svEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5305W)
EPA530-N-99-001
Winter 1999
www.epa.gov
REUSABLE
NEWS
: y joining EPA's Planet Pro-
' .tectors Club, kids can assume
: ~ the role of an ace detective
or an "Environaut" from outer space
to learn about solid waste and recy-
cling. This new educational activ-
ity kit from EPA tasks kindergarten
and elementary school children
with investigating environmental
missions, solving mysterious sto-
ries on the Web, pledging to
reduce waste, and exploring the
land of reuse and recycling.
Released this winter, the Planet
Protectors Club kit is a solid waste
curriculum supplement that can
be used in the classroom, as an
afterschool activity, or at home.
With these tools, kids learn how
to prevent and reduce waste, buy
recycled products, and recycle
and compost. The brightly col-
ored, illustrated materials build
on other educational items created
by EPA in the early 1990s.
(Continued on page 6)
Across America, students of all ages are
learning the importance of reducing,
reusing, and recycling solid waste. With
this in mind, this issue of Reusable News
highlights solid waste education, with
articles featuring EPA programs as well as
other successful initiatives at the national,
state, and local level.
. ... any states throughout the nation are doing their part to educate
;'•• '• . : kids about the importance of responsible solid waste manage-
:. i '•. •' ( :mcnt. Leading the charge are Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and
California—three states with active and innovative education programs.
Not surprisingly, all three states share similar tools and approaches
to solid waste education. Each state developed a curriculum and/or
activity guides to provide teachers with the materials they need. These
materials include suggested activities, stories, poems, puzzles, worksheets,
and plays that teach recycling, composting, and source reduction con-
cepts. In developing the curricula and activity guides, program organiz-
ers from all three states networked with educational associations, looked
to other states for ideas, and incorporated sug-
gestions from teachers. The states also relied
on teachers to help
curricula and partic
in training.
The goal,
naturally, is a
well-educated
and motivated
student popula-
tion. "A strong pro-
gram finds creative
ways to pique chil-
dren's interest and
encourage them to
apply what they I
in school to their
lives, developing
responsible solid
waste manage-
ment habits,"
said Nicole
Cirillo, Recycling
Education Coord
nator of Massachu
setts' Department
Environmental
Protection.
(Continued on page 5)
" ) Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
-------
. . •• s a result of recycling
••'" '. investment forums, compa-
; ' :• iiies have secured more
than $50 million in financing.
Since 1995, a total of eight invest-
ment forums have been held
around the country, with four
alone occurring in 1998. As a
sponsor of these events, EPA
played an important role in mak-
ing each one a success.
Investment forums are designed
to help new and expanding recy-
cling businesses overcome perhaps
their biggest hurdle—securing
adequate financing. To help meet
this challenge, investment forums
bring recycling entrepreneurs
together with investors, finan-
ciers, and economic development
officials. During the 1-day events,
recycling businesses make presen-
tations to and network with
potential investors.
In addition to assisting with fin-
ancing, investment forums offer a
range of other advantages to recyc-
ling businesses. Companies bene-
fit by honing their business plans,
increasing their credibility in the
investment world, obtaining press
coverage, and learning valuable
information from investors about
what strikes their interest most.
The actual event is typically
just one step in a well-planned
process. For example, the North-
east Recycling Council (NERC), a
nonprofit recycling organization
that has organized three invest-
ment forums to date, begins by
putting together a group of
investors to select the companies
that will participate. NERC then
requires these companies to
attend a 1-day training seminar
where they present their business
plans and are critiqued by
another group of investors. After
receiving this first-hand feedback,
companies then have a month to
practice their 10-minute presenta-
tions. By the time the event
occurs, each company has pre-
pared a polished presentation
forecasting business needs and
growth potential.
"Preparing for the investment
forum demanded that I focus on
developing a strong business
plan and presentation," said
Chuck Cooper, president of Poly-
mer Reclaim and Exchange, a
processor and distributor of
postindustrial plastics. "I had to
present my plan to a group of
investors in a practice session
before the event. The concrete
input from venture capitalists,
bankers, and private investors
made my business plan more
concise and compelling."
Other companies have benefit-
ted as well. As a direct or indirect
result of NERC's investment
forums, six companies obtained
funding totaling $12.5 million. At
the first two Southeastern Recy-
cling Investment forums, six
participant companies secured
more than $37 million in total
financing.
See the box below for a list of
investment forums scheduled in
1999. For more details on these
events, visit the Jobs Through Recy-
cling Web site at .
