United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(OS-305)
EPA/530-N-92-001
Spring 1992
NEW
The Wisdom of
Waste Reduction
at McDonald's
McDonald's is not spending more
money as a result of its waste
reduction program, just spending it
more wisely, according to Robert
Langert, Director of Environmental Af-
fairs at McDonald's Corporation. The
program originated in 1990 with the for-
mation of a Waste Reduction Task
Force. A year later, the task force
received a Presidential Environment
and Conservation Challenge Award for
Partnership for fostering cooperative
approaches to environmental needs.
McDonald's and the Environmental
Defense Fund (EOF) formed the task
force to reduce waste at McDonald's
through waste prevention, reuse, and
recycling (including composting).
The task force's original inten-
tions were to outline waste reduction
options for McDonald's to consider.
The outcome was a 42-step action
plan, a new environmental policy,
and the widespread integration of
waste reduction considerations
throughout McDonald's operations.
In fact, the authors of the task force's
final report believe that the results
far exceeded their expectations and
original goals.
As a direct result of the task force's
suggestions, McDonald's is switching
from chlorine-bleached paper
products to brown, unbleached paper,
or paper bleached by d more benign
process, wherever feasible. Brown
paper bags made of 100 percent
recycled materials (50 percent post-
consumer) have replaced white bags;
oxygen-bleached coffee filters have
replaced chlorine-bleached ones; and
the Big Mac packaging is being
made with unbleached paper.
(Continued on page 3)
We Can: Recycling Helps the
Homeless to a Better Life
New York City can be a very tough
place for the hundreds of home-
less people residing in the city's parks,
Every day New York's poor and homeless bring thousands of bottles and
cans into We Can Redemption Centers where homeless employees sort
them and send them off for processing and recycling.
streets, and alleyways. For this fre-
quently overlooked group, shelterfrom
the elements is hard to come by, jobs
even harder, and often even a few dol-
lars can make the difference between
eating a meal and going to sleep
hungry. Guy Polhemus is working to
change all that.
Polhemus had
long been involved
in assisting the
homeless when
one day he was
struck by a new ap-
proach for helping
New York City's
poor even more.
While volunteering
in a soup kitchen,
Polhemus no-
ticed that many of
the visitors were
lugging around
hundreds of al-
uminum cans they
had collected
throughout the day.
"I asked them why they brought their
containers with them and didn't
redeem them," Polhemus said. He
was shocked by the answer he got.
(Continued on page 2)
Waste Prevention Successes
by Sylvia K. Lowrance, Director, EPA Office of Solid Waste
EPA recognizes that individuals, governments, and business and in-
dustry all play critical roles in ensuring the safe and effective manage-
ment of our nation's municipal solid waste.
This issue of Reusable News highlights the efforts of several businesses
to incorporate innovative waste prevention strategies in their organizations.
The institutions profiled range from a large, multinational corporation that
identified significant waste prevention steps through the help of a task force,
to a local newspaper that found creative ways to reduce waste in every facet
of its organization, from the newsroom to the print shop. The breadth of
experience conveyed through these success stories attests to the
savings—both in waste quantities and in money—that can be obtained
through waste prevention efforts. EPA commends these businesses, along
with many other institutions and organizations across the country, for making
significant strides in waste prevention. 8
Reusable News is printed on paper that contains at least 50 percent recycled fiber.
-------
In This Issue
• The Wisdom of Waste
Reduction at McDonald's (p. 1)
• We Cam Recycling Helps
the Homeless to a Better
Life (p. 1)
• Waste Prevention
Successes(p. 1)
• Handbooks Promote
Waste Prevention and
Recycling (p. 2)
• Seventh Generation Takes
First in Environmental
Competition (p. 3)
• Focus on Waste
Prevention
— Waste Prevention Successes
In Minnesota (p. 4)
— Itasca County Prevents
Waste and Saves Money
(P-4)
— Newspaper's Program Saves
Over $18,000 Per Year (p. 4)
— Waste Prevention Pays
Off—Furniture Company
Saves Over $1 Million (p. 5)
— Programs Share Suggestions
for Success (p. 5)
• Federal Agencies Plan
First "Buy Recycled" Trade
Fair (p. 6)
• EPA Report Details Battery
Recycling Efforts (p. 6)
• Permanent HHW Collection
Programs Increase by Over
70 Percent (p. 7)
* Conference Looks at
Procurement of Recycled
Goods (p. 8)
Address comments or suggestions to:
John Leigh, Editor
(OS-305)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW.
