SUMMER 2016
The Report
THE VISION AND VOICE OF RECYCLING IN WASHINGTON STATE
In This Issue: President’s Message. . .......................................1 To Recycling and Beyond..................................2 Conference Sponsors........................................6
Message from Anne Baunach, Executive Director
WSRA’s 2016-2017 Board Leadership and Newest Board Members.............................8
How quickly a year passes! On July 1, I will begin my second year with WSRA. That same day, we welcome new officers to the WSRA board including our new President Dustin Bender. Dustin is the General Manager of Sunshine Disposal and Recycling in Spokane and a long-time volunteer, board member, and advocate of WSRA. We are excited to have Dustin in leadership with WSRA. Welcome to the presidency, Dustin. Below is his first (of what we expect to be many) President’s Messages.
Calendar of Events...........................................8 WSRA’s Annual Report. . ....................................8 Welcome Our Newest Members!. . ......................9 The Recycling Foundation is Back......................11
President’s Message
Lewis County Partners with Centralia College for Earth Day Event. . ...............12 Lewis County Volunteers Divert 16,000 Plant Pots From Landfill........................12 Snohomish County School Wins National Recognition . . .............................13 Pierce County Environmental Educators Help Schools Earn National Recognition. . ...........14 Growing a Garden at Safeco Field......................16 Moore Recycling Offers Foam PS Recycling Resources. . ..........................17 Seattle Neighborhood Waste Reduction Rewards Program Finale. . .................................18 Member Milestones.. ........................................19 Thank You Precious Metal Partners! . . .................20
www.wsra.net
Dustin Bender, WSRA President
As we all charge into summer and look ahead to the months to come I wanted to take a step back and reflect upon our recent Annual Conference & Trade Show.
The Conference Committee with the help of our talented staff and countless volunteers assembled an outstanding program. Hannah Ubl did an amazing job of setting the tone for this year’s event with an informative, and at times hilarious, opening Keynote address. The session content was timely and relevant as we all look for reemerging markets, solutions to problems with contamination and concerns over program funding. An Awards Gala, countless networking opportunities and Yoram Bauman’s closing Keynote address made for an incredible three and a half days!
WSRA’s conference provides incredible opportunities to connect and reengage with the most talented members of the recycling community. The Board and Staff want to extend our gratitude to all of you for making this year’s one of the best. In the weeks and months ahead we will be charting the course for our next fiscal year. This is brass tacks time where member survey results and comments from all of you are applied to developing an annual agenda including next year’s conference. We’ll look at a broad scope of topics at the annual board of director’s retreat, appoint committee chairs and focus our planning on Member Services. We’re also looking forward to another year of informative WRED events starting with Sustainability in Shipping on August 11th which includes a behind the scenes tour of the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Dupont, Washington. I hope that you all enjoy a fun and fulfilling summer and look forward to seeing you all at WSRA events throughout the year.
To Recycling and Beyond Reflecting on Conference 2016 Anne Piacentino, Events and Communications Coordinator, WSRA, apiacentino@wsra.net On May 15-18, recycling industry professionals from throughout the Pacific Northwest, Canada and the US gathered for our 2016 Conference & Trade Show at the Convention Center in Wenatchee, WA, centered on the theme, “To Recycling and Beyond.” Conference participants engaged in inspiring and thoughtprovoking educational sessions, reconnected with colleagues and friends, and celebrated the accomplishments of our 2016 Recyclers of the Year and Hall of Fame Inductees and WSRA’s 40th Anniversary!
Virginia, and across the border from Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia! WSRA’s Board of Directors, voted on the 2016 Best Booth award, with the honor going to WSRA Gold Member, Republic Services. the 2016 Student Guest program and also supported capacity building efforts for WSRA this year. For the first time ever attendees participated in a “raise the paddle” resulting in over $5,500 raised for The Recycling Foundation to continue to promote education and research about recycling and its benefits, foster recycling content procurement, waste reduction, and reuse and to support recycling educational activities.
Highlights We kicked off the conference on Sunday, with some great activities to explore beautiful Wenatchee, WA. Over 20 people participated in our annual golf scramble, Weapons of Grass Destruction, at Three Lakes Golf Club. Attendees strutted their stuff around downtown Wenatchee in WSRA’s first ever Poker Walk, exploring local businesses and getting a taste of local flavor!
That evening, attendees sauntered over to the Pybus Public Market, a jewel of the Wenatchee community and enjoyed a delicious dinner from Pybus restaurant, South. This was a great way to highlight our host community and kick off the 2016 conference. We welcomed vendors from all aspects of the recycling and waste reduction industry to this year’s exhibit hall. Vendors came from all over the country including Washington, Oregon, Michigan, North Carolina, California,
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On Monday evening, attendees joined vendors in the exhibit hall for our first ever Silent Auction Soirée. Competitive bidding on silent auction items, dressing up in the ChicoBag Bag Monster costume and enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres made for a fantastic event resulting in over $8,000 raised to support WSRA.
