April 2010

EARTH WEEK SERIES

Day One: Transform

40 years ago Thursday was the first Earth Day, a day designed to bring awareness of environmental protection into the national spotlight. The launch of Earth Day was the idea of Former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, who said,
 
“For several years, it had been troubling me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. […] The idea that became Earth Day occurred to me while on a conservation speaking tour out West in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, called ‘teach-ins,’ had spread to college campuses all across the nation. Suddenly, the idea occurred to me – why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment?”
 
Thursday will mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a day which truly inspires us at WasteCap. We will be celebrating with a week-long Earth Day series of thoughts and discussion, as well as a renewed commitment to our mission.
 
Join the Discussion
Transform – what does the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day mean to you? How have you been transformed by Earth Day? What have you transformed? How is the world different because of you? Tell us your story! Leave your comment on this post.
 
Support the Cause

We invite you to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day by supporting a vision: to Transform Waste Into Resources. Join us. Membership

Day Two: Waste

A few waste facts to get you thinking:
  • In the United States, we still landfill about the same quantity per person as we did on the first Earth Day in 1970.
  • For 2004, the U.S. EPA estimated that 170 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris was generated, but only about a quarter of it was recycled.
  • The top 10 largest contributors to WI landfills by weight are: wood, food waste, roofing shingles, compostable paper, recyclable paper, plastic film, cardboard, recyclable plastic, ferrous metals and rock/concrete/brick.
  • Reducing, reusing and recycling help us save resources, create U.S. jobs, stimulate our economy with entrepreneurship, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce water, air and land pollution, and saves energy and habitat.
 
Join the Discussion
How has the concept of waste changed in the last 40 years? What are you doing differently today with the “stuff” we all called waste 40 years ago? What do you think will be different 40 years from now? Tell us your story! Leave a comment on our website.
 

We invite you to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day by supporting a vision: to Transform Waste Into Resources. Join us. http://www.wastecap.org/membership/about-membership/

Day Three: Into

Into is where the action happens. Diving into the water. Jumping into the car. Getting into trouble. It’s the space between the arrows in the recycling symbol. It’s where the transformation occurs.
 
At Carroll University, where several of my mentors and recycling friends have a connection, was where I decided: “I’m in.”  A speaker from Australia came and lectured.  She talked about the earth’s systems and how all of them are in decline.  She talked about the importance of each of us doing something, anything, in whatever we did to address this issue.  So, whether our job is as a construction worker or a government employee or running a corporation or taking care of kids, we each must work to reverse this trend and move toward a more sustainable world. 
 
At that moment, I decided I was going to dedicate my career to the environment, and help those around me recognize that they each can, in fact, use their particular skill and interest and place in the world and use their creativity to help us move toward a more sustainable world. 
 
 – Jenna Kunde, Executive Director, WasteCap
 
 
Did you have a moment when you said: "I'm in"?  Whether you’re “in” for the environment or something else, we want to hear your story!   Leave a comment on our website.
 
We invite you to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day by supporting a vision: to Transform Waste Into Resources. Join us.
 
To celebrate Earth Day, we are offering a special discount on WasteCapTRACE. Register a project between now and April 30th, and use WasteCapTRACE for only $500!* Any size project, any length of time. This can add up to thousands of dollars in savings – on a 150,000 ft2 project, you will save $2,500. There’s no catch; just an opportunity to make a significant step toward sustainability.
 
Register online or contact Joe Liebau at (414) 961-1100 or jliebau@wastecap.org to start your subscription today. But hurry, offer ends April 30th.
 
 

*Offer applies to one project per company. Project must be registered by April 30th to be eligible for the discount. Regular price of $600 minimum and two cents per square foot will apply to projects registered after this date.

Day Four: Resources

Resources: Air. Water. Land. Habitat. What we use. What keeps us alive. What we share.
 
WasteCap’s vision is to transform waste into resources. We want you to think differently about materials you might otherwise throw away. Think of them as materials that mean new opportunity, new products, new jobs, and new energy. On this 40th anniversary of Earth Day, will you commit over the next year to do what you can to transform waste into resources?
 

 

Join the Discussion
Complete this sentence: “The Earth is worth protecting because … ” Leave a comment. 
 
Join WasteCap
WasteCap offers many resources and opportunities for people to “Think Globally, Act Locally” on this 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

 

WasteCapTRACE

Special Earth Day discount: register a project between now and April 30th, and use WasteCapTRACE for only $500!* Any size project, any length of time. This can add up to thousands of dollars in savings – on a 150,000 ft2 project, you will save $2,500. Register online or contact Joe Liebau at (414) 961-1100 or jliebau@wastecap.org to start your subscription today. But hurry, offer ends April 30th.

 

*Offer applies to one project per company. Project must be registered by April 30th to be eligible for the discount. Regular price of $600 minimum and two cents per square foot will apply to projects registered after this date.