Washington, DC 20460
eusable News is the
quarterly newsletter of the
EPA Office of Solid Waste's
Municipal and Industrial Solid
Waste Division. Reusable News
reports on the efforts of EPA
and others to safely and effective-
ly manage the nation's garbage
and provides useful information
about key issues and concerns in
MSW management. £
We Can: Recycling Helps the Homeless
to a Better Life
(Continued from page 1)
Polhemus discovered that, despite
New York's "bottle bill" mandating a 5-
cent deposit and refund on every can or
bottle bought ortumed in, almost no store
in the city consistently gave the homeless
the nickel they deserved for returning
beverage containers. Many stores flatly
refused to give these individuals any
money at all, others accepted only a
limited number of containers or paid just
2 or 3 cents per can, and some would
accept containers only on certain days
of the week.
In response, Polhemus initiated
We Can, a nonprofit redemption agen-
cy that pays the homeless their
nickel's worth—and more. Between
its two centers in Manhattan, We Can
has paid out $4.5 million to New York's
poor and diverted more than 10,000
tons of trash from the municipal solid
waste stream since opening in 1987.
About 500 people redeem containers
at We Can every day, and in the sum-
mer, up to $20,000 is refunded daily.
We Can also operates a free collec-
tion service for New York businesses
that want to donate their cans and
bottles instead of throwing them away.
In addition, Polhemus and his col-
leagues provide the homeless with a
place to work. We Can is completely
staffed by currently or formerly home-
less people; depending on the
season, 50 to 100 people find employ-
ment at the two redemption centers.
Many people, after working a stint at
We Can, have moved on to full-time
jobs elsewhere.
We Can further supplements its
redemption activities with outreach
services; in particular, We Can offers
information on area shelters and food
distribution centers and has an out-
reach coordinator to assist the home-
less with finding jobs and obtaining
identification documents. Although
the organization currently receives
outside funding, Polhemus predicts
that within 18 months, We Can will
achieve complete self-sufficiency in
its operations.
Polhemus has shown that one per-
son can initiate significant social
change. Through We Can, hundreds
of people have gotten the opportunity
to earn money honestly and, at the
same time, help the environment.
For more information, contact Guy
Polhemus at We Can at (212) 262-
2222.1
Handbooks Promote Waste
Prevention and Recycling
Across^ the nation, more and more businesses are .considering recycling and
waste prevention practices. Yet the information they need to actually launch such
programs is sometimes hard to come by. In an attempt to help give businesses the
"hands on" tools they need, Keep America Beautiful and INFORM, Inc. have
developed guidebooks on commercial recycling and waste prevention.
Keep America Beautiful, whose work has helped over 400 communities in the
United States improve their waste management practices, has published a
guidebook for small businesses on waste management strategies. The book, entitled
Waste in the Workplace, provides businesses with simple, straightforward strategies
for auditing their waste streams and disposal costs and for analyzjng where recycling
and waste prevention programs could be implemented. Waste in the Workplace is
available for $4.50 plus $2.50 shipping and handling from Keep America Beautiful,
Inc., 9 West Broad Street, Stamford, CT 06902.
