Southeast Recycling Development Council Blog

iWARM estimates savings from small amounts of recycling

Keefe Harrison — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:30:35 GMT

EPA Launches iWARM
iWARM estimates the energy benefits of recycling rather than landfilling

iWARM is a tool designed to calculate the energy saved by recycling small quantities of common household products, rather than landfilling them. iWARM uses the same energy factors as the long standing, larger level WARM Model to provide the relative energy savings from recycling rather than landfilling. The energy savings are translated into the equivalent amount of electricity, estimating how long that amount of electricity will operate a variety of household appliances.

Sample calculations include: recycling one aluminum beverage can rather than landfilling it saves enough energy to operate a 60W incandescent lightbulb for 4.3 hours, or to operate the equivalent compact fluorescent bulb for 20 hours.

Free C&D Recycling Web Seminars

Keefe Harrison — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:29:41 GMT

NC Recycling Business Assistance Center will host a series of free construction and demolition waste recycling webinars this fall and winter. Each session runs from 2:00 - 3:30 EST.

Attendance is limited. Click here to register.

Growing the C&D Recycling Infrastructure - November 19, 2009 Public/private partnerships, Targeted grant funding, Cutting to the chase - operational case studies (cost/benefit)

The Role of C&D Recycling in the New "Green Economy" - December 17, 2009 The Role of Material Recovery in the LEED Rating System, Recycling Jobs are Green Jobs, End Markets/Products from Materials in the C&D Waste Stream

Better than a bumper sticker

Keefe Harrison — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:28:29 GMT

The SC Recycling Specialty Plate is now available for order. The cost is $54 which covers the registration fee of $24.00 and tag fee of $30.00. The anticipated production date for the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle plate is January 2010 and the public will able to place orders from DMV's website at that time. If you are interested in pre-ordering the plate, contact Chantal Fryer at SC Dept of Commerce at 803-737-0477.

Green Prosperity Success in KY

Keefe Harrison — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:27:29 GMT

The Southeast Recycling Development Council (SERDC) held its 2009 Recycling Workshop entitled Green Prosperity: Recycling and a Sustainable Southeast on November 3-4, 2009, at the Doubletree in Lexington, Kentucky. The workshop brought recycling businesses, manufacturers, non-profit organizations and local, state and federal government representatives together to help promote, strengthen and drive the recovery of materials to support the recycling industry in the Southeast (SE). The event provided participants with the following sessions and information:

information on SERDC and the mapping study of reyccling markets in the SE
electronics recycling
ways to improve recycling collection in local governments
update on recycling markets and trends
recycling's role as a reducer in carbon and greenhouse gas emission
an update by EPA Region IV
advances in plastics recycling and
Toyota North America's general manager and chief environmental officer, Kevin Butt, gave the keynote presentation.

The markets roundtable discussion provided participants with information on market trends for electronics recycling, plastics, steel, glass and paper recycling. The markets roundtable included representatives from the Steel Recycling Institute, Glass Packaging Institute, Association of Postconsumer Plastics Recyclers (APR), SP Recycling representing paper and Synergy Recycling (electronics). The event drew approximately 100 participants, well over the 80 attendees originally anticipated attending.

Further activities of the Green Prosperity: Recycling and a Sustainable Southeast workshop included a SERDC annual membership meeting, a formative meeting of the KRIG - Kentucky Recycling Interest Group, a tour of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Materials Recovery Facility, and networking opportunities for participants who attended from all across the southeast. Eleven states represented were AL, MO, SC, GA, VA, MS, WV, PA, KY as well as Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Recycling businesses benefited from interactions with local government representatives as potential sources of supply for recycled content materials were identified and discussed as possible business opportunities. Local governments found new potential vendors as well as explored common issues and concerns in the management of recycling programs.

As part of its support structure to state recycling organizations across the southeast, SERDC participated in discussions with KRIG representatives and the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center to provide information regarding SERDC resources. In the future, the groups will explore how SERDC and the KRIG can potentially form a synergetic partnership in support of recycling in Kentucky and create opportunities for additional recovery of materials.

