News Bits
Pick-Up Artists: Driving Across America, Picking Up Garbage
They've picked up 37,000 pounds of garbage so far, and they're just getting started.
When most people see a fast-food bag fluttering on the corner of the highway, they probably shake their heads and keep on driving. The Pick Up Artists aren't most people. These four young environmentalists are driving across America, conducting roadside cleanups and spreading the word about reducing waste.
After just three months on the road, the Pick Up America project has already collected more than 37,000 pounds of garbage. And they're only 340 miles into their 2-year, cross-country trip. The project began March 20 at Assateague Island, Md. They aim to arrive in their final destination, San Francisco Bay, Calif., around August 2011.
The team knew what they were getting into when they launched their quest, but the amount of trash they have encountered has already surprised them. "I had no concept there was that much garbage out there," says Kelly Klein, Pick Up America's director of community outreach. "That was a big shocker for me."
Most of the garbage is what you'd expect: beer bottles, soda cans, cigarette packs and fast-food wrappers. "We can tell what the most popular beers and restaurants are in each area," says Klein. There are also plastic bags -- lots and lots of plastic bags -- as well as more distressing items like rusting appliances, smelly diapers and the weirdest thing they've encountered so far: a dead chicken lovingly taped up into an old shoebox.
A lot of the garbage has been there a long time. "It's amazing how many years some of this has obviously been sitting on the sides of our roads and in ditches," says Klein.
Pick Up America isn't just about collecting garbage. "We're trying to promote the transition into a zero-waste society," says Klein. "We're hoping to raise awareness and show people a few things that they can do, and raise issues about the broader consumption stream and habits that make a difference in the long term."
As they move from town to town, the team spreads the word about their mission and their goals, including holding zero-waste workshops and other events. "We promote reusable products as the first step we can take to stop making and producing as much plastic," says Klein. "That plastic ends up sticking around forever. It's doing a lot of damage to our environment."
"There's been great support from the communities we've gone through," says Klein. "Many people have helped us already." In addition to showing up for roadside cleanup projects, people have offered meals or opened up their homes so the team can shower or sleep. "They also help us connect with others in their community," says Klein. "That's been wonderful to see."
Every day is a new adventure, Klein says. "It's very rare that we know where we're sleeping that night. We almost always find a place. With a very few exceptions we've found couches and floors to sleep on." So far, they have only had to spend a few nights in their brightly painted RV, nick-named Rosie.
Not as many people have been willing to help pick up trash so far, but every volunteer makes a difference, says Klein.
The pick-up process is slow work. "If it's just the four of us, we can cover 5 to 7 miles a day," says Klein. "That's a bit slower than we expected." If volunteers show up, they can move a bit faster.
The team had also hoped to do more community clean-up projects, but the roads are their top priority. "The roads are so dirty that in order for us to keep moving we haven't been able to do as many other projects as we'd thought," says Klein. But, she says they know they are already making a difference, so the effort is worth it.
"One thing that's been really inspiring is that we've put our faith in the country and these communities to help get us across the country and keep us moving. It's been such an amazing experience to see these people stepping up to support us,' says Klein. "That's been refreshing and heartening. We're getting more and more hopeful and positive as this goes along."
(Source: tonic.com, August 2010)
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Sunny Delight meets zero waste goal three years early
Juice drink company Sunny Delight Beverages has met its goal of sending zero waste to landfill three years ahead of its target of 2013. Each of the six production facilities generated 1,140 tons of waste annually before the program began. In addition to increasing recycling and setting the zero-waste-to-landfill goal, the company also began reducing the weight of its bottles, reduced production energy usage and non-production water usage, while studying its manufacturing process to find inefficiencies.
See sunnyd.com.
(Source: Waste & Recycling News in May 2010 WasteWatch)
That sinking feeling -- BC Place recycles old roof
After 28 years, Vancouver's "giant marshmallow" is gone -- BC Place's domed roof has been deflated to make way for a new retractable roof. The 720,000 square feet (66,890 square metres) of poly-tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fabric will virtually all be recycled. It's being sent to Minneapolis firm Billboard Tarp Warehouse, where it will be remade into such things as movie screens, billboards, tarps, and ice rink liners (including a rink in Celista, BC). The steel cables supporting the roof will be sent to ABC Recycling in Surrey.
(Sources: Vancouver Sun, bcplacestadium.com)
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City of Regina shopping for a hybrid garbage truck
The City of Regina's Finance and Administration Committee has recommended that city council authorize negotiations to purchase a hybrid garbage truck for a test project.
The technology -- called hydraulic launch assist kinetic energy recovery technology -- is similar in principle to the regenerative braking systems used in some of the hybrids, like Toyota's Prius. When the brakes are applied, energy that normally is lost to heat is stored through a hydraulic system that involves a pump, motor and accumulator. Then, that energy is released to get the vehicle moving again from a stop. That saves some of the fuel that normally would be required by the engine to get the vehicle moving again. The "launch assist" is the only assistance the system provides.
The company that makes the technology suggests it would offer a 25-per-cent reduction in fuel consumption, which could potentially reduce CO2 emissions by 8,000 kilograms per year per vehicle.
Last summer, the city submitted a proposal to receive support for the purchase of such a truck from the environment ministry's Go-Green Fund. The truck's purchase price is estimated at $400,000. A standard truck costs about $320,000.
(Source: Leader Post in May 2010 WasteWatch)
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Recycling meets the carbon market in Alberta
Christina Seidel says she knows what she's in for, and she's ready for it.