INFORM's Business Recycling Manual emphasizes how businesses of all types
and sizes can recycle operations wastes, from office paper to restaurant waste. The
looseleaf-bound workbook guides managers through the entire process, from initial
waste audits through dialogues with carters. The comprehensive manual also
describes how businesses can work with local waste management companies to
make their program effective and even profitable. Copies of the Business Recycling
Manual are available for $85 (plus $5.00 shipping and handling). Contact Wayne
Warren, Customer Service, at (212) 689-4040.1
-------
The Wisdom of Waste Reduction at McDonald's
(Continued from page 1)
Other waste reduction techniques
are still in the testing phases. For ex-
ample, McDonald's is working on
replacing individual condiment packets
with pump-style dispensers.
McDonald's also is experimenting with
many reusable items, includ-
ing lids for salads and break-
fast entrees, bulk storage
containers, shipping con-
tainers, coffee filters, and
shipping pallets. Testing
also is being conducted on
the recyclability of items
that come in contact with
food, such as sandwich
wrappers and cups.
In addition, McDonald's
currently is recycling cor-
rugated boxes and asking
suppliers to use corrugated
boxes containing 35 percent
recycled content, a new in-
dustry standard. Corrugated
boxes make up over 1/3 (by
weight) of the trash
generated at an average McDonald's
restaurant. In addition, a pilot project
has been initiated to collect and recycle
polyethylene packaging used behind
the counter (e.g., the plastic bags that
contain sandwich buns). To facilitate
recycling, McDonald's is making an
effort to use plastic resins that are
readily recyclable.
McDonald's is effectively closing the
recycling loop by purchasing over $125
million worth of recycled materials an-
nually for construction, renovation, and
restaurant operation, as part of its Mc-
Recycle USA program. This program
includes a data base of products made
from recycled materials that is shared
with other interested parties. This is in
addition to the more than $80 million
Jackie Prince of the Environmental Defense Fund receives a Presidential
Environmental and Conservation Challenge Award for Partnership by President
Bush for the work of the EDF-McDonald's Waste Reduction Task Force.
McDonald's spends annually on
recycled paper products for packag-
ing, tray liners, bags, and napkins. In
addition to in-house efforts,
McDonald's has sent new packag-
ing specifications to its 600 sup-
pliers that address areas such
as the use of recycled post-
consumer materials and non-
chlorine bleached paper
Composting also is part of
McDonald's waste reduction strategy.
After the company's compostability
tests proved successful, a Connecticut
franchise owner began testing
behind-the-counter separation and
collection of McDonald's food and
paper wastes for composting, in con-
junction with a project run by the Na-
tional Audubon Society.
Langert sees a growing
trend in composting and
a real potential for
McDonald's restaurants
to compost a large part of
their solid waste stream.
Perhaps more impor-
tant than any specific ac-
tion, however, is the
incorporation of a waste
prevention and recycling
ethic into company policy.
For example, when
selecting packaging,
McDonald's will now con-
sider waste reduction in
addition to availability,
functionality, and cost.
McDonald's also will
incorporate waste reduction and
management goals into annual sup-
plier business reviews and evaluate
progress toward these goals.
A160-page final report on the Waste
Reduction Task Force's efforts is avail-
able for $10.00 (for printing and ship-
ping costs). To order a copy, call EOF at
(202) 387-3500. For additional informa-
tion, write to Director of Environmental
Affairs, McDonald's Corporation, 1 Kroc
Drive, Oakbrook, IL 60521.1
Seventh Generation Takes First in
Environmental Competition
Last autumn, Seventh Generation
was awarded the Direct Marketing
Association's 1991 Robert Rodale En-
vironmental Achievement Award for its
efforts to run an environmentally sound
business, in both its internal and exter-
nal operations. Seventh Generation is a
direct marketing firm headquartered in
Colchester, Vermont. The 1991 award
was the first ever conferred by the
Direct Marketing Association (DMA), a
trade organization representing more
than 3,600 member companies in the
direct marketing field.
A panel of judges screened the com-
petition entries, evaluating the par-
ticipants on the basis of several criteria,
including the companies' success in
reducing the amount of waste requiring
disposal in landfills and combustors
and making more marketing mail
recyclable.
