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WASTE RECYCLING INFORMATION
February 2013 

 Jump to WasteCare's February 2013 Waste Recycling Blog

WASTE RECYCLING TITLES IN THIS MONTHS COLLECTION

Seattle Sets High Waste Reduction Goals
Texas Hotels Offer Composting
Community Launches New Recycling Program
Marines Redouble Recycling Efforts
Boston Schools Focus On Recycling
NYC Next Stop On Polystyrene Foam Ban
Sims Receives Top Recycling Honors
US Leads In Waste Generation
Increasing Plastics Recycling
Pennsylvania Offers Recycling Grants
Food Waste Reduction Grows
Landfill Crime Results In Fine
Innovative Use For Food Waste
Charlotte Airport Starts Composting Program
Cleveland Increases Waste Police
Pennsylvania Starts New E-Waste Law
Zero-Waste Achieved For West Liberty Foods
Increased Recycling In Atlanta
Manufacturers Save Big Going GreenSeattle Sets High Waste Reduction Goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seattle Sets High Waste Reduction Goals

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The city of Seattle, Washington is setting some high organic waste recycling goals for its residents and businesses. A plan that is currently under review by city officials would require all residential homes, multi-family apartment buildings and business operating within city limits to recycle and compost all organic waste including food scraps and lawn and yard trimmings. The plan, if approved, would be implemented incrementally until 2016. The plan represents a bold move to strengthen the official Plan for Solid Waste Management that is administered by the city and approved by lawmakers.

In addition, if enacted, the new plan would also require that by 2017, all commercial demolition debris and construction material be recycled or reused and no longer disposed of in regional landfills.

The new solid waste plan has strong support from residents businesses, and other government agencies. The current recycling rate in the city is slightly over fifty five percent. The plan outlines the following recycling goals:

* Setting a sixty percent rate for recycling by 2015 and a seventy percent rate by 2022.
* Launching residential organic waste collection by 2014 and multi-family collection by 2015.
* Establish a ban on all businesses sending to landfills waste plastic film and clean wood by 2014.
* Enacting a single-use plastic bag ban for select stores by 2015.
* Creating a composting program for diapers and pet waste by 2020.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: More and more cities and municipalities are embracing strong recycling goals as a way to reduce landfill costs and generate income. These goals impact both residents and businesses. Be aware of and involved in the changes taking place in community and get a jump start on making improvements to your home or workplace’s recycling efforts!

 

Texas Hotels Offer Composting

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A Texas company has launched a new innovation for those in the hotel and overnight accommodations industry. Texas Disposal Systems has recently partnered with the Four Season Hotel in the capital city of Austin to offer visitors and guests the first ever, in-room food waste recycling and composting program.

The goal of the partnership is to divert ninety percent of the hotel’s waste from ending up in local landfills; thus reducing waste disposal costs while offering environmentally aware consumers the opportunity to “go green” and recycle unwanted food while traveling for work or pleasure.

The on-site composting program combine food scraps and waste from the hotel’s restaurants, bars, and coffee cafe areas and then combined with organic outdoor waste such as landscaping trimmings from trees, shrubs flowers, and grasses that are a part of the Four Seasons’ property.

All of the hotel’s organic waste will be used to create nutrient-rich compost by local company, Garden-Ville. Which will then be sold as well as used by the hotel for grounds-keeping.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Not only is the on-site composting program offered by the Four Seasons an economically and environmentally smart one, but its partnership with two other local businesses also helps to strengthen the regional green economy – creating more jobs and profits for all involved! What kinds of partnerships can your business establish to create something similar?

 

Community Launches New Recycling Program

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City officials from the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania have formed a partnership with the textile recycler business, Community Recycling, to launch a new program for community residents and businesses to recycle unwanted textile goods that can be re-used such as shoes, clothes, bags and belts.

Community members will now have access to designated recycling bins throughout the borough to recycle and donate textiles. The collected items will be collected, cleaned, sorted, and distributed to social service agencies and organizations such as homeless shelters, food and clothing pantries, and welfare to work programs serving individuals and families in need.

