Nebraska Recycles Grows with Large Corporate Electronics Recycling

Congratulations to Nebraska Recycles, which handles electronic waste and hard drive destruction, sees gains with abut 80% of its business coming from large companies and the rest from residential. Over 99 percent of the services are provided at no charge! Owner Jack Doerr said revenues come from parts from electronics, especially computers. For more information about Nebraska Recycles visit http://www.nebraskarecycles.com/.

Recycling Today Magazine Hightlights Central States Reprocessing

ISRI 2016 Convention: Not so niche!

Recyclers are finding more end users for difficult-to-recycle plastics.

Troy Burgess, CEO, Central States Reprocessing LLC (CSR), Lincoln, Nebraska, said he has been in the PVC extrusion business for 22 years. CSR opened its doors in 2010, recycling high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) for the composite decking industry. In 2013, the company added a PVC recycling division as a result of customer demand, Burgess said. The company today converts 10 million pounds of PVC.

CSR learned quickly that the four main types of PVC—siding, window, pipe and fence—do not mix well with PP materials, Burgess said. Shutters are typically PP, and they cannot be mixed with PVC materials. Without commingling the material with PP, he said PVC can be recycled six times before its quality is degraded.

“We found that with PVC, it will not commingle with PP,” Burgess said.

He detailed hurdles recyclers of PVC face, including the belief that recycled PVC regrinds are inferior to virgin resins; building codes controlled and directed by large corporations that have a competitive advantage to use virgin resin; and applications for recycled materials.

Additionally, when collecting various types of PVC, Burgess said sometimes other materials are mixed in with the PVC loads and should be removed. These examples include concrete and other debris with fencing; glass and other non-PVC materials on windows; foam backings on siding; and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) mixed with PVC pipe and most customers cannot process them together.

As CSR processes three different grades of PVC—A, B and C—Burgess said it is even more important to ensure materials are properly separated prior to being sent to the recycler. Sorting machines can separate the difficult-to-recycle plastics by color; however, they cannot sort by material type. As is the case with CSR, Burgess said he must pull out unlike materials by hand. If the materials are mixed, the quality is downgraded, as well as CSR’s total revenue from that load.

“When we get mixed bales of PVC siding, I have to manually go in,” Burgess explained. “I can sort by color all day long; but, if I want to separate siding, window, pipe and fence, I have to physically sort it out.”

Burgess said there have been some regional changes in the U.S., helping to increase the amount of end users who are willing to use recycled PVC in their products.

In addition to regional, PVC recycling is seasonal, Burgess said. CSR can bring in two to three trucks each day during the warm months, getting overwhelmed at times, whereas once winter hits, “I go on vacation,” he said.

Burgess provided this example during his presentation, citing Nebraska-based pricing: An average home siding replacement job is 38 square feet, with an average weight of 60 pounds per square feet. This equals to 2,240 pounds of recyclable product, with an average selling price of 5 cents per pound. The profit would be $112 per job. This outcome versus an average disposal cost of the same job at $80 per ton would result in disposal of the same material costing $89.90.

To read entire article: http://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/isri-2016-difficult-recycle-plastics-session/

Meet the 2016 Annual Awards Luncheon Keynote Speaker

Will Sagar, Executive Director with the Southeast Recycling Development Council, will be our inspiring keynote speaker this year, Friday, October 7th. SERDC’s mission is to unite industry, government, and non-government organizations to promote sustainable recycling in the Southeast. Efforts include a specific focus upon the economic impact of the recycling industry. He works from his home town of Brevard, North Carolina.

Will Sagar graduated from the University of North Carolina with a double major on Economics and Mathematics. After selling the excavation business he built and operated for a decade, he was the Solid Waste Director for Transylvania County, NC for 16 years. While there he started the recycling program, built the first lined landfill in Western North Carolina; implemented a Pay As You Throw program, which applied utility pricing to waste collecting resulting in a doubling of the recycling program; established a permanent Household Hazardous Waste collection; and started an electronics recycling program. Later with Henderson County, he started electronics collection and created a county energy accounting system.

