United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(OS-305)
EPA/530-SW-91-021
SprmgySummer 1991
NEW
neusable News is the
if 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 effectively
manage the nation's garbage, and
provides useful information about
key issues and concerns in MSW
management. S
In This Issue
• The EPA Administrator's Awards
Program: And the Winners Are...
(P-1)
• Report Gets at the Source for
Reducing MSW (p. 6)
• Government Agencies Join
Forces to Address "Green"
Marketing Claims (p. 6)
• National Park Service Implements
MSW Management Plan (p. 7)
• A Blueprint for Plastics Recycling
(P-7)
• EDF's New Recycling Campaign
(p. 8)
Regional Highlights
• Conference Attendees See
Procurement as Key Piece of the
Recycling Puzzle (p. 2)
• Dead Batteries Get New Life In
New York City (p. 2)
• The Inner City Challenge:
Bringing Recycling to Baltimore
(P-3J
* A Perfect Match Between Buyers
and Sellers of Recyclables (p. 3)
• A New Use for Old Milk Jugs
(P-4)
• Officials Swap MSW Management
Tips (p. 4}
• A Computerized Map of the
Recyclables Journey (p. 5}
• Southwest Cities Launch
Regional Recycling Venture
(P- 5)
• Recycled Product Procurement:
California "Links Up" Local
Governments (p. 8)
• Exploring Regionalization of
MSW Disposal (p. 9)
The EPA Administrator's
Awards Program
And the Winners Are...
PA Administrator William K. Reilly recognized the achievements of 10 exceptional
recycling projects in a ceremony in Washington, DC, on May 15. The ceremony
was held to honor the winners of EPA's first annual Administrator's Awards Program.
Administrator Reilly said, "I salute the winners. Their work clearly shows creativity
and innovation. They are national role models and their projects can be replicated
in other communities."
The importance of recycling as a solid waste
management tool was reflected in the number of
applications received. Over 500 candidates ap-
plied to the 10 EPA Regions. Each Regional Of-
fice submitted its national nominations to the EPA
Administrator. From these Regional nominations,
a non-EPA expert panel, assembled by the Na-
tional Recycling Coalition, picked 36 finalists,
chosen for their innovative achievements in recy-
cling. The winners were then selected from these
finalists by Administrator Reilly.
Reilly expressed his enthusiasm with the suc-
cess of the program when he said, "We were
delighted with the tremendous response to our
first awardsprogramandwiththehighquality of the
solid waste projects, which made the selection
of our winners a very difficult task. In fact, all of
the finalists were outstanding."
"Oscar the Seagull" helps the State
of Rhode Island spread the recycling
message.
(Continued on page 12)
Special Issue!
Project Highlights from the EPA Regions
By Bruce Weddle, Director, EPA Municipal and Industrial Solid
Waste Division
I am pleased to announce that in addition to our regular features and news
from EPA Headquarters, this issue of Reusable News highlights a few of
the many ambitious projects underway in EPA's 10 Regions. Personnel in
EPA's Regions answer questions, provide technical assistance, and lend
outreach support to communities in their jurisdictions. EPA's Regions support
states and localities on the front line of municipal solid waste management
in this country.
The regional projects featured in this issue reflect the multidimensional nature
of managing MSW in today's society and illustrate the strong interdependence
(Continued on page 2)
Reusable News is printed on recycled paper.
-------
Project Highlights
from the EPA
Regions
(Continued from page 1)
of the different players involved
in MSW issues. The projects
tackle some of the most complex
Issues facing solid waste
managers today, including
reglonalization of MSW disposal,
procurement and market
development, and recycling in
the inner city.
Many of the projects
described in this issue were
conducted through EPA grants.
EPA awards a limited number of
grants to nonprofit entities:
federal, state, interstate, and
local public authorities; public
agencies and institutions;
private agencies, institutions,
and individuals; and Indian
tribes. Profit-making organiza-
tions are not eligible.
EPA maintains a data base sys-
tem, the Workplan Information
Management System (WIMS),
which lists EPA Headquarters and
Regional MSW grant/contract
projects. For more information
about these projects, contact
Deborah Gallman of EPA
Headquarters at FTS382-4683 or
(202)382-4683.£
Corrections
In the Fall 1990 issue of Reusable
News, the closure date for the public
comment period concerning possible
changes to the paper procurement
guideline (page 1) was inadvertently
omitted. The closure date was Decem-
ber 3, 1990; we apologize for any in-
convenience this omission caused our
readers.
Also in the Fall issue, the amount
of waste diverted from disposal
through recycling in Seattle,
Washington, in 1989 (page 6) should
have been reported as 242,000 tons
rather than 420,000 tons.
JU Region One
Conference Attendees
See Procurement as Key Piece
of the Recycling Puzzle
To tackle recycled product procure-
ment issues and to promote
markets for recycled goods in New
England, EPA Region 1 (Connecticut,
Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Ver-
mont) sponsored the 1991 New
England Recycled Products Procure-
ment Conference and Vendor Show
on April 22 to 24, during celebrations
for the 21st Earth Day.
"I was impressed that over 400
people attended the conference and
demonstrated a real interest in
recycled products' procurement,
given the difficult economic times,"
said John Hackler, Chief of the Solid
Waste and Geographical Information
Systems Section of EPA Region 1. He
went on to say, "More and more
people are becoming aware that
procurement is a key piece of the recy-
cling puzzle." The conference was
such a success, the Region hopes to
make it an annual event.
During the conference, an interna-
tional group of industry leaders and
public officials discussed procure-
ment of recycled products, recycling
programs, and related solid waste is-
sues. Nineteen different workshops
were held on many topics related to
recycling and procurement.
Workshops were categorized into
three "tracks" (government, industry,
and products) based on the primary
affiliations of conference attendees.
The workshops educated people
about the existence of products made
from recycled goods and the impor-
tance of procuring these products.