City administrators from the department of sanitation and environmental protection see the new program as serving two goals. First, is to reduce the amount of waste materials being disposed of in area landfills and second is to help those in need by providing good quality clothes, linens, and shoes.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Textiles represent one of the “greenest” waste materials – they can be reused many times, used to create new textiles and other products, and are needed by all people around the world. If your business is putting textiles in the garbage, you are losing valuable dollars! Consider selling or donating those unwanted shoes, towels, shirts, dresses… you’ll be “going green” and making “green” at the same time!

 

Marines Redouble Recycling Efforts

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The United States Marines’ Corps base in North Carolina is making efforts to increase and enhance its recycling efforts.

Camp Lejeune has established a goal of cutting by fifty percent the amount of waste material it disposes of in regional landfills. The base’s Environmental Management Division has teamed up with the Camp Lejeune’s 2nd Marine Logistics Group to plan, develop a strategy, and implement the new program for all those who live, work, study, and visit the base.

Gunnery Sgt. Ethan J. Mahoney is the team’s coordinator for environmental compliance. n a recent statement about the project he indicated that while many Marines grew up with recycling, and recycle when they are back home, the base has limited opportunities currently in place for recycling. The rules are vague, there aren’t any receptacles in the barracks, and there’s a great amount of uncertainty about what is expected. It is not surprising then that few participate in waste recycling efforts and that the overwhelming majority of waste ends up in the trash receptacle.

The first step in the new plan was the placement of twenty one recycling containers at key locations throughout the base with clear signs indicating what types of recyclables – plastic, glass, cardboard/paper — belong in each and the proper way to separate them. In time, the number of receptacle will increase to thirty nine and then possible move beyond that depending on their overall use.

The base plans to sell the recyclable waste material and use the revenue to fund the cost of the recycling program and additional pollution prevention programs.

The overall strategy is to carefully monitor the success and failings of the program, determine ways to increase recyclable materials as a revenue generator, and expand the program to other Marine bases across the country.

WasteCare Want You to Remember: How clear and easily accessible are your recycling containers and policies regarding waste recycling and garbage disposal? If you’re wondering why more of your employees aren’t embracing recycling initiatives you might want to consider how you’re implementing it!

 

Boston Schools Focus On Recycling

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Earlier this month, all Boston Public Schools began switching to a single-stream recycling method for their cafeteria, classrooms, and office areas, and used National Green Week as a way to promote and publicize the event.

Assisted by the Green Education Foundation, students in all three hundred and twenty two Boston Public Schools spent National Green Week learning about and joining in activities, lessons, and games to get ready for the switch to single stream recycling and what it means for their school, their neighborhood, and the global environment.

Boston Public Schools are part of the city’s “Greenovate Boston” program, a municipal policy initiative that targets those living and working in the Boston area to reduce, reuse, and recycling with the goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by twenty five percent by the year 2020.

The change to the single stream recycling method will take place gradually over the course of the school year.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: What is the school system in your community doing to promote recycling and cut waste disposal costs? Every day, schools generate a large amount of paper, food, and plastics material waste. Make sure your child’s school is doing everything it can to teach good environmental awareness and practice what they preach!


NYC Next Stop On Polystyrene Foam Ban

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New York City is the next location that is considering a city-wide ban on all food containers containing polystyrene foam.

The action was initiated by the Sustainability Director of New York’s Department of Sanitation. The ban, if approved, would place responsibility on the food service providers and coffee shops operating within city limits. Sanitation officials were clear in stating that consumers would not be responsible for shouldering the burden by charging higher fees for food containers make of recyclable materials.

One of the 2013 goals for the Sanitation Department is to significantly increase the rate of recycling waste materials in New York City. With its high number of fast food and dine-in restaurants, as well as coffee shops and cafes, the number of non-recyclable food containers ending up in regional landfills is staggering – and expensive.