 

WasteCap Webinar Series

WasteCap will be hosting a series of webinars throughout 2010. Registration has begun for:

·         Wednesday, May 26 – Passing a C&D Recycling Ordinance in a Political Atmosphere

·         Thursday, June 24 – The ABCs of Deconstruction

·         Tuesday, July 20 – How Selecting the Right Waste Hauler Impacts the Success of Your Recycling Program

·         Wednesday, September 8 – Emerging Recycling Market: Asphalt Shingles

 

Construction & Demolition Waste Recycling Training

This one-day, USGBC Education Provider training course teaches the ins and outs of developing a successful recycling program on your construction or demolition project. The next course will be on June 8 in Milwaukee WI. Registration is open.

 

WasteCap Online Resources

Check out the wide range of recycling resources WasteCap has to offer on our website, including:

·         WasteCapDIRECT

·         Food Waste Study Report

·         Specifications, drywall best management practices, dumpster signs

 

Membership

We invite you to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day by supporting a vision: to Transform Waste Into Resources. Join us.


Day Five: Transform Waste Into Resources (TM)

For twelve years, I have had the honor and the privilege of working for WasteCap.  This organization has transformed over 277,000 tons of waste into resources, and its members and partners have transformed much more.  Now, more than at any point in its history, WasteCap needs your support in order to allow us to continue to transform waste into resources.  If this vision is important to you, please support us with a small donation, or, if it’s within your budget, transform your support into a membership. 

– Jenna Kunde, Executive Director, WasteCap Resource Solutions

Join WasteCap

WasteCap offers many resources and opportunities for people to “Think Globally, Act Locally” on this 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

 

Membership

We invite you to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day by supporting a vision: to Transform Waste Into Resources. Join us.

 

WasteCapTRACE

Special Earth Day discount: register a project between now and April 30th, and use WasteCapTRACE for only $500!* Any size project, any length of time. This can add up to thousands of dollars in savings – on a 150,000 ft2 project, you will save $2,500. Register online or contact Joe Liebau at (414) 961-1100 or jliebau@wastecap.org to start your subscription today. But hurry, offer ends April 30th.

 

*Offer applies to one project per company. Project must be registered by April 30th to be eligible for the discount. Regular price of $600 minimum and two cents per square foot will apply to projects registered after this date.

 

WasteCap Webinar Series

WasteCap will be hosting a series of webinars throughout 2010. Registration has begun for:

·         Wednesday, May 26 – Passing a C&D Recycling Ordinance in a Political Atmosphere

·         Thursday, June 24 – The ABCs of Deconstruction

·         Tuesday, July 20 – How Selecting the Right Waste Hauler Impacts the Success of Your Recycling Program

·         Wednesday, September 8 – Emerging Recycling Market: Asphalt Shingles

 

Construction & Demolition Waste Recycling Training

This one-day, USGBC Education Provider training course teaches the ins and outs of developing a successful recycling program on your construction or demolition project. The next course will be on June 8 in Milwaukee WI. Registration is open.

 

WasteCap Online Resources

Check out the wide range of recycling resources WasteCap has to offer on our website, including:

·         WasteCapDIRECT

·         Food Waste Study Report

·         Specifications, drywall best management practices, dumpster signs

 

Archived Comments

 

Beth Churchill, bchurchill@cogdell.com – cogdell.com 4/22/2010 6:14pm

  As my father likes to recall. I called him at 10:00 o'clock in the morning in November of 2003 immediately after listening to David Susuki's keynote during breakfast at Greenbuild Austin, Texas.

I exclaimed, "I know why I was put here on earth!. I was meant to help move great big ships 1 degree on their axis before I die".

That was when "I was in". I am still in, deeper than ever.

 

 

Mary Christiansen, muchrist@mtu.edu – 4/22/2010 2:12pm

Working as a student intern at WasteCap Wisconsin really opened my eyes to the gigantic impact that construction has on the environment.  In particular, I took note of the huge role concrete plays in any construction project and became interested in learning about it.  Now, I am working toward earning a PhD in civil engineering with an emphasis on developing sustainable concretes.  Thanks, WasteCap!

 

 

Eric Zentner, ericzentner@sbcglobal.net – 4/21/2010 9:49pm

I can't point to a single event or time in my life that convinced me we need to take care of the earth.  I do know that my parents (whom I would not describe as environmentalists) instilled in me a strong aversion to waste, be it wasting food, money, time, or anything else.  As a child I also developed a love of nature and the outdoors and a sense of justice, a feeling that we should try to right the wrongs we commit or see.  It didn't take long for me to figure out the connection between waste and the destruction of nature, nor did it tke long for me to feel the obligation we all have to try to ameliorate this situation.  As the saying goes, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."  When it comes to environmental impact, we're all part of the problem.  We need to be part of the solution as well.

