Re: [GRRN] sustainable recycling markets

chelsea center for recycling and economic development (amyp@chelseacenter.org)
Mon, 29 Mar 1999 09:59:01 -0500


Pat:

Thanks for the kind words on our web site. We are awaiting the final
version of our "strategic plan for recycling market development for
Massachusetts" from Dorn and Associates, and will have that on our web site
in PDF format hopefully in a month or so. That might provide some
assistance. The Dorn report suggests material specific options for Ma., as
well as an overall approach for recycling market development; it really
doesn't consider legislative options, more steps to get over technical,
financial, and informational barriers. I will let you, and the list, know
when the final version is available in hard as well as electronic versions.
In addition, sometime before the summer, we will be conducting some public
meetings on the Plan, and, if folks are interested, I will post that notice
to the list, too. In addition, we have developed some case studies of
recycling businesses here that focus on how they received financing and how
well they are doing, and are developing several more that will include more
of a focus on how we have provided help to those companies. Those will be
available as well in a month or so. We are short an office administrator
and aren't really in a good position to send things out right now, so if
people want copies of any of this, I'd appreciate perhaps waiting a month
to request it, and look at our web site first. Thanks.

At 06:19 PM 3/26/99 -0500, you wrote:
>A group of us in the recycling choir are planning a summit for the PA
>Dept. of Env. Protection to identify initiatives that the state should
>undertake to help improve the sustainability of recycling markets. We
>recognize that one state can't do it alone but we would like to use some
>of the surplus from the $40+ million collected annually in our state
>Recycling Fund to make some inroads to increase the use of recycled
>content materials by all sectors; convince manufacturer's to use
>recycled feedstock, improve collection efficiencies (especially plastic)
>and increase capacity of processors and end-users in close proximity to
>our urban recycling programs. Our group has excellent in-state resource
>people including municipal recycling coordinators, processors,
>non-profits, and DEP recycling and market development staff...

>Can any of you identify programs that have REALLY been successful or
>have the real potential for success that we could model. We'd like to
>have some success cases to present. The summit (really a think tank)
>will be in late June for a limited audience of do-ers.
>

Amy Perlmutter
Executive Director
Chelsea Center for Recycling and
Economic Development
University of Massachusetts
180 Second Street
Chelsea, MA 02150
617-887-2300/fax 617-887-0399
visit our web site at www.chelseacenter.org