United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(OS-305)
EPA/530-SW-91-020
Winter 1991
NEW
In This Issue
Looking Back, Looking
Ahead (p. 1)
The Greening of the
Marketplace (p. 1)
Postal Service Delivers a
First Class Recycling Effort
(P. 2)
Conferences Boost
Recycling and Procurement
From the Top Down (p. 2)
San Diego Sends CORPs
Into Action (p. 3)
Young Rangers Pledge to
Uphold Recycling in
Newark, New Jersey (p. 3)
Nation Pumps Up Tire
Recycling and Reuse (p. 4)
Yankee Ingenuity Adds
Miles to Used Tires (p. 5)
New Mailing Machine
Stamps Out Waste (p. 5)
Back to Basics: Guides
Explain Composting
Fundamentals (p. 5)
EPA Region 2 Goes Global
with U.N. Handbook (p. 6)
Grocery Campaign Corners
the Market on Source
Reduction (p. 7)
Native American Network:
A RCRA Information
Exchange (p. 7)
neusable News is the
flquarterly 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 effectively
manage the nation's garbage, and
provides useful information about
key issues and concerns in MSW
management, fl
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
by Sylvia K. Lowrance, Director, EPA Office of Solid Waste
Welcome to a new year of Reusable News. Over the past year, we've
reported in this newsletter on many accomplishments in municipal solid
waste management across the country. During
1990, many individuals and manufacturers found
ways to reduce the wastes that they generated.
More landfills and combustors were upgraded, and
more materials were recovered through recycling.
For its part, EPA reestablished MSW as a major
priority within the Agency during the past 2 years.
In 1990, our Municipal Solid Waste Program, which
began as a task force in 1988, became a full-
fledged division-^he Municipal and Industrial Solid
Waste Division (MISWD). Staff in EPA's Regional
Offices are also addressing MSW management
issues, and are answering questions and providing technical assistance to
communities in their area.
(Continued on page 8)
The Greening of the
Marketplace
EPA/OCA Initiate Product Labeling
Program
It is no surprise that many people are confused about the meaning of such terms
as reusable, recyclable, environmentally preferred, source-reduced, and
degradable when they read these claims on product packages. Environmental
claims for products have proliferated in the past several years. Within the past year
alone, the number of products introduced and marketed as green doubled, from 4.5
percent to over 9 percent. In comparison, only 0.5 percent of all new products were
characterized as green in 1985.
Several states and private groups have taken the initiative to define environmental
terms used on product labels. EPA applauds these efforts, but also believes there
is a need for consistent national guidance on the use of such terms to reduce
consumer confusion and help industry comply. To address this need, EPA and the
U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) are developing voluntary national guidelines
for the use of some environmental terms on product labels. The Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) has also been invited to participate in this effort.
^^ Reusable News is printed on recycled paper.
(Continued on page 8)
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Postal Service Delivers a First Class Recycling Effort
With the recent appointment of one
of its top officials, Mitchell H. Gor-
don, as Chief Environmental Officer, the
U.S. Postal Service has made a sig-
nificant statement about the importance
of recycling and other environmental
programs in carrying out its mission.
One of Gordon's primary functions will
be to oversee a massive recycling cam-
paign underway both at headquarters in
Washington, DC, and at more than
40,000 post offices nationwide.
The Postal Service kicked off its in-
house recycling program, called Saving
of America's Resources (SOAR), at
headquarters last October. The Service
worked with the solid waste manage-
ment firm, Gershman, Brickner, and
Bratton (GBB), in designing and im-
plementing the program. Collection
receptacles for high-grade and mixed
paper, newspaper, corrugated
cardboard, and aluminum have been set
up in each department. Collection slots
for newspaper also have been built into
the walls of elevator lobbies on every
floor. Polystyrene plates and trays are
collected for recycling in the cafeteria.
