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SEVEN TONS OF SCRAP COMPUTERS COLLECTED
More than 7 tons of obsolete electronic scrap were collected at a two-day event held at Steeplegate Mall, Concord, N.H.
The Northeast Recycling Council, Brattleboro, Vt., coordinated the event with help from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the City of Concord. Sponsors included Panasonic, Sharp, JVC, Philips, Circuit City Steeplegate Mall, Zero Waste, Bagel Works of Concord and Wheelabrator Industries.
A grant from the Electronics Industry Alliance, Arlington, Va., funded the event in which 121 cars participated. An average of 127 pounds per vehicle filled a 52-foot trailer.
Electronicycle, Gardner, Mass., took delivery of the materials collected, including computers, monitors and cell phones.
| NEW YORK RECYCLERS HONORED |
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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and commissioner Erin M. Crotty have announced the 2002 Governor’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Awards winners. The awards were presented at the 13th Annual New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse & Recycling Inc. (NYSAR3) Seminar, held in Binghamton, N.Y., in late October. Applicants were judged on overall waste reduction and recycling achievements, economic and community benefits, extent of employee participation and overall environmental record. Guilderland Central School District, Albany County, won the Achievement of Excellence award. The school district’s recycling program began in 1995 at the Farnsworth Middle School and is now in its third year as a district-wide program. Materials recycled include paper, glass, plastic, metal, cardboard, cafeteria food waste and ink-jet cartridges. The program generates revenue from its ink-jet cartridge recycling and does not add any costs to the district’s budget. Cedar Knoll Log Homes Inc., Plattsburgh, N.Y., received an Innovation award. In September 2000, Cedar Knoll used a $90,000 Empire State Development Corporation award to buy equipment to convert smaller pieces of waste wood into railing system components. Cedar Knoll requires more scrap wood than it generates and buys wood scraps and cut-offs from other lumber mills. Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority, Ramapo, N.Y., also received an Innovation award. The Authority’s education program includes an environmental education center and interactive recycling museum. Direct mailings, frequent weekly cable show reports, a new Web site and educational giveaways keep the community involved in recycling efforts. |
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RECYCLING SURVEYED IN WASHINGTON STATE
According to a new survey commissioned by the King County Solid Waste Division, the recycling industry is an increasingly important component of Washington’s economy.
They survey was conducted to measure 2001 levels of employment, capital investment and materials handling to assess trends, emerging markets and opportunities in the recycling industry for King County and Washington State.
Since 1995 there has been heavy investment in recycling organic debris and waste from construction and demolition. Nearly half of the organics recycled in Washington State are done so in King County. However, companies investing in recycling building materials are mainly in Pierce County because established concrete recycling firms were already located in King County.
Survey data was collected with the help of the Washington State Recycling Association and the Washington State Reuse and Recycling Association. The associations assisted with the survey’s design, testing and distribution. Of the companies targeted by the survey, 84 percent responded.
They survey’s key findings include:
• Washington State’s recycling industry is a significant compo-
nent of the state’s economy, employing at least 3,620 people
and having invested more than $850 million in capital assets.
• Washington’s private recycling industry is responding to
increased opportunities to recycled organic material and C&D
wastes.
• There is opportunity to establish local plastics and tire/rubber
re-manufacturers, as these materials continue to be collected
and current re-manufacturers of these materials within the
state have scaled back their use of feedstock or gone out of
business.
• Capital investment in recycling has increased, but employ-
ment levels have remained constant or decreased slightly. The export of recyclables also may reduce the need for local labor.
For more information on the survey, visit www.dnr.metrokc.gov/swd/PUBLICAT/staterecycling_survey01.htm or contact Mark Buscher at (206) 296-4360 or mark.busher@metrokc.gov.
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