WasteCap of Lincolns E-Newsletter

November 2003

Happy America Recycles Day!! As a follow-up to last months Affluenza scare, Novembers E-newsletter focuses on what the masses can do and are doing to make the world a better (and cleaner) place

The results are in!! WasteCaps Business R & R Event was enjoyed by all vendors, sponsors, and attendees alike! Complete results and materials from the event will be posted on our website for release in Decembers E-Newsletter. See this months E-Newsletter for preliminary results.

Waste Reduction at WasteCap. In an effort to reduce office paper waste at your office and ours, WasteCap has moved to an electronic newsletter. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any interested parties, but refrain from printing it out in its entirety. All past e-newsletters can be found on our website under the Archives tab. Thank you!

Check out our website at www.wastecaplnk.org for the latest events, publications, and new member listings for WasteCap of Lincoln.

Whats New for November 2003:

WasteCaps New Member Profile

Elliott Equipment Company

2003 Business R & R Event Offers Networking Opportunities to Attendees

Square D Lincoln Circuit Breaker Facility Implements Further Environmental Gains in 2003

Lincoln Unveils New Advertising Campaign to Improve City Recycling Rates

WasteCaps 2003 Guidebook of Environmental Service Providers Now Available On-line

Retrofit Recycling Pick-Up Dates

Markets Corner

How to Reduce Your Waste This Holiday Season

Java Log: Coffee Grounds Heat Homes This Winter

Pay-as-you-Drive Auto Insurance Gaining Speed

Cadbury Chocolate Containers Melt in Your Hand (With Water)

Digital Newsstand Saves One-Millionth Tree

WasteCaps New Member Profile

WasteCap of Lincoln is pleased to announce that our membership is growing and now includes some of the service providers that our current members are using. We are happy to welcome them into our membership.

Elliott Equipment Company

Elliott Equipment Company first opened in the refuse and recycling business in Davenport, Iowa in 1970, specializing in both collection vehicles and processing equipment for all applications. Since then, the company has grown to three locations. The second branch of the company opened shortly afterward in Des Moines. In 2002, the Des Moines branch built a new facility and relocated to Grimes, Iowa. In 1996, the third location opened in Lincoln, Nebraska under the name of Elliott Sanitation Equipment Company. The Nebraska branch is a member of both the Nebraska State Recycling Association and WasteCap of Lincoln.

Elliott Equipment Companies are authorized and dedicated dealers of quality collection and recycling equipment that you have grown to know and trust. Some of these lines include Kann Trailer and Truck Mounted Recycling Bodies, Labrie Recycling Bodies, American/Economy Horizontal Balers, Galbreath Vertical Balers/Compactors and Karl W. Schmidt Conveyors. Onsite installation and service of balers and compactors, along with rental and leasing programs are also available. In addition to sales, Elliotts will also service and repair all makes of recycling equipment. For the Lincoln branch, when needing sales or quotes, contact Jeff Ketelsen. For parts and service, contact Brad Luethke at 402-474-4840 or call toll-free at 1-888-701-4841. Elliott Equipment looks forward to being of service to you!

2003 Business R & R Event Offers Networking Opportunities to Attendees

Nearly 250 people helped to make WasteCaps second environmental services training and vendor show a success. The unique combination of four diverse training sessions and vendor show exclusively for environmental service providers is a relatively new concept in our area and continues to draw several business representatives from all over the state.

Event coverage by the local media as well as the six training presentations will soon be available online. Next months E-Newsletter will provide the link information for the Business R & R Event training presentations, participant feedback, evaluation results, and photos from the Pulp Fashion show and vendor hall.

Over twenty business representatives enrolled for the four environmental training sessions held throughout the day. Presentations included

Business Recycling 101 Employee Training Modules

- Presented by Carrie Hakenkamp, Director, WasteCap of Lincoln

Buying (and Being) Green in Todays Business World

- Presented by Marcy Yeshnowski, Pollution Prevention Specialist, Tetra Tech EM Inc. & Rick Yoder, Director, Pollution Prevention Regional Information Ctr.