Response to the program has been
enthusiastic. Over 30 tons of materials
were collected for recycling in one
month alone, says Headquarters Recy-
cling Coordinator Scott Bashore. 'This
represents approximately 50 percent of
our off ice waste stream," says Bashore.
The Postal Service is also procuring
recycled paper for its newsletters,
notices to households, and other publi-
cations wherever feasible. Soon it will
be testing the market with a new
product—nondenominational en-
Saving Of America's Resources
A United Slates Postal Se/Wce Recycling Program
velopes made of recycled paper geared
for use by institutions mailing Savings
Bonds. The Postal Service is also re-
searching an alternative to plastic win-
dows on envelopes. The plastic
windows currently being used impede
recycling efforts.
Another recycling opportunity is
being explored in conjunction with a
pilot program to sell stamps through
automatic bank teller machines. The
Postal Service has initiated the
development of the first completely
water-soluble, pressure-sensitive ad-
hesive (peel and stick) for the stamps'
backing. This glue will ensure that the
envelopes can be recycled. If success-
ful, this new adhesive could be used on
labels of all kinds.
The Postal Service is also working to
recycle and minimize waste in its
vehicle-maintenance operations, which
involve 160,000 vehicles—the largest
fleet in the civilian side of the federal
government. National programs for
recycling waste oil, lead-acid batteries,
and cleaning solvents are already in
place, and programs to recycle an-
tifreeze are being piloted in several
locations. The Service also is procuring
more retreaded tires.
In addition, the Postal Service
recently met with industries involved in
commercial mailings to explore ways to
cut down on third class mail that cannot
be delivered because of wrong or in-
complete addresses. Discussion
focused on activities such as updating
mailing lists and making sure mailings
are not duplicated.
Recycling is catching on at the regional
level as well. A pilot program in Tampa,
Florida, will save an estimated $40,000 per
year in waste disposal costs thanks to
recycling. Los Angeles, California, is
also piloting an in-house recycling
program with receptacles for paper,
aluminum, and other metals throughout
its offices. The Postal Service hopes
that the success of such regional
programs will help make recycling a top
priority in post offices across the nation.
Conferences Boost Recycling and Procurement
from the Top Down
To encourage federal agency recy-
cling and the procurement of
recycled goods, EPA and the General
Services Administration (GSA) cospon-
sored a mid-December 1/2-day con-
ference in Washington, DC. The
conference brought together nearly 200
administrators from the federal agen-
cies in the Washington, DC, area to
discuss pertinent regulations, policies,
and issues regarding recycling and
procurement of recycled goods in
government agencies. Several
governmental officials spoke at the
event, including William Reilly, EPA Ad-
ministrator; Richard Austin, GSA Ad-
ministrator; and Michael Deland,
Chairman of the Council on Environ-
mental Quality.
Conference coordinators stressed
the benefits that could be gained if all
federal offices recycled solid waste and
procured recycled materials. Not only
would the amount of waste generated
by these agencies be reduced, but
waste disposal costs could be reduced
and valuable raw materials could be
provided to industry through the sale of
recovered materials. The coordinators
hope that by reaching top officials in the
agencieSi they have sparked the level
of interest necessary to endorse the
expansion of federal office recy-
cling/procurement programs.
To set the wheels in motion to develop,
implement, and maintain recycling and
procurement programs, EPA and GSA will
sponsor a second conference later this
year for federal building managers,
recycling coordinators, and procure-
ment officials. EPA plans to distribute
training packages at the conference
that contain detailed guidance and
course materials for recycling coor-
dinators and building managers, and
educational/promotional materials for
individual employees. EPA may also
conduct a sample training session at
the conference to provide participants
with first-hand experience in using the
materials.
