January 2005

Save the dates - NERC Conference Dates Set! The following are the dates for NERC's Bi-annual Conferences and Board Meetings for the next three years. All of these events will be held at the Hotel Northampton, Hotel Northampton. Please mark these dates on your personal calendars, calendar of events, and let your colleagues know. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

2005

Spring Conference - March 22-23, Board Meeting - March 24 Fall Conference - October 25-26, Board Meeting - October 27

2006

Spring Conference - March 21 - 22, Board Meeting - March 23 Fall Conference - October 24-25, Board Meeting - October 26

2007

Spring Conference - March 20-21, Board Meeting - March 22 Fall Conference - October 16-17, Board Meeting - October 18

Don't Flush Those Drugs! First Collection Program Held in Massachusetts
Did you know that flushing unwanted medications is a BAD IDEA? Many recent studies and articles have demonstrated that drinking water is being contaminated with common medications and resulting in abnormalities in fish and frogs. So, what should you do?

Prescription for Safe Storage & Disposal of Unused Medication

Expired and unused prescription/nonprescription drugs include:
Expired medication	Drugs that didn't work for you
Drugs that are no longer used	Unknown tablets and capsules
Prescription medicine from deceased family members

Flushing or tossing unused drugs is dangerous!
If flushed down the toilet or drain, unwanted or leftover medications can contaminate drinking water and harm wildlife. Unwanted medicine disposed in the trash can be stolen and used, potentially resulting in death or illness. Drugs tossed in the trash and taken to a landfill can also leach into groundwater supplies. Having unwanted medications around the home presents a danger to children, guests and pets that could accidentally ingest the drugs.

Safely store all medicine!

Keep an up-to-date inventory of all medicines in your home. Check expiration dates and look for medicine that is discolored, dried out, crumbling or show other signs of being degraded. Look for leftover medicines that you no longer need. After identifying the medicines you want to keep, store them in a convenient, but cool and dry location. Always keep medicines in areas where children cannot reach. If possible, especially if children are around, keep medicines in a locked cabinet. Always keep medicine in the bottle it came in. For more information about safe storage, contact the National Council on Patient Information at (301) 656-8565 or visit their website at http://www.talkaboutrx.org.

Put unwanted medicines in a safe place where you won't confuse them with currently used medication and where others can't get to them

Proper disposal of outdated, unwanted medications is the right thing to do!

Help protect your health, your family, your community and the environment by disposing of unwanted drugs safely.

Thanks to a USDA Rural Utility Service Solid Waste Management Grant, NERC worked with the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District to plan and hold the first drug collection program in the region, at the Turners Falls Senior Center in Montague, Massachusetts.
Although there was a relatively small turnout - six people - the amount of medication collected was remarkable. Thanks to the services of the pharmacist from Franklin Medical Center we were able to segregate the controlled substances and to accurately inventory all of the drugs that were collected.

Medication Received:

• One 5-gallon bucket of non-controlled substances
• Approximately a quart of controlled substances
• We received approximately 140 medications (25 controlled (18%), 115 non-controlled).
• The estimated retail value of the medications received was $3,753.68

It was interesting that all but one of the participants were bringing in medications from family members that had died.

The controlled substances were taken into the custody of the Montague Police Department. The non-controlled substances were sent to the Clean Harbors and ultimately its hazardous waste incinerator in Deer Park, TX.

We were also interested in the types of containers that the medication came in.

Medication Containers: 190 containers were catalogued

Overview of Containers Amt. Percent Glass 20 11% Metal 1 1% Plastic 169 89% Total 190 100%

Plastic Containers Type Amt. Percent # 2 30 18% # 3 1 1% # 5 19 11% #7 7 4% Unknown 60 36% Soft 52 31% Total 169 100%

A full report on the collection is now posted.

CVS Pharmacy Plans Drug Collection for S. Portland, Maine
NERC is fortunate to also have an EPA grant to work on the complex issues associated with unwanted medications. Through this effort, NERC has partnered with CVS to plan a pilot unwanted medication collection at the CVS Pharmacy in S. Portland, ME. It is scheduled for Saturday, February 5^th. Planning for the collection has been coordinated with the Maine DEP, Maine DEA, South Portland Police Department, Clean Harbors, and - of course - CVS. It should be a very interesting day. Anyone will be able to bring in any medication (prescription or not) and it will be safely disposed of. It is scheduled to run 9 - 5 and CVS is dedicating a pharmacist to the event. CVS has also agreed to pay for the disposal costs. For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein.