SERDC's sponsors for the two day workshop and its current members are a large part of the event's success. SERDC appreciates support from both public and private sector partners. Many participants discussed the robust program, opportunities for networking and access to expert resources as beneficial aspects to attending and reasons why they will continue to support SERDC's work and events in the future.

Is it banned in NC? Better check.

Keefe Harrison — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:24:11 GMT

NC DPPEA announces the release of a new Website devoted to the upcoming material disposal bans. Disposal bans on plastic bottles, oil filters, and wooden pallets become effective October 1, 2009.

FL sets whopping 75% recycling goal

Keefe Harrison — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:23:36 GMT

The Energy, Climate Change, and Economic Security Act of 2008 (House Bill 7135) signed into law by Governor Crist created Section 403.7032, Florida Statutes. This establishes a new statewide recycling goal of 75% to be achieved by the year 2020. Also, the statute directs DEP to develop a program designed to achieve this goal and submit it to the Legislature for approval by January 1, 2010. Meeting information, public forums, and specific details can be found at Florida's DEP.

What do MS and TN have in common besides double letters? A conference!

Keefe Harrison — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:22:53 GMT

Mississippi and Tennessee will partner for a two day mini conference on August 12 & 13, 2009 at the Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, MS. Limited scholarships are available. The compressed format will feature vendors, a reception, technical tours, networking,and comprehensive sessions.

For more information or to register, visit theconference information page.

GRC isn't kidding, well sorta but not really

Keefe Harrison — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:46:03 GMT

Georgia Recycling Coalition (GRC) spearheaded a “Recycling Expansion Day” event on June 3, 2009 to deploy recycling bins, posters, and instructional fliers into the Georgia State Capitol and Capitol Hill state buildings; Coca-Cola interns from across the country worked with the Georgia Building Authority (GBA) and Georgia General Assembly staff to place the bins and distribute posters/fliers to office staff. This effort expanded the recovery capability in the government buildings from paper only to aluminum, plastic and glass bottles and cans, and was an enhancement of GBA efforts with respect to energy and water conservation measures toward greening our state Capitol.

This effort was arranged as one of the initial events of the new statewide recycling marketing campaign that launched officially on June 1. After completing their mission at the Capitol, the Coke interns walked to Centennial Olympic Park to promote the new state campaign during an evening concert in the park. To see the new campaign, check out www.yougottabekidding.org.

Bio-PET Sounds Refreshing to Coke

Keefe Harrison — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:13:46 GMT

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola recently announced the development of "The 'PlantBottle." The "PlantBottle" is currently made through an process that turns sugar cane and molasses, a by-product of sugar production, into a key component for PET plastic.

The company claims that manufacturing the new plastic bottle is more environmentally efficient. A life-cycle analysis conducted by Imperial College London indicates the "PlantBottle™" with 30 percent plant-base material reduces carbon emissions by up to 25 percent, compared with petroleum-based PET.

Coca-Cola announced that, unlike other plant-based plastics, this bottle can be processed through existing manufacturing and recycling facilities without contaminating traditional PET.

Coca-Cola North America will pilot the "PlantBottle™" with Dasani and sparkling brands in select markets later this year and with vitaminwater in 2010. The bottles will be identified through on-package messages and in-store point of sale displays.

"The 'PlantBottle™' represents the next step in evolving our system toward the bottle of the future," said Scott Vitters, Director of Sustainable Packaging of The Coca-Cola Company. "This innovation is a real win because it moves us closer to our vision of zero waste with a material that lessens our carbon footprint and is also recyclable."

Oh, Can It

Keefe Harrison — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:12:59 GMT

Aluminum company Novelis Inc. announced that it recycled an estimated 39 billion aluminum beverage cans in the past year, a new company record.