Southwest-Phoenix,
March 29
May 5
Francisco, California
May 17
Irwine,
July 12
Island,
South
August 22-24
Midwest-Cincinnati,
September
f. , i in.
ince
1990,
four gro-
cery store
chains have
been raising
money and awareness for conservation
efforts in several states, one purchase at
a time. By donating 2 to 5 cents for every
bag reused by customers, the grocery
store chains have raised a half a million
dollars for The Nature Conservancy. The
money supports land acquisition and
wildlife preservation efforts in New
England, Washington, Idaho, and Ohio.
How does the program work? Qual-
ity Food Centers, Stop & Shop, Buehler
Foods, and Atkinsons provide customers
with reusable bags imprinted with The
Nature Conservancy's name and logo,
along with details on how to partici-
pate and prevent waste. Each time a
customer reuses the paper, plastic, or
canvas bags, the store contributes
money to the Conservancy's programs
for that area.
"This program offers a win-win-win
situation. It helps the environment by
reducing the amount of waste in land-
fills, supports conservation programs, and
allows participating stores to cut costs,"
said Karen Browning, director of cause-
related marketing for the Conservancy.
To publicize the program, stores
have created in-store displays, run arti-
cles in their newsletters, and made
announcements over their in-house
radio systems. Stores benefit from the
program by saving up to thousands of
dollars in reduced plastic and paper bag
expenditures, not to mention fostering
positive community and media relations.
According to Browning, a large por-
tion of the money generated through
the Bag Reuse Program is used to pre-
serve threatened land areas and pro-
tect critical wildlife habitat. In
particular, Washington's Quality Food
Centers have donated more than $240,000
since 1990, which helped complete the
successful Washington Wild lands and
Endangered Washington campaigns.
For more information on the pro-
gram, contact Alexis Beshara of the
Conservancy at 703 841-4524.
-------
: - .. usinesses and institutions
throughout the country—
• from supermarkets and hos-
pitals to government offices and
schools—are designing programs
to help redirect food discards
from the national waste stream.
Leftovers, spoiled fruits and veg-
etables, and old bread are only a
few of the items these programs
put back to good use every day. In
doing so, they help communities
reap a wide variety of benefits,
from economic savings to
resource conservation.
To promote food discard recov-
ery programs, the Institute for
Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), under
an EPA grant, developed the fact
sheet
packet,
Don't
Throw
Away
That Food:
Strategies
for Record-
Setting
Waste
Reduction,
The packet, part
of ILSR's Waste Reduction Record
Setters Project, is geared toward
commercial and institutional
food discard generators and high-
lights record-setting food recov-
ery programs. It contains nine
case studies and a fact sheet that
discuss food recovery methods
and benefits, as well as costs,
implementation, and mainte-
nance. The case studies docu-
ment record setters recovering 70
to 100 percent of their food dis-
cards. Overall, the packet pro-
vides food-related establishments
and recycling coordinators the
facts and "know-how" to estab-
lish their own record-setting food
recovery plan.
"Food recovery is essential to
achieving high waste reduction
levels," said Brenda Platt, director
of Materials Recovery Research at
ILSR. "By linking food-related
industries and haulers to food
banks, compost operators, and
farmers, we can turn garbage into
'black gold.'"
In particular, the fact sheets
highlight the following food
recovery methods and examples:
• Food Donations: Nonperishable
and unspoiled perishable food
can be donated to food
banks, soup
kitchens, shelters,
and other charitable
organizations.
Larry's Markets
in Seattle, Washing-
ton, for example,
donates canned
goods and other
items to a church
or food bank
each week.
• Animal Feed: Some types
of food discards, such as
inedible produce, can be used
as animal feed or can be con-
verted into a high-quality,
pcllctizcd pet food.
__ The San Francisco
Food
Bank
regu-
larly
gives
inedible
produce
to a local
dairy.
Rendering: Meat products can
be used in the rendering indus-
try and converted into animal
food, cosmetics, soap, and other
products. The New York State
Department of Correction Facil-
ities' kitchen staff donate mate-
rials biweekly.
Composting: This method offers
a range of options, from aerated
windrows, where organics are
formed into rows or long piles,
to in-vessel composting, where
waste is enclosed in a tempera-
ture and moisture-controlled
chamber. Vermicomposting—
which uses worms to break
down the materials—is another
option. Middlebury College in
Middlebury, Vermont, recovers
75 percent of its food discards
from dining halls, snackbars,
and special events through
onsite windrow composting.