Free Hazardous Waste Guide for VT Businesses Still Available
The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC), a regional non-profit member organization serving ten Northeast states, published Hazardous Waste Disposal Options for Vermont Businesses: For Use by Conditionally Exempt Generators earlier this year. This guide is intended to provide businesses with the information they need to make an informed decision about their hazardous waste disposal options. According to Mary Ann Remolador, Assistant Director of NERC, "Vermont businesses need affordable options for properly disposing of their hazardous waste. Businesses that generate small amounts of hazardous waste are usually eligible to use existing municipal hazardous waste collection programs, which can save them money."

The guide is set up in a quick-reference format and includes a brief summary of hazardous waste regulations; a list of municipal hazardous waste collections accepting business waste; a directory of private hazardous waste vendors servicing Vermont; and a list of available hazardous waste resources for additional information.

NERC works with state and local agencies to minimize the amount of material requiring disposal by promoting the environmental and economic benefits of recycling and source reduction in the Northeast. NERC members include the six New England states, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Advisory members represent various business sectors throughout the United States. Free hard copies of the guide are available by sending a request to info@nerc.org. This Guide may also be downloaded from our website. For more information about NERC and its programs, go to http://www.nerc.org or call 802.254.3636.

Compliance Assessment Launched
The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse has launched its first compliance assessment efforts and an expanded program is planned, pending receipt of grant funding. To date, there has been very limited testing of packaging by states to determine whether companies are in compliance with the toxic in packaging laws, in part due to the cost of laboratory testing. Hopefully, this is about to change! TPCH member states and staff are now checking store shelves for imported steel cans with lead solder seams, following a tip from Chip Foley of the Steel Recycling Institute. While the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits the use of lead solder in food and beverage cans sold in the US, lead solder is still used in some parts of the world such as Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia and can make there way onto retail store shelves in the US, particularly in small ethnic markets, according to recent reports.

TPCH would like to expand its testing beyond steel cans. In December, TPCH applied for a grant from the USEPA Source Reduction Assistance Program. The proposed project would test a broad array of packaging on the retail market, and alleged cases of non-compliance, for the total concentration of the restricted heavy metals using a NITON Portable X-Ray Florescence (XRF) Analyzer. Based on the test results, the TPCH will launch an educational campaign targeting non-compliant companies and industry sectors. The legal requirements will be the "stick" to get the companies to reduce or eliminate the toxic heavy metals from their packaging and remove any non-compliant packaging from retail shelves, or face state enforcement.

Semi-Annual Membership Meeting Scheduled - March 21^st
A full-day meeting of the TPCH membership has been scheduled for Monday, March 21^st, in Northampton, Massachusetts. For more information about the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse and the advantages of membership, visit the TPCH website.

Revised & Updated Environmental Benefits Calculator Now Available - Free to one and all!
We have completed the long awaited updated Environmental Benefits Calculator (EBC).

New and improved features include:

1. Revised Fact Sheet (including the format)
2. Improved directions for using the Fact Sheet
3. Added Source Reduction and Reuse features to the EBC. We added new tables specific to source reduction and reuse and we incorporated source reduction and reuse to other tables
4. Revised data from U.S. EPA's WARM tool
5. Updated State's non-material statistics
    

What Does the Calculator Do?
NERC's Environmental Benefits Calculator (in Microsoft Excel) generates estimates of the environmental benefits of a study area, based on the tonnages of materials that are source reduced, reused, recycled, landfilled, or incinerated (includes waste-to-energy). The Calculator is based on per ton figures of the estimated energy use and emissions from several lifecycle analysis studies. The estimates are average figures based on "typical" facilities and operating characteristics existing in the United States. The Calculator tailors the results to the amount of materials source reduced, reused, and recycled and the current mix of landfilling, incineration/waste-to-energy in the study area. Factors that are not included in this Calculator are landfill gas recovery and generation of electricity by waste-to-energy.

The Output Tables provided by the Calculator and the accompanying Fact Sheet are intended to be used as references by waste prevention officials and advocates in preparing outreach materials such as press releases, presentation slides, educational curricula, and articles. By documenting some of the more important benefits of source reduction, reuse and recycling, the Calculator can be used to educate the public, legislators and others about the benefits of source reduction, reuse and recycling, assist state and municipal employees to better understand the impacts of source reduction, reuse and recycling programs, support market development efforts, and to increase the public's understanding of source reduction, reuse and recycling as a sustainable environmental strategy.

