TERRACYCLE NEWS
ELIMINATING THE IDEA OF WASTE®
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TerraCycle reports on earnings tied to e-scrap
Terracycle Leads the Way in Fluorescent Bulb Recycling
Recycling goes well beyond aluminum cans, plastic bottles and cardboard. Today’s businesses are becoming more environmentally aware of warehouse and manufacturing materials that are typically just thrown away.
The costs of recycling, however, can be a burden to a company’s bottom line. The amount of extra labor involved in proper recycling can be significant. Businesses are always looking for ways to reduce operating costs as well as producing a more eco-friendly company.
While there is no easy solution, every effort counts. One recycling company in Lisle, IL has decided to focus on an everyday item that many people don’t ever give a second thought. Fluorescent light bulbs.
Fluorescent Bulb Disposal
Terrracycle Regulated Waste saw an opportunity to offer companies a safe and easy way to dispose of spent fluorescent bulbs while adhering to strict recycling regulations. Originally named Air Cycle, the well established recycling company was acquired by Terracycle in 2018.
I spoke with Joe Day, Manager of Strategic Partnerships of about their relationship with Terracycle, recycling programs and the innovative lamp crushing machine, the Bulb Eater®.
Day has been with the company for 18 years was fortunate enough to witness the evolution of the Bulb Eater. Developed in the early 90s, the Bulb Eater inhales a 4 foot fluorescent lamp and crushes the material, then holds the elements in a sealed container. Its filter system collects the mercury and phosphorous powder safely, separating these dangerous elements from the glass and aluminum.
"The first version was basically a 5 gallon poly pail. The inside components were more like a weed whacker,” said Day. "It catered to smaller companies looking to properly dispose of 4 foot bulbs.”
As the Bulb Eater gained popularity, the EPA and OSHA began to take notice.
"Each organization urged us to develop a more robust filtration system and improved recycling services,” said Day.
In the late 90s, the Bulb Eater evolved into its modern day version. Today’s machine utilizes a vacuum and 5 stage filtration system. The weed whacker has been replaced with a thick chain. It crushes spent lamps of any length, u-tubes, and compact fluorescent lights (CFL) into 100% recyclable material while capturing over 99.99% of the vapors released. The system, which is mounted onto a 55-gallon container, can hold up to 1350 4-foot fluorescent lamps.
The Bulb Eater’s popularity really took an upswing while displayed at the NECA Showstopper exhibition in Chicago.
"It made a huge splash and gave us some positive exposure. Sales went up from there,” said Day.
Today, there are over 8000 Bulb Eaters in use around the world. Large companies such as Caterpillar, the US Army, Amtrack and Coca Cola have jumped on board to utilize this recycling power tool.
So where does the recycled material end up?
"Each element within a bulb can be recycled properly. Mercury used to be very valuable, but as demand declined, the prices plummeted. Phosphorus powder actually has rare earth elements that can be used in electronic devices. By reusing these materials, we can reduce our reliance on foreign entities such as China,” says Day.
Since many states have banned bulbs that contain mercury from being dumped in landfills, recycling has become mandatory. This has made it tough on how to dispose of fluorescent bulbs.
Once full, the Bulb Eater drum will be picked up by a fully permitted truck. Certificates of Recycling are then provided once the lamps are recycled.
Day adds, "As the business grew, we have aligned ourselves with various recycling companies. These companies will take not only crushed bulbs, but batteries, ballast and electronic waste disposal.”
Nothing ends up in a landfill.
