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.................................................................................... Recycling & Compost Certification Courses - Register Today
There are a couple more spots available for the April 21-23 Compost Certification Course in Ruidoso. Sign up today to learn important topics, including compost benefits, production, processing, quality measurements and utilization, among other topics. If interested in attending, please call Sarah Pierpont at 505-603-0558.
Recycling Certification Courses May 12-14, Ruidoso December 8-10, Albuquerque
Composting Certification Courses April 21-23, Ruidoso (A few seats left!) October 20-22, Santa Fe
For registration information, please visit www.recyclenewmexico.com/cert_classes.htm
.................................................................................... NMED Awards $260,000 in Tire Grants The New Mexico Environment Department recently awarded more than $260,000 in grants to eight communities and solid waste authorities to clean up illegal tire dumps and recycle scrap tires. The department awarded the 2009 Recycling and Illegal Dumping Grants to Chaves County, De Baca County, Hidalgo County, the Town of Estancia, Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, Northwestern New Mexico Regional Solid Waste Authority, Southwest Solid Waste Authority and the Town of Estancia (project list is attached). “The money will primarily help communities clean up illegal tire dumps and stockpiles that – in addition to sometimes being unsightly – pose serious environmental risks in our state including the potential to cause fires,” said New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry. “New Mexicans generate two million scrap tires each year and unfortunately not all of them are disposed of properly or recycled. The grants help tackle those problems.” Estancia’s project will use asphalt partially made from scrap tires to pave a road. Other projects involve cleaning up illegal tire dumps and recycling and baling tires. The department deals with numerous cases involving scrap tires that have the potential to cause fires and attract rodents and insects that spread diseases including Hantavirus and West Nile Virus. Rain water often collects in scrap tires are creates a breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus and other diseases. The grants support projects that protect the health and welfare of the environment and residents of New Mexico by preventing and abating illegal dumpsites; promote environmentally sound methods for reuse and recycling; and encourage economic development, community development and collaboration that promote the efficient and sustainable use of resources, sustainable recycling and a cleaner and healthier environment. The grant program is authorized under the Recycling and Illegal Dumping rules, which were adopted in December 2006. Entities eligible for grant funds include municipalities, counties, tribes, land grant communities, cooperative associations and solid waste authorities. The department received 12 applications for the grant funding that amounted to $1.3 million in requests. The next grant cycle is scheduled to begin in July and remain open for about a month. Winners for the 2010 grant cycle will be announced in August. Those interested in pursuing upcoming grant funding should visit the bureau’s Web site at http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/SWB/ for details. For more information about tire grants or the upcoming grant cycle, contact Toni Duggan at (505) 827-0559 or www.toni.duggan@state.nm.us. For further information, call Marissa Stone at (505) 827-0314. .................................................................................... NMRC Annual Workshop and Rural Recycling Training - June 3 The theme for this year's workshop is "Rural Recycling - The State of New Mexico." The event will provide three invited speakers from rural speakers to provide the ins and outs of their successful rural programs, and will also include focused training for rural communities. Participation is free to communities with populations of 10,000 or less and $30 for NMRC members ($40 for Non-members) from larger communities or other entities. This year's workshop is co-hosted by NMRC and NM Environment Department: Solid Waste Bureau.
For more information about the workshop and to register as an attendee, please visit http://www.recyclenewmexico.com/ruralworkshop09.htm
.................................................................................... Congratulations Charles Ferguson of NMED: SWB Charles Ferguson, after 17 ½ years in the New Mexico Environment Department, will end his career with the state on April 17, 2009. Charles is a well known and well liked instructor in the certification classes taught by NMED’s Solid Waste Bureau. He also traveled the state helping numerous public and private organizations become better masters of their recycling, composting, land fill, and transfer station operations. “We’re going to miss him a whole lot,” stated his boss, E. Gifford Stack, manager of the bureau’s outreach section. “I speak for the entire agency when I say Charles Ferguson made a significant contribution to effective solid waste management in New Mexico.” People wishing to express their best wishes and good luck to Charles may contact him at cfergus@3lefties.com .................................................................................... Las Cruces Updates South Central Solid Waste Authority Agreement A proposed curbside recycling program could move a step closer to reality when the Las Cruces City Council considers amendments to a joint powers agreement that established the South Central Solid Waste Authority. A joint powers agreement between the city and county that established the South Central Solid Waste Authority was first agreed upon in 1995 and amended in 2005. Changes now being proposed would expand the powers and purposes of the authority to include recycling and grant it the ability to provide its own financing for services. Amending the agreement will allow South Central Solid Waste Authority officials to begin a countywide recycling program later this year. On another note, the South Central Recycling Partnership (SCRAP) has launched their logo and are working hard to reach out to citizens during Las Cruces Earth Day events. SCRAP stakeholders meets monthly to discuss recycling initiatives for the area. For more information about SCRAP, please contact Suzanne Anchor at Suzanchor@aol.com.
