COUPLE TOURS ITALY ON SIERRA
Marty Rusk of Corrugated Services, Forney, Texas, was the winner of a recent drawing for a trip for two to Italy sponsored by Sierra International Machinery, Bakersfield, Calif., and Macpresse Europa, Milan.
Marty and his wife Carla won a seven-day, six-night trip to Italy that included roundtrip airfare to Milan and deluxe hotel accommodations.
The couple says they particularly enjoyed visiting Italy’s historic cities, which included Milan, Venice, Murano, Pisa and Santa Margherita. "I can’t decide which place was more beautiful," Marty says.
Taking some time out from sightseeing and sampling Italy’s cuisine, Marty visited the Macpresse manufacturing plant in Milan, for which he had high praise, saying the "manufacturing facility is best in its class."
WHAT A LITTLE INCENTIVE CAN YIELD
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have presented the Massachusetts WasteWise Waste Reduction Leadership Awards to Lemuel Shattuck State Hospital and to Raytheon Co. in recognition of their incentive-based solid waste contracting techniques, which have helped to reduce trash and to increase recycling in their operations.
Lemuel Shattuck State Hospital and Raytheon use an approach known as resource management (RM) contracting, through which they have given their solid waste contractors clear financial incentives to manage resources in economically and environmentally responsible ways to reduce their disposal costs and to dramatically increase the amount of material they recycle.
MassDEP Commissioner Robert W. Golledge Jr. says the organizations are "prime examples of how incentive-based contracting can be implemented in the waste management industry."
Lemuel Shattuck, a 278-bed, inpatient hospital in Jamaica Plain, Mass., is in the second year of its contract with Save That Stuff, a Charlestown-based recycler. During the first year, Shattuck generated 11 percent less trash, saved roughly $11,000 in avoided disposal costs and more than quadrupled recycling from 14 tons to 58 tons by collecting five new materials.
Based in Waltham, defense contractor Raytheon sent out bids for solid waste and recycling services at eight of its Massachusetts facilities, giving its new contractor incentives to help the company throw away less and recycle more and for continuous improvement.
Through the award program, MassDEP and EPA annually recognize organizations that demonstrate recycling leadership, sustainability and innovation. They jointly fund the Massachusetts WasteWise Program, which provides waste reduction assistance to businesses and organizations.
NOW YOU'RE COOKING
The California School of Culinary Arts (CSCA) has concocted a successful recipe for easing its burden on the environment.
The recycling and conservation efforts of the CSCA student body have diverted 35,000 pounds of recyclable materials from the landfill in addition to saving 30,000 gallons of water each month.
The city of Pasadena has recognized these efforts and has honored CSCA as an Outstanding Recycler of 2005.
In April 2005, CSCA Facilities Director George Helm began implementing a conservation program, first by outfitting pre-rinse sprayers in the schools’ kitchens and fixtures in its bathrooms with water-saving devices to conserve more than 360,000 gallons of water every year.
In the first four months of the program, CSCA diverted 18 tons of refuse from landfill disposal by conserving and recycling items like cardboard, paper, glass, plastic and aluminum.
"The judges were very impressed that the school’s recycling program is an integral part of each day’s curriculum and that their recycling efforts have collected such a wide variety of materials," says Arlington Rodgers Jr. of the Department of Public Works.
Explore the January 2006 Issue
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