Create a Free Trade Zone within your Business: Silent Auctions & Swap Shops

- John Downey, Environmental Health & Safety Engineer, Pfizer Inc

Protecting your Companys Integrity and Security: Computer Donation & Recycling Guidelines

- Jim Harford, RCRA Compliance Assistance Specialist, NE Dept. of Environmental Quality & Jack Herrell, Computer Distribution Manager, Lincoln Action Program

New to the event in 2003 was the Environmental Excellence Award Luncheon. This award presentation, which was developed at the request of our WasteCap members, is planned to be an annual event, highlighting the environmental achievements of WasteCap of Lincoln members. The three award winners profiles are listed below.

Lincoln Action Program was presented the Best Waste Reduction & Reuse Program Award, which goes to the business or organization that has shown the greatest effort to reduce waste and reuse products. In 2002, Lincoln Action Program (LAP) implemented a Waste Not Want Not program, and has redistributed over 600,000 pounds of perishable food items, originally headed for the landfill. They have also translated recycling information into six different languages and have diverted nearly 100,000 pounds of electronic equipment through their computer training and redistribution program. Their total diversion in 2002 was over 715,000 pounds of food, electronics and recyclables.

Pfizer Inc received the Continued Excellence in a Recycling Program Award, which is presented to the business that strives to continually improve their waste reduction and recycling program. Pfizer Inc has shown great dedication to continual improvement of their waste reduction and recycling efforts. From 2001-2, Pfizers recycling team developed programs to increase their plant-wide recycling by 52 percent. In 2003, they added #3 plastic recycling, tripling their plastic recycling volumes. In 2002, Pfizer began silent auctions for their excess equipment and have been very successful at diverting materials from disposal. As a result of their ongoing efforts, Pfizer Inc eliminated one of two trash compactors servicing the Lincoln facility in 2002.

Pegler Sysco was presented the Recycler of the Year Award, which goes to the business that best exemplifies the WasteCap membership spirit by striving to improve program, utilizing WasteCaps contracts for recycling services and supporting WasteCap through utilizing WasteCaps education and services. Pegler Sysco joined as a member of WasteCap of Lincoln in 1995. In 2002, Pegler Sysco successfully recycled more than 85 tons of materials while continuing to look for ways to increase efficiency through recycling. Pegler recycled over 85 tons of materials ranging from pallets and cardboard to batteries, electronics, and fluorescent light tubes. In doing so, Pegler Sysco utilized four of WasteCaps contracts for services. Pegler has also supported several of WasteCap of Lincolns programs throughout the year, including contributions to the Business R & R Event silent auction.

Due to the generous sponsorships provided by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, Nebraska State Recycling Association, and Target Corporation, the nationally recognized Pulp Fashion show was brought in for the events afternoon networking reception. This fashion show, last seen at the National Recycling Coalition Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, made its first performance in Lincoln, Nebraska at the 2003 Business R & R Event. Pulp Fashion served as the America Recycles Day Kick-Off activity and highlighted some 20 local models strutting their stuff for the 75 business representatives in attendance. With everything from Styrofoam peanuts and paper clips to a used trampoline and rusty nails, the show featured several unique designs. Click here to view the nearly 25 outfits and read the latest reviews for the fashion show.

A special thanks to all our service provider members who gave their support to the event, to the WasteCap members who either enrolled in the training and/or visited the vendor hall, and to all the other members who volunteered their time and expertise to help WasteCap put together such a successful and worthwhile event!

Due to the great feedback and participation, WasteCap plans to make this event a permanent addition to the calendar. Look to Decembers E-newsletter for more in-depth coverage of the Business R & R Event including evaluation results, participant feedback, and event photos.

Square D Lincoln Circuit Breaker Facility Implements Further Environmental Gains in 2003

LINCOLN, NE., Nov. 14, 2003 Schneider Electrics ongoing focus toward improving environmental performance took another step forward in 2003 at the Square D Lincoln breaker manufacturing facility the largest location in the U.S. producing residential and commercial circuit breakers.

In 2003, Square D Company, a long-time WasteCap member, replaced hexavalent chromate used for corrosion protection with trivalent chromate. Trivalent chromate is considered safer for human health and the environment and also can be treated more effectively in the Lincoln wastewater treatment process.

This change required environmental engineers at Lincoln and the Schneider Electric North American Operating Division to ensure that the conversion could meet rigorous product quality standards. A program to convert the production processes was completed in October of 2003.