Recycled paper procurement came up
often, because of paper's large repre-
sentation in the municipal waste stream
(over 40 percent) and its salience in
everyday life. In addition, workshops
focused on such up-and-coming issues
as composting, market development,
and plastics recycling.
To complement the workshops, 60
vendors were present, representing
diverse industries from antifreeze to
plastics. The vendors came from as far
away as Florida and Ohio to participate
in the show.
Twenty-five organizations joined
Region 1 in cosponsoring the event,
including the U.S. General Services Ad-
ministration, the U.S. Government Print-
ing Office, the National Recycling
Coalition, and various state environ-
mental and procurement agencies. The
Northeast Recycling Council and the
Rhode Island Department of Environ-
mental Management assisted Region 1
in planning the event.
For more information, call Ron Jennings
of EPA Region 1 at (617) 573-9656 or
FTS 883-1656 or Sally Mansor of Region
1 at (617) 223-5529 or FTS 833-1529.1
]M Region Two
Dead Batteries Get New Life
In New York City
From the toys that children play with
to the cars their parents drive, the
cycle of batteries is part of daily life.
When old household batteries die, we
simply buy new ones. All those dead
batteries in the trash, however, contain
metals that can present environmental
concerns when improperly disposed of.
Looking for solutions, EPA Region 2
(New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico,
and the Virgin Islands) teamed up with
the Environmental Action Coalition
(EAC) in New York City to explore the
feasibility of recycling batteries. This
would not only remove them from the
waste stream, but would also allow the
metals in the batteries to be reused.
With EPA funding, EAC developed the
Household Battery Recycling Project.
This program sought to expand on pre-
vious EAC collections by identifying
(Continued on page 11)
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teT ^
|jjj] Region Three
The Inner City Challenge
Bringing Recycling to Baltimore
Developing solutions to environmen-
tal and economic challenges has
been the role of Baltimore Jobs in Ener-
gy Project (BJEP) for 10 years. Now
with funding from EPA Region 3
(Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, West Virginia, and the District
of Columbia), the non-profit group plans
to implement a creative proposal to use
recycling to help Baltimore's disad-
vantaged neighborhoods.
Like many other cities, Baltimore has
instituted a limited recycling program in
local neighborhoods to alleviate its
MSW disposal problem. By 1994, the
city hopes to have in place a curbside
program that will recycle 20 percent of
its solid waste stream. Finding local
facilities that can process the collected
material into new products has proven
difficult, however. To avoid a glut of
recyclables, most of the material has to
be transported to remanufacturing
facilities outside of the city, taking the
economic benefits of processing this
material with it.
Decentralized,
community-based
operations represent
the most cost-effective
way to recycle in urban
areas.
These economic benefits could help
the city enormously, especially low-in-
come areas. For years, Baltimore's inner
city has suffered from the typical
downward spiral of poor neighborhoods.
As industrial operations close down or
relocate, the tax base shrinks and the
area receives a declining share of the
city's wealth, despite the presence of
available land, buildings, and labor wait-
ing for investment.
BJEP sees the presence of com-
munity-based recycling facilities as an
answer to this problem. The group
plans to attract remanufacturing com-
panies into Baltimore's low-income
neighborhoods so that the benefits of
recycling can be kept in the city. The
neighborhoods will receive a needed
economic boost, while the recycling
program will be made more efficient.
Thecompanies.inturn.willbenefitfrom
the availability of inexpensive space,
ranging from abandoned warehouses
to open lots, in which to set up
processing facilities. "Decentralized,
community-based operations represent
the most cost-effective way" to recycle
in urban areas, according to Dennis
Livingston, the founder of BJEP.
BJEP will act as a broker between
remanufacturers, residents and proper-
ty owners, and the city. The group will
first identify potential companies and
solicit applications from them. BJEP
then plans to select the remanufac-
turers that will bring the most economi-
cally viable and labor-intensive
processes to Baltimore. The firms will
be required to hire and train local resi-
dents. In cases where the communities'
efforts are vital to the success of the
operation, BJEP will negotiate to give
residents a voice in company decisions.
BJEP will also work with local officials
and agencies on issues such as zoning
to ensure that the relocating process is
a smooth one for everyone concerned.
This project has the potential to in-
fuse new energy into both Baltimore's
disadvantaged communities and its
recycling program. For more informa-
tion about the project, contact Andrew
Uricheck of EPA Region 3 at (215) 597-
0982 or FTS 597-0982.1
HI Region Four
A Perfect Match
Between
Buyers and
Sellers of
Recyclables
Matchmakers have long been used
to bring two people together. In
EPA's Region 4 (Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina, and Ten-
nessee), a different kind of
matchmaker is being used to bring
together buyers and sellers of
recycled materials. This matchmaker
is a computerized data base that is
enabling local governments and non-
profit organizations in Region 4 to
identify potential buyers for the used
materials that they have collected.
The data base will go a long way
toward promoting recycling markets in
the Southeast.
Region 4 is funding the data base
project through a cooperative agree-
ment with EnvirpSouth, Inc., the
company developing the data base.
The Southeast Recycling Market
Council is also providing leadership,
advice, and input for the project. The
Council, which was formed in May
1990, is made up of leaders in in-
dustry, trade associations, and
government-related organizations
with an interest in recycling markets.
Members of the Council include rep-
resentatives from:
H The American Paper Institute
B The Steel Can Recycling Institute
H The Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries
• The National Association for Plastic
Container Recovery
H The National Soft Drink Association
H The glass industry
• The aluminum industry
• The Council of State Governments
• The Tennessee Valley Authority
The purpose of the Council is to
promote recycling by assisting in the
resolution of public policy and market
(Continued on page 10)
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H Region Five
A New Use for Old Milk Jugs
Recycling has received a lot of
press in recent years and most
people are now aware that recy-
cling involves more than merely
collecting discarded products at a
curbside, a business, or a com-
munity drop-off site. For recycling
to be successful, raw materials must
be reclaimed from collected products,
new products need to be made from
the raw materials, and these products
must be used. Clearly, finding
markets for recycled materials is
key to closing this "recycling loop."