Cost Savings
Typically when recycling fluorescents, companies must pack up individual bulbs into a box and schedule a pick up from recyclers. The time and cost of labor to box up lamps, then pay to be removed can add up quickly. Terracycle claims the Bulb Crusher will reduce labor by up to 20 hours per 1,000 lamps and save up to 50% on recycling costs. It also reduces the amount of valuable square footage needed to store spent bulbs. With the Bulb Eater, the footprint can be reduced by 80%. The Bulb Crusher creates a safer work environment, save on labor costs, and saves money on recycling costs. The EPA estimates that 2-3% of bulbs are accidental broken while boxing lamps prior to pickup. The 0.001% mercury vapor emission from the Bulb Eater® lamp 5 stage filter system keeps workers safe and liability to a minimum.Bulb Eater Features
The name Bulb Eater says it all. Within 1 second, any length fluorescent tube will be pulverized into crumbs. The vacuum system is mounted to a 55 gallon drum and bulbs are slid down a "throat.” A long tube that the operator can safely insert spent bulbs as they are ground. For proper operation, an LED display called Intelli Technology assists with machine diagnostics, potential safety hazards maintenance and filter change-outs. Terracycle also includes an online training program. Each new machine comes with a thumbdrive that holds a training session and a quiz. Once the trainee passes the quiz, the thumbdrive can be downloaded into the Bulb Eater. The machine will not operate unless the training has been completed. A unique safety precaution that ensures proper usage and reduces liability.About Terracycle
Terracycle Regulated Waste and Air Cycle are just a part of a larger, worldwide recycling effort. As the push for more climate change regulation is forcing us to deal with our trash, more recycling innovations are on the horizon. The entire Terracycle corporation promotes the concept of "Eliminating the Idea of Waste®” by recycling the "non-recyclable.” In 2017, Terracycle was looking into additional streams of business. The recycling company discovered Air Cycle and a partnership was born. Acquiring Air Cycle was not only an important step in TerraCycle’s strategy of growth and diversification, but the Bulb Eater also marked a valuable addition to their existing repertoire of turn-key recycling solutions. Since TerraCycle’s voluntary recycling initiatives, like the Sponsored Waste and Zero Waste Box programs, involve on-demand collection solutions that are shipped to TerraCycle for processing, the similar Bulb Eater system melded well with the company’s existing offerings. By introducing the Bulb Eater and EasyPak systems essentially filled a void in TerraCycle’s existing recycling solutions. Since 2001, Air Cycle’s parent company, Terracycle has taken on the challenge of recycling all waste, turning it back into raw material and make new products. It currently operates in over 20 countries and the program is used by over 60 million people. Founder Tom Szaky was only a 20 year old freshman at Princeton when he came up with the idea. It began with producing organic fertilizer by packaging liquid worm poop in used soda bottles. From those simple beginnings, TerraCycle has grown into one of the fastest growing green companies in the world. The philosophy of Szaky and Terracycle is that nearly everything can be recycled. By using only circular methods, such as reuse, upcycling or recycling, the company finds ways to repurpose the waste through their various programs. By volume, over 97% of the waste that is collected is repurposed. No waste is ever thrown into a landfill or incinerated. As for the items that Terracyle will collect, basics like paper, plastic and aluminum are common, but also items you would never imagine could be recycled. Things like sports balls, art supplies, candy wrappers, batteries and plastic action figures. Even cigarettes. Terracycle has developed programs for all these hard to get rid of items. As for the Bulb Eater, it’s doing its part in building a sustainable nation. Don’t discount the little things. Light bulbs do not need to be just thrown away. So, the next time you see those fluorescent bulbs flickering above your head, save the planet and shove it down the throat of a Bulb Eater.New partnership focused on design and recycling programs for batteries
Responsible Battery Coalition and Argonne partner on ReCell Program to identify best practices for designing batteries of the future
The Responsible Battery Coalition (RBC) has entered into a joint research project with Argonne National Laboratory to further advance battery innovation and ensure that the batteries of tomorrow are designed for maximum recyclability.
The RBC-funded partnership is the first industry-sponsored project with the Argonne-led ReCell Center, a lithium-ion battery research and development initiative launched by the U.S. DOE in early 2019, which also includes the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Argonne National Laboratory, operated by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is a world-class multidisciplinary science and engineering research center focused on solving domestic energy and environmental challenges through innovative science and technology solutions. RBC, a leader in innovation and collaboration in responsible battery management, is a coalition of battery manufacturers and recyclers, car and vehicle makers, fleet owners, service providers, and after-market retailers with a common interest in the responsible management of batteries.