.................................................................................... Estancia Plans To Use Funding To Recycle Tires for Roadways by Ashley Bergen, Mountain Valley Telegraph The New Mexico Environment Department awarded $260,000 in grants to eight communities and solid waste authorities to clean up illegal tire dumps and recycle scrap tires. The town of Estancia and The Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority will be using their cut of the funding to use and recycle discarded tires to improve roadways. Estancia was awarded $25,000 from the NMED to use SealMaster, oil partially made from scrap tires to preserve and seal town roads. Mayor Ted Barela said the money will be used in conjunction with New Mexico Department of Transportation Co-Op funds to seal roads. A test strip was completed last year, and the rubberized asphaltic fog seal did aid in extending the life of chip-sealed roads, Barela said, and held up better than nonrubberized products. The Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority will be using its funding to clean up piles of discarded tires that will be made into similar products including rubberized asphalt. The EVSWA was awarded $32,315 for four tire abatements, including one in McIntosh and three in the Valley of the Estancia Ranchettes development, just east of Moriarty. Manager Joseph Ellis said the tires will be shipped to State Rubber and Environmental Solutions in Denver City, Texas, which processes tires into material that can be used for asphalt. The plant recycles about one-sixth of New Mexico's scrap tires, or about 8 million pounds per year, according to State Rubber Vice President Jerry Woosley. The tires are recycled into crumb rubber, which is used for products such as flooring, equestrian arenas, artificial athletic surfaces, and road construction and repair. The tires must be sent to Texas because New Mexico doesn't have a rubberized asphalt program, Ellis said. This year's Legislative session may lay the foundation for future rubberized asphalt in New Mexico. House Memorial 6, signed by Gov. Bill Richardson, requested the NMDOT to create a task force to study the use of rubberized asphalt on state road paving projects. One scrap tire is generated per New Mexican each year on average, which represents two million tires requiring proper disposal annually, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association.This isn't out of the ordinary, but the benefits of rubberized asphalt are worth making an investment, Woosley said. "The material is more durable, it keeps down road noise, and gives better tire traction," he said. Ellis agreed about the need for recycled tire products on state roads. "The NMDOT is currently not using rubberized asphalt, but Texas, Arizona, and California are, and we feel like there are strong reasons for the state to use it," he said. Forty tons of tires will be recycled from the EVSWA, and another 55 tons of illegal dumping will be cleaned up, such as lumber, appliances and garbage. Ellis said it should be done sometime this summer, as it takes about six months to process the grant. The EVSWA has been recycling tires for four years, and recycles about 300 tons of tires and 700 tons of metal, including tire rims each year, according to Ellis. The NMDOT task force is required to report its findings to the Legislature no later than Dec. 1. ....................................................................................
Recycling Commodity Prices for April Even though generation of OCC continues to go down because of the severe recession we are in, demand in our area is still below normal, and prices went down an average of $5 per ton to reflect current supply and demand. The same applies to SOP and Higher grades like Hard White Shavings and Envelope Cuts. Things got a little bit better for ONP with a little increase on the price. Price for plastics is still low, but it is easier to move now. Local recycling centers continue to accept most materials, but there is still no payment for mixed paper and low amounts for most plastics.
Cardboard…………......................$10-$45/ton Newspaper……………………….….$10-$35/ton Sorted Office Paper……..............$30-$65/ton Mixed paper………………………….No payment, not accepting hard cover books Shrink wrap………………………….$0.01-$0.035/lb PET bottles (#1)…………………….. $0.005/lb accepting over 100 lbs of material only Milk Jugs, natural HDPE (#2)………$0.03-$0.12/lb Single color HDPE…………………..$0.01-$0.06/lb Aluminum Cans………………………$0.28-$0.37/lb price changing on a daily basis
*Please note that this is a sample of what is being offered in New Mexico for certain commodities. Purchase prices for OCC and Paper are subject to change based on market fluctuations as reflected in the Southwest Region of the Official Board Markets’ Yellow Sheet. Prices vary according to presentation and quantity. These prices are for partial loads. Full truckloads of any of the materials would be paid at a greater price depending on the pick-up location and destination of the material.
Other resources: http://www.wastenews.com/secondaryfiber/ http://www.packaging-online.com/ .....................................................................................
