and salvage? Here are a few benefits:

  1. reduces or eliminates the costs to dispose of demolition debris
  2. when salvage companies remove materials from the jobsite it reduces or eliminates transportation costs
  3. increase profit by selling materials that have been recovered or by re-using the materials onsite
  4. necessary for obtaining green building certification

What you need to do before you start deconstruction and salvage on a project:

  • Identify your salvage company and determine if a separate subcontractor for deconstruction is needed or if you’ll train your own team.
  • Develop your list of materials that will be salvaged and disposed.
  • Identify interested businesses or individual buyers for the recovered materials.
  • Determine which materials can be recycled – such as metal supports, clean wood, and piping.
  • Know where the jobsite materials go when they are removed and require receipts from all subcontractors indicating proper disposal. This will help you to avoid fines for illegal dumping.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Deconstruction and salvage can be a great service your company offers. Not only can it increase your profit but it can help the environment as well!

 

Managing Construction Recycling

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Starting a construction-site recycling plan for your business is a great way to save money and help to preserve the environment. But in order to be successful you need to make sure that you’re prepared for difficulties and have solutions in place. Here are a few things to keep in mind for when challenges appear:

1) You need a manager to oversee the responsibility. It’s important that someone be a designated the go-to authority in the recycling plan as they will be responsible for informing subcontractors, crew, and other employees of the expectations. This person will need to supervise the efforts to ensure that loads of recycling materials do not become contaminated.

2) Inform your sub-contractors of your recycling program and through your hiring arrangement, require them to recycle their materials as well.

3) Establish adequate space for recycling. Create a space within the job-site for storing recycling bins and storing building materials that has been salvaged.

4) Effectively communicate the recycling plan. Make sure information is provided frequently and in a variety of locations to remind all those working on the site.

5) Designate how materials should be separated, how often they will be collected, who will be responsible for delivering them to the appropriate facilities.

6) Develop strategies to avoid contamination of recycling bins by clearly labeling bins and posting lists of appropriate materials for each. Monitor bins regularly to verify that rules are being followed and provide feedback to all crew, subcontractors, and employees on their efforts.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Launching a job-site recycling program may take a little effort at first but in no time it will become a regular part of each job-site plan!