WasteCap
of Lincoln’s E-Newsletter
November
2004
Recycler Appreciation Reception…
WasteCap of Lincoln will be hosting an Appreciation Reception for
recycling and environmental service providers in December.
America
Recycles Day News Conference…
will be held November 15th
and will provide a sneak preview to the Mobile Environmental
Education Center.
America
Recycles Day Pledge Cards…
Those who sign pledges to recycle can win prizes
Interim Study Hearing on E-Waste…
will take place November 18th
in Lincoln.
WasteCap Members Receive Award…
Lincoln Plating and Molex
were recently awarded the Edgerton Quality Award.
Waste Reduction at WasteCap….
In an effort to reduce office paper waste at your office and ours,
WasteCap utilizes 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.
What’s New
for November 2004:
¨
WasteCap’s New Member
Profile
¨
Community Blood Bank
¨
Recycler Appreciation
Reception
¨
America Recycles Day News Conference is November 15th
¨
America Recycles Day Pledge Cards
¨
Retrofit Recycling
Pick-Up Dates
¨
Two
WasteCap Members Receive Edgerton Quality Award
¨
Interim Study Hearing
on E-Wastes
¨
Conference Call on Purchasing Environmentally Preferable Computers
¨
Electronics Stewardship
News
The Community Blood Bank (CBB) of the
Lancaster County Medical Society is a not-for-profit independent
blood center that provides for the collection, processing, and
distribution of blood products and other related services to donors,
patients, physicians, and hospitals. It has been in business since
1968. Over the years, the CBB has grown from one collection site and
two staff members to three collection sites and a staff of more than
90, in addition to a mobile program that conducts nearly 200 blood
drives each year. The main location at 84th & “O”
Street, serves as a warehouse and distributor for the other two
locations as well as the mobile unit.
The mobile unit is a self-contained
motor coach equipped with donor beds and blood collection equipment
to be used for collecting blood from volunteer donors. The vehicle
is regularly scheduled to visit various community businesses,
schools, colleges, hospitals, churches, and civic organizations to
collect blood from volunteer donors. It is also used for
educational purposes at various health fairs throughout the
community.
Currently, the CBB recycles cardboard,
confidential office paper (for shredding), plastic, aluminum, and
fluorescent bulbs. They actively pursue alternative options to
landfilling their old but useable medical equipment and other
miscellaneous items. The Community Blood Bank has been very active
in the Lincoln community and looks forward to getting more involved
with WasteCap of Lincoln and other local organizations.
Recycler Appreciation
Reception
WasteCap of Lincoln will be hosting a
Recycler Appreciation Reception on
Wednesday, December 8th
from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
The reception will take place at
the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce at 1135 ‘M’ Street on the
3rd floor.
This reception
is being held to recognize the work of recycling and environmental
service providers in the Nebraska area. WasteCap members and
friends are invited to come and join us for drinks and
hors-d’oeuvres. If you would like to attend please RSVP by November
30th to (402) 436-2354 or
wastecap3@lcoc.com.
America Recycles Day News Conference is Set For Monday, November 15,
2004
Sneak Preview of
Mobile Environmental Education Center
On Monday, November 15th,
in celebration of America Recycles Day, Midland Recycling, in
partnership with WasteCap of Lincoln, a program of the Lincoln
Chamber of Commerce, will provide a sneak preview of Nebraska’s
first mobile environmental education center. The event will be held
at 10:00am on Monday, November 15th,
at Artisan Creed, located at 6220 Logan Avenue in
Lincoln’s historic Havelock district.
The Mobile Environmental Education
Center is the first of its kind in Nebraska and one of only a few
across the nation. It is the culmination of nearly two-year’s work
and planning by several volunteers and organizations from across the
state.
For more information, contact Mike
Foster with Midland Recycling at 476-8502, Carrie Hakenkamp with
WasteCap at 436-2384, or Philip Weitl with Artisan Creed at
464-2222.
Lincoln area residents have the
opportunity to win local and national prizes by signing pledge cards
making a commitment to increase their recycling efforts over the
next year. The prize drawing is part of the eighth anniversary of
America Recycles Day on November 15, a nationwide campaign to
promote increased recycling and buying recycled-content products.
"We've found that people take their
recycling pledges seriously," said Kate Krebs of the National
Recycling Coalition. "Once they sign their pledge to recycle and
buy recycled, they feel more committed to the program and doing
their part. The prizes that are given away through random drawings
are just an additional incentive to do the right thing."
Local adult prizes are a year's worth
of free curbside recycling courtesy of Recycling Enterprises and
scratch lottery tickets from the Nebraska Lottery. Nationally,
adults have a chance to win a new Ford Escape Hybrid, the first
vehicle to combine SUV capability with the outstanding fuel
economy and low environmental impact
of a full hybrid. The local prizes for those under 18 years old
are a $100 gift certificate from Best Buy courtesy of Von Busch and
Sons Refuse and a $75 gift certificate to Wal-Mart. Nationally,
young people can win one of five Trek model 4300
24-speed bicycles made from recycled
aluminum.
