http://news.yahoo.com/report-global-biodiversity-down-30-percent-40-years-000930009.html

Facts and Tidbits

 Think your participation might not matter? Here are some facts related to the energy and resource savings associated with the 1,693 tons of material GJ CRI recycled January through October:

                  1,693 tons of material is equivalent to:

· 28,728 mature trees

· 12,992 barrels (545,680 gallons) of oil

· 8,379,000 gallons of water

· 3,879,142 Kilowatts of energy

· 26,600 lbs. of coal

· 9,525 cubic yards of landfill space

Just imagine what we can achieve…together!

Once again, the changing demands of the paper recycling industry affect what we can accept for recycling this holiday season.

Please do not set out gift wrap, gift bags, bows, ribbons, foiled greeting cards or photographs. 

Cardstock type gift cards may be included with paper items. 

As always, keep chipboard (paperboard) separate from non-glossy corrugated cardboard and other paper items.

Please plan to dispose of your Christmas tree at the compost facility at the Mesa County Landfill after Christmas.           

 Thank you.

All of us at GJ CRI would like to thank our recyclers for your diligent efforts throughout the year in providing us with only the materials we can actually recycle.  When we added #5 plastic, polypropylene (PP), to our mix one of our concerns was that people would start putting any and all types of plastic into their containers.  That has not happened!  Please continue to recycle only your #1, #2 and #5 plastics while we investigate domestic markets for the rest (#3, #4, #6 & #7.)

Only Small Household Containers, Please!

The #2 and #5 containers we can accept include food, drink and other household containers, five (5) gallons and under.  Please, no furniture, toys, storage bins, trash cans, etc.

Marketing in the U.S.

Our objective in recycling any commodity is to market within the United States.  This supports our national economy by generating additional U.S. jobs and supplying domestic industry with needed feedstock.  It also ensures that potentially harmful waste is properly disposed of and not thrust upon workers and the environments of developing countries.  In the case of PP #5 our primary market in Saint Cloud, Minnesota  will flake and/or pelletize the material we send.  The end product will be sold, distributed and eventually manufactured into new consumer goods.

     PP #5 plastic is not a major component of the plastics waste stream.  Since July of this year participants have generated 4000 pounds of this commodity.  As participants have become accustomed to looking for this particular type of plastic the quantities have been steadily increasing.  Watch for #5 plastics in pill bottles, cups, yogurt containers, and the like.

Paper Collection

Our paper collection program includes white or pastel office quality paper, envelopes, magazines, catalogs, opened junk mail (please remove sheets of sticky return address labels), shredded paper and, of course, newspaper.  The newest item we can accept is paperback books, which can be added to the paper mix. Three local non-profits now receive support through our paper recycling program: Partners, Inc., C.L.A.W.S., and the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens.  This year the non-profits have received over $2000.00 in revenue from paper donated at our drop off. 

Program Growth

Growth in residential household participation has been steady throughout the year with 282 new households having signed up as of mid-November. While some recycling centers have reported decreases of as much as 30% in the amount of material coming into their facilities, we have instead held steady in 2011. As of the end of October, we had recycled 1,693 tons of material and anticipate reaching 2,020 tons by year’s end.

One material stream that has shown an increase this year is glass, volumes of which are up by 6% over previous years.  Historically, glass as a commodity resulted in a net loss of revenue, due to the low prices paid by markets and high collection, processing and trucking costs.  Renewed industry interest in the use of sorted and crushed glass (cullet) has resulted in a recent market uptick in pricing.   It has been a long time coming and we are pleased that glass now supports itself from a revenue standpoint. 

 Looking Ahead

The goal for 2012 is to secure reliable domestic markets for the plastics we cannot currently recycle.  In our continuing quest to divert all we can from land filling we are looking forward to another banner year in 2012. 

                                    Thank you!

Giving the Bag the Boot

Imagine 12 million barrels of oil...that’s what it takes to produce the 100 billion plastic bags Americans use once and then throw away every year!  Less than 5% of all those bags are recycled.  The rest are landfilled, incinerated or left blowing in the wind, littering our trees and open spaces and causing terrible hazards for sea life.  “Out of sight, out of mind?” That is wishful thinking, because plastic bags won’t biodegrade in the environment and will never break down in a the landfill, either.  The nightmare of the plastic bag will remain for your children, grandchildren and for many generations to come.  The cycle should stop and it needs to stop with us.

That paragraph sums up the premise behind the move by several Colorado communities to discourage or put an outright ban on one time use bags.  Muddying the issue is the assertion by ban opponents that, in terms of energy consumption, paper bags are just as bad.  The solution is to make reusable bags the only sensible option for consumers.  In 2009 a Senate bill which would have banned retail use of plastic bags statewide was defeated.  The effort is continuing on a local level.

Here’s what is happening:

Telluride has banned the distribution of plastic bags by retail stores.

Aspen and Carbondale have passed bans on plastic bags at local grocery stores and placed a .20 cent per bag fee on paper bags.

Basalt recently passed a measure which calls for a .20 cent fee on both paper and plastic bags.              

The City of Boulder is considering similar bans and fees.

A grassroots campaign, called Durango Bag it,  is currently underway to pressure that city to adopt a ban on plastic bags.

Program changes

The City of Montrose will end its curbside recycling collection program as of the first of the year, having found that the service, “free” to residents, was unaffordable.

