Monthly Archives: May 2013

Parks And Zoos Looking To Reduce Waste And Cut Costs

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Popular outdoor amusement and recreations areas are prime locations for cutting costs by waste reduction and recycling. The Detroit Zoo provides a great example of a popular tourism destination that is looking to invest in green friendly practices and sustainable projects in order to reduce energy usage and waste disposal fees.

The seven year plan is expected to result in a cost savings of half a million dollars a year which will allow the facility to recoup its expenses within the next seven years. Zoo administrators are already moving forward with plans including securing Green Certification for the zoo’s restaurant, switching to electric- and solar power gold carts for staff and maintenance use, and obtaining LEED certification for the zoo’s education center building. Zoo officials overseeing the implementation have stated that not all changes have required money. Some, like re-arranging office furniture to take advantage of more daylight, were quick and easy to accomplish.

Once all facility updates are in place, the zoo expects to save twelve million gallons of water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by twelve hundred metric tons each year. In addition, a decision was made to stop all sales of water in plastic containers. While the zoo will be giving up that revenue, they are replacing the single use bottles with multi-use water containers that will actually cost visitors less to purchase – and then can be filled as many times as they wish.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Not all energy and waste saving measures have to cost your business lots of money to do. The next time you need to replace a piece of furniture or equipment, look for options that will save you money over the long run and consider small changes, like moving desks closer to windows and re-using materials, to cut down on expenses immediately.

Cities Increase Organic Waste Recycling Efforts

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The city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada is making plans to double its organic waste and food scrap collection efforts in the next few years. City waste and recycling administrators have set a goal of diverting close to fifty thousand tons of waste from regional landfills yearly once they hit peak operating capacity. The city is also exploring the construction of a new transfer station devoted exclusively to organic materials collection, processing, and composting efforts. Discussions with environmentally conscious architectural firms and engineers are currently underway.

In 2011, the city estimates it collected close to twenty six thousand tons of organic waste material from Vancouver residents. As more residents participate and the organic waste collection is expanded to include businesses and apartment dwellers, the yearly amount collected will double.

City administrators are hoping to have the both the building project and the enhanced collection efforts completed and in place for the upcoming year.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Food and organic waste is something every human being generates and as a result takes up quite a bit of space in our landfills. Think about how much of this kind of waste you put in the garbage at work or home – you might be surprised how much! Developing alternate ways to recycle and compost food waste is a great way to cut trash disposal costs and reduce your environmental burden!

Recycling Businesses See Expansion

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Two independent small businesses are taking advantage of consumers desire for more recycling and expanding their presence in their local communities while creating new jobs and economic opportunities.

In South Carolina, Recleim, is building a new operations facility for electronics waste and unwanted appliance recycling. Located in Aiken County, the plant will be hiring upwards of two hundred new employees and will be working closely with municipal governments and other businesses to enhance and improve recycling in their areas of specialty.

In Pennsylvania, PGA, a local plastics recycling outfit specializing in PET, PVC, and polyethylene, is also feeling the need to increase their operations and will be moving to a larger facility within its existing community of White Haven. It is expected that PGA will increase employees from the current number of thirteen to over forty within the next few years. PGA started in 2006 as a two person business and has steadily grown over their years in operation.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Whatever business you’re in, it’s important to remember that job and wealth creation is happening in recycling. Are you adding this lucrative sector to the services you provide? If you don’t do it, someone else will!

States Looking To Reduce Waste

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A number of states are looking to introduce new legislation pertaining to waste reduction and recycling. Here are just a few of the bills being proposed around the country right now:

  • Maine: Is looking to establish a fee of ten cents for one-time use plastic bags provided to customers at retail locations. The bill provides the business owner to keep a percentage of the fees with the rest being used for the state’s Plastics Recycling Fund.
  • North Carolina: Wants to set recycling minimum standards for communities with a goal of twenty five percent minimum recycling rate for all waste generated by the municipality.
  • California: Is proposing that regulated beverage distributors participate in a take back and recycling system for empty bottles. Additionally, for bottle manufacturers, the bill would require that the materials contain no less than thirty five percent of post-consumer recycled material.
  • Iowa: Is looking to expand the kinds of beverages containers regulated under the state’s current bottle bill. The proposal would include noncarbonated beverages, juice, and water.
  • Louisiana: Similar to Maine, Louisiana is looking to impose a five cent tax on plastic bags for retail consumers.
  • Pennsylvania: Has introduced a bill that prohibiting municipal solid waste or construction debris from being landfilled within a one mile radius of community water systems.
  • Washington D.C.: In an effort to encourage food and organic waste composting, the proposal of a fee for food waste disposed of in landfills is being considered.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If you’re a business owner or facilities manager, it pays to be aware of the legislative proposals happening in your state and county. Recycling and reducing waste isn’t a fad that’s going to go away, so it’s better to be ahead of the curve and prepared of changes that will happen in the years ahead.