On the final evening, participants dressed to impress for an evening of celebration and bidding at our annual Awards Gala Banquet, where we honored our 2016 Recyclers of the Year and Hall of Fame inductees and auctioned off some incredible items during the live auction! We also took some time to build support for the newly revitalized, Recycling Foundation who so generously supported
Sessions We heard repeatedly through session evaluations and verbal feedback that this year’s breakout sessions left participants inspired and equipped with new tools to take back and utilize in their own work. This was the first year the breakout sessions were split into four tracks; Education, Operations, Policy and Markets, with markets featuring a specific day long track focused on the markets for recyclable materials that are collected via the Washington state residential commingled curbside recycling programs. Over 45, knowledgeable and engaging speakers from all facets of the industry led our attendees in discussion about the latest topics and trends including composting, multi-family valet recycling, recycling depots, recycling hard to recycle materials, behavior change, legislation, policy and rule making, construction and demolition recycling policies,
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The Report food service packaging technologies and practices, recycling waste heat to energy, and residual ash material recovery. Keynote speaker Hannah Ubl with BridgeWorks kicked off the conference with a fascinating and entertaining look at how different generations work together giving attendees food for thought and skills to use throughout the conference and back within their own workplaces. One attendee described the presentation as an “Insightful look at the big difference between generations and how we can work together better.” And others described it as “Truly valuable” and “thought provoking”. See conference and awards gala photos on WSRA’s Facebook Page. Thank you to WSRA Board Member, Ron Jones who volunteered his photography talents throughout the conference! Check out Ronald Jones Photography Session presentations are available at wsra.net In our plenary session “State of the State: Washington Compost Systems at the Crossroads” our panel of speakers from across the composting industry, reflected on where Washington’s compost system has been, and start a conversation on where we can go from here to support the most sustainable and innovative compost systems in Washington State. One attendee felt the session was an “informative, all-encompassing presentation about compost in the state of Washington! So great!” On Wednesday morning the world’s first and only stand up economist, Yoram Bauman with lots of laughs. “Excellent closing keynote…fun, funny, and informational!” said one attendee. Yoram also educated the audience on the carbon tax initiative in which he is involved in.
List of Articles
Summer 2016
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I’d like to thank everyone in the WSRA for making this such an enjoyable experience, and for the invitation to attend” Meara Heubach The Evergreen State College “Attending this year’s WSRA conference was an honor and a delight. I did not expect to be so warmly welcomed and made to feel so included, but the conference planners did an excellent job of orienting the student guests to the conference, as well as to the industry. I applied for the student scholarship with the intention of scoping out the field and doing some very preliminary research for my soon-tostart graduate studies this fall at The Evergreen State College. As I had hoped, I learned a great deal about the recycling industry, from both a macro and micro perspective, and I have already shared out some of this information. I recently met with the director of my Master Composter program to share what I had learned about zero waste from the Overcoming Compost Contamination session. Back Row From Left: Zeinab Sadiy Sow, The Evergreen State College; Meara Heubach, The Evergreen State College; Camille Shelton, WSU Vancouver; Matilda Schroeter, Seattle University; Makenna Sellers, Gonzaga University; Kevin Pruski, Edmonds Community College, Front Row From Left: Devon Kaufman, Western Washington University; Joseph Harris, Seattle University; Xinying Zeng, University of Washington Not pictured: Gwen Larned, Western Washington University
2016 Student Guest Highlights Thanks to the generous sponsorship from The Recycling Foundation, WSRA welcomed ten student scholarship recipients from colleges and universities around the state to attend the conference, expanding their professional networks and preparing them for a future career in the field. WSRA’s Education Committee kicked off the student’s experience on Sunday with a quick orientation and a welcome from past Student Guest scholarship recipients, Mason Giem, Lauren Hoerr, Meggan Uecker, and Shengyuan Zheng. The students then jumped right into networking with fellow attendees during the First Time Attendee Scavenger Hunt before heading over the Pybus for the welcome celebration. Our 2016 Student Guests each shared their experiences and thoughts about the 2016 conference:
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Joseph Harris Seattle University “My experience at the WSRA 2016 conference was truly fantastic. Being a student, this invitation to participate was really the first opportunity I had been given to develop in a professional sense in the in the realm of recycling. What I found to be most heartwarming was the sense of community, and the co-operative nature of everyone present. This isn’t something that is often associated with the business world, but that it is so prevalent in this industry is inspiring, and hopeful for making noticeable difference as our world and environment begin to change. Another huge stand out point to me was just learning how far reaching the recycling industry is. Being able to participate, (well, mostly listen), in the workshops and see just how and what some incredibly smart and innovative people are doing was quite mind blowing. People attending this conference and part of this organization are finding uses for things in so many different ways, and galvanizing and helping people in so many ways, I found this to be quite inspiring.
Before attending the conference, I had already intended to direct my graduate studies and post-graduate career towards recycling and waste reduction education, and my experience at the conference only intensified this interest. I am grateful to the WSRA for the outstanding opportunity that it offered me, and I look forward to joining its professional community in the future.” Devon Kaufman Western Washington University “The 2016 WSRA conference enlightened me to think of recycling, in and of itself, as something that encompasses just about every aspect of day to day life. Recycling to me, before I attended this event was nothing more than processing and reusing of materials. Recycling, I have come to find as a result of this conference, is about using the materials we have in a much smarter, more efficient and sustainable manner. I often think about recycling, and the ways in which it can be integrated into my day to day life now because of this conference. The 2016 WSRA conference was an amazing venture into the realm of recycling and I must again thank the board of directors for the student scholarship to attend the event.”
