WINTER 2008/2009
Year End Report
As of mid December, 521 new families have started recycling at the curb in 2008. That is over twice the rate of previous years. Over 3,000 households are currently participating and three million pounds of material will be processed by the end of the year.
Based on our recent audit, it appears that our hard working crews hand load an astonishing 44,000 pounds of material at the curb each week. And, because of your remarkable efforts at home, only 1/2 of 1 percent of what recyclers set out for pick up cannot be recycled. Compare that to many other programs across the country, whose wastage rates range anywhere from 7-25 percent, and Grand Junction recyclers can be very proud of their conscientious commitment to recycling the right way!
The Single Stream Story
Communities that can afford the sophisticated equipment are turning to single-stream recycling collection. The claim is that by making recycling easier these programs recover higher volumes of materials. The trade off, aside from the huge initial financial investment and ongoing operational costs, is in increased waste and decreased quality of recyclable material. Quality issues are becoming more important to the survival of recycling programs in the current recession. Single stream programs rely on the sale of their product. Markets will pay less for, or reject entirely, loads of material if the quality is too poor.
It is true that communities like Grand Junction put more responsibility on participants to be aware of what is and what is not recyclable. But it is only by understanding what can be recycled and what is destined to become trash that we are able to make educated and mindful choices as consumers.
Until a decision is made as to the direction the City of Grand Junction wishes to go in building a recycling infrastructure, we at GJ CRI sincerely thank you for your efforts and cooperation in producing the very highest quality of market ready material, making this program work for everyone!
So, What Is a Gyre?
We posed the question to recyclers last spring and were delighted that many people took the time to find the answer. Here it is:
Simply put, a gyre is a swirling vortex of wind and ocean currents. The best known is the 10 million square mile North Pacific Gyre. Trapped within its currents is an area thought to be the size of Texas, now called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where roughly 100 million tons of plastic debris, primarily from land-based sources, have accumulated at a highly accelerated rate since its discovery in 1997 by Charles Moore.
Over time, plastic bags and debris degrade into minute particles which enter the food chain when ingested by marine life and are thought to be responsible for the death of 100,000 marine mammals each year. Marine biologist Richard Thompson reported that ninety-eight per cent of dead seabirds studied in northern Europe have plastic in their stomachs.
“Scientists are growing alarmed about massive floating garbage patches that are believed to be building up in the calm centers of the gyres in the middle of nearly all of the world’s oceans.” Alex Roslin, the Gazette (Montreal)
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To read more about the unfolding disaster in the world’s gyres and the investigations underway, go to www.mindfully.org and click on “plastic.”
Bottle Bill Update
According to the Container Recycling Institute (CRI), over 250 billion cans and bottles have been landfilled, littered and incinerated in the U.S. just this year. Container deposit laws, commonly called “bottle bills”, are being introduced and debated around the country. Bottle bills shift costs for litter cleanup, recycling and waste disposal from government and taxpayers to producers and consumers of beverage containers. The eleven states with bottle bill laws have an average recycling rate of over 74% (compared to 38% in non-deposit states) and account for the vast majority of bottles recycled in this country.
Eighteen states are in the midst of active campaigns to ratify new bottle bill laws or expand existing legislation. The latest push for a national bottle bill (HR4238) was introduced in November, 2007 by Mass. Congressman Edward Markey. Such legislation has historically been opposed by major bottling companies.
A global deposit summit meeting was held this past spring in Berlin, Germany. In attendance were experts from around the world, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand and the U.S. (Source: CRI, Summer 2008)
End Times For That Old TV Set?
If you are one of the many people considering replacing your analog television set with a new digital one this winter, there are a few things to consider.
In a typical year over 13 million TV’s are sent to the landfill, each one containing 4-8 pounds of lead as well as other toxic compounds that can contaminate the soil and leach into ground water. That is a typical year, but with the changeover it is estimated that 10 million more sets will be replaced.
Instead of trashing your old set, here are some suggestions from the experts:
- Keep your old set. Go to DTV2009.gov to obtain a coupon for the purchase of a converter box.
- Subscribe to cable or satellite service to eliminate the need for a new TV or converter box.
- Donate working TV’s to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.
- Contact the manufacturer of your set to see if they have an established take back program. Sony was the first TV maker to launch a nationwide take back program. Samsung and LG also have programs.
- Recycle your old set. (We have expanded hours for collection of electronics.)
Winter News
Bad Weather pick ups
Icy, snowy mornings can pose a real danger for our crews. If you live on a street that receives very little sun during the winter months or is not plowed and sanded on the day of pick up, we may need to reschedule your pick up. Our driver will let the office know if they are unable to safely reach your stop. We will then contact you to arrange a different pick up day.
