United States Environmental Protection Agency Policy, Planning and Evaluation/Solid Waste and Emergency Response Climate Change and the CBOT Recyclables Exchange An Investment in the Global Future The atmosphere that surrounds the Earth contains many types of gases, including what are known as "greenhouse gases. " These gases absorb and retain heat from the sun. Without greenhouse gases, the average temperature on Earth would be 5°F instead of the current 60°F. A buildup of these gases in the atmosphere, on the other hand, could raise global temperatures, triggering profound changes in the Earth's climate and ecosystems. The manufacture and distribution of products and the subsequent management of solid waste can contribute to the formation of greenhouse gases. For this reason, as well as for other environmental benefits, EPA is encouraging waste reduction efforts. The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Recyclables Exchange is one EPA program help- ing to curb greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the market efficiency for handling recyclable materials nationwide. WHAT \s THE CBOT RECYCLABLES EXCHANGE? The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) is working in partner- ship with EPA, The National Recycling Coalition, New York State Office of Recycling and Economic Development, and Washington State's Clean Washington Center to link buyers and sellers of recyclable materials across the nation. Traders can log on to an elec- tronic bulletin board to post and peruse information about available and needed recyclable commodities, such as glass, plastic, and paper. In this way, an East Coast company seeking to buy used news- papers might find a supplier in the Midwest that has a huge stockpile just waiting to be recycled. The Exchange also strengthens markets for recyclable commodities by providing reliable information about the prices being paid for these materials. To help meet the needs of those who require pre- cise product definitions, the partnership has developed a set of standardized prod- uct attributes that buyers and sellers can use to describe the characteristics of recovered materials traded on the Exchange. The partnership has also estab- lished a set of standardized inspection procedures to verify the quality of recy- clables traded. This information will assure buyers and sellers that they are pay- ing and receiving fair market value for quality recyclable materials. Interest and participation in the exchange has been considerable since it began operating in October 1995. CBOT has now introduced an Internet version of the system (HTTP://www. CBOT.com/recyclables/) to expand sys- tem accessibility and ease of use. With Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber. ------- this system improvement and other planned expansions, even greater participation is anticipated. How CAN THE CBOT RECYCLABLES EXCHANGE HELP REDUCE GREENHOUSE CAS EMISSIONS? By linking traders and strengthening markets, the Exchange is boosting recycling efforts and diverting valuable materials from disposal in landfills and incinerators. The Exchange is reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the following ways: • Recycling diverts materials from incinerators. Plastics and other synthetic materials emit greenhouse gases when incinerated. • Paper product recycling slows the harvest of trees. Forests store large amounts of carbon (a key element in greenhouse gases) that would otherwise enter the atmos- phere and contribute to the greenhouse effect when paper products are landfilled or incinerated. • Manufacturing goods from recycled feedstocks typ- ically requires less energy than extracting and process- ing virgin materials. When energy demand decreases, fewer fossil fuels are burned and fewer greenhouse gases are emitted. By helping to ensure a market for recy- clable materials, the Exchange is encouraging the man- ufacture of products with recycled materials. The CBOT Recyclables Exchange boosts recycling efforts by linking buyers and sellers of recyclable materials across the nation. How DOES CBOT FIT INTO THE CLIMATE CHANCE ACTION PLAN? n October 1993, the Climate Change Action Plan was initiated to strengthen our country's commit- ment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The plan outlines more than 50 voluntary initiatives designed to reduce emissions of these gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000. EPA is responsible for encouraging attain- ment of about half of the reductions under this plan. To achieve this goal, EPA plans to rely on voluntary waste reduction programs such as the Recyclables Exchange, and to design future initiatives to combat the effects of global climate change. "V For more information on CBOT's Recycling Exchange, or more information on climate change and waste reduction, contact EPA's RCRA Hotline at 800-424-9346. ------- |