Monthly Archives: March 2014

Innovative Recycling Program Launches In Louisville

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Kentucky’s largest city, Louisville, is getting ready to launch an innovative new “wet-dry” waste recycling test program for commercial residents in its central business district. The program’s developers expect that it could help to recycle as much as ninety percent of the waste materials that are generated in the area.

The program is expected to begin in Spring of 2014 for both residential owners and tenants as well as businesses operating in the district. Restaurants and other food-producing businesses will be provided with the two types of recycling carts – orange and brown. For these businesses, collection will take place between two and six times per week. Participants will be asked to separate liquids, food scraps and organic matter, dirty tissues and paper towels into a distinct brown recycling bin classified as “wet waste.” All “dry waste” which would be comprised of newspapers, cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass will be separated into one orange colored recycling bin.

Other businesses will use only the orange dry waste container and are encouraged to collect food waste and organic matter in black garbage bags for collection.

All collected organic waste, from both bins and bags, will be transported to a composting facility.

Currently, the Louisville area only diverts eleven percent of its municipal solid waste collected from the business district. City officials are hoping their innovative new program will increase those numbers before the end of the year.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: What is your business, office, or town trying to do to reduce the amount of garbage that needs to be sent to landfills? If you’re looking to save money on disposal costs, increasing recycling and re-use of materials is the place to start!

EPA Provides Guidance For PCB Lighting

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has important resources for school administrators and building maintenance and construction personnel about the need to properly maintain and dispose of fluorescent lighting that uses polychlorinated biphenyls (commonly referred to as PCBs). Many older lights and their ballasts contain PCBs that can leak as they age, resulting in elevated levels of airborne PCBs. Elevated PCB levels due to old lighting does not cause an immediate threat, but could result in health concerns if allowed to persist over time.

In the past two years, over one hundred and fifty incidents of PCB leaks in schools have been reported to the EPA from buildings in the New York and New Jersey area. When exposed to high levels of PCBs over time, a number of serious health effects including cancer, and negative effects on the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems have been documented.

The EPA banned the use of PCBs in 1979, but fluorescent lights and their ballasts that were previously installed or purchased before the phase-out may contain PCBs and at this point in time are most likely leaking – exposing those who work or live near them to the harmful chemicals. It is strongly recommended that any PCB-containing lighting and their ballasts be safely removed from buildings to prevent environmental hazards.

In addition to removing a toxic hazard, updating lighting will result in an increase of energy efficiency by up to fifty percent over the old models. Schools and municipalities looking for information about energy savings and possible funding for removal of PCBs should visit the EPA’s Energy Star website.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If you’re the facilities manager for a school, hospital, or older commercial or industrial building, make sure you’re aware of where old PCB lighting may be in your facility. In addition to keeping workers and students safe from toxins, you might be able to save on your energy bills when you upgrade to new, PCB-free models!

Opportunity Grows With Increased Plastics Recycling

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While the overall recycling rate may have dipped slightly in the United States recently, the recycling of materials made of rigid plastic, many labeled as HDPE plastics, increased by ten percent in 2012 to a level greater than one billion pounds. The final total of the amount of collected nearly triples the amount of the material that was recycled in 2007 when tracking and reporting of rigid plastics recycling began. Rigid plastic is now considered one of the fastest growing materials in the recycled goods market. The increase in availability of recycled materials ensures that manufacturers needing the material to produce new goods can procure them at lower prices.

In addition, a year over year increase in over eighty two million pounds collected compared to data from 2011 in attributed to the fact that recycling firms and municipalities are developing efforts to attract hard plastics recycling from both residential and business customers. Close to sixty percent of the recycling processing of rigid plastics takes place in the US and Canada.

Polyethylene and polypropylene make up over seventy percent of all rigid plastics collected in the US and over sixty percent of all Americans now have convenient access to recycling programs that accept rigid plastic materials.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Does your home, business, or community offer convenient recycling for rigid plastic materials? If you’re paying money every month to dispose of these waste materials in a landfill, you’re missing the chance to go green and save green! If you generate large amounts of waste materials of this nature, take some time to look into the re-sale market for rigid plastics. If you generate small or minimal amounts, find out where and how you can get them recycled. It’ll help the planet and your bottom line at the same time!

Indiana Looking To Increase Recycling

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Elected officials from the mid-western state of Indiana are looking to have a legally mandated recycling goal of fifty percent approved and voted on later this year. The ruling would apply to all counties in the state and include both residences and businesses.