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The Report Kevin Pruski Edmonds Community College “I had a fantastic time. The sessions I attended were fantastic and deeply informative. I took away a lot of really useful information and made a lot of great contacts. I’m already planning on applying as a student for next year’s event. Thanks so much for the opportunity!” “My mentor, Gretchen Newman of the Ecology Department was absolutely wonderful and I had a great time getting to know her. We have a shared interest in the long-term viability of LEED certified buildings and if they really live up to their certifications during their lifetimes. Her and her colleagues have made me very interested in looking into jobs with the State.” Matilda Schroeter Seattle University “Never have I been in a place where everyone was so excited to be talking about recycling than at the WSRA conference. I feel privileged to have gotten the opportunity to learn, share and geek out about what I’m so passionate about for four days straight. From the tonesetting keynote address discussing intergenerational work to the breakout sessions full of equally engaging speakers, fast bonding with the other student guests, networking with my homemade business cards, to the camaraderie at the shared hotel, this conference was an incredible experience for me. Before coming to this conference, I knew that I wanted to be in the recycling and waste management field. By the end of the weekend, I left with a better understanding of what companies and industry-specific roles I am most interested in. I’m so excited to continue growing and learning in my career; the WSRA conference was an important gateway into the recycling community and my post-college career!” Mekenna Sellers Gonzaga University “I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the WSRA conference this year in Wenatchee. After reflecting on my experience, I cannot help but admire the passion each of you reflect through your work (paired with your upbeat, lively personas!). Giving students a real life view of the waste, recycling, and compost industries
List of Articles
Summer 2016
is incredibly valuable to our educational experience. Special thanks to reps from Republic, Waste Connections, and The Anne’s for making us feel so included and welcomed in a new environment. I look forward to seeing you all again in the future!” Camille Shelton WSU Vancouver “I am so grateful I received a student scholarship and was able to attend the WSRA conference this year. Attending this conference has solidified my career choice as wanting to work in the education outreach sector of this industry. Information learned in the sessions has already proved incredibly useful in my current internship with Clark County Environmental Services. Having learned about the outreach techniques related to plastic film recycling and multifamily recycling I have been able to apply these methods to current projects I am working on. Techniques such as customer based social marketing and the various education avenues related to behavior change have allowed me to more deeply understand the core principles of outreach education. I am truly appreciative that I was able to meet and network with many experienced professionals in the industry. As I continue working in this industry I will actively look to participate in WSRA, and hope to attend the conference next year.” Zeinab Sadiy Sow The Evergreen State College ““You are the future of the recycling industry”. My God, the words still resonate inside me, engraved forever in my memory. Three weeks after the end of the conference, I am extremely proud and grateful to have gotten a chance to attend such a prestigious and informative event. Indeed, coming from a developing country, (Senegal, West Africa) where recycling is still in its early gestational stages, getting the chance to learn firsthand about the latest techniques and standards was an incredible opportunity. I am walking away from it with big dreams for my home country that I am hoping to turn into reality. The networking opportunities, the exposure to such amazing and innovative companies’ definitely broadened my perspectives on recycling. Thank you WSRA’s board for this great opportunity I look forward to the upcoming events!”
Thank you The planning of our annual Conference & Trade Show is almost a year-long process involving dedicated volunteers from many WSRA committees. Tri-Chairs of our Conference Committee, Margot Keany, Republic Services; Alli Kingfisher, WA Dept. of Ecology; and Abby Hart, Republic Services did an exceptional job planning for this year’s conference and continue to make it a successful event year after year. Additionally, our conference would not be possible without the creativity, time, and energy put forth by the members of the Awards, Education, Development, Golf, and Member Connections committees, as well as the incredible work of our event volunteers, speakers and moderators. Thank you to all of our volunteers who helped plan and execute this event from the first day of brainstorming to the last day of the conference. We can’t thank you enough for your support, creativity and energy! WSRA would also like to thank our generous conference sponsors and Precious Metal Members for contributing to the overall success of the conference and thereby supporting our mission to provide leadership and education that fosters the expansion, diversity and economic vitality of recycling in support of sustainable resource management. For the complete list of all who sponsored our conference, see pages 6–7.
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Conference Sponsors Conference Sponsors Presenting Sponsor
Innovators
Champions
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The Report
Conference Sponsors Partners
Supporters Sound Disposal, Inc.
Community Partners
List of Articles
Summer 2016
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WSRA’s 2016-2017 Board Leadership and Newest Board Members The WSRA Board of Directors just elected its officers for the 2016-17 year. Six qualified and passionate candidates have been elected to the Executive Committee in the following positions: President: Dustin Bender Vice President: Scott Campbell Secretary: Abby Hart Treasurer: Peter DuBois Assistant Secretary: Margot Keany Assistant Treasurer: Alli Kingfisher Congratulations to the newly elected directors joining the WSRA Board, who started their two-year terms on July 1, 2016. Please join the staff and current board members in thanking these individuals for their passion and willingness to serve the association. “We welcome these board members to WSRA. Our board members play an important role in helping set the strategic direction for our organization and leading many of our working committees. We are so appreciative of the time that they spend working on behalf of WSRA and the recycling industry in Washington state,” says Anne Baunach, Executive Director of WSRA.
WSRA welcomes two individuals, new to the board for the 2016–2018 term: Jenna Higgins Jenna is the Recycling Coordinator for the City of Kirkland. She has been in WSRA for the past 3 or 4 years including championing two WRED events. Ron Jones Ron is the Senior Program Specialist with Waste ReSources at the City of Olympia. He has been involved with WSRA since 2001-02 and is currently serving as the champion for the upcoming packaging WRED event. Those who were re-elected to the WSRA board for the 2016-2018 term include: Dustin Bender, Sunshine Disposal & Recycling; Scott Campbell, Waste Connections Inc.; Alli Kingfisher, WA Dept. of Ecology; Charlie Maxwell, LeMay Pierce County Refuse; and Lisa Sepanski, King County Solid Waste.
