By Chris Eversole
December 13, 2011
Civil Citations Now Possible for Businesses That Don’t Comply.
Gainesville and Alachua County require commercial recycling by law, but the requirements have had few teeth in the past. That’s changing somewhat, and more and more businesses and organizations are recycling, officials say.
The city updated its commercial recycling ordinance in June, empowering inspectors to issue civil citations to businesses that don’t comply with the law, says Steven Joplin, the City of Gainesville’s solid waste manager.
The new city requirements start with a warning. The first offense carries a penalty of $125, and the second offense $250. A third offense results in taking the case to court.
“The commission agreed with our position that it was time to start getting better results,” Joplin says. “We still take the attitude that we’re there to help people understand what they need to do and find ways to do it. We’re not trying to be the Gestapo.”
By December, the city had issued “warnings” to nine businesses, four of which came into compliance after the warnings, Joplin says.
Commercial recycling is crucial, with an estimated 60 percent of all waste coming from businesses, nonprofit organizations government, apartments and condominium communities, says Patrick Irby, the county’s recycling coordinator.
When you look at the county’s current overall recycling effort, you can see the glass as either half full or half empty.
From the half-full perspective, the county ranks second in the state, with 44 percent of the waste stream recycled, Irby says.
Getting complete data is impossible, as reporting of most commercial recycling is voluntary, Irby notes. Because of the voluntary reporting, commercial recycling probably is more extensive than is documented, according to Irby.
Large retailers routinely recycle cardboard and paper used in shipping, but they don’t report all of their recycling to the county, which compiles recycling reports, Irby says.
Joplin agrees. “Companies like Publix, Wal-Mart and Home Depot recycle a lot of cardboard that they bale and send to a regional recycling center and we never know about it,” he says. “If it doesn’t get recorded, it didn’t happen, as far as the state is concerned.”
Looking at the glass as half empty, the county is a long way from a state goal of recycling 75 percent of the waste stream by 2020.
Recycling from Soup to Nuts
Lay people think of recycling as reusing paper, metal and glass. However in the industry, recycled materials take many forms. For example, Wal-Mart has started composting its discarded produce, as do some other grocers, Joplin says.
And the state estimates that 37 percent of the county’s total recycling comes from yard waste and construction and demolition debris. Local company Bearded Brothers salvages various items from building deconstruction for reuse, Joplin notes.
But while separating your empty bottles at home has become habit, getting businesses and office-workers to similarly recycle hasn’t quite caught on. The county estimates that 70 percent of people living in single-family homes participate in recycling.
City and county governments can require all residents in urban areas to use WCA Waste Corp., the contracted hauler both governments use to pick up garbage and recyclables. “We justify it under our power to protect public health and safety,” Joplin says.
But unlike residential recycling, commercial recycling is tough to control, Irby says. Apartment and condominium communities pose some of the toughest recycling challenges, Joplin says.
“Nobody has them figured out,” he says. “There’s no way to force people in multi-family units to comply with recycling requirements.”
People living in relatively expensive apartments tend to get more involved in recycling than do people living in less expensive ones, Irby says.
Making recycling convenient at apartments and condos is important, Irby says. With that in mind, the county is providing recycling reusable plastic bags to apartment complexes. “It like having orange and blue bins,” he says. “We want to make it convenient.”
Some Businesses Embrace Recycling
Some apartment management companies go out of their way to recycle. Among them is Contemporary Management Concepts, which manages 18 properties with 2,500 apartments.
“We’re committed to improving our environment,” says President Sonia Fox. “When everyone works together, we can make the best use of our planet’s natural resources.”
The company spends about $27,000 annually on recycling—or little more than $10 per apartment, Fox says. “We reduce our garbage disposal cost, which, in turn, benefits us as well as our residents.”
The company provides separate recycling bins on each property for glass, newspapers, water bottles and aluminum cans. It recently added dumpsters for cardboard.
“Putting recycling containers on site makes it convenient for our residents to get involved, even those who may not have thought about it before,” Fox says.
Contemporary Management Concepts recycles Christmas trees, as well as carpet and padding that it replaces, Fox says. “We give life to items that used to be thrown away, saving energy and helping lower greenhouse gas emissions in the process.”
Parisleaf Printing and Design also has a strong environmental commitment.
The company generates virtually no waste, says co-owner Chad Paris. On the rare occasion that a printing job needs to be redone, the company gives the flawed prints to the customer for free. The company buys paper made of 45 percent recycled material and avoids paper that has a UV coating that prevents it from breaking down in landfills. Much of Parisleaf’s printing is done by a Montana company that generates all of its power with its own wind turbines.
For its efforts, the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce honored Parisleaf with this year’s Commitment to the Environment Award. This commitment only makes sense, Paris says.