The fact sheet packet (EPA530-
F-98-023) is available from the
RCRA Hotline at 800 424-9346.
ood recovery programs not only
I : benefit the environment by
: i reducing the waste stream, but
they also offer social and economic
benefits:
« Reducing trash collection and dis-
posal fees.
• Providing food to the needy.
« Recovering the nutrient value of
the food as compost or animal food.
Helping communities meet local
and state waste reduction goals.
Sustaining local
industries and
jobs.
Creating an
improved
public
image for
businesses.
-------
ecycliiig coordinators at col-
! :'' -' leges and universities face a
• -: myriad of challenges—from
increasing recycling rates despite
an ever-changing student body to
finding markets for used items such
as old computers. In 1992, these
recycling officials had few avail-
able resources or networks through
which to share information. To
remedy this, a small group
of pioneers established
the College and Uni-
versity Recy-
cling Council
(CURC) later
that year.
Today, CURC
operates as a
technical coun-
cil of the
National Recy-
cling Coalition
(NRC) and
brings together
more than 150
college and university waste man-
agement officials. CURC offers its
members educational and profes-
sional development regarding
solid waste reduction and recycling.
"CURC enables key players of
university recycling programs that
are in similar situations to net-
work with each other, sharing
obstacles and successes," said
CURC Co-chair Pete Pasterz.
"The organization links
representatives
from all differ-
ent types of col-
leges and
universities—
large and small,
urban and rural,
public and pri-
vate."
To expedite
networking,
CURC offers the
following
resources:
Through an e-mail list server,
RECYC-L, members can access
other college and university
recycling coordinators around
the country to discuss their
recycling programs and related
topics. The University of Iowa,
for example, used the list server
to find a market for nine-track
tapes discarded from the cam-
pus's main frame computers.
Through its Campus Recycling
Series, CURC sponsors regional
campus events to provide prac-
tical, goal-oriented information
to attendees. Workshops are
scheduled at Stanford University,
Northeastern University, and
Miami University of Ohio in 1999.
The CURC Web site, ,
offers the RECYC-L archives,
campus program profiles, and a
virtual shopping mall where
visitors can search for recycled-
content product information.
Ceorge Mason Oniwersitf in Fairfax, Virginia, might not recycle everything, but it sure comes close
with one of the most comprehensive recycling programs in the country. In addition to the more
traditional items, the university recycles automotive parts, yard trimmings, refrigerator coolants,
and paint solvents. For more information, visit .
Deemed the Vermont "School Recycler of the Year" in 1996 by the Association of Vermont
Recyclers, Middlebury College diverted an impressive 64 percent of its waste stream
through recycling and composting that year. An active student body coupled with a strong
recycling program, which includes a recycling center and environmental coordinator, doesn't
let much go to waste. For more information, visit .
Rather than throwing away old clothes, students at the Pniwersitf of send their used textiles
and clothing to a company that distributes them for reuse in developing countries or manu-
factures new items such as rags, padding, and stuffing. For more information, visit
.
At the forefront of solid waste technology, the Pniwersitf of developed a
computer program, "Lab Safety System," that facilitates comprehensive programs to share,
recycle, and substitute hazardous materials and chemicals in classroom or research libraries.
For more information, visit .
-------
(Continued from page 1)
Massachusetts offers a volun-
tary program for educators. Imple-
mented In 400 schools, the
program—Recycling Education
Assistance for Public Schools
(REAPS)—hires environmental
educators to visit schools and
lead students in hands-on activities
such as making recycled paper
from paper scraps generated in
the classroom and compost from
items collected on school grounds.
"Students are enthusiastic and
excited when learning about
waste reduction, reuse, and recy-
cling," said Michelle Walker, an
environmental educator with
Applied Pro-Active Technology.
"Because students remember rne
on return visits, I believe they also
remember the concepts I teach."
In Wisconsin, Act 335 requires
municipalities to establish effec-
tive recycling programs that
include a public education com-
ponent. School districts also need
to meet, the new recycling require-
ments; therefore, the law directed
the Wisconsin Department of Nat-
ural Resources (DNR) to develop
and distribute recycling and
waste reduction education materi-
als for grades K-12. While there is
no set curriculum or program for
municipalities and school dis-
tricts to follow, they have access
to a wide variety of teaching
resources developed by the DNR.
DNR focuses on developing
effective and interesting teaching
resources and notifying schools
about the law. State outreach
efforts Include making presenta-
tions at schools and conferences,
maintaining a kids' Web site,
conducting direct mailings, and
helping municipalities work with
schools.
The state also measures the
program's success through surveys.
