Monthly Archives: May 2013

North Carolina Green Building Wins Top Award

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a green building in Chapel Hill, North Carolina a top finisher in the Energy Star National Building contest. The North Carolina Area Health Education Center Building was recognized for being designed and constructed using green building practices that resulted in cutting their energy use by over thirty four percent.

The EPA’s Energy Star National Building contest this year involved over three thousand businesses, schools, and municipal building from around the country in a race to see which ones could reduce their energy and waste the most. It is estimated that all participants realized a total cost savings of more than fifty million dollars.

Energy usage for commercial buildings represent a cost of more than one hundred billion dollars each year. Building managers, facility operators, and construction and design firms have come to rely of the guidelines set out by Energy Star to not only save money on heating, cooling, water usage and waste disposal but to also to meet customer demand for environmentally friendly work spaces and buildings.

To date, close to one and a half million homes and over twenty thousand commercial buildings have attained the Energy Star designation.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If you’re in the business of constructing or renovating residential home or commercial and industrial buildings, it pays to be aware of the Energy Star guidelines and resources. With energy costs continuing to rise, it’s a great way to help your customers save money!

More Schools Reducing Food Waste

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Twenty-three higher education institutions in the New England are have joined forces with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce food and organic waste n their college campuses. Called the Food Recovery Challenge, the goal is to reduce over one and a half million tons of food scraps and organic waste each year throughout the region. The Food Recovery Challenge, helps schools to reduce, recycle, and donate excess food which not only saves the colleges money, but also helps to feed the homeless, needy, and unemployed, while protecting the environment.

Eleven college and universities from Massachusetts, three from Rhode Island, three from Maine, three from Vermont, two from Connecticut, and one from New Hampshire are involved. The names of participating schools can be found on the EPA’s website.

In addition, campus dining service operators such as Aramark, CompassUSA, and Sodexo are also involved and the Food Recovery Challenge has been formally endorsed by the National Association of College and University Dining Services as a means for attaining sustainability goals.

Leftover, uneaten generated that is prepared in cafeterias and dining halls in schools, hospitals, and restaurants is considered safe, and has the potential to feed millions of Americans who have limited financial means. Composting food waste, which is no longer safe for human consumption, can create a low cost additive to enhance soil quality. 

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Diverting food waste from the disposal stream and landfills not only helps to save the environment but it also helps you to save on your trash disposal costs. If you business generates food waste, looking into alternatives to disposal could be in your best interest!

Restaurant Chain Steps Up Recycling Efforts

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The popular sandwich shop and restaurant chain Subway has recently announced its decision to begin using multi-sandwich catering trays manufactured using ninety five percent post-consumer recycled PET in its twenty nine thousand locations around the United States and Canada.

Subway officials anticipate that the decision to move to environmentally friendly trays made from recycled material will help to divert close to two million pounds of plastic waste materials from being disposed of in landfills throughout the region.

The decision to move to the new catering trays follows the decision last year of Subway replacing conventionally made salad bowls and lids with those made of post-consumer recycled PET materials. The company hopes to continue with its gradual shift of replacing less environmentally friendly restaurant materials with those that help to reduce the brand’s overall environmental footprint.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Restaurants, deli’s, and sandwich shops have so many different options when it comes to reducing waste and increasing recycling efforts. From using post-consumer recycled products like containers and lids, to composting food waste, to setting up designated recycling bins for glass, plastics, and paper for customers, there’s many ways to reduce your environmental impact and save money on your waste disposal fees!

Michigan Launches Mercury Waste Collection Program

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The state of Michigan’s Environmental Quality Department is partnering with a specialized waste management and environmental services group called the Environmental Quality Company,  to offer free recycling of mercury to all businesses and residents in the state. Mercury is considered a hazardous and toxic chemical of must be disposed of in accordance with state and federal environmental regulations  Failure to dispose of mercury properly can not only endanger the soil and local waterways but can lead to substantial monetary fine and criminal prosecution.