Northeast Recycling Coalition (NERC) Shows The Value of Recycling NERC has news for people who doubt recycling's contribution to the economy. According to a new study commissioned by the Northeast Recycling Council, recycling and re-use in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania was a $35 billion industry in 2007. The Recycling Economic Information Study Update found that the region boasted over 11,000 recycling and reuse businesses, employing in excess of 100,000 people. 2007's survey methodology was modified to more accurately estimate the contribution of the recycling industry on the economy. For example, the study divides recycling into 26 categories, grouped into collection and material suppliers, manufacturers and re-use and refurbishment operations. Collectors and reclaimers were identified as being particularly beneficial to the economy, employing workers locally for the 7,300 businesses in the region. Additionally, reclaimers employ 43 percent more workers than raw material producers in the region, and pay them approximately 62 percent more. Manufacturers of recycled products employed nearly 55,300 workers, or about four percent of the total number of manufacturing jobs in the five-state area. Re-use and refurbishment operations also put up impressive numbers, with 3,079 operations employing 17,765 people, and claiming a combined gross revenue of over $2 billion. The study was prepared by DSM Environmental Services of Windsor, Vermont, and Mid-Atlantic Solid Waste Consultants of New Market, Maryland. A thorough assessment of the NERC study will be featured in an upcoming issue of Resource Recycling. Click here for a free trial subscription...................................................................................... NMSU Poised to Earn Top Ranking in the National RecycleMania ContestNMSU's Main Campus is awaiting the official results to learn their ranking in the "Grand Champion" category of RecycleMania. RecycleMania is a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. Throughout the 10-week long competition, NMSU ranked anywhere from fifth to first within the division. Now comes the final reporting and ranking tabulation phase. The contest ended on Saturday, March 28th and schools submitted their final recycling and trash data on Friday, April 10th, RecycleMania staff will spend the following week doing one last screening of submitted numbers before publishing the official final rankings on Friday, April 17th. Look for results in the next edition of Recycling Scraps.
NMSU was in first place
during the final week of the competition. NMSU officials say the Aggies will get a trophy and national recognition
if they win, not to mention they will show the nation that
they care about the environment. NMSU's Interim President Waded Cruzado has called for 2009 to be the Year of Sustainability at NMSU. Aside from paper and cans, NMSU also recycles all of the grass and shrubbery clippings from the campus. Most of the waste is turned into compost. As a participant in RecycleMania, NMSU pledged to implement the following waste reduction practices on campus:
To learn more about the contest, please visit the RecycleMania website at www.recyclemania.com. For further background on the categories, divisions and how they are calculated, consult the Rules section of the website at: http://www.recyclemaniacs.org/rules.htm. .....................................................................................
Enthusiastic Elementary Students Take Part in a Variety of Clubs Albuquerque Journal March 19, 2009. By Elaine Briseno
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New Mexico SWANA Roadrunner Chapter Annual Road-E-O Mark your calendars for the 2009 Road-E-O to be held at the Albuquerque Cerro Color Landfill and the Sandia Motor Sports Park in Albuquerque on Saturday, May 2, 2009 (7:30 am - 4:00 pm). For competition categories and to register for the Road-E-O, go to www.nmswana.com. For additional information or assistance call JoAnne at 505-872-0164.
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One Man's Trash ...
Is Another
Man's Treasure When It Comes To Papier-Mache Art
'Is it folk art or
fine art?' I can't be a folk artist because I went to art
school. But it's not my job to define it."
Read more at http://www.abqjournal.com/north/06116154362north04-06-09.htm
..................................................................................... NMED Launches Climate Masters Program
The New Mexico Environment Department will be offering a
new educational outreach program, Climate Masters™,
which is a 10-week free series of classes focused on
climate change and what you can do to reduce your
greenhouse gas emissions in your daily life. Class
topics include Climate Change 101, Home Energy,
Transportation, Green Building, Renewable Energy, Yards,
Consumption and Waste, Food, and Outreach and
Consultations. Local experts in these fields will
discuss these topics, climate change, and how to reduce
your greenhouse gas emissions.
Classes will be offered at the Santa Fe Community
College, room 213, beginning on May 26 and ending on
July 28. Classes will meet every Tuesday evening from
6:00 – 8:30 pm. In addition to classroom training there
will be one or two local field trips, scheduled on
weekends, totaling 5 hours. The deadline for
registration is May 1, 2009. For further information, please contact Emily Geery at emily.geery@state.nm.us or (505)-476-4315. ..................................................................................... What Uncertainties Face Landfills as We Consume Less?
Albuquerque
Journal North March 15, 2009. By Jackie Jadrnak
..................................................................................... Resources for Schools and Educators Waste Management's Think Green website has recently partnered with Discovery Education to provide a great resource for teachers and students. Lesson plans, videos and more are all available at <http://www.thinkgreen.com/classroom>.