EPA's Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and
Wisconsin), in cooperation with the
Ohio Department of Transporta-
tion, the Federal Highway Ad-
ministration, and the University of
Toledo's College of Engineering, is
helping to create a new market for
one widely used product: plastic milk
jugs.
Plastic milk jugs are increasingly
collected for recycling. They are
generally made from high-density
polyethylene (HOPE), the most
highly used plastic resin in the
United States. Recycled HOPE
has many uses, such as in plastic
bottles and toys, and may poten-
tially have a new use. According to a
preliminary review, it appears that
recycled HOPE could partially
replace virgin HOPE resins in the
construction of highway drainage
pipes. Approximately 250,000 tons of
virgin HOPE are used each year to
construct these pipes. If recycled
HOPE could be substituted for the
virgin resins, this market could ab-
sorb a large portion of the HOPE
recovered in recycling operations
(80,000 tons were recovered in 1990)
and would help to close the milk jug
recycling loop.
With funding from EPA Region 5,
the University of Toledo's College of
Engineering will test highway
drainage pipes made from recycled
HOPE to ensure that they can meet all
American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) and American As-
sociation of State Highway
Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
performance standards.
(Continued on page 11)
jfy Region Six
Officials Swap MSW Management Tips
The search for effective solid
waste planning in Texas had been
gaining momentum in the 1991 legis-
lative session. With a flurry of new
laws coming up in the state legisla-
ture, EPA Region 6 (Arkansas,
Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma,
and Texas) saw an opportunity to
bring together state and federal offi-
cials to share the latest MSW
management ideas.
Region 6 coordinated with the
Texas House of Representative's En-
vironmental Affairs Committee to ar-
range the Solid Waste Issues
Workshop last February. The two
groups had to act quickly to capture
the attention of busy lawmakers in
mid-session. Together, they en-
couraged many legislators and their
assistants, as well as agency officials
and representatives from the
governor's office, to put aside booked
schedules and politics and bring their
best ideas to the meeting.
The hard work preparing for the
meeting yielded a terrific learning ses-
sion for all participants. A range of en-
vironmental issues relating to MSW
management were discussed, from the
effect of the Federal Pollution Preven-
tion Act of 1990 on Texas industries to
an exchange of ideas on how to start
recycling programs in local communities.
The workshop focused on several
recycling issues in particular. Many
Texas legislators voiced concern over
the ambiguous use of the term
"recycled" on packaging and in adver-
tising. Region 6 officials described ac-
tions EPA is taking to address this
concern, including setting voluntary
national guidelines on specific recy-
cling terminology to reduce consumer
confusion. (See related article,
"Government Agencies Join Forces to
Address 'Green' Marketing Claims," on
page 6 of this newsletter.) The issue of
developing markets for recycled
products also was raised. Attendees
agreed that Texas could generate
demand by developing procurement
guidelines to encourage the purchase of
recycled materials by state government,
similar to current federal guidelines.
This was the first time in years that
federal and Texas waste management
officials had sat down and shared infor-
mation and ideas, according to Mark
Smith, Chief Clerk for the Environmen-
tal Affairs Committee. He called the
Solid Waste Issues Workshop "a
hallmark session for issues affecting
the environment."
By the end of the day, the participants
had been exposed to new perspectives
on methods of solid waste management
and had discovered new sources of ex-
pertise. The organizers hope this new
spirit of cooperation will help Texas and
EPA advance on a variety of environ-
mental fronts. For more information on
the workshop, contact Guanita Reiter of
EPA Region 6 at (214) 655-6655, or
FTS 255-6655.1
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HI Region Seven
A Computerized Map of the
Recyclables Journey
Now that we've collected it, what do
we do with /f ?This is a question that
plagues many would-be recyclers. If
you collect recyclable materials
anywhere in the Upper Midwest of the
United States, however, you will soon
be able to get the answer to this ques-
tion through a computerized data base.
EPA's Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas,
Missouri, and Nebraska), in coopera-
tion with the Iowa Department of
Natural Resources, is funding the
Iowa State University's effort to
develop a data base that lists buyers
and transporters of recyclables in the
Upper Midwest, an area that includes
all of Region 7, as well as Illinois,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the
Dakotas. The data base, called MAR-
TIN (Mid-America Recycling &
Transportation Information Network),
includes information on recycling
brokers, operators, and end-users that
buy seven kinds of recyclable
materials: paper and cardboard,
glass, ferrous metals, plastics,
automobile batteries, used tires, and
Anyone with a personal
computer, modem, and
communications
software can access the
data base at no cost,
waste motor oil. Ultimately, those
wishing to sell recyclable materials
in the Upper Midwest area will be
able to access the data base to find
the best transporters and buyers of
their materials.
Data on the types of materials pur-
chased by companies, as well as any
quality and/or quantity specifications
they have, are included in the data
base. Also included is information on
company locations and their access to
rail, truck line, or barge service. Addi-
tionally, the rates, routes, and
availability of many regional transporta-
tion companies are given.
Work on MARTIN began about a
year ago. Since that time, the Univer-
sity has collected data on over 250
companies that purchase recyclable
materials. This information has been
input into a working data base. The
data base has recently been made
available through a computer hookup.
Anyone with a personal computer,
modem, and communications
software can currently use MARTIN
at no cost.
(Continued on page 10)
If Region Eight
Southwest Cities Launch
Regional Recycling Venture
A group of 20 southwestern cities,
searching for ways to overcome recy-
cling barriers in their communities, have
recently united under the banner of the
Southwest Public Recycling Association
(SPRA). By working together, the group
hopes to promote their cities' recyclable
materials as a valuable regional resource.
