In this issue
Letter from the Executive Director
Recycling Goes to Capitol Hill
REVENT Save the Date
New and Renewing Members Energizing Indiana: Free Home Energy Assessment benefiting IRCRecycle-Bowl Registration
Public Space Lend-A-Bin Program Upcoming Webinars
Upcoming Events
REVENT: A Celebration of Recycling
in Indiana
SAVE THE DATE
November 17, 2012 Indianapolis
Don’t miss a night of food, drink, networking and a silent auction with recycled artwork and much more!
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE
IRC’S 24TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION
MAY 14-16, 2013 IN INDIANAPOLIS
Eco-Tip:
Are you excited about
the important work
the IRC is doing?
Friends,
Do you know of a school in need of recycling? If so, consider introducing a teacher, parent or administrator to the Recycle-Bowl program. Details are below and our staff is available to answer any questions you may have about this exciting K-12 recycling initiative.
Do you own a house in Indiana that could benefit from an energy audit? Sign up with Energize Indiana for a free home energy audit that will also result in a $25 donation to the IRC – an environmental twofer!
Are you involved with a Central Indiana event that needs recycling? Check out the IRC’s new Lend-A-Bin program.
Finally, on a national note, please see the article from Resource Recycling about recycling legislation discussed last week on Capitol Hill. Should this bill move forward it could result in much needed recycling data collection in Indiana. The IRC has identified data collection as a high priority due to the fact that we cannot set measurable recycling goals if we don’t know what is being recycled today.
We’ll keep you apprised of developments on this front in future editions. In the meantime, please mark your calendar to join us on November 17, for the IRC’s fall gala, REVENT! We are planning a very special celebration and we hope to see you there.
Sustainably Yours,
Carey
Carey Hamilton
Executive Director
Indiana Recycling Coalition
Bill Seeks to Improve Recycling Data
By Jake Thomas, Resource Recycling
A Congressional subcommittee is considering a measure that could significantly change how recycling data is recorded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, potentially helping manufacturers make better use of recyclable commodities and helping collection programs to become more efficient.
On June 27, the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy held a hearing on the discussion draft of a bill that would allow the EPA to gather more complete data on how recyclable commodities are captured and how manufacturers are using them.
The bill, which has not yet been formally introduced, suggests in its findings section that manufacturers could become more competitive by using recycled feedstock, which is less energy-intensive than virgin sources. However, the bill notes that there’s a big hurdle that needs to be overcome before this can happen:
“Current Environmental Protection Agency recycling data do not provide adequate information on the uses of recyclable materials after they are collected in various municipal collection systems and thus do not present an adequate picture of the amount of recyclable material available to manufacturers for reuse in their processes, or the cost and energy savings resulting from the use of recyclable materials in manufacturing processes,” reads the bill.
“Improved data would lead to more informed decision-making among policy makers and governmental officials, and would help private sector users of recyclables increase their use of recyclable materials.”
Read the full article here.
REVENT: A Celebration of Recycling in Indiana
In the dead heat of summer, it may be difficult to think ahead to mid-November. We’ll save you from doing much thinking and tell you that in less than 150 days, the IRC will host our annual fundraising gala, REVENT.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 17, for a night of friends, fun and food. This year, we will be incorporating our popular silent auction at the gala, featuring recycled artwork, products and much more.
Welcome newest members of the IRC!
Scott Boan
Karen Otis
Larry Lad
Joanne Baitup
And Thank You To Our Returning Members!
Listing in the “New & Returning Members” section is voluntary. The IRC does not share its membership list or member contact information.
Energizing Indiana: Apply for Free Home Energy Assessment and IRC Receives $25
If you are a home owner and your electric utility provider is IPL or Duke Energy, you can help the IRC raise money by simply applying for a free home energy assessment. A Home Energy Assessment from Energizing Indiana is a smart approach to improve the comfort of your home. An assessment can help raise your home’s performance, lower energy consumption, improve in-home air quality and increase your home’s value.
