http://news.msrecycles.org/ News and Upcoming Events of the Mississippi Recycling Coalition en-us Nucleus CMS v3.51 � Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://news.msrecycles.org//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://news.msrecycles.org/ http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=175 Rainbow Natural Grocery Cooperative has announced that they will no longer be accepting drop-off recyclables at their store at 2807 Old Canton Road. After several issues with their previous recycling contractor not making regular pickups and then cancelling services in December and January caused complaints from their neighbors and other Fondren businesses, Rainbow decided that a change in their program was necessary. Therefore, Rainbow is proud to announce that they have partnered with Global Plastic Recyclers (GPR) to offer drop off collection of the following materials at GPR's warehouse at 841 Palmyra Street (less than 3 miles from Rainbow's store):

• paper
• cardboard
• plastic
• metals, and
• glass.
The glass materials should be separated from all other recyclables and may be placed in the 80-gallon bins lined up on the right hand side of the driveway 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All other recyclables are collected only when the warehouse is open from 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday-Friday. For more information, please see the February 1, 2012 Recycling Update.]]> News http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=175 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 10:21:57 -0500 http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=171 American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) recently announced that they are now accepting entries for their 2012 Recycling Awards. Each year the AF&PA Recycling Awards recognize outstanding paper recycling efforts. Enter your business, community, or school program today for the chance to win a $2,000 cash prize, original framed artwork, and recognition in local and national media. For more information, see the AF&PA Recycling Awards web page. The deadline for submitting a nomination is February 10, 2012.]]> General http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=171 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0500 http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=174 Keep Mississippi Beautiful (KMB) has announced that they are now accepting applications for their 2012 State Awards. To be eligible for a KMB Statewide Award, a program mush show successful results in one of the following environmental leadership areas:
• Litter Prevention
• Beautification and Community Improvement
• Minimizing the Impact of Solid Waste on Communities
• Recycling (our favorite)
For more information or to apply, download an application from KMB's web site.]]> General http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=174 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:24:30 -0500 http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=173 funding opportunity announcement (FOA). Questions will be received through Thursday, January 26, 2012, at 2:00 P.M. Central Time. Responses will be posted within 5 business days. No questions received after this date will be answered. A total of $50,000 has been set aside for these mini grants. Applicants may request a grant amount between $5,000 and $20,000. For more information contact Mike McCollough or Lynn Johnson Burris at procurement@mississippi.org]]> General http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=173 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:48:35 -0500 http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=172 Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Webinars will be held on January 19, 2012 from 12:00 -1:30 PM CST. The topic for this webinar will be "e;Universities and teh Food Recovery Challenge."e;In this session, you will learn about EPA's Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) and accomplishments from some partnering schools such as:
• University of Missouri-Kansas City's experiences as their dining operations strive for zero waste,
• Ohio State University's organics recycling across campus and in their staduim, and
• Havard University's strategies for reducing, densifying, de-watering, and composting food scraps in an urban environment.
Registration for this webinar is free and required.]]> Webinars http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=172 Thu, 5 Jan 2012 10:31:36 -0500 http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=170 Waste Management released their online Diversion and Recycling Tracking Tool (DART) to help project planners, contractors, architects, and building owners measure their green performance during a construction, renovation, and demolition project. The service, which is available across the US operates online and is accessible 24-hours a day to monitor C&D recycling, tabluate total diversion rates, and provide documentation to support LEED^© certification.With so many substances to manage, calculating total diversion has traditionally been a time-consuming process, involving extensive labor, math and excel sheets.

In similar news, earlier this year AECOM announced the introduction of their Supplier Tracking and Assessment tool for Sustainability (STATS). STATS collects, analyzes, and reports data on supplier economic, social, and environmental performance. Using STATs, companies can rank their suppliers and encourage suppliers to adopt more sustainable practices and standards. Developed in response to client requests, STATS is a low-cost, flexible Microsoft™ Excel tool ideal for companies taking first steps to add sustainability assessments to their vendor management programs. STATS is easily customized to measure and report on chosen criteria over time across a broad range of operational standards.]]> General http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=170 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:10:29 -0500 http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=169 Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) and to hear success stories from FRC partners on Thursday, December 15, 2011, from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM CST. The FRC challenges participants to reduce as much of their food waste as possible — saving money, helping communities, and protecting the environment — and recognizing partner accomplishments. Speakers include Michael Hewett, Manager of Sustainablity and Environmental Compliance for Publlix Supermarkets, Inc.; Kasey Harris, Environmental Specialist for Hannaford Supermarkets; and Heather Schmidt, Sustainability Manager for New Seasons Market. Registration is free but required.]]> Webinars http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=169 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:22:14 -0500 http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=168 Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) andEnvironmental Defense Fund (EDF) announced earlier this week the "The Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Challenge: New Uses for Recycled Glass," to develop a compelling economic and environmental solution for the challenge posed by recycling old CRTs that have been phased out in favor of liquid crystal and plasma displays.This Eco-Challenge, sponsored by CEA, officially opened on Nov. 14, 2011, and will be accepting submissions for 30 days. The winning solution will be assessed for economic as well as environmental and health benefits, and awarded $5,000 provided by CEA. Up to four additional solutions are eligible for awards of $1,000 or more. CEA and EDF will then broadly publicize and share the solution(s) with manufacturers, retailers and recyclers in an effort to transform how lead-heavy glass is recycled or reused. Additional details about this Eco-Challenge are also available in the EDF Pavilion on the InnoCentive website. Read more on CE.org.]]> General http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=168 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:05:41 -0500 http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=167
• HANNAH BARKLEY of Oxford, MS who is attending Mississippi State University and majoring in Biological Engineering. Ms. Barkley has interests in reducing the impact of human activity on the world's resources and working to reach solutions to address environmental problems.
  