Disposing of Styrofoam in the garbage is not only costly to taxpayers but also bad for the environment as it doesn’t degrade properly as other environmentally friendly materials do.

The ban is currently under discussion and would likely take several months of negotiations before implementing.

Styrofoam food containers have been banned in a number of other large cities such as Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Brookline, Massachusetts; and by more than fifty municipalities in California.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If you’re in the food business and currently using Styrofoam containers for take-away meals and leftovers, you’d be well served to investigate environmentally friendly packaging options. While many cities do not have bans on this material in place, it is only a matter of time. Better to be ahead of the legislation that scrambling to catch up after the fact!

 

Sims Receives Top Recycling Honors

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The metals recycling corporation, Sims Metal Management, was recently awarded the honor of being one of the world’s top one hundred most environmentally sustainable companies. This is the fifth year that the international business has earned the honor.

Based in Australia, Sims came in at the number fifteen spot. The rankings are compiled by the sustainable business magazine, Corporate Knights, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The yearly ratings, which began in seven years ago in 205, utilize several factors, including business practices, resource management, and financial health.

Coming in at the coveted number one spot was Umicore, a materials recycling company based in Belgium. The United States and Canada had the greatest number of businesses in the top 100, with ten companies each. Health care company Biogen Idec Inc., was the top rated American company.

To be considered for the ranking, a business must demonstrate environmental stewardship in addition to having established business policies. In the case of Sims, the company regularly measures and reports on carbon dioxide emissions, generation of waste, and water and energy consumption.

In 2012, Sims reduced generated waste by over twenty percent and carbon emissions by seventeen percent.

Sims operates approximately three hundred facilities worldwide, with a third of all locations being in North America.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Is your business a member of a industry or professional organization? If so, does that group recognize leaders in environmental sustainability or awareness? If so, making changes in waste recycling and reduction can help you to gain positive publicity and establish your business as a leader in your field!

 

US Leads In Waste Generation

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A recent research study conducted through the Conference Board of Canada showed that the United States and Canada are responsible for generating the most waste material per person out of sixteen countries.

Canada had the poorest performance of the countries under review, producing over seventeen hundred pounds of municipal waste per person for the year 2008. The United States was close behind as the second worst performer with an average of sixteen hundred pounds per person for the same year.

The Board assigned letter grades to all countries involved in the study. The United States and Canada were given a D for their levels of municipal waste. Japan, on the other hand, produces half the amount of waste as Canada, was given a grade of A. Norway and Sweden closely followed Japan with low rates of waste disposal.

The other countries that participated in the project were Sweden, Belgium, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, and Switzerland.

WasteCare Wants you to Remember: Everyone wants to be a top place winner, don’t they? But placing in the top tier for municipal waste production is not the best honor to receive! What is your community, business, or home doing to reduce, reuse, and recycle? Change doesn’t happen overnight, but with small steps big goals can be achieved. Are you doing all you can to save money on trash disposal and reduce the waste that is sent to landfills?

 

Increasing Plastics Recycling

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The state of Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is investigating how they can improve their rate of recycling for waste plastics materials. Currently, it is believed that over sixty four million dollars worth of plastics is being disposed of in local landfills.

The study is being done to see what areas in the recycling sector can contribute to job growth and economic development for the state. So far, the greatest potential lies with recycling waste plastic bags and lightweight plastic film used in packaging, in addition to hard plastics. Due to the preliminary findings, the DNR is preparing to launch a test program for recycling lightweight plastic film packaging materials.

DNR officials believe that by increasing recycling throughout the state, municipalities will be better positioned to create new jobs and business opportunities in the “green sector” as well as reduce their fees for maintaining costly landfills.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: The recycling market is always changing. Waste materials that once had little or no value are now in demand on the recyclable materials manufacturing market. Plastics of all kinds can be used to create a huge number of building, construction, housewares, and personal products, so if you’re community or business isn’t recycling them then you’re missing out on reducing your garbage disposal fees and possibly making money by re-selling!