Who Can Use the Calculator?
The Calculator is primarily intended for state and local governments within the United States. It is limited to use in the U.S. because many of the data inputs for greenhouse gas inventory, carbon dioxide emissions, acid rain emissions, and energy statistics are based on U.S.-specific data. Local governments will need to keep in mind that the generated figures will be compared to statewide emissions, consumption, etc.

U.S.-based businesses are also encouraged to use the calculator to determine the environmental benefits of recycling their office wastes and by-products. However, since recycling is only a portion of a business' activity, there is another model that is being developed to assist in calculating the benefits of manufacturing and purchasing recycled content materials. This model is called the Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool and is available through the U.S.EPA Climate and Waste Program website.

What Information Does the Calculator Produce?
The Calculator yields the following detailed tables with accompanying descriptive charts:

1. Materials Management Overview;
2. Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions as a Result of Source Reduction and Reuse;
3. Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions as a Result of Recycling;
4. Greenhouse Gas Savings Comparisons;
5. Energy Savings as a Result of Source Reduction and Reuse;
6. Energy Savings as a Result of Recycling;
7. Energy Savings Comparisons;
8. Life-Cycle Stage Comparisons;
9. Air Emission and Waterborne Waste as a Result of Recycling;
10. Emissions Savings Comparisons;
11. Energy Savings from Computer Reuse;
12. Energy Savings from Computer Recycling; and
13. Selected Natural Resource Savings as a Result of Recycling.

The Calculator and a blank Fact Sheet can be downloaded for your use from the NERC website. 

EPP Procurement Listserv Digest: July 1 through December 20, 2004
The latest quarterly Digest of EPPNet postings are now available. The topics of discussion are:

• Any Above 30% PCW Standard?
• Cleaning Products
• Cleaning Products Article
• Compost
• Custodial Paper Products
• Deodorizers
• Duplexing
• Environmentally Friendly Tradeshow Displays
• EPP Experience with Drainage & Diapers
• Epson Offering Program to Recycle Ink Cartridges
• Floor-Care Products Report Posted
• General Publications
• Glass
• Glass
• Green Building Policy Profiles
• Hospitals
• Institutional Dishwashing Detergents
• Maintenance Products
• New EPP Tool - An Environmental Scorecard
• Offset Printing
• Office Equipment Automatic Copier
• Oil
• Other Commodities
• Paint Stripper
• Paper
• Purchasing Decision Re: Oil
• Recycled Content Copy Paper Shortage?
• Recycled Lamp Glass
• Reducing Pollution Related to Shipping of Goods
• Re-refined Oil
• Re-refined Oil Suppliers
• Restaurants/Food Service
• Styrofoam Food Service Products Alternatives
• Toner Cartridges
• Unbleached Paper Towels an Urban Myth?
• Vegetable Ink & Recycling
• Vintner Waste
• Water Free Urinals as Standard Practice?

For more information about EPPNet or the Digest, contact Mary Ann Remolador.

STATE UPDATES

CONNECTICUT

Massachusetts Woman New Commissioner of DEP
Governor M. Jodi Rell has appointed a new commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) - a Massachusetts woman who has dedicated her career to environmental affairs and has held top posts in state government there over the past decade.

Governor Rell's choice to head the DEP is Gina McCarthy of Canton, Mass. McCarthy has served as Deputy Secretary for Operations at the Massachusetts Governor's Office for Commonwealth Development (OCD) since May 2003. In that position she directed policy and program coordination for the key state agencies responsible for the environment, transportation, housing and energy. Prior to that, she was Undersecretary of Policy at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA), the umbrella agency that includes the Departments of Environmental Protection, Agricultural Resources, Conservation and Recreation, and Fish and Game.

"I have said all along that Connecticut's next DEP Commissioner must be a person of unquestioned vision, leadership, and commitment to the environment," the Governor said. "Gina McCarthy has consistently displayed those qualities in her exemplary work in Massachusetts.

"Gina has an outstanding record of accomplishment on key environmental issues," Governor Rell said. "In addition, she has proven herself to be a strong manager, and someone with the ability to strike the proper balance between the need to protect our environment with the need for continued economic growth.

McCarthy's appointment began on December 10. She succeeds former Commissioner Arthur Rocque Jr., who retired October 1.

MAINE

Winter 2004 Newsletter Now available
The latest edition of the newsletter from the Waste Management and Recycling Program, featuring articles on Maine Recycles Week, the impending disposal ban on mercury-added products and promotion of a building materials reuse center, is now available on-line.