  
• KEVIN BENNETT of Ocean Springs, MS who is attending Mississippi State University and majoring in Biological Engineering. Mr. Bennett has career goals of preserving the environment and conserving resources by producing more food on less land and reducing the impact of fossil fuels on the environment.
  
  
• VICTORIA P. BERRY of Biloxi, MS who is attending the University of Mississippi majoring in Broadcast Journalism. Ms. Berry has done considerable work in environmental projects, conservation, and community volunteer work.
  
  
• ABDULLAH DAKHLALLA of Starkville, MS who is attending Mississippi State University majoring in Biological Engineering. Mr. Dakhlalla has work experience in water quality monitoring and plans to complete graduate school to study ways to prevent water contamination and work to maintain water resources.
  
  
• WILLIAM GOTCHER of Muscle Shoals, AL who is attending Mississippi State University majoring in Agricultural Engineering Technology and Business. Mr. Gotcher has worked as an intern to help farmers become better environmental stewards by encouraging conservation practices that reduce chemical usage, soil erosion, and runoff and greenhouse gasses from farming operations and plans to continue his environmental work in precision agriculture advising.
  
  
• LESLIE S. GREGG of Birmingham, AL who is attending Mississippi State University majoring in Environmental Economics and Management. Leslie has worked in conservation and environmental programs including Arbor Day, promotion of a campus Green Fund, and clean energy projects.
  
  
• NICHOLAS MILSAP of Blue Mountain, MS who is attending Mississippi State University majoring in Biochemestry with a pre-med emphasis. Mr. Milsap has a career goal of helping protect the earth's resources by instituting hospital recycling events to teach others the effects of unnecessary waste on the earth as well as human health.
  
  
• J'QOYA SANDERS of Walls, MS who is attending Mississippi State University majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering. J'Qoya plans to start an environmental initiative in the Mississippi Delta region upon graduation to help communities to protect and conserve resources.

The Mississippi Recycling Coalition and the Beverage Association of Mississippi are pleased to recognize these students with these scholarship awards. Both organizations encourage all interested students to apply for next year's scholarship award.]]> News http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=167 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:51:08 -0500 http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=166
• The City of Ridgeland for the city's successful recycling program and their active promotion of recycling throughout the City of Ridgeland. Recycling education is provided through a city magazine that is mailed to every household, through the city's website, and through direct contact with neighborhood organizations. Digital billboards in the area display recycling ads for Ridgeland on a periodic basis. The city encourages the public schools to recycle by providing recycling dumpsters at each school and actively promoting the program in the classrooms. The City of Ridgeland has also implemented a recycling program at all city facilities which has resulted in approximately a 90% reduction in the amount of waste generated at City Hall. As the first municipality to join the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality's enHance Program, the City of Ridgeland has set a goal of increasing the amount of material it recycles from 50 to 70 tons per month. The City plans to accomplish this by including small businesses and apartment complexes in its recycling program and increasing their outreach and education efforts. For these efforts to promote and increase recycling within its jurisdiction, the City of Ridgeland receives the 2011 Local Government Recycler of the Year Award.
  
  
• Pass Christian Elementary School has initiated a school-wide recycling program collecting plastic, aluminum, paper, and ink cartridges. To promote the school recycling program at the beginning of each school year, the recycling bins are put on display in the library. In addition, grade-appropriate stories related to recycling and the environment are presented to the students during their library time. After the story and discussion, students are then able to practice placing their recyclable items in the bins instead of in the garbage. Recycling bins have been placed in the school cafeteria, which is shared with Pass Christian Middle School, and educational material is provided to the middle school teachers to educate their students on proper materials to recycle. PCES also has an active Recycling Club with 35 members from kindergarten through fifth grade who promote recycling awareness throughout the school. For its school wide recycling efforts that teach children at a young age to reduce, reuse, and recycle, Pass Christian Elementary is awarded the 2011 Educational Institution Recycler of the Year Award.
  