For more information about eithercon-
ference, contact the EPA Headquarters
Recycling Office at (202) 382-6980. For
more information about the training
materials, call Terry Grist at (202) 475-
8518.1
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San Diego
Sends CORPs
Into Action
In just one year, the county of San
Diego, California, has increased the
amount of office waste recycled by
nearly 50 percent thanks to their in-
novative, award-winning County Of-
fices Recycling Programs (CORPs). In
1989, county offices recycled 520 tons
of material (mostly paper), but a
detailed waste audit showed that the
county could double the amount of
waste being recycled through an ex-
panded program. State and county
funding provided the resources to put
CORPs into place. CORPs expanded
the program to other recyclables in
1990, considerably increasing the
amount of waste recycled.
To expand the program, and to en-
courage greater participation by county
employees, CORPs provided orienta-
tion sessions for supervisors and
managers and established an incentive
program for "good recyclers." Inspired
by CORPs, the 16,000 county office
workers have tossed aluminum, glass,
cardboard, and other types of office
paper into recycling bins. In 1988-1989,
the county raised more than $68,000 by
selling the recyclables, and saved more
than $11,000 in landfill and disposal
fees.
Their hard work has not gone un-
noticed. The National Association of
Counties recently recognized San
Diego County's CORPs with an
achievement award for office recycling,
and the American Paper Institute
named CORPs the Best Regional Of-
fice Recycling Plan. Part of the
program's success lies in the hands of
workfare participants, who act as col-
lection crews in the offices. Ten workers
per month provide 1,500 hours of labor
and receive food stamps and financial
support in return.
CORPs is just one part of San Diego
County's overall integrated waste
management program. Other com-
ponents of the program include year-
round phonebook collection and a
system for converting wood and yard
waste into mulch. The county invested
in equipment that grinds the organic
refuse brought to a municipal landfill.
After the refuse is mulched, it is dis-
Young Rangers Pledge to Uphold
Recycling in Newark, New Jersey
Mayor Sharpe James of Newark, New Jersey, has sworn in hundreds of
deputies over the past year. These recruits, however, are a little out of the
ordinary. They've come from the ranks of elementary school classrooms, and
have been enlisted to
uphold recycling in the
city.
In the "Recycling
Rangers" program,
Mayor James, the
Deputy Mayor, or the
city's Recycling Coor-
dinator visits K-6 class-
rooms and presents
children with a badge
and a card that symbol-
ize their appointment as
a "Recycling Ranger." At
the "swearing in"
ceremony, children raise
their right hand and
repeat the Recycling
Ranger Pledge, in which
they promise,
among other
things, to "tell
my family and
friends why
recycling is a
good thing
to do and
help them to
recycle."
Mayor Sharpe James of Newark, New Jersey, and
young "deputies" repeat the Recycling Ranger
Pledge as part of the city's effort to enlist the help
of schoolchildren to promote recycling in the city.
Since mid-November, the appointment of the young rangers has been
accompanied by a puppet show, "The Woes of Waste." This fantasy about a
kingdom besieged by a "monstrous" garbage problem (in the form of a dragon
living in a landfill) teaches children about the problems associated with solid
waste and what they can do to help. In the story, a young girl who works in the
palace is made the "Recycling Ranger" after suggesting that the kingdom
recycle to get rid of its garbage.
Newark plans to involve all of the city's 50 schools in this program by the
spring of 1991. In conjunction with the puppet show and Recycling Ranger
Program, schools are encouraged to begin their own recycling programs, which
may include polystyrene cafeteria trays or paper. In upcoming years, Newark
plans to expand its Recycling Ranger Program for the elementary grades with
new solid waste-related topics, and to initiate a more sophisticated program for
the high schools.
For more information, write to Frank Sudol, Newark Department of
Engineering, Room 410, 920 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102. §
tributed to the public at no charge and
used by the county for municipal public
works projects. The Department of
Public Works (DPW) has also gone
beyond the CORPs initiative to imple-
ment source reduction guidelines that
demand double-sided copying for most
office projects and memos. Also, to
create a market for recycled paper, all
paper purchased for DPW offices must
contain recycled fibers.