WSRA’s Annual Report The Washington State Recycling Association presented its annual report at its annual meeting on May 16 in Wenatchee, WA. Board Vice President Candy Castellanos and Executive Director Anne Baunach shared details on the priorities of the organization, work done by its various committees, and a financial update. A printed copy of the report was in the conference brochure. A copy of that report is now available on the WSRA website.
Calendar of Events
Calendar of Events Training Social Marketing Training with Nancy Lee October 26 & 27, 2016 Tukwila, WA Only 35 seats available. Register today! Register at wsra.net
WRED Events Ready for Primetime: Sustainability in Shipping August 11, 2016 Stadium Composting and Food Waste Practices with Green Sports Alliance September 2016 Paint Stewardship December 1, 2016 Generation Next Spring 2017 Register at wsra.net
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wsra.net
The Report Welcome Our Newest Members!
Welcome To Our Newest Members! Amway Nutrilite Botanical Concentrates 1333 Port Industrial Parkway NE Quincy, WA 98848 www.amway.com John Evans Senior Operations Engineer—EH&S john.evans@amway.com (509) 630-5477 Manufacturer of Nutritional Products from Organic Botanical Plants Battery Solutions 5900 Brighton Pines Ct Howell, MI 48843 www.batterysolutions.com
Drywall Recycling Services, Inc 701 SW 34th St Renton, WA 98057 www.drywallrecyclingservices.com
Belinda Hicks Account Manager bhicks@batterysolutions.com (206) 427-6142
Andy Thomas Account Manager andy@drywallrecyclingservices.com (425) 549-3005
Our unique approach to collecting, sorting, and processing endof-life batteries means every single battery is treated based on its optimal next destination. We sort and grade batteries, which was about 40 million pounds in 2015, for reuse, repurposing or recycling seeking the best economical outcome while maintaining complete transparency and regulatory compliance.
Drywall Recycling Services accepts a variety of construction site and demolition materials that will be recycled into new or reused products. Our trained staff safely sorts through the materials and organizes all of them into the correct containers so that each type of material can be recycled properly. We have a number of recycling facilities located in the greater Seattle area.
At Battery Solutions our team continuously invests in new innovative practices and technologies allowing us to stay at the forefront of the rapidly transforming energy storage industry to offer environmentally and economically sustainable solutions.
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Summer 2016
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WSRA is hosting a two-day event with Nancy Lee. Nancy has more than 30 years of professional marketing experience, with special expertise in Social Marketing, Marketing in the Public Sector, Marketing Research, and Strategic Marketing Planning. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington’s Dan Evans School of Public Affairs. She also is President of Social Marketing Services and has been a consultant for more than 150 non-profit and public sector agencies. Please join us for this great training. Looking for training on Social Marketing?
October 26-27, 2016 Tukwila, WA
WSRA is hosting a two-day event with Nancy Lee. Nancy has more than 30 years of professional marketing experience, with special expertise in Social Marketing, Marketing in the Public Sector, Marketing Research, and Strategic Marketing Planning. She is Membercurrently = $425 Non-Member = $495 / Student = $250 an /adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington’s Dan Evans School of Public Affairs. She also is President of Social Marketing Services and has been a consultant for more than 150 nonprofit and public sector agencies. Please join us for this great training.
For more information or to register, go to: http://www.wsra.net/event/socialmarketing. October 26-27, 2016 | Tukwila, WA Member = $425 / Non-Member = $495 / Student = $250 Only 35 seats available. Register today! Information and Registration
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Material Handling Fans • Industrial Document Destruction Shredders • In House & Mobile Service
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The Report The Recycling Foundation is Back Jeff West, President of The Recycling Foundation, was excited to share at the WSRA gala that, “The Recycling Foundation is back in business. We have started by funding the scholarship program at the WSRA conference this year. We plan to run our first grant cycle this fall for non-profit organizations in the state doing outstanding recycling work.” These words began the “Raise the Paddle” event at the WSRA gala which was part of this year’s conference. Attendees were invited to help join in the work of The Recycling Foundation. The Recycling Foundation is dedicated to: • Promoting education and research about recycling and its benefits • Fostering recycled content procurement, waste reduction and reuse • Supporting recycling educational activities in the Pacific Northwest. Washington state must continue to lead the fight toward strong recycling practices, reuse of valuable materials and reduction of waste. The Recycling Foundation needs your support to help ensure that Washington state stays in the forefront of recycling and waste reduction research and education. Just over $5,000 was raised in this first event. But the need is greater. The Recycling Foundation is planning to open a grant cycle to nonprofit organizations in Washington state this fall. As well, they hope to be able to support students attending the WSRA Conference again in the future. If you would like to support The Recycling Foundation, you may send a monetary donation to: The Recycling Foundation 545 Andover Park West, Suite 209 Tukwila, WA 98188 All donations are tax deductible, to the fullest extent of the law.
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SPRING 2015
Submit an article to the next issue! Share your company’s news, achievements, upcoming events, personal life updates and more with other WSRA members by submitting an article for the next issue of The Report! This is a great opportunity to inform and inspire other WSRA members by showcasing your or your company’s recent news. To submit an article, simply follow the Article Guidelines.
ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL RECYCLERS AND PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR A SECURE FUTURE.