Being promoted as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Mercury Collection Project, the mercury collection program will be available through the end of September, 2013 and is designed to provide an affordable and accessible solution to recycling mercury. For many, the easiest form of participation will be through specialized free of charge mailing containers available through Environmental Quality. Into these containers, businesses and individuals can place thermostats, gauges containing mercury, dental amalgam, thermometers and hydrometers. Many of these items are commonly found in medical and dental offices, auto repair and machine shops, and engineering and construction services. State officials hope this program will provide an inexpensive and easy way to safety discard of broken or unwanted equipment without posing any hazardous to the environment.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If you work with tools or equipment made with mercury, it’s essential that you follow the regulations for proper disposal of unwanted or usable equipment. Take a moment to call your local and state environmental protection office to see if they offer a program like Michigan’s – and if they don’t, ask them why they aren’t!

 

EPA’s Small Business Guide To Reducing Waste

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While most success stories of waste reduction and recycling focus on large businesses, small businesses can also attain significant cost savings while impacting their local environment. Whether your small business generates paper, food, metal, plastics, or wood waste when you aren’t recycling you’re wasting money by having to dispose of items that you aren’t using.

In a small business, preventing waste can happen in many ways. Here are a few suggestions that the United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends:

  • Purchase long-lasting goods and materials
  • Use clearning and packaging products that are not toxic
  • Cut back on over-packaging materials or purchasing materials with excess packaging
  • Conserve water and energy usage in the workplace
  • Green your office by requiring double sided printing, using email or computer based storage for documents, and recycling scrap paper.

In addition to generating savings, recycling equipment, tools, and other items by donating to local charities can gain your business publicity and enhance your standing in your local community. If you’re a small business owner looking to bring waste reduction, recycling and materials reuse to your business, the key thing to remember is to start on small. Pick one or two areas that you can easily implement and track the levels of savings and success with. Once you and your employees feel comfortable with the changes, additional measures and goals can be added in.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember:  Reducing waste and recycling is very similar to ensuring worker safety and customer satisfaction. When you invest a little effort and time to doing the job right, the payoff you experience on the other side is well worth the initial work!

 

 

Connecticut Aims For Reducing Waste

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Lawmakers in the state of Connecticut have recently introduced legislation designed to prioritize the reduction of solid waste and increase recycling, particularly in the area of food scraps and waste and other organic materials. The Bill, which is currently in the state Senate is designed  to clarify an existing law by establishing a launch date of January 1, 2014 and a project completion date of 2020 by which time all waste generators in the state; residential, business, commercial, and industrial would be required to divert their food and organic waste from regional landfills.

Since 2011, Connecticut has had a law which required food manufacturers, wholesalers, conference centers, and supermarkets that annually produced more than one hundred and four tons of organic waste materials to recycle at designated organic waste processing facilities.

The proposed bill also has language that aims to stop solid waste collectors from intermingling recyclables with collected solid waste. This has been proposed  to reduce and possibly eliminate the contamination that renders many recyclable materials useless and therefore without any financial value on the recycled materials market.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Recycling of food waste and organic materials such as grass and yard clippings is a popular topic in many communities and for businesses such as restaurants, landscapers, and property managers. If you’re currently spending money to dispose of this waste, it’s time to look into recycling and composting options. Not only will you be helping to reduce materials in local landfills but you’ll also save money as well!

Alternative Wood Decking Increases Plastic Film Recycling

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Southern California alternative wood decking manufacturer Trex, is increasing its collection of thin-film plastics in its home-base and hopes to expand operations throughout the country.

Since 2008, Trex has partnered with regional dry cleaners, grocery stores, hospitals, and the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park for collecting the unwanted lightweight plastic film and bags it uses in the manufacturing of wood alternative decking and construction materials. Trex decking is made of ninety five percent recycled material, combining sawdust with recycled items such as bread and sandwich bags, plastic newspaper sleeves, and grocery and dry cleaning bags.

