Gathering Place

More than 1,000 representatives from the private and public sectors of the recycling community met in Denver Sept. 16-19 for the National Recycling Coalition’s (NRC) 26th Annual Congress & Expo.

Visitors to the show had the opportunity to attend a number of educational sessions and workshops that covered a broad range of topics related to the recycling industry, from European collection strategies to discussions on the latest regulations affecting the industry to using the media to promote recycling.

In addition to educational sessions, attendees could visit the more than 80 equipment manufacturers, service providers and associations in the exhibit hall as well as participate in a number of networking activities to meet and mingle with colleagues from all facets of the industry.

Martinek discussed a research project undertaken by the Colorado DOT that examined recycling possibilities for concrete and asphalt as well as reuse opportunities for those materials in road building and in highway applications.

In the course of research, Martinek said the DOT found the state of Colorado used 290,068 tons of concrete in 2007 and recycled only 1,100 tons. Additionally, the state used 260,125 tons of asphalt and recycled 45,000 tons. "We asked ourselves, ‘Can we do better?’" Martinek said.

The report found that several states allow for the use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) in the production of new asphalt, including the California Department of Transportation, which allows 25 percent to 50 percent RAP in hot-mix designs. Martinek reported similar findings for other materials, including recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) and tires, adding that Colorado Springs, Colo., had initiated a test of rubberized asphalt on local streets, using 6,200 tons in 2006.

Rick Givan of the Recycled Materials Co., Arvada, Colo., discussed two case studies that described how his company has used recycled asphalt and concrete in road applications. "Sustainability is our guiding principle," Givan said. "We aim to elevate the use of the material and bring it to its best use."

Givan described the demolition of the Denver’s Stapleton International Airport, a 5,000-acre commercial airport with more than 1,000 acres of paved hardscape. The company recycled 6.5 million tons of concrete and asphalt and reused one-third of the recycled aggregate on the project.

He also discussed a current project—the demolition of the former El Toro Marine Air Corps Station in Irvine, Calif. Givan said the project would yield 4 million tons of concrete and asphalt. Furthermore, 100 percent of the material would be reused on site, he added. "Every single ton removed on the site will be reused on the site," Givan said.

Steve Hamilton of Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., headquartered in Chicago, also addressed attendees about recycling opportunities for industrial byproducts, such as wastewater treatment plant residues.

Hamilton said primary solids, such as wood fiber, and secondary solids, such as microbial biomass, generated by industrial processes could be burned as fuel, though Btu values would vary with content.

He said wastewater treatment residues also had land applications as soil conditioner and fertilizer.

Pursuing alternative markets is one way to expand recycling. Municipal program coordinators can also look to the business sector for a boost.

Businesses named many barriers to starting a recycling program, including cost, not having available space, lacking management interest or not having a hauler. Skumatz said knowing the sector helped in overcoming these barriers on a case-by-case basis. She suggested attendees ask the following questions: "Is solid waste a large portion of their operating budget?" and "Do they have staff devoted to the management of solid waste?"

Different strategies appeal to different kinds of businesses. Skumatz outlined several by category, including providing builder incentives, such as allowing a contractor to build a floor higher if he meets recycling requirements, in the case of C&D. She also suggested conducting audits and including recycling requirements in lease agreements to encourage commercial generators.

Matthew Todd of the North Carolina Division of Pollution Control discussed getting cleaning crews involved with office recycling to create stronger programs. He discussed Partnership to Recycling (P2R) and its pilot program in Mecklenburg County, N.C. The first phase of the initiative involved further engaging cleaning staff by providing additional training and information about recycling. In the pilot program, additional training was provided in quarterly or monthly sessions, which only took 10 or 15 minutes, Todd said. Time efficiency was a key element in getting cleaning staff to participate, he added. "The key is not to make it a burden on them," he said.

The program also provided procedure sheets, which were two sided and offered information on recycling in English and Spanish, to the staff. The project’s second phase involved getting cleaning professionals’ organizations, such as the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) involved, according to Todd.

Starting any kind of program brings a set of challenges. However, once programs are established, the media can be one of the most useful promotional tools and encourage participation.

"This is a golden moment for the environment," he said. Watson said that program directors could capitalize on the popularity of environmental issues and think beyond traditional media advertising to spread their message. He advocated using local media, but in an editorial capacity, pitching story ideas for editorial coverage as a way to draw attention to recycling. "Getting press for the environment is like shooting fish in a barrel," he said. Watson suggested cultivating relationships with reporters and contributing ideas for stories or regular content. "We have to do outreach on the public and media’s terms," he said.

Andy Likes, of the Vandiver Group Inc., St. Louis, recommended using word-of-mouth advertising to get information out about recycling programs. "Get the right information to the right people, and it spreads like wildfire," he said.

He discussed his work in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles, Mo., which had a failing recycling program with 15 percent to 25 percent participation rates. Likes said by using a small group of very dedicated recyclers in the community as a resource, the program was able to attract more participation in the program.

Through research, Likes’s organization found a lot of misinformation about the recycling program in the community. "The survey was scary," he said. Some 19 percent of those residents surveyed thought they paid extra for recycling services. Some people also thought the same truck collected trash and recyclables and that no real recycling was happening, Likes said.

Another outreach strategy employed in the case of St. Charles was getting the city to take ownership of the program, as well as reaching out to the community’s children. "If you get kids involved, the information gets home," he said.

Carolyn Smith of Anoka County, Minn., also spoke on the panel about her experience with Anoka County’s Rethink Recycling program. The Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area also reached a point where participation had plateaued and tonnages had leveled off. The county identified several barriers to increased participation, the chief of which was miscommunication, inconsistent terminology and a lack of coordination. Smith said she found disseminating consistent information in a simple format was the most effective way to publicize the area’s program.

In addition to using toolkits containing simple "yes/no" lists about recyclable materials, the county also employed alternative advertising techniques, like placing more than 200 ads in bathrooms, as well as using Web and TV advertising.

The author is associate editor of Recycling Today and can be contacted at jgubeno@gie.net.