In This Issue: Join WSRA for our 35th Annual Conference & Trade Show ........................................ 1 President’s Message ............................................... 2 Calendar of Events .................................................. 2 Conference and Event Sponsors ............................... 5 WSRA Announces 2015 Recyclers of the Year and Recycling Hall of Fame Inductees ............................. 7 Recycling Hall of Fame ............................................ 10 The Mania is Back! Bothell Community Invited to Sustainamania Event on June 6............................ 11 Welcome Our Newest Members! ............................... 11 WSRA Hosts Inaugural Professional Development Training on Topic of Cultural Competency ................ 12 Restaurant Rescue ................................................. 13 Seattle Central College and Recology CleanScapes Sort it Out to Increase Waste Diversion..................... 14 Bring Your Bag! Plastic Bag Reduction Policy Coming to Kirkland March 2016 ............................... 15 Olympic Technology Resources ................................ 15 Threadcycle campaign encourages donation of all clothes, shoes, and linens ....................................... 16 Washington State Residents Give a Thumbs Up to Clothing Recycling .............................................. 17 Recology CleanScapes Opens Customer Service Center & Retail Store in Burien ................................ 18 Good News for Foam Recycling! ............................... 18 Ecova’s New Waste Manager Module Will Help Clients Shrink Waste For 2015 .......................... 19 Magnum’s 2014 Environmental Savings .................... 19 Members on the Move ............................................ 20 Members Give Back ................................................ 21 Thank You Precious Metal Sponsors!......................... 22
The Report Join WSRA for our 35th Annual Conference & Trade Show WSRA’s annual conference and trade show is always a prime opportunity to connect with colleagues, clients, and friends in one place. The strong agenda delves into many pivotal issues facing our industry, and this year’s conference also boasts more breakout sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities than in previous years. We’re really looking forward to seeing all of you at the historic Davenport Hotel on May 17–20th in Spokane! Leading the Way to Zero Waste This year’s theme is “Leading the Way to Zero Waste,” and we are thrilled to welcome Sue Beets-Atkinson, President of the United States Zero Waste Business Council, and Corporate Sustainability Manager at SBM as our opening keynote speaker. Beets-Atkinson brings to the conversation a wealth of experience in designing and implementing large and complex recycle programs across the country, and her keynote address will offer an invaluable perspective on zero waste planning. Meet Your Exhibitors Following the opening keynote address on Monday morning, conference attendees will have a unique opportunity to meet our 2015 exhibitors in a fun, relaxed format: Vendor Speed Networking! This new session is designed in a speed dating format to help
Summer 2016
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*FREE for Silver and Bronze precious metal members *FREE for Gold, Platinum and Titanium members you match a face with a name or company, participate in genuine dialogue, and have some fun! This truly is a networking opportunity rather than a time to present and promote specific products or services. You will also be entered into a VIP raffle drawing and receive a thumb drive with contact information for all participating recycling professionals and vendors. Come with your smile on, but your collateral off!
cont. on pg. 3 >>
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E-mail your completed article and separate photos to recycle@wsra.net. We look forward to sharing your news with other recyclers!
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Advertise in The Report Your advertisement will reach more than 700 subscribers with a wide range of environmental interests. Precious metal members receive free advertising as part of their sponsorship. For more information: recycle@wsra.net or (206) 244-0311.
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Lewis County Partners with Centralia College for Earth Day Event Celebrate Earth Day highlights include Recycleman, 10,000 lb. mountain of used clothing, plastic bag exchange Melanie Case, Recycling Program Coordinator, Lewis County Solid Waste Utility, melanie.case@lewiscountywa.gov The Lewis County Solid Waste Utility partnered with Centralia College to invite several college clubs, community organizations and special guests to educate college students, local residents and elementary school kids about taking care of Earth on the 46th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, 2016. Collection events for recycling Styrofoam, automotive batteries, and plastic grocery bags also took place. If visitors brought in 10 plastic grocery bags, they received a reusable shopping bag donated by the Centralia division of LeMay. Recycleman, also known as Peter DuBois, a WSRA board member and division manager for Clark County Solid Waste and Environmental Education, was a big hit, singing the “Stuck on Trash,” “Stinky Stinky Landfill,” and other environmental favorites for the dozens of Centralia elementary students who took field trips to the event. In addition, students toured FIN, a 25-foot, fiberglass, migrating salmon and learned about how to keep salmon habitat healthy.
They watched “Just Eat It,” a documentary on food waste and learned what portions of their lunch waste could be recycled or composted. Students received stamps in a passport from the Earth Day booths and activities, and they could turn in their passports for reusable water bottles donated by Republic Services and be entered in a drawing for a new bicycle donated by Centralia College. USAgain, a clothing reuse and recycling company, hauled in 10,000 pounds of clothing to heap into a “mountain” as a visual to help visitors understand how much good, reusable clothing gets thrown away instead of reused or recycled. According to the Council for Textile Recycling “the average US citizen throws away 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles annually. Lewis County and Centralia College plan to make the celebration an annual event, so be on the look-out for invitations to either participate in or attend Earth Day 2017.
Recycleman, center, entertained and educated students from Edison Elementary in Centralia. Recycleman is also known as WSRA Board Member Peter DuBois, Program Manager for Clark County Solid Waste and Environmental Outreach.
Lewis County Volunteers Divert 16,000 Plant Pots From Landfill Melanie Case, Recycling Program Coordinator, Lewis County Public Works, melanie.case@lewiscountywa.gov The WSU Lewis County Master Recycler Composter (MRC) and Master Gardener volunteers worked together to save 16,000 plastic plant pots from the regional landfill this spring. The majority of those containers were reused – about 15,000 of them – by volunteers for starting their plants for the next growing season, leaving 1,000 to be recycled. The pots were collected at an annual spring plant sale and through contacts with local businesses who provided 10,000 of the pots to be put back into use, instead of being thrown away.