The Indiana Senate and House of Representative recently passed a bill that would establish a mandated recycling goal of a minimum of fifty percent for all municipal waste collected in the state. While the bill has not yet been signed into law by Indiana Governor Mike Pence, he is expected to as he has voiced support for the bill. Additionally, the bill is also endorsed by the state’s Recycling Coalition which would be involved in the implementation of increased waste recycling efforts. If signed into law, the new recycling goal would also have data reporting requirements and benchmark reporting to ensure all sectors are participating.

The elected representatives who support the bill say the increase in Indiana’s recyling rate will help to conserve energy, create new jobs, and help to protect the state’s environment and quality of life for residents and businesses. Additionally, many manufacturers both small and large that operate in the state, have supported the bill as a cost effective way to source valuable recycled materials needed in their production processes.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If you look at recycling as a smart business decision you’ll never look at it as a difficult task – in fact, once you get the recycling “bug” you’ll be looking for more and more ways to save money, make money, and help your community through increased recycling and decreased waste disposal. Why through valuable material in the trash when it can be used by another business or community group?

Grocer Wins EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge Award

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Sustainable Materials Management Program recently awarded the Shop-Rite grocery store chain as a winner in the nation-wide Food Recovery Challenge that is sponsored by the EPA. Based on data collected throughout 2012, the Shop-Rite store in the Roxborough neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania attained the highest increase in food waste diversion and recycling compared to data collected for the previous year.

Store management says the improvement was a result of the commitment to donating food deemed edible and composting all food that was not. As a result of the store’s changes in food disposal policies, the diverted food waste was able to provide nutritious meals to community members in need and be used in the production of nutrient-rich compost for use by regional farmers and landscapers.

Nationally in 2011, more than thirty six million tons of food waste was generated with close to ninety six percent being placed into landfills and incinerators. However, close to twenty percent of all Americans are in need of some form of food assistance for themselves or their families. Shop-Rite’s participation in the Food Recovery Challenge not only helped to save the store money in waste disposal fees but also helped residents of the local community in need of a helping hand.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Does your business or employer generate significant amounts of food and organic waste on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis? Not only can you cut costs and reduce your contributions to landfills by donating un-sellable but viable food to local charities, but it can also gain you some good press. Helping others can help your business in more ways than one!

Amusement Parks Recycle Food Waste

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Amusements parks and recreation area provides hours of summer fun with family and friends but they also are responsible for generating tons of material wastes, in particular food scraps and organic waste such as grass clippings, leaves, and branches, every year. Keeping an amusement park clean and operating efficiently is no simple task! Educating employees on how to handle and separate materials that can be recycled such as plastic beverage bottles and paper can be a confusing and challenging endeavor.

One such recreational area in Bristol, Connecticut, the Lake Compounce amusement park, has recently created a new three-year organic waste agreement with their local waste hauler, Covanta. Covanta will offer park employees training on how to correctly and effectively handle organics separation which will then in turn be used to create energy from the waste.

The Lake Compounce recreational facility holds the special distinction of being the oldest amusement park in North America operating continuously. Park administrators are looking forward to implementing other sustainable waste solutions as a way to keep the facility clean for visitors and help to reduce the costs associated with disposing of trash in landfills.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Whether your business has been around for generations or just opened its doors a few months ago, it’s never too late or too soon to think about ways to reduce your waste disposal fees. Waste recycling, materials re-use, organic waste composting, and waste to energy solutions are becoming more affordable and available with every passing year. When was the last time your business did a waste audit? If it’s been more than a year, you might want to look and see what employees are putting in the dumpster – you might be able to turn that garbage into gold!

EPA Issues Annual Solid Waste Report

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released its annual report on the state of solid waste generation in municipalities for the year 2012. This report helps to provides government leaders, non-profit groups, businesses, and individual citizens with useful information about recycling rates, waste disposal amounts, and how hazardous and toxic waste is being removed.

Some key highlights include the following points:

  • In 2012, the recycling rate in the United States fell two tenths of one percent from 2011. This marks a decrease from 34.7 percent to 34.5 percent.
  • Americans were responsible for generating close to  two hundred and fifty one million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW). Of that total amount, eighty seven million tons were either composted or recycled. In 201, two hundred and fifty million tons of MSW was generated with recycling and composting amounts being the same as the 2012 figure.
  • During calendar year 2012, Americans were responsible for producing 4.38 lbs of waste material each day. Of this total daily amount, only 1.51 lbs. were recycled, re-used, or composted.
  • Of all the waste materials not sent to landfills, sixty five million tons were recycled, re-sold, or re-manufactured into new goods, twenty one million tons were used for the creation of composting material and twenty nine million tons were used in the creation of waste to energy.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: As the EPA report shows, the amount of waste materials we generate every day is on the rise but the amount we’re recycling or re-using is staying flat. If this habit is the case in your home, business, or town, it’s time to sit down and take a close look and how you can reduce the amount of trash your paying to dispose of and save money by recycling, re-selling, donating, re-using, or composting. When you embrace “green friendly” habits, you’ll find yourself saving green dollars every month!

