Municipal Recycling

Casella Reopens Boston-Area MRF
Casella Waste Systems Inc., Boston, has announced the reopening of its newly renovated material recovery facility (MRF) in Charlestown, Mass., which features eight optical sorters, seven disk screens and three magnets.

Casella’s Zero-Sort, or single-stream, facility has the ability to process 45 tons per hour of material and currently processes 750 tons per day.

The new facility was retrofitted beginning in September 2008. With municipalities looking toward single-stream recycling as a way to save money, Casella recognized there would be a need for such a facility in Boston. A similar Casella facility is located in Auburn, Mass.

“Casella undertook this multi-million dollar renovation because we believe single-stream recycling, which we call Zero-Sort, is the wave of the future,” says John Casella, president and CEO of Casella Waste Systems. “By going to a Zero-Sort process, municipalities can save money on trash disposal while increasing the rate of recycling among residents and local businesses.”

Boston began single-stream recycling with Casella in July 2009. The program is expected to save the city approximately $1 million annually.

“The new recycling system is a fantastic example of Boston’s steadfast commitment to using new tools to make our city more economically efficiently and friendly to the environment,” says Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “Now it will be easier for residents to help turn Beantown into Greentown.”

Casella says it has found that by going to a single-stream collection process, towns and cities can increase recycling by upward of 40 percent and decrease solid waste by more than 20 percent in light of the ease and convenience of recycling without sorting.

Pennsylvania Awards $1.2 Million to Boost Use of Recycled-Content Products
Four Pennsylvania companies have been awarded $1.2 million in financial assistance to increase their use of recycled materials in the production of their finished goods.

Recycling Market Infrastructure Development grants enable companies to invest in their own operations, contribute to the growing recycling industry in Pennsylvania and at the same time help improve the overall business and economic climates in the commonwealth, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The reimbursement grants are awarded to businesses and nonprofit organizations that manufacture a product or reuse an existing product with recyclable material from Pennsylvania. Entities that want to begin using recyclable material are also eligible. Grants of up to $500,000 are available for any single recycling infrastructure development project.

“Our goals are to build strong markets for recycled materials in Pennsylvania and increase the use of recyclable materials in the production of finished products,” says Gov. Edward Rendell. “We realize that by putting our recycled materials to better use, these companies will help generate economic growth and opportunities for themselves and others. Recycling makes good business sense because it saves our resources, saves energy and reduces pollution, which makes for a cleaner and safer environment.”

Team Ten LLC (dba American Eagle Paper Mills, or AEPM), Tyrone, Pa., received $500,000 to add dispersion and bleaching systems to its recycled fiber operations, enabling AEPM to process and use an additional 14,880 tons annually of fiber rejects and junk mail from Pennsylvania sources, increase post-consumer fiber content in its paper products and reduce its annual operating expenses.

Chambersburg Waste Paper Co. Inc., Chambersburg, Pa., received $82,00 to purchase a high-capacity fiber shredder, capable of manufacturing up to 5,750 tons of animal bedding annually. The bedding material will be made from recycled newspaper, cardboard and junk mail collected from the area.

Casual Living Unlimited LLC, New Holland, Pa., received $494,000 to purchase post-consumer and post-industrial high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic processing equipment and an additional extruder. The company says this will enable it to improve the quality of its recycled plastic feed stock used to manufacture outdoor furniture. The company will be able to use 890 tons of recycled waste plastic from Pennsylvania sources. This project will also create five new full-time positions.

Meridian Precision Inc., Pine Grove, Pa., received $132,000 to purchase pulverizing equipment that will increase the use of recyclable plastic materials and allow the company to process traditionally more challenging scrap plastics, such as post-consumer film, shrink wrap and other commingled and cross-contaminations plastics. The company will use an additional 900 tons per year of scrap plastics, 240 tons of which will be from post-consumer sources, and will create six new full-time positions and three part-time positions.

More information on the grant program is available at www.governor.state.pa.us.

Education Campaign Results in Increased Recycling
The Curbside Value Partnership (CVP), Stamford, Conn., joined forces with the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to select three communities in which to launch an education program with the goal of increasing participation in curbside recycling.

The communities saw an average 13 percent improvement in recycling volume compared to prior years.
Beginning in November 2008 on America Recycles Day, the CVP worked closely with St. Louis County, McLeod County and the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, which represents Duluth, to improve collection in collaboration with Recycle MORE, Minnesota’s statewide initiative designed to increase residential recycling awareness and participation. Together with RAM and MPCA, CVP implemented and measured a grassroots and social marketing campaign designed around existing Recycle MORE creative material.

McLeod County, St. Louis County and Western Lake Superior Sanitary District launched a series of advertisements, including billboards, grocery store displays, movie theater ads and local public access channel ads. The advertisements were designed to motivate residents to recycle more—whether at the curb or at the many regional drop-off sites. CVP supplemented the ad campaign with in-store promotional displays at area retailers through a partnership with Bernick’s Pepsi Bottlers.