Until further notice Durango residents will be unable to recycle plastics at that city’s drop off locations, after employees became ill while baling plastics at their facility. This is a great example of why we ask  GJ CRI customers to rinse and drain containers. The combination of fumes from different cleaners, solvents, etc. can create serious health hazards.

Recycling is a domestic economic development tool as well as an environmental tool.  Regardless of your political leanings recycling is a great way to produce jobs and bring  money into the community.

Consider these pertinent facts:

On a per-ton basis, sorting and processing recyclables alone creates 10 times more jobs than landfilling.  Making recycled material into  new domestic products employs even more people than does the initial processing. Recycling-based paper mills and plastic product manufacturers, for instance, employ on a per-ton basis 60 times more workers than do landfills.

While employment in the U.S. grew only 2.1% annually between 1967 and 2000, the recycling industry saw an 8.3% increase in employment, and 12.7% growth in annual sales.  To give you an idea of the economic potential of recycling more materials consider that in 2010, 130 million metric tons of scrap metal, paper, plastic, glass and other commodities with a market value of $77 billion dollars were manufactured into specification grade commodities.  This translates into approximately 1 million jobs nationwide with indirect support going to another 1.4 million jobs.

We all want to see more Americans employed.  Please recycle.  Contact your non-recycling neighbors. Encourage them to become part of a job generating industry.

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In 2007, GJ CRI employed nine full time,

local workers.

We continue to add one new position each year.

Those of you who have visited the drop off are aware that we have paper collection tanks set up for two local non-profit organizations.   Unfortunately there is little profit in the sale of paper and, therefore, this is not a significant source of revenue for these organizations. However, it is our hope that the extra exposure will translate into more interest by and support from the community!

The Western Colorado Botanical Gardens is dedicated to educating the public on the topics of sustainable gardening, yard care and agriculture.  The Botanical Gardens has shown a commitment to numerous aspects of living lightly and acting locally to enhance out surroundings by encouraging soil enhancement, xeriscaping, efficient use of water resources and recycling.  It takes a “think globally, act locally” view on multiple issues having to do with the health of the planet. This year the Gardens hosted Earth Day, and GJ CRI wants to support such efforts.  They are solely dependent upon the support of the community through donations, admissions, memberships, grants and facility rentals.

Cats League and Assistance of Western Colorado (CLAWS) and other local animal shelters are dear to our hearts! Dozens of abandoned cats have turned up at the City’s facility over the past 20 years.  While people think these animals can fend for themselves or will be taken care, the reality is that most are too terrified to be rescued.   They either starve, freeze or are killed by equipment, vehicle traffic or wild animals along the river.   Rescue agencies have been there to help us with the fortunate few we have saved, and we are happy to show our appreciation.

Now in its 5th year, CLAWS is Mesa County’s largest, cat only, no-kill shelter. It is run completely by volunteers with NO paid employees.  Every year, with help from the public, they are able to rescue 600 cats!

Adoptable kitties are available at Chow Down Pet Supplies, Petco and on weekends at Petsmart.  Volunteers and foster homes are always needed.

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Even if you have residential curbside pick up you might consider bringing paper, magazines and the like from your office to the drop off to help support these local non-profits.

Just ask our attendant for directions to the proper tank.

Thank you!

We have recycled #1 (PETE) and #2 (HDPE) plastics for many years.  These plastics (#1 & #2)constitute over 90% of the residential plastics commonly in use.  We have not, until now, had excellent, long term, domestic markets for the next biggest residential plastic, polypropylene (commonly called #5 or PP.) That has now changed.

Beginning in September you may add #5 (PP) food, drink and other household containers to the same container in which you now place your #1 & #2 plastics, aluminum and steel cans.

Propylene was first polymerized in the lab of Giulio Natta, an Italian chemist and Nobel laureate,  in 1954.  Large scale commercial production of polypropylene began in 1957.  By 2007, the global market for polypropylene (PP) was 45.1 million tons annually.

PP has a relatively high melting point, 266 to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, and is very strong, pliable and free flowing when melted.  The high melting point is perfect for food products that are in a liquid state when processed but are sold in solid form such as margarine. Consequently it is now widely utilized for applications including household containers.  However, like other plastics, PP will degrade when exposed to excessive heat and/or sunlight.  Therefore it is important to responsibly dispose of #5’s by recycling what you can (currently food, drink, and other house- hold containers.)

Since PP is not a high volume commodity and mills generally do not want to deal with quantities of less than 40,000 pounds, we will be sending your #5’s to a central collection facility in Nebraska.  Once sufficient quantity is collected at the Nebraska collection point it will go on to Avangard Innovative in Texas to be sorted, cleaned, flaked and dried for use in making polypropylene tarps.

This particular mill employs approximately 55 people in their processing center.  We are happy to add this mill to our list in an effort to generate additional U.S. jobs utilizing locally collected materials.

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Worldwide consumption of nondurable goods (like single serve food and drink containers and packaging material) is sky-rocketing. Recycling, at current rates, can by no means guarantee either a reduction in the use of virgin resources or in the amount of waste that will end up being improperly disposed of on the planet’s surface.  So, while it’s great to recycle #5’s, let’s not forget  the one action that will truly have an impact:   Reduce the use of single serve, ONE TIME USE containers!