 

Pennsylvania Offers Recycling Grants

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The Environmental Protection Department for the state of Pennsylvania has recently announced that it has provided almost eighteen million dollars in grant funding to one hundred and thirty one counties and municipalities for developing new and improving existing recycling programs in the communities they serve.

The grants will provide for close to ninety percent of the recycling costs and those areas that are considered financially impoverished will be eligible for additional funding to cover unmet costs.

Community recycling projects that received funding include ideas such as: establishing composting facilities; creating online educational programs about recycling for residents, schools, and business consumers; enhancing existing processing operations, providing recycling vehicles with data collection tools, improving or establishing curbside recycling opportunities and distributing educational materials throughout the community.

Officials from the Department of Environmental Protection firmly believe that increased recycling efforts can help to preserve the environment while improving the regional economy and that local involvement is essential to program success.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Is your town or community making the most of the recycling opportunities available? Whether you’re a public or private entity, funding does exist to help with the launch “green” initiatives. The smart town administrator or business owner is one who knows how to find these opportunities and harness them for the benefit of the organization!

 

Food Waste Reduction Grows

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Farmers and community food bank advocates have decided to continue with an innovative new program in the state of California, Farm to Family. The program is designed to reduce, and ultimately eliminate farming based food waste. Based on the final accounting for last year’s participation in the program, it was determined that one hundred and twenty seven million pounds of produce was collected and redistributed to those in need of food assistance.

Based on the amount of food that was collected and distributed when the program launched eight years ago, there has been more than a ten percent increase. It is expected that over one hundred and forty million pounds of food will be collected throughout 2013.

The innovative program to assist those in need of food for themselves and their families, is administered by the California Association of Food Banks. By working with farms throughout the state, Farm to Family accepts imperfect, undersized, or unmarketable produce that might otherwise end up in regional landfills. In some instances, this can be as much as thirty percent of any given crop that can be transferred to participating food banks throughout the state.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: All businesses produce waste, but smart business owners take a look at what that waste is and look for ways to reduce their disposal fees. Sometimes this can be through enhanced recycling and other times it can be through charitable giving and community donations. When was the last time you looked through your dumpster to see if you’re throwing “green gold” away?

 

Landfill Crime Results In Fine

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In yet another cautionary tale for both employers and employees, in Tennessee, three men have been arrested for their involvement with a criminal scrap metal theft from a regional landfill.

According to state and federal investigators, two of the men were employed at the landfill and the third was a manager. They were charged with theft in excess of one thousand dollars and for conspiracy to commit a theft. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations started investigating the crimes during August of last year.

Based on the outcome of the criminal investigation, it was determined that the landfill manager had conspired with two landfill employees to identify and load scrap metal found on the site in a separate disposal container. When the container became full, they would secretly sell the materials and split the profits.

The three were convicted and released on bond. Two of the employees have already been fired.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Recycling scrap metal can bring in big money. Are you doing everything you can to make sure your employees aren’t tempted into stealing and breaking the law? Negative publicity for your community or business is never good news, so make sure people are following the rules!

 

Innovative Use For Food Waste

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In a bold move from real estate management company, Thee Durst Organization, food scraps and organic waste will be collected from eleven of its residential and commercial buildings in New York City. The waste material will be composted and used as fertilizer for roof-top gardens throughout the city.

The business, whose properties include such high-profile locations as One Trade Center, Four Times Square, and One Bryant Park also has plans to develop green space on top of several of its New York City buildings. Green rooftops have been shown to be effective in dense, urban areas such as New York City for providing building insulation against heat and cold, collecting rainwater for landscaping use, as well as being an attractive recreational feature for apartment dwellers and businesses. The organization started the composting initiative last year and hopes to have report-able data later on its effectiveness later this year.

