Category Archives: Waste Recycling – General

All about recycling.

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!

 

 

EPA Assists With Hurricane Waste Removal And Clean-up

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Region 7 is providing assistance of two and one half million dollars to the government of Joplin, Missouri to assist in the waste removal, cleaning and remediation of cadmium-and lead-contaminated properties that resulted in the wake of a tornado which caused catastrophic damage in May of 2011.

The additional round of federal funding is provided through the agency’s Superfund program, and in working with the city, will be used to hire additional remediation staff, purchase equipment, and allow for additional testing services for ground contaminates, ground excavation and when needed, soil replacement.

The EPA has already contributed almost five and one half million dollars to ensure safe homes and properties across the affected region. The additional funding is necessary to continue the rebuilding efforts and hopefully lead the city into a full recovery.

The tornado that struck Joplin was responsible for killing one hundred and sixty one people and injuring over one thousand. The tornado destroyed or damaged nearly eight thousand homes, schools, businesses, and churches. The tornado, along with the subsequent clean-up and demolition, disturbed contaminated soil from historic mine waste areas, resulting in un-safe levels of lead and cadmium in the soil and groundwater. The city of Joplin currently has ordinances requiring all residential soil to be tested prior to redevelopment to ensure health and safety.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Cleaning up after a natural disaster to more than simply moving debris to a landfill. If your municipality is in a region at risk for hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, or other threatening weather, be sure to have a plan in place for ensuring safe waste removal and protection against toxic waste and chemicals. You’ll save lives and recovery faster if you do!

EPA Cracks Down On Environmental Waste Violations

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published its 2013 enforcement results showing a commitment to prosecuting violators from municipalities and businesses whose disregard of environmental waste laws result in adverse conditions for public health.

A few of the results from the EPA’s major cases from 2013 are:

— Combined criminal sentences for violators during 2013 resulted in fines exceeding four and a half billion dollars and more than one billion dollars in civil penalties.

— Almost four billion dollars was resolved for Gulf Coast residents and communitites as a result of the Deepwater Horizon environmental spill case.

— Mandating retailer Walmart to improve its hazardous waste handling policies and practices, including enhanced training programs to ensure the safety of employees and residents. Walmart was forced to pay over eighty million dollars in fines for failing to comply with pesticides and hazardous waste regulations.

— Reaching a settlement with AVX Corporation to pay over three hundred fifty million dollars to rectify pollution and contamination in Massachusetts’s New Bedford Harbor.

— Working with energy providers such as Dominion Energy, Wisconsin Power and Light,  and Louisiana Generating to reduce harmful chemical emissions into the community from coal fired power generators.

— Helping cities and towns of all size better manage resources, reduce pollution and enhance the quality of life for residents. Settlements with the city of Seattle and King Country, Washington require cities to assist surrounding communities impacted by sewage discharges.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: The US EPA can be a great resource to your business or municipality. Learn the regulations, and follow their best practice advice. Better to be on the right side of the law than being subjected to fines, penalties, bad publicity and legal proceedings!

EPA Smart Growth Awards For Communities

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently named seven municipalities 2013 Smart Growth Achievement award winners for creative and environmentally sustainable economic growth initiatives. The winners included a recreational greenway in Atlanta, Georgia; a tourism-focused rafting park in Iowa, a regional economic development plan in Chicago, a re-furbished Historic District in Dubuque, Iowa and an environmentally friendly, affordable housing development in Sacramento, California.

The award winning municipalities were evaluated in five categories: overall excellence; revitalization of neighborhoods; consideration of parks and recreation places; establishment of policies and programs; and construction projects. Special consideration was given to cities and towns that focused on cleaning up brownfield and environmentally damaged sites; employed green strategies to manage storm-water and overall community water quality; provided for public transportation access; and fostered the growth of energy-efficient housing in lower-income neighborhoods.

In all, the EPA received seventy seven award applications from thirty one states including Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Despite the fierce competition, the winners were selected due to their effectiveness in fostering sustainable neighborhoods; encouraging equitable distribution between all stakeholders, including residents, government, and non-profits groups; and serving as models for their ability to integrate development plans that are both environmentally focused and economically sustainable over time. The Smart Growth Achievement award was created in 2002 and to date, sixty one community winners from twenty six states have been honored for their work and strategic planning and development.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Smart economic planning and green-friendly ideas don’t have to be separate and distinct. In fact, when you combine the two, your town or business can often come out ahead because you’ll be using both ideas to go green and save green!