According to Chet Dalzell, Director of
Public Relations/Communications at
DMA, Seventh Generation's efforts to
reduce or eliminate packaging, its use
of DMA's Mail Preference Service (a
centralized list of individuals who do
and do not wish to receive marketing
mail), its surveying of customers as to
how many catalogs they want to receive
per year, and the educational material
enclosed in every shipment to cus-
tomers are just four practices that
exemplify the company's dedication
to running an environmentally sound
business.
For further information? contact
Chet Dalzell at the Direct Marketing
Association at (212) 768-7277. §
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Waste Prevention gy^^^g
in Minnesota
MANAGEMENT bflhh*^. |l Jfinnesota is encouraging governments and businesses to prevent waste in a
I *-• -* iVIcomprehensive pilot program in Itasca County. Minnesota's Office of Waste
Management measures the amount of waste avoided and the money saved through the
= program, which began at the county courthouse and garages and was later expanded to include a newspaper publisher,
* hospital, and hotel convention center. Some of the key activities being implemented at the county courthouse and garages
r'and the newspaper publisher are described below. For more information, contact Ken Brown of Minnesota's Office of Waste
J Management at (612) 649-5743.
: Itasca County Prevents Waste and Swes Money
1.1
S part of the pilot program, employees at the Itasca
unty Road and Bridge Department garages were
= asked to find ways to prevent waste.
I The employees realized that furnace and air filters
.were a major component of the garages' solid waste
= stream. They did some research and discovered that
rfilters were available that could be washed and reused,
: rather than thrown away. The switch to reusable filters
: saves the county over $4,700 per year and has reduced
• its waste by 1 ,040 pounds per year. In addition, the
I county's courthouse has changed to reusable filter backing
and frames, so that only the filter Itself is disposed bfT This
has resulted in a 46 percent savings in courthouse filter
costs, "and has reduced the courthouse's waste by 1,600
pounds per year.
In addition to the change in the type of furnace and air
filters, the county implemented waste prevention
measures in other areas, such as reducing unsolicited
mailing advertisements and duplicate mail in two court-
house offices and encouraging employees to photocopy
on both sides of a page7 So far, the county has reduced its
waste by 3,782 pounds per year. 1
{Newspaper's Program Saves Over $18,000 Per Year
"f*he Herald Review, a small newspaper in Grand Rapids,
I Minnesota, implemented waste prevention and recycling
strategies that reduced the company's contracted hauling
volume by 97 percent. As a result of the waste prevention
measures alone, the Herald Review is eliminating 29,400
pounds of waste each year. On top of that, the Herald
Review's total waste management program is saving the
company over $18,000 per year.
Department heads worked with employees to assess cuf rent
waste prevention practices and to identify innovative methods
to avoid waste generation throughout the entire company—
from reporters and photographers on the beat to company
offices and printing operations. Reporters switched from wide-
ruled reporters' notebooks to narrow-ruled ones, reducing the
newspaper's purchase of notebooks by 50 percent. Photog-
raphers now save film by planning the number of exposures
they need in advance and using only that amount of film. They
also store their film in reusable canisters. L^JXZ1I'IIV'1I~'I'1
In the office, new life was found for excess mailing labels
as file labels. In addition, toner cartridges for computer
printers and photocopying machines are rebuilt and reused,
and employees write on the back side of used paper.
In the printing process, overruns were decreased, saving
paper, ink, and time. Used aluminum printing plates are now
either sold for use as construction sheeting or are recycled.
The Herald Review even found a ceramics packaging firm to
purchase the paper left over from the printing process. This
"waste exchange" benefits both companies—the newspaper
aid for'what"ifconsiders"a! waste: product, and
Paper left over from the printing process at the Herald Review is
sold to another company for use in packaging.
the ceramics packaging firm gets an inexpensive packing
material. Thecompany also implemehted methods to reuse
waste ink, film-developing chemicals, and paste-up sheets
(used in newspaper layout). §
-------
Waste Prevention Pays Off
oirniture Company Saves Over $1 Million
4erman Miller, Inc. has reaped tremendous savings through
waste prevention—$1.4 million annually! Herman Miller,
cated in Zeeland, Michigan, manufactures office and institu-
>nal furniture. The company's
aste prevention efforts are v \ "
art of a larger corporate culture
at encourages environmental
•election, while recognizing
e need to run a cost-efficient
jsiness.
