Upcoming Events:
NRRA Conference & Expo
The NRRA (Northeast Resource and Recovery Assn) annual conference is June 4th and 5th in Manchester NH. Click here to see agenda and to register.June 21st, 9:00 am to noon Harborview Meeting Room @ the Old Jail in Barnstable County Complex. Learn more about the market for recycled textiles from local vendors, what products can be recycled (hint: nearly everything!), and municipal strategies to increase recycling rates. Click here for an event flyer. |
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Solid Waste Webinars
Negotiating Contracts with Haulers:
May 24, 1-2:30pm
Learn tips from industry experts on how to write and negotiate an effective contract with refuse and recycling haulers, while keeping costs under control and increasing recycling. Click here for more info and to register
Single Stream Recycling: Is there a better way?
May 24, 12-1pm
Single-stream comingled recycling has widely been viewed by municipalities and waste haulers as the most effective system for high volume collection of recyclables. However, the cost savings on the collection side often result in lower material quality and higher processing costs down the road. Click here for more info and to register
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Greetings, This is the first of what will be an ongoing series of monthly updates on solid waste and recycling issues on Cape Cod. I hope this newsletter will provide valuable information on upcoming events, local solid waste news, market data, and municipal strategies to increase recycling, reduce waste, and lower costs.
If you have information that you would like to share with other communities, let me know and I will include it in the next newsletter. You can help spread the word by forwarding this email to others in your community involved in solid waste management efforts. Best Regards,
Dave Quinn,
Regional Waste Reduction Coordinator
Barnstable County
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Commercial Food Waste to be Banned
According to a recent Waste Characterization Study, 21.3% of all MSW that ends up at SEMASS is organic material. That's a significant portion of our waste! To reduce that number, the State plans to implement a statewide commercial food waste ban starting in 2014.
 | | SEMASS Waste Characterization Study |
MassDEP's Organics Subcommittee has posted its Organics Study and Action Plan, which includes a set of strategies to build the infrastructure to support the ban.
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MassDEP Grant Assistance & Surveys
Funding is available for a variety of solid waste programs and equipment! Click here to access the SMRP grant website and learn more. Applications are due June 13th.
Also, please submit your 2011 Recycling and Solid Waste data to MassDEP. The online survey must be completed in order for the County and your town to be eligible for funding through state grants. Each town should have received email instructions from DEP - please contact me know if you need a hand with the survey or have questions about the grant process.
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In the News...
Proposed rules aim to reduce commercial food waste in Mass. - State environmental officials are preparing to ban hospitals, universities, hotels, large restaurants, and other big businesses and institutions in Massachusetts from discarding food waste in the trash beginning in 2014, a measure that in coming years they hope to extend to homes as well.
Quincy City Council planning to regulate textile donation bins - Quincy soon might join a growing list of communities trying to get a handle on donation bins that are proliferating in shopping plaza parking lots. Read More... Hawaii the first state to ban plastic bags - The option to choose paper or plastic is officially coming to an end in sunny Hawaii, the first U.S. state to ban plastic bags. Read More... |
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