Implementing this process here in Lincoln is the latest step in our environmental commitment, said Cleo Ney, safety engineer. Ney adds that the process conversion represents an important step toward becoming registered to the ISO 14001 environmental standard in the near future.

The Square D Lincoln plant manufactures circuit breakers on continuous flow high speed automated production lines and was named one of Americas Elite Factories in 2000 Fortune magazine.

Square D is a brand of the North American Operating Division of Schneider Electric, and is a market-leading brand of electrical distribution, industrial control and automation products, systems and services. Square D products are found in all types of residential, commercial and industrial construction, in a wide range of manufacturing and processing facilities, and in or on the products of other manufacturers. Schneider Electric, headquartered in Paris, France, is a global electrical industry leader with 2002 sales of approximately $9.5 billion.

Lincoln Unveils New Advertising Campaign to Improve City Recycling Rates

Mayor Coleen J. Seng recently kicked off a new educational campaign to increase awareness about recycling and increase use of the City's network of recycling drop-off sites. The campaign features 14-year old Derek Outson of Lincoln, who urges citizens to "do the right thing. do the recycle thing."

"Even with our busy lives, it is still important to consider how our daily routines impact our environment," said Mayor Seng. "Separating recyclables from your trash doesn't take a lot of time, but it conserves resources and extends the life of our landfill. If we stopped recycling today and buried everything in the Bluff Road landfill, it would close in the year 2018 instead of the current projection of 2024."

Many residents have already received recycling information in their water bills. The campaign also includes billboard, newspaper, radio and television advertising and programming on 5 CITY-TV, the government access cable television channel. The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) provided a grant of $19,703 from the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Fund to help fund the project.

"Efforts to increase awareness about the importance of recycling and opportunities to recycle are essential for a successful community recycling program," said Rich Tatum, NDEQ Program Specialist. "We are pleased that we were able to provide financial assistance for Lincoln's campaign and want to encourage residents to take advantage of the recycling services provided by the City."

Another element of the campaign is a special promotion to encourage people to sign pledge cards promising to recycle and to buy recycled content products. The pledge cards will be used as entries into local, state and national drawings. They will be available in November at all Russ's Market Stores, Leon's Food Mart, A and J Recycling Center, A Can Recycling Center and local Walmart stores. On Saturday, November 8th, volunteers will be at each of the City's multi-material recycling sites to take pledge cards and award prizes to those recycling.

The pledge card campaign is part of America Recycles Day Locally. Locally, adults could win a $100 gift certificate to Russ's Market or a year's worth of free curbside recycling service from Recycling Enterprises. Children under the age of 18 can win a $75 gift certificate to Walmart along with other prizes. All local entries will be forwarded to a national drawing in which adults can win a new Ford Focus car, and children can win a new Trek 24-speed bicycle.

The City of Lincoln operates 17 multi-material recycling sites in Lincoln and five in Lancaster County. There are also 5 newspaper only sites in Lincoln. Gene Hanlon, City Recycling Coordinator, said the goal of the new campaign is to increase use of the recycling drop-off sites. Since the City took over the recycling drop-off program in 1990, the amount of material has steadily increased, peaking at 6,352 tons in fiscal year 1999-2000. Over the next two years there was a five percent decline in the amount of material recycled.

"One reason for the decline was the re-formatting of the Lincoln Journal Star, which reduced the size of the newspaper," Hanlon said. "Another factor was the slowing economy which resulted in less consumer purchasing and direct mail advertising. There may also be a reduced awareness or desire to recycle among residents, and that is the factor we are trying to change with this campaign."

Hanlon said there was a slight gain last year in the amount of material recycled to 6,255 tons, and he would like to see the increase continue.

Those with questions about recycling can call the recycling hotline at 441-8215, visit the City website at www.ci.lincoln.ne.us or check the blue pages of the Alltel phone directory.

WasteCaps 2003 Guidebook of Environmental Service Providers Now Available On-Line

The 2003 edition of WasteCaps A Guidebook of Environmental Service Providers for SE Nebraska is now available on our website (click here to view it). The website version, found under the Local Recyclers tab on our homepage (www.wastecaplnk.org), is made to be very user-friendly, with a point-and-click method for on-line site navigation as well as hyperlink connection to research and service providers websites.