"By modeling the full lifecycle of a battery in advance, a manufacturer has the opportunity to compare and contrast different battery chemistries ‘in the lab,' which reduces risks and production costs, and allows for the design of batteries that are environmentally responsible, from initial materials selection through end-of-life," said RBC Executive Director Steve Christensen. "Between the globally renowned scientists and top of the line facilities available at Argonne, we are confident that our investment will lead to tangible, real-world solutions benefiting industry and consumers."
"As batteries play an ever-larger role in meeting society's daily energy needs, in applications ranging from electric vehicles to powering homes to industrial-scale energy storage, evaluating and understanding lifecycle impacts is increasingly important," said Jeff Spangenberger, Director of the ReCell Center, who leads the research team at Argonne.
"Using Argonne's closed-loop recycling model, known as EverBatt, we will be able to generate critical information to help battery manufacturers design batteries with recycling in mind," Spangenberger said. "Understanding the lifecycle of a technology, such as advanced batteries, also supports the development of a circular economy, where all the components of a product are recovered and recycled at end of life."
Developing a circular economy approach is especially important for advanced battery technologies, which currently rely on metals that are in limited supply or produced in unstable regions. Over the next 20 years, the projected global spent battery volume from electric vehicles alone will increase to more than seven million metric tons annually, with more than two million metric tons produced in the United States alone.
Absent a breakthrough design and improved processes for recycling, we will continue to see limited recovery of valuable battery materials through recycling.
"By understanding the full lifecycle, batteries can be designed to help meet our energy needs, while also maximizing recyclability, which helps conserve limited resources and ensures good product stewardship," Spangenberger said.
The RBC-Argonne project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019. RBC will work closely with Argonne to provide real-world manufacturing process input and help fill in any data gaps that may exist. Recycling best practices will be made available to battery manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and recyclers following a real-world manufacturing process analysis.
RBC and its members are committed to the responsible reuse, recycling, and management of energy storage or batteries used in the transportation, industrial or stationary sectors, inspiring the next generation of energy storage technologies.
RBC members include:
- Advance Auto Parts
- AutoZone
- Clarios
- Club Car
- Fed-Ex
- Ford
- Honda
- Lafarge Holcim
- O'Reilly Auto Parts
- Renova Energy
- Terracycle
- Wal-Mart
TERRACYCLE JOINS SUPPLIERS PARTNERSHIP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Collaboration between automakers, suppliers and U.S. EPA. aims to advance sustainability through automotive supply chain.
New Jersey-based TerraCycle is joining the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP), Washington, an association of automakers, their suppliers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that works to implement programs that advance environmental sustainability. TerraCycle, a recycling company that recycles “hard-to-recycle” materials through innovative programs, will be joining SP at the organization’s second quarter meeting April 23-24 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“We’re proud to welcome TerraCycle to the Supplier Partnership,” SP Program Director Kellen Mahoney remarks. “TerraCycle is a business with an earth-friendly mission that dovetails nicely with the Suppliers Partnership’s sustainability initiatives. We look forward to working with TerraCycle to find new innovative ways to further preserve our natural resources.”
SP was established with the purpose of advancing environmental sustainability through the automotive supply chain, according to a press release. SP functions as a global forum to “meet and address focus issues,” which includes sharing leading sustainability practices and developing environmental technologies and programs to reduce environmental impacts and promote sustainability. In addition, identifying ways to reduce waste, promote reuse and maximize recycling.
SP says membership helps companies achieve both economic and environmental goals. Through SP’s collaboration with the EPA, members are “provided with topics for special projects, information, approaches and tools to realize common environmental objectives.”
The organization recently participated in the EPA's G7 Alliance on Resource Efficiency, a workshop on the use of life cycle concepts in supply chain management. SP says the association aims to “continually identify new, innovative and more environmentally sustainable ways to enhance the competitiveness of the automobile industry through the global supply chain.”
