New Mexico Recycling Coalition

March 28, 2008

NMRC Board Meeting, April 30 All members are welcome to join the NMRC board meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, April 30th starting at 12:30 PM at the Albuquerque Marriott. Please email English Bird at english@recyclenewmexico.com to RSVP to attend the meeting.

Compost Class, April 15-17 - Register Today!

The always popular composting class is scheduled for April 15-17 in Ruidoso. Folks who need to re-certify can take this class to satisfy their state recertification requirements, no matter what class they originally certified in.

And good news, Greg Baker, the New Mexico Environment Department: Solid Waste Bureau composting guru, will return to the department as of April 7th and will be heading up the composting class.

Go to www.recyclenewmexico.com/cert_classes.htm

Albuquerque E-Waste Recycling Event,

April 4 & 5

The City of Albuquerque, Intel, KOAT-TV and Natural Evolution will be hosting their annual free electronics recycling event on April 4 & 5. Business recycling is scheduled for April 4th and the public is invited to come out April 5th.

For complete details, click here for the flyer.

NM Recycling Rate To Hit 33% by 2012

NMRC Board Puts The Challenge Out To All Recyclers!

The NMRC Board of Directors set probably the most aggressive goal this organization has seen at its last planning retreat. The board would like to see the recycling rate in New Mexico grow by leaps and bounds in the next several years, catching up with the national recycling rate, which is 32% (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). It's time for New Mexico to emerge out of the recycling Dark Ages and it's going to truly test the skills of all of us to do this!

The first steps to accomplishing this goal will be to develop legislation for the 2009 session that will establish significant funding for a recycling grant fund so that communities can truly grow their infrastructure and education programs. Businesses that process/handle recyclables must be supported as well as they grow to consume increased recycling rates. Funding is also needed to support our state Solid Waste Bureau to proactively engage communities and bring recycling technical assistance to every community possible. We also believe a statewide recycling education campaign that is ongoing is needed to change the mindset of New Mexicans and to make recycling a priority in their lives.

At the June New Mexico Recycling Conference we will bring to you our proposed 2009 legislative steps in order to receive your feedback and gain your support.

Register for the NM Recycling Conference

The conference program is almost ironed out and will be mailed out soon, but you can register for the conference online today! The early bird discount rate lasts until May 19th.

Go to www.recyclenewmexico.com/conference08.htm

Whole Foods Plans Green Events

Whole Foods Market stores in the Rocky Mountain Region, which includes Santa Fe, will celebrate Earth Month by donating 5 percent of sales April 1 to local charities.

The charities are Bioneers, New Mexico Recycling Coalition, Earth's Birthday Project, the Wild Life Center and Trust for Public Land.

The company also will honor Earth Day on April 22 by giving away 1,000 reusable bags to shoppers to signify all Whole Foods stores will officially become free of single-use plastic bags.

Whole Foods is the first retailer to do away with disposable plastic grocery bags, a move it says will help protect the environment and conserve resources.

Special Note: If you live in Santa Fe, please plan on spending your green dollars at the Whole Foods Santa Fe store on April 1 to contribute towards the donation passed on to NMRC!

New Member Highlight - Sport Surfaces Distributing/Robert Cohen Company

Sport Surfaces Distributing, Inc. and The Robert Cohen Co., LLC have been in business in New Mexico for over 30 years. We are distributors and certified installers for Mondo Vulcanized Rubber Athletic and Commercial surfaces, Aacer Hardwood Athletic surfaces and DecoTurf Tennis surfaces.

Our recycling efforts include,: keeping waste on new construction to a minimum, working with General Contractors to properly recycle, working with the manufacturer’s PRP programs and with local recycling sites to recycle demolition material. We also work with demolition companies in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas who have recycling programs in place for removed materials. We always strive to meet LEED standards by using low VOC adhesives and finishes.

Our main supplier, Mondo America, Inc., provides materials that contain 5-40% post-industrial recycled rubber and is currently in the process of having their Commercial and Indoor Sport lines certified through GreenGuard. Mondo has passed the Indoor Air Quality specifications of Section 01350 as developed by the State of California, and proven equal to CHPS Low Emitting Materials.