Additional benefits of green roof tops include their abilities to capture air pollutants and filter harmful gases that are increasingly prevalent in today’s city environment. While the plans will certainly help the city with its environmental improvement goals, and provide an attractive space for tenants, it will also assist is reducing the trash disposal fees incurred weekly by such densely populated buildings.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Just because you’re in a city doesn’t mean you can’t plant trees, grasses, and plants! Rooftop gardens are gaining in popularity in urban and densely-populated areas. If your work involves residential or commercial buildings in these kinds of areas, you might want to learn more about this innovative, and possibly cost-saving, strategy!

 

Charlotte Airport Starts Composting Program

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Worms are the latest addition to the Charlotte, North Carolina Douglas International Airport but travelers need not worry about coming into regular contact with the wiggly earth-mover, they’ll be residing in the airport’s new composting system housed in the facility’s recycling center.

Over one and a half million Georgia Red Wigglers (considered the best worm species for large scale composting programs) are now hard at work in the recycling facility, turning organic matter such as food scraps and landscaping waste into nutritious compost fertilizer. Since launching the recycling center three years ago, the airport has reduced the amount of waste materials it send to landfills by close to seventy percent. The hope for the composting program is that it increases that amount to close to ninety percent waste diverted.

The airport plans to use the nutrient-rich compost for landscaping and fertilizer for it’s grounds and surrounding area. Airport authorities hope to see the full recycling operations recovering its costs within the next two years through reduced garbage disposal fees and landscaping costs.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: With any start-up operation, recycling included, you need to plan out and monitor your costs and expected break-even point. With attention to details, the amount you invest in recycling initiatives will come back to your business over time.

 

Cleveland Increases Waste Police

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The city of Cleveland, Ohio is getting serious about proper trash disposal and recycling. Last year alone, the city’s “trash police” wrote more than one thousand three hundred tickets to those residents who did not follow trash collection regulations.

In early 2012, the city announced its get tough stance on garbage rule-breakers and staring in April those who continued to break the law were issued fines and citations. In six months, the city has collected more than sixty five thousand dollars in fines. The policing is done by city collection workers using special handheld devices to log time, date, and location of violations. The device also allows a photo of the infraction to be taken as evidence. Tickets are printed and sent to the property owner.

In 2011, Cleveland enhanced its curbside trash and recycling service and now all residents are required to participate in the city-wide waste recycling program or be issued a ticket for non-compliance.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Is you town getting tough on proper waste disposal and recycling? The more waste that ends up in landfills means the more money that your community has to spend on trash fees! Leading with a “carrot” is always a good idea, but when people don’t follow the rules, sometimes leading with a “stick” gets them to pay attention!

 

Pennsylvania Starts New E-Waste Law

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In late January of 2013 the state of Pennsylvania enacted new laws prohibiting residents and business owners from disposing of unwanted or broken electronics waste with their routine trash pick-up. The Department of Environmental Protection for the state of Pennsylvania is overseeing compliance and monitoring the new change is policy.

The law was originally passed back in 2010, but provided municipalities lead time to prepare and inform residents. The new ruling prohibits computers, monitors, laptops, televisions, all other encased computer devices from regular trash disposal. All trash haulers conducting business in the state will no longer accept the material unless the specific community develops a special curbside recycling program.

State representatives are excited to see the new law implemented as they believe the economic benefit of harvesting the metals and recyclable components from electronic waste will far exceed the cost of allowing the devices to negatively impact the environment in a landfill.

The new policy will changes how electronics manufacturers can do business in the state. All businesses making or selling covered computer devices must promote electronics waste recycling by establishing mail-back and collection programs for consumers of their products.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: What is your business and state doing to promote e-waste recycling? Internal components may have value on the recycling market or be considered a charitable donation. Take the time to see how you can save green by recycling!

 

Zero-Waste Achieved For West Liberty Foods

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West Liberty Food, an Iowa based food production company has released in its recent corporate environmental sustainability report that it is successfully diverting ninety nine percent of material and organic waste from disposal in local landfills. This zero waste or landfill free status has been verified for certification by the outside, third party certifying agency NSF International.

