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WASTECAP WISCONSIN E-MAIL BULLETIN
Issue 30 - August 2007
Your source for waste reduction and recycling news, information and ideas
  
 

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WasteCap Wisconsin's Latest Results: WasteCap Wisconsin and its clients have diverted 224,273,337 pounds of construction and demolition waste from landfills, which is 40.4 pounds per person in Wisconsin. By recycling and avoiding disposal costs, WasteCap’s clients have saved $1,067,780.21. The equivalent of 76,094 trees have been saved by recycling wood and cardboard. WasteCap Wisconsin’s construction and demolition projects are currently achieving an average 72.5% recycling rate.
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. WasteCap Wisconsin and NEW Member News
R3 Awards nominees announced > City of Chicago to host WasteCap Wisconsin’s first out of state Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling Training Program for accreditation > The Bruce Company to build large scale recycling facility

2. Upcoming Conferences / Grants / Job Openings
Greening the Heartland / 4th Annual SE2 Leadership Conference > WasteCap Wisconsin R3 Awards > E-Scrap 2007, The North American Electronics Recycling Conference > Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling Training Program hosted by the City of Chicago

3. Recycling News that Affects You
To LEED or not to LEED > Recycling Construction Materials: An Important Part of the Construction Process > One hundred trained in construction debris recycling > EPA to sponsor compost-based stormwater management workshop in Wisconsin > Dell claims PC recycling is ahead of schedule > An opportunity for a free registration to E-Scrap 2007 > Battle over method thwarts bottle recycling

4. Member Profile/Welcome New & Returning Members
Tri-North Builders > Faherty, Inc. > Family/G.W. Harris Investments > Gilbane Building Company > Hunzinger Construction > VJS Construction Services > Waukesha County > We Energies > Wisconsin Public Service

5. Legislative / Regulatory Update
by John Reindl, Dane County Recycling Manager

6. Useful Tools / Resources for Recycling
Vote now for the Lifecycle Building Challenge People's Choice Award > The MVPs of mpg

 
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1. WASTECAP WISCONSIN NEWS
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R3 Awards nominees announced
The second WasteCap Wisconsin R3 Awards will be held on October 17 at Lussier Family Heritage Center in Madison. Presented and sponsored by The Daily Reporter and Whole Foods, this awards ceremony will bring together professionals from the construction, architectural, waste and recycling industries to award excellence in commercial debris reduction, reuse and recycling in Wisconsin. Scheduled to speak are Mary Burke, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and Adel “Tab” Tabrizi, the Director of the Bureau of Architecture and Engineering for the Wisconsin Department of Administration. WasteCap Wisconsin’s Jenna Kunde will give the first State of Recycling Address. Nominees in each category including the nationally-noted Big Diverter Award have been selected and are listed here as well as an RSVP form. The last day to RSVP is October 10.

City of Chicago to host WasteCap Wisconsin’s first out-of-state Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling Training Program for accreditation
As municipalities become more aware of their construction projects’ impact on the local environment, the need for trained professionals in debris recycling grows. The City of Chicago is answering this need by offering a session of WasteCap Wisconsin’s training program for accreditation in construction and demolition debris recycling. The program will be offered the last day of GreenBuild in Chicago. The exact location will soon be announced. Currently, registration is open only to City of Chicago invited guests until September 22. Open registration will begin September 24. For more information on the training program and registration for City of Chicago guests is available here.

The Bruce Company to build large scale recycling facility
“We can have a dramatic impact on the volume of material otherwise destined for the landfill,” said James Altwies, Environmental Initiatives Coordinator for The Bruce Company, a full service landscape design/build and outdoor living company. “The Bruce Company has been recycling wood waste and landscape debris for years. Recently we’ve added asphalt shingles and drywall. The next logical step is to include single stream construction waste.” The facility is expected to be completed in September and is expected to process over 300 ton per day. To read the full article, click here.

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2. UPCOMING CONFERENCES / GRANTS / JOB OPENINGS
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Greening the Heartland / 4th Annual SE2 Leadership Conference
When: September 12 – 14, 2007
Where: Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison
The Greening the Heartland Conference promises to encompass broader sustainability issues into the green building discussion. The conference takes the next very important steps to articulate the connections between buildings and the society in which they exist. It will examine the dependent links and important relationships between our most valuable resources and services, such as water, land, energy, transportation, education and the way we conduct business and operate our governments. For more information, click here.

