Association News

EIA ACTS BOTH LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY

The Environmental Industry Associations, Washington, has signed two separate agreements of cooperation, one pledging to work with the United States Department of Commerce to boost U.S. environmental technology exports, and the other to exchange information and collaborate on other joint activities with the China Association of Machinery Industry for Environmental Protection.

The EIA/DOC agreement, signed by EIA President and CEO Allen Frischkorn and Assistant Secretary for Trade Development Ray Vickery, took the form of a Memorandum of Understanding in which the two sides agree to investigate opportunities for U.S. technologies in international markets and to engage in joint activities such as advocacy, trade development and promotion, information sharing and conferences.

The agreement with CAMIE calls for exchanging visits and publications, encouraging members to participate in each other’s trade shows and pursuing other cooperative activities.

SURVEY SHOWS INCREASING CONFIDENCE

Mayors and local solid waste managers are far less concerned about market price levels and market availability for recyclables than they were just a year ago, according to a national survey report released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and its affiliate Municipal Waste Management Association.

Forty-four percent of the 255 cities surveyed had established "buy recycled" programs and 30 percent were responsive to President Clinton’s executive order to procure recycled products such as paper, re-refined oil and retread tires. The survey also found that recycling is increasing the nation’s future landfill capacity. Cities surveyed this year reported an average of 22 years of landfill capacity remaining, a 34-percent increase over last year’s 16-year capacity projection.

BOTTLE BILL STUDY QUESTIONED

The Coalition for Comprehensive Recycling, which includes a number of container manufacturers and handlers, has called on the EPA to reject the Tellus Institute draft report on the costs and benefits of bottle bills.

The Coalition maintains the authors of "Preliminary Analysis: The Costs and Benefits of Bottles Bills" did not understand the operation of California’s A.B. 2020 law
from which they developed their hypothetical model.