For more information, contact Sheli Keyes, project manager at 505-243-2971 or by email skeyes@sport-surfaces.com

State Agency Electronics Procurement and Recycling Task Force Launches

Pursuant to Senate Joint Memorial 11 passed in the 2008 legislative session, “…the secretary of environment (is) requested to convene a task force to develop guidelines for environmentally preferable electronics procurement and recycling by state agencies and make recommendations to the New Mexico legislature.” The task force is also charged with: examining programs in other states that may serve as a model; documenting actual amounts of electronics use in state agencies; and developing a template for a statewide electronics waste recycling contract.

The memorial prescribes the entities required to be on the task force. Task force members are by invite only and primarily focus on bringing input from the electronics recycling processor field, as well as state and federal agencies. English Bird, with NMRC, is included as a task force member. The findings and recommendations of this committee will be reported to the appropriate interim legislative committee by December 1, 2008.

Safety Starts at The Top Workshop - May 8th

The New Mexico Environment Department in partnership with the Municipal League, Association of Counties and Waste Management of New Mexico will host this free workshop to address the two fatalities in the industry last year and how to prevent further injury.

WHO: The program is aimed at all mayors, county administrators, city council members, county commissioners, and their public works/solid waste management directors that oversee solid waste operations. Directors of solid waste authorities should also attend.

WHEN: Thursday, May 8, 2008, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. (An on-site lunch buffet is available for $11.50/person cash or check only…includes beverage, tax, and gratuity.)

WHERE: National Hispanic Cultural Center, Wells Fargo Auditorium, 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque.

WHAT: The workshop will address what top down safety looks like, including the tools you (as a community leader) can use to provide a safe workplace – mainly focusing on solid waste management – including economics of good/bad safety, OSHA standards and requirements,
awareness, training, resources, creating a safety culture, job hazard analyses, and best policies & procedures.

WHY: If this workshop prevents one fatality, one injury, or one lost workday, then it will be time well spent!

HOW: Presenters from the New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau, NMED’s Solid Waste Bureau, Waste Management of New Mexico Inc, the New Mexico Association of Counties, and Safety Counselling, Inc. will provide a wealth of useful information.

For more information or to register, contact E. Gifford Stack at 505-827-2653 or e.gifford.stack@state.nm.us

Click here for complete information on the workshop.

Compete in the NM SWANA RoadRunner Chapter Road-E-O on May 10th

The annual NMSWANA Road-E-O is a great event that shines a spotlight on one of the crucial jobs on the recycling front-line, our drivers. Nationally, this is a top hazardous job and we are fortunate to have so many good drivers in NM. The Road-E-O obstacle course is set up to give drivers opportunity to show their skills backing, parking, mirror work and maneuvering around obstacles. I encourage you to give your drivers an opportunity to "network" with their peers around the state and to spend some time in the spotlight. - Jay Morrow, Co-chair, 08 NMSWANA Road-E-O

Seven events are offered:

Trucks: Front loader, side loader, roll-off and trasnfer trailer

Landfill: Compactor, Dozer and BUcket Loader

Deadline to register is May 2nd. Registration fees are $50 for one event and $100 for two event. The event runs from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM on May 10th at the Albuquerque Cerro Colorado Landill and the Sandia Motor Sports Park.