Bottle Ban Hits San Francisco

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The governing board  for the City of San Francisco has recently approved legislation that would effectively prohibit the distribution and sale of water in plastic bottle on all municipal properties. The regulation would apply to all city events, including participating vendors and city departments.

The Board of Supervisors for the City unanimously endorsed the proposal. The plan will be phased in incrementally, and by October 1, 2016 it is anticipated that all events taking place on city-owned property would be expected to comply with the plastic water bottle ban. The only exception to the rule would be in the case of running and walking events and participant sports – in those instances, bottled water would be allowed.

The regulation does need a final vote, scheduled for later in March. If that vote is successful, as it is expected to be, than the legislation would need to be signed by the City’s Mayor – another hurdle which it proponents expect to clear without problem.

When enacted, the legislation will also require that city government enhance and improve public access to water in city owned or leased properties and events.

City administrators hope the new policy will help to reduce the amount of waste generated and increase the use of re-usable water bottles and drink beverages. Additionally, it provides a cost savings to the city in no longer having to purchase bottled water for special events.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Is bottled water something your business relies heavily on? While plastic bottles can be recycled, they still cost you money. Take a look at green-friendly options and you might find a way to reduce your waste and save money every month!

General Motors Reaches For Zero-Waste

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The Midwest United States might be cold and covered in snow this winter, but two General Motors distribution facilities are no longer covering regional landfills with material waste any more.

GM distribution facilities in Chicago, Illinois and Hudson, Wisconsin have recently reached their environmental sustainability goals of attaining a status of being landfill-free, meaning that all waste generated daily is recycled, reused or used for energy conversion.

The two facilities are used primarily for customer service and help to facilitate the delivery of GM parts to car dealerships throughout the country. The two locations are responsible for processing thousands of shipments annually, so it was essential to develop a strategy to recycle and re-use the cardboard shipping materials and wood pallet waste that accumulated on a daily basis.

The Chicago facility estimated that it process over twenty five tons of waste cardboard every year – that total weight is slightly more than twenty automobiles! The financial cost of disposing of that much waste in a landfill is also significant so the switch to recycling not only reduces disposal fees but also earns GM’s recycling partners one hundred dollars for each ton of cardboard.

The local recycling partners are responsible for the recyclables, but employees at all levels of the organization are responsible for achieving waste reduction success. GM’s goal is to have all of its one hundred and twenty five facilities be landfill-free by 2020.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, it pays to have a strategic plan in place when it comes to recycling. Chart you progress one month at a time and develop your ideas as you go along. In no time you’ll be saving green while “going green”!

EPA Urges Waste Recycling Market Development

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From small businesses to large international corporations, recycling is growing in importance due to strides in technical innovation and improved materials recovery. However, businesses of all sizes face challenges with determining how best to handle their recyclable waste materials. To assist business owner and municipal leaders with these concerns, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provide a variety of informational resources to assist in the creation and expansion of recycling services.

There are three components to all recycling activities, regardless of how large or small a business is:

1) Recyclable materials must be identified and collected;
2) Selecting a manufacturer specializing or needing recycled materials; and
3) Selling those materials that can then be made into new products.

All over the United States, individuals, neighborhood groups, non-profit organizations, private businesses, and government departments are placing an importance on the collection of materials for recycling. Municipal curbside recycling has grown over five hundred percent in the last five years and recycling efforts now help to recover over twenty five percent of all waste materials. While keeping re-usable resources out of landfills is smart environmental practice, recycling is also responsible for the creation of new businesses that are needed to collect, process, re-sell, and manufacture materials. The employment opportunities created by recycling ranging from low-skill to semi-skilled jobs to highly skilled jobs across a variety of industries.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Recycling promotes community development and helps to makes the cities and towns where we work and live healthier, safer places to be. When your business makes the choice to dispose of waste through re-use and recycling, you are contributing to the economic vitality of America and helping to grow jobs in this important business sector. Going “green” saves green and helps to make green, too!