 

 

Eric Zentner, ericzentner@sbcglobal.net – 4/21/2010 9:40pm

Someone once said, "If you're not angry, you're not paying attention."  This is especially true when it comes to waste.  When I was a kid, recycling was something you did to make money a couple times a year when there was a paper or can drive.  We threw away everything (or burned it) and no one seemed to notice or care.  Now I find myself angry dozens of times a day when I see perfectly good resources heading for the landfill.  I'm always yelling at my students for putting cans or paper in the garbage, and coworkers are sometimes annoyed with me for leaving reused paper in the printer.
As frustrating as "paying attention" can be, the fact that we have started paying attention is a huge step forward.  Like most things in society, our efforts to help the environment are improving.  They may be improving too slowly to satisfy us, but they are improving nevertheless, and we should be proud of that, even in our anger and frustration.

 

 
 
Mia Stein-Kodzik, mstein-kodzik@recyclingservices.com – 4/21/2010 8:41pm
 
I was working in Catering/Convention Sales at Hotels in the 1980’s, and became aware of the large amount of waste that was generated daily. It affected me in such a way, that I left that career and moved into the environmental field. I am now buying and selling paper to be recycled, in order to keep it out of the landfill, to curtail the use of virgin wood, and cut energy usage. We all need to do our part to keep our Earth…green!
 
Mia Stein-Kodzik, Fiber Options/Recycling Services
 

 

Sue Loomans, sueloomans@wbga.org – 4/21/2010 5:35pm

My moment of saying "I'm in" was watching the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."   The information on climate change and the role that we play in it could no longer allow me to sit on the sidelines.  I decided then to turn my focus to green building, since buildings play such a huge role in our energy usage and CO2 emissions. 

— Sue Loomans, Executive Director, Wisconsin Green Building Alliance

 

 

Ed Faherty, edfaherty@yousq.net – 4/21/2010 11:42pm

40 years ago we built one of the first small landfills in the area, and our community started house to house waste collection.  Before that there was a town dump where everyone hauled their trash and just threw it into a big pile that was left to fester and then burned.  Although that made for great sport for some locals that enjoyed to go drink beer and shoot rats, it obviously wasn't good for the earth or the community.


Starting 1990 waste, and peoples perception of it, began to make the change to something different. Today we not only recycle whats perceived as the old standards; cardboard, paper, tin/alum, glass, and plastic, we also are recycling construction, electronics, and fluorescent tubes.  The list of possibilities for recycling continues to grow.


I'm pretty sure in 40 years I will be the one decomposing, waste will be utilized as a resource, and the landfills of today will become the mines of the future.

 

 

Paul Abramson, phabramson@gmail.com – 4/21/2010 1:15am

Yesterday I began wishing all my business contacts a happy Earth Day Week! 


For 8 years I have made a difference by persistent efforts with businesses, event presenters, non-profits, and government agencies to accellerate food waste, supply chain plastic shrink wrap, and non reusable plastics recycling, prevalent elements in our country's outdoor event industry.  This effort, made more visible through http://www.MadisonRAH.org, a non-profit recruitment and advocacy portal for volunteer recycling away from home projects in Madison, has brought 1000s of people into volunteer work groups teaching the public and event managers the social marketing benefits of "fun while reducing event generated waste."   We are progressing rapidly to interconnect all city agencies with the powerful relationship between volunteers, planning, and waste removal cost reduction.  With our support, new events are shooting for 100% sustainability here!


After years of successful development as MadisonRAH's chief on-site coordinator, social engineer and chief advocate, I have opened my own firm offering wide ranging event waste reduction planning and coordination services in response to growing demand from the public and events.
 EVENT RECYCLING LOGISTICS & CONSULTING began in Sept 2009 at the invitation of Great Taste of The Midwest, a 6000 attendee regional beer tasting.  Presented by Madison Homebrewers & Tasters Guild, they asked me to analyse waste handling processes, refine systems, develop efficiencies, and train their own volunteers to better handle effective event recycling. 


They were so satisfied I have been asked back for 2010.  I am in negotiations with Madison's larger outdoor events for this 2010 season, with goals ranging from improved athletic shoe recycling at runner-competitions to increased communication promoting ramped up recycling away from home.  Reducing event generated waste is a challenge requiring focus and commitment.  


In the next few weeks EVENT RECYCLING LOGISTICS & CONSULTING will offer options for composting of clean, non-meat food waste, a first in the Madison area, and a common waste element of all outdoor events serving food such as Willy Street Fair and Taste of Madison. 
This year is very exciting, and I owe the inspiration for all of this to Earth Day!


For more information and a free event  waste analysis contact me at PHAbramson@gmail.com

 

 

Joe – 4/20/2010 2:03pm

Hi,
  I received the newsletter and I think this is a great idea.  I personally feel Earth Day has had a great impact on the green movement.  A day to celebrate preserving the beauty that surrounds us helps everyone to realize what we have.
Joe

 

 

Annemarie, ascobey@hotmail.com – 4/19/2010 10:01pm

Earth Day and I are about the same age, so it was young when I was. As a child I remember environmental issues being brought to my attention in school. I learned about the need to take care of the Earth very young and grew up understanding that was important

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