"Our surveys show that through
state and local efforts, students
not only learn about the impor-
tance of responsible solid waste
management, but they bring this
knowledge home and teach their
families," said Joel Stone, Wis-
consin DNR Recycling Education
Coordinator. "We are proud of the
many state and national awards
we've received for our efforts."
California legislation requires all
cities and counties In the state to
divert 50 percent of their waste by
2000. To help meet this goal, the
state's lead agency on solid waste
education, the California Integrated
Waste Management Board (CIWMB),
established an Instructional pro-
gram with diversion assistance for
K-12 schools. The program includes
teacher training workshops, cur-
riculum development, a newsletter,
and technical assistance to school
districts developing waste preven-
tion and recycling programs.
The program's strength lies in
its partnerships at both the state
and local level. At the state level,
CIWMB leverages the resources of
other agencies through the Cali-
fornia Environmental Education
Interagencv Network (CEEIN), a
state government consortium of
environmental educators repre-
senting departments, boards, and
commissions. CIWMB and other
CEEIN members partner with the
Walt Disney Company, for exam-
ple, to produce a statewide annual
environmental education contest
in which "kids design their own
projects, which gets them out into
the community solving real envi-
ronmental problems," said Tricia
Broddrick of CIWMB.
Partnering on the local level,
CIWMB works with science asso-
ciations, private industry, and
haulers, piggybacking on existing
activities and tapping into these
groups' local expertise. CIWMB
works closely with these organi-
zations to tailor its outreach to
local needs and circumstances.
Depending on demographic and
geographic factors, for example,
CIWMB staff might emphasize
different solid waste issues—
waste prevention and vermicom-
posting in one area and traditional
and oil recycling in others.
As other states embrace solid
waste education they can look to
the successful models in Massa-
chusetts, Wisconsin, and Califor-
nia for guidance. "State programs
should ensure that our children
understand and practice the basic
principles of waste reduction,
reuse, and recycling," said Stone.
"Their support and leadership are
key to our future." ^
For more information on
these state programs, contact the
individuals listed below:
Massachusetts
Nicole Cirillo
Phone: 617 574-6865
E-mail: ncirillo@state.ma.us
Wisconsin
Joel Stone
Phone: 608 266-2711
Web site: www.dnr.state.wi.us/eek
California
Tricia Broddrick
Phone: 916 255-2389
E-mail: tbroddri@ciwmb.ca.gov
Web site: www.ciwmb.ca.gov/
wpe/schools
-------
i ; t sounds hard to believe, but
. i almost 4.5 million pounds of
i food scraps are generated per
meal on college campuses around
the country. From the kitchen to the
serving table, consumers, food ser-
vice operators, and retailers could
all play a role in sending less
food to the dumpster.
In an effort to reduce the
amount of food and food-related
waste generated, INFORM, Inc.,
recently completed Getting an 'A'
at Lunch: Smart. Strategies to
Reduce Waste in Campus Dining,
The report, just one of many tech-
nical documents produced by the
environmentally minded
organization, looks at the
food service sector of col-
leges and universities and
its specific contributions
to the campus waste
stream. It also provides
tips and strategies for
both students and food
service directors on
reducing food and other
waste generated in college
dining halls.
Below are a few key tips from
the report:
* Know what the students want.
By giving students a chance to
contribute to menu planning,
the more unpopular food items
can be eliminated in the first
place. Offer suggestion boxes or
conduct surveys to find out what
types of food students prefer.
» Use smaller servings for self-
serve items. Setting out too
much food not only generates
unnecessary waste, but it is
costly as well. Place loss food
at salad bars and buffets and
replenish more often. This will
avoid having untouched food
go to waste and will allow food
consumption to be managed
more efficiently.
(Continued from page 1)
To ensure the kit would be edu
cational and "kid-friendly," EPA
convened several focus groups in
1997 and 1998 with teachers and
students in grades 4 through 6.
Their valuable input was used to
refine and improve the materials.
When kids enthusiastically
said they washed for copies
of the board game as a
holiday gift, EPA knew
the activities had hit
the mark!
The kit contains a
Planet Protectors Club
poster, certificate,
badge, and pocket
guides with instruc-
tions for kids and
adults. Tools include:
• Follow That Trail!, an activity
guide focusing on the concepts
of conserving, recycling, and
composting. The guide takes
"young detectives" through an
imaginary house with match-
ing, decoding, drawing, and
coloring exercises.
• The Case of the Broken Loop,
an activity guide that looks at
product life cycles, "clos-
ing the loop," and
other solid waste top-
ics via crossword
puzzles, word
boxes, and other
games.