While the idea is not new, the scope
is: these cities, representing six south-
western states (Arizona, Colorado,
Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah)
will be instituting a cooperative market-
ing program to expand recycling
throughout the area by increasing
demand for their collected materials.
Recognizing its potential, EPA Region 8
(Colorado, Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, and Wyoming), along
with EPA Region 9 and several other
organizations, has offered substantial
funding in support of the project.
These city governments are respond-
ing to a variety of recycling challenges,
many of which are unique to the South-
west. For example, transportation costs
are higher in the Southwest than in
other areas of the country because of
the vast distances between cities. In
addition, abundant landfill space results
in low disposal costs, a disincentive for
government and private recycling ef-
forts. And the cities involved in SPRA
also have no ports from which to ship
recyclables to foreign buyers, a relative-
ly consistent source of demand for other
areas.
The mayors of these cities were not
prepared to let their recycling programs
stagnate, however. They convened a
2-day conference, "Southwest Recy-
cling: Creating a Regional Market," in
January 1991 to begin formulating
ideas and proposals.
The result was the creation of SPRA.
The new association intends to con-
centrate on expanding the recycling
market for both the collected "raw"
materials and the manufactured end
products. The mayors developed
several strategies to accomplish this
goal, from assisting businesses that
use recyclables to establishing
municipal procurement practices that
favor recycled products.
The ultimate goal of SPRA, accord-
ing to its formation statement, is to
"develop a broad base of private sector
entities throughout the southwestern
United States to serve as major pur-
chasers of recycled materials
generated by member cities of the As-
sociation." Member cities recognize
that operating efficient recycling
programs will allow them to collect high-
quality materials and attract investment
by industries regionwide.
The organization is optimistic about
changing the recycling environment in
the Southwest. Combining the strength of
20 cities from all over the Southwest gives
the association influence to develop the
regional recycling markets that local
governments working independently
could never have mustered. For more in-
formation, contact Judith Wong of EPA
Region8at(303)293-1667orFTS 330-1667.
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Report Gets at the Source for
Reducing MSW
The newly merged World Wildlife Fund & Conservation Foundation (WWF)
recently released a report entitled, Getting at the Source: Strategies for
Reducing Municipal Solid Waste. The report represents the culmination of more
than a year and a half of work, conducted under a grant from EPA, by WWF
and a Steering Committee made up of representatives from organizations
involved in MSW issues. Getting at the Source examines the evolving role of
source reduction in MSW management and presents a set of recommenda-
tions, arrived at by consensus, for overcoming barriers to its widespread
practice.
In the summer of 1989, WWF launched the Strategies for Source Reduction
Project. The project, which was actively supported by OSW's Source Reduction
Program, has two objectives: 1) to analyze ways, to change product design and
use to minimize waste production; and 2) to provide a consensus building forum
fordeveloping policies to promote municipal solid waste reduction. The Steering
Committee, which is com-
posed of 19 members
from government, con-
sumer products and retail
industries, the waste
management industry, en-
vironmental groups, and
educational institutions,
guided the effort. The
diversity of the committee
brought a wide range of
perspectives on source
reduction to the project.
Defining Source
Reduction
In Getting at the Source, the Steering
Committee emphasizes that a nationally
recognized definition of source reduction is
needed for people to understand and prac-
tice source reduction. It recommends the
widespread adoption of the following defini-
Getting at the Source
recommends that the en-
tire life cycle of products
be considered so that the
reduction in waste quan-
tity or toxicity at one point
of the waste stream does
not result in increased
toxicity or quantity else-
MSW source reduction is the design-
manufacture, purchase, or use of materials
or products (including packages) to reduce
their amount or toxicity before they enter the
municipal solid waste stream. Because it is
intended to reduce pollution and conserve
resources, source reduction should not in-
crease the net amount or toxicity of wastes
generated throughout the life of the product.
where. It also suggests
setting national and regional goals for source reduction, and stresses the
importance of developing mechanisms to measure source reduction efforts. An
"Evaluation Framework," designed to help people evaluate source reduction
options, is also included in the report. It contains a "menu" of about 30 options
that can be used by consumers and manufacturers to reduce the amount of
waste they generate. In addition, the report advocates the establishment of a
national awards program to recognize individuals, companies, and organiza-
tions that have made significant achievements or innovations in source reduction.
Copies of the report are available for $15 plus postage and handling, and
executive summaries are available for postage and handling costs. Call (301)
338-6951, or write to:
WWF Publications
P.O. Box 4866
Hampden Post Office
Baltimore, MD 21211
For more information on the Strategies for Source Reduction Project,
call Christine Ervin of WWF at (202) 778-9562 or Paul Kaldjian of EPA at
(202) 475-7099. 5
Government
Agencies Join
Forces to
Address "Green"
Marketing Claims
The Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) has accepted EPA's invitation
to form an Interagency Task Force on
green product labeling. In addition to
EPA and FTC, the Task Force also in-
cludes the U.S. Office of Consumer Af-
fairs (OCA). The Task Force was
established to provide a cohesive na-
tional response to the issue of environ-
mental labeling and marketing claims,
which have proliferated in recent years.
The Task Force will enhance and
coordinate labeling-related activities
within each of the three agencies. Each
agency has a clear interest in providing
consumers with accurate and consis-
tent information about the environmen-
tal attributes of products, so that they
can make informed decisions about the
products they purchase. However, each
agency also brings a unique perspec-
tive, role, and area of expertise to the
Task Force. FTC is the primary enforce-
ment presence in consumer deception
issues. OCA coordinates federal con-
sumer policy and communicates impor-
tant consumer issues, and EPA
addresses environmental concerns.