Law Targets Metal Sales

By Barry Massey
The Associated Press

New Mexico is taking aim at the theft of copper, aluminum and other metals, but scrap dealers and recycling companies say a new state law is misdirected.
    In New Mexico, thieves plunder construction sites, businesses, farms, ranches and oil and natural gas operations for copper wire and other metals that can bring quick cash. Salvaged copper can sell for almost $3 a pound.
    "It has run rampant across New Mexico," says Sen. Phil Griego, D-San Jose.
    To help law enforcement track down the culprits stealing metals, the Legislature approved a bill (SB281) sponsored by Griego to impose new requirements on scrap processors and secondhand metal dealers. Gov. Bill Richardson has signed the measure into law and its provisions take effect Jan. 1.
    The legislation was backed by utilities, local governments and law enforcement.
    One new requirement is for scrap dealers to hold some purchases— such as copper wire, brass and bronze— for several days before processing or shipping the materials. Used aluminum drink and food containers are exempt from the new law.
    Jim Bly, who owns a recycling business in Artesia, says the "tag and hold" requirement will cause problems for many dealers because they won't have enough space to store metals. Under the law, materials can't be removed from a dealer's premises until five days after a purchase. But as a licensed recycler, Bly says, he faces other requirements to move materials.
    "We probably take in 5,000 pounds of wire a week in increments of 10 to 20 pounds at a time," says Bly. "Who is going to pay for the facility to keep all that segregated?"
    Holding the materials will also limit a dealer's ability to time sales to market prices, says Jonathan Levy, director of state and local programs for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.
    Under New Mexico's new law, scrap dealers must report their purchases of certain metals to the state, which will create an electronic database that can be accessed by the public and law enforcement.
    "It's going to be more work for us obviously and to no good use," says Bly.
    Bly says a better approach is a system operated by the institute, which provides notices to its member dealers and processors alerting them to stolen materials across the country.
    People selling scrap metal will also be touched by the new state law. They'll face several requirements, including showing identification to dealers and signing a statement attesting that they're the owner of the goods or have the authority to sell the materials.
    Sellers must give information to dealers about the vehicle they use to transport the metals being sold. They must provide the vehicle's make, model and year and license plate number.

Governor's Conference on Tourism Addressing the Need for Green

With the tourism industry as one of New Mexico's most important sectors, the April 16-18 Roswell conference aims to tackle climate change and how the tourism industry can play its part.

With the keynote launching into "Educating Tourists on Sustainability", all the way to the "Going Green!" panel, the gathering is a sign of the times. NMRC members participating on the Going Green panel include Chris Campbell from NMSU's WERC Pollution Prevention Center and Gail Ryba with the Coalition for Clean and Affordable Energy. Sandra Ely, who presented at that NMRC Annual Meeting on Climate Change, will join the panel as well.

For more information about the conference go to http://www.tanm.org/

In response to the desire of the hospitality industry to become more green and the need for more recycling installations in this sector, NMRC is planning a special training workshop as part of the NM Recycling Conference in June geared directly at hotel and restaurant staff.

Sierra Club Adopts Zero Waste Cradle-to-Cradle Principles for the 21st Century
The Sierra Club announced adoption of a landmark policy on Zero Waste at its Board Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia last weekend. The new Zero Waste policy provides governments at all levels with a leading-edge plan that links environmental health with economic prosperity. The plan proposes specific roles for government, manufacturers, and consumers to address the waste crisis facing our country.

Governments are obligated to protect public health and the environment, but present waste management practices are not protective. In contrast, this Zero Waste Policy fosters an economic system that fully values people and the environment.

Ann Schneider, Chair of the Club's Zero Waste Committee, notes, "The Sierra Club's Zero Waste policy addresses not only the quantity of waste we generate, but also its toxicity, and its important links to climate change and corporate responsibility. Most importantly it aims to prevent waste by design rather than manage it after the fact."

Zero Waste focuses on reducing waste and reusing products, then recycling and composting the rest. A key component of Zero Waste is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

"The familiar example of EPR is the refillable bottle", says Schneider. "The producer takes the bottle back and reuses it with minimal use of energy and natural resources. This idea can be extended to other products, including appliances designed to be easily disassembled for repair or reuse."

The Sierra Club policy would require businesses (producers or first importers) to recover, at no cost to taxpayers, their products when consumers are done with them, as a condition for sale in a jurisdiction. If brand-owners are responsible for channeling their products safely back into the environment of the marketplace, they will start making products differently, so that they can be reused. Designing products for waste reduction, reuse, or recycling is called the "cradle to cradle" approach.

