Last day to register for the 2007 public training in Construction & Demolition Waste Management and Recycling
When: May 17, 2007 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (registration closes at the end of the day Friday, May 11)
Where: USDA Forest Products Laboratory (One Gifford Pinchot Dr. Madison, WI 53726)
Waste reduction, reuse and recycling allow contractors and owners to use project funds for building instead of waste disposal. This training will give you the skills you need to develop, manage, monitor, document and promote a successful recycling program for construction and demolition debris. It will also help you learn how to obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) points for MR 2.1 and 2.2. Successful completion of the training will award registrants with WasteCap Accredited Professional status. Registration is required and a few open spaces remain. This full-day training program is held the day after the Building Materials Reuse Association DECON 07 Conference (May 14 – 16). For more information on the training program and to register, visit www.wastecapwi.org/training. For more information on the DECON 07 conference, visit www.buildingreuse.org.

WasteCap celebrates Earth Week with green contractors
WasteCap springs into construction season by observing Earth Week at five projects showcasing outstanding efforts in construction waste recycling. Workers at Boldt Construction's Interdisciplinary Research Complex project in Madison celebrated recycling over 10 million pounds of waste while JH Findorff & Son workers announced a $20,000 savings for the nearby UW Health American Family Children's Hospital project by recycling. To read the full article, visit www.wastecapwi.org/earthweek07.

WPSC recycles power plant construction materials
Source: Central Wisconsin Sunday
Wisconsin Public Service Corp. has recycled more than 80 percent of its construction materials from the Weston 4 power plant project. The utility announced the success rate in advance of Earth Day, which is celebrated annually. The $752 million coal-fired plant is 80 percent complete and is expected to be ready by June 2008. From late 2004 until February 2007, about 5,400 tons of scrap metal, wood, concrete, asphalt, cardboard, drywall and plastic have been recycled. WPSC partnered with nonprofit group WasteCap to develop a plan to separate, remove and find markets for the recycled items. First, however, the two companies needed to commit to the effort and mandate steps of contractors. To read the full article, visit www.wausaudailyherald.com.

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2. UPCOMING CONFERENCES / GRANTS / JOB OPENINGS
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DECON 07 Conference on C&D recycling, deconstruction and building material reuse
When: May 14 - 16, 2007
Where: University of Wisconsin-Madison's Memorial Union
The international conference, presented by the Building Materials Reuse Association, will feature talks and discussion on deconstruction, building materials reuse, and construction and demolition debris recycling. Incorporation of reused and recycled materials into new and renovation construction will also be discussed as well as many other topics. WasteCap Wisconsin will offer a full-day, post-conference accreditation training workshop on C&D debris recycling the day after the conference at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory.For more information, please visit www.buildingreuse.org.

8th annual lead and asbestos symposium
When: May 23, 2007
Where: Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, Milwaukee
The symposium will feature speakers from the WI Department of Health and Family Services, City of Milwaukee Health Department, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and many others. Participants will have a chance to receive continuing education credits. The event runs from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. $50 for the morning session on lead, $25 for lunch and $50 for afternoon session on asbestos. For more information, please visit www.ci.mil.wi.

2007 SE2 Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Leadership Award Applications due
Deadline: May 25, 2007
The Wisconsin Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Awards recognize leadership in energy efficient and sustainable design in Wisconsin commercial buildings and related systems. Award categories are not pre-determined, but the following projects are examples of what may be considered: whole building design, building systems design and construction, innovative approaches, and operations and maintenance. Other project types may be submitted for consideration. A non-refundable application fee of $125 is due with the application. The awards ceremony will be held September 13, 2007, in conjunction with the 2007 Greening The Heartland/ Wisconsin SE2 Leadership Conference at Monona Terrace in Madison. For more information, visit www.wgba.org.

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3. RECYCLING NEWS THAT AFFECTS YOU
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CONSTRUCTION / DEMOLITION

Recycling history
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 27, 2007
Through the years, this old Wisconsin barn sheltered farm animals, tractors and hay bales. Now it's too late to save it, and the new owners want the land for another purpose. But instead of burning it, bulldozing it or letting nature finish the job, Mike Zaiger and his four-person crew were dismantling the 36-by-80-foot structure piece by piece earlier this month. The weathered boards and hand-hewn timbers will likely end up as flooring and siding in expensive homes. The foundation stones will soon decorate backyards and home gardens. To read the full article, please visit www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=597355.

LEEDing edge school
Source: Minnesota Star News, April 3, 2007
It does not look like a typical elementary school with its two stories, sharp roof inclines and high windows. The $19 million Twin Lakes Elementary School is even more atypical with all its energy efficiencies that earned it a LEED certification. The new school, set to open for the 2007-2008 school year, is the fourth in the district to earn the designation, and all four schools focus on environmentally friendly designs and materials, as well as being 50 percent energy efficient. To read the full article, please visit www.usgbc.org.

