P.O. Box 20444 Indianapolis, IN 46220-0444 Not-For-Profit Corporation Phone & Fax: 317-283-6226 e-mail address: [email protected] May/June 1997 Newsletter Co-Editors: Mark Davis and Julie L. Rhodes

A Letter from the New IRC President Spring has sprung! It is a time of new beginnings in nature and at the Indiana Recycling Coalition. At the Annual Conference the 1997-98 Board of Directors was elected. We are pleased to welcome eight new board members and are thrilled to have twelve dedicated board members returning. A hearty round of applause also goes to those who have served us well, and who we hope will come back often to visit to lend a hand: Mark Branaman, Mark Davis, John Haas, Jim Britt and Matt Waldo. I am honored to be elected IRC's President. I am new to the IRC Board of Directors, but not to the IRC. I became actively involved with this organization beginning back in 1992. I have done some traveling since then, and missed out on a couple of good years, but I'm back and ready to put the collective board's noses to the grindstone. But don't worry, we'll have fun along the way. Wisconsin is where my childhood home is, and where part of my heart still is today. I emigrated to Indiana to attend graduate school at Indiana University. After graduating, I was an intern at Monroe County Solid Waste District and then a recycling specialist at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Following my heart, I returned to Wisconsin and served as a recycling specialist at the Department of Natural Resources for several years. But that darn heart of mine is a flighty thing and my husband Keith's proposal of marriage brought me back to the Hoosier State. Upon my return, I initially worked as the Education Coordinator for the West Central Solid Waste District. In December of 1996, I accepted the position as Director of the Johnson County Solid Waste District. Barring another heart "attack," I'm planning on staying awhile. I want to take this opportunity to invite YOU to actively participate in the Indiana Recycling Coalition. The first opportunity for everyone was the Recyclers Pitch-In that was held at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park on June 7th. Former board members, new board members, and interested member attended and helped the IRC set goals for the coming year. Our next outreach effort will be held in Martin County on July 12, and begins a year of monthly roundtable meetings across the state to discuss issues important to you. Please join us at the Martin County Solid Waste Management District to meet with colleagues, discuss recent legislative changes, tour the recycling center and participate in a pitch-in lunch. (See article on Page 2 for more details) Everyone is also invited and encouraged to attend our monthly board meetings where we strategize, plan, plot, scheme, and generally enjoy each others company. Don't be scared by the meeting's name, EVERYONE IS WELCOME. Meetings are the third Thursday of the month. Business begins at 5:45 p.m., but plan to come at 5:30 and have dinner with us first. I realize that it's not always convenient to come to Indianapolis, but if you need to come to Indianapolis for other meetings or events, try to schedule for that 3rd Thursday date and squeeze in a visit with the IRC once or twice a year--we need you! If you can't make a meeting, but have an idea or a concern that you would like the Indiana Recycling Coalition to address, please call or e-mail me or any board member. As President of the board, I want to steer the ship in the direction of our members' desired destination. My goal for the next year is that at least one of the programs or services provided by the Indiana Recycling Coalition will make a direct positive impact on your life. My intent is that the IRC helps you make a decision, makes your job easier, or connects you to a person, business or idea that opens a new door for you. Do not hesitate to let us know how we can make that positive impact for you! Happy Spring! Melinda Antell

Also in this issue.... Recycling for Results - 1997 IRC Conference a Success by Janet Fox Neltner, IRC Executive Director IDEM Seeks Public Input by Bob Gedert IRC Membership Form IRC Board of Directors Calendar of Events News Briefs IRC News Education News National Recycling News Coalition News IRC Conference Auction Big Success by Laura M. Dellinger IRC Board Election Results by Mark W. Davis 1997 Governor's Awards for Excellence in Recycling Business & Industry Local Government Hospitals Individual Achievement Group Achievement Educational Institutions Media Journalism Priority Waste Materials

June 5: IDEM Public Meeting on Recycling Grants Program, Northern Indiana meeting, Merrillville Town Hall, 7820 Broadway, Merrillville, 10 am - 12 pm. For more information contact Bob Gedert, IDEM-OPPTA at 800/451-6027.