Drop, Swap, &
Roll: The Game
of Reuse and
Recycling, a
board game
that helps
players learn the basics of recy-
cling, composting, and reuse.
Students also answer trivia
questions relating to solid
waste issues in science, math,
history, and social studies.
• The Environauts Mission to
Earth and other Internet activi-
ties, located at , al low
students to study waste reduction
practices on Earth through the
eyes of an alien from another
planet in a series of challenging,
interactive computer exercises.
New missions and assignments
will be added periodically. In
addition, EPA plans to update its
solid waste curriculum in 1999. To
order the complete Planet Protectors
Club kit, contact the RCRA Hotline
at 800 424-9346 and request docu-
ment number EPA530-E-98-002.
6
-------
* Offer reusable cups and mugs.
Several colleges around the
nation have implemented
reusable cup or mug programs
that dramatically reduce the
use of single-use cups. Offer
an incentive for students to
participate, such as discounts
on beverages.
INFORM also produced the
report Making Less Garbage on
Campus in 1995, which contains
case studies of different cam-
puses' approaches to waste pre-
vention. To obtain copies of the
reports, visit its Web site at
or call
Whitman Book Distribution at
800 353-3730. For more informa-
tion, contact Nevin Cohen of
INFORM at 212 361-2400.
' ..':ould it be that kids are pay-
: ing as much attention to
"."buying recycled" as the lat-
est fashion and music trends? At
least among fifth- and eighth-
graders at Smyser Elementary
School in Chicago, Illinois, that
seems to be the case. Concerned
about the demand for recycled-
content products, students at this
school decided to take matters
into their own hands.
"Our students realized that you
arc not really recycling unless
you buy recycled-content prod-
ucts," said Sherry Weinberg,
Smyser Elementary School
teacher. "With this in mind, they
took on a project to make recycled
products more marketable."
As a research component of the
project, students performed qual-
ity and cost comparison tests
on numerous recycled-
and nonrocyclod-
content products such as
napkins, paper towels, and
tissues. Students found the
products made with recy-
cled materials were equal
in quality and similar in
price to the iioiirecycled
products. As a related
project, students worked
with grocery stores,
surveying con-
sumers about
their habits
and attitudes
regarding
recycled-
content
products.
Students also participated in a
variety of outreach efforts such as
writing and designing flyers for
the community that explained
why consumers should buy recy-
cled. Students suggested ways
grocery stores could increase the
visibility of their recycled-content
products, from clearly labeling
products to consolidating prod-
ucts under a "recycled products"
sign. They even communicated
ideas to recycled product manu-
facturers, such as offering special
coupons for some products.
To conclude the project, stu-
dents made presentations to
teachers, classmates, and the com-
munity at a local environmental
festival. At the event, students
showed off a variety of items they
made from scratch, including
vases made from cereal boxes,
picture frames made from scrap
cloth, and robots made with soda
Through participation in the
project, students learned the
importance of closing the recy-
cling loop and how to initiate
change through government, pri-
vate companies, and the commu-
nity. "The project was a tremendous
success and really affected the
community, making it more aware
of how and why people should
purchase recycled-content prod-
ucts," said Weinberg.
For more information on the
project, contact Sherry Weinberg
of Smyser Elementary School at
773 534-3710.
-------
ecogiiiziiig the tremendous
I : opportunities for waste pre-
: : . -vention and recycling, EPA's
WasteWise program expanded its
focus to target schools and univer-
sities. Already, 79 educational
institutions are saving thousands
of dollars while also serving as
environmental role models by par-
ticipating in the WasteWise Program.
Below are just a few examples:
• Sligo Adventist School, in.
Takoma Park, Maryland,
switched to bulk juice dis-
pensers and reusable plastic
cups, started a vormicompost-
ing program for its food scraps,
and reduced paper use in the
school's office. As a result, the
school recycled 96,000 pounds
of paper and 2,500 pounds of
food scraps. The school also
recycled more than 2,000 pounds
of each of the following materi-
als: plastic, metal, and glass.
« Seattle University operates a sur-
plus store to sell office furniture,
computer
equipment,
and other
used items
rather than
jE
disposing of them. lATfCr
In addition, the VwOJt
school's recycling
program collected more than
876,000 pounds of material in
1997, saving nearly $50,000 in
disposal fees.
« Desert Sands Unified School
District, in La Quiiita, Califor-
nia, saved $128,000 in 1 year by
donating 3 tons of old textbooks
to developing countries and
selling used cooking oil for
reprocessing into animal feed.