The volunteer groups team up to host a plant sale every spring. Proceeds from the sale help fund their programs. This year, volunteers grew nearly 8,000 plants for the sale. Last year, the MRC volunteers decided to add a plant pot recycling collection to the sale schedule with the help of the Lewis County Solid Waste Utility and LeMay. It ended up being very popular, but more for reuse, than recycling. Of the estimated 1,000 pots that came in, only a handful of them were hauled for recycling.
Master Gardener Barb Eastman, left, and WSU MRC and MG Coordinator Art Fuller in front of some of the plant pots collected.
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The Report Snohomish County School Wins National Recognition Discovery Elementary reduces garbage by 62%, with help from Waste Management Jackie J. Lang, Area Senior Manager—Public Affairs & Communications, Waste Management, jjlang@wm.com For the Green Team at Discovery Elementary, lunch duty is messy business. “You can get dirty, and sometimes they put garbage on you,” fourth-grader Alexus Becker told KING 5 TV news, when a reporter recently visited the school to get the scoop on the award-winning program. Becker and classmates are making headlines because they implemented a school-wide recycling program that increased the school’s recycling rate by 500% in three months. With help from recycling experts at Waste Management, students reduced the amount of containers in their cafeteria from 15, 44-gallon bins of garbage a day to just one 44-gallon bin a day. First, the Green Team established a baseline. Discovery disposes 40 yards of garbage, 20 yards of recyclables and 3 yards of compost materials monthly. Waste Management collected the garbage and recycling.
and composting became an integral part of the school and cafeteria. The integration of two green compost bins, two blue recycling bins and two red garbage bins made it easy to identify where to deposit waste materials. Also, there was a change to durable trays versus disposable Styrofoam trays as well as using bulk dispensers for condiments and other food products. Using the Waste and Recycling Assessment and Characterization Audit as a pre-assessment baseline, the garbage decreased 60% in two months from 40-cubic yards of waste to 16-cubic yards and after three months further decreased to 62% resulting in 15-cubic yards of waste. At the same time, recycling increased 20% in two months from 20-cubic yards to 24-cubic yards and after three months increased 25% resulting in 25-cubic yards of recyclable materials. After two months, composting increased 33% from 3-cubic yards of materials to 4-cubic yards and after three months increased 66% resulting in 5-cubic yards of compostable materials. Based on the findings, the biggest factor that influenced the decline in the garbage consumption was recycling milk and juice cartons in the cafeteria as well as eliminating StyrofoamTM trays. Discovery Elementary teacher and Green Team advisor Dr. Laurie James documented the program in a peer-reviewed study about how to increase recycling and composting rates at schools. The results of Dr. James’ study were published in the International Electronic Journal for Elementary Education. So now the school’s system is a model being replicated in classrooms across the country.
A Green Team member at Discovery Elementary prepares a special version of Twister to educate other students about waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
Next the students got down and dirty sorting and weighing the waste product from the three random cafeteria garbage bins where they found 45 lbs. of compostable materials, 111 lbs. of recyclable materials and 12 lbs. of garage collected. Thus, the data assessment showed 93% of the products in the garbage were recyclable or compostable. Classroom and office waste showed similar room for improvement with results of 66% recyclable, 27% compostable and only 7% garbage.
Like Discovery Elementary, other schools are setting up Green Teams, getting rid of Styrofoam plates and plastic utensils, washing out and recycling milk and juice cartons and composting food scraps. Critical to the system are the color-coded bins set up in the cafeteria and monitored by trained students wearing their special Green Team aprons.
A goal was set to reduce the waste by 50% in two months. In one month, the garbage for the school decreased by 25% from 40 cubic yards of waste to 30 cubic yards. The monthly Waste Management bill decreased by 17% from $980 to $813, saving $167 the first month of implementing waste reductions. Because of the determination of the student body to make a difference in the environment and reduce their carbon footprint, the school reduced the size of its garbage dumpster from a 6-yard dumpster to a 4-yard dumpster. Factors that made a positive change were educating the student body on correct recycling and composting practices, prompting students to take ownership in the program and using appropriate containers to dispose of the materials properly. Best practice in recycling, reducing, reusing List of Articles
Summer 2016
Eric Wilkinson from KING 5 TV visits a Snohomish County school to get the scoop on an award-winning recycling program.
See the students in action in this recent TV news story: KING 5 TV: Snohomish County school sets new standard for classrooms across the country.
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Pierce County Environmental Educators Help Schools Earn National Recognition Sheryl Rhinehart, Outreach Coordinator, Pierce County Public Works, srhineh@co.pierce.wa.us Congratulations to both the Bethel School District and Eatonville School District’s Columbia Crest A-STEM Academy for receiving Green Ribbon School awards from the U.S. Department of Education. The annual awards acknowledge the school district and school’s achievements in taking a comprehensive approach to sustainability. Environmental educators and the recycling coordinator from Pierce County Public Works partnered with students and teachers to develop programs that reduce waste and find savings for the schools and districts. Bethel School District Bethel School District is one of only two school districts in the state to be recognized with a Green Ribbon Schools award. Bethel is the first school district to have all of the schools and facilities in the district participate in at least one waste sort. They worked with Pierce County Public Works staff to assess waste and recycling practices, which has allowed the district to save $285,000 in avoided trash costs since 2009. Pierce County Public Works also provided recycling containers for use at Art Crate Field, the stadium next to Bethel High School. Fifty pounds of recyclable aluminum cans and plastic bottles were collected each week during the fall athletic season. Two schools in the district had students leading efforts for sustainable practices. The 24/7 Green Team at Bethel Middle School began selling reusable “Bulldog bottles” to help reduce plastic water bottle usage. A grant from Pierce County Public Works helped them install a water bottle filling station near the cafeteria. The bottle-filling stations are now available to all Pierce County schools and districts who wish to apply for the grant. The Spanaway Middle School science club members helped the school make the switch to reusable trays in the lunchroom. They compared the purchase and disposal costs of foam lunch trays to reusable trays and presented the information to the school board, who approved and authorized the purchase. After six months the program paid back the initial costs, with no noticeable increase in domestic hot water use. Two-thirds of the daily lunchroom trash has also been reduced.