By recycling the used containers back into aluminum sheet for new cans, the company estimates it saved approximately 73 million MBTUs of energy and avoiding the production of nearly 5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs).

"The environmental benefit of aluminum recycling is enormous," said Nick Madden, vice president of global procurement and metal management for Novelis. "Not only does it reduce the need for the mining of natural resources, but it eliminates large amounts of emissions generated through primary production. The GHGs avoided through our can recycling program over the past year is the equivalent of taking more than 900,000 gasoline-powered automobiles off the road for 12 months."

EPA Offers Free Recycling Workshops

Keefe Harrison — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:09:14 GMT

EPA Resource Conservation Challenge Web Academy holds monthly free web seminars for recycling officials. Registration is available at the RCC Website. Upcoming topics include.

June 18: Industrial Materials Recycling 101

July 16: Biodegradeable Plastics 101

August 20: Sustainable Product Outlook

Sept 17: Source Reduction - A Vision for a Zero Waste America

SERDC's Keefe Harrison participated is May's Web Academy to highlight SERDC's progress on an EPA grant to map end manufacturing users of recycled feedstock.

Article from the Fayetteville Observer

Keefe Harrison — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:05:13 GMT

Bottle recycling plant to be built in Cumberland County

http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=325280

By Rebecca Logan
Staff writer

A new plant expected to recycle about 5 billion plastic bottles a year will be built in Cumberland County’s industrial park off Cedar Creek Road.

Work could begin within weeks on the new facility, which is expected to create about 100 new jobs.

“It is good news for Fayetteville and the region,” said Katharine C. Neal of the state Department of Commerce. “It’s also evidence of how North Carolina is moving to ‘green’ jobs and investment.”

The plant will be run by Clear Path Recycling LLC, a new joint venture of Charlotte-based DAK Americas LLC and Shaw Industries Group Inc. of Dalton, Ga.

DAK already has a presence in Fayetteville. Just under 100 employees (plus a few contractors) make roughly 330 million pounds of resin called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, each year.

The resin is shipped out for use in water and soft-drink bottles, cosmetic packages and other items.

Now some of those bottles will end up returning here. Clear Path Recycling expects to recycle more than 280 million pounds of bottles annually in Cumberland County. The recycled material will be used primarily by DAK and Shaw in their polyester-based products. Shaw makes carpet and flooring.

Construction of the first phase of the new facility is expected to begin within weeks. It could be operational by the first quarter of 2010, said Tom Sherlock, business director for DAK resins.

The second phase will follow with completion expected around 18 months after the first phase, said DAK spokesman Ricky Lane.

Sherlock said the 100 new jobs represent a combined figure for both phases, with more of the hiring early on.

He said DAK has been involved in blending recycled products on a small scale already. But the new Cumberland County plant “kind of launches us into a whole new level of actually putting us on the road to becoming a leader in the recycling industry,” he said.

“This new joint venture will actually create the largest PET recycling plant in North America,” he added.

Sherlock said there were several sites available to DAK to consider, but the county and its industrial park were the logical choice.

“We love Fayetteville,” Sherlock said, adding that the work force is the highest quality that he’s seen. He also said state and local officials are good to work with, and the geographic location is prime.

Officials with Shaw couldn’t be reached for comment Friday. But in a prepared statement, CEO Vance Bell said: “This joint venture investment represents an important strategic benefit to Shaw’s PET filament product lines.”

In February, Shaw introduced a line of carpets featuring the company’s new ClearTouch BCF PET with recycled content, as an added benefit to the line of continuous filament fiber carpet introduced in 2005.

According to DAK, recycling 280 million pounds of PET bottles per year is equivalent to saving 1 million cubic yards of landfill space. It’s also equal to conserving 2.5 trillion BTUs of energy, which company officials say is enough to power 18,000 U.S. homes per year.

Jeannette Council, chairwoman of the county Board of Commissioners, heard confirmation of the plant on Friday.