Two other key components of Zero Waste are (1) land-use policies and zoning that encourage development of reuse, repair and recycling businesses in business districts and (2) local government management of food scraps, yard trimmings, and other organic materials. Diverting organic materials dramatically reduces waste, eliminates the problem of methane produced in landfills, and provides compost needed to restore depleted soil.

For consumers, the adoption of Zero Waste plans will make "green living" much simpler and easier, with products that can be repaired, disassembled, and conveniently dropped off where purchased, and reuse, recycling and composting services for people at home, at work and at play.

Bill Sheehan, Co Chair of the Club's Zero Waste Committee notes that "the Club's focus on Extended Producer Responsibility lends additional momentum to a growing movement in US to tackle waste at its root cause and develop policies that prevent waste rather than just managing it at the end-of-pipe."

Schneider added, "The Club will work with its over 700,000 members throughout the United States to promote these goals, principles and policies."

For more information visit www.sierraclub.org/committees/zerowaste/

Grants and Loans

Recycling and Illegal Dumping Grants

The New Mexico Environment Department announces the Recycling and Illegal Dumping Grant, due April 2, 2008. Apply for funding for these projects: eliminating or reducing illegal dump sites; developing education and prevention programs for illegal dumping; or providing recycling infrastructure, education, or market development. Recycling program priorities include recycling motor oil, lead-acid batteries, cardboard, and newspaper. Municipalities, counties, tribes, land grant communities, cooperative associations, and solid waste authorities may apply. Find grant instructions and applications online at www.nmenv.state.nm.us/SWB/, or call Jill Holbert at the New Mexico Environment Department: Solid Waste Bureau at 505-827-0129.

National Recycling Coalition Bin Grants

The National Recycling Coalition with support from The Coca-Cola Company opens its next round of grants in Spring 2008, through the Recycling Bin Grant Program. The program supports local community recycling programs by providing bins for collecting beverage container recyclables in public settings.

The grant program is open to government, civic, school, non-profit organizations and for-profit companies. Interested parties fill out an online application describing their proposal, justifying the need and specifying the bin types they are interested in from a pre-selected menu of options. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis to proposals likely to have the greatest impact on increasing beverage container recycling.

Over seventy-five grants were awarded at the and of the Fall 2007 grant cycle to community recycling programs across the country. Recipients included municipalities, colleges, Native American tribes, and community-based NGO's. Among the winning proposals were plans to establish lending programs, provide special event recycling bins for community events, place bins throughout a local baseball stadium, expand recycling opportunities within university administration buildings, and place recycling bins alongside existing trash receptacles on a small town's streets.

The online application for the Spring 2008 cycle will be open for submissions beginning Monday, March 3, 2008, and will close Friday, April 4, 2008. Recipients will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2008. For more information about the grant program or to apply, visit the program website at http://www.bingrant.org

State Loans

NMED Constructions Programs Bureau offers low-interest loans for solid waste projects: http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/cpb/rip.html .

Regional Roundup & Earth Day Plans

Estancia: The Estancia Sixth Grade Energy Conservation Committee will give a presentation to commissioners in the commission chambers requesting that the county begin a recycling program.

Belen: The city is considering starting a recycling drop-off program.

Albuquerque: The annual E-Waste Recycling event is coming up, sponsored by City of Albuquerque, Intel and KOAT-TV7. Natural Evolution provides the e-waste handling and recycling. April 4 is scheduled for commercial customers and April 5th is for the public. The event takes place at the Balloon Fiesta park.

Lincoln County Earth Day Events:

The Nob Hill Early Childhood Center will be hosting Earth Day activities for the 3-5 year olds and their families on April 18. Recycling brochures from the Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce will be handed out to each family and the Center staff, and special activities are planned for the little kids.

The annual Spring E-Waste Recycling event will be held on Saturday April 5, 9- 12 Noon at Ruidoso’s Sierra Mall. Collection activities are already underway in Capitan, Carrizozo, Corona and Tularosa.