In March, Don Clay, Assistant Ad-
ministrator of EPA's Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response, Ann
Wyndham Wallace, Director of OCA, and
Barry Cutler, Chief of the Advertising
Bureau of FTC, held a kickoff meeting for
the Task Force. Since that time, a work
plan describing the purpose and scope of
the Task Force was developed.
Future plans for the Task Force in-
clude coordinating an FTC-sponsored
public hearing panel. FTC is holding
the hearing to help determine whether
it should develop industry guides
governing environmental marketing
claims. Also, EPA will work closely with
FTC and OCA in its ongoing effort to
develop voluntary national guidelines
for the terms recycled and recyclable.
The Task Force may also conduct joint
research on consumer perception, un-
derstanding, and behavior as they re-
late to environmental claims, fl
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National Park Service Implements
MSW Management Plan
The National Park Service (NPS) is
a diverse federal agency, with
properties ranging from historic build-
ings in the hearts of cities to remote
wilderness tracts accessible only by
aircraft. Implementing a comprehen-
sive waste management plan that fills
the needs of such varied park lands
poses quite a challenge. This spring,
however, NPS is launching an in-
tegrated solid waste management
plan that does just that.
The NPS Integrated Solid Waste
Alternatives Plan (ISWAP) is designed
to be flexible enough to allow park
managers to adopt plan components
to meet the needs of their individual
sites. This will allow parks to maximize
both resources and efficiency. The
plan has five major components:
• Source Reduction. Parks will
reduce waste generation through
various source reduction activities,
including buying in bulk quantities
and double-sided copying.
• Recycling. Over 100 national parks
have already instituted recycling
programs, which include glass,
paper, aluminum, plastic, waste oil,
scrap metal, and brush clippings.
The plan also encourages park
managers in communities without
recycling to work through local
government and community or-
ganizations to establish recycling
programs and further recycling
awareness.
• Community Outreach. Park
visitors will encounter interpretive
programs, exhibits, posters,
brochures, and radio messages
alerting them to park recycling
programs, as well as enlightening
them about how they can recycle
and source reduce.
H Promotion of Recycled Products.
Park managers will help generate
markets for recycled materials by
procuring recycled paper and other
products. NPS will use recycled
paper in publications whenever
possible.
• NPS Landfill Management. NPS
is currently drafting regulations
that will severely limit the creation
of new landfills on park lands and
ensure that all current landfills
comply with federal law.
NPS also has formed a partnership
with Dow Chemical and Huntsman
Chemical to sponsor major recycling
programs for glass, aluminum, and
plastics. Under this 5-year program,
pilot programs in three national parks,
(Continued on page 9)
A Blueprint for
Plastics
Recycling
The plastics industry, through its
Council for Solid Waste Solutions,
has just come up with a "blueprint" for
plastics recycling that will help make
wide-scale recycling of plastic packag-
ing a reality. The Council for Solid
Waste Solutions is a task force whose
membership includes the major
manufacturers and users of plastics.
The Council was founded in 1988 and
its goal is to help find ways to effectively
manage the plastics portion of MSW.
The Council has set a goal for the
plastics industry to recycle 25 percent
of all plastic bottles and containers by
1995. (In comparison, about 6 percent
were recycled in 1990.) To meet this
goal, recycling of common, large-
volume products (such as soft drink
bottles, milk and juice jugs, and deter-
gent bottles) will need to be stepped up
considerably. More kinds of plastic
products, such as margarine tubs,
ketchup bottles, foam cups, and
microwave dishes, will also need to be
recycled. According to the Council, sig-
nificant increases in the level of plastics
recycling will require the efforts of con-
sumers and all levels of government,
as well as the support of the plastics
industry.
To assist in the implementation of
successful plastics recycling programs,
the Council developed the Blueprint for
Plastics Recycling. The Blueprint is the
result of a year of analysis by the Coun-
cil concerning the existing plastics recy-
cling "infrastructure," which refers to the
system in place for getting used plastics
from the consumer to the producer of
new plastic products. The report out-
lines the most effective strategies for
(Continued on page 9)
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H Region Nine
Recycled Product Procurement
California "Links Up" Local Governments
Who you gonna call when you can't
find recycled products? In Califor-
nia, try RecycleLink. RecycleLink is a
computerized data base that maintains
an up-to-date listing of products made
with recycled materials and places to
purchase them.
Under a grant from EPA Region 9
(Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada,
and the U.S affiliated islands), the non-
profit Local Government Commission
of California (LGC) developed this on-
line data base for city and county
governments in California. Tony Eulo,
policy director of the LGC, is actively
promoting RecycleLink by meeting with
elected officials around the state to dis-
cuss the importance of recycled
product procurement.
Across the nation, government
procurement of products containing
recycled materials is playing a key role
in developing markets for recycling. In
California, the procurement of recycled
products has become more salient
since the passage of the California In-
tegrated Waste Management Act in
1989, which requires local govern-
ments to divert 25 percent of local MSW
from landfills by 1995, and 50 percent
by 2000.
Cities and counties in California can
access RecycleLink via modem
through CITYLINK and CSAC-LINC.
These other "links" are computer net-
works for city and county governments,
established by the League of California
Cities and the County Supervisors As-
sociation of California. For an annual
fee of $240, users receive a password
that provides access to RecycleLink's
data base. The fee is necessary be-
cause the data base is derived from a
copyrighted publication, the Recycled
Products Guide. The on-line version of
the Guide is updated monthly, as op-
posed to biannually for the hard copy
Guide, and makes searching for
products quicker and easier.
In addition to the data base,
RecycleLink has an electronic bulletin
board that facilitates communication
between local governments about
recycled goods procurement and recy-
cling program development. By using
the bulletin board, which is free to sub-
scribers of CITYLINK or CSAC-LINC,
two or more governments can join
together to save money through bulk
purchases.
RecycleLink has been up and run-
ning since the beginning of February.