Click here to learn more about the program and to apply.
Recycle-Bowl Registration Now Open
The 2012 Recycle-Bowl registration database is now open. The competition will be held October 15 to November 9, 2012. Registration will close Tuesday, October 9, 2012. The first 1000 schools to register will receive a Recycle-Bowl coordinator toolkit. The toolkit will include Recycle-Bowl competition posters, lesson plans, a library book, etc. Plan now to participate!
The competition is open to all elementary, middle and high schools. Public, private and charter schools are eligible. Recycle-Bowl participants will track and report how much material (cans, bottles and paper) they collect during the four-week competition timeframe. One school in each state (and Washington, D.C.), that collects the most recyclable material per capita, will win $1,000. A national champion will then be chosen from the top statewide winners to receive a grand prize valued at $2,500. Schools that host a community recycling drop-off program will compete in a separate category for first-, second- and third- place cash prizes.
More information about the competition can be found at: http://recycle-bowl.org
Introducing the IRC’s New Lend-A-Bin Program
Blue is the new green! If you’re hosting an event, recycling is a great way to keep it clean and green. The IRC is happy to provide portable, beverage container recycling bins for your special occasion. These blue ClearStream bins have become synonymous with beverage recycling and aim to prevent contamination.
Our new lend-a-bin program is free for members–just another perk for supporting the work that we do. For non-members, there is a small fee of about $1/bin to help offset the costs of managing the bins and program.
FREE WEBINARS
Business of Recycling: Contracts, Pricing, Financing & Budgeting
Thursday, July 12, 2012
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET
ABOUT THIS WEBINAR A good recycling program isn’t just about sorting and hauling; operations must be backed by smart business strategy, careful budgeting and creative financing.
Join CURC for an exciting discussion with seasoned professionals about the business aspects of recycling. Learn more about different types of contracts, elements that define a good contract, incentive items, and revenue share. You’ll also hear tips for creating and maintaining an effective budget, where to make cuts when needed, and discover some creative ideas for financing projects and programs.
This timely discussion will provide the tools you need to stay on top of your business.
PRESENTERS • Robert Gogan, Supervisor of FMO Recycling and Solid Waste Removal, Harvard University (moderator) • Lin King, Manager of Campus Refuse and Recycling Services, University of California-Berkeley • Bill Del Vecchio, Manager, Recycling and Waste Disposal, Georgetown University • Tracy L. Artley, Sustainability Programs Coordinator, University of Michigan
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Sustainable Materials Management
Green Purchasing: Tools for Federal, State, and Local Governments
Thursday, July 19, 2012
1:00 – 2:30 PM ET
The Federal Green Challenge promotes green purchasing through a target area and online toolkit. From that effort, tools and success stories for the federal community will be shared. For state and local governments, in February 2012, the West Coast Climate and Materials Management Forum will release green purchasing resources.
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Keep America Beautiful’s Recycle-on-the-go Webinar Series, Part 2 – Event recycling at large-scale sporting events
Friday, July 20, 2012
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
ABOUT THIS WEBINAR Join Keep America Beautiful for the second of the three-part series about “recycling on the go.” This session will highlight large-scale sporting events, paying specific attention to the Rose Bowl, the Super Bowl and, possibly, the Phoenix Open. Even if you do not have one of these large events or event venues in your community, you will learn all sorts of good tips and lessons to implement with your smaller event or community venue.
PRESENTERS: Moderator: Kelley Dennings, Director, Recycling Programs and Services, Keep America Beautiful. Panelists: Carey Hamilton, Executive Director, Indiana Recycling Coalition, who will share her event recycling experience from the 2012 Super Bowl; and Leslie Lukacs, Principal, L2 Environmental, who will discuss her experience setting up and implementing recycling at the Rose Bowl. In addition, a representative from Waste Management has been invited to speak about the recycling system set up at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
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