Using compressed-air mini-balers, Trex has able to make the collection and storing of the waste materials easier and less expensive for their participating partners. Company officials hope that it is this convenience and ease of use that will allow operations to expand in the coming years.

In 2011, over one billion pounds of plastic film and bags were recycled in the United States. More than half of all that recycled plastic material was acquired by the businesses in the plastic and alternative decking and construction materials industry.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: In construction and remodeling, the alternative materials market is a growing one. The plastic grocery bags you choose to recycle today not only help reduce trash in landfills but they also help new “green” businesses to grow and develop!

US Postal Service Reduces Waste

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The United States Postal Service was recently praised for waste recycling and reduction from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its involvement in the Federal Green Challenge, a program launched to reduce the environmental impact of federal agencies.

Ten post office regions were issued awards for diversion and recycling programs. The offices were: Albany, New York, District; Allentown, Pennsylvania, Airport Branch Post Office; Anchorage, Alaska, Processing and Distribution Center; Connecticut Valley District; Fort Myers, Florida, Processing and Distribution Center;  Honolulu, Hawaii, Processing and Distribution Center; Little Rock, Arkansas, Processing and Distribution Center; Mid-Hudson, New York, Processing and Distribution Center; Northern New Jersey District; and Topeka, Kansas, Material Distribution Center.

In 2012, the postal service increased its recycling rate eighteen percent from the prior year, beating its goal of a five percent increase. The recycling rate for the entire agency was forty eight percent for the year.

The eight hundred and fifty participating postal services locations across the country helping to save more than fifty two million dollars in 2012 by reducing water and energy use and recycling waste materials.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: What is your local post office and government offices doing to reduce material waste and increase recycling? Whether it’s recycling bins for paper and cardboard or carefully monitoring how much trash is disposed of weekly, there are plenty of ways to go green and save green!

EPA Recognize St. Louis Sports Team For Reducing Food Waste

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team for their efforts to donate, divert and compost food scraps and organic waste generated throughout Busch Stadium.

The team is also a part of the Food Recovery Challenge program sponsored by the EPA. The Cardinals, along with Delaware North Companies who manages all concession stands in the stadium, have to-date diverted more than twenty seven tons of unused or unpurchased food to Operation Food Search, and organization that helps to feed the poor in the region. As part of the Challenge, the baseball organization also established systems for diverting food scraps and waste, that would be suitable for animal feed or for composting.

In addition to the donation and composting of food waste, the stadium has also succeeded in diverting more than two thousand tons of solid waste from regional landfills. Energy use is down by twenty percent and waster use by ten percent since the stadium first opened in 2006. The organization estimates that the five hundred recycling bins in operation are responsible for the recycling of approximately four tons of waste materials after every game played.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Did you know that landfills contribute significantly to the production of methane gas, which is know to impact climate change? Do your part to help the environment and cut your waste disposal fees by going green and increasing your recycling efforts!

Pennsylvania County Hit Recycling Record

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Lancaster County, Pennsylvanie, located in the southeastern corner of the state, recently announced that for 2012 the county hit a record high waste recycling rate of forty three percent. This is the highest amount recorded for recycling of municipal solid waste for both businesses and residential residents. The boost in recycling was most apparent in the areas of food scrap and organic waste composting, metal recycling in the commercial sector, e-waste and electronics collection, and hazardous and toxic chemical waste. Lancaster County sends only two percent of its waste to regional landfills. Most bulk waste is transported to a waste-to-energy processing plant.

County administrators cite the increase in recycling is due to a collaborative effort between government officials, residents, and local businesses. Consistent outreach and education efforts targeted at improving the proper disposal of hazardous waste and electronics waste, as well as the economic value in food composting and metals recycling are starting to bring results. The county hopes that this is just the first in record breaking recycling rates and is planning for ways to increase its rate for 2013.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Recycling is a habit and like any habit, needs time and practice in order to become a daily routine. If you’re looking to save money and increasing your recycling rate, start by making small changes and getting everyone involved. Once your employees get on the recycling kick they won’t ever go back to their wasteful ways!