Municipal

SWANA establishes Recycling Task Force

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Maryland, has established a Recycling Task Force to provide guidance to members, industry stakeholders, state/provincial and local governments and elected officials concerning the challenges facing recycling programs in the United States and Canada.

With China’s waste ban and 0.5 percent contamination standard, SWANA says its Recycling Task Force will develop and support strategies to ensure continuation of sustainable recycling programs.

“SWANA’s Recycling Task Force will reduce dependency on minimal end markets by creating strategies, developing infrastructures and marketing SWANA’s commitment to sustainable recycling programs in North America,” Kim Braun, environmental programs and operations manager for Culver City, California, says. Braun will serve on the Task Force.

“Although we may feel some pressure now, the future holds so much opportunity—jobs, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, invention of the newest technologies and the creation of new sustainable markets, all of which the Recycling Task Force will support,” she adds.

The Recycling Task Force includes representatives from SWANA’s technical divisions and international board, government officials, private sector material recovery facility owners and equipment makers.

“The leaders who will serve on this Task Force have expertise in all elements of recycling in North America,” David Biderman, SWANA executive director and CEO, says. “By tapping their expertise and working with all our industry partners, we will be able to take the appropriate steps to protect and enhance recycling programs in the United States and Canada.

“Now that China’s waste import restrictions have taken effect, reducing contamination will be an obvious focus; however, the Task Force will also evaluate strategies for increasing demand for recycled material and educate elected officials about the job growth opportunities associated with improving domestic recycling operations to meet this challenge,” he adds.

Texas city joins The Recycling Partnership

The Recycling Partnership, Falls Church, Virginia, says it has helped its latest city partner and its first in Texas—the city of Garland—to distribute recycling carts.

In late January, the city rolled out carts to 9,900 households, completing its five-year push to replace its 18-gallon bins with 96-gallon carts for Garland’s 240,000-plus residents, the organization says. As a result of this programmatic upgrade, the city anticipates the volume of recyclables collected to increase by 2,000 tons per year, which The Recycling Partnership says equates to 4,381 metric tons of greenhouse gas avoidance.

The Recycling Partnership supported the roll-out with grant dollars, technical assistance and educational resources.

Garland is the 15th community The Recycling Partnership has helped to put recycling carts on the ground, bringing the total number of carts the organization has helped to distribute to 412,000.