United States Environmental Protection Agency Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305W) EPA530-N-96-003 January/ February 1996 SEPA REUSABLE NEWS Bulletin MSW Recovery Rate Continues to Rise In 1994, the United States recovered nearly a quarter (24 percent) of its municipal solid waste (MSW) through recycling and composting—up from 17 percent in 1990. Per capita generation rates are expected to remain at 1994 levels (4.4 pounds per person per day) until the year 2000, despite a projected increase in certain types of waste. Per capita rates will remain stable primarily because of a significant increase in backyard composting and grasscycling (mulching) of yard trimmings. These study results and others are presented in Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1995 Update, the latest in a series of EPA reports on the status of MSW in the United States. The 7995 Update includes 1994 data on the amount of MSW generated, dis- posed of, and recovered, as well as projections for the future. The study indicates that in 1994, for the first time composting of food scraps reached measurable proportions at the national level. In addition, source reduction is expected to assume increasing promi- nence as an MSW management tech- nique in the years ahead. Copies of the study's Executive Summary (EPA530-S-96-001) can be obtained for free by calling the RCRA Hotline at 800 424-9346. The full report (EPA530-R-96-001) is available on the Internet through the EPA Public Access Server at gopher.epa.gov and from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at 800 553-6847. Learning the Buy Recycled Basics To help state, local, and federal governments and organiza- tions close the recycling loop, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and EPA have launched The Buy Recycled Training Institute. The institute offers one-day workshops around the country to teach partic- ipants how to identify, purchase, and learn more about products made from recycled materials. Each workshop is limit- ed to around 40 attendees and costs approximately $50 per person. For r— -i more informa- ^ ' tion, contact Dick Kochan of the Buy Recycled Training Institute at 202 861-6773. Investing in Recycling's Future The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) is holding its first-ever Recycling Investment Forum on May 7, 1996, in Boston, Massachusetts. The forum, funded by an EPA Jobs Through Recycling grant, will bring together recycling businesses seeking capital for new ventures and interest- ed investors and financiers. At the forum, businesses will present their plans for the upcoming fiscal year, display their products, and have an opportunity to meet with investors. In addition, the Recycling Advisory Council (RAC) of the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) is produc- ing an informational video that explains how to organize investment forums. RAC is also creating a primer with more detailed information about holding these forums and a brochure that summarizes the primer. For more information about the investment forum in Boston, contact Mary Ann Remolador of NERC at 802 254-3636. For more information about the video or primer, contact Edgar Miller of NRC at 703 683-9025. Jobs Through Recycling Update EPA is currently receiving pro- posals for the 1996 Jobs Through Recycling grants. The Jobs Through Recycling pro- gram was launched in 1994 to expand markets for recycled prod- ucts and create jobs in recycling industries. Since the program's inception, EPA has awarded more than $4 million in grants to 29 state, regional, and tribal orga- nizations to stimulate recycling business development. The 1995 grants are supporting a variety of innovative recycling initiatives across the nation, such as the following: • A construction business is being established by the Hualapai Tribe in Arizona, which will use recov- ered materials in building projects. • A three-person team of recy- cling business development experts is being created by the Southwest Public Recycling Association to help foster recy- cling businesses in rural and tribal communities. • Fiberboard products made from a mixture of waste paper and waste wood fiber are being test- ed and analyzed in Alaska to determine their marketability. For more information about the Jobs Through Recycling program, call John Leigh of EPA at 703 308-7896. This issue of the Reusable News Bulletin is also available on the Internet. To access EPA publications through the World Wide Web, type: http://earth 1. epa.gov/OSWRCRA/ nonhw/recycle/reuse Through Gopher, the address is: gopher, epa.gov: 70/11/Offices/ Waste/OSWRCRA/nonhw/ recycle/reuse ® Recycled/Recyclable Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber. ------- Recycling Hotline Goes Nationwide EPA and the U.S. Postal Service have announced an exciting new way to discover where to recycle just about any- thing. The Environmental Recycling Hotline, which started in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1991, has expanded nationwide, thanks to an environmental technology ini- tiative (ETI) seed grant from EPA. By calling 800 CLEAN-UP, recy- clers can learn where to take old newspapers and magazines, scrap paper, aluminum cans, glass bot- tles, tires, and other materials to be collected for recycling. The hot- New Guide for Decision Makers Are you a local official or communi- ty leader in search of waste man- agement ideas and technical infor- mation? If so, EPA's fDeriimm iHMk&rs" be for you. The first four chapters of the guide concentrate on issues common to nearly all waste management efforts: public education and involvement, facility siting, and collection and trans- fer. The final five chapters address source reduction and reuse, recycling and composting, and waste combus- tion and landfilling. The guide discuss- es each phase of these options, offer- ing advice, real-world examples, and pros and cons. The guide is available free of charge from the EPA RCRA/Superfund Hotline at 800 424-9346 or 703 412-9810 in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. line also provides information about source reduction and reuse opportunities and community environmental events. For more information, contact the hotline at 800 CLEAN-UP. Backyard Composting 101 To educate the public about the benefits of composting organic household material, the Composting Council's Research and Education Foundation has created the National Backyard Composting Program. The foundation intends to hold 60 workshops across the coun- try and train more than 1,500 people by the end of 1996. To com- plement the workshops, the foundation is also developing promotional and training materials that can be adapted for each com- munity's needs. Outreach tools such as clip art, resource database and promotional layout designs will be available on disk. A complete train- ing manual and spreadsheet tool to estimate program costs and diver- sion rates will also be made avail- able through the workshops. For more information, contact Rebecca Roe at the Composting Council's Research and Education Foundation at 703 739-2401. Waste Prevention at Your Fingertips Y« Jm>l KM contains the information you need to set up a waste pre- vention program in your home, school, business, or community. Created by the League of Women Voters' Education Fund, the kit is a Windows™ application computer software pro- gram. It provides tools for setting up waste prevention programs as well as forms and ideas for monitoring pro- grams once they're underway. For more information, contact Tift Pelias in the Publications Department of the League of Women Voters' Education Fund at 202 429-1965. MSW Facts and Figures The main section of the factbook, MSW Facts, contains general MSW information (such as descriptions of waste components and waste genera- tion data) and specific facts about source reduction, recycling, combus- tion, and land disposal. Two other sections of the factbook include state solid waste profiles and Subtitle D regulations. The information in the manual will be updated and expand- ed regularly. The factbook is available on disk as well as on the Internet. For more information, contact Steve Levy of EPA at 703 308-7267 or via e-mail to levy.steve@epamail.epa.gov Managing Disaster Debris E PA's updated Miamdiml SaH it • easy to find answers to your solid waste questions. This electronic refer- ence manual contains more than 200 pages of useful facts, figures, tables, and other information about municipal solid waste in the United States. EPA's guide Debris (EPA530-K-95-010) con- tains information about how to make long-term debris management plans, case studies of communities that have managed disaster debris successfully, and lists of federal, state, and local resources. For a copy of the guide, call the RCRA Hotline at 800 424-9346. &EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency 401 M Street, SW. (5305W) Washington, DC 20460 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 ------- |