For more information, contact
Deborah Castillo at (619) 694-2278.1
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Nation Pumps Up Tire Recycling and Reuse
Americans are on a roll when it
comes to consuming tires for
their cars, trucks, buses, and
machinery. The United States
scraps 234 million tires each
year, 82 percent through stock-
piles, landfills, and illegal dumps.
What is being done to handle all
these discarded tires? Here are
some of the most frequently
asked questions EPA receives
about tires and the actions being
taken by federal, state, and local
governments and private industry
to solve the problem.
1. What are the environmental
impacts of tire disposal?
Most of the health and environmental
hazards related to tire disposal are
caused by long-standing stockpiles of
whole tires. The air pockets in tires
provide convenient habitats for rodents.
The pockets also hold water, thereby
providing ideal breeding grounds for
mosquitoes, which can transmit serious
diseases.
Stockpiled tires also pose fire
hazards. Burning stockpiles are difficult
to extinguish because the air pockets in
tires trap oxygen that constantly feeds
the flames. Some tire fires have burned
for over one year! When burning, tires
emit a noxious, air-polluting black
srnoke. The remaining oils and soot can
run off into and contaminate surface
water and ground-water supplies.
2. What is the status of tire
recycling and reuse in the United
States?
In 1989, over 13 percent of the tires
discarded in the United States were
recycled into new products, converted
into energy, or reused for applications
other than vehicle transportation (see
chart on this page). Over 4 percent were
exported. (Retreads and old tires
reused directly for other vehicles are not
considered to be scrap tires.)
3. Do any ways exist to effectively
deal with scrap tires?
Combustion is one of the most
promising solutions to dealing with
scrap tires. Waste tires make excellent
fuel because they have a fuel value
slightly higherthan coal at about 12,000
to 16,000 BTUs per pound. One tire-
burning facility, located 90 mites east of
San Francisco, California, has been
consuming about 4.5 million tires and
Many of the 234 million tires generated in the United States
each year end up in stockpiles like this one located in California.
states, or check your telephone
directory for a list of scrap tire com-
panies located in your area. EPA
does not remove tires.
5. How are tires regulated?
Waste tire regulation is handled
at the state level. Around the nation,
33 states have tire regulations or
laws in place, and 11 more have
rules in draft or proposed stages.
These statutes include provisions
for waste tire storage, processing,
landfilling, hauling, and marketing.
Although each program varies in
scope, some of the common
generating 100 million kilowatt-hours of
electricity each year since 1987. The
plant is equipped with a sophisticated
pollution-control system that controls
the smoke and odor many people as-
sociate with burning tires. The plant
operates within federal and state pollu-
tion control limits and recycles all the
by-products produced during the tire-
provisions ban the landfilling of whole
tires, require the permitting of waste tire
processors, collect tire disposal fees,
and tax retail tire sales. States that col-
lect funds from disposal fees and taxes
allocate the money to pay for such
projects as cleaning up tire dumps, is-
suing grants for research and develop-
ment of tire recycling/reuse projects,
burning process, including steel slag
from the incinerator and zinc oxide and
gypsum from the two air pollution con-
trol devices. Oxford Engineering, owner
of the California plant, is planning to
open a new facility in Sterling, Connec-
ticut.
4.1 have lots of old tires. How can I
get rid of them?
Call the EPA RCRA/Superfund Hot-
line at (800) 424-9346, Monday through
Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST to
obtain the address and phone number
of the person to contact about tires in
your state. Then call your state and ask
for a list of companies that accept waste
tires in your area. You can also check
your local library for issues of Waste
Age, Scrap Tire News, Resource Recy-
cling, and other solid waste journals that
list tire shredding companies in several
closing landfills, managing the collec-
tion and disposal of tires, and testing
new products that contain tire-derived
rubber.