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Columbia Crest A-STEM Academy Columbia Crest A-STEM Academy, part of the Eatonville School District, is one of just three schools in the state to be named a Green Ribbon School. Educators from Pierce County Public Works have helped students sort the trash and analyze the contents annually since 2013. The school composts their lunchtime food scraps with worm bins built by students. Students and staff have also taken action to incorporate waste reduction and recycling into daily life at the school: • Create a recycling wall that displays everyone’s pledge and commitment to recycling • Award ”golden” recycle bins to classrooms that demonstrate excellent recycling • Hold competitions across grade levels and show the results at their Green School Award assembly • Built a TerraCycle collection station for the school for hard-to-recycle items like drink pouches and water filters. With encouragement and assistance from our environmental education team, the school was also awarded Bronze Level Certification from Washington Green Schools.
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Growing a Garden at Safeco Field Karen Dawson, Director of Marketing & Community Relations, Cedar Grove, karend@cgcompost.com Tucked behind the centerfield wall at Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, is an urban garden made possible through a collaboration between the Mariners, Cedar Grove Compost, and BASF. The garden is located at the base of the Batter’s Eye behind the outfield wall in centerfield. Prepared in the Spring of 2016, the 450-square foot raised bed contains Cedar Grove Booster Blend and hardy plants such as head lettuce, Swiss chard, radishes, and mixed salad greens. Plantings will include a variety of warm weather loving sweet and hot peppers, herbs, Roma tomatoes, and cucumbers. Centerplate, the Mariners concessions partner at Safeco Field, will incorporate the fresh produce into menu items for the Hit It Here Café, Edgar’s Cantina, and Edgar’s Tacos throughout the baseball season. “This garden brings the Mariners’ organics recycling program full circle,” said Karen Dawson, director of marketing and community relations, Cedar Grove. “Using compost, manufactured by Cedar Grove in part from food scraps collected at Safeco Field, to grow vegetables at the ballpark for fan consumption.”
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Safeco Field has been recycling compostables since 2007, resulting in the diversion of 9.4 million pounds of food and yard waste from the landfill. Cedar Grove transforms food scraps and grass clippings, mingled with organic matter collected from businesses, restaurants, and homeowners across the greater Seattle area, into compost sought after by gardeners across the Northwest.
“With Cedar Grove’s help, we are completing the loop of responsible recycling practices by turning waste into a product that is used here at Safeco Field, as well as around the greater Puget Sound area,” said Joe Myhra, Seattle Mariners Vice President of Ballpark Operations.
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The Report Moore Recycling Offers Foam PS Recycling Resources Jordan Tony, Research Associate, Moore Recycling Associates, jordan.tony@plasticsmarkets.org As part of a plan to address New York City’s proposed ban on foam food containers, Dart Container stepped up to the plate and committed to buying and installing new sorting machines to recover more than 90 percent of the foam and a $160 per ton price for the collected material. Plastic Recycling Inc. (PRI) a recycler in Indiana buys the bales of plastic material. The goal under the plan is for only five to ten percent of the material to end up in landfills. “Todd Sutton, The Waste Sleuth, travels the country to investigate the mystery of what happens to our recyclables. Buoyed by New York City’s participation StyrofoamTM and other polystyrene item’s ability to be recycled has reached new highs. Recently he visited Plastic Recycling Inc. (PRI) in Indianapolis to tour their facility and bust the myth that foam polystyrene (PS) cannot be recycled. During his visit Todd discovered the various forms in which the material is supplied to recyclers, how it is reprocessed, and what products it can be used to create. In addition to PRI there are a number of other plastics recyclers across the country that are using foam PS to produce everything from surf boards to picture frames. Watch the video to see The Waste Sleuth in action and find out
what happens to your recycled foam. Moore Recycling Associates, with the help of a number of industry groups, recently produced an interactive map of recycling stations, businesses and curbside recycling programs that accept foam PS from the general public. This map includes a number of drop-off points in Olympia, Seattle and Tacoma to help provide residents of Washington an alternative to land-filling their foam. View the map to see if foam recycling is available in your area and check out some case studies of foam recycling programs. Washington based WSRA members listed on the map include: • • • •
Styro Recycle LLC City of Tacoma Recology Stores—Issaquah, Bothell, Highline Total Reclaim
Marilyn Lauderdale, owner of Styro Recycle shared “When I discovered that StyrofoamTM was recyclable then why wasn’t anyone doing it?” I did the research to see why and could not find one answer that would explain “why not” all answers pointed to a Win, Win, Win”. The City of Kirkland offers a monthly collection event for plastic foam recycling called StyroFest. Moore Recycling Associates offers over 25 years of research, consulting and management experience in the recycling of postconsumer materials; we provide technical, management and short- and long-term strategic planning services. Packaging, especially plastic packaging, is our primary area of expertise, and we’ve developed a deep understanding of its complex and ever-changing lifecycle—from collection to recycling infrastructure and end-use markets.
