Recent News

Please register for SMP 2016 and Measurement Matters Summit Results Webinar on Jun 28, 2018 2:00 PM EDT (1:00 PM CDT) at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2893914995069343234

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

SERDC Bronze sponsor, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) Plastics Division announced three ambitious goals that crystallize U.S. plastics resin producers' commitment to recycle or recover all plastic packaging used in the United States by 2040 and to further enhance plastic pellet stewardship by 2022.

Specifically, members of ACC's Plastics Division have set the following goals for capturing, recycling, and recovering plastics:

• 100% of plastics packaging is re-used, recycled or recovered by 2040.
  
• 100% of plastics packaging is recyclable or recoverable by 2030.
  
• 100% of the U.S. manufacturing sites operated by ACC's Plastics Division members will participate in Operation Clean Sweep-Blue by 2020, with all of their manufacturing sites across North America involved by 2022.
  

"We are embracing the drive toward a circular economy for plastics because it helps demonstrate our overarching commitment to sustainable materials management," said Steve Russell, ACC's vice president of plastics. "In setting these goals our industry is publicly affirming our vision of the future we want for safe, sanitary plastic packaging and our intention to get there quickly."

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Posted on May 1, 2018 on Resource-Recycling by Colin Staub

WestRock has taken over the former QRS Recycling plant in Louisville, Ky. It’s a 60,000-square-foot residential single-stream MRF, which WestRock says will handle approximately 9,000 tons per month of material.

WestRock, a corrugated and consumer packaging producer, will sort and send fiber to a variety of downstream outlets. “This will be our largest recovery facility at WestRock,” said DJ VanDeusen, senior vice president of recycling at WestRock, in an interview with Resource Recycling.

The MRF processes 6,000 tons per month of commingled material and roughly 3,500 tons of clean loose fiber. WestRock receives 100 percent yield on the loose fiber, and about 70 percent fiber recovery on the commingled material, meaning the facility will produce about 90,000 tons of recovered fiber per year, VanDeusen said.

WestRock uses solely fiber in its manufacturing, so all of the plastics and metals collected at the Louisville MRF will be sold to outside buyers.

WestRock is a Silver Sponsor Member of SERDC.

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The Recycling Partnership Announces Third Annual Steve Thompson Memorial Grants

Applications Due Monday, June 4

The Recycling Partnership, in association with Resource Recycling, Inc., is pleased to announce the third annual Steve Thompson Memorial Grant, giving free travel, accommodations and registration for the 2018 Resource Recycling Conference to the chosen winners.

The 2018 Resource Recycling Conference will be held in St. Louis, MO from October 22-24. The grant includes conference registration, a two-night hotel stay, and travel reimbursement up to $500. APPLY NOW to bring your recycling program to the next level while building the national network of recycling professionals. "The Steve Thompson Memorial Grants allow us to build community, learn from one another, and continually improve the state of recycling in the U.S," said Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership.

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Exhibitor incentives when you reserve before May 12!

TDEC has positions currently posted as open in their Solid Waste Management Division, including an Environmental Manager and Environmental Scientist. 

Review positions

There's still time to register to attend.  Recycling Day at the South Carolina Statehouse is an opportunity for members of the industry, including businesses, non-profits, and individuals to meet with their legislators to discuss interests and recycling issues that matter most.  

Join The Carolina Recycling Association and SERDC for a coffee/donuts meet and greet, orientation, and then walk across the street together to the statehouse to meet with your legislators.

You must register to attend.  Parking and other details will be emailed directly to registrants ahead of the event.  Check in starts at 9:00 am.

Register here

Posted April 16, 2018 on PRNewswire.com

Sierra Nevada has taken another step in its sustainability journey – diverting thousands of pounds of nitrile gloves from its manufacturing waste stream through The RightCycle Program from Kimberly-Clark Professional. Since 2016, the company has diverted more than 6,800 pounds of gloves, equivalent to the weight of more than 450 bowling balls.

The RightCycle Program is the first large-scale recycling program for manufacturers and companies with non-hazardous lab, cleanroom and industrial waste. Since its launch in 2011, the program has diverted more than 500 tons of waste from landfills. As part of the program, used nitrile gloves and single-use apparel are sent to recyclers in the United Statesand turned into plastic pellets that are used to create new consumer goods such as flowerpots and lawn furniture, totes and storage bins.

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Posted April 13, 2018 on WasteDive.com

The Recycling Partnership has helped generate $29 million in total infrastructure investment since 2014, according to the national nonprofit's latest annual report. This is made possible by corporate backers that spur matching government grants for local projects. The goal is to reach $33 million by the end of 2018.

During 2017, the nonprofit helped place 182,000 curbside recycling carts across the country, bringing its collective total up to 407,000. Through 2017, The Recycling Partnership had reached 29 million households and worked with 583 communities. According to a recent press release, the figures are already higher based on recent activity.

The goal is to move those tallies up to 500,000 carts, 40 million households and 750 communities this year. New backing from ExxonMobil (with a $1.5 million commitment), plus Amazon, Starbucks, Sappi North America and International Paper can be expected to help fuel these efforts.

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AMERIPEN – EREF WEBINAR: Analysis and Benchmarking of State Recycling and Diversion Goals

May 2, 2018 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST

The Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) recently completed analysis of waste management sustainability policies set by state/local agencies, such as recycling and diversion goals. The research explored the intent, structure, and language used in the policies in an effort to better understand the way recycling and diversion are defined from a policy perspective. Significant differences in these policy-based definitions between states prevents direct comparison, so a definition framework was developed to facilitate comparison and highlights ways in which policy goals can be based on measurable metrics. 

Results on the number and types of policies, and implications on recycling rates, benchmarking, and goal achievability will be shared in the webinar.

The cost of the webinar is $20.  Government officials, EREF and Ameripen Members can attend for free.  Please contact Kyla Fisher for more information on attending.

PRESENTER:  Debra L. Kantner, M.Eng. Data & Policy Program Manager Environmental Research & Education Foundation

Debra Kantner is the Data & Policy Program Manager for the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF), where she performs state of practice research related to waste generation, disposal and recycling rates; and solid waste policy and technology. In this role, she works to disseminate findings from EREF’s data and policy analysis projects to advance sustainable waste management.

She holds B.S. and M.Eng. degrees in environmental engineering from N.C. State University and has completed graduate coursework in Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Engineering. Her research interests include recycling and diversion policies, organics management, and life-cycle assessment.

Register Today!