“We love the outdoors, and we want to do everything we can to protect it,” he says.
Making a Business of Recycling
Rod Ingram has a simple business: Recycling Services of America. He collects recyclables (mostly paper and cardboard) from businesses, binds it in bundles and sells the paper and cardboard to paper companies. He sells the few bottles, cans and plastic containers he collects to other local recyclers.
Increased teeth in city and county recycling laws hasn’t had any effect on his business, Ingram says. Still, he expects the state requirement of recycling 75 percent of the state’s waste by 2020 to bring about some increased business.
The company’s charges are straightforward. They’re based on the cost of picking up the recyclables, starting at $20 a month for a 33-gallon container. The money he collects for the paper and cardboard offsets the cost of processing the material, Ingram says.
People can drop off office paper at the company’s site, 2874 NE First Terrace, behind BMW of Gainesville, for free.
Helen Warren, a real estate agent with Prudential Trend Realty, does that regularly. “I’m glad to drop off the paper from the office,” she says. “You’ve got to make recycling easy for people.”
It’s not only paper and cardboard, as a business might encounter scrap metals in its trash stream. CMC Recycling (no relation to CMC Apartments) buys all types of metal at its location at 1508 NW 55th Place, says Florida Regional Director Stan Young. “If it’s metal, we’ll take it,” he says. Items it handles includes old signs, car doors and fenders, doors, windows, siding and pipe, Young says.
Cost Varies from Product to Product
Almost always, the cost of recycling exceeds the payment for the recycled material. “It’s the cost of collection that kills you,” Irby says.
The market for recyclables varies from one part of the country to another. “We have a relatively good market for paper here because there are paper mills nearby,” Irby says. “Our market for glass is poor, but there’s a high demand for glass in Silicon Valley because it can be used in computers.”
Still, there are some uses for recycled glass here, such as for granules on shingles and sandpaper, Joplin says.
Businesses can offset some or most of the cost of recycling by reducing the size of their garbage containers because they’re not throwing out as much, Irby says. “That’s a point I’m constantly making to businesses,” he says.
Joplin looks at recycling holistically, noting that providing outdated items to food banks and selling used furniture and clothing are all forms of recycling. “During World War II, the country recycled rags and many other things because of shortages of raw materials,” he says.
“We’re not a bunch of tree-huggers,” Joplin says. “The city enacted the ordinance, and we’re enforcing it.”
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Sunday, December 18, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
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Cobb Hospital one step closer to demolition
By Taylor Kinkade - bio | email
PHENIX CITY, AL (WTVM) -
Phenix City is one step closer to saying goodbye to the old Cobb Hospital. They awarded the demolition bid to Dore and Associates Contracting.
Six different companies submitted bids to tear down the old building, but in the end the winning bid came in at just more then $827,000.
Following the asbestos report, demolition is the next step in rebuilding on the property. Phenix City council member Max Wilkes said, "It's a good feeling. We've come a long ways and gotten a lot done and there's a lot more to do as our city manager said today. We have a lot in the works."
The plan for the old Cobb Hospital property is to create a city complex that would house utilities and a police precinct.
The demolition company has 180 days to get the building torn down
PHENIX CITY, AL (WTVM) -
Phenix City is one step closer to saying goodbye to the old Cobb Hospital. They awarded the demolition bid to Dore and Associates Contracting.
Six different companies submitted bids to tear down the old building, but in the end the winning bid came in at just more then $827,000.
Following the asbestos report, demolition is the next step in rebuilding on the property. Phenix City council member Max Wilkes said, "It's a good feeling. We've come a long ways and gotten a lot done and there's a lot more to do as our city manager said today. We have a lot in the works."
The plan for the old Cobb Hospital property is to create a city complex that would house utilities and a police precinct.
The demolition company has 180 days to get the building torn down
Confessions of an Oppo Researcher: Book Recommendation: The Collapse of American Cri... http://ping.fm/civVa
Political Memorabilia Blog: Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that C... http://ping.fm/f6S3h
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Cell Phone Collection Drives – December 2011
Schools, communities, and organizations doing their cell phone collection
drives this December:
Michigan Cell Phones For Our Troops
Lake Shore and Lakeview high schools in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan are now
collecting used cell phones from students, parents, and the
surrounding community. Proceeds from the cell phone drive which runs up to
December 15th will be used to purchase 60-minute calling cards which will
distributed to U.S. troops stationed overseas.
Louisville Science Center Recycling Exhibit and Electronics Collection
Drive
The Louisville Science Center in Louisville, Kentucky is scheduled to open an
exhibit tomorrow Thursday, December 8th, titled “Reuse-apalooza.” The science exhibit which will focus on
recycling will run until January 2, 2012 and will feature such items as
terrariums constructed from found objects, home-made musical instruments, etc.
