Waste Reduction at WasteCap... In an effort to reduce office paper waste at your office and ours, WasteCap utilizes an electronic newsletter. Past e-newsletters can be found on our website under the "E-Newsletters" tab. Check out our website at www.wastecapne.org for the latest events, publications, and new member listings for WasteCap Nebraska.

What's New for March 2006:

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WasteCap News

Strategic Planning Process

WasteCap will hold a stakeholder meeting on March 28th in Lincoln as part of our strategic planning process. The stakeholders who participate in this meeting will help to provide a basis for the strategic planning process. Through this meeting, WasteCap aims to create a set of goals which combine the needs of our various stakeholders. The meeting will discuss the services WasteCap provides as well as funding and organizational issues. If you are interested in being involved, you can also contact Carrie Hakenkamp at (402) 436-2384.

Upcoming Events

Retrofit Recycling Pick-Up Dates

WasteCap Nebraska members receive discounted fluorescent lamp, ballast, electronic and battery recycling services through Retrofit Recycling (800-274-1309) and Environmental Compliance Enterprises (466-2268). Please let us know if you need an updated price sheet. Pick up dates are subject to change, please call 7-10 business days ahead of time if you wish to schedule additional pick ups.

2006 Alternative Enery Forums

Register now for the 2006 Alternative Energy Forums on March 29th (in Ord) and 30th (in Ainsworth). Participants will learn about practical applications of many alternative energy sources, including wind, solar, and biomass power. The forums will feature informative sessions as well as vendor exhibits. Each day will feature 10 sessions highlighting different aspects of alternative energy use. The two-day event is sponsored by the Loup Basin and North Central Resource Conservation & Development Councils, Lower Loup, Middle Niobrara, and Upper Elkhorn Natural Resource Districts, the Nebraska Forest Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Natural Resource Conservation Service. Registration cost is $30 for one day, or $60 for both days.

To learn more, email [email protected] or [email protected].

Participate in our Seventh Annual "Clean Your Files Week!"

Now is the time to sign you business or organization up for Clean Your Files Week. Clean Your Files Week is a great way to involve your office in Earth Day, jumpstart your recycling program, or gain recognition for your existing recycling practices. It�s also a great chance for some "spring cleaning" — to get rid of outdated files and all the clutter that may have built up in your office over the last year. We want to increase WasteCap member competitiveness this year and encourage you to start early in planning your strategy to have the most recycled computer paper, letterhead, legal paper, phone books, and envelopes per capita of any business in Lincoln. Midland Recycling will award the most successful recyclers.

If your business is interested in participating, please email [email protected] for more information and an enrollment form. We hope you take this opportunity to get your office excited about recycling and, of course, do something great for the Earth!

Small Business Hazardous Waste Collection

The Lincoln-Lancaster Counter Health Department will hold a Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (CESQG) collection event on April 21st. This event will assist eligible businesses by providing disposal or recycling of hazardous waste at reduced prices. Smaller businesses are often unable to find disposal companies to manage their hazardous waste because of low volumes generated or prohibitive cost. Lancaster County has partnered with a federally licensed contractor to provide periodic collection of acceptable hazardous wastes at volume pricing. Qualifying businesses generate less than 27 gallons or 220 pounds of hazardous waste and less than 2.2 pounds of acutely hazardous chemicals per month. If you would like to learn more about the collection, get an estimated price list, or sign up for the collection, call or email Jim Newman at 441-8641 or [email protected]

Universal Waste Lunch and Learn in Grand Island

WasteCap is sponsoring a Lunch and Learn at the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, April 20th. The topic will be Universal Waste and attendees will learn about the Universal Waste Rule, proper storage, packing for disposal, and the rules that apply for each waste generator category. The event will include a catered lunch, a presentation by Retrofit Recycling�s Dan Harrington, and a question and answer session. Registration is $15 for WasteCap members and members of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce. Non-members can register for $20. To find out more about the Lunch and Learn or to register, email Carrie Hakenkamp or call 436-2384. The registration deadline is April 14th.

Trivia Corner

Last Month's Trivia

Last month's trivia questions was "How many projects were given grants by NDEQ and what was the combined total dollar amount of these grants?"

The correct answer is: 55 projects were awarded a total of more than $1.3 million.

The winning answer was submitted by Chuck Anderson with Farm Bureau Mutual, who received dinner for two at Braeda Fresh Express Café.