Minnesota has developed one of the
most comprehensive programs. This
state outlaws the burial of waste tires,
provides for the cleanup of tire dumps,
issues grants and loans for encourag-
ing proper management and recycling
of waste tires, and manages a cradle-
to-grave system for tracking tires from
the moment they are first discarded to
final disposal or processing.
To assure safe operations, the tracking
system requires tire storage, transfer, and
processing facilities to have permits and
waste transporters to have state iden-
tification numbers authorizing them to
haul waste tires. Transporters must also
submit quarterly reports that outline
pickup and disposal operations. 1
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Yankee Ingenuity Adds Miles to Used Tires
Over 12 years ago in the seafaring
town of New Bedford, Mas-
sachusetts, Tom Ferreira had an in-
genious idea. Why not turn the
secondhand tires he was refurbish-
ing for his wholesale tire company
into practical products for local com-
mercial boat owners? With a little
Yankee ingenuity, Ferreira designed
and produced a variety of bumpers,
fenders, rollers, and other protective
parts for boats and fishing gear—all
made from used tires.
Today, Ferreira and partner
Andrew Brennen own and operate
F&B Enterprises, Inc., one of the few
tire recycling companies in the nation
(aside from retreaders). Using 1,000
truck tires and 2,500 passenger car
tires per day and 150 earth-moving
tires each week, the company
produces 3 million pounds of recycled
tire products annually. F&B
Enterprises is now a multimillion dol-
lar business that sells hundreds of
different products and has customers
in Iceland, Norway, and Nova Scotia,
as well as the United States.
In addition to manufacturing boat-
ing gear, F&B Enterprises creates
A machine operator at F&B Enterprises, Inc. cuts the
sidewall away from the tread of a passenger car tire
as part of the process to convert scrap tires into other
useful products.
A series of 3-inch rubber discs cut from the sidewall of
a truck tire protect a fishing boat chain from wearing out
wheels for highway lawn mowers
and a number of different rubber
auto parts. The company's products
are priced at one-tenth the cost of
similar rubber products made from
scratch and outlast comparable
goods made from plastic, wood, and
fiberglass. The company also
shreds its bits of scrap tires into
rubber chips and sells them to
another manufacturer and a paper
mill that use them as a fuel additive,
tire-derived fuel (TDF).
F&B Enterprises receives its used
tires from landfills located in the
Northeast, from Maine to Pennsyl-
vania. Many landfill owners pay Fer-
reira to pick up the tires; others deliver
the tires at no cost to F&B
Enterprises.
Ferreira believes that the potential
for expanding the uses of
secondhand tires is virtually un-
limited. "It's a lot cheaper to recycle
than to throw things away," he says.
This is encouraging news for solid
waste managers around the country
seeking effective ways to deal with
discarded tires. 1
New Mailing Machine Stamps Out Waste
EPA recently purchased a new mail-
ing machine that will reduce waste
and save resources. The new machine
prints addresses directly onto en-
velopes, rather than on mailing labels.
This process eliminates the use of 200
to 17,000 labels for each bulk mailing
and the time it takes to manually place
the labels onto the envelopes. Bob
Kelly, Chief of ERA'S Recycling, Printing
Services, and Mail Management
Branch, estimates that it takes three
people 2 days to complete this task for
the large bulk mailings.
In addition to eliminating the use of
the labels and saving personnel time,
the new mailer also avoids contaminat-
ing the envelopes with the nonsoluble
glue from the label adhesive, which
renders the envelopes nonrecyclable.
Kelly estimates that the machine will be
operational this winter. This change in
operational procedures is one example
of a simple step organizations can take
to drastically reduce municipal solid
waste. 1
Back to Basics: Guides Explain Composting Fundamentals
The Waste Reduction & Recycling
Program in Fairfax County, Virginia,
has published a useful pamphlet that
covers the basics of composting. The
Back Yard Composting Guide explains
why individuals should compost, how to
set up and maintain a composting site,
and how to use compost. To obtain a
copy, send a written request with a
stamped, self-addressed, 9 by 12-inch
envelope to Department of Public
Works, Division of Solid Waste Collec-
tion & Recycling, 3930 Pender Drive,
Third Floor, Fairfax, Virginia 22030.