Commendably, the Recycling Council of Alberta is taking on the task of developing a greenhouse gas quantification protocol for recycling. Such a protocol, if successfully developed, would be used to quantify the greenhouse gas emission reductions attributable to recycling programs. Those reductions would be marketable as offset credits in a greenhouse gas emissions market.
There's plenty of science to back up the argument that recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions, says Seidel. The big challenges are determining how much, and which of the many entities in the recycling chain are entitled to claim them.
There are plenty of links in that chain, says Seidel, and that makes the Recycling Council of Alberta the body most likely to look at the issue objectively. Alberta is also the jurisdiction in Canada best placed to take on the project because it is the only jurisdiction in the country with a functioning greenhouse gas emissions market and a formal process for reviewing quantification protocols.
If the RCA is successful, its recycling protocol would be the first of its kind in North America and could serve as a template for other jurisdictions should a national, or continental, carbon emissions market emerge.
Since it is an enormously complex and potentially costly undertaking, the RCA has reached out to the corporate community for support. So far, the response has been positive, says Seidel.
(Source: Recycling Canada in May 2010 WasteWatch)
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Province offers financial incentives for low-flush toilets
The Government of Saskatchewan is helping residents "Go Green" by offering a $50 rebate for low-flush toilets through the new Provincial Toilet Replacement Rebate Program.
The program is expected to help residents replace 200,000 toilets over four years. A total of 15 million litres of water per day will be conserved, and 20,000 tonnes of CO2 will be reduced over four years.
Administered by the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, the program will provide a rebate to Saskatchewan home and multi-unit complex owners who replace an existing high volume toilet (13-litre per flush or higher) with a dual-flush or 6-litre or less per flush toilet.
"The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to finding real solutions to key environmental issues facing our province," Minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority Nancy Heppner said. "Water is the most important environmental issue facing our province. This program is an investment that will help protect our water supply and will lower greenhouse gas emissions through reduced water treatment and pumping requirements."
The Provincial Toilet Rebate Program is funded through the Go Green Fund, an initiative which provides financial support to Saskatchewan people, communities and businesses to help them Go Green.
Those interested in participating can download copies of both the single family and multi-unit application forms from the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority website. Information and forms will also be available at Saskatchewan Watershed Authority regional offices and low-flush toilet retail and wholesale outlets.
For more information, contact:
Dolores Funk
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
Moose Jaw
Phone: 306-694-3101
Email: dolores.funk@swa.ca
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Shaunavon loses paper recycling - seeking new options
Recycling Opportunity - The Town of Shaunavon has been pursuing various options for taking over the paper and cardboard recycling from the Hometown Club members. This review has reinforced the
value of the service that the club members have been providing to our community for the past 15 years. The Town is still exploring options, but at this time there is no plan in place
to take over the recycling from the Hometown Club. As the end of the month is quickly approaching there is a chance that the paper and cardboard depot may temporarily close. We will be providing updates on the
status, so please watch for further information. Individuals, organizations or businesses interested in taking over the recycling in any form are asked to please contact the Town Office at 297-2605. The Town is seeking your input to maintain this valuable service to the Town.
(Source: BoomTown News, April 21/2010)
Meadow Lake Council considers paper recycling options
At the regular meeting on March 8, council heard an update from Councilor Annette Klassen on the first meeting of the Community Recycling Committee held on February 25. Klassen said Lamon Disposal agreed to accept cardboard, newsprint and mixed paper for a cost of $75 per tonne to the city (estimated at about $15,000 annually), as opposed to a per capita rate, which could be as much as $17 per person.
The type of program thought best for Meadow Lake was a depot system because it would be manned, and less labour intensive than curb side programs. It would also not be economically feasible to have several recycling locations in various communities. Klassen pointed out that offering a recycling program like this would increase the life of the regional landfill. Council later deliberated on the subject, all agreeing that a program like this is long overdue, but raising concerns about the costs to the City. Mayor Darwin Obrigewitsch said he worried that people from other areas of the region would take advantage of the service, increasing the cost.
Klassen said it was a double-edged sword because while they would want as many people taking advantage of a recycling service, the City would have to shoulder very high costs. Suggestions were made to make the program regional and to approach other communities to see if they would be interested in contributing.
A motion was made to hire Lamon Disposal to begin accepting cardboard, newsprint and mixed paper at the $75 per tonne cost, but due to a tie vote, the motion was defeated. Council intends to further pursue its options for financing from other communities before taking on the program.
(Source: Meadow Lake Progress March 2010)
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Moosomin Limits Access to Recycling Site
BY KEVIN WEEDMARK
Moosomin town council has decided that misuse of the paper recycling site has gone far enough, and the site will be relocated behind a locked gate.
"There are tables and chairs out there, and a toilet. It's a mess out there," Councillor Larry Tomlinson reported at Wednesday"s meeting. Council decided that later in the spring, once the ground dries out, the paper recycling area will be relocated behind the gates of the landfill site. Everyone who's not a resident of the town will have to pay to access the site, and it will be open only the hours the landfill is open.
Council also discussed better supervision at the landfill site and expanding hours at the site to allow people to access both the recycling and the landfill at more convenient hours, but no decisions were made. "It's ridiculous how much paper is going into the recycling bins - a lot of that stuff isn't from Moosomin in the first place," said Councillor Chris Davidson. Currently, people who don't live in Moosomin are charged $400 per year to access the landfill. That will now extend to anyone who wants to use the paper recycling bins. "The first step is to educate people," Davidson said. The town is using its half page in the World-Spectator to try to get the word out that the change is coming.
Councillor Lyndon Jacobs raised the issue of the hours and the landfi ll site. "I think we should be open a lot more hours
out there," he said. There was some discussion on that point, but no decision.
(Source: The World-Spectator March 15, 2010)
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