FOOD WASTE RECOVERY / COMPOSTING

Hong Kong diners fined for leaving leftovers
Source: Christian Science Monitor, April 2007
Deep in the belly of one of Hong Kong's largest malls, a mechanical stomach is digesting a social ill that is now catching the attention of this city's restaurateurs and environmentalists: too many leftovers. US and European cities have wrestled with excess food waste for more than a decade, but Hong Kong's prosperity and shrinking landfill space are only now pushing it to adopt a new consumption ethic. To read the full article, please visit www.csmonitor.com.

COMPUTER / ELECTRONICS RECYCLING

Connecticut lawmakers grapple with 'e-waste'
Source: New Haven Register, April 23, 2007
Connecticut lawmakers are struggling to come up with a way to handle what federal experts warn is the fastest growing element of the American waste stream: Discarded computers and television sets. A bill that would place the primary responsibility for recycling electronic waste on manufacturers has now won approval from two General Assembly committees. To read the full article, please visit www.nhregister.com.

RECYCLED PRODUCTS AND REUSE

How not to carpet over the countryside
Source: Sustainable Times, April 2007
Discarding carpets and carpet padding contribute over 130,000 tons to Wisconsin landfill waste every year, equivalent to area entirely covering Lake Mendota. But since Feb.1 this year, a viable alternative is available. Madison-based Sergenian's Floor Coverings has established a carpet recycling program, the only one in Wisconsin and one of only a handful in the whole country. To read the full article, please visit www.carpetrecovery.org.

Old toilets never die
Source: National Geographic Green Guide, April 11, 2007
What should you do when toilets become too old and inefficient to use? Well, use them to cover your kitchen counter, of course. EnviroGlas, pioneers in the world of recycled glass tiles and countertops, has recently introduced EnviroMODE, a porcelain terrazzo comprised of ground up bathroom fixtures. To read the full article, please visit www.thegreenguide.com.

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4. MEMBER PROFILE/WELCOME NEW & RETURNING MEMBERS
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AMERICAN TRANSMISSION COMPANY

American Transmission Co. is the organization that helps keep the lights on in the eastern two-thirds of Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and portions of Minnesota and Illinois. Since 2001, ATC has owned and operated the transmission system that moves large amounts of electricity generated at power plants to the distribution facilities that deliver service to customers. The company has invested more than $1 billion to improve the reliability of the transmission system and has plans for an additional $3 billion over the next 10 years.

Continual improvement is a hallmark of ATC operations, and that carries over into the organization’s goal to leave the environment better than when the company arrived to start its work. The over- arching goal for ATC’s environmental department is to identify, protect and preserve the environment in all aspects of the company’s work. The company works proactively and collaboratively to achieve its environmental goals by developing processes and seeking partnerships that foster stewardship.

ATC’s participation in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s Green Tier program means the company has made a commitment to superior environmental performance. One of the metrics used to evaluate that performance is recycling and waste management. In 2006, the first full year of participation in Green Tier, ATC recycled construction waste with excellent results, doubling the amount of salvage material over the previous year. More than 300,000 pounds of scrap metals and more than 52,000 pounds of oil were recycled. Almost all old equipment (wood poles, steel transmission structures) is reused or recycled. More than $1 million was generated in salvage value in 2006.

Other partnerships with landowners, nonprofit groups and conservation organizations work to improve habitats on the company’s transmission line corridors. Wood turtles, the Karner blue butterfly and native vegetative species all have benefited from ATC’s environmental credo – “Better because we’re here.” For more information on American Transmission Company, visit www.atcllc.com.

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WasteCap welcomes Michael Hoyng, Murphy Services and Waters' Wood Recycling Service to the WasteCap network of professionals working to recycle, reuse and reduce waste in Wisconsin. Special thanks to Flad & Associates, Outpost Natural Foods and the City of Wauwatosa 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. USEFUL TOOLS / RESOURCES ON RECYCLING
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U.S. architects announce 10 best green buildings
Source: Environmental News Network, April 24, 2007
The best environmentally friendly buildings in the United States include a visitor center in Texas, a water treatment plant in Connecticut and a house in California, U.S. architects announced Monday. In presenting the Top 10 Green Awards, the American Institute of Architects celebrated the best examples of sustainable architecture and environmental design To read the full article, please visit www.enn.com.

Pre-Demolition Environmental Checklist
Source: DNR publication
Planning to demolish a building? Here is a handy checklist to help building owners and inspectors, demolition contractors, consultants, subcontractors and others identify and address environmental issues in a demolition project and find out how to properly handle any hazardous or problem materials. For more information, please visit dnr.wi.gov/org.

Put surplus food to good use: a how-to guide for food service providers
Source: Environmental Protection Agency
There are many ways food service providers can improve the environment and provide benefits to communities by reducing, reusing, and recycling uneaten or unused food rather than throwing it away. This guide helps food service providers start a food waste reduction and recovery program at their facilities. For more information, please visit www.epa.gov.

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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
Stephanie Brien, Communications Intern
Kimberly Rauwald, Research Assistant
WasteCap Wisconsin
www.wastecapwi.org