Today's Topics:
Densities of residential recyclables
Energy Outlook
Merry Christmass
Plastic Bottle Recycling Declines
Product stewardship proposal for used oil in Manitoba
Tyvek in Business Week
Tyvek in Business Week is a contaminant for recyclers
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--- Loop-Detect: GreenYes:97/313 ----------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 14:41:01 -0600 From: "John Reindl" <reindl@co.dane.wi.us> Subject: Densities of residential recyclables
Dear List Members -
One of my communities just called to find out what are typical=20 densities for residential recyclables collected in a commingled=20 form.
They would like to know the density of commingled conttainers=20 (glass bottles, steel and aluminum cans, plastic bottles) and of=20 commingled paper (newspapers, corrugated cardboard and magazines).
And information would be greatly appreciated!
John Reindl, Recycling Manager Dane County, Wi
reindl@co.dane.wi.us (608)267-1533 - fax (608)267-8815 - phone
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Date: =FF=FF=FF=FF 20 Dec 97 23:49:03 PST From: roger.diedrich@sfsierra.sierraclub.org Subject: Energy Outlook
Would love to know what some of you in the energy field and working also on sustainability issues think of this.....as the global financial market action move into the energy sector via "resturucturing", as they have with airlines and phone companies, the opportunities and consequences are fascinating if not important to contemplate.....
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The Annual Energy Outlook 1998 (AEO98) presents midterm forecasts of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2020 prepared by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The projections are based on results from EIA's National Energy Modeling System (NEMS).
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo98/homepage.html
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo98/earlyrel.html#consump
The Annual Energy Outlook 1998 (AEO98) is the first AEO with projections to 2020. Key issues for the forecast extension are trends in energy efficiency improvements, the effects of increasing production and productivity improvements on energy prices, and the reduction in nuclear generating capacity.=20
Projections in AEO98 also reflect a greater shift to electricity market restructuring. Restructuring is addressed through several changes that are assumed to occur in the industry, including a shorter capital recovery period for capacity expansion decisions and a revised financial structure that features a higher cost of capital as the result of higher competitive risk. Both assumptions tend to favor less capital-intensive generation technologies, such as natural gas, over coal or baseload renewable technologies.=20
The forecasts include specific restructuring plans in those regions that have announced plans. California, New York, and New England are assumed to begin competitive pricing in 1998. The provisions of the California legislation for stranded cost recovery and price caps are incorporated. In New York and New England, stranded cost recovery is assumed to be phased out by 2008.=20
_______________________________________
Two things you should know about the EIA projections: They assume no change in existing laws and regulations, and
No value is assumed for externalities, such as loss of resources or pollution of common property.
EIA does a limited amount of analysis for outside requesters, such as= members of Congress, or other govt agencies. In such cases, the requstor describes the assumptions for the (NEMS) model runs, and takes responsibility for the results. Sometimes they even pay.
Roger Diedrich Fairfax, Virginia P.S. I am an employee of EIA
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Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 09:07:13 +0200 (IST) From: "Mohammad R. Alagha" <mralagha@iugaza.edu> Subject: Merry Christmass
Merry Christmass and happy new year
Dr Mohammad Al-Agha Gaza Gaza Strip
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Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 15:35:41 -0500 From: Michele Raymond <michele@raymond.com> Subject: Plastic Bottle Recycling Declines
Dear Greenyes members:
=3D20
Thought you might be interested in this article -
Happy Holidays
STATE RECYCLING LAWS UPDATE December 1997
Copyright 1997 Raymond Communications Inc.
Plastic Bottle Recycling Declines
Explosive growth in use of plastics for soft drink bottles, especially=3D single-serve PET bottles, and stagnant growth curbside collection programs= =3D are helping to push plastic bottle recycling down, according to plastics=3D recycling managers and industry consultants.
Recycling of PET bottles was forecast to drop from 572 million pounds in=3D 1996 to 564 million pounds in 1997, (U.S. sources) according to figures=3D from Wellman Inc. and from Walden Research, Inc.=3D20
Demand for recycled PET dropped in the food/beverage bottle sector (from= 20=3D million to 15 million pounds) though it remained stable for non-food=3D bottles (60 million pounds) and grew for fibers, sheet and film and alloy,= =3D Walden estimates show.
Despite strong demand for potential uses, actual recycling of high-density= =3D polyethylene (HDPE) remained flat in 1997, at about 552 million pounds,= the=3D Walden figures show. Bottle applications declined from 190 million to 160= =3D million pounds. The big growth area was for applications in pallets and=3D plastic lumber =3D97 this category jumped 18% from 135 million pounds to= 165=3D million pounds in 1997.