List of Articles
Summer 2016
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Seattle Neighborhood Waste Reduction Rewards Program Finale Danielle Gambogi, Waste Zero Specialist, Recology CleanScapes, DGambogi@recology.com Recology CleanScapes’ Neighborhood Waste Reduction Rewards (NRR) Program recognizes communities that excel in waste reduction over the course of one year. Recology provides funding to these neighborhoods as a reward for exceptional waste diversion, to be used for community improvement at the discretion of winning communities. From a tool library to a food preservation kitchen, past NRR Program winners have chosen unique and creative additions to their communities. This year, the Northgate, Pinehurst, Maple Leaf, Victoria Heights and Lake City neighborhoods were awarded the $50,000 grant, and chose to install 47 Little Free Libraries throughout the area. Little Free Libraries offer free books housed in small containers, and provide an opportunity to reduce the number of books thrown away, make reading more accessible and affordable, and help build strong communities. These Little Free Libraries are among more than 40,000 Libraries worldwide that promote book sharing and donation, ultimately preventing books from ending up in the landfill. Like many other community movements like Buy Nothing groups, Little Free Libraries promote the sharing economy and embed recycling and reuse behaviors into the core of community networks.
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Little Free Library Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Over 90 residents applied to receive a Little Free Library to install near their home, and in February, Recology CleanScapes organized an assembly and decorating event for the 50 winning households. In April, Recology hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Maple Leaf Reservoir Park to commemorate the installation of the Little Free Libraries in all five neighborhoods. A large and spirited group of community members attended the ribbon cutting ceremony, including three recipients who spoke about the significance of Little Free Libraries to their household, community and as a tool for waste reduction. The Little Free Library Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony marked the culmination of the NRR Program in Seattle. However, Recology CleanScapes is motivated by the success of many different neighborhoods throughout the history of the NRR Program, and anticipates future partnerships with Seattle Public Utilities and community organizations in the Seattle area to continue to celebrate waste reduction in our region.
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The Report Member Milestones
Member Milestones Stephanie Schwenger Welcomes Baby Boy They say good things come to those who wait. And wait. And wait. Stephanie Schwenger and her husband, Stephen Wilson, welcomed their son at 1:49 a.m. on February 2, 2016, 10 days after his due date. Alex Anton Schwenger Wilson weighed in at 7 pounds 14 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long. He’s a mellow guy with a bubbly laugh and easygoing personality. Favorite activities include hand-sucking, snoozing, being strolled about, accompanying his parents on new adventures, and melting hearts. Stephanie Schwenger is the Solid Waste Contracts Administrator for the City of Bellevue Utilities Department
Wallis-Erzen Family Welcomes Baby Number Two! Angela Wallis (Full Circle Environmental) and Alex Erzen (King County Solid Waste) welcomed baby girl, Gwen Marie on June 6 at 7lbs 6 oz. Gwen joins big sister Elsa growing the Wallis-Erzen family from three to four!
Rita Smith Moves On From Newsletter Committee The WSRA Newsletter Committee would like to thank Rita Smith for her long-time service as Editor of our quarterly newsletter, The Report. Rita has decided to withdraw from the committee, but will certainly continue to stay involved with supporting recycling in Washington. She has been involved with WSRA for decades and has served on the board, edited the newsletter and was inducted into the WSRA Hall of Fame in 2003. She is greatly respected by her colleagues and the newsletter team will miss her contributions. Thanks Rita!
List of Articles
Summer 2016
New Member of the Nicholson Family Welcomed During 2017 WSRA Conference Norman Nicholson of Sound Disposal, missed the annual WSRA golf scramble this year because he stayed home to help welcome his beautiful new granddaughter into the world. Mom Hailey and Dad Cody along with GRUMPA Norm are excited to introduce Kinsley May Dawn Probst. She made her appearance on May 15, 2016 at 3:48 p.m., weighing a healthy 8 lbs. 12oz and 19.5 in. long.
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Thank You Precious Metal Partners!
Thank You Precious Metal Partners! Gold Members
Silver Members
Bronze Members
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wsra.net
The Report NEWSLETTER TEAM
Peter DuBois Communications & Marketing Committee Clark County Public Works
Susan Long Communications & Marketing Committee Starbucks Coffee Co.
2015–16 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Dustin Bender President Sunshine Disposal & Recycling
Peter DuBois Treasurer Clark County Public Works
Abby Hart Secretary Republic Services
Scott Campbell Vice President Waste Connections, Inc.
Margot Keany Assistant Secretary Republic Services
Alli Kingfisher Assistant Treasurer WA State Dept of Ecology
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sheryl Rhinehart Newsletter Layout/Design Pierce County Public Works
WSRA STAFF
Jack Bradbury All Battery Sales & Service
Candy Castellanos WA State Dept of Ecology
Jenna Higgins City of Kirkland
Anne Baunach Executive Director
Ron Jones City of Olympia
Kevin Kelly Recology CleanScapes
Troy Lautenbach Lautenbach Industries
Anne Piacentino Events & Communications Coordinator
Charlie Maxwell, Jr. LeMay Pierce County Refuse
Lisa Sepanski King County Solid Waste
Jeff West New Day Recycling
545 Andover Park West, Suite 209 Tukwila, WA 98188 Email: recycle@wsra.net Phone: 206-244-0311 Fax: 206-244-4413 List of Articles
Summer 2016
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