All WasteCap member representatives should have received this guidebook in the mail already. Please contact us at 402.436.2383 or wastecap2@alltel.net if you have not received a copy of the guidebook either through the mail or from the Business R & R Event. Non-WasteCap members can purchase copies of the guidebook for $10 each.

We want all our member representatives to have a copy of this handy guidebook as it will aid local businesses in locating service providers to meet all their waste reduction and recycling needs. It was and will continue to be a large work in progress. WasteCap plans to update this guidebook as often as possible since manuals and guidebooks of this nature are outdated shortly after they are published.

Enjoy the guidebook and please dont hesitate to give us feedback on this manual so that we can continue to improve upon it in future editions!

Retrofit Recycling Pick-Up Dates

Reminder that WasteCap of Lincoln members do receive discounted fluorescent lamp, ballast, electronic and battery recycling services through Retrofit Recycling (800-274-1309) and Environmental Compliance Enterprises (466-2268). Please let us know if you need an updated price sheet.

November:

25^th & 26^th

December:

8^th & 9^th

15^th & 16^th

29^th & 30^th

Markets Corner

	September	October	November
OCC	65	65	65
CPO	70	70	70
Mag	0	0	0
News	20	20	20
SOP	25	25	25

Reminder that WasteCap/INFORM Members using Midland Recycling are paid $20 under the reported price for loose cardboard (OCC) and $5 under the reported price for baled cardboard in bales weighing over 1,000 pounds.

Material abbreviations:

OCC- Old Corrugated Cardboard

CPO- Computer Print Out

Mag- Old Magazines

News- Old Newspaper

SOP Sorted Office Paper

How to Reduce Your Waste This Holiday Season

Did you know that if everyone put one less cookie out for Santa that his snacking would be reduced by 2 million pounds?! How about that Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Years than any other time of the year?! Visit the Use Less Stuff website before you are wearied from your holiday shopping sprees for interesting information on how you can reduce and recycle your holiday waste this season.

For the Complete Story, Visit:

http://www.use-less-stuff.com/ULSDAY/42ways.html

Java Log: Coffee Grounds Heat Homes This Winter

Robustion, a Canadian company, is looking to partner with Starbucks in the United States to market its fake logs, made entirely from spent coffee grounds. The Java Log burns brighter and hotter than sawdust logs and produces 88% less carbon monoxide than real logs. Other fake logs, made from sawdust and paraffin, corncobs and peach pits, have been heating up the market now for over 50 years.

For the Complete Story, Visit:

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=25817

Pay-as-you-Drive Auto Insurance Gaining Speed

There is a new type of auto insurance out there now one that gives discounts inversely proportionate to how much you drive your vehicle. Policy analysts believe that, in order to save money on premiums, more people will find ways to leave their cars at home thereby reducing congestion, auto accidents, and environmental pollution. This new pay-as-you-drive (PAYD) insurance, which is being tested in Britain and some U.S. states, is expected to reduce driving by 10 percent.

For the Complete Story, Visit:

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentid=2205

http://www.gristmagazine.com/soapbox/murray110303.asp?source=daily - Grist Editorial

Cadbury Chocolate Containers Melt in Your Hand (With Water)

Cadbury Schweppes, a large British chocolate company, has taken great strides to reduce the litter and refuse created by their tasty treats. Cadbury recently announced a new biodegradable candy tray that looks like plastic but readily dissolves in water. Plantic Technologies of Australia is responsible for the design, which is made of a water-soluble cornstarch polymer. The dissolvable packages will only be available in Australia initially, with hopes for wider expansion in the future.

For the Complete Story, Visit:

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/22746/story.htm

Digital Newsstand Saves One-Millionth Tree

NewsStand Inc., the leading international digital distributor for newspaper, magazines, and other print media, announced recently that is has saved the one-millionth tree with their services. Since its inception in June 2001, the company has partnered with over 80 newspaper and magazine publishers worldwide in order to electronically distribute top publications to readers in more than 120 countries. Subscribers to NewsStand can download an entire publication intact in traditional print format that can be read either offline or online on their computer.

For the Complete Story, Visit:

http://www.ewire.com/display.cfm/Wire_ID/1716

http://www.newsstand.com/ - Official NewsStand Website