“It seemed like we were planting seeds and planting seeds and nothing seemed to sprout,” said Council. “Companies come to visit, and we’re briefed. But when one comes through, we just rejoice. I just hope this is the first in a series of announcements.”

On Monday, during an update to the City Council, the president of the chamber of commerce said he could expect 800 new jobs in the coming year.

President Doug Peters highlighted two pending projects using code names. “Project Eric” which would create 150 jobs, while “Project Federal” would bring 500 to 800 jobs.

The recycling plant was not related to those two projects, said Kristie Lozano, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the chamber.

A chamber statement said it worked closely with county leaders and had their support to land the project.

“The regional office of Commerce worked very closely with us to bring the right package and assistance forward to encourage the joint venture to choose our area,” said the chamber statement.

North Carolina’s Recycling Director Scott Mouw was ecstatic.

“I just can’t tell you how excited we are about this,” he said. “It’s the right thing to happen at the right time in North Carolina.”

The news comes on the heels of Coke’s decision to open a plant in Spartanburg, S.C., to make new plastic bottles out of old ones.

Mouw said the timing of the Fayetteville plant works well with a plastic bottle disposal ban that goes into effect in North Carolina in October.

North Carolina generates about 170 million PET bottles per year, and only about 16 percent are reclaimed, Mouw said. “We’ve got some work to do to feed those plants,” he said.

Announcement from the NRC Board of Directors

Keefe Harrison — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:25:24 GMT

The Board of Directors of the National Recycling Coalition, Inc. has decided that it is in the best interests of the organization, its mission, and its membership to pursue a formal relationship with Keep America Beautiful, Inc. We are unified in our support for this decision, which was reached only after many months of careful consideration and due diligence on an array of strategic options for NRC, to include partnering or more formal arrangements with a number of other organizations, as well as downsizing and even ceasing operations. Today’s extraordinary times required extraordinary imagination and measures if NRC were to have a vibrant future. We believe that the partnering of NRC and KAB is the best path to realizing that future:

1. The missions of NRC and KAB are mutually supportive. Both organizations have a commitment to environmental principles that are consistent with the Guiding Principles of NRC, and that provide a basis for integrating the cultures of the two organizations.

2. The combination of the communication, educational and advocacy resources of the two organizations, to include those of the affiliated states and membership, will create a more powerful Voice for Recycling.

3. In many states, KAB and NRC have common constituents who will provide cultural integration at the state and local level and who can take advantage of new opportunities for cooperation in recycling initiatives.

4. The combined organizations will have reach into 32 states with an extraordinary opportunity to substantially expand the state and local affiliate base to all 50 states.

5. The combined organizations will be able to deliver more comprehensive, robust, and effective recycling programs – educational, managerial, and informational – to our constituents, working with and through our affiliate network, and providing support to their efforts.

6. The organizations share a common approach to advocacy by affiliates, which is to respect their independent voice on relevant policy matters whether local, state, or national.

7. With the combined, more comprehensive recycling agenda, fund-raising and long-term financial stability for the NRC mission can be realized.

Over the coming weeks, KAB and NRC will be working on a proposal, the details of which will be shared with NRC members and state affiliates for their review and feedback. Please be assured that the Board and Executive staff of NRC is committed to crafting a proposal that meets the needs of our membership. We encourage you to share your comments, suggestions and concerns with NRC Staff and Board, as well as with your local affiliate. Members and affiliate leadership will also be provided an opportunity to speak with representatives of KAB.

As you review the proposal, we sincerely hope that each of you will keep an open mind on this opportunity to forge a new and dynamic organization to advocate and implement our common purpose. In the end, any proposal that, as is likely, will require changes to the charter and by-laws of the organization will be subject to your formal voting approval.

In the meantime, there is still much work to be done. We appreciate your patience as=2 0we go forward with developing a detailed proposal that validates your interest in and long-standing support for NRC.

Sincerely yours,

The Board of Directors

National Recycling Coalition, Inc.