Despite shrinking recycled commodity prices and harsh winter weather in the Midwest, Waste Connections of Ontario, Canada, has reported better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter of 2019. The company brought in $1.245 billion in revenue in Q1, which is up $1.140 billion from the period the year before and $5 million more than the company’s outlook.
Worthing Jackman, the company’s president, hosted an earnings conference call April 24. Here are some key takeaways from the call:
Austria-based industrial shredding equipment maker UNTHA has promoted Gary Moore to director of global business development. The firm says it made the “strategic decision” ahead of 25 percent projected worldwide growth during the next 12 months.
Currently sales director of UNTHA UK, a position he will maintain, Moore has played “an instrumental role in developing the United Kingdom business by 50 percent during 2018,” according to UNTHA. According to the equipment firm, 2019 “looks set to be even bigger, with 12 waste-to-energy (WtE) shredding solution sales already secured in the first four months of the year.”
An exclusive distributor agreement for the XR mobil-e shredder range is soon to be announced, sales of parts and other UNTHA service products are up by 40 percent, and two further sales appointments are also imminent as UNTHA looks to expand its team, according to the firm.
Drawing on almost 30 years of experience in the international waste, recycling and wider engineering sectors, Moore’s new global position will see him focus on “supercharging the growth of UNTHA America,” states the equipment maker.
Established in 2010, the New Hampshire-based United States office has gained an initial foothold in the U.S., with particular success in the southern states. “But the vast market is rich in wider potential – not least due to a growing demand for alternative fuel,” according to UNTHA.
Moore will be responsible for introducing a sales and marketing plan that will fuel the organic growth of the business while exploring distribution partner agreements. He also is being tasked with helping operators design environmentally compliant plants producing homogenous, on-specification fuels with maximum yield.
Moore also is working on a new strategic partner relationship in Australia. “The WtE market is in its infancy there, in comparison with parts of Europe,” says Moore. “We’re therefore excited about the potential for UNTHA to expand there. As the market is emerging, it’s one of the continents where we’re not yet an established industry name. But that’s about to change.”
Remarks Peter Streinik, head of UNTHA’s global waste division, “We know that clients in different parts of the world have varying requirements. Legislation, market capacity and cultural traits all influence what a prospective customer is looking for, from a shredding supplier. But one thing that usually remains constant is the search for robust, proven technology supported by an engineering infrastructure to protect the longevity of the investment.
He adds, “We treat every project as unique and will sometimes even challenge the customer if we think they can achieve more throughputs, more revenue, or more success from their plant. This is Gary’s philosophy through and through, which means he is perfectly suited to this new position.”
Doosan announced it has expanded its dealer network with the addition of two branches of ACT Construction Equipment.
Doosan Infracore North America LLC, Suwanee, Georgia, announced it has expanded its dealer network with the addition of two branches of ACT Construction Equipment, which will serve as authorized sales, service, parts and rental providers of Doosan equipment.
Through the expansion, the company can now offers its customers in Cloverdale, Virginia, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a range of Doosan equipment, including crawler excavators, wheel excavators, material handlers and wheel loaders.
ACT Construction Equipment has been in business since 1951, under current ownership since 1973 and in the compact equipment market since 2008. The company decided to offer Doosan equipment to complement its current compact equipment offerings.
“Doosan understands the need for quality support rather than pushing a product strictly on price,” says Britt Hefner, operations manager for ACT Construction Equipment. “With these new locations, our intent is to be more responsive to our customers in the Cloverdale and Winston-Salem areas and to go above and beyond to maximize their uptime.”
Lake Forest, Illinois-based Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) has reported first quarter 2019 net income of $187 million and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of more than $370 million, which represents a 15.1 percent rise compared to the first quarter of 2018.
PCA says its first quarter 2019 net sales were $1.73 billion in 2019, a 2.4 percent increase compared to $1.69 billion in 2018. The company is crediting “higher prices and mix in both our Packaging and Paper segments” for the positive results.