Maine Recycles Week 2004 Comes To A Successful End
The annual Maine Recycles Week (MRW) calendar has gone to the printers and will be ready in time for the start of the New Year.

Schools from Kittery to Presque Isle and Stonington to Bridgton took part in the calendar competition this year. With so many schools rising to the challenge to support recycling in their schools and communities, making a choice was both difficult and rewarding. The three top schools, each receiving awards of $500 to be used for science or environmental classes or their recycling program, were: Bowdoinham Community School, Bowdoinham; Lincoln Academy, Damariscotta; and Sea Road School, Kennebunk. Additional awards were made to: Zippel Elementary School, Presque Isle; St. George Elementary School, St. George; Sea Road School, Kennebunk; and the Standish Elementary Schools, Standish.

The MRW 2004 Steering Committee had the formidable task of selecting 13 posters from almost 1,000 that had been submitted in this year's competition. This year the Steering Committee had determined that the three best elementary school students' posters would be recognized with each class receiving a presentation from the Chewonki Foundation. The 4^th grade class at Hampden's George B. Weatherbee School will receive a visit thanks to Chelsea and Casey's work. The 6^th Grade class at the Friendship Village School will receive a visit thanks to Laura and April. Mrs. Dack's 5^th grade class of the Readfield Elementary School will receive the third presentation thanks to Rebecca. All of the pictures selected to adorn next year's calendar were considered excellent and made it an extremely hard choice for the committee. 

The Children's Museum of Maine Gets a Recycling Exhibit
In mid-April the State Planning Office (SPO) staff met with staff of the Children's Museum of Maine to discuss plans for a new recycling exhibit or experience at the Portland facility. Following through, with the interest generated by the recycling education kits that are circulated to teachers in Southern Maine from the museum, a space was reserved for a display on recycling. The SPO has received word that the recycling display is now open and being enjoyed by its visitors. This marks the first permanent display on Recycling in the State. 

Now available on-line!!
Two documents have been completed and will be accessible in early January:

• 2003 Waste Generation & Disposal Capacity Report - a report on how during 2003, Maine communities and businesses managed the solid waste they generated
• The Waste Management Services Directory, an interactive web-based database for information on products and services within the waste management field, has been updated

MASSACHUSETTS

DEP Announces Technical Assistance & School Chemical Management Grants
The MA DEP has announced the first two rounds of Municipal Recycling Grants for Fiscal Year 2005. The first round of grants announced in October, were for 20 technical assistance projects for a total of 1,085 hours of hands-on assistance from DEP staff and municipal assistance coordinators.

For the third year, the DEP has provided these "in-kind" grants in lieu of direct funding to fulfill municipal request for help implementing a variety of waste reduction initiatives. Projects fall in the following categories: 7 PAYT assistance, 4 school related projects, 2 outreach projects, and 7 miscellaneous recycling program evaluation/enhancements.

Just in time for America Recycles Day, DEP announced its second round of Municipal Recycling Grants. The second round consisted of 7 technical assistance projects totalling $85,031 in funding and 6 school chemical management grants which combined total up to $20,000 in chemical clean-out costs.

Municipalities receiving the school chemical management grants must meet several programatic benchmarks which include attending a DEP sponsored training, establishing an environmental health and safety team, and creating a chemical management inventory/plan in order to be eligible for clean-out costs.

DEP anticipates announcing the equipment and education portion of the Municipal Recycling Grants shortly. For more information, contact Peggy Harlow .

Home Composting Hits the Big Time
Ask This Old House, the PBS do-it-yourself television program, recently taped a program on home composting featuring DEP's Ann McGovern as a guest expert. The program is due to air on February 10, 2005. Watch your local PBS listings for show times in your area.

Recycling on the Silver Screen
For America Recycles Day, DEP and the City of Lawrence held a premiere screening of Massachusetts' new solid waste and recycling educational video, "Recycle. A little Effort...a Big Difference - Recycling in Massachusetts" at the Showcase Cinema in Lawrence. It was a fabulous event, attended by Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan, DEP Commissioner Bob Golledge, legislators, municipal recycling coordinators, nonprofit organizations, recycling businesses and 75 Lawrence students and their teachers - the 198-seat theatre was filled to capacity. We were thrilled to watch recycling and other environmentally sound solid waste management strategies up on the big screen!

This 12-minute program, in English and Spanish, provides viewers with a straightforward look at the problems posed by trash and shows what to do (and what NOT to do) with the various types of trash and hazardous waste we all generate. We see why it is important to follow the recycling, composting and hazardous waste rules in our communities, and learn about the economic, environmental and public health benefits of recycling in Massachusetts.

