P.O. Box 20444 Indianapolis, IN 46220-0444 Not-For-Profit Corporation Phone & Fax: 317-283-6226 e-mail address: [email protected] January/February 1998 Newsletter Co-Editors: Diane Mellinger, Jeff Myers, and Rudy Osenbaugh

• Service to Members and Hot Policy Discussion
  

  NRC Conference View
  

Service to Members and Hot Policy Discussion

by Laura M. Dellinger

The most recent board meeting of the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) was highlighted by two major policy discussions and a report by the staff of the excellent and broad-ranging work being done by the councils of the NRC.

As evidenced by a resolution submitted to the board, the topic of Zero Waste is growing as a matter of discussion and debate within the waste and recycling industries. The proponents feel strongly that a Zero Waste goal is a viable and logical next step in the evolution of the industry on both a practical plane, as well as an idealistic one.

Striving for Zero Waste means moving up the waste stream to consumers, advertisers, manufacturers and product designers, the "front end" of the system. They believe that the current diversion rates of many businesses in several different industries indicate that progression to Zero Waste is attainable without damaging costs .

There is certainly no shortage of individuals that feel just as strongly, however, that such a goal or vision as Zero Waste is unrealistic and impractical. They are concerned that, even viewed as something to strive for over the long term, that such a goal would alienate portions of the industry or at least carry the potential for divisions that might disrupt carefully fostered working relationships.

The debate and discussion will certainly continue, and the NRC board has relayed the matter to their Policy Committee for consideration and exploration.

Another policy issue brought before the board for consideration was a motion endorsed by the GrassRoots Recycling Network and Taxpayers for Common Sense, two organizations working together for the first time. They are calling on federal, state, and local governments to eliminate all subsidies for extraction and use of virgin materials (including wood, oil and other minerals), and to eliminate subsidies for waste facilities.

They are contending that, to be competitive in the 21st century, the American economy must become far more efficient in its use of natural resources and that other industrial nations are already moving to cut waste and use materials more efficiently. They believe that the subsidies that they wish to end are one of the major factors maintaining an unequal balance of government support for virgin materials and creating unnecessary obstacles for the growth of the recycling and recycled content products manufacturing industries.

This is a similar, but more extensive, policy stance to one already adopted within the NRC via its advocacy policy process. Like the other issue, it is a hot topic that some are concerned might alienate segments of the Coalition's membership and support network.

Information about this issue is readily available from several sources, and all members of the NRC are encouraged to access that information and participate in the discussion through the Indiana Recycling Coalition and the NRC. It is only one of the vital issues regarding the future of the industry that members in these organizations can, and NEED to, become aware of and add their voices and opinions. The ability to become informed and to participate in such discussion is one of the real advantages of membership in these organizations.

The December NRC board meeting also saw reports to the board from several of the membership councils of the NRC, including the Minorities in Recycling Council (MRC), the Rural Recycling Council, the Buy Recycled Business Alliance, and the College and University Recycling Council, which have solid leadership and accomplishments already, along with well-developed sets of goals and plans of action.

Space will not allow a more detailed outlining of these councils here, but in future issues of the IRC newsletter, we hope to give you fuller information. If you are interested in obtaining more information independently and more quickly, you are encouraged to inquire with the IRC Executive Director, Janet Fox Neltner who can give you the appropriate contact information.

by Leslie Alexander, IRC Member

During the most recent NRC Conference, I was able to attend seminars that I found informative and relevant to both current professional projects and future recycling endeavors.

The first was a symposium on grant writing; in the words of the moderator, "where to find the money." I realize to a great many people that this would be a fairly cut and dried subject, but this was not my experience. The panel exposed us to a myriad of funding sources that one would not normally think of accessing, and wound us through the maze of rules, regulations, "dotting the i's and crossing the t's," that would deter those entering unaware. The main point hammered home was that while funding for recycling may be difficult to obtain due to many factors, it can be done so long as you do your research well in advance.

Another highlight for me was a session on recycling in large institutions. Working for the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC), I gravitated toward this seminar because of various recycling initiatives that have been implemented by my department, and with a curiosity to see how they tick. The first speaker was an employee of the New York State Department of Correction. They run a program that is a model for other correctional facilities, and I was able to ask questions and bring back a wealth of information to my own department recycling managers for their own implementation. The second speaker represented the University of Wisconsin, whose program runs the gamut from paper and glass recycling to furniture, televisions, and used appliances. This program has been so completely successful thatthey have expanded it to the surrounding community. The biggest complaint on campus has been that, with so many places to deliver recyclables, there were very few receptacles for unrecyclable trash.

As a newcomer to the world of recycling, I was surprised and gratified to learn that recycling is far more than a new-fangled way of taking out the trash. In between sessions, and while helping staff the IRC information and display booth, I availed myself of opportunities to learn about the multitude of materials, equipment, and - indeed - people that make up the recycling industry. From the opening reception on New York Street at Disney MGM to the giant exhibition hall at the Coronado Resort, I found it a most enriching and enlightening experience.