Small Business Waste Recycling Success Stories

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Think small businesses can save big by better management of their waste disposal and recycling practices? The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an entire section of their website dedicated to case studies and success stories of what small, independently owned businesses have done to go green and save green! Here are just a few examples:

  • In Grand Rapids, Minnesota, a small newspaper printing business encouraged all employees to use materials efficiently. By reusing and recycling, the company saw huge savings by reducing the amount of solid and hazardous waste in needed to send to landfills and pay disposal fees for, and cutting back on the amount of raw materials it needed to purchase. The business reduced it amount of solid waste by ninety-seven percent and saved over two hundred and fifty pounds of ink each year. The amount of money saved in one year exceeded twenty two thousand dollars and the cost to makes these changes was zero.
  • In Ligonier, Indiana, a manufacturing business reduced their textile waste by two tons by laundering and reusing gloves instead of throwing them away. The business also switched to reusable wiping cloths instead of buying paper towels. The total savings experienced was thirty five thousand dollars.
  • Applied Specialties in Ohio made the switch to re-manufactured toner cartridges for their printers and fax machines and saved six hundred dollars. By requiring email, digital storage of documents and double-sided printing, paper costs were reduced by over three hundred dollars.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Whether your business is big or small, blue-collar, white-collar, service, technical, professional or something in-between, you can take inspiration and ideas away from these success stories. Reducing waste and boosting recycling saves money and the environment – you just need to find the right combination of strategies and plans that will work for you, your industry, and your employees!

Airport Increases Recycling And Doubles Rate

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The international airport in St. Louis, Missouri succeeding in doubling its waste materials recycling rate during the first six months of an innovative new recycling program. As a result of this increase, the airport is now adding additional single-stream recycling bins to help boost the rate even further.

In a report released last year, the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport said that prior to the new program, the recycling rate for the facility’s terminal and concourse operations was at a very low ten percent.  After implementing the single-stream containers, the rate then jumped up to twenty percent. Airport officials stated that they have long experienced higher recycling rates for the construction waste, runway waste, and scrap metal that other parts of the facility generate, but that the current concern was the lower rate attained by the areas travelers and the general public utilize.

In addition to increasing the number of locations where recycling containers are placed, the airport also moved to make recycling easier for busy travelers by switching to a single-stream waste collection system. Thus removing the burden of separating recycling items from the individual moving through the airport. The decision was also made to launch a food recycling program involving airport restaurants and food providers to convert food scraps and unsold meals into agricultural compost.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: In addition to looking at your overall recycling numbers, it can be helpful to break down your rate into different segments. Is your business doing great at recycling paper but not plastics or e-waste? Sometimes, a high performing area can overshadow one that is underachieving. By helping to boost an under-performing recycling area you might be surprised how much money you’ll save!

Recycling Returns To New Orleans

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It’s taken close to nine years, but the Louisiana city of New Orleans is now officially re-launching curbside recycling services for both residents and businesses living and operating in the Central Business District and French Quarter of the city.

The waste recycling services will be available for all residents and small businesses in those neighborhoods starting at the end of January, 2014. It is estimated that over four thousand residential and business locations will be eligible for the curbside recycling pick-ups. All recycling services are expected to happen on a weekly schedule for those in the target neighborhoods. Waste materials that will be accepted for recycling include all forms of paper, paperboard and cardboard, plastic beverage and food containers, and metal containers and cans.

Recycling services to these areas have been suspended since 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated the region. The Sanitation Department for the city is currently distributing eighteen-gallon size bins to residents and businesses at no additional cost. While these recycling bins are slightly smaller than those used in other neighborhoods the city hopes they will be easier to use and store for businesses and homes with limited space.

Curbside recycling services are currently available in other neighborhoods of the city for residential properties and small businesses. Residents in the historic French Quarter and Central Business District had been lobbying local officials that inclusion of their neighborhoods were necessary components to help the area achieve its municipal sustainability goals.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Whether it’s your town or business, it’s important to include everyone in your waste disposal and recycling plans. Every person, no matter where they’re located, is going to generate trash – and if you’re not making an effort to increase recycling and re-use, that’s money and profit coming out of your bottom line!