While Lawrence is featured in the video, the program is generic enough to be very useful for educating Massachusetts residents from any municipality. If you would like to borrow or obtain a copy, please contact Ann McGovern, and specify what format you need (VHS or DVD).

Calling all Trash Terminators!
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and Department of Environmental Protection invite teachers to join the Green Team, an environmental club for Massachusetts schools intended to empower students and their teachers help the environment through waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and other environmental initiatives.

Green Team participants receive educational tools, including classroom posters, lesson plans, recycling tips and suggested activities. As they complete activities, classes advance through three levels of participation: Trash Terminators, Conservation Coyotes and Environmental Eagles. Participants are also eligible to request recycling equipment to help them implement or improve recycling at their schools.

Each class that takes the Green Team Pledge receives a Certificate of Recognition and is eligible to win great prizes, including recycled products, school tree plantings, magic shows, ice cream parties and more. The more a class puts into the effort, the better the prizes it will qualify to win.

Teachers and school recycling coordinators may sign their classes up for the Green Team by registering at http://www.TheGreenTeam.org, a website that provides additional program information and resources. Past participants who wish to participate again must register each year. For more information, contact DEP's Green Team program coordinator Ann McGovern.

Thanks to America Recycles Day Event Organizers!
Over fifteen events to celebrate America Recycles Day were held by Massachusetts communities, businesses and schools. Events took place in Abington, Andover, Arlington, Avon, Bellingham, Boston, Bourne, Brockton, Brighton, Framingham, Lawrence, Seekonk, Sherborn and Worcester. These events help increase public awareness of the importance of recycling. Over 700 pledges to recycle and buy recycled products were received from Massachusetts residents. The drawing for prizes, including a Ford Escape Hybrid SUV and Trek bicycles, will be held on December 15, 2004.

Highlights of local events include:

• America Recycles Day Open House hosted byConigliaro Industries in Framingham. Over a hundred people attended tours and demonstrations of how recycling works, from processing old products into new.
• Cell Phone Recycling and InkJet Cartridge Recycling - Whole Foods Markets in Bellingham, Brighton and Boston kicked off a year-long collection program for cell phones and inkjet cartridges. For each item recycled, a donation is made to a local nonprofit organization such as the Jackson Mann Community Center in Brighton, the Charles River Clean Up Boat, and Share Our Strength.
• Reuse-A-Shoe - The Towns of Arlington and Andover held a week-long collection of used athletic shoes that will be recycled into new sports surfaces, weight room flooring, basketball courts and playgrounds.

Let's start planning now to make next year's America Recycles Day bigger and more newsworthy than ever! If you have ideas or would like more information, contact Massachusetts' state ARD coordinator Ann McGovern.

NEW JERSEY

New Jersey Recycled Products Directory Available on CD-ROM
The "New Jersey Recycled Products Directory" CD-ROM is now available. The CD-ROM contains a searchable recycled products directory as well as a FAQ document on recycled products in general. The disk will primarily be distributed to New Jersey businesses and through the New Jersey WasteWise Business Network. For more information, contact Steve Rinaldi.

DEP Highlights Cumberland Farms Recycling Efforts
Standing outside a Cumberland Farms store with newly installed recycling containers, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell joined with state and county recycling representatives to recognize the company's efforts to increase bottle and can collection at its stores across New Jersey.

"Cumberland Farms is setting an example by making it convenient to recycle at its stores," said Commissioner Campbell. "As people consume more beverages outside the home, we need to provide an opportunity to recycle at these locations."

Cumberland Farms responded in July to a DEP request asking that convenience stores evaluate their compliance with the state's Recycling Act. The company in turn ordered collection containers for its stores and contracted for the collection of recyclables. The company also is looking to begin similar programs in other states.

DEP's effort to prompt convenience stores to addresses collection of single-serve beverage containers focuses on recycling more glass, plastic and aluminum from patrons. Collection bins placed near existing garbage cans will increase the opportunity for residents to recycle at these retail stores.

"Cumberland Farms is honored to be recognized for our recycling efforts in New Jersey," said John Babbitts, regional general manager for the company. "The new bins are an added convenience and service to our customers already inclined to recycle. But beyond that, those who'd never considered the consequences of tossing a soda bottle into the trash now think twice, and make the smart choice to recycle."