New York State has also published a
composting guide entitled Yard Waste
Management—A Planning Guide for
New York State. This document
covers composting fundamentals,
facility siting and operation, and the
state's regulatory requirements for solid
waste management facilities. It con-
tains key information for local officials in
New York State, as well as other areas,
about designing and implementing suc-
cessful composting and chipping
facilities. To receive a copy of the guide,
contact Sally Rowland, Division of Solid
Waste, New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation, 50 Wolf
Road, Room 230, Albany, NY 12233-
4013, (518) 457-2051. Both guides are
available free of charge. 1
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EPA Region 2
Goes Global with
U.N. Handbook
A practical handbook introducing the
concept of resource recovery is
now in the hands of almost 500 environ-
mental and public health officials in 43
countries around the world, thanks to
the efforts of Region 2 (New York, New
Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin
Islands). The Recoverable Resource
Audit Handbook was developed as part
of a technical assistance effort in sup-
port of the United Nations Environment
Programme's (UNEP's) "World Con-
ference of Local Governments for a
Sustainable Future," held at the United
Nations last September. The handbook,
which was developed to assist local
communities assess and implement al-
ternatives to current waste disposal
practices, was distributed to all UNEP
Congress participants.
This publication
describes the input and
output methodologies:
two approaches for
analyzing materials that
enter the MSW stream.
The core of this 28-page publication
is a step-by-step description of two
methodologies for analyzing the nature
and source of materials that enter the
municipal solid waste stream. The out-
put approach estimates wastes based
on manually sorting a representative
sample as it arrives at a management
site. With the input method, managers
must estimate amounts of potential
wastes at their origins. The handbook
also covers the solid waste manage-
ment hierarchy, including source reduc-
tion, recycling and composting, and
incineration and landfilling; and discus-
ses how managers can evaluate the
costs and benefits of resource recovery.
Single copies of the Recoverable
Resource Audit Handbook are available
by written request from Michael De-
Bonis, Assistant Director for Solid
Waste Management, U.S. EPA, Region
2, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY
10278.1
Hot Off the Hotline
UESTION: My community is starting up a recycling
.program for newspapers but is having trouble finding
I markets. Where should we look?
NSWER: You're already on the right track by recognizing that reliable markets
iare essential to the success of a recycling program for newspapers (or any
other commodity). Recycling means more than merely separating and collecting
recyclables from the waste stream. In order for recycling to take place, the
collected commodities must be manufactured into useful products or materials
and then used by consumers to close the "recycling loop."
Planning is essential. Before recycling begins, program directors must ensure
that a reliable market exists for the newspapers or other goods to be collected.
Directors should explore all potential markets, so that if demand declines in one
market, another can take its place. A program also should seek a long-term
arrangement with a materials broker (someone who negotiates the purchase or sale
of recyclable materials) or an end user, such as a newsprint manufacturer, to ensure
a reliable market for the collected materials. This arrangement offers a measure of
security to both the supplier of the material and the end user.
Program directors also should be aware that supply for collected materials
may exceed demand from time to time, so good communication with market
representatives is essential. When this happens, the use of conventional waste
management methods (such as waste-to-energy facilities or landfills) will need to be
considered to bridge the gap until demand once again increases.
To help communitities locate markets for newspaper and other waste paper,
the American Paper Institute (API) has published PaperMatcher, a directory that
lists the names and addresses of U.S. paper mills, waste paper, dealers, and
recycling centers. If you would like to receive a free copy of this publication and
an accompanying videotape, write to the Solid Waste Resource Center, American
Paper Institute, Inc., 1250 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Suite 210, Washington,
DC 20036, or call their toll-free number at (800) 878-8878.