Visitors to the exhibit are encouraged to turn in their used electronic items
such as old cell phone to help raise funds to prevent toxic metals from ewaste
from leaching into landfills.
Arizona YouChange Launches Electronic Recycling Program for
Schools
YouChange Holdings Corp, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, recently launched it’s
electronics recycling programs for the 2,300 public and private
schools in Arizona. The aim of the program is to help educate students about
e-waste, encourage the collection of obsolete electronics, including used cell
phones, and help raise funds for cash-strapped schools. YouChange successfully
completed the beta testing of their program at Mountain Point High School and
Gililland Middle School collecting over 10,000 pounds of electronics.
Detroit High School Collecting Cell Phones For The Troops
Students of South Lyon High School in Detroit will be participating in the Cell Phones for Soldiers Drive this December. The students will
be putting up collection boxes in business establishments throughout the Detroit
metro area to allow people to donate their used cell phones. The proceeds from
the drive, which will run from Nov. 21 to Dec. 13, will be used to purchase
prepaid calling cards that soldiers now assigned overseas can use to call their
loved ones back home.
The Ewaste Recycler Can Help
For those who are interested in conducting a cell phone recycling or
collection drive in their school, office, or community, The Ewaste Recycler can assist you with prepaid shipping labels, cell phone collection bags, and customized
fliers. Feel free to request for a Cell Phone Collection Information Kit today. If you’re having a cell phone collection drive this month or scheduled for January 2012, please leave a comment below so we can feature your activity in our weekly roundup of Cell Phone Drives throughout the U.S.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
RT @jonathanbudd Key Reflections On Building a $13 Million Dollar Brand in Less Than 5 Years… http://bit.ly/u8I8EC
Geminid meteor shower: why spectacular light show puzzles scientists http://bit.ly/v9TH0F via @AddThis
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E-waste: the high cost of high-tech
By Sunil Herat, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering at Griffith University on 13 December 2011
E-waste from used electrical and electronic gadgets such as desktop computers, laptops and iPhones is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. Rapid uptake of information technology around the world coupled with the advent of new design and technology at regular intervals is causing the early obsolescence of many such gadgets.
We all know the benefits of electrical and electronic gadgets. But we don’t know nearly as much about the adverse effects they have once we throw them away.
In the United States, producer of the largest amounts of e-waste in the world, it is estimated that over 100 million computers, monitors and televisions become obsolete each year. That amount is growing every year.
The European Union generated an estimated 9.3 million tonnes of e-waste in 2005. This included 40 million personal computers and 32 million televisions.
Each year over 130 million mobile phones in the United States and over 105 million mobile phones in Europe reach the end of their life and are thrown away.
E-waste has become a serious social problem and an environmental threat in many countries. The United Nations estimates that collectively the world now generates 20 to 50 million tonnes of e-waste every year. By 2020, it estimates e-waste from old computers in South Africa and China will have jumped by 200-400% and in India by 500% from 2007 levels.
Most of the used electrical and electronic gadgets in Australia end up in landfill. The Australian Government reported that in 2007-08, 31.7 million new televisions, computers and computer products were [sold in Australia]. In the same period, 16.8 million of these items reached the end of their life: 88% went to landfill and only 9% were recycled.
By 2027-28, the government estimates 44 million televisions, computers and computer products will be reaching the end of their life.
E-waste is escalating all over the world. Curtis Palmer
E-waste contains more than 1,000 different substances. These include toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and flame retardants used in the plastics.
There are growing concerns that most of the e-waste generated in developed countries is ending up in developing countries. Some of the e-waste collected for recycling in Australia may end up in these countries (though this may be resolved once new regulations become effective).
These countries are economically challenged and lack the infrastructure for environmentally sound management of e-waste.
The toxic waste causes adverse socio-economic, public health and environmental impact. Research studies have identified increased levels of trace elements such as lead, zinc, silver, cadmium and copper and a number of other chemicals in these environments. On the positive side, e-waste also contains valuable materials such as gold and palladium which can be recovered.
Asia – including Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Vietnam; and Africa – including Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal and Ghana – are the latest dumps for e-waste generated in advanced economies.
Managing e-waste in these countries is not easy: most have neither a well-established system for separation, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste nor any effective enforcement related to managing e-waste. Most dispose of e-waste alongside domestic waste in open dumps, causing severe damage to the environment and human health.
Threats from the ever growing e-waste stream could only be minimised by producing less of it: we need to find alternatives to toxic materials. Good examples of this include lead-free soldering and the development of halogen-free brominated flame retardants in electronics manufacture.
As consumers we need to make our contribution to producing less e-waste by practices such as sustainable consumption and 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). Don’t buy what you don’t need, and recycle devices that have reached the end of their life.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. Read the original article.
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