Cumberland Farms operates 45 outlets in New Jersey that include retail stores and gas stations with ice cream and grocery distribution operations.

The Atlantic County Utilities Authority recently implemented an "All Plastic Bottles" campaign to achieve a higher recycling rate for plastics. DEP presented the authority its annual county recycling program award in October. This year, residential recycling is up 1.2 percent and commercial recycling is up 9.8 percent in Atlantic County.

In each of the past two years, DEP provided more than $3 million in grants to help municipal and county recycling programs recover more materials for reuse. The new funding is one step in New Jersey's efforts to increase recycling rates.

DEP also revived the Clean Communities anti-litter program that provided $9.8 million in grants to towns and counties this year. Clean communities funds can be used to purchase or rent equipment and receptacles, as well as to provide trash bags, gloves and other protective clothing to encourage towns and volunteers to clean up and recycle solid waste in their localities.

In 2002, New Jersey generated 19.3 million tons of solid waste and recycled 10.3 million tons, or 53 percent of the total amount. This amount includes not only glass, cans, plastic and newspapers from municipal waste, but also scrap iron, concrete, wood and other items from commercial waste.

The remaining 9 million tons of solid waste generated but not recycled in 2002 was disposed of in the following manner: 1.5 million tons, or 8 percent, incinerated in state; 3.8 million, or 20 percent, landfilled in New Jersey; and, 3.7 million, or 19 percent, landfilled out of state.

New Jersey's recycling industry employs more than 27,000 people in New Jersey with total receipts valued at $5.9 billion annually. For more information, contact Sondra Flite.

PENNSYLVANIA

Application Announcement for the Recycling Markets Infrastructure Development Grant
Applications for the 2005 Recycling Markets Infrastructure Development Grant (Grant) are now available from the Department of Environmental Protection (Department). Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to qualified existing for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations that seek to purchase machinery or equipment that will result in increased consumption of recyclable materials recovered in Commonwealth. The Department will accept Grant applications until 4:00 p.m. on March 4, 2005.

The success of recycling programs is directly related to demand for recyclable goods. Strong, profitable recycling based businesses are good for the environment and the economy in this Commonwealth. The grant aims to build strong markets for recycled materials in Pennsylvania by assisting existing businesses or non-profit organizations with increasing their use of recyclable materials in the production of finished products.

Applications for the 2005 grant program may be obtained by contacting Jeff Bednar, Bureau of Waste Management, or by visiting the Department's website (DEP Keyword: Market Development).

Application Announcement for the Compost Infrastructure Development Grant Program
Applications for the 2005 Compost Infrastructure Development Grant Program (Program) are now available from the Department of Environmental Protection (Department). Under the program, qualified existing and operating for-profit business entities and non-profit organizations in the Commonwealth will be awarded grants to increase the quantity of yard waste and/or food wastes collected in this Commonwealth. The goal of this program is to increase the quantity of organic materials collected and composted to further increase this Commonwealth's recycling rate. Applications for the grant program will be accepted by the Department until 4:00 p.m. on March 4, 2005.

The municipal waste stream consists of over 30% organic materials that could be recycled and diverted from the waste stream and managed by composting. These organic waste streams such as yard and food wastes can become a resource to compost facilities that use these materials as feedstocks. Composting of organic wastes helps to lessen the burden on landfill capacity and creates a beneficial soil conditioner that can be marketed.

RHODE ISLAND

Grants Provided to Non-Profits for Recycling & Composting
The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation recently bestowed grants to two non-profit organizations trying to launch new programs to increase recycling and composting participation.

The University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Center for Continuing Education received a grant to develop a Master Composter/Recycling training program. URI CEEC hopes to reduce the amount of compostable materials in the waste stream. This goal will be achieved by training volunteers to be advocates for organics recycling - both in their own home/garden management activities and in their communities. Examples of community-based composting will be researched and disseminated through the training program.

The grant will fund the first two phases of a three-part program. Phase One will include composting and recycling messages in URI's existing training venues, including the URI Master Gardener Training, the URI GreenShare Program, the URI Learning Landscape Children's Environmental Education Program and the URI Healthy Landscapes Program.

Phase Two will be the development of training and collateral for a Master Composter/Recycler Program. (Phase 3 will be the launch of the RI Master Composter/ Recycler Program, slated for Fall of 2005)

Also, the Arthritis Foundation, Southern New England Chapter received funding for its new "Spin the Bin" program. The chapter will install wheels on existing recycling bins and distribute them to members with arthritis. They will also develop an educational and communications campaign for their membership.