March Trivia Question

You can have a chance to win this month's prize by answering the following question: On what date did WasteCap director Carrie Hakenkamp travel to Columbus to present the findings of the 2005 Needs Assessment Survey for that community? The answer can be found in last month's newsletter. Please send your responses to Lydia Fiedler at [email protected]. Correct responses will be included in a drawing for 2 free meal deals at Runza Restaurants! Please submit your answers by April 1st for a chance at the drawing. Good Luck!

WasteCap Across Nebraska

WasteCap Meeting in Grand Island

On March 16th, WasteCap director Carrie Hakenkamp will hold a meeting in Grand Island to discuss the results of the 2005 Needs Assessment Survey for that community. Hakenkamp also seeks to start a local advisory committee for WasteCap in order to evaluate service delivery in that community. Developing this committee in Grand Island will allow WasteCap to study and expand recycling programs to better serve the city�s businesses. Grand Island is the next community to be included in WasteCap's statewide expansion.

Electronics Update

California Bill Proposes Hazardous Electronics Phase-Out

California legislator Lori Saldaña introduced legislation urging the phasing-out of hazardous material from electronics by 2008. Saldaña's bill would require electronics manufacturers to eliminate heavy metals and hazardous substances from their products sold in California. Current state laws enforce the phasing out of these materials from TVs and computer monitors, but the new bill would extend the regulation to all electronics. Saldaña point out that it isn�t enough to eliminate hazards from only half of the products and she encourages California to be the nation�s leader in reducing the use of hazardous materials.

Read the article in the American Chronicle.

NSWMA Encourages Manufacturer Responsibility in Electronics Disposal

The National Solid Waste Management Associate released new e-waste policies on February 1st, 2006. The majority of these polices call electronics manufacturers to task over the hazardous materials included in their products. NSWMA suggests manufactures reduce the total amount of hazardous materials they use and make their products easier to recycle by making them easy to disassemble. Policies also suggest holding manufacturers financially responsible for their waste by supporting recycling efforts for their products. To read the new policies, visit nswma.org.

In the News

Immortal Styrofoam Meets its Match

Styrofoam has long presented an environmental problem because it is not biodegradable and is rarely recycled. However, new evidence indicates that Styrofoam may not last forever. Scientists have found a strain of soil bacteria that eat styrene oil (a melted derivation of Styrofoam) and convert it to PHA, a usable—and biodegradable—plastic. This development may allow formerly useless Styrofoam to be used to make plastic forks or packaging film.

To learn more, see the April 1 edition of Environmental Science and Technology or read the article at LiveScience.com.

Industrial businesses urged to reduce use of 31 chemicals

WasteNews reports that "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on March 1 unveiled its National Challenge Commitment for Priority Chemicals, a collaborative initiative with the industrial community. The EPA is challenging government and industrial facilities to reduce their use of one or more of the chemicals by 10 percent over three years." These priority chemicals were singled out because they are persistent, bioaccumalative, and highly toxic.

The EPA is aiming to reduce these chemicals as a step toward improved human and environmental health. Some of the chemicals on the list are: Pyrene, Dibenzofuran, and Hexachloroethane. The EPA urges industry to reduce the use of these and other priority chemicals by substituting less hazardous chemical where available, using less of these chemicals if no substitute is obtainable, and increasing recycling efforts for used chemicals.

To learn more about priority chemical regulation or see the complete list of priority chemicals, visit epa.gov.

Rising Fuel Prices Push Waste Disposal Costs Higher

Diesel prices were almost 50 cents higher per gallon this February than in February 2005. While prices are no longer the $3.15 per gallon that they were in the month following Hurricane Katrina, they remain dramatically higher than the prices over the previous 4 years. This has caused a noticeable increase in solid waste hauling costs. Due to the high consumption of diesel fuel by solid waste hauling trucks, the solid waste industry may spend $800 million more on fuel in 2006 than it did just 2 years before. Experts say that high fuel costs are here to stay, so waste haulers will be forced to increase income to compensate for higher costs in the long term. Bruce Parker, president of the National Solid Wastes Management Association, warns that garbage companies should being preparing their customers as soon as possible.

Read the report from the National Solid Wastes Management Association.

WasteCap Connections

Piqua Baler for Sale

A WasteCap Nebraska member has a Piqua series 30/60 HD, Style 2200 Baler for sale. The product description is as follows: Please contact Sue Ellen Pegg at (402) 436-2383 or [email protected] if you are interested in the baler.

Aerosol Can Recycling System for Sale

A WasteCap Nebraska member has an Aerosolv Model 5000 Aerosol Can Recycling System for sale. The following components are included: The system is in brand-new condition and is still in the original packaging. Please contact Sue Ellen Pegg at (402) 436-2383 or [email protected] if you are interested in the system.