Holidays
Christmas day pick ups are rescheduled for the Tuesday, December 30th; Pick ups that would normally occur the day after Christmas are rescheduled for Wednesday, December 31st. New Year’s day pick ups will take place on Friday, January 2nd. Friday’s pick ups will not be delayed, but will also take place on Friday, January 2nd.
2009 Schedules
Earlier this year we sent out schedules for 2008 and 2009. If you have questions about your schedule or need a new one, please visit our website at www.gjcri.com or call us at 242-1036.
Christmas Trees
Trees are not accepted at the City Shops. Please plan to transport your trees to the Mesa County Landfill compost facility after the holidays. Thanks!
Certifying Electronics Recycling
Following is a letter from Dag Adamson, President of LifeSpan Technology Recycling in response to the 60 Minutes segment entitled “Electronics Wasteland”, aired Sunday November 9th.
This past weekend, the television program “60 Minutes” once again brought to the forefront the issue of illicit e-waste dumping in China and the existence of unscrupulous “sham recyclers” who operate in the U.S. This expose highlights the importance of ensuring that your end-of-life electronics are being disposed of in a secure and environmentally-responsible manner. One approach is to rely on certification from an accredited third-party. However, not all certifications are created equal. In a recent newsletter article for “Recycling Today” magazine, I reviewed some of the common characteristics of these programs and what attributes to look for.
LifeSpan’s demanufacturing and data destruction processes have been certified by the International Association of Electronics Recyclers (”IAER”) and the National Association For Information Destruction (”NAID”) respectively. We are one of only eight companies to have been designated a “Certified Electronics Recycler ® ” by the IAER. Last month, LifeSpan became the first electronics recycler in the state of Colorado to receive “Gold Leader” recognition from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Nationally, our company is a member of the “Environmental PerformanceTrack” program which is administered by the EPA.
If you believe that your organization could benefit from working with an environmentally-responsible and certified partner, please give us a call at: (888) 720-0900.
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GJ CRI collects electronics for LifeSpan Technology.
New In The World Of Recycling
Home Depot takes fluorescent bulbs
Home Depot now offers a recycling program for unbroken C.F.L. bulbs. If the bulb is broken, the Mesa County Hazardous Waste facility will accept it. Remember to use caution when cleaning up a broken CFL bulb. Improper disposal creates a hazard because they contain mercury.
Wal-Mart commits to reducing plastic bag waste
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has committed to reduce its global plastic shopping bag waste by an average of 33% per store by 2013. This is expected to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic waste globally. Stores are offering reusable bag options and will continue the plastic bag recycling program for its customers. (American Recycler, Sept.2008)
Aluminum Association Sets Aggressive Recycling Target
Each year Americans discard over 50 billion aluminum cans, most of which end up in landfills. The Aluminum Association has announced an industry-wide effort to increase the industry’s recycling rate for used aluminum beverage containers to 75% by 2015, up from its current recovery rate of 54% in the U.S. This increase would result in the avoidance of nearly 9 million tons of greenhouse gases, equaling the removal of 1.6 million cars from the road a year. It would also result in an energy savings of 139.7 million MBTUs. (Source: www.aluminum.org)
Drop Off Face Lift and Other Changes
Upon completion of the Riverside Parkway project, the physical address of the City Shops Maintenance Yard and recycling drop off was changed. We are at the same location, but the address is now 333 West Ave. Bldg F.
The recycling center is open Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please plan on making your visits to the drop off during those hours.
We have obtained new tanks for the drop off and have an attendant on duty to assist you. You can mix plastics (solid #1 and #2 only) with steel (tin) cans and aluminum, but glass must always be separate. Thank you! Please do not leave material outside the maintenance yard gates during off hours.
Recycle to help local non-profits
Partners, Inc. and Cats League and Assistance of the Western Slope (CLAWS) have set out tanks at the West Avenue drop off to accept paper. They will receive proceeds from the sale of paper you place in their tanks. Please remember to put only newspapers, magazines, catalogs, office grade papers, opened junk mail (sticky labels and plastics discarded), and paper back books. No cardboard, brown packing paper, paper towels, egg cartons, gift wrap, etc.
New Electronics Hours
Electronics are now collected for LifeSpan Technology Recycling at the West Avenue drop off Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.—3 p.m. The drop off attendant will assist you with fee payment and with the handling of your items. You can also go online at www.gjcri.com for the complete fee schedule, or phone us at 242-1036.
Please remember to always leave your electronics with the attendant to avoid fines for illegal disposal.
Thank you!