Steps to Sustainable Business Recycling
64 Blueberry Road Portland Maine 04102 207.773.1738 www.ecomaine.org Steps to Sustainable Business Recycling
Nuts and Bolt of making it happen.
1. Take a visual inventory of what materials are thrown away. Glass? Plastics (#1‐#7)? Cardboard? Paper? Steel? Aluminum? For a bit of assistance you can use Attachment A
2. Get a feeling for how much material you could potentially collect. Find out who hauls your trash, what size container they use for waste and how often they pick it up. Knowing this information will help you assess how much material you may have to recycle. For example: If you evaluate the waste in your company and find that 50% is paper, this will help you estimate what size container and how frequently recycling may need to be picked up.
3. Think about what you want to recycle but don’t decide anything for certain until you have talked with local haulers to discuss what sort of recycling they offer. Some haulers offer just paper, just cardboard, single sort or all of the above.
4. Contact your current trash hauler and other disposal contractors to discuss collecting your recyclables (look for listings in the Yellow Pages under “disposal contractors” or “garbage removal,” and check with other small businesses near yours). Always provide a written request so that you get pricing on exactly what you want and everyone provides a price based on the same criteria. This will make it easier to compare apples to apples.
5. Questions you need answered: a. What type of container does the hauler recommend for hauling your recyclables? For instance will he use roll‐out carts, for small quantity collection? If so, where will they be located within the building and will they come inside to collect them or does someone have to bring them outside to a designated pickup spot? Will they use a dumpster and if so, what size and where would it be located? Dumpster Roll‐out Cart b. Is there a rental fee for this container? c. What types of materials do they collect and how must it be prepared? d. Can and will the hauler deliver materials to a designated recycler? (If yes, consider sending your material to ecomaine. We are a nonprofit business owned and operated by local towns. ) e. How often will material be picked‐up?
6. You should know that ecomaine may pay for some recyclables such as paper and cardboard because of the resale value after processing. The value is market driven and the prices rise and fall like the stock market. You should also realize that, depending on the quantity of material your business produces, your hauler may give you a discounted hauling rate offset by the value of this recyclable material. You should understand the hauling rate with and without the value of recycling involved to allow you to assess the true costs. 7. More recycling means a reduction in waste. Sometimes the cost of hauling recycling is considered an added expense. However, recycling can save money because recycling is a commodity and does not generally have a disposal cost. In difficult economic times there may be a cost but it is generally less than waste disposal.
Example of costs: Waste Costs Collection/hauling cost $ 60.00 Disposal cost $ 88.00 $148.00
Recycling Collection/hauling cost $ 60.00 Recycling processing $ 15.00 $ 75.00
It’s also the law in Maine. To see if this law applies to you, see Attachment B
8. Now that you know what materials you have and an estimate of how much it may cost, you can decide what to recycle.
Establish an efficient collection system.
• Prior to initiating your new recycling program, set up a formal collection system. Your existing trash collection system should provide the foundation for your recycling program. Always involve custodial and/or facilities personnel in the design of your collection system as they will be responsible for its implementation and you need them to buy into the concept. Think about:
How often it will be collected?
What will it be collected in? (If collected in plastic bags, they must be emptied out prior to hauler pick up. If collected in a roll out cart, will the staff be able to empty or maneuver a heavy load of material?)
Create a Standard
Recycling should be readily available next to every workstation, lunchroom, photocopier station, mailboxes, cafeteria, and conference room. Give them easily accessible recycling options or you can anticipate that it may get thrown away.
• For mailrooms, warehouse areas, lunchrooms/cafeterias, and photocopier stations use recycling containers sized to hold the amount of recyclables you feel potentially could be collected there. If the container gets overfull, excess material will likely be thrown away.
• Also, studies show that the recycling container and waste container should not be more than 6 feet apart. More than 6 feet and people will throw it in the closest container, even if that is trash receptacle. • Give every office and location a standardized recycling container. Consider this… people have been trained for years to throw it all away. Our trash can has always been big so we use it most often. Make the recycling container bigger and the trash smaller.
• Whatever containers you use make them clear and consistent. Constancy means that anyone walking anywhere within the business will know exactly how they can recycle and where.
Develop a Culture that Promotes Recycling.
