I AM SWANA Blog

SWANA OFFERS FIRST SPANISH LANGUAGE TRAINING COURSE

2009-10-29T10:18:00.001-04:00

Silver Spring, MD - SWANA has recently completed the translation of its first Spanish language training course, Waste Screening at MSW Management Facilities. The growing Spanish-speaking workforce and the requests of several Chapters of SWANA for Spanish language materials, along with the creation of the Caribbean-Puerto Rico Chapter of SWANA, prompted the Association’s decision to begin translating current training courses into Spanish.

SWANA has been in the process of updating its training courses over the past few years, and has recently began evaluating which courses would be most useful to Spanish speakers. Currently, the Association has deemed operational courses, such as Waste Screening at MSW Management Facilities, to be most important. Another operational course, Landfill Operations Basics, is expected to be completed in April 2010.

The Waste Screening at MSW Management Facilities course was updated in 2009, thanks to the services of Innovative Waste Consulting Services (IWCS), a consulting firm in Gainesville, Florida. Developed from a university research environment, IWCS has state-of-the-art expertise in areas such as landfills, waste treatment and recycling, and characterization of environmental risk from waste operations. SWANA would like to thank IWSC for a job well done, with a special thanks to Jon Powell, the primary author of the course.

The training course manual presents information and examples of methods and procedures to assist municipal solid waste facility owners and operators to achieve compliance with Federal regulations. The manual is the foundation of the training course, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of 40 CFR, Part 258. The manual and course are intended for use primarily by faclity owners/operators and their consultants and contractors to provide advice on demonstrating compliance with the 258 standards.

The Spanish translation was completed by Strictly Spanish, a consultant firm based in Milford, Ohio, but the project could not have been completed without the assistance of a dedicated team of SWANA members who committed their time, technical expertise and knowledge of the Spanish language to assist in the translation of this course. SWANA would like to extend a very special thanks to:

Josephine Valencia, City of Durham
Eduardo D. Choquis, Raba-Kistner Consultants, Inc
Miguel Delgado, SCS Engineers
Rafael Ordonez, Promotora Ambiental
Mickey Ray, The Earth Group, Inc.
Rafael Salazar, Keppel Seghers Inc.
Marissa Segundo, City of Largo

The English and Spanish versions of Waste Screening at MSW Management Facilities course is available for purchase at www.SWANAstore.com as a home study course and an on-site training package. For more information about the English or Spanish versions of the course, please contact learn@swana.org or visit www.SWANA.org.

SWANA ANNOUNCES T. BOONE PICKENS AS THE 2009 WASTECON PRESIDENTIAL KEYNOTE

2009-08-31T15:30:00.001-04:00

SILVER SPRING, Md. – The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is pleased to welcome T. Boone Pickens as the 2009 WASTECON Presidential Keynote speaker on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at the Long Beach Convention Center. Mr. Pickens will share his vision for reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil with strategies that include renewable energy sources from solid waste. The Presidential Keynote Session will be moderated by SWANA's incoming International President John Hadfield.

"Mr. Pickens is an internationally acclaimed visionary in the quest for alternative renewable energy supplies," said John H. Skinner, Ph.D., SWANA Executive Director and CEO. "I am sure his presentation will inspire and motivate WASTECON attendees" Skinner added.

T. Boone Pickens is the architect of the Pickens Plan, a solution to America's increasing dependence on foreign oil that he believes is the greatest threat to America's national, economic and environmental security. His campaign, launched in July 2008, has developed a following of more than 1.6 million Americans who support an expanded use of domestic fuel alternatives --chiefly natural gas -- to replace foreign oil/diesel/gasoline. Pickens also has called for the increased use of clean, renewable energy -- solar and wind -- for power generation purposes, as well as an expanded use of nuclear.

The Presidential Keynote session is open to all registered WASTECON attendees.

For more information, go to www.WASTECON.org.

SWANA would like to thank Clean Energy, this year's Presidential Keynote Sponsor.

