May 2003

Recycling and Waste Management in Central Virginia2002 Recycling Rate

Each year, the Virginia Departmentof Environmental Quality (DEQ)collects information about waste andrecycling activities within theCommonwealth. While participationin recycling programs is voluntary forresidents and businesses in Virginia,state law mandates that each localgovernment implement programs torecycle a minimum of 25 percent ofthe municipal waste generated eachyear. Individual localities, or co-opsof localities such as the members ofCVWMA, compare the total amountof solid waste generated in the area tothe amount recycled to determine theyear’s recycling rate.

The amount of waste generated iscalculated using a figure from theEnvironmental Protection Agency,which estimates that each Americangenerates approximately 4.5 poundsof trash everyday, or 1,643 poundsannually. This figure represents a 2.5percent decline in waste generationfrom 2001 (4.62 pounds per personper day). In an era of seemingly excessconsumption it is refreshing to see thatAmericans produced less waste in2002 than in previous years.

Between January 2002 and December2002, Central Virginia recycled 39

percent of the estimated 852,929 tonsof municipal waste generated in theregion. This success is largelyattributed to CVWMA’s curbsiderecycling program, the largest of itskind in the State. Curbside collectionis provided to nearly 230,000households in six jurisdictions, and iscontinuously expanding coverage. Onaverage, 116 tons of materials arecollected at the curb each day.

CVWMA’s drop-off recyclingprogram provides 48 additionalrecycling opportunities for CentralVirginia residents. These drop-off sitesare conveniently located at schools,fire stations, transfer stations andshopping centers and typically collect3,500 tons annually.

Calculation of Rate ChangedA review of procedures led DEQ toexclude certain materials from therecycling rate in 2002. Becauseconstruction and demolition debris andland clearance waste are not typicallypart of the municipal solid waste streamin Central Virginia, these items werenot incorporated into 2002calculations. In 2001, CVWMAreported a rate of 44 percent.Calculating 2001 statistics by the samecriteria used for the 2002 rate, the2001 rate would have been 36 percent.Therefore, the 2002 rate of 39 percentdemonstrates that local recycling ratesare actually improving.

Recycling benefits all Virginians bycreating jobs, reducing costs for trashdisposal, and protecting theenvironment from the harvest of rawmaterials. Recycling also reduces orprevents harmful air and waterpollution, saves energy and naturalresources, and reduces greenhouse gasemissions from landfills. CVWMAencourages Central Virginians to keepup the good work. Visitwww.cvwma.com for a complete listof 2002 recycling statistics.

130,158 Paper18,556 Metal1,080 Plastic99,284 Yard Waste17,523 Waste Tires32,889 Used Oil3,595 Batteries

List does not include all categories collected.

Tons Recycled in 2002

hildren with painted faces and their parents enjoyed live music,eco-friendly crafts, a rock climbingwall and even the chance to see a livekangaroo at Richmond’s 14th annualGREAT Earth Day Celebration. TheGREAT (Greater Richmond Environ-mental Action Trust) festival has a longtradition of bringing people together toemphasize the importance of healthyliving for the environment and our com-munity, and to have a little fun!

Adults and children were entertainedwith music from the Marshal TuckerBand, Wedgee, Old School FreightTrain, Everything and Floating FolkFestival. Community organizations alsoprovided educational exhibits andfamily activities on a variety ofenvironmental issues. Children visitedthe CVWMA booth to learn moreabout recycling and make handmadepaper. The gooey, yet educational andfun activity emphasized the value ofre-useing and recycling household itemslike plastic containers, paper andfabric. Participants, young and old,were encouraged to celebrate EarthDay every day by participating in

Earth Day 2003: April 19th on Mayo Island

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CVWMA recycling programs. Fes-tival spectators showed their sup-port for our environment as over1,000 pounds of recyclables weregathered from the festival and recycledby CVWMA and Tidewater FibreCorporation, CVWMA’s curbsideprogram contractor.

Earth Day was first proposed in 1969by John McConnell to celebrateglobal unity and destiny. AlthoughEarth Day celebrations have changedacross the country since the 70’s,GREAT continues to support CentralVirginia’s efforts in protecting ourenvironment. Each year GREATprovides individuals and organizationswith the opportunity to apply for grantssupporting various environmentalprojects. These grants are an extensionof GREAT’s commitment to fosteringprograms encouraging environmentaleducation, conservation, restorationand preservation of natural resourcesthroughout the Richmond area. Formore information on GREAT pleasevisit www.earthdayva.org. Do yourpart and make Earth Day every Day!