..................................................................................... Bill Booth, Ditch Witch; John Zarola; Pueblo of Tesuque Environment Department; Nathan Lee and Norman Scott, Navajo Nation; Butch Steinman, Village of Angel Fire; Josh Montano and Kimberly Foree, OSO Biopharmaceuticals; David Friedman, Friedman Recycling; Rodney Mullens, Mesa Verde Enterprises; Beverly Booth McCauley; Charley Carroll, NM Junior College; Joe Capone, All American Waste Removal; Suzanne Michaels; City of Gallup; Roger Allen; Michael Candelaria, Pueblo of Isleta; Melissa Villalobos, Western NM Correctional Facility. ...................................................................................
State Loans NMED Constructions Programs Bureau offers low-interest loans for solid waste projects: http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/cpb/rip.html . ....................................................................................
Gallup: Electronics Recycling Drive, Saturday, April 18, at Castle Furniture from 10AM-2PM.
Albuquerque: The 3rd annual Nob Hill Recycle Show, will be Sunday April 26 10 am to 5 pm at Ghost Town Trading Company in Nob Hill, 111 Carlisle NE (Corner of Copper NE and Carlisle NE).
Arizona: The Arizona Recycling Coalition is hosting their annual conference August 17-18 in Phoenix. Go to www.arizonarecyclingcoalition.com for more information.
Colorado: The Colorado Association for Recycling is hosting their annual conference May 17-19 in Vail. Go to www.cafr.org/summit/ for more information.
Submit your community's news by emailing english@recyclenewmexico.com . We love to hear about news from around the state! ...................................................................................
Report allows investors to
compare footprint of funds
USPS Brings Paper Recycling to Post Office Lobbies
Florida County Recycles Glass for Road Resurfacing Highlands County, Fla., has announced that it will begin collecting glass at its drop-off recycling locations, according to a report in the Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Fla.). Glass collected will be crushed for use in the production of asphalt at the county’s asphalt plant, according to the report. Florida Department of Transportation regulations allow up to 15 percent of an asphalt mix to be made of recycled glass. Glass bottles, jars, baking ware, window panes and mirrors can be recycled, according to the report.
Reusable
Bag Use at Whole Foods Triples
World's Richest Recycler The March 30th issue of The New Yorker has the tale of the rise and fall of China's richest woman, Nine Dragons Paper's Cheung Yan, who made her fortune — once estimated at more than $10 billion — on scrap paper. Evan Osnos' story follows Cheung's meteoric rise, with her legendarily filling near-empty shipping containers heading back to China with scrap paper products, becoming a paperboard giant in the process; According to Osnos, one of Dragons' paper mills is the largest in the world. After going public in 2006, Cheung saw massive profits, becoming China's richest person for a time, the first woman to hold that lofty position. Since the beginning of the 2008 market crash — Osnos uses the cardboard box as a leading economic indicator — she has lost $7 billion.
Soles4Souls Provides Shoe Recycling Soles4Souls has a simple mission: To impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes. Soles4Souls facilitates the donations of shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. Shoe companies, retailers, and individuals can donate footwear (both new and used). Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS, and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. The idea behind gifts of shoes is nothing new to the Soles4Souls team, as they coordinated relief efforts for the Asian Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, netting over 1 Million pairs donated for these disasters. The team originally operated as www.katrinashoes.org with several churches partnering in the collection and distribution of footwear.
Reusable
Packaging Launches Economic Calculator The Reusable Packaging Economic Calculator is available at www.choosereusables.org. It allows companies to determine whether their shipping needs are financially conducive to reusable packaging. The RPA cautions that it is intended to offer guidance and is not an absolute indication of exact costs. "Now more than ever, businesses are trying to reduce their operating expenses and reusable transport packaging is a proven and effective way to reduce costs," said Bob Klimko, chairman of the RPA board and director of general industrial marketing for Orbis Corp. In addition to cutting costs, reusable packaging also reduces waste, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, according to the RPA. Christus St. Vincent Looks to Increase Recycling Santa Fe New Mexican, March 25, 2009 When it comes to recycling, there's the usual cans and bottles -- but that's just the tip of the trash pile when you have a whole hospital at your disposal. Officials at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center are planning to launch a Go Green campaign in about a month that will increase recycling across the entire hospital, and possibly add some bigger items to the bin, said Bruce Tassin, the chief operating officer. Read more at www.santafenewmexican.com
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Recycling and Composting Facility Operator Certification Class Schedule for 2009
Recycling Certification Courses May 12-14, Ruidoso December 8-10, Albuquerque
Composting Certification Courses April 21-23, Ruidoso October 20-22, Santa Fe
To register, please go to www.recyclenewmexico.com/cert_classes.htm ....................................................................................
If you have questions about any of the above information or have articles for future Recycling Scraps, please e-mail or call me. English Bird, Executive Director New Mexico Recycling Coalition PO Box 24364, Santa Fe, NM 87502 (505) 983-4470
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