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P.O. Box 20444 |
September/October 1997 Newsletter Co-Editors: |
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America Recycles Day: Indiana - "Taking Off"by: Laura M. DellingerAmerica Recycles Day is environmental history in the making! It is a national environmental partnership effort aimed at increasing consumer purchases of recycled products and increasing nationwide media attention for recycling and waste reduction.This year's slogan is "Keep Recycling Working: Buy Recycled!" The planning and execution of America Recycles Day are exceeding expectations and hopes, even of the originators of the idea. In Indiana and at least 40 other states, people will participate in events and activities to publicize the advantages and successes of recycling and buying recycled products. They will be encouraged to make a written pledge to begin or increase their recycling and buying of recycled products, and thereby enter into a national drawing to win prizes on the state and national level. The grand prizes on the national level include the "American Green Dream House," and, for the under-18 crowd, a Disney World vacation and airfare package. The grand prize is a 3-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath, 1,859 square foot home with a direct gain passive solar heating system. It will be built anywhere in the continental United States; money to cover land purchase is included. Donations of recycled-content materials to build and equip the house are pouring in. The vacation is for 2 nights and 3 days for a family of four to Walt Disney World. The airfare is being donated by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon has proclaimed November 15, 1997 as America Recycles Day: Indiana, asking all Hoosier citizens to join him in committing to increasing their participation in recycling and buying recycled-content products. The proclamation recognizes IRC as the coordinating organization for America Recycles Day: Indiana. Copies of the proclamation are available by request from the statewide co-chairs (see information on co-chairs below). The nationwide press conference occured October 1 at the White House in Washington D.C. Vice President Al Gore has agreed to be the Honorary Chair on the national level. Katy McGinty, Chair of the White House Council on the Environment, announced the White House's intent to host a Summit on Recycling next Spring. The statewide press kick-offs occured October 2 in Indianapolis with Lt. Governor Joseph Kernan kicking off the event at the Broken Wagon Ranch in Indianapolis. Lt. Governor Kernan has is serving as Indiana's honorary chair. What can you do in your community? Events are being planned all over Indiana, and anyone interested in participating is encouraged to contact one of the two co-chairs: Bob Gedert of IDEM/OPPTA (317/233-5431); or Laura Dellinger of the Indiana Department of Administration (317/232-7658) They will help you with event planning guides, posters, pledge cards and other information. Statewide sponsors, prize donors and event hosts are also being sought. If you or your company or organization would be willing to assist at any level, please contact Laura or Bob.
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 Also in this issue....
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The American Foundrymen's Society Inc. held its 9th Annual Environmental, Health and Safety Conference at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Indianapolis, August 17-20. The conference concluded with a day-long Foundry Recycling Workshop. George Crandell, Chrysler Indianapolis Foundry and Dann Hollenbeck, Auburn Foundry co-chaired the conference.
Nearly 300 attendees representing foundries from across the nation, as well as state and local officials, gathered to share their experiences, successes and frustrations, in creating sand reuse/recycling programs. The workshop featured presentations of "real world foundry by-product recycling projects". Discussion topics included potential marketing opportunities, use of sand in flowable fill, asphalt and construction projects, quality control, partnering between foundries and brokers or processors, and state and federal initiatives.
The workshop ended with a roundtable discussion that allowed attendees an opportunity to voice concerns or ask questions about various sand recycling topics. If you are interested in a copy of the workshop proceedings, contact Steve Johnson, Wabash County Solid Waste Management District at (telephone) 219-563-7649 or (email) [email protected].
Many of us are familiar with some of the larger components of the municipal solid waste stream such as paper, yard waste, plastics, metals and glass. These materials tend to be common target materials for our recycling efforts. The USEPA estimates that food waste makes up over 6% of the MSW stream. In Indiana, that figure represents about 720 million pounds of food waste that was disposed in landfills last year.
The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) reaffirms these national estimates in a recently published article "ESTIMATING AND ADDRESSING AMERICA'S FOOD LOSSES". "From foods forgotten and spoiled in the refrigerator to the uneaten vegetables tossed in the garbage, consumer and foodservice foodwaste is the single largest source of food loss in the marketing chain".
According to the report, 96 billion pounds of edible food was lost by retailers, foodservice and consumers in 1995. The report estimates "if only 10% of food losses were recovered, savings for landfill disposal costs would be about $90 million".
For a copy of the article and/or the USDA's "A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO FOOD RECOVERY", call 800-453-2648, or download it from their web site at http://www.usda.gov/fcs/glean.htm.
For more information, contact Bill Carney, Training Coodinator and Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service Specialist on Environmental Education at 504/388-5920.
The IRC Board has been asked to investigate two possible consensus issues. The first issue is about the process that IDEM followed while developing the new recycling grants policy. If you have comments about what factors a policy development process should include, contact Jeff Raffenberg, who is coordinating this task force. He can be reached at 513/242-4401. If there is interest, this issue will be pursued.
A second possible consensus issue asks the question, "Should IDEM open access to it's recycling grants programs to state facilities and/or private businesses?". To date, the majority of grants are only available to local units of government, SWMDs and non-profit organizations. In a few cases, businesses have directly received grant funds. At the first task force meeting to explore this issue, the main emerging themes included:
Regarding recycling grants to state government facilities:
State agencies should have [direct] access to grant funds [or some other mechanism to obtain needed financial resources] so they can put programs in place to meet the State's diversion goals of 50% by 2001.
Regarding grants directly to businesses:
Grants to businesses, through a solid waste management district, helps to coordinate the "bigger picture" objectives of HEA 1240, which not only created districts, but required solid local solid waste management plans, defined Indiana's waste management hierarchy, and established the diversion goals of 35% by 1996 and 50% by 2001. Leave the grants category alone with the current eligible categories. If there is a separate business category of grants, there needs to be a separate funding source.
These issues will be further discussed, and if there is interest, refined into a consensus position for IRC members to vote on. For more information about the task force addressing this issue, contact Jim Parker at 317/838-8208. For a summary of comments from the initial meeting, contact the IRC office.
October 16: 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.
October 17: IRC Buy Recycled Subcommittee meeting, Indiana Dept of Commerce, One N. Capitol Ave, 1st floor conference room 9:30a.m. - noon. For more information contact Julie L. Rhodes at 317/232-8944.
October 21-24: Rubber Expo '97, and 152nd Fall Technical meeting of the American Chemical Society Rubber Division, Cleveland, OH, Cleveland Convention Center, 330/972-7814
November 15: America Recycles Day: Indiana. Statewide nearly 100 events will occur to celebrate America Recycles Day, and to reais awareness about recycling and buying recycled. Join celebrations in your community or the premier event at Indianapolis' Government Center Complex. For more information on where events will be held, or how to get involved in the planning, contact Bob Gedert at 317/232-8172 or Laura M. Dellinger at 317/232-7658.
November 19-20: Commodities Workshops. Learn how to improve the value for the materials being collected by simple adjustments to collection and processing techniques. Join representatives from five different commonly collected recyclable materials in a roundtable discussion. For more information, contact Bob Gedert or Carla Barrett, IDEM-OPPTA, at 317/232-8172.
November 20: 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.
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Copyright 1997 by the Indiana Recycling Coalition
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