An important first step in any
aste prevention program is a
aste audit to determine Ihe
pes and quantities of trash
sing generated, identify oppor-
nities for waste prevention,
id establish a baseline for
easuring resulls. Herman
iller hired consultants to con-
jct its waste audit and target specific materials and proces-
js. The waste audit armed employees with the knowledge
ey needed to make the program work. Herman Miller con-
iues to reevaluate its program and identify more ways to
duce its waste stream.
A large part of Ihe company's program involves utiliz-
g reusable packaging. For example, Herman Miller
jed to receive molded plastic chair seats in single-use
irtons. Employees would dispose of the packaging,
ssemble the complete chairs, and utilize new packag-
g to ship oul the final product to distributors. Herman
iller worked with the chair seat molder to devise new
mtainers that can be reused 80 to 100 times. The new
containers consist of a cardboard sleeve with a plastic top
and bottom (made from recycled detergent and milk
containers). Employees can easily stack the individual
pieces of the containers and
v / # ^ . take them backtothe manufac-
turer when they go to pick up
more chair seats.
Another approach the com-
pany is using is cartonless
packaging. In lieu of boxing
furniture, staff place
cardboard edges on just the
corners of the furniture and
wrap the whole product in
plastic film. The cardboard
edges and plastic film are
recycled. The company reports
that for one type of office parti-
tion, this approach saved
$250,000 in one year. The company also ships some furniture
wrapped in reusable blankets.
In addition to Herman Miller's internal efforts, the company
cosponsors an annual waste exchange resource fair that
encourages the sharing of information and materials. At the
fair, businesses post lists or set up booths to show what they
have to trade, sell, or give away. Workshops are also held to
educate attendees about waste prevention. The first fair in
1991 brought together over 300 people and was so successful
that attendance tripled in 1992.
For more information, call Bob Johnston of Herman Miller at
(616)772-3267.1
Programs Share Suggestions
for Success
Establish a waste prevention team with an
enthusiastic coordinator.
Involve employees from the beginning.
Set measurable and obtainable goals.
Conduct a waste audit. This can help determine the
types and amounts of trash in the waste stream, identify
opportunities for waste prevention, and establish a
baseline for measuring results.
Gain active upper management commitment
and support.
• Implement simple ideas first to gain support for
the program.
a Educate employees and get jhem involved in
generating and implementing waste prevention ideas.
B Use the team approach to divide work and
maintain motivation.
B Reward employees periodically for their waste
prevention ideas and efforts.
• Monitor progress periodically and revise goals
if needed.fi
-------
Hot Off the Hotline
uestion: My community is considering instituting a
variable rate pricing program for municipal solid
_ _J waste. What do these programs involve?
nswer: In variable rate, or unit pricing, programs, households "pay as they
ithrow," that is, their waste disposal charges rise and fall proportionally to
the amount of trash they generate (calculated using either weight or volume).
Households that discard less waste pay lower fees.
Case studies seem to indicate that such programs provide an incentive for
consumers to reduce discards through waste prevention and recycling. In
Seattle, Washington, for example, households have reduced the average
number of trash cans filled per week from three-and-one-half to just over one
can, and the city's recycling; program has flourished. Potential concerns with
variable rate pricing programs are that they may result in an increase in illegal
disposal, at least initially, and for volume-based programs, that some people
may just compact their wastie rather than actually reduce it.
EPA supports variable rate pricing and encourages communities to explore
its value for their particular circumstances.
Resources
he following publications are available at no charge from
the EPA RCRA/Superfund Hotline. Call (800) 424-9346,
or TDD (800) 553-7672 for the hearing impaired, Monday
throughj Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST.
Environmental Fact Sheet: yard Waste Composting (EPA/530-SW-91-009).