Pledge cards are available at these
locations:
·
The customer service counters of any
Russ's Market
·
Both Wal-Mart stores - 4700 North 27th
Street & 8700 Andermatt Drive
·
Leon's Food Mart, 2200 Winthrop Road
·
A-Can Recycling, 3255 South 10th Street
·
A & J Recycling, 3400 North 22nd Street
·
Alter Scrap Processing, 525 "N" Street
·
Mid-City Recycling, 4900 Vine Street
The Lincoln
Journal Star will print a copy of the pledge card in the newspaper
on Monday, November 15. They can be deposited at the above
locations as well as the Lincoln Journal Star, 926 "P" Street; the
Cooperative Extension Office, 444 Cherrycreek Road; and the Justice
and Law Enforcement Center, 575 South 10th Street. Pledges also
can be made online at
www.americarecyclesday.org.
Pledge cards must be submitted by Friday, November 19.
A "Waste Reduction and Recycling
Guide" will be inserted into Lincoln Journal Star on Sunday,
November 14, and activities for elementary-aged children will be
highlighted during the week of November 15 as part of the Newspapers
in Education program. The Nebraska Department of Environmental
Quality provided funds for the education effort.
More information on recycling or
America Recycles Day 2004 is available from the local recycling hot
line at 441-8215.
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:
18th & 19th
December:
8th & 9th
21st & 22nd
Two WasteCap Members Receive Edgerton
Quality Award
Lincoln Plating and Molex, Inc. were
recently awarded the prestigious Edgerton Quality Awards for
outstanding achievement in the workplace and marketplace processes.
They were among only ten in the state to receive the honor.
Lincoln Plating
received the Edgerton Award of Excellence. It is the highest award
level in the 11-year old program. The Excellence award recognizes
businesses and organizations performing the highest degree of
excellence and quality principles.
Molex, Inc. received
the Edgerton Award of Progress. This award recognizes firms that
consistently implement quality principles and demonstrate a solid
approach to quality management.
The Edgerton Award Program is named
for renowned scientist Harold "Doc" Edgerton. Edgerton is a
Nebraska native and distinguished professor at MIT. He is most
widely known for his groundbreaking work in high-speed photography.
The award recognizes continuous quality improvement, quality
achievements, and implementation and development of new technologies
and products.
For more information on the award
visit:
http://assist.neded.org/edgerton/index.html
Interim Study Hearing
on E-Wastes
The Nebraska Natural Resources Committee is holding an Interim Study
hearing on LR 296 regarding electronic waste recycling in Nebraska.
During this hearing, Senator Don Preister has requested that NDEQ
provide an update of upcoming changes to Universal Waste regulations
and has asked Steve Andrews, Executive Director of the Nebraska
State Recycling Association to provide an overview of a recently
completed electronic recycling study. The hearing will be held
Thursday,
November 18th
at 9:00 a.m. at the
State Capital. Anyone
wishing to testify should contact Kate in Senator Preister’s office
at (402) 471-2710 prior to the hearing.
Conference Call on Purchasing Environmentally Preferable Computers
The Center for a New American Dream is
hosting a free nationwide conference call on Purchasing
Environmentally Preferable Computers on
Monday, November 22, 3:00 p.m. to
4:30 p.m. EST. The call will feature presentations by
experts in the field on the environmental and health problems
associated with computers, success stories from agencies that have
purchased computers with a reduced effect on health and the
environment, manufacturer initiatives, and new resources designed to
help institutions purchase cleaner computers. The presentations will
be supplemented by a PowerPoint presentation and followed by a 30
minute question and answer period.
The panel for the November 22
conference call includes:
Sheila Davis from the Silicon Valley
Toxics Coalition's Clean Computer Campaign will discuss why
computers are a human health and environmental concern, the findings
of SVTC's Annual Report Card on computer manufacturers'
environmental initiatives, and SVTC and Health Care Without Harm's
work helping hospitals procure cleaner electronic equipment.
Dmitriy Nikolayev from Massachusetts'
Operational Services Division will provide an overview of
Massachusetts' recent computer contract for computers, which
included environmental specifications based on the Center for a New
American Dream's Principles for Purchasing Environmentally
Preferable Computers, Monitors, and Peripherals.
Viccy Salazar from EPA Region 10 will
discuss the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)
project and the Federal Electronics Challenge, two great resources
for purchasers seeking to buy environmentally preferable computers.
Naomi Friedman from the Center for a
New American Dream's Institutional Purchasing Program will present
the Principles for Purchasing Environmentally Preferable Computers,
Monitors, and Peripherals and New American Dream's efforts to assist
institutions with cleaner computer purchases.
You must register in advance for this
call!
To register for this call, please send
an e-mail to kelly@newdream.org with "COMPUTERS CALL" in the subject
line and include your name, title, organization, address, e-mail,
and phone number.
A few days before the call, registered
participants will receive an e-mail containing all the logistical
information, including the call-in number, directions for accessing
the PowerPoint presentation, and instructions for asking questions
during the conference call.
Electronics Stewardship News
This
link connects
to a special issue of Closing
the Circle News that discusses Electronics Stewardship.
Closing the Circle News
comes from the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive. This
issue linked above is about the Federal Electronics Challenge. It
is a good reference if you are interested in doing state or local
programs on electronics purchasing or collection.