Keep Ruidoso Beautiful will host it’s annual ‘Bank Challenge Community Clean-up” Saturday April 12, 8 – 12 Noon. Prizes for the team that picks up the most trash along Ruidoso’s roads and streets. Free compost will be given away compliments of Keep Ruidoso Beautiful and Sierra Contracting.

Alamogordo Zoo Earth Day: April 26, 8 am to 4pm. Free! 100+ exhibits: lots of free stuff, solar energy demonstrations, desert tree sale, climbing wall, kid events, health fair, forest service information and lots more. This is the largest 1 day Earth Day event in the South West! We have had 10,000+ attendance for 2 years! Great sponsors, great fun, great food. Free Admission and lots of free promotional items.

Rio Rancho: Join us at the 5th Annual Earth Festival on Saturday, May 3, 2008 from 10-3 At Haynes Park In Rio Rancho!

Santa Fe: Enchantments NM Travel show will begin airing March 16th throughout the state of NM. Their travel show that features Santa Fe will focus entirely on the 2007 Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival. It is tentatively scheduled to air May 18th. It's a half hour show all about recycled art and the festival.

Jobs

City of Artesia: Solid Waste Department Equipment Operator II

Pay Scale: Minimum/$1988 per month; Mid/$2485 per month; Max/$2982 per month. Requires: High school diploma or GED, current NM driver license, ability to identify hazardous waste and able to lift 90 pounds, ability to work odd hours including weekends and holidays.Must obtain Transfer Station Operators license and class B NM driver license within 1 year of hire. Benefits include: paid vacation, sick and personal leave, nine paid holidays, medical, life, disability, and vision insurance, PERA or City retirement, merit and step pay increases. Applications and additional information available online at www.artesianm.com.

Recycling Tidbits

Free Recycling PSAs

There are some national TV and radio spots available to communities to use to promote recycling.

North Carolina R3 campaign: http://www.re3.org/
South Carolina has the Recycle Guys:
http://www.scdhec.net/environment/lwm/recycle/resource_center.htm

Curbside Value Partnership offers at www.recyclecurbside.org radio ads.

NERC has list of PSAs on their web site (under 2001) at http://www.nerc.org/documents/publications_list.html

Kansas Dept of Health and Environment

http://www.getcaughtrecycling.org/brdcst_downloads.htm

Low-Cost Recycling Containers

Recyclingbin.com has a nice 22 gallon corrugated plastic hexagonal
container for $34. http://www.recyclingbin.com/product.aspx?id=13

California works with a company called Numateck West to make corrugated
plastic boxes available to businesses for recycling. To see a picture of the
container go to http://www.bottlesandcans.com/start.php. They can be ordered in a variety of colors and can be printed to your specs. They cost
about $32 each, but require a minimum order of 25, though they will send a sample at no cost. For ordering information contact Linda Randell, 909-706-3627 x 112 or email lrandell@numatechwest.com .

Xerox offers Sustainability Calculator on Web site

March 27 -- Xerox Corp. has launched the industry’s first Sustainability Calculator to help its customers reduce their environmental impacts and their costs. More»

The State of the Recycling Industry

The recycling industry is a sterling example of how grassroot initiatives can spur the creation of bonafide industries. We've come a long way since the 1960s, when tiny non-profits drove around in vans collecting recyclables from prescient individuals who didn't want to throw their "waste" away.

In less than 40 years, the U.S. recycling industry has become a backbone of our economy. In 1968, the fledgling industry pulled in $4.6 billion in annual sales; today, revenues are roughly $236 billion [National Recycling Coalition]. The industry provides employment for 1.1 million people, up from just 79,000 in the late 1960s, and 56,000 public and private facilities processing recyclables. Our research partners Cannacord Adams estimate the industry accounts for about 2% of the $12.36 trillion U.S. gross domestic product as of last year.

The recycling industry generates more than twice the revenue than the $100 billion waste management industry [National Solid Wastes Management Association] even though much more garbage is thrown out than recycled. That's because recycled materials generate economic value - waste disposal doesn't.

Recycling Scraps <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Jobs

City of Artesia: Solid Waste Department Equipment Operator II