WasteCap Wisconsin R3 Awards
When: October 17, 2007 from 5 – 7 p.m.
Where: Lussier Family Heritage Center, Madison
Mark your calendar for the R3 Awards, presented and sponsored by The Daily Reporter and Whole Foods. This awards ceremony will bring together professionals from the construction, architectural, waste and recycling industries to award excellence in commercial debris reduction, reuse and recycling in Wisconsin. Scheduled to speak are Mary Burke, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and Adel “Tab” Tabrizi, the Director of the Bureau of Architecture and Engineering for the Wisconsin Department of Administration. WasteCap Wisconsin’s Jenna Kunde will give the first State of Recycling Address. For a list of nominees and to RSVP, click here.

E-Scrap 2007, The North American Electronics Recycling Conference
When: October 24 - 25, 2007
Where: Atlanta
E-Scrap 2007 will feature extensive and detailed industry assessments, including analyses of stewardship systems and trends in the U.S. and Canada, e-scrap collection issues, recycling market factors, and legislative policy considerations. Presentations will be given by leading experts in the electronics product stewardship. For more information, click here.

Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling Training Program hosted by the City of Chicago
When: November 9, 2007
Where: Chicago
The City of Chicago will host the first out-of-state WasteCap Wisconsin Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling Training Program for accreditation on the last day of the GreenBuild conference in Chicago. Registration is open to City of Chicago invited guests only until September 22. Open registration will be held from September 24 to October 22. For more information and to register, click here.

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3. RECYCLING NEWS THAT AFFECTS YOU
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CONSTRUCTION / DEMOLITION

To LEED or not to LEED
Source: Business Journal of Milwaukee (article available to Business Journal subscribers only)
Although Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification (LEED) is a growing trend in other industries, sustainable building leaders say the 24-hour and high energy nature of health care make the standards difficult to meet in that field. Instead of using the stringent standards, local health care organizations are finding other ways to build environment-friendly facilities until the LEED guide for health care is released at the end of 2007 or early 2008. To sign-in and read the full article, click here.

Recycling Construction Materials: An Important Part of the Construction Process
Source: Construction Business Owner Magazine
Recycling C&D materials generated at a construction site is increasingly important. The environmental benefits of recycling can be significant. Current estimates show that if all concrete and asphalt pavement generated annually in the United States were recycled, it would save the energy equivalent of 1 billion gallons of gasoline or the removal of more than 1 million cars from the road. To read the full article, click here.

One hundred trained in construction waste recycling
Source: The Daily Reporter
The growing need for professionals trained in construction debris management and recycling reaches a milestone last month as 20 more trainees become WasteCap accredited professionals. The training program is the first of its kind in Wisconsin to teach professionals in the construction, demolition and waste management industries the skills needed to develop, manage, monitor, document and promote successful construction and demolition debris recycling programs. To read the full article, click here.

FOOD WASTE RECOVERY / COMPOSTING

EPA to sponsor compost-based stormwater management workshop in Wisconsin
Source: EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 will sponsor a day-long roundtable and demonstration focusing on using compost as a storm water management technique Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha, Wis. Titled "Using Compost to Improve Storm Water Management and Erosion Control on Roadsides," the workshop is targeted to highway and erosion engineers, compost producers, soil conservationists, watershed and storm water managers, and erosion control contractors. It will explain the benefits of using compost in storm water management and erosion control. To read the full article, click here.

COMPUTER / ELECTRONICS RECYCLING

Dell claims PC recycling is ahead of schedule
Source: IT News
Dell said it recovered 78 million pounds (A$181 million), or nearly 40,000 tons, of IT equipment from customers last year, a 93 percent increase over 2005. The goal: 275 million pounds by 2009. To read the full article, click here.

An opportunity for a free registration to E-Scrap 2007
Source: Resource Recycling newsletter
To get a chance for a free registration to this year's E-Scrap Conference being held October 24 - 25 in Atlanta, take part in E-Scrap News' annual survey of e-scrap processors. Data gathered will be presented at the conference, with the results of the study being used by decision makers at the national, state and local levels, thus playing a central part in the framing of future e-scrap policy discussions. Participation in this study is completely confidential. Those who participate in the survey will receive a copy of the findings and be entered into a drawing for a free registration to this year's conference. To take part, email kim@resource-recycling.com for a link to the survey.