In PCA’s Packaging segment, total corrugated products shipments and shipments per day were up 0.7 percent over 2018’s first quarter. Containerboard production for the quarter checked in at 1.037 million tons. In PCA’s Paper segment, sales volume was 21 percent lower and production volume was 14 percent lower, primarily because of discontinuing production at PCA’s Wallula, Washington, mill.
“In our Packaging segment, we had record first quarter volumes in both our containerboard mills and corrugated products plants, as well as higher prices and mix, compared to the first and fourth quarters of 2018,” remarks Mark W. Kowlzan, chairman and CEO of the firm.
“We ran our containerboard system to demand, and our production allowed us to supply the necessary containerboard to achieve a first quarter record for box shipments per day. In our Paper segment, prices and mix continued to move higher due to the successful execution of our announced price increases, and sales volume improved as we moved out of the seasonally slower fourth quarter. Overall, we were able to exceed our expected results even though we had to overcome significant weather-related challenges across the company that negatively impacted us during the quarter.”
Looking ahead to the second quarter of 2019, Kowlzan remarks, “In our Packaging segment we expect seasonally higher containerboard and corrugated products shipments, with lower prices as a result of the published domestic containerboard price decreases and lower export prices. In our Paper segment, volume should be similar to the first quarter and we will continue implementing the previously announced paper price increases, but scheduled outage costs will be higher due to the annual shutdown at our International Falls [Minnesota] mill.”
The company predicts recycled fiber prices “should be slightly lower” in the second quarter while it also anticipates “slightly higher” freight costs.
PCA describes itself as the third largest producer of containerboard products and the third largest producer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America. The company operates eight mills and 95 corrugated products plants and related facilities.
Best Outdoor Recycling Bins - Buying Guide
Features
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- Only sold in the United States. Not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, or Puerto Rico.
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TerraCycle joins Suppliers Partnership for the Environment
Collaboration between automakers, suppliers and U.S. EPA. aims to advance sustainability through automotive supply chain.
New Jersey-based TerraCycle is joining the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP), Washington, an association of automakers, their suppliers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that works to implement programs that advance environmental sustainability. TerraCycle, a recycling company that recycles “hard-to-recycle” materials through innovative programs, will be joining SP at the organization’s second quarter meeting April 23-24 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“We’re proud to welcome TerraCycle to the Supplier Partnership,” SP Program Director Kellen Mahoney remarks. “TerraCycle is a business with an earth-friendly mission that dovetails nicely with the Suppliers Partnership’s sustainability initiatives. We look forward to working with TerraCycle to find new innovative ways to further preserve our natural resources.”
SP was established with the purpose of advancing environmental sustainability through the automotive supply chain, according to a press release. SP functions as a global forum to “meet and address focus issues,” which includes sharing leading sustainability practices and developing environmental technologies and programs to reduce environmental impacts and promote sustainability. In addition, identifying ways to reduce waste, promote reuse and maximize recycling.
SP says membership helps companies achieve both economic and environmental goals. Through SP’s collaboration with the EPA, members are “provided with topics for special projects, information, approaches and tools to realize common environmental objectives.”
The organization recently participated in the EPA's G7 Alliance on Resource Efficiency, a workshop on the use of life cycle concepts in supply chain management. SP says the association aims to “continually identify new, innovative and more environmentally sustainable ways to enhance the competitiveness of the automobile industry through the global supply chain.”
Sustainable retrofits
According to the United States Energy Information Administration, a staggering 92 percent of all lit buildings in the U.S. have standard fluorescent lighting. There’s a good reason for the disproportionate use of fluorescent lighting throughout the non-residential sector — it works. Fluorescent lights provide a variety of visible light spectrum options and are inexpensive. Additionally, fluorescent lamps were the most energy-efficient choice in the past. For businesses and facilities that had to consider the budgetary impact of utility costs, fluorescent lamps had long been the best choice for keeping electrical cost under control.