• Start at the top get the company CEO to write an article in the company newsletter or briefing expressing the direction that the company is moving. Don’t mandate‐ demonstrate.
• Let recycling become the normal way of doing business. Don’t make a fuss just make it the way business runs at your company.
• Talk about recycling.
o In the hallways, copy rooms, lunch rooms or other high traffic areas, use interesting information to remind people about recycling. (Attachments C)
o Remind them to recycle. In areas where there are a lot of options for disposal, remind them to recycle with easy signs that say just that, “Remember to Recycle”. (Attachment D)
• Buy recycled and brag about it.
o Buy paper cups not Styrofoam and tell consumers why you chose paper cups. Some products use a corn or corn and potato base liner in their cups making them compostable too.
o Buy recycled copy paper and put up a sign in the Copy room letting staff know that they are doing something good for the environment by using 100% recycled paper. (Attachment E)
o Buy recycled items whenever possible throughout the company and make sure you point it out. Other companies including Green Mountain coffee talk about what they are doing right on their product.
o Print the recycled content of the products you use right on the item. It is a great way to let staff, consumers, and customers know what you are doing to make a difference and to achieve sustainability.
• When award time rolls around consider an engraved recycled glass platter or vase. You might also consider a fleece jacket made of 100% water bottle plastic.
Educate, Educate, Educate –
Why?
• To overcome fear of change.
• To overcome misconceptions‐ Recycling is seen as complicated and a big hassle
How?
• ecomaine offers lots of information to help you educate your staff on how to be a good recycler. We have brochures, power point presentations, and tour videos to help.
• Offer Lunch and Learns to staff. These could be offered twice a year where staff have the opportunity to attend a 15 minute talk, in the cafeteria or at a company sponsored luncheon, about recycling topics such as: Where does it all go, What does our recycling become next, How do I recycle: The Nuts and Bolts of Recycling. These educational outreach programs are available free of charge through ecomaine.
• Take pictures of items from your own cafeteria or copy rooms. By graphically illustrating that these items are recyclable you are helping them understand what is and isn’t trash. (Attachment F) • Include a pamphlet, placard, or magnet at least once each year in everyone’s payroll check or other company correspondence. Things change and it is always a good opportunity to remind everyone once again.
Don’t Forget
9 Education is ongoing. Staff turns over and people forget.
9 It does not need to be expensive or time consuming. Most of these ideas can be created using Microsoft Word, a digital camera, and a laminating machine.
9 Use bulletin boards, newsletters, company meetings to spread the word. These are great resources.
Lastly
• Create a “Green Team” made up of volunteers very similar to a safety committee. Diversified Communications and Woodard and Curran of Portland are examples of companies who have “Green Teams”. These teams perform many of the functions discussed in this letter related to education and culture building. They also increase the likelihood that your program will be sustainable.
To find great graphics and handouts check out www.mainerecycles.com
Recycling/Re-Using/Reducing Ideas for Small Businesses
Waste Reduction Ideas for Offices & Retail Stores (State of California) www.ciwmb.ca.gov/BizWaste/FactSheets/Offices Includes: business waste reduction, business waste reduction index, fact sheets & case studies, office paper, posters & signs, waste prevention info exchange
Swap Shops: Items donated to swap shops must be in good working condition.
On-Line www.freecycle.org (non-profit, international) Freecycle is an international, on-line swap shop and its membership is free. This organization allows you to make your obsolete computers and other useful equipment available for re-use by others, rather than add them to the waste stream.
In-Person (Scarborough, Maine) Ruth’s Renewable Resources is located on US Route One, across from the Town Hall at Oak Hill, at the back of the old Bessey School (though she may need to move to a new location by the end of 2006). She specializes is re-usable equipment and supplies that can be used by schools. Many municipal transfer stations have swap shops on site, so check with town about eligibility and restrictions.