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Barry Matthews answered questionsabout CVWMA recycling programsduring the Earth Day celebration .

CVWMA Outreachand Education

ublic outreach and education are a top priority of the CVWMA.Whether it is keeping our communityup-to-date on the latest recyclingtrends, taking Bin on a school visit orexhibiting at environmental fairs, theAuthority is committed to educatingand informing citizens about recyclingand waste reduction.

Environmental EducationRoundtable

CVWMA recently hosted anEnvironmental Education Roundtablewith community educators fromCVWMA jurisdictions. Theroundtable was a tremendousopportunity to inform others ofupcoming special events, recyclingprogram updates and to exploreeffective ways to educate studentsand community members aboutrecycling and waste reduction.

Recycling Resource Packs

The CVWMA Public Informationoffice is also spearheading outreachefforts by distributing recyclingresource packs to local schoolboards, libraries, Boy Scout troopsand Girl Scout troops. The packsinclude a short video of the MRF(materials recycling facility), a videocompanion guide supporting VirginiaStandards of Learning, activitybooks, samples of items made ofrecycled content and many other funrecycling resources.

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Environmental Tips for Summer

More Curbs Served in Henrico

Many Henrico residents are welcom-ing spring by recycling and doing theirpart for the environment. Curbsideservice began the week of April 14th for3,200 Henrico homes that wererecently added to CVWMA’s curbsiderecycling program.

With this addition, the County will haveover 70,000 homes in the convenient,single stream, bi-weekly curbsideprogram. In Central Virginia the totalnumber of homes participating incurbside service increased to nearly230,000.

In addition to protecting the environ-ment, county residents who participatein curbside recycling are helping tocontrol the growth of disposal costs byreducing the amount of waste placedin area landfills. Prior to April’sexpansion, Henrico had 68,000 homesparticipating in curbside recycling, pre-

At the beach, pick up litter.

In the back yard, make a compost bin.

On the lawn, recycle grass clippings.

At cookouts, recycle beverage containers.

At the park, recycle water bottles.

On picnics, take reusable utensils.

At home, donate old clothing.

CVWMA thanks you for protecting theenvironment in Central Virginia.

venting over 900 tons (1,800,000 lbs.)of recyclables from entering landfillseach month. The addition of 3,200homes to Henrico’s curbsidecollection could avert an additional84,000 pounds of recyclable materi-als from landfills each month.

In addition to the bin provided free ofcharge, participants may use rigidcontainers less than 40 gallons in sizeor paper grocery bags for extrarecyclables. Stickers to identify extracontainers are also available from theCVWMA.

CVWMA is excited about the increasein participation and encouragesmember jurisdictions with curbsideprograms to keep up the good work!For those localities that do notparticipate in curbside, don’t forgetabout our 48 drop-off sites!

Earth Day Radio Campaign

Wondering where your recyclablesend up? CVWMA provided theanswer in a recent “Recycling Minute”radio campaign, which coincided withEarth Day. The campaign focusedon frequently asked questions andencouraged re-use and recycling.Topics also included electronicsrecycling, composting and ways toshop for environmentally friendlyproducts.

Talkin’ Trash

CVWMA, Virginia RecyclingAssociation and The RichmondTimes-Dispatch teamed up withteachers to celebrate Earth Day inApril. When teachers orderednewspapers to use in the class, theyreceived free copies of “Talkin’ Trash”for their students. “Talkin’ Trash” is aspecial 15-page resource designed forstudents that examines modern wastemanagement and the environment.The paper provides interestingenvironmental articles and activitiesand covers SOL objectives 3.5,3.6,3.10, 3.11, 4.5, 4.8, 5.7, ES.7,ES.9, BIO.9 and more! Students usemath, science, social studies andlanguage arts skills to decide wherethey stand on environmental issues.

To schedule a school visit, requestcopies of our publications or checkouta resource pack call our publicinformation office at (804) 359-8413.Don’t forget to visit us on the web atwww.cvwma.com!

Outreach and EducationContinued from Page 2...

ycle more than 100 tons ofmaterials each day. Over the courseof the year, this adds up to 33,000 tonsof soda cans, milk jugs, glass jars,catalogs and newspapers. Consumersoften wonder wherethese materials goafter they are left atthe curb or taken toarea drop-off sites.