These stories are impressive
given the host of challenges that
must be overcome by educational
institutions in developing a suc-
cessful waste reduction program.
In many ways, a university or
school district operates like a
large business, coordinating a mix
of facilities, cafeterias, outside
contractors, and of course, students.
Gaining support for a new pro-
gram, reaching a consensus about
the kind of program to implement,
and informing the
institutional commu-
nity about how to
Desert Sands Unified School District
bales its boxes on site for recycling
participate are just a few obstacles
schools and universities typically
face.
Over time, EPA hopes to help
educational institutions achieve
the same level of success as pri-
vate sector WasteWise partners.
With support from WasteWise,
partners can save money and pre-
vent material from being disposed
of—not only leaving more money
available for education, but also
encouraging environmentally con-
scientious decision-making for
future generations.
For more information, contact
the WasteWise Helpline at
800 EPA-WISE (372-9473) or
visit the program's Web site at
.
-------
: : ederal agencies are reaching out
! ' to schools and practicing reuse
: through the "Computers for
Learning" program. All executive fed-
eral agencies participate in the pro-
gram, which is coordinated by the
U.S. General Services Administration
(GSA). Agencies donate hundreds
of thousands of pieces of surplus
computer equipment, such as cen-
tral processing units, printers, mod-
ems, routers, and servers, to schools
and nonprofit educational organiza-
tions. Special consideration is given
to those with the greatest need.
The program saves the federal
government significant resources
by reducing paperwork and mini-
mizing the time surplus computers
stay in government inventories.
Established in April 1996 by
President Clinton, Computers for
Learning assists in making mod-
ern computer technology an inte-
gral part of every classroom. The
program is part of the President's
broader efforts to help children
advance their technological skills
in preparation for the challenges
of the next century.
So far, the program is drawing
rave reviews from schools and
teachers. "This will not only be an
invaluable resource to our stu-
dents but also to the communities
impacted by the contributions of
our graduates," said John Traynor,
President of Gonzaga Prepatory
School in Spokane, Washington,
after his school received a ship-
ment of computers.
Schools and educational non-
profits can easily register to request
computer equipment through the
Computers for Learning Web site.
The Web site also includes infor-
mation on how to find assistance if
computers require upgrading and
how to contact volunteers with
technical computer knowledge.
Members of the Computers for
Learning Partnership will ship com-
puters to schools free of charge. For
more information about Computers
for Learning, call the toll-free hotline
at 888 362-7870 or visit the pro-
gram's Web site at .
: " eading, writing, and arithmetic
aren't the only lessons children
are learning in school these
days. Thanks to Keep America Beauti-
ful, Inc. (KAB), students can add the
importance of solid waste manage-
ment to the list, as more and more
schools adopt KAB's innovative edu-
cational curriculum.
The curriculum is actually
divided into two
parts: Waste in
Place and Waste:
A Hidden Resource.
Waste in Place is
geared towards
children in grades
K-6 and fosters a
basic understanding
of litter prevention
and responsible solid
waste management
practices such as
source reduction, recycling, composting,
waste-to-energy, and sanitary landfilling.
Waste: A Hidden Resource targets
grades 7-12 and reinforces the waste
management topics learned in Waste
in Place by encouraging students to
develop critical thinking and problem-
solving skills. Through
| activities such as
' role-playing, stu-
dents pretend to be
elected officials, envi-
I ronmentalists, and
' business leaders and
address solid waste
issues together, such as
I siting a landfill.
; Both portions are inter-
disciplinary and can be
integrated with existing
f classes such as math, social studies,
or science. Each is the result of exten-
sive research on changing attitudes
and practices related to proper waste
management. In addition, each was
written and field-tested by a group of
350 teachers drawn from 21 states.
Waste in Place and Waste: A Hid-
den Resource are available for teachers
and school systems from KAB and its
affiliates nationwide. The curriculum is
promoted through 1-day workshops
taught by professional trainers with an
educational background and classroom
experience. In 1997, more than 10,000
teachers attended training sessions
conducted by KAB and its affiliates.
KAB is a national, nonprofit public
education organization concerned with
improving waste handling practices in
American communities. For more infor-
mation regarding the curriculum or the
organization, contact KAB's Sue Smith
at 815 725-5897 or Mara Neville at
203 323-8987. You can also visit
.
9
-------
; . . ecyclone Man
! [' • swept through
: . -Aberdeen, Mary-
land, recently, handing
out recycled-content
products and encourag-
ing residents to recycle.