Resources
he following publications are available at no charge from
the EPA RCRA/Superfund Hotline. Call (800) 424-9346
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST.
Environmental Fact Sheet: Yard Waste Composting
(EPA/530-SW-91-009). Explains what yard wastes are, why they are being
banned from some landfills, and why leaf burning is not considered a suitable
management practice. The fact sheet also defines composting, explains the
composting process, and describes how compost can be used.
Native American News, Fall 1990 (EPA/530-SW-90-079). Focuses on municipal
solid waste issues of concern to Native American tribes. This quarterly newslet-
ter also includes information on hazardous waste management and various
environmental programs. :
Procurement Guidelines for Government Agencies (EPA/530-SW-91-011). Ex-
plains in a four-page fact sheet what EPA's procurement guidelines are, to whom
the guidelines apply, and what requirements must be followed.
Recycling in Federal Agencies (EPA/530-SW-90-082). Describes in a succinct
pamphlet successful and innovative recycling programs that have been initiated
in the federal government, and lists resources available to federal agencies.
Used Oil Recycling, Fall 1990 (EPA/530-SW-90-068). Describes successful
used oil recycling programs around the country, provides statistics on used oil
recycling, and lists available informational materials related to used oil recycling.
The newsletter is published on a periodic basis.
-------
Grocery Campaign Corners the
Market on Source Reduction
Grocery stores in Boulder, Colorado,
recently completed a 3-month
campaign to help stop waste at the
source—before it leaves the store.
The campaign was
funded by grants
from EPA Region 8
(Colorado, Montana,
North Dakota, South
Dakota, Utah, and
Wyoming), the city of
Boulder, and Boulder
County.
To assist shoppers in
making environmental-
ly sound decisions,
volunteers and city staff
members labeled
products packaged in
recycled or recyclable
materials, or that use
minimal packaging. Signs throughout
the stores also reminded customers to
buy in bulk and to bring back their own
shopping bags. To measure shifts in
attitudes and buying habits, consumers
were surveyed at the grocery stores
before and after the campaign.
Volunteers also staffed information
tables at participating stores. Brochures
about source reduction, recycling, and
composting were available at the
booths, as well as postcards that cus-
tomers could send to manufacturers to
praise them for using less packaging or
encourage them to change their pack-
aging methods. Each week, booths also
featured special "low-
waste" products avail-
able at their stores.
'
Buy JM BULK'.
i*»n.-/*fui»tt>nty.f
As the first of this
type of source reduc-
tion program in the
Region (many such
programs are suc-
ceeding around the
nation), Boulder
hopes its campaign
will serve as a model
for other com-
munities. Program
Coordinator Alison
Peters attributes
the campaign's suc-
cess to the enthusiasm of volun-
teers and to the fact that all of
Boulder's grocery stores par-
ticipated: Albertson's, Alfalfa's,
Colony Market, Crystal Market,
Ideal, North Boulder Market,
Safeway, Wild Oats Market, and
Colorado's statewide chain, King
Soopers. Although the campaign
ended in December, Boulder's
Environmental Affairs Office is in-
terested in expanding its source
reduction efforts in the future.!
Native American
Network: A
RCRA
Information
Exchange
A newsletter written especially for
Native American tribes is being dis-
tributed by EPA's Office of Solid Waste
through tribal government offices, col-
leges, and other institutions (as well as
state, regional, and federal agencies).
The new publication, Native American
News, focuses primarily on municipal
solid waste issues, though information
on hazardous waste management (and
other environmental programs of con-
cern .to Native Americans) is also in-
cluded.
EPA initiated the publication to estab-
lish an exchange of waste management
information on tribal lands and to en-
courage a communications network
among Native American tribes. See the
Hot Off the Hotline box on p. 6 for order-
ing information. To be put on the
newsletter's mailing list, write to: U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Of-
fice of Solid Waste, Communications
Services Branch (OS-305), 401 M
Street SW, Washington, DC 20460,
Attn: Native American News. §
Did You Know.