Recycling www.ecomaine.org (Municipally-owned and operated by 21 communities in Southern Maine, non-profit) ecomaine will purchase your cardboard and paper. Because they are not haulers, you must have it delivered to the recycling facility in Portland (64 Blueberry Road). Pricing changes monthly Call 773-1738 for more information.
www.earth911.org/master.asp? In this website, you select what material you want to recycle anything from CDs to bricks)and in what state and town; the answers cover public and private entities, includes approximate mileage and links. Materials include
www.greendisk.com/gdsite/pack-ITservices.aspx (private business*) GreenDisk is a company that handles even small amounts of computer-related waste by mail, such as CDs. According to their website, all intellectual property is destroyed and, then, re-used or recycled into jewel cases, CDs, and other products. You pay $6.95 for the first 20 pounds. (*ecomaine provides this information without endorsement or personal experience.)
Compiled by:
www.ecomaine.org
BUYING Recycled Products
Sources:
1. Recycled Products Cooperative (non-profit) www.recycledproducts.org
2. From the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: www.state.nj.us/dep/dshw/recyclenj/ This site offers lists of company’s, descriptions of what recycled products are offered and links to corresponding websites. Categories include apparel, building materials, home furnishings, promotional items, paper, and more.
3. From the California Integrated Waste Management Board: www.ciwmb.ca.gov/RCP/product This website provides links to businesses selling goods made from recycled material that range from archery targets to pet collars.
4. “Reduce, reuse and recycle” – products from all three are included in: www.ecomall.com/biz/recycle1
5. The Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance: www.moea.state.mn.us/rpdir/index.cfm This list is organized into many categories of products.
6. The Portland Oregon Metro District: www.metro-region.org/article.cfm? This site has a search system for more than 1000 recycled- content products.
7. The “New York State Buy Recycled Directory” is available on-line at: www,empire.stste.ny.us/pdf/pollution_prevention_recycle/recycledproductssirectory.pdf (underscore where blank spaces occur) This directory was compiled by three NY non-profit agencies and can be downloaded for your convenience.
8. ecocycle information is available at: www.ecocycle.org/ebrn/index.cfm This website also provides a glossary of terms and other useful information.
Compiled by:
www.ecomaine.org
For help with your recycling program or ? For more information about selling your recyclables to ecomaine: 207-773-1738 [email protected]
We are the largest facility and the only single sort recycling facility in the State of Maine. We just concluded a record-breaking year of 48 million pounds.
We make electricity from your trash and last year that brought revenues of $5.2 million.
We handle the disposal of municipal solid waste for 20% of Maine’s population.
We have three facilities (recycling center, waste-to-energy plant and a landfill) located in your back yard – in Portland just off Congress Street, next to the Turnpike.
Owners
Who owns us? You do - the taxpayers of 21 municipalities. Including: Bridgton, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, Harrison, Hollis Limington, Lyman, North Yarmouth, Ogunquit, Portland, Pownal, Scarborough, South Portland, Waterboro, Windham, Yarmouth. And, eleven others are Associate members: Baldwin, Cornish, Hiram, Limerick, Monmouth, Naples, Parsonsfield, Poland, Porter, Saco and Standish.
Our Annual Meeting for 2005-2006 (held June 30) took place on the waste-to-energy facility grounds… while in full operation.
Waste Material Audit Form Attachment A
MATERIALS LOCATION RECYCLED DISPOSAL DISPOSAL COMMENTS Y/N LBS/WEEK TONS/YR Computer Paper Ledger Paper Mixed Paper Corrugated Newspaper Magazines Glass Containers Aluminum Cans Steel Cans Scrap Metals Plastics Pallets Batteries others TOTALS
Collection Cost Audit Form
DATE OF % PICKUP TYPE SIZE # OF MONTHLY COLLECTION FILLED COST COLLECTIONS COST PER MONTH
TOTALS
Attachment B
Title 38: WATERS AND NAVIGATION Chapter 24: SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING HEADING: PL 1995, c. 465, Pt. A, §26 (rpr Subchapter 3: WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING HEADING: PL 1995, c. 465, Pt. A, §39 (rpr)
§2138. Office paper recycling program