RECYCLED PRODUCTS AND REUSE

Battle over method thwarts bottle recycling
Source: National Public Radio
Companies that reclaim the plastic resin from empty beverage bottles say they can't get enough of the stuff. However, fewer than one-quarter of the billions of plastic bottles Americans purchase every year are recycled. Some of the worst places for recycling are large public events. For instance, baseball games at Boston's Fenway Park draw more than 36,000 fans, but there are no recycling containers in sight. To read or listen to the full article, click here.

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4. MEMBER PROFILE/WELCOME NEW & RETURNING MEMBERS
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TRI-NORTH BUILDERS

Established in Madison, Wisconsin in 1981, Tri-North Builders specializes in commercial, healthcare, hospitality, and retail construction. The company has grown to become one of the nation’s largest construction companies and a leader in green building.

In October 2006, Tri-North moved into its new corporate headquarters located in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Built to meet LEED® gold certification, the 55,000 square foot, three-story facility serves as the company’s showcase.

As one of the most environmentally-friendly buildings in the Midwest, Tri-North’s facility features an energy efficient mechanical system, cotton batt insulation (made from recycled blue jeans), a green roof, waterless urinals and low-flush toilets in the bathrooms, and pervious concrete in the parking lot. Additionally, the building’s large windows and skylights allow for extensive use of natural lighting in offices (over 75 percent), cutting electricity usage. The building’s HVAC and electrical systems are over 30 percent more efficient than standard systems, while the plumbing fixtures save 300,000 to 400,000 gallons of water each year. During construction, the company recycled 76 percent of the project’s waste, a total of 261.45 tons of debris.

In addition to its offices in Fitchburg, Tri-North has offices in Milwaukee and Dallas, employs over 300 people, and has revenues of $180 million.

For additional information on Tri-North Builders, Inc. and green building, please visit http://www.tri-north.com, or call 608-271-8717.

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WasteCap welcomes Family/G.W. Harris Investments, Gilbane Building Company, Hunzinger Construction and VJS Construction Services to the WasteCap network of professionals working to recycle, reuse and reduce waste in Wisconsin. Special thanks to Faherty, Inc., Waukesha County, We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service for their continued support of WasteCap Wisconsin and for sharing the vision of transforming waste into resources.
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For a complete list of WasteCap's current members please visit www.wastecapwi.org/members.htm.
Sign up as a member or read about member benefits at www.wastecapwi.org/join.htm.

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5. LEGISLATIVE/REGULATORY UPDATE
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Wisconsin Solid Waste Legislative Update, August 2007
Source: John Reindl, Dane County Recycling Manager, reindl@co.dane.wi.us
Both the Assembly and the Senate (AB 429/SB 225) have introduced legislation relating to the sale and purchase of scrap metal. With prices increasing, there have been increasing numbers of thefts of metals such as copper wire and aluminum siding. To read the full legislative update, click here.

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6. USEFUL TOOLS / RESOURCES ON RECYCLING
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Vote now for the Lifecycle Building Challenge People's Choice Award
Source: Lifecycle Building Challenge
The Lifecycle Building Challenge, a national competition to promote building material reuse though disassembly and adaptability, has collected innovative designs ideas from across the nation. Though August 15, entries can be viewed and individuals can vote electronically for the People's Choice Award. For more information, click here.

The MVPs of mpg
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In an extreme sport where enthusiasts get excited about gas mileage, Wayne Gerdes earned the title "King of the Hypermilers" by driving a Honda Insight 2,254 miles on a single tank of fuel. Gerdes and a team of other drivers used unconventional driving measures such as coasting with the engine shut off and saving fuel by going through turns without tapping the brakes. To read the full article, click here.

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WasteCap Wisconsin thanks its sources for the news, information, and ideas in this issue. WasteCap Wisconsin is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide waste reduction and recycling assistance through business-to-business peer exchange, demonstration, and education for the benefit of businesses and the environment. To further this mission, we have developed these e-mail bulletins to provide you with information about the latest resources, recycling technologies, case studies, legislation, and other matters helping us transform waste into resources. You can view a collection of WasteCap Wisconsin's archived bulletins at http://www.wastecapwi.org/bulletin_archive.htm. To unsubscribe, send an email to wastecap@wastecapwi.org with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. If you have been forwarded this email and would like to subscribe directly, send an email to wastecap@wastecapwi.org with "subscribe" in the subject line.

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Shannon Delaney, Communications Director & WasteCap Wisconsin Bulletin Editor
Kimberly Rauwald, Research Assistant
WasteCap Wisconsin
www.wastecapwi.org