The recycling superhero
was the key figure in a
2-month challenge to
boost the city's recy-
cling rate, reward citi-
zens for their efforts,
and educate them about
the importance of clos-
ing the loop.
Dressed in an eye-
catching red and white
outfit, Recyclone Man
marched through neigh-
borhoods ahead of a
recycling truck and left
behind prizes at house-
holds with recyclables
bagged for collection. Recycled-
content prizes included 16-roll
packs of 60 percent postconsumer
content bathroom tissue and 900-
couiit packages of paper napkins.
In addition, Recyclone Man left
behind a tip sheet, reminding
recyclers that, among other
things, bottle caps and jar lids are
not recyclable and that only #1
and #2 plastic bottles are recy-
clable in Aberdeen.
Where no recyclables were set
out, households received basic
recycling instructions and were
notified that prizes were awarded
to others in their neighborhood.
The information advised resi-
dents to tune in to a participating
radio station for details on the
challenge.
The challenge originated after
11 Aberdeen citizens weighed
their recyclables for a year and
found they could recycle up to
50 percent of their household
waste (not including yard trim-
mings).To cover the challenge's
costs, Aberdeen used surplus
funding from its pay-as-you-throw
program, which requires prepaid
40- or 80-cent stickers on each
trash bag set out for collection. If
a household's bagged trash weighs
less than the maximum amount
allowed per sticker, surplus fund-
ing accumulates. "It seemed only
fair to give it back to citizens,"
said Jim Litke, recycling coordina-
tor for the city of Aberdeen.
Both the community and city
officials enthusiastically sup-
ported the Recycloiie Challenge.
"I would certainly recommend it
to other communities," said Litke.
Based on its success, Aberdeen
residents can look forward to
another recycling challenge in
April 1999, since surprising
things happen when Recyclone
Man pays a visit. "It won't be
exactly the same," says Litke. "I
am thinking of a new twist."
For more information on the
challenge, contact Jim Litke of
Aberdeen at 410 273-2087.
North
Inter-
iation
'••.'• '• ore
: : ••' ;i : than
' ; !3,800
international
solid waste pro
fessionals from
the public and
private sectors
attended
WASTECON®
1998. The con-
ference was a
joint effort
between the
Solid Waste Association of
America (SWANA) and the
national Solid Waste Assoc
(ISWA).
A major strength of the confer-
ence was its solid waste trade
show. More than 245 exhibitors
displayed and demonstrated a
large variety of composting,
grinding, and recycling equip-
ment, in addition to collection,
transfer, and landfill equipment.
In addition, technical sessions
covered topics ranging from
global solid waste management
issues and trends to solutions for
developing countries to collection
efficiency innovations. Some
attendees even toured a compost
and mulch processing center and
a construction and demolition
debris facility.
It's not too early to start
planning for this year's event;
WASTECON® 1999 will be held
in Reno, Nevada, from October
18 to 21, 1999. For more
information, or to order the
WASTECON® 1998 proceedings
($65 for members, $75 for non-
members), contact SWANA at 301
585-2898 or visit its Web site at
< www. swana.org/>.
10
-------
EPA's new Rate Structure Design: Setting
Rates for a Pay-As-You-Throw Program
(EPA53Q-R-99-GQ6) can help take the
mystery out of setting effective rate
structures for trash collection services.
In communities with pay-as-you-tbrow
(PAYT) programs, residents are charged
based on the amount of trash they
throw away rather than a set fee. The
booklet details two strategies for set-
ting PAYT rates: (1) using eiisting data
from communities similar to your own
and (2) following six basic steps to
generate your own data, A hypothetical
sample town helps planners go through
each step, from forecasting the amount
of municipal solid waste generated to
projecting PAYT revenues and program
costs for your own community. Case
studies of successful programs across
the country are also provided. To obtain
your copy, call the PAYT Helpline at 888
EPA-PAYT (372-7298),
Extended product responsibility (EPR)
is an emerging environmental principle
designed to help businesses spark
product innovation, cut costs, and
enhance customer loyalty, while
expanding market share at home and
abroad. Under EPR, all actors along the
product chain are challenged to share
responsibility for reducing the lifecycle
environmental impacts of product sys-
tems, including upstream, production,
and downstream impacts. To help
explain this new approach, EPA pub-
lished Extended Product Responsibility:
A Strategic Framework for Sustainable
Products 30-K-98-004). This
eight-page booklet describes the bene-
fits of EPR, explains how it works, and
lists references with additional informa-
tion and model programs. EPA is play-
ing an active role in advancing the
understanding and implementation of
EPR principles in the United States by
working with businesses, research
institutions, consumers, federal agen-
cies, and and local governments.