This fact sheet defines composting, explains the composting process, and
describes how compost can be used.
Unit Pricing: Providing an Incentive to Reduce Waste (EPA/530-SW-91 -005).
Provides an introduction to unit pricing and identifies some of the issues that
solid waste managers musticonsider in implementing variable rate collection
programs in their communities.
Variable Rates in Solid Wa$te: Handbook for Solid Waste Officials—Volume
1—Execu//veSu/7V77ary(EP/>i/530-SW-90-084A). Explores the feasibility, design,
and operational considerations of different types of unit pricing programs.
"he following publications are available from the National Technical Infor-
mation Service (NTIS). 0all (800) 553-6847, Monday through Friday, 8:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. i
States' Efforts to Promote Lead-Acid Battery Recycling ( PB92-119 965). An
EPA study on states' experience in recycling lead-acid batteries that is
designed to help state officials learn from the successes of their colleagues.
The study describes the car battery recycling chain and characterizes state
battery recycling programs (j$19.00).
Charging Households for Waste Collection and Disposal: The Effects of Weight-
or Volume-Based Pricing on Solid Waste Management (PB91-111 484). De-
scribes how unit pricing works, and explains the effects of such a system on
households and communities ($19.00).
Variable Rates in Solid Waste: Handbook for Solid Waste Officials—Volume II
(PB90-272 003). Describes jlhe steps needed to determine the feasibility of a
variable rate program and to design and implement a system tailored to a
community's specific needs;($43.00).
Federal Agencies
Plan First
"Buy Recycled"
Trade Fair
•ive federal agencies are currently
organizing the first "Government
Buy Recycled Products Trade Fair
and Showcase." The trade show,
slated for June 29 and 30 in
Washington, DC, will bring together
manufacturers of goods with
recycled content with the nation's
biggest buyer of these products—
the federal government. The spon-
sors of the event—the U.S.
Department of Defense, U.S. En-
vironmental Protection Agency,
General Services Administration,
Council on Environmental Quality,
and Office of Management and
Budget—expect more than 100 ex-
hibitors to attend the fair.
For more information, contact
Nancy Stehle, Office of the Assistant
Secretary of the Navy at (703)
602-2692.S
EPA Report
Details Battery
Recycling Efforts
Seventy-nine percent of the 1.3
million metric tons of lead con-
sumed in the United States annual-
ly is found in automotive
(lead-acid) batteries. Many states
already have implemented laws to
promote the recycling of used
lead-acid batteries, and EPA
recently completed a study of
states' experience in this area.
EPA conducted its study, entitled
States' Efforts to Promote Lead-
Acid Battery Recycling, to help
state officials (and others involved
with recycling programs) learn
from the experiences of their col-
leagues across the country. The
study describes the car battery
recycling chain and characterizes
state battery recycling programs.
Copies of the study are now avail-
able through the National Techni-
cal Information Service (NTIS) at
(800) 553-6847.1
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Permanent HHW Collection Programs Increase
by Over 70 Percent
The latest statistics on household hazardous waste (HHW)
collection programs were presented at EPA's 6th Annual
Household Hazardous Waste Management Conference in
Seattle, Washington.
The number of ~—- ' '<
permanent HHW
collection programs
has increased by
more than 70 percent
from 1990 to 1991
according to Dana
Duxbury, one of
the conference or-
ganizers. Duxbury
also noted that the
large increase in
permanent collec-
tion programs was
reflected in a
corresponding in-
creased interest in
exploring ways to
reuse and recycle the materials that are being collected. Per-
manent programs give organizers added time to research
markets and establish pathways for reuse and recycling.
The conference, held in December 1991, was the largest to
date, drawing 480 attendees from eight countries. The
conference's purpose was to educate attendees about HHW
and to foster communication on complex HHW management
issues. Two plenary sessions and 35 workshops were con-
ducted by 128 speakers. Workshop topics included "how-to"
sessions, as well as information on education programs;
toxicity reduction; household batteries; paint; fluorescent
lights; automotive products;
household cleaners; and permanent
collection programs, including door-
to-door collections. In addition,
presenters from Denmark, Austria,
Australia, and Canada explained
how HHW is managed in their
respective countries.
