Do you really need to use a drinking straw? With most beverages, probably not! Make this one change and help America reduce the amount of plastic going into our landfills.
Click to learn more about Sustainable Materials Management.
SCS Engineers announces today that they are a founding sponsor of WISR – Women in Solid Waste & Recycling. WISR is the first of its kind nonprofit organization created in 2017, dedicated to preparing women for leadership positions in the industry by organizing chapters in key industry centers and providing opportunities for networking, leadership development, career mapping and mentoring. SCS Engineers’ support will help establish education programs in leadership as well as contribute to the creation of new chapters in at least six cities by the end of 2019. WISR is in the process of forming chapters in key industry centers — including Los Angeles, New York City, and Atlanta — that will offer quarterly programs including professional development with skills training, site tours, networking and leadership training.
“We look forward to meeting with colleagues in the solid waste, recycling, and environmental services fields to share our scientific, financial, and technical knowledge to move sustainable waste management forward in the U.S.,” stated Michelle Leonard, a vice president of SCS Engineers. “WISR will help us make a difference; for women and for the industry.”
Meet SCS Engineers professionals at the 2018 Iowa Recycling and Solid Waste Management Conference and Trade Show, October 8-10 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Registration for this event is open. We hope to visit with you at SCS’s booth 104. Earn CEUs at these conference sessions.
The CCAC Waste Initiative is hosting a webinar on Best Practices for Waste Characterization Studies on March 28, 2018 from 8:00 – 9:00 am ET. The webinar will be led by Brent Dieleman of SCS Engineers, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Webinar Description
A waste characterization study is an important tool for helping local governments and private companies make decisions on the best solid waste management programs, policies, and technologies to reduce short-lived climate pollutants. Knowing what materials comprise your waste stream will help you establish the right mix of waste diversion and energy programs to make your community more sustainable.
This webinar provides information on how to conduct a waste characterization study, what data you can expect to obtain from a study, and how it can be used to make solid waste program and policy decisions. Topics of discussion during the webinar include:
Webinar access:
Join WebEx meeting
Meeting number (access code): 648 518 922
Join by phone
+1-415-655-0002 US Toll
Global call-in numbers
Thank you to the United Nations Environment, Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) for sponsoring this valuable event.
Marc Rogoff sees unprecedented factors in play as “The Perfect Storm”—the banning of solid waste materials and imposing an almost unreachable contamination standard on bales entering China.
Read his recent article to get started on a solution relevant in your region and return again to follow our series of articles on what you can do to continue supporting or changing your program.
The article covers association actions, regional impacts, funding, and more.
Many state and provincial governments have begun promulgating policies and regulations that target the recycling of organics prompting local solid waste agencies to develop advanced municipal curbside collection programs.
A key question for local solid waste agencies to answer is, what types of organic wastes will be targeted for collection and processing? SCS Engineers covers this and other facets to consider as part of your plan, such as:
Read the full article by clicking here.
On December 15, 2017, David Biderman, Executive Director and CEO of The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) released comments in response to the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) of the People’s Republic of China’s November 15, 2017, Notifications to the World Trade Organization (WTO) concerning restrictions on the import of solid waste.
We thank SWANA and Mr. Biderman for authorizing SCS Engineers to publish the comments for the benefit of all industry stakeholders and encourage you to share the letter.
Share this post using the icons at left, or download the SWANA letter using the button just under the letter window. SCS Engineers does not collect or share your contact information.
SWANA_Environmental_-Protection_Control_Standard_for_Imported_Solid_Wastes_as_Raw_Materials
SCS Engineers will continue to publish articles, white papers, and blogs pertaining to this and other relevant issues on our website. You are welcome to contact us if you are looking for specific information on technical and business issues that concern you.
National Waste and Recycling Association is sponsoring a FREE 90-minute webinar on December 6 at 3:00 pm ET. The webinar is highlighting the programs, strategies, and best practices of their six 2017 Recycling Award Winners.
The recipients will describe their unique blend of technologies, outreach, and program management that made a difference in their communities. The audience will have a chance to ask questions and find out how to implement these innovative ideas into their own operations and businesses.
Agenda:
More Solid Waste Management resources and success stories here.
Potential changes to the market initiated by the Chinese is cause for concern and for assessing contingencies. While the actual effect on the U.S. recycling market is not clear yet, it is recommended that public works officials keep a close eye on these developments in the near future. This may include asking your project managers to update their pro forma models for a recycling program to evaluate the partial or total temporary loss of these revenue streams.
This article points out some of the key market variables of which a public works director should be aware and of how many states have recently attempted to strengthen existing markets and develop new markets through a variety of institutional tools.
Read and share the article here.
In February Dane County opened their expanded C&D Recycling Facility with its adjacent 4,800 sq. ft. Clean Sweep building. The facility accepts materials in segregated or mixed loads from home demolition projects, new residential and commercial construction, and large quantities of shipping materials such as pallets and cardboard. See coverage of the opening on the local news station.
According to an article in WMW County Executive, Joe Parisi is quoted as saying:
This new facility will extend the life of our landfill, recycle more materials, save millions for taxpayers and create jobs. This facility will be run on waste heat from our landfill and continues our efforts to increase our renewable energy for all of our county facilities.
This is a win for taxpayers and a win for our environment. Dane County will continue to be a leader in our efforts to protect our environment.
In addition to the environmental benefits of landfill diversion, the County is proud of the many new jobs created and the $600,000 taxpayer dollars saved. Months later, are the results still as good as projected? As a matter of fact, they are.
Congratulations to Dane County and the Department of Public Works.
Read about this award-winning project and the County’s waste screening process by clicking here.
