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

New Version of Municipal Solid Waste Factbook Available

EPA's MSW Factbook is the "place to go" for municipal solid waste information. Version 4.0 is now available from EPA. To get a free copy, call EPA at 800/424-9346, download it from the file server at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/ factbook.htm or request in writing to US EPA, OSW Publication Center, Mail Stop 5305W, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.

EPA Announces Strategic Plan

US EPA has just published its new Strategic Plan and it includes a new Municipal Solid Waste recycling goal of 35% by 2005. Also included is a MSW per capita waste generation reduction goal of 4.3 pounds per day by 2005. The short version from pages 39 & 40 of the plan is:

WASTE MINIMIZATION
RCRA calls for EPA to provide national leadership in reducing the amount of waste generated and to improve the recovery and conservation of materials through recycling. EPA's programs focus on all waste: hazardous waste, non-hazardous industrial waste, and municipal solid waste. EPA will reduce the toxicity of waste by focusing on reductions in persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBTs). The quantity of waste also will be reduced and, where waste is generated, EPA will encourage and facilitate increased recycling. This three-pronged effort--reduce toxicity, reduce quantity, increase recycling--will preserve natural resources and reduce reliance on treatment and disposal.

Specific accomplishments include the following:

• By 2005, recycling, including composting, will divert at least 35 percent of municipal solid waste from landfilling and combustion.
• By 2005, the most persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals in hazardous waste streams will be reduced by 50 percent from the 1994 baseline.
• By 2005, the amount of hazardous waste safely recycled will increase by 25 percent.
• By 2005, the amount of per capita generation of municipal solid waste will be reduced to 4.3 pounds per day.

Greeting Cards Make Environmental Statement The Second Time Around

(NAPS) - Celebrating holidays and recognizing special events with greeting cards has become an American tradition. But once the holiday is over, or the birthday passes, what happens to those good wishes?

Some of those cards may be tucked away as special keepsakes, but most eventually end up in the trash or recycling bin. Until now.

Through the Reuse-A-CardTM with Reusable Envelope Stickers program, which benefits the National Recycling Coalition (NRC), consumers can now send those special greetings over and over again.

The Reuse-A-CardTM and Reusable Envelope Stickers package includes stickers for both cards and envelopes which are used to cover the handwritten message on a favorite greeting card, and to re-address an envelope, simply by covering the old address. The campaign lets consumers send their personal message along with the clear statement that they are concerned about conserving resources and reducing waste.

"Americans receive, on average, 30 greeting cards every year," said Susan V. Hubbard, president of NRC. "By reusing their favorite cards and envelopes, consumers are not only savings resources and landfill space, they are also reminding friends and family that reusing paper products should be a high priority."

The Reuse-A-CardTM package, which includes 24 each of card labels and envelope stickers, is available through mail order at the cost of $20/set of 24. A portion of the proceeds from the program will be donated to NRC to help promote reuse, recycling and buying recycled across the country.

For more information on the program contact the Steel Recycling Institute at 800/876-7274.