Only 5 percent of the used
oil generated by people
who change their own
automotive oil, called do-it-
yourselfers (or DlYs), is taken
to local gas stations, quick
lubes, repair shops, or com-
munity collection centers for
recycling. Most D1Y used oil
(61 percent) is dumped, while
another 30 percent is dis-
posed of in trash and the
remaining 4 percent is burned
on site. These practices can
pollute the environment and
waste a valuable, nonrenew-
able resource. Instead, DIY
used oil should be properly
collected and recycled. §
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Looking Back,
Looking Ahead
(Continued from page 1)
During the past year, MISWD com-
pleted a draft update of the Agenda for
Action and made final progress on the
MSW landfill criteria. Also in 1990,
MISWD:
• Co-funded an award-winning recy-
cling advertising campaign con-
ducted by the Environmental
Defense Fund and the Ad Council
that accessed over $28 million
worth of free media advertising,
which generated over 90,000 in-
quiries from concerned citizens.
m Established SWICH, a national
clearinghouse for municipal solid
waste management that contains
over 7,000 documents and handles
over 600 inquiries a month.
M Created the national Recycling Ad-
visory Council (RAC), comprising
senior corporate, government, and
environmental leaders.
• Convened the Strategies for
Source Reduction Committee,
which developed a framework for
identifying source reduction oppor-
tunities and will soon issue its final
report.
• Sponsored a 3-day, international
conference on MSW management.
• Published numerous documents,
including the Decision-Maker's
Guide to Solid Waste Management,
a Report to Congress on plastics,
and a guidebook for ensuring effec-
tive public involvement in siting solid
waste disposal facilities.
• Helped EPA issue an Administrative
Order requiring that EPA grantees
and contractors submit all reports on
recycled paper. Over 98 percent of
EPA's in-house documents are now
printed on recycled paper.
n Helped EPA recycle 562 tons of
high-grade office paper, 108 tons of
mixed office paper, 82 tons of
newspaper, 1 ton of aluminum cans,
and 111 tons of color-sorted glass at
EPA Headquarters.
In addition, nearly 200 General Ser-
vices Administration procurement
specifications were rewritten to comply
with the Agency's recycled paper
procurement guidelines.
It is clear that through the combined
efforts of government, industry, public
interest groups, and individuals,
measurable progress has been made
in meeting the challenges posed by
municipal solid waste. Yet, all of our
efforts need to be intensified to meet
the challenges that lie ahead. As a
nation, we continue to generate more
and more municipal solid waste each
year. Finding safe and effective ways
to manage this waste will remain a
formidable task. We must therefore
build upon our past accomplishments.
In the year ahead, EPA will continue
working cooperatively with all sectors
of society to explore ways to better
manage our nation's trash. And
Reusable News will continue to serve
as a forum for sharing the creative solu-
tions we all are developing to solve the
solid waste dilemma. 1
The Greening
of the
Marketplace
EPA/OCA Initiate
Product Labeling
Program
(Continued from page 1)
The program will begin with defini-
tions for the terms recycled and
recyclable. EPA will provide techni-
cal expertise and OCA will coor-
dinate consumer issues. The
agencies will also consult with states
and organizations that have been
active in labeling efforts. The first
draft guidelines are expected to be
proposed next year.
The initial goal of the effort is to
promote the responsible use of en-
vironmental claims, for both environ-
mental and consumer benefit.
Consistent definitions for frequently
used terms in product labeling
should help to harness consumer
enthusiasm for the environment by
enabling them to reliably identify
more environmentally sound
products and packages, g
The mention of publications, products,
or organizations in this newsletter does
not constitute endorsement or approval
for use by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Communications Services Branch (OS-305)
Office of Solid Waste
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW.
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business, Penalty for Private Use $300
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