A study in schools
To see the impact of fluorescent versus LED lamps, let’s look at a school district outside of San Antonio, Texas. The district has a total population of about 68,000 students and 13,500 faculty and staff spread over seven high schools, 14 middle schools and 46 elementary schools. To power the lighting in a large school district is an expensive proposition. If the district used incandescent lighting, the costs could be estimated at a staggering US$90 million or more. But by using fluorescent lighting, the approximate costs are a much more manageable US$30 million per year. But what if they could save even more money? Technology has finally brought a viable, money-saving option for large-scale lighting customers. The light emitting diode (LED) has existed for decades, but only recently it became financially viable for widespread use. LED technology has substantially fallen in price over the last decade and design options have increased — paving the way for facilities to switch out fluorescent lamps. The first and most attractive benefit to LED lighting is energy efficiency. Looking at the standard 32-watt fluorescent bulbs the school district uses, it is possible to swap out these lamps for an LED replacement that gives off the same amount of light (measured in lumens) while operating at 13 watts. Immediately, the district can slash their lighting costs by more than half. Next, consider that a fluorescent bulb may last 8,000 hours. An LED equivalent is rated to last 25,000 hours, or three times as long. Although the fluorescent lamp would only cost roughly US$1.83 retail compared to the LED equivalent, costing around US $5.00, the operational lifetime of the LED is more than three times as long. Longer operating life means lower cost of maintenance. If custodial and maintenance staff need to change lamps a third as often as they currently do, there is a direct operational savings. Plus there is the added benefit of freeing up manpower to focus on other responsibilities. In the most rudimentary retrofit program — simply switching out fluorescent lamps for more efficient LED lamps — substantial savings can be obtained. To take this even further, companies that specialize in lighting and energy efficiency can perform large-scale energy audits and design a complete overhaul of the lighting systems in a complex environment like a school district. An efficiency specialist can analyze the technical capabilities of a facility and determine if the retrofit program should focus on lamps, fixtures, controls or a mixture of all the lighting components to achieve the desired outcome. A clear example of energy savings through an LED retrofit is a medical center near Wichita, Kansas. By switching out fluorescent lamps for high-performance LEDs, the hospital took the annual electrical usage of 1,712,550 kilowatt-hours down to 495,278 kilowatt-hours. Obviously, the electricity cost savings will pay for the initial investment in the LED lamps, but it is also important to note that changing over to LED lighting will have a noticeable impact on the hospital’s ability to remain compliant with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Advantages of EPA compliance
Fluorescent lamps are considered universal waste by the EPA because they contain mercury. As a universal waste, spent fluorescent lamps must properly and safely stored until disposal can be facilitated. The EPA has strict rules regarding the handling of fluorescent lamp waste, and storage can be a hassle. A hospital, college or any other non-residential facility is obligated to maintain spent lamp storage, prevent accidental breakage of spent lamps and coordinate disposal with a certified hazardous waste handler. Eliminating fluorescent lighting from a facility or campus can free up storage space and lessen the amount of manpower spent on waste compliance. Furthermore, when a lighting and efficiency specialist performs a retrofit, they can use drum-top bulb crushers to compact the fluorescent bulbs in an environmentally sound way. Bulb crushers attach to a steel drum for collection of compacted bulbs. Using a four-stage activated carbon filtration system to lock in the mercury, the system has HEPA filtration to protect the air. By compacting, a contractor can lock and neutralize the mercury from as many as 1,350 fluorescent lamps in a single, steel drum. This helps prevent accidental contamination of a facility from lamp breakage and can be beneficial in OSHA-compliance, as well. Of course, this also cuts transportation cost for the waste and protects the environment, not to mention drastically reduces the project footprint.Combining technologies