According to Jeff Scott, Chief of the
Solid Waste Management Section in
Region 9, "RecycleLink provides a
practical way for local governments to
exchange information and access the
Recycled Products Guide. We are very
pleased with how the project has
progressed."
In the future, RecycleLink may be-
come accessible to officials in other
states and may include a materials ex-
change. For more information on
RecycleLink, call Monica Burke of EPA
Region 9 at (415) 744-2099 or FTS
484-1433.1
MILT: Hello. This is Milt
Wertz in the lab. Research
indicates that we Americans
create garbate at an
alarming rate.
In fTDPs new ad campaign, a scientist
proclaims the wonders of garbage-
eating worms, only to find out that
there is an easier way to save the
world: recycling.
EDF's New Recycling Campaign
The Environmental Defense Fund (EOF), working with the Advertising Council and
assisted with EPA funding, has released its new 1991 recycling campaign. The project
takes advantage of momentum generated by its highly successful 1988-90 message,
the first nationwide advertising campaign to promote recycling sponsored by the Ad
Council. Its effectiveness has spurred EOF to create a new set of public service
announcements that have been released on TV and radio and in the print media.
The theme of the campaign is "Recycle. It's the everyday way to save the world." The
ads are geared toward people who are aware of recycling, but are not yet actively
participating. And it seems to be working, with extensive donated advertising and public
response coming in. Together, the two campaigns have received over $40 million worth
of free advertising and generated 150,000 phone calls from people looking for more
information on recycling.
A brochure on recycling is available from EDF's hotline, along with referrals to local
recycling facilities and regional coordinators. Phone (800) CALL-EDF. For more infor-
mation on the campaign, contact EOF Recycling, 257 Park Avenue South, New York,
NY 10010. @
8
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National Park Service Implements MSW Management Plan
(Continued from page 7)
Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee;
Grand Canyon, Arizona; and Acadia,
Maine, began last summer, in their
first season, these parks recycled
over 100,000 pounds of materials.
Yosemite was added to the recycling
effort this spring, and three more
parks should begin participating by
the end of the year. The program
was one of the National Finalists in
EPA's Administrator's Awards
Program.
Constance Kurtz, manager of
ISWAP, feels the national parks are
an ideal place to launch an aggres-
sive waste management campaign
since proper management of the
nation's resources is "part of their
mandate to protect and preserve the
environment and resources." As host
to more than 250 million park
visitors each year, NFS has a uni-
que opportunity to play a leader-
ship role in demonstrating and
promoting effective waste manage-
ment practices. For more informa-
tion, contact Constance Kurtz at
NPS Engineering & Safety Ser-
vices Division, P.O. Box 37127,
Washington, DC 20013-7127.1
Region Ten
Exploring Regionalization of
MSW Disposal
In the past, MSW disposal was con-
sidered a local activity, with in-
dividual communities assuming sole
responsibility for managing their own
garbage. Today, however, waste is
often transported long distances to
available landfills, even across state
lines. Many communities are finding
that this "regionalization" presents a
cost-effective opportunity for environ-
mentally sound waste disposal. But
regionalization has also created a
host of questions regarding MSW
policy. EPA Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho,
Oregon, and Washington) addresses
these questions as they relate to the
Pacific Northwest in its report,
Analysis of the Policy Implications of
Regional MSW Disposal, which is
aimed at state and local policymakers.
According to the report, a prime im-
petus behind regionalization is in-
creased costs of landfill construction,
operation, and closure resulting from
the implementation of new environmen-
tal regulations. These increased costs
make it cheaper to transport waste to a
few large, regional landfills, rather than
to send it shorter distances to multiple,
small landfills.
The report identifies three key
players in regional MSW disposal
schemes: the exporters of wastes, the
receivers of wastes, and those along
waste transportation routes. Each of
these players is confronted with a dif-
ferent set of costs and benefits with
regionalization. Some of these costs
and benefits can be quantified, like the
increased traffic flows that will occur
along transit routes. Others, such as
image problems for the waste
receivers, are more difficult to put a
value on. The report outlines these
costs and benefits and offers sugges-
tions on how they can be quantified.
Regionalization
presents a
cost-effective
opportunity for
environmentally sound
waste disposal.
To encourage communication and
cooperation on regionalization,
Region 10 is coordinating con-
ference calls with state solid waste
managers. In response to a request
from the states, the Region also will
devise a matrix of the solid waste
regulations in each Pacific
Northwest state. This matrix will
help clarify each state's present
public policy on MSW issues.
In addition, Region 10 plans to hold
a forum later this year that will bring
together regulatory and legislative
decision-makers from around the area.
The forum should provide a setting for
discussing policy recommendations
regarding state coordination on MSW
disposal issues, including regionaliza-
tion, interstate transport of all types of
nonhazardous solid wastes, and
regulation development. For a copy of
the report or for more information, con-
tact Lauris Davies of EPA Region 10 at
(206) 553-6522 or FTS 399-6522.1
A Blueprint for
Plastics Recycling
(Continued from page 7)
collecting, handling, and reclaiming
plastics and evaluates the state of
current plastics recycling facilities.
Markets for recycled plastics also are
analyzed, and suggestions made on
ways to expand markets for both pure
and mixed recycled plastics.
In addition, the Council is providing
direct technical assistance, through
demonstration programs, workshops,
and seminars on recycling, to local
communities that wish to design plas-
tics collection programs and to busi-
nesses interested in plastics handling.
It also provides publications and other
informational materials to interested
individuals and organizations on all
steps of the plastics recycling
process. A variety of computer
software packages also have been
evaluated by the Council. These pack-
ages were developed to assist in the
analysis and creation of effective recy-
cling programs. The Council is work-
ing to make some of these software
packages more flexible and readily
available. It also provides technical
assistance on the use of these com-
puter programs.
