A Certified Success Story

The development of a C&D Certification Program by the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) and the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is proceeding apace, and will be ready for its introduction this summer at SWANA's Recycling and Collection Symposium in Salt Lake City.

The idea behind the certification program is similar to SWANA's Manager of Landfill Operations program, whereby a standardized skill and knowledge level of information and tactics is provided to anyone who wants to learn about managing a landfill. For the C&D program, recycling and landfill operations are equally emphasized.

Initial support for the concept of the program has been largely positive. This is a chance to improve the credibility of the C&D industry, and place it on par with the MSW waste stream. Also, it will raise the bar for operators of C&D recycling and landfill operations, and will provide a way to measure substandard operations that give the industry a bad name.

Any questions that have arisen about the C&D certification program have been concerning having it mandated by state and local regulatory authorities. In short, the fear is an operator of a facility must pass the class in order to keep the facility open. Both SWANA and CMRA agree that the intention is not to develop this program to make it mandatory. A number of CMRA members already feel they have enough regulations on them, and this would be just one more. Indeed, a major goal of the CMRA is to keep regulations off of the recyclers.

But view the program this way-the C&D certification program will provide a base level of knowledge that anyone wanting to learn about the industry will want to take. In addition, for those already in the industry who take it, the program can pass along information and know-how an operator might or might not know he is missing.

And by passing the program's attendant test, the operator can say he or she is on a loftier knowledge and skill plateau than his/her competition. Distinctions like that can help when trying to site a new plant or landfill.

Granted, this is assuming the C&D program is complete, fair, and full. We think it will be. SWANA has proven with its other certification programs that it can provide quality products that do cover the subject matter, especially when it comes to landfills and transfer stations. The CMRA has among its membership the leaders in the C&D recycling industry, many of whom own and operate C&D landfills as well. The program is being developed by CMRA member Dr. Timothy Townsend of the University of Florida, who has been doing a lot of research in C&D for the past few years. A review committee is examining his work every step of the way. The committee is made up of both SWANA and CMRA members. Because of their past work developing these types of programs, the SWANA committee members tend to be more in tune with the needs of a student trying to learn the material, while the CMRA members, almost all of whom have both C&D recycling centers and landfills/transfer stations, are providing a lot of the technical knowledge.

It is a well-matched team developing this program. And the quality of the people working on this program should assure those doubters that a quality C&D certification program will be developed, one that will well serve the C&D industry.