1. Office paper recycling mandated. Any person employing 15 or more people at a site within the State shall implement an office paper and corrugated cardboard recycling program. A. [1995, c. 465, Pt. C, §2 (AFF); 1995, c. 465, Pt. A, §56 (RP).] B. [1995, c. 465, Pt. C, §2 (AFF); 1995, c. 465, Pt. A, §56 (RP).] C. [1995, c. 465, Pt. C, §2 (AFF); 1995, c. 465, Pt. A, §56 (RP).] The office may provide technical and marketing assistance and direction to entities within the State to assist with meeting this requirement. Municipalities and regional associations may assist employers in attaining the objectives of this section. [ 1995, c. 656, Pt. A, §41 (AMD) .] 2. Office paper. For the purposes of this section, "office paper" includes, but is not limited to, ledger, computer and bond paper. [ 1989, c. 585, Pt. A, §7 (NEW) .] 3. Certification of tax credit. The office, in cooperation with the State Tax Assessor, shall assist in the administration of tax credits for the purchase of machinery and equipment used by businesses in new or expanded waste reduction, reuse or recycling programs pursuant to Title 36, section 5219-C by certifying that the machinery and equipment are eligible for the credit. [ 1989, c. 585, Pt. A, §7 (NEW) .] 4. Technical and financial assistance programs. [ 1995, c. 465, Pt. C, §2 (AFF); 1995, c. 465, Pt. A, §56 (RP) .] 5. Industrial waste reduction. [ 1995, c. 465, Pt. C, §2 (AFF); 1995, c. 465, Pt. A, §56 (RP) .] 6. Beneficial use of office paper. [ 1995, c. 465, Pt. C, §2 (AFF); 1995, c. 465, Pt. A, §56 (RP) .] SECTION HISTORY 1989, c. 585, §A7 (NEW). 1991, c. 492, §4 (AMD). 1995, c. 465, §A56 (AMD). 1995, c. 656, §A41 (AMD). 1995, c. 465, §C2 (AFF).
Web location for this statue: http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes/38/title38sec2138.html
Attachment C1
By recycling 1 ton of
paper you save:
17 Trees
6,953 Gallons Water
463 Gallons Oil
587 Pounds Air Pollution
3.06 Cubic Yards Landfill Space
4,077 Kilowatt Hours Energy
Source: Weyerhauser Attachment C2
ALUMINUM
Every minute of every day, an average of more than 123,000 aluminum cans are recycled.
Tossing an aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out half of that can’s volume of gasoline. If each person recycles one aluminum can each month, energy savings equal 1,750 to 3,500 gallons of gas
American consumers and industry throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the entire U.S. commercial air fleet every three months.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost four hours or provide enough power to a television for three hours.
- American Chemical Society
For more information on recycling go to www.ecomaine.org/recycling
Attachment C4
STYROFOAM & EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE
Styrofoam is actually a product name. The real name of this foam is expanded polystyrene or EPS for short. EPS is made by taking number 6 plastic and injecting it with air to make it foamy.
It is un‐recyclable at this time and it never decomposes. A billion years from now instead of digging up dinosaur bones, archeologists will be digging up Styrofoam cups.
As long as consumers buy it, industry will make it.
Each year Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam cups, enough every year to circle the earth 436 times.
-Harper's Index
For more information about recycling go to www.ecomaine.org/recycling Attachment D
When there are lots of disposal options… Remind them to recycle.
Print and laminate and post it near trash cans. (Attach E your company name& logo here)
Uses only 100% Recycled Copy Paper
Because the future starts now. Attachment F
100% of steel from cars has been recycled every year since 2001.
Approximately 36 billion aluminum cans are landfilled each year . Someday we’ll be forced to mine our landfills for the resources we’ve buried.
56% of recycled #1 PET Plastic, like water bottles, finds a market in the manufacture of fiber such as carpet and clothing, like fleece.
Recycling conserves natural resources.
Anyone can recycle & everyone should.
The Cycle
All new steel has a minimum of 25% recycled steel content. When a steel can is recycled, it may become a car, a refrigerator, or a beam for construction. So the steel can you’re using today- whether it contains fruit, vegetables, or other products- contains recycled steel, and may be recycled again.
Recycling helps preserve our environment. You can help your community by participating in recycling collection programs and by teaching others to recycle.
Anyone Can Recycle. Do you? The typical appliance consists of about 75 percent steel. This steel is recyclable, as is all steel.
All steel, including the steel used in appliances is made with a minimum of 25% recycled steel.
All appliances contain recycled steel and continue to be recyclable when they have reached the end of their useful lives.
Recycling… It’s a simple thing but it’s a big deal!
Anyone Can Recycle.