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Re: [GreenYes] Olympic waste diversion hits a snag
To clarify, the final numbers are not in for the Olympics waste diversion
rates.  What has been circulated is preliminary data, showing only 5% of
material has been landfilled to date.  The facility operators are expecting
another 5-7% residue from the screenings of their composting
operations.  That would result in an overall waste diversion rate of
88-90%, which is far better than any prior Olympics.

Did the Olympics do everything that GRRN asked them to?  No.  Did
everything go as planned? No.  Were there problems?  Yes.  As anyone who
works on solid waste and recycling can attest, the devil is in the details,
and many improvements could be made for future Olympics and other major
special events.  One of the lessons learned was that more source separation
IS important and clear signage and monitoring of the bins could have
improved the recycling rate, and recovered more materials for their highest
and best uses.

GRRN plans to suggest improvements it would like to see to the
International Olympics Committee for future Olympics, once the final data
is out.

My understanding of the Wasatch Energy Systems (WES)/Green Valley Recycle &
Compost (GVRC) issue is that the financial responsibility for screening the
waste and disposing of the rejects has been shifted from GVRC to WES.  GVRC
has NOT abandoned the project, as reported in Resource Recycling.

John Madole of GVRC is still involved and will be periodically in Salt Lake
City related to the compost operation (e.g., during screening
operations).  Since the Salt Lake Olympics Organizing Committee (SLOC) is
in the process of closing shop and will not have personnel on staff at the
time of the screening and since John Madole does not live in Salt Lake
City, SLOC wanted a local organization to have responsibility for this.  It
also made sense, because WES now has money from SLOC to correctly complete
the project and all the insurance/bonding obligations between all three
parties can be completed now.  The compost site is actually in the buffer
land of the WES landfill.

BTW, a detailed series of articles are being published in BioCycle, written
by the facility operator (John Madole, GVRC) and Carolyn LaFleur, a project
engineer with HDR Engineering (see March 2002 edition, p.46).

At 05:17 PM 04/10/02 -0400, Jay Donnaway wrote:
FYI

> Welcome to Resource Recycling's electronic newsletter.  This edition
> includes two stories.
> __________________________________________________
>
> IS THE OLYMPIC RECYCLING EFFORT AWARD-WINNING?
>
> PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP MOVES FORWARD IN EUROPE
> __________________________________________________
>
> Is the Olympic recycling effort award-winning?
>
> Although environmental groups and others have applauded efforts by the
> 2002 Salt Lake City Organizing Committee to attain a "zero-waste" goal
> as part of the operations of the February Winter Olympic Games, the
> evidence
> to date suggests the acclaim may be premature.
>
> Groups such as the GrassRoots Recycling Network (Athens, Georgia) say the
> recycling and composting system attained a 96 percent waste reduction
> level.
>  However, disturbing local reports in Utah suggest this announcement may
> require revision.
>
> Wasatch Energy Systems, the quasi-governmental agency that operates the
> Davis County, Utah waste incinerator, has stepped in to manage some 2,600
> tons of material generated at Olympic sites.  The material, which is
> stored
> on WES property about a mile from the incinerator in Layton, will be used
> to make compost or will be landfilled.  WES took over management after
> Green Valley Recycle & Compost (Minneapolis), the contracted recycling
> service provider, abandoned the composting project, with the concurrence
> of SLOC.
>
> According to published reports, WES is charging SLOC $38 per ton to handle
>
> the material.  The agency expects to complete the composting activities
> by September 2003.  Until then, SLOC will not know if it has attained its
> 85 percent recycling and composting goal.
>
> SLOC refuses to say how much it paid Green Valley.
> ____________________________________________________
>
> Product stewardship moves forward in Europe
>
> The European Parliament today approved a law requiring industry to finance
>
> a massive takeback system for obsolete electronic and electrical goods.
>
> The measure, which now goes to European Union member states, requires that
>
> manufacturers establish recovery programs for products such as computers,
> televisions, cellphones, radios and household appliances.  According to
> industry estimates, this will cost as much as $13.2 billion annually ($US)
>
> and will affect some 10,000 equipment producers.
>
> The European Union will leave it to individual governments to figure out
> the best way to establish recovery programs.  The member nations already
> have agreed in principle to the takeback system.
> _________________________________________________
>
> This e-mail newsletter is a new benefit of your subscription to Resource
> Recycling magazine.  If you do not wish to receive future editions, simply
>
> let us know.  Write to: info@resource-recycling.com.
> _________________________________________________
>
> Resource Recycling Magazine
> P.O. Box 42270
> Portland, OR 97242-0270
> (503) 233-1305; 233-1356 (fax)
> info@resource-recycling.com
> www.resource-recycling.com
>
>
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