Items collected inlocal curbside anddrop-off programsare delivered to areaprocessors who relyon a system ofpeople and machinesto separate aluminumcans, plastic bottles,cardboard,newsprint and mixed paper.The sorted materials are then baled andsold to companies that will furtherprepare the materials to bemanufactured into new products andproduct packaging.

At the paper mill, recyclable paper ismixed with water and made into pulp.The pulp is cleaned, pressed, dried androlled to make new paper. Thisrecycled paper is made into newproducts, such as cereal boxes,notebooks, newsprint and tissue paper.Products packaged in recycled paperusually display the recycling symbolwith the words “made from post-consumer recycled content” to illustratetheir role in the recycling process.Local collection programs aresupported when consumers purchaseproducts packaged in, or made fromrecycled content.

Aluminum and steel cans and plasticbottles are shredded, washed toremove food residues and labels andthen melted into new food andbeverage containers. An aluminum canrecycled in CVWMA collection

programs can bereturned to thegrocery store filledwith soda in as littleas sixty days. Plasticbottles can also berecycled into a varietyof new products,including clothing,carpet and outdoorfurniture.

Glass containers maybe used to form newfood and beverage

packaging, however quality controlspecifications make the production ofrecycled glass containers challenging.More commonly, crushed glass bottlesare ground to the consistency of flourand used in the production of asphalt.Using glass to produce asphaltdecreases the need for rock aggregatethat would otherwise be mined.

By recycling and disposing of wasteproperly through CVWMA programs,residents of Central Virginia are notonly saving thousands of tons ofmaterials from landfills each year, butthey are also protecting naturalresources, saving energy and creatingsafe communities.

For information on CVWMA recyclingprograms please call the RecycleHotline at (803) 340-0900.

Curious Consumers: The Results of Your Recycling Efforts

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Putting the “PET”in Carpet

How a PET Plastic BottleMakes it to Your Living

Room Floor

esidents of Central Virginia rec-

ith a growing concern for wastereduction, companies arefinding innovative ways to cycleour recyclables. The PET

bottle recycling process is one oftoday’s high-tech marvels. PET (orPETE as it is also known) is the typeof plastic labeled with the #1 code onor near the bottom of the container andis commonly used to package softdrinks, water, juice, peanut butter,salad dressings, oil, cosmetics andhousehold cleaners. Recycling PETenables communities to take what wasonce considered waste and turn it intoa wide range of products, from newbottles to products like polyesterclothing and carpet.

Everyone remembers polyester fashionstatements of the ‘70s, but you maybe surprised to learn that PET plasticis the same material. It is a form ofpolyester that can be made into fiber.What’s truly fascinating is how plasticbottles are turned into cozy carpetfound in homes across America.

The journey from bottle to carpetbegins at the curb and at local drop-off bins. Materials are then taken tothe materials recovery facility wherethey are sorted by type. Workers

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determine if a bottle is made fromPET by the number on the bottom andby the container’s appearance.

After the bottles are separated, theyare baled into large cubes and sent toPET carpet manufacturers where theyare cleaned and ground into flakes.The flake is then washed, heated andrinsed to remove bits of paper and foodfrom the PET. Next, fiber producersmelt down the flake until it is theconsistency of honey. The honey likesubstance is then forced through tinyholes the size of a human hair, produc-ing individual filaments or strands. The

“carPET”Continued From Page 4...

Electronics Recycling: Exploring Alternatives to Landfilling Your Old Electronics

an you imagine a day withoutyour cell phone, PC or remotecontrol? Advancements in tech-

nology have revolutionized our so-ciety and made many of these items

staples of our lives. As cheaper, fasterand more specialized equipment is de-veloped, how do you transition fromthe bulky outdated model to the newinnovative pocket-sized device? Deal-ing with the leftovers of our techno-logical advancements have become thehot issue for both the public and pri-vate sectors as government and indus-try struggle to address this growingportion of our waste stream.

Various parts of popular electronicdevices may contain dangerous heavymetals, including lead, silver, barium,cadmium, chromium and mercury. Im-proper disposal of these devices cancontaminate soil and water resourcesleading to harmful effects in humans,

fibers are then cooled and cut intoshorter strands and baled. The baleshave nearly the same appearance as abale of cotton.