For more information regarding the Mission to Zero Annual Awards Luncheon & Workshops and to register visit: http://www.wastecapne.org/2016-annual-meeting/

Planning vs. Name-Calling on Climate Change

Senator Ken Haar, of Legislative District 21, addressed George Will’s column in the Lincoln Journal Star with a letter to the editor regarding the way Nebraska scientists and policy-makers are addressing climate change.

Including that Will’s column contains numerous factual errors. The most egregious is its premise, which implies that the scientific consensus (more than 97% of peer-reviewed articles) on the causes and impacts of climate change is “political correctness”.

Instead of engaging in demagoguery around climate change like Will has done in his column, Nebraska scientists and policy makers are taking steps to address climate change. This session I introduced LR455, which created a special legislative committee to address both the risks and the opportunities from climate change for Nebraska’s people. This committee is composed of seven members from all across the state representing a wide spectrum of political views. The committee will create the framework for a Nebraska Climate Action Plan based on a consensus of scientific evidence, including input from nationally recognized experts from UNL who assembled the 2014 report on the impacts of climate change in Nebraska (Climate Change Implications for Nebraska).

To read the entire letter to the editor: http://journalstar.com/news/opinion/editorial/columnists/local-view-planning-better-than-name-calling-on-climate-change/article_294422ef-53a4-50fb-8269-c4056c07a71d.html

Mission to Zero: 2016 Annual Awards Luncheon & Workshops

2016 Annual Awards Luncheon & Workshops will be held Friday, October 7th, from 8 am – 1 pm, at The Country Club of Lincoln.

Each year, WasteCap Nebraska honors high-achieving businesses and communities for their contributions to Nebraska’s Good Life through superior environmental and social performance. Join us to honor the 2016 Sustainable Business Award winners and hear from Will Sager, Executive Director with the Southeast Recycling Development Council.

Workshops offered are Recycling by Design and Zero Waste Business.

Visit http://www.wastecapne.org/2016-annual-meeting/ for more information and to register!

Nebraska State Fair Qualifies as a Zero Waste Event

Congratulations to the Nebraska State Fair for qualifying as a zero waste event for the second consecutive year with WasteCap Nebraska’s goZero program.

State fair officials reported a 91.1% diversion rate, diverting 39.6% more plastics and 117% more cardboard than the previous year. The Zero Waste International Alliance defines zero waste as having a 90 % diversion rate.

The State Fair Cares program encourages guests to utilize recycling receptacles placed throughout the grounds. Last year, recycling saved the state fair an estimated $38,000 in landfill fees. The state fair’s sustainability efforts diverted more than 2.4 million pounds of waste from landfills. At the eleven day event, state fair officials reported these numbers diverted from landfills:

3.02 tons of plastic – An increase of .86 tons from 2014
47.87 tons of cardboard – An increase of 4.25 tons from 2014
900 gallons of used fryer oil
671 tons of animal waste and bedding
1428 pounds of aluminum cans

How do you bring a convenient, cost-effective curbside recycling program to your community?

Wed., June 8:Convenient Curbside Recycling: 11:30 am -12:30 pm CST

How do you bring a convenient, cost-effective curbside recycling program to your community?

A recycling bin at every home, school, business, event and government building – that’s the foundation of a Zero Waste community. We’ll tackle the nuts and bolts of curbside recycling and discuss solutions to help you overcome the obstacles to starting or expanding programs for single and mult-family homes. Bring your questions about recycling markets apartment programs, plastics recycling and more so we can help you move toward convenient, comprehensive recycling everywhere in your community.

The Recycling Partnership is a national nonprofit with two goals – to increase access to curbside recycling and improve the quality of material collected (whether curbside or drop off). During this webinar, Project Director Karen Bandhauer will share resources and data from cities across the US who have recently made the transition to carts. She will also discuss the Partnership’s grant program to help communities make that change. The session will wrap up with proven approaches to increase material quality at the curb with highlights from pilots currently underway in communities across Massachusetts, offering a sneak peek into comprehensive material quality resources that will be available nationally at the end of the year.