Additionally, the Council has set
up a toll-free information hotline to
answer questions on plastics recy-
cling, to match buyers of recovered
plastics with those who have col-
lected the material, and to dis-
tribute informational materials. To
obtain a copy of the Blueprint for
Plastics Recycling or for informa-
tion on other plastics recycling is-
sues, call the Council for Solid
Waste Solutions Hotline at 1-800-
2-HELP-90. In Washington, DC, call
223-0125.1
-------
Hot Off the Hotline
uestion: My community is considering collect-
ing plastics for recycling. What issues should I be
aware of?
_ Answer: At present, at least 500 community recycling programs collect
and recycle plastics. More! than 360 million pounds of postconsumer
plastics (plastics that haveibeen used as consumer items or have entered
and been collected from MSW) were recycled in 1990. At the same time,
however, community progrjams continue to face significant technological
and economic hurdles. ;
While collection and sorting are key to successful plastics recycling,
barriers to effective collection and sorting currently exist. The light weight
of most plastics is a barrier to cost-effective collection. When plastics are
collected with other recyclable materials in community programs, they
constitute a much larger; share of the total volume of the collected
materials than they do of vj/eight. This tends to increase collection costs,
which are most directly related to the volume of material collected. But
because the value of recycled materials is related to their weight, com-
munities cannot recaptur4 these high collection costs when they sell
recycled plastics. ;
While this problem can be avoided by crushing or shredding plastics at
the point of collection, these strategies make sorting difficult, and sorting
is important to the commercial success of plastics recycling. The majority
of plastic articles discarded in MSW are manufactured from one of six
different plastic resins (orje example of a plastic resin is polyethylene
terephthalate, or PET, w|hich is used in the manufacture of plastic
beverage bottles). Recycled plastics have the most value if they can be
sorted by resin into separate batches, each containing only one resin type.
These essentially pure batches of recycled plastics can be sold for prices
competitive with prices paid for virgin plastics. Unsorted, mixed plastics,
on the other hand, have much less value.
Therefore, a conflict exists between the requirements for efficient
collection and sorting. Collection is most efficient if plastic items can be
shredded or crushed, but porting is most efficient with intact, uncrushed
items. A number of industry efforts are currently under way to tackle this
dual challenge. (See related article, "A Blueprint for Recycling," on page
7 of this newsletter.) ;
Region Four
A Perfect Match
Between Buyers
and Sellers of
Recyclables
(Continued from page 3)
development issues and by collecting
and disseminating information on recycling
markets.
The data base includes information
on buyers of recyclable materials, in-
cluding glass, paper, ferrous and non-
ferrous metals, plastics, rubber,
drums, pallets, and batteries. Enviro-
South has sent out over 2,300 surveys
to potential buyers, including dealers,
processors, and end-users that pur-
chase residential, commercial, and in-
dustrial recovered materials. To date,
several hundred completed surveys
have been returned and a major phone
campaign is under way to increase the
response rate.
Information from the surveys has
already been input into the com-
puterized data base, which is now
available for use by local governments
looking to sell recovered materials in
Region 4. A number of local govern-
ments have already been matched up
with buyers for their materials through
the data base. There is currently no
cost for buyers to be included in the
data base or for local governments to
use it.
For more information about being
included in the data base or using the
data base to find markets for
recovered materials in Region 4, con-
tact Martha Mclnnis of EnviroSouth,
Inc., at (205) 277-7050.1
Region Seven
A Computerized Map of the Recyclables Journey
(Continued from page 5)
Because the data base has only
recently been put into operation,
some glitches still need to be worked
out. John Even, one of the directors of
the project at Iowa State, asks users to
have some patience in these early
stages of data base use.
As data base development
proceeds, more information will be
collected and added to MARTIN. Cur-
rently, most of the data that has been
collected focuses on companies in
Iowa. Ultimately, though, com-
panies throughout the Upper Mid-
west area will be included. The
University,also plans to set-up an
information line for people who do
not have direct access to the com-
puter data base. It will then be pos-
sible to obtain information on
buyers and transporters of recycl-
able materials by asking questions
of the computer through a touch-tone
phone.
For more information or to have
your company included in the data
base, call David Flora of EPA
Region 7 at (913) 551-7523 or FTS
276-7523, or John Even or Keith
Adams of Iowa State University at
(515) 294-1682. To access MARTIN
directly through a computer
modem, call-up 1-800-437-8932,
Monday through Friday from 8:30
a.m. until 12:00 noon, Central
Standard Time.!
10
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Region Two
Dead Batteries Get New Life In
New York City
(Continued from page 2)
both those aspects of battery recycling
that are currently feasible, as well as
any limiting factors that may exist.
In January 1990, EAC established a
limited battery collection program in
Manhattan and Queens. Approximately
25 residential and commercial drop-off
sites were involved in this effort, which
separated over 50 pounds of waste bat-
teries. These collections were entirely
voluntary, and had excellent resi-
dent and employee participation,
demonstrating the promising potential
of large-scale programs.
Attempts to find companies to process
collected batteries, however, revealed
the principal challenge facing these
programs. No facilities exist for the most
common varieties of batteries sold today,
the alkaline and "general purpose" bat-
teries, because the recycling technology
is new and untested. Even for batteries
that can be recycled commercially, such
as those containing cadmium, it proved
very difficult to find firms with processing
facilities. Despite the economic benefits
of recovering the metals from waste bat-
teries, few companies are currrently
prepared to recycle.
In its research, though, EAC dis-
covered some promising trends. The
battery manufacturing industry has
developed ways to reduce the amount
of potentially toxic metals, especially
mercury, in its most common batteries.
The "general purpose" battery now
can be manufactured with almost no
mercury, and the amount needed in
alkaline batteries has been reduced
substantially.
In addition, both U.S. and foreign
firms are beginning to develop recycling
technologies that will allow metal
recovery from more battery varieties.