Carpet manufacturers then purchasethe fiber bales. The fiber is unbaled andspun into spools of yarn. Needlespunch the yarn into a backing material

and form loops, which are cut at a rateof about 1,200 times a minute,forming the carpet’s surface. Then thecarpet is heated and dyed. After thedye sets the carpet is inspected, rolledand delivered to a store near you.

Like any other carpet, it goes from thestore to your floor. But this carpet doesmore than compliment a living room; itdiverts PET plastic from landfills andgives consumers another incentive torecycle. You can completethe cycle by recyclingand buying recycledproducts like carPET!

pets and wildlife. Recycling and reuseof these electronic items prevent themfrom reaching landfills, which help tocreate less waste, and provide usableitems to organizations that may other-wise not be able to afford them. Do-nations to charitable or nonprofit or-ganizations extend the life-span of us-able equipment. Check outCVWMA’s online Choose to ReduceWaste Reduction Directory atwww.cvwma.com/ctr2/ for a variety oforganizations that may need yourequipment.

Discussions on developing disposalregulations and collection programs forobsolete equipment have begun inmany communities. The US Environ-mental Protection Agency sponsoredregional pilot collection programs in2002, two of which were hosted byCVWMA in the Richmond area. Ourlocal collections on October 19 yielded

22 tons of material. For more infor-mation on the pilot program, visitw w w . e p a . g o v / r e g 3 w c m d /eCycling.htm.

The Virginia Department of Environ-mental Quality offers recommendationsfor consumers and businesses to prop-erly dispose of excess equipment atwww.deq.state.va.us/recycle/computer.html. Manufacturers alsoappear to be stepping up to the plateto address modern society’s excesscomputer hardware problem. To en-courage recycling and reuse, some of-fer generous economic incentives suchas rebates on the purchase of newhardware. Visit www.cvwma.com/in-formation/computers.htm for a list ofrecycling programs from popularmanufacturers such as Dell, Gatewayand Hewlett-Packard.

CVWMABoard of DirectorsCity of Colonial Heights

Robert E. Taylor, MemberCity of Hopewell

Phillip E. Elliott, TreasurerCity of Petersburg

vacantCity of Richmond

Kenneth L. Chandler, ChairTerri L. Cofer-Beirne, Member

William R. Pully, MemberCounty of Charles City

Angelia G. Yancey, MemberCounty of Chesterfield

Robert L. Dunn, Vice-ChairWilliam H. Howell, MemberMarcia R. Phillips, Member

County of GoochlandRichard D. Harvey, Sr., Member

County of HanoverRebecca G. Draper, Member

Thomas F. Giles, MemberCounty of Henrico

Marcia E. Kelley, DirectorWilliam S. Dewhirst, MemberRobert C. Whiteman, Member

County of New KentJames H. Burrell, Immediate Past Chair

County of PowhatanElliot Danburg, MemberCounty of Prince George

John G. Kines, Jr., SecretaryTown of Ashland

William S. Barnett, Member

John H. MitchellExecutive Director

Make Earth Day

Every day!

Kudos: cvwma.com Wins Award

CVWMA isproud to an-nounce itsreceipt of theAward of Dis-

tinction in the 2003 CommunicatorAwards competiton. CVWMAreceived the Award of Distinction forits website that communicates theimportance of recycling and wastereduction. Congratulations to theCVWMA Public Information office!Keep up the good work.

25 to participate in VCU CelebratesEarth Day. Hosted by the Departmentof Environmental Conservation, theevent provided students, faculty andstaff with an opportunity to learn moreabout environmental issues. Otherparticipants included James RiverAssociation, Virginia Recycling

Association, Virginia Department ofEnvironmental Quality, Weyerhauser,Ukrops Natural Foods, AERC and thestudent environmental action group.

During March and April, over 2,000children’s publications were distributedto area teachers in observance of EarthDay. Educators often set aside this timeto teach their students about recyclingand waste management to meet therequired portions of the VirginiaStandards of Learning in science.

Earth DayContinued From Page 2...

In addition to participatingin the GREAT Earth DayCelebration, CVWMAvisited Virginia Common-wealth University on April

The Communicator Awards is aninternational awards competition thatrecognizes outstanding work in thecommunications field. Entries arejudged by industry professionals wholook for companies and individualswhose talent exceeds a high standardof excellence and whose work servesas a benchmark for the industry. Therewere 3,730 entries from throughout theUnited States and several foreigncountries in The CommunicatorAwards 2003 Print Media competition.