There are several energy-saving technologies that can help facilities dramatically cut their utility costs. Replacing older fluorescent lighting with LED systems means facilities can take advantage of the higher flexibility of LED lamps. An energy efficiency specialist can integrate the retrofit fixtures and lamps with occupancy sensors, allowing lights in unused areas to power-down when not needed. Lighting engineers can also utilize the relatively new science of daylight harvesting, which is the science of managing the natural light available indoors. Bringing the sun’s broad spectrum of light into an interior space not only saves electricity, but has been scientifically proven to improve mental focus and productivity. On a recent retrofit project at a Fortune 500 company in Fort Collins, Colorado, an energy efficiency specialist removed 16,500 fluorescent lamps. The lamps varied in age, but there was an average of about six milligrams of mercury in each lamp. A quarter-pound of mercury captured may not seem like very much, but according to the provincial government of Prince Edward Island, 500 milligrams of mercury (the amount in of mercury in a household thermometer) will contaminate enough water to fill 200 Olympic swimming pools. By using a drum-top bulb crusher on the project, a quarter-pound of mercury was safely reclaimed. If accidentally released, that would be enough mercury to poison all the water used by the entire state of Utah on any given day. The environmental impact doesn’t end there. In the case of the Fort Collins retrofit project, reducing the energy consumption by 2.4 million kilowatt-hours a year reduces the mercury emissions related to burning coal by about 56 grams. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, burning coal for electric generation releases sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides and particulates (soot) that include lead and heavy metals into the air. The LED conversion prevented 1,787 metric tons of CO2 greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere. By converting to LED lighting and high-efficiency lighting controls, the customer in Fort Collins is making a measurable difference in their community’s air quality and overall environmental health.Up-front investments
Change can be expensive; there is no denying this fact. To perform a major retrofit, there will have to be an up-front investment. Fortunately, there is great support for facilities that are interested in making such a change. Utility companies and several other entities are offering incentives for facilities that are making the switch to high-performance LED lighting. In the case of the Texas school district, grants and incentives of more than US$300,000 helped fund the project. An experienced retrofit partner or energy provider will be able to help facility management find all appropriate grants, incentives and discount programs to make the initial investment more affordable. It is also important to note the price of the project is often recouped within three-to-five years. The energy savings alone is usually enough to justify the cost of the retrofit. Whether a facility is looking to gain accreditation for energy efficiency or environmental impact reduction, or the organization is simply looking for a way to make a long-term cost reduction, a lighting retrofit program may be the answer.GPN Industry Insights: Waste management
Government Product News (GPN): How has your industry’s involvement with the public sector evolved over the past few years?
Tom Szaky (TS): Regulated waste is tied at the hip of the public sector and has been since the formation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We’ve seen tremendous growth in recycling and the handling of difficult waste in recent years. Consumers are more aware of the impact their waste has on the environment and they are demanding their leaders do something about it. Ultimately, they want to know where their waste is going. Communities are turning to companies like ours to answer that.
GPN: What are some new innovations that have been integrated into your industry’s products recently?
TS: The biggest innovation in hazardous waste has been the growth in community efforts to divert the waste. The EPA does not require residential generators of hazardous waste to take any special steps to throw things out. In fact, only about 2-3 percent of households properly dispose of bulbs. A homeowner can just toss their burned-out bulbs in the general trash for pick-up, but cities and counties have begun to make an effort to divert these items from the landfill. People are learning to take a moment and consider where their trash ends up. When they find out that they can and should recycle, they do.
Where we see the biggest innovation is in the creation of municipal drop-off locations for household hazardous waste. Athens-Clarke County, Ga., for example, does a great job collecting these difficult to recycle products with a couple of locations. They’re looking to divert 75 percent of all their waste from the landfill by 2020. That is a big change that benefits their community environmentally.
GPN: What is the biggest misunderstanding/myth that you think public sector professionals may believe about doing business with your industry or using your industry’s products?
TS: I think that the biggest myth public officials have is that their constituents will not support expanded recycling programs. People generally want to take care of their environment, but they don’t know how to do it. They will make the effort to dispose of things properly if we educate them.
It is becoming more important to recycle the items that are hard to recycle now, with China blocking our plastic, paper and glass. People watch the news and hear that our trash has nowhere to go, but that isn’t necessarily true. We just need to get the word out that there are other options available.