Reclaiming these valuable metals rep-
resents a strong incentive for com-
panies to invest in new recycling
processes. Furthermore, legislation re-
quiring battery collections is being
developed in several states, so these
companies can rely on a growing supply
of recyclable batteries.
EAC's successful collection
programs show that consumers and
manufacturers alike are interested in
battery recycling. It is hoped that
programs such as the Household Bat-
tery Recycling Project will stimulate fur-
ther research and investment and
increase public awareness of the impor-
tance of sound waste battery manage-
ment. For more information or to obtain
a copy of the Final Report on the project
($1 Ofee required), contact Sean Hecht,
Environmental Action Coalition,, 625
Broadway, New York, NY 10012.1
Region Five
A New Use for
Old Milk Jugs
(Continued from page 4)
ASTM and AASHTO are voluntary,
non-profit organizations with members
from industry, academia, and government.
The major purpose of ASTM is to
develop consensus standards to
evaluate the quality of a wide variety of
materials used for construction, pack-
aging, and other functions. AASHTO
oversees highway construction
throughout the United States and
develops or adopts standards for
materials used in highway construc-
tion. Both ASTM and AASHTO cur-
rently have specifications requiring
the use of virgin-only materials in
highway drainage pipe production.
Therefore, no recycled materials are
currently used for this purpose.
Region 5 anticipates that if the
recycled HOPE pipes are shown to
meet all ASTM and AASHTO quality
tests and performance standards, the
specifications requiring the use of vir-
gin-only resins in the production of high-
way drainage pipes will be removed.
This could open up a large, relatively
high-value market for used milk jugs, as
well as other sources of used HOPE.
For more information, call Jay Ber-
gamini of EPA Region 5 at (312) 886-
7598 or FTS 886-7598, or Robert
Bennett of the University of Toledo at
(419)537-2220.1
Did You Know.,
""" ver 31 million tons of grass,
leaves, brush, and otheryard
wastes are generated every year
in the Unite-d:.States? The
majority of these wastes are cur-
rently disposed of in landfills or
combusted, but could easily be
composted. Compost has many
uses, including as a soil amend-
ment in lawns, gardens, and crop
lands; as a mulch; as atop dress-
ing in landscaping; and as a
cover for landfills.
-------
The EPA Administrator's
Awards Program
(Continued from page 1)
The winners in each of nine
categories representing different levels
of government, industry, education, and
the private sector are:
Citizen: Bob Kerlinger, Poquoson,
Virginia. Kerlinger founded and coor-
dinates Poquoson Recycling Center, a
centralized recycling program using
volunteer groups to assist citizens who
come to drop off recyclables at the
Center. Kerlinger's personal involve-
ment, including the identification of local
markets for the recycled materials and
the development of specialized recycling
equipment, has led to a significant expan-
sion of the program, which is now ex-
pected to recycle about 20 percent of
Poquoson's trash.
Community, Civic, and Non-Prof it:
Seattle Tilth's Community Composting
Education Program, Seattle,
Washington. Seattle Tilth has
developed a "Master Composters"
educational program that has trained
more than 100 backyard composters
and provided extensive community
education in yard waste composting.
Educational Institutions, K-12:
Aurora Public Schools, Aurora,
Colorado. The Aurora public school
system, which serves 100,000 stu-
dents, developed the "Municipal Solid
Waste Management Teacher's Guide,"
a curriculum designed to educate
teachers and students about the issues
associated with garbage, and to instill a
commitment to taking action and form-
ing responsible habits early in life.
Colleges and Universities: Univer-
sity of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, Wis-
consin. The university began an
extensive "Recycling, Reuse, and
Reduction" (3R's) program, which in-
volves both the student body and
university management. One of the
most notable elements of the program
is the use of pellets from the papermak-
ing industry as a fuel in the university's
coal-fired boiler. The effort lessens the
use of coal, saves money, and
reduces sulfur dioxide emissions.
Large Business: Fort Howard Cor-
poration, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Fort
Howard won for its national recycling
advocacy program which affects ail
facets of its operation. The company
culture values recycling, its marketing
efforts include public education on the
importance of recycling, and the com-
pany is involved in community recycling
efforts, such as collecting and recycling
telephone books.
Small Business: eegee's Inc., Tuc-
son, Arizona. This fast food chain
operates a comprehensive internal
recycling program and is the first busi-
ness in Tucson to recycle polystyrene
foam products, which are collected and
sold for reprocessing as insulation and
building blocks. The owner of eegee's
has also successfully generated invol-
vement by other Tuscon businesses in
the program.
Local Government: City of Newark,
New Jersey. Newark's recycling
program has one of the highest
municipal solid waste recycling rates in
the nation. The program includes
several innovative aspects, such as re-
quiring recycling of ozone-depleting
compounds and deputizing local youths
as "Recycling Rangers" to stimulate
children's interest in recycling.
State Agencies: State of Rhode Is-
land. Rhode Island has implemented
the first state-wide mandatory com-
prehensive recycling law in the country.
The recycling program's many ac-
complishments include a decrease in
commercial waste at landfills by 24 per-
cent since July 1989.
Federal Agencies: U.S. Navy, Naval
Submarine Base, Bangor, Silverdale,
Washington. What began as a drop-off
collection program for a limited number
of recyclables has expanded to include
curbside collection at base housing and
the addition of scrap metal and con-
struction debris to the list of recyclables
collected. In addition, a base-wide
cleanup returned over $2 million worth
of materials to government use.
The last honor the Administrator ex-
tended was a special recognition award
for environmental education, which was
given to HDR Engineering, Inc. of White
Plains, New York. The company, in
cooperation with the children's
television show, "Mr. Roger's Neighbor-
hood," sponsored the first major recy-
cling and conservation education
program aimed at preschoolers.
Next year's awards program will focus
on pollution prevention. Interested par-
ticipants should contact their EPA
Regional Office for more information. 1
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
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