June 7: IRC Pitch-in, Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park, 10a.m - 12:30pm facilitated meeting; pitch-in lunch immediately following. For more information contact IRC office at 317/283-6226 or [email protected].

June 11: IDEM Public Meeting on Recycling Grants Program, Southern Indiana meeting,, Gasthof Restaurant, 1 mile north of Hwy. 50 on C.R. 650E in Montgomery, 1 - 3 pm. For more information contact Bob Gedert, IDEM-OPPTA at 800/451-6027.

June 12: SWPAC Meeting,, ndiana Government Center South Conference Center, Room C, Indianapolis, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. HEA 1339 will be discussed. For more information contact IDEM-OPPTA at 800/451-6027.

June 19: IRC Board of Directors meeting, 5:30 7:30 p.m., Environmental Management Institute, 5610 Crawfordsville Rd, Suite 15 on Indianapolis' westside. For more information contact IRC office at 317/283-6226 or [email protected].

June 20: Indiana State Fair Booth Planning Meeting, IDEM-OPPTA Conference Room, ISTA Bldg at Capitol and Market in Indianapolis, 1:00 p.m. For more information contact IRC office at 317/283-6226 or [email protected].

July 12: Recylers Roundtable, Martin County SWMD, Loogootee, 10 am - 12:30 pm. Outreach meeting, tour of recycling facility and pitch-in lunch. For more information and to RSVP by July 9, contact Laura Albertson at 812/295-4142.

July 17: IRC Board of Directors meeting, 5:30 7:30 p.m., Environmental Management Institute, 5610 Crawfordsville Rd, Suite 15 on Indianapolis' westside. For more information contact IRC office at 317/283-6226 or [email protected].

August 26: Buy Recycled Training Institute (Conference and Trade Show), 9am - 4 pm, Indiana Government Conference Center. Sponsored by Indiana Departments of Commerce and Administration. Look for details in July Newsletter!

The Indiana Recycling Coalition hosted its 8th Annual Conference on April 30 and May 1, 1997 at the Radisson Hotel City Centre in downtown Indianapolis. Attendance at "Recycling for Results" was good, with 176 registered on April 30 and 236 on May 1. Thanks go to Conference Chair Mark Branaman and Sponsorship Chair Brook Edwards for all their hard work. They were supported by the entire planning committee and a wonderful host of conference volunteers. The "result" was a very educational, fun and successful event.

ANNUAL MEETING
The conference had a number of successful format changes this year, including opening the conference with the Coalition's Annual Meeting over breakfast. The IRC's 1997-98 Board of Directors was elected at this meeting. (See associated article in this issue.) Melinda Antell was elected IRC's new President, Laura M. Dellinger was re-elected as Vice President, and Brook Edwards was elected Treasurer. Terry Duffy continues his term as Secretary.

A heartfelt thanks was extended to all the departing Board members, with an open invitation to stay active. Outgoing Board members included Mark Davis, John Haas (Creative Landscapes) and Matt Waldo (Hoosier Environmental Council). We also thank Mark Branaman (City of Lawrence), outgoing Treasurer and Conference Committee Chair. Mark's commitment to the IRC has been outstanding. He has worked hard for the IRC over many board terms, as well as on various committees and as Vice President and Treasurer.

Finally a thank you goes to Larry Wilson (Larry Wilson, Attorney-At-Law) for his year as President of the Indiana Recycling Coalition. His leadership has helped the Coalition over this year, especially with several grant projects. Although Larry is stepping down as President he will be completing his board term through 1997/98.

KEYNOTE AND CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Diane Shea, Associate Legislative Director from the National Association of Counties gave the Keynote address on April 30. (See July/August newsletter for details of the keynote speech) There were 15 breakout sessions during the two-days conference with a mix of innovative new sessions and ever-popular topics. Conference feedback was very positive.