GPN: What resources can elected officials use to educate themselves more on your industry and its importance to government operations?
TS: Obviously, I would recommend elected officials contact reputable recycling firms for information on programs offered in regulated waste and recycling complex waste streams. We understand that the problem with waste is that it is a cost that can often be irrecuperable. To help keep cost down for groups like cities and counties, we have created business relationships that can make waste and recycling cost-effective, if not free. They really need to research co-op programs that put the cost on someone else. It becomes very difficult to deny a program when it doesn’t cost you very much.
GPN: What should local government professionals consider most when buying and/or using products within your industry?
TS: I think that government professionals should take a good look at the downstream service providers when making a decision. All to often, decisions in the public sector are made solely on cost. We pride ourselves on having a strong network of service providers that are ethical in their business and compliant in their service. You see stories all the time of illegal dumping or recycling scams. What good is saving money on one side of the operation, when you lose consumer confidence on the other? There were just a couple of examples of this in the news. The two big hardware chains were fined by the EPA for improperly disposing of fluorescent bulbs. They had offered recycling programs for customers and were not actually recycling the bulbs, they were just tossing the bulbs in the trash compactor.
GPN: What future developments can governments expect to see from this industry?
TS: The future of hazardous waste is in the continuing tightening of the loop. Bringing the circle in and getting industries on board with creating a waste solution, not just the waste. In regulated waste, we’re going to see fluorescent lamp waste slowly decrease. It will take time, as the LEDs become more popular and cheaper, the fluorescents will fade away. But, at the same time, the next wave of regulated waste might be solar panels. The technology there is just about 20 or 30 years old, and we’re going to start to see the early photovoltaic panels come in for disposal.
Tom Szaky is the CEO of TerraCycle, which he founded in 2001 while a student at Princeton University. TerraCycle is a waste management company whose regulated waste division provides products and services to facilitate the effective and compliant management of regulated, universal and hazardous waste.
TERRACYCLE ADDS MEDWASTE TO RECYCLING PROGRAMS
Sharps become the latest difficult-to-recycle material the company will process
TRENTON, N.J., (August 8, 2018)– Medical waste (in the form of used sharps) has become the latest difficult-to-recycle recycling program at TerraCycle, as the company continues to add waste streams to its product list. Utilizing EPA-approved sterilization technology, the company has developed a system that provides contaminant exposure protection and high-efficiency material recovery.
The regulated waste division of TerraCycle has created a sharps container and shipping carton system available in a variety of sizes. The puncture-resistant sharps containers are approved for use by both UPS and the US Postal Service when shipped within the corresponding carton. Sizes range from a 1.4-quart container for home use to a commercial 28-gallon system. Like its Zero Waste Box programs, the medwaste boxes are postage-prepaid—the customer simply fills the sharps container, boxes it and calls UPS or USPS for a pickup.
“This is an exciting addition to the regulated waste offerings at TerraCycle,” explains Bobby Farris, General Manager of TerraCycle Regulated Waste, “We’re providing a real alternative to incineration for medwaste customers who want to see the materials recycled.”
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According to the World Health Organization, as much as 90% of all medical waste is incinerated, even though only 15% of it is actually considered biologically hazardous. Originally, it was thought that destroying medical waste through incineration destroyed the known pathogens, but more recent science suggests the process exposes the environment to potential contaminants in the form of microscopic particulate emitted in the process exhaust. Furthermore, the resulting ash and byproducts are not easily recouped for recycling or reuse and are often landfilled.
To protect the population and environment, the EPA has begun to promote the use of “Alternative Treatment and Disposal Technologies for Medical Waste.” By utilizing commercial steam disinfection (autoclave) of medical waste and then processing the sharps to separate metals, plastics and glass, TerraCycle is able to reclaim valuable materials and divert waste from the landfill. The system provides better, more measurable elimination of biohazards and lessens the linear use of resources.