This year's conference is
scheduled to be held in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, on December 9 to 12. For
more information, call Tracy Bone of
EPA at (202) 260-5649.1
Attendees at EPA's Household Hazardous
Waste Management Conference took tours of
Seattle collection facilities such as this one.
100
TOTAL NUMBER OF PERMANENT
HHW PROGRAMS IN OPERATION
1980-1991
96
20-
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 198S 1986_ 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991
Did You Know?
Letting your grass clippings remain on your lawn
rather than bagging them for disposal provides
the lawn with healthy nutrients, especially organic
nitrogen. Yard waste disposed of in landfills wastes
space and may produce methane (an explosive gas)
when it decomposes. Yard waste is also generally
y
unsuitable for combustion due to its high moisture
content. Moreover, burning yard waste emits
nitrogen oxide, one of the primary precursors of acid
rain. Make sure to cut the lawn frequently to keep the
grass clippings short; otherwise, they will not decom-
pose well. §
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Conference Looks at Procurement of Recycled Goods
Although many businesses, govern-
ments, and private citizens have
responded with great enthusiasm to the
call to recycle, the demand for goods
made from recycled materials has not
always kept pace with the supply of
recyclables. This lack of demand has
led to falling prices for many recyclables
in parts of the country. The twin cities of
Champaign and Urbana, Illinois, were
two municipalities that found their recy-
cling programs endangered by low
prices for recyclables. So, last year
Mayor Dannell McCullom of Cham-
paign, Illinois, decided to take action to
help remedy the situation.
After attending a conference on
procurement of recycled goods, Mc-
Cullom approached EPA Region 5 (Il-
linois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
Ohio, and Wisconsin) and asked Agen-
cy officials to join him in organizing a
similar conference for the Midwest.
Months of planning culminated in the
Midwest Recycled Products Procure-
ment Conference and Expo, held in
Champaign-Urbana on April 30 and
May 1,1992.
EPA Region 5 teamed up with the
Illinois Department of Energy and
Natural Resources and five other sup-
porting organizations to sponsor the
event. Originally, the conference was
intended only for universities and col-
leges in the Region. McCullom said that
he realized that universities were huge
purchasers of a diversity of goods—
from paper to oil—but that they could
play a greater role in purchasing
recycled products. The list of invitees
was soon widened, however, to in-
clude counties and municipalities,
once organizers understood that
they, too, could benefit greatly from
such a conference.
Over 400 people attended the con-
ference and toured the product exposi-
tion, which took place at the University
of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Assemb-
ly Hall. Conference participants also
took part in technical sessions under
three tracks:
• Government's Role in Procurement
• Effective Procurement Policies
• Recycled Products: What's
Available
The sessions focused on such topics
as procurement policies for local
government and the various types of
recycled products available. Sessions
also discussed how to write procure-
ment policies into standards and
specifications, as well as overcoming
barriers in buying recycled products.
The discussions were conducted
primarily by representatives of institu-
tions that had already developed suc-
cessful procurement policies. "We
wanted people to walk away with
blueprints of procurement plans they
could set up tomorrow," said Andy
Tschampa of EPA Region 5.
Over 50 manufacturers of recycled
products exhibited their wares at the
exposition, allowing attendees to view
new technology and start gathering
ideas and contacts for the implementa-
tion of their own procurement policies.
In addition to the floor show, "poster
sessions" filled the Assembly Hall: the
galleries of the arena were opened to
individuals who applied to display, lec-
ture, or publicize the accomplishments
of their organizations.
McCullom and Tschampa both ex-
pressed hope that the conference will
help to boost markets for recyclables
and recycled goods and make
recycling a feasible and attractive
waste management alternative for
more communities.
For more information, contact Paul
Ruesch at EPA Region 5 at (312)
886-7598. §
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the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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