EXHIBITS AND AUCTION
There were 20 exhibitors with a variety of recycling education resources, equipment, and product information. For an exhibitors listing, contact the IRC office. The Recyclers' Auction and "Jeopardy" game were a big hit! This new event happened thanks to Laura M. Dellinger. Her coordination made both the auction and game a success. Jeff Myers served as the auctioneer, while David and Shannon Forsell played host to the Recycler's Quiz game. We're looking forward to a great event next year.

GOVERNORS AWARDS
The Presentation of the 1997 Governor's Awards for Excellence in Recycling featured 17 exemplary programs from Indiana. There are brief write-ups on each of these awards in a separate article in this newsletter. For a complete awards listing also see IRC's web page at http://www.papertrail.com/irc/. This year the award plaques were donated by the Steel Recycling Institute. They were engraved steel wall plaques.

A FINAL THANK YOU
This year's Conference was made possible through generous support of a number of contributors. Sincere thanks to:

LOOKING AHEAD
Planning is already under way for the 1998 Conference and WE NEED YOUR HELP! The committee is looking for a Conference Chairperson(s) and new committee members. Do you have ideas on what Hoosier recyclers are interested in learning about? Do you like to coordinate educational programs? Are you willing to work with a group to make the conference a reality?

In the 1997 legislative session, the Indiana General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1339, requiring the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to adopt a policy concerning the award of source reduction and recycling grants (IC 13-20-22-2.1, HEA 1339 Section 10). This requirement is effective July 1, 1997.

The policy must include the following considerations:

• No private sector services will be displaced if an equipment grant is awarded.
• The economic need of the district must be a consideration in awarding a grant.

IDEM is seeking input from the public and interested parties as it develops the required policy, and has developed a list of potential issues. IDEM will work closely with the Solid Waste Planning Advisory Council (SWPAC) and its Grants Advisory Committee throughout the development process.
Potential Issues:

1. What is the definition of "private sector services?" Does it include services offered by non-profits? Does it go beyond waste management services to include educational contractors? If an equipment grant is provided for education equipment, such as a van or display booth, would the displacement be a factor?
2. What is the meaning of "displacement?" Does the private sector service have to be in place? Is the scope or size of the displaced service a factor? Does the services have to be effective? What if the private sector is only offering to provide a service?
3. What is the definition of "equipment grants?" IDEM had a category of grants called equipment grants that was terminated in February. Is the term limited to that category or to any grant for equipment? What if the equipment was used for a match?
4. What is the meaning of "equipment?" Is it limited to capital equipment or durables that are not consumed when used? Is there a minimum dollar cutoff?
5. What is the meaning of "economic need?" What if the application came from a local unit of government within a district? Should the criteria be based on the financial status of the district? What if a district chooses to underfund its program? Should the criteria be used to augment as well as reduce support? Should the augmentation go beyond the 50/50 match that is generally required?

Several meetings have been scheduled to provide a public forum for comments on the development of new policies for the evaluation of recycling grants applications:

Northern Indiana - Thursday, June 5, 1997, 10 am - 12 pm, at the Merrillville Town Hall, 7820 Broadway, Merrillville, IN.
Southern Indiana - Wednesday, June 11, 1997, 1 - 3 pm, at the Casthof Restaurant, 1 mile north of Hwy. 50 on C.R.650E in Montgomery, IN.
Central Indiana - Thursday, June 12, 1997, 1:30 - 3:30 pm, at the Indiana Government Center South Conference Center, Room C, during the SWPAC meeting

In addition to in-person comments, responses can also be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to IDEM-OPPTA; or for more information, contact Bob Gedert, Source Reduction and Recycling Branch Chief, IDEM-OPPTA, at 800/451-6027. Comments will be accepted until June 19, 1997.