Kate Bailey is the Program Manager for Eco-Cycle Solutions. Kate is a leading authority on Zero

Waste best practices, and focuses on the facts, numbers, details, and logistics that help Zero Waste initiatives succeed. Over the past decade she has created national reports, websites, webinars and tools to empower local communities to implement Zero Waste solutions.

Karen is focused on optimizing community recycling programs. Her passion melds perfectly with her current role as project director for The Recycling Partnership – a national nonprofit committed to improving recycling programs nationwide. Formerly Karen served as a senior consultant for recycling consultancy RRS and an environmental scientist for the USEPA. Her work is supported by a BS in environmental science and a masters of international public affairs. Karen now calls Fort Collins, CO home with her husband and three children.

To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1481824288185284100

Zero Waste Business & Community Roadmap Webinar Series

Wed., June 8:Convenient Curbside Recycling: 11:30 am -12:30 pm CST

How do you bring a convenient, cost-effective curbside recycling program to your community?

A recycling bin at every home, school, business, event and government building – that’s the foundation of a Zero Waste community. We’ll tackle the nuts and bolts of curbside recycling and discuss solutions to help you overcome the obstacles to starting or expanding programs for single and mult-family homes. Bring your
questions about recycling markets, apartment programs, plastics recycling and more so we can help you move toward convenient, comprehensive recycling everywhere in your community.

To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1481824288185284100

Wed., July 13: Training and Leadership Critical Components to a Successful Zero Waste Program: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm CST

A system is only as good as its user!

During this webinar, we demonstrate the importance of training staff for Zero Waste in any organization.Well-rounded Zero Waste training is often the key to successful diversion and source separation. Take your programs to the next level with powerful training, best practices and important tools to ensure everyone in
your organization is ready to waste ZERO!

To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6471884143567393284

Wed., August 10: Community Education 101: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm CST

Every successful recycling program starts with education.

Education both increases participation and revenues, and reduces contamination and costs. But it’s far more than just publishing your recycling guidelines. You need to sell the community on why recycling matters, how to do it right, and most importantly, how to see their discards not as trash, but as valuable resources for your local economy. We’ll focus on the best channels to get your word out and the key messages to motivate your community, and provide effective strategies and tools.

To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7090005391447508228

Wed., September 14: Beyond Recycling: Implementing Reduce and Reuse Webinar: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm CST

Businesses that Reduce and Reuse see the most savings.

While recycling is an important part of the journey to Zero Waste at any business, businesses that have reduced wasteful processes and implemented reuse systems before focusing on recycling have realized the most savings. This webinar demonstrates how to save money, reduce your environmental footprint, and make the best
use of available tools and resources on those all important R’s: Reduce and Reuse.

To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3532720237731496964

Wed., October 12: Composting 101 and Five Strategies for Success in Nebraska: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm CST

Get a primer on what composting is and why it matters.

Composting has great potential to stimulate rural economies, protect our food supply, conserve water, invest in healthy soils and reduce waste. And the news keeps getting better: Nebraska is already well-positioned to reap these myriad of benefits. Hear about exciting projects taking root throughout the state, and explore the
opportunities and challenges in creating a program.

To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3532720237731496964

Recordings from previous webinars can be found at: http://www.wastecapne.org/about-us/archives/

Electronics Recycling Event this Saturday, April 9th, from 9 am to Noon

Have and old computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone, etc. laying around? These devices may contain sensitive or private information. Safely dispose of these devices and destroy the information they contain. Businesses are welcome to Recycle at the Event.

Bring your unwanted and unused electronics, computers and data containing device to a collection event on Saturday, from 9 am to 12 pm, sponsored by Nebraska Recycles and hosted by Lincoln Christian School, 5801 S 84th Street, Lincoln, NE. 100% of all funds collected benefit Lincoln Christian School.

For more information https://www.facebook.com/events/1542859749343307/

Volunteer Opportunities at WasteCap Nebraska

Interested in being a volunteer at WasteCap Nebraska? WasteCap is looking for multiple volunteer positions including: data management, website development, football parking, waste assessments and reporting, research, outreach calling and social media management. Contact Heather Creevan at 402-436-2384 x 1002 or email [email protected].