To order a copy, call the RCRA Hotline
at 800 424-9346.
In vacant lots and abandoned buildings
or along alleys and roadways, illegal
dumping is a major problem in many
communities throughout the United
States, To help cities and counties deal
with this issue, EPA's Region 5 recently
prepared a comprehensive document
entitled Illegal Dumping Prevention
Guidebook (EPA9G5-B-97-OG1). It con-
tains general information about illegal
dumping and guidance for developing
a prevention program. It also includes a
"tool kit" of strategies that have proven
effective in combating illegal dumping,
reinforced by case studies detailing
how these strategies can be imple-
mented. To order a copy of the guide-
book, please write to: U.S. EPA Region
5; Waste, Pesticides, and Toxics Division;
77 West Jackson Boulevard (PA-19J);
Chicago, IL 60604, The guidebook also is
available on the Pay-As-You-ThrowWeb site
at .
Did you know that throwing away
can an impact on cli-
mate change? To find out more, visit EPA's
new Web site on climate change and
waste reduction. Through a of infor-
mative links and the site
EPA's efforts to address global climate
change through reduction, as well
as information on related programs, grant
projects, and frequently questions.
In addition, the site offers several tools,
including a new program and
corresponding user's guide, intended to
help the green-
house gas emissions resulting from their
solid management activities.
of Solid recently
launched an environmental careers page.
The links to environmental job and
internship opportunities and educational
institutions with concentrations in envi-
ronmental studies. It also provides a
glimpse into the daily of OSW
employees. In addition, the links to
EPA's Students and Teachers Page, a site
with teacher resources and tools, recycling
and reduction information for stu-
dents, and a kids' page, visitors also can
link to EPA's Web site for environmental
education and learn about Agencywide
initiatives.
11
-------
•' . •. new Executive order (E.O.)
.•' • •. renews the federal govern-
ment's commitment to waste
prevention, recycling, and the pur-
chase of recycled-content and
other environmentally preferable
products. Signed last September by
President Clinton, E.O. 13101,
"Greening the Government through
Waste Prevention, Recycling, and
Federal Acquisition," strengthens
E.O. 12873, passed in 1993.
One of the key tenets of E.O.
13101 is increasing the purchase of
recycled-content paper. Since
1993, the federal government has
quadrupled its purchases of recy-
cled-content printing and writing
paper. E.O. 13101 builds on this
success and directs federal agencies
to ensure that, as of January 1, 1999,
they purchase only printing and
writing paper containing 30 per-
cent postconsumer fiber. If agen-
cies are unable to do so, they must
purchase paper containing at least
20 percent postconsumer fiber.
In addition, the new E.O. calls
for EPA's Comprehensive Procure-
ment Guidelines (CPG) program to
continue designating recycled-
content products for governmental
purchase and recommend
recycled-content levels for these
items. The CPG program already
has designated 36 items and has
proposed 19 additional items in
CPG III. E.O. 13101 requires EPA to
update the CPG every 2 years or as
appropriate, rather than annually.
Federal agencies also are
encouraged to purchase environ-
mentally preferable products and
services, including biobased prod-
ucts, to harness the tremendous
purchasing power of the federal
government and spur markets for
these items. Biobased products are
commercial or industrial products
(other than food or agricultural
feed) that utilize biological products
or renewable domestic agricultural
or forestry materials. Examples
include vegetable oil-based trans-
mission fluids and architectural
products, such as cabinets, made
from, organic materials.
E.O. 13101 also directs EPA to
finalize its guidance on the
acquisition of environmentally
preferable products and services.
Agencies are required to work with
EPA on pilot projects to test and
evaluate EPA's guidance. The guiding
principle of environmentally prefer-
able procurement is that multiple
environmental attributes and life-
cycle analysis are taken into con-
sideration before product purchase.
Agencies also are directed by
E.O. 13101 to establish waste
reduction, recycling, and recycled
products purchasing targets.
The Council on Environmental
Quality chartered the White House
Task Force on Waste Prevention
and Recycling to work with the
Federal Environmental Executive
as chair of the task force to imple-
ment the E.O. EPA representatives
will serve on this task force. For
more information on E.O. 13101,
contact the Office of the Federal
Environmental Executive at
202 260-1297.
This issue of Reusable News is also available on
the Internet Access this and other EPA publications
through the World Wide Web, at .
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(5305W)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
------- |