Beverage Group Promotes Bottle Recycling

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International beverage group, Dr Pepper Snapple has recently renewed its corporate partnership with the Keep America Beautiful non-profit group with a commitment to issue three hundred thousand dollars worth of environmentally focused grants to assist community groups, schools, and municipalities to provide beverage bottle recycling bins and collection centers to consumers.

The Connecticut-based Keep America Beautiful recently announced the funding agreement with the Texas-based beverage and bottling manufacturer. The new funding will provide for a second year of the Keep America Beautiful Parks Recycling Grant Program, which helps to provide recycling bins in public parks of all sizes throughout the United States and promote education and public awareness campaigns to encourage citizens to recycle when visiting recreational areas.

The grant program is currently accepting applications from those agencies interested in obtaining recycling bins on its website. Non profit environmental groups affiliated with Keep America Beautiful are eligible to submit a request as well as all government agencies at the state and local levels that are responsible for recycling activities in recreational areas such as parks, community green spaces, playgrounds, athletic fields, and public green-ways.

In the grant’s first year of operation, over seven hundred recycling bins were placed in parks, athletic fields, neighborhood green-space, beaches, and walking trails. The program provided thirty three grants to agencies in twenty three states in all regions of the country.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If you’re looking to keep your municipality clean and reduce waste, installing more recycling bins can help. Grant opportunities can help you save twice: once when you receive a bin for no charge and then again when you have less trash to dispose of in landfills!

 

 

New Hampshire Manufacturer Fined For Hazardous Waste

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requiring a Hudson, New Hampshire manufacturer to pay fines and institute new hazardous waste materials policies to ensure the safety of their employees and the community it does business in.

Presstek, Inc., a manufacturer of printing equipment has agreed to the fine of over one hundred and sixteen thousand dollars and the requirement to improve its internal policies and procedures so they comply with federal and state laws including the the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Earlier in 2013, during a routine inspection, the EPA issued a complaint against Presstek that it was failing to adhere to hazardous waste emission regulations; failing to implement an acceptable personnel training program for hazardous waste; and was not maintaining an acceptable hazardous waste emergency plan.

All businesses handling hazardous waste must routinely demonstrate that their operating facilities manage such waste in an environmentally acceptable manner to prevent accidental spills and releases into the air, water or ground that could endanger the environment and human health. Manufacturing facilities that produce hazardous wastes during their normal operations must ensure that waste is properly managed, stored, and disposed of.

Since acknowledging the violations, Presstek has improved its hazardous waste emergency plan and enacted a training program that comply with regulations. The company is also implementing better monitoring systems to control air emissions from the facility.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Hazardous waste is something every business needs to take seriously. Failure to comply with your state and federal laws could result in big fines, bad publicity, and a loss of revenue. Cutting corners with hazardous waste disposal will not save you money you the long run!

EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide For Businesses

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Is your business or municipality looking to purchase new vehicles in the coming year? The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a free Green Vehicle Guide to give businesses, government agencies, and individuals details regarding the environmental performance of vehicles. Users can compare up to three vehicles and customized searches can be performed based on numerous criteria across different vehicle classes.

The EPA provides both  fuel economy numbers and a 1-10 scale rating. The larger the number, the more environmentally friendly the selected vehicle is. In addition to complex searches, the Guide also provides a simple “Smart Way” designation which indicates vehicles with the best overall environmental performance. In addition, you can search for specific criteria such as fuel economy, cylinders, and engine size. This is particularly helpful for those businesses or local governments that need a specific kind of vehicle for extreme weather conditions or transporting equipment and materials.

If you’re researching vehicles to be purchased by a government agency, the Guide also provides a special, Federal Acquisition search designation. This allows government agencies and offices to search for cars or trucks meeting or exceeding the requirements of Section 141 of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. This Act mandates all federal agencies to acquire vehicles that meet specific emissions and environmental standards.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Reducing waste is more than just trash and recyclables! If you’re looking to save money and be more environmentally friendly, take a look at the vehicles your business maintains and how much money you spend each year on gas, insurance, and upkeep. When it comes time to replace or upgrade, the EPA Green Guide can help you make a smart choice!