  
• Advantage E-Cycling in Pearl, MS is one of the few companies in Mississippi to collect scrap electronics for recycling. For the last few years, Advantage E-Cycling has partnered with the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership to host two e-waste collection events in Jackson, MS each year that is specifically aimed at collecting electronics from area businesses which are often excluded from similar events. Each event has diverted several thousand pounds of electronics out of the landfill. This service has been provided at no upfront cost to the Chamber, at minimal charge to businesses to recycle monitors and televisions, and at no charge for other electronic products. Advantage has used this model with other communities in the state of Mississippi to provide local electronics collection and recycling events. Additionally, Advantage has worked with communities across Mississippi that have been affected by flooding and tornados to provide them affordable alternatives to landfilling potentially hazardous electronic wastes. For these scrap electronic recycling efforts, Advantage E-Cycling receives the 2011 Corporate Recycler of the Year Award.
  
  
• The USDA Southern Horticulture Laboratory in Poplarville, MS has been a leader in promoting and increasing recycling in the Poplarville area. The lab has implemented its own recycling program to collect cardboard, paper, plastics, and steel and aluminum cans. In addition to their own program, the SHL has hosted a symposium to discuss how to successfully implement recycling programs in rural communities. They are coordinating with the Poplarville School District, Pearl River Community College, city and county leaders, and the MSU Extension service to further these efforts with the goal to increase recycling in the Poplarville area to the point where the volume of recycled materials collected will allow for the establishment of a profitable private recycling company in the area. For these efforts to increase recycling in the rural parts of our state, the USDA Southern Horticulture Laboratory receives the 2011 State/Federal Government Recycler of the Year Award.
  
  
• MIDD-West Industries in Vicksburg, MS is a private, non-profit, sheltered work center that teaches employment training in disabled adults. MIDD-West maintains five drop-off recycling locations in the greater Vicksburg area for residents and accepts daily deliveries from businesses and larger entities at their location on Smokey Lane. They accept all grades of paper and #1 and #2 plastics. In addition to their recycling activities, MIDD-West has other business enterprises in the area to employ disabled adults that include operation of federal mail rooms, bulk mail services, packaging, sorting, and janitorial services. Through all of their various business enterprises, MIDD-West generates 97% of their entire budget. Due to their excellent work to provide recycling services in Vicksburg and to employ disadvantaged adults in collecting and sorting the recyclables, MIDD-West Industries receives the 2011 Non-profit Recycler of the Year.
  
  
• Greenwood-Leflore Recycling is a relatively new recycling program that is a joint effort of the City of Greenwood and Leflore County. The program is currently accepting recycled goods at their recycling center located at 1500 Commerce Street and at drop-off locations just off of East Claiborne in Greenwood. The program, which started in 2010, has grown in 2011 and strives to serve as a model recycling center for the Mississippi Delta Region. The recycling center is open Monday through Friday, and currently accepts corrugated cardboard, newspaper, catalogs, magazines, junk mail, paperboard (cereal and other similar boxes), white paper, aluminum cans, steel cans, and #1 and #2 plastics. For their commitment to starting and providing these new comprehensive recycling services to Greenwood and Leflore County, the City of Greenwood - Leflore County Recycling Program receives our inaugural New Program of the Year Award.


The Mississippi Recycling Coalition would also like to recognize and honor the efforts of the other fine nominees. We commend these organizations on their outstanding efforts and commitment to recycling and/or recycling education. Special recognition goes out to the following nominees:

• Allen's Recycling in Canton, MS for their support and efforts in promoting recycling at schools and offices in the Jackson-metro area.
• Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce for their efforts in promoting recycling at local events, their beautification efforts within Biloxi, and other environmental efforts.
• Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership for the efforts to offer local businesses with an opportunity to recycle their obsolete electronics at reasonable prices.
• Keep Mississippi Beautiful for the efforts to promote recycling and litter prevention throughout Mississippi and the assistance they have provided to schools across the state.
• Vancleave High School for their school recycling program and the environmental stewardship initiatives conducted by their marine biology class.
• Vancleave Upper Elementary School in Vancleave, MS for their Wings Class' recycling project and school recycling program.


There are numerous other communities, businesses, and organizations that could have been nominated this year, and we are appreciative of the efforts of all of these unsung heroes for their efforts to grow recycling in Mississippi. MRC encourages interested persons to participate in next year's Environmental Heroes Awards by nominating deserving organizations.]]> News http://news.msrecycles.org/index.php?itemid=166 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:43:44 -0500