The estimates on sourcing of used PET soft drink bottles in 1997 reveals=3D the impact of the new soft drink containers, observers say. Based on clean= =3D flake, collection of soft drink containers declined, from 480 million=3D pounds to 451 million pounds, though collection of custom bottles jumped=3D from 92 million pounds to 113 million pounds. Collection of natural HDPE=3D bottles declined slightly, while colored bottle collections increased.=3D20
Sabourin notes that single-serve PET bottles are growing at 78% per year.= =3D Jack Milgrom, of Walden Research, Inc., a New Jersey recycling consultant= =3D who had contacted numerous recycling sources, says the single serve PET=3D containers unfortunately end up in trash more often than curbside bins, so= =3D this is depressing PET container recycling.
Dennis Sabourin, VP of Wellman, told delegates at the Take it Back! =3D9197= =3D conference Nov. 18 that unless something is done to improve the situation= =3D for plastics recyclers, he fears his industry will crumble in the next few= =3D years, and manufacturers will end up facing another round of proposed= state=3D bans and content mandates they thought were gone two years ago. Other=3D sources tell SRLU Sabourin's concerns are very real.
Sabourin complained that plastics recyclers are unable to get enough=3D feedstock (a few are importing from Canada and as far away as Europe, SRLU= =3D sources say) and that curbside recycling will only grow about 1% per year.= =3D He did predict that PET recycling will increase to a high of 717 million=3D pounds in 1999, though the rates will continue to decline because the PET= =3D market (and indeed most plastics) is growing so fast. He said the PET=3D recycling rate will drop from 26% in 1996 to 22% in 1997; about 20% in=3D 1998.
(Table included with article)
Michele Raymond
Michele Raymond
Publisher
<bold>Recycling Laws International/ State Recycling Laws Update
</bold>6429 Auburn Ave. Riverdale MD 20737-1614
301/345-4237 Fax 345-4768
http://www.raymond.com/recycle
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Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 13:14:56 -0600 (CST) From: Rod McCormick <Rod_McCormick@Environment.gov.MB.CA> Subject: Product stewardship proposal for used oil in Manitoba
To improve the recovery of used lubricating products (oil, filters and containers) in Manitoba, the Manitoba Government is pursuing a product stewardship initiative. An industry association, Manitoba Association for Resource Recovery Corp. (MARRC) submitted a plan for a program in July 1997. Following review of this plan, Manitoba's Minister of Environment, the Honourable James C. McCrae requested some additional information from the proponent. The amended plan is available for public comment until January 28, 1998. =20 =20 Complete information is available at <http://www.gov.mb.ca/environ/used_oil.html> or through Manitoba Environment's Provincial Registry system (check you local library). =20 The overall goal of the used oil stewardship initiative is to maximize the collection of used oil, filters and containers in an economically sustainable manner in order to protect the environment from contamination. The Regulation directs stewards to incorporate the costs of operating stewardship programs into the price of oil, filters and containers, and to achieve goals in the most efficient and practical way.=20 =20 Environmental Handling Charges on the sale of new lubricating oil and filters will begin to be collected on March 1, 1998. Incentives to help establish the recovery program will begin April 1, 1998. =20 =20 Comments to: Used_Oil@environment.gov.mb.ca =20 Rod McCormick Pollution Prevention Manitoba Environment (204) 945-7344
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Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 07:49:59 -0600 From: "John Reindl" <reindl@co.dane.wi.us> Subject: Tyvek in Business Week
I noticed that the December 22nd issue of Business Week has a full=20 sheet of Tyvek in it. Tyvek is the nearly untearable material used=20 for some envelopes and other products.
Does anyone know how this will affect the recyclability of this=20 magazine? My assumption is that the Tyvek will be a major=20 contaminant and that I need to educate my citizens to remove it=20 before the magazine is put into the recycling bin.
John Reindl, Recycling Manager Dane County, WI
reindl@co.dane.wi.us (608)267-1533 - fax (608)267-8815 - phone
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Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 14:03:23 -0600 From: "John Reindl" <reindl@co.dane.wi.us> Subject: Tyvek in Business Week is a contaminant for recyclers
Dear List Members -
The December 22nd issue of Business Week has a full page ad (plus =20 carryover for stapling purposes) by DuPont of their nearly=20 impossible to tear material Tyvek.
In discussing this ad with several folks in the paper recycling=20 field, I found that it is a serious contaminant and in one case=20 already, has resulted in the serious downgrading of the magazines=20 as a recyclable feedstock.
You may want to do some public education to your local=20 citizens and businesses not to include these magazines in their=20 recycling programs, or to cut out the ads before recycling the=20 magazine.
You may also want to contact Business Week and DuPont and let them=20 know of the difficulties that their marketing decisions have made on=20 your recycling programs. Their Web addresses are=20 http://www.businessweek.com/ and http://www.dupont.com
This seems to me to be a classic case of manufacturers ignoring=20 their responsibility for the disposition of their products.
John Reindl, Recycling Manager Dane County, WI
reindl@co.dane.wi.us (608)267-1533 - fax (608)267-8815 - phone
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End of GreenYes Digest V97 #313 ******************************