West Liberty is considered a manufacturer of private label deli produce and meats as well as fully cooked frozen meals. The company provides its products to food and retail chains throughout the United States.

West Liberty states that it has diverted in excess of two million pounds of waste products that would otherwise have gone to local and regional landfills.

Company officials credit the success of attaining the certification to a comprehensive effort by all employees and a comprehensive plan to reduce waste and increase recycling.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Achieving zero waste status isn’t an impossible goal for any business as long as you put a plan in place, make incremental steps, and involve all stakeholders. Diverting your waste from disposal to recycling not only helps the environment but can help you cut costs!

 

Increased Recycling In Atlanta

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The city of Atlanta, Georgia has reported that more than two hundred tons of waste material were kept out of regional landfills since the city made the decision to expand its recycling program.

Since launching the program last October, the amount of tonnage recycled has increased by twenty three percent, city administrators claim, up from a little over one thousand tons collected to over fourteen hundred tons.

Atlanta’s ultimate goal is to divert ninety percent of all waste materials from landfills through recycling, and providing many and varied opportunities for residential recycling is critical for attaining that success.

In addition to helping preserve the environment, there’s also a money factor involved – the city receives thirty dollars per ton for recycling instead of paying out increasing high fees for landfill disposal. Last year, before the recycling program started, the city paid out over seven million dollars in garbage disposal fees. They are hoping to see that amount drop considerably in the year ahead.

In addition to residents, all municipal employees and city owned building are also steeping up their efforts. In the last six months, recycling at all city offices and building increased from seven tons to forty tons of recyclable materials.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: When you’re trying to save money by increasing recycling efforts it’s important that you “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk”. Are your municipal building and employees doing all they can to eliminate waste by recycling more?

 

Manufacturers Save Big Going Green

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There are several different ways manufacturing and distribution businesses can enhance their profits and at the same time help to preserve the environment and improve quality of life for their community.

For example, in New Hampshire, an owner of an independently owned electrical distributor improved the businesses bottom line by implementing several environmentally aware initiatives. The business decided to offer free light audits to their commercial customers, will recycle their unwanted or used thermostats and light bulbs, and tries to educate their customers about the benefits of lighting products that are energy-efficient. By increasing their knowledge of green products, they are also helping their customers to save money as well.

The company also started a recycling program in-house that has reduced waste disposal fees by almost seventy five percent – simply by putting less trash in the dumpster every day!

The new going green program as also helped to boost employee morale and both new and long time workers have commented that they take pride in seeing their company take a positive approach to environmental issues – as well as the increased revenue and job security being generated from returning customers pleased with the enhanced services being provided to them.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Even if it costs your business a little bit of money in short term start-up costs, in the long run, providing your customers with environmentally friendly knowledge and services will serve you and your employees well!

 

Job Growth In Recycling

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While city government and municipal budgets are still in a hiring freeze in most parts of the country, there is one area where employment growth is starting to heat up and generate opportunities – recycling. From increases in curbside pick-up to the creation of composting facilities this is one area where both local leaders and businesses are thinking outside the box and trying new systems that will ultimately save money in garbage disposal fees and landfill costs.

For example, the state of Florida has recently implemented a seventy five percent waste diversion rate, and in California new laws are going to effect which require both multi-unit residences and commercial business space to recycle.

Based on recent research conducted throughout the country, it is believed that if the nation’s waste recycling rate increased to seventy five percent, over one million jobs would be created in the recycling and waste disposal industry.

Current business practices have identified that processing recyclables requires two full-time positions per one thousand tons of recycled material. Organics waste and food scraps requires one half of a full-time position per one thousand tons of material. Trash disposal, on the other hand, only requires one tenth of a full-time position for the same amount of weight.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: When you and your business support the development of recycling facilities and the expansion of community wide recycling programs, you are not only supporting good environmental stewardship but you are also helping to create local jobs that strength the regional economy!

 

 

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