WASTECON and Your Waste Board

2009-07-15T15:19:00.002-04:00

Check out the recent MSW Editor's Blog, where MSW Management Editor John Trotti wrote the following about WASTECON:

Those of you who have been to WASTECON know how valuable an industry resource the annual event is. More than just a trade expo and program of speakers and classes, WASTECON offers unparalleled opportunities for attendees to meet informally with peers, renew old acquaintances, and match ideas with solid waste professionals from all around the world.

WASTECON 2009 takes place September 22–24 at Long Beach, CA, and, if you are a solid waste manager, what better opportunity could you possibly find for involving your board members, many of whom came to their positions with little or no formal experience in the field? Ready or not, they’re responsible for overseeing the budget and operations of a highly complex, costly, and politically sensitive activity, so what could be more appropriate than WASTECON for allowing them to rub elbows with the most experienced group of people in the industry?

Having served several years as a member of our local transit district board—a post I took up with high regard for my qualifications, only to find I didn’t know diddly squat—I can promise you that the most valuable several days of my tenure were spent at the annual conference put on by SWANA’s counterpart in the transit industry, the American Public Transit Association (APTA). There I became acquainted with APTA members from around the nation and learned firsthand how they approached their responsibilities.

How about suggesting to your waste board that its members go to at least one WASTECON during their tenure to get an overview of the entire field? And along those lines, what could be a better place to start than Long Beach?

SWANA Supports Changes Made to the Climate Bill

2009-05-21T08:02:00.001-04:00

The Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee introduced a revised draft of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 HR 2454 that included a number of changes consistent with SWANA’s recommendations in an April 28 letter.

On Friday, May 15, Chairman Waxman introduced a revised draft of HR 2454 that is much more supportive of waste-to-energy operations and recognizes their contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Consistent with SWANA’s recommendations, waste-to-energy operations would no longer be regulated under the cap in this version of the bill. The May 15 draft specifically excludes operations that derive 95% or more of their energy from municipal solid waste.

The revised renewable portfolio standard in HR 2454 includes “qualified waste-to-energy” as an eligible renewable source. Energy derived from the combustion, gasification or pyrolization of municipal solid waste and construction, demolition or disaster debris would qualify as a renewable as long as it meets a number of stipulations.

The draft also includes waste-to-energy as an eligible renewable under the federal renewable purchasing program.

“SWANA is very pleased that the renewable energy and climate benefits of waste-to-energy are now recognized in the climate bill,” said John H. Skinner, Ph.D. SWANA Executive Director and CEO. “While there are still a number of questions and concerns that need to be resolved in the bill’s language, SWANA looks forward to working with the Congress in improving this important legislation,” Skinner added.

On Our Minds: Thoughts of John Hadfield

2009-05-06T08:22:00.002-04:00

A recent telephone conversation has made me think about how we can deal with declining revenues and lower waste quantities while still providing the quality and array of services that our customers (i.e., the public) have come to expect, even in difficult economic conditions. Waste management systems tend to be heavily capitalized, meaning they have a lot of fixed costs that do not decline when quantities decline. Even the more traditional operating costs have a fixed or “readiness to serve” component that is incurred regardless of shifts in quantities. Most systems rely on the tipping fee in whole or in part to generate the revenue needed for the various expenses. When quantities decline, revenues decline, typically much faster than costs decline. So, what is a guy to do?

One answer might be a “Waste generator fee” in which the customers pay a fixed component of charges based on their ability to generate waste. Using different names, this approach is often called economic flow control, but in this instance, I am approaching the issue from a slightly different perspective: not for flow control but for revenue control, at least a portion of the revenue. In its simplest form, this approach would generate consistent revenue regardless of the variations in quantities that stem from uncontrollable circumstances. Rainfall affects quantities but would not affect this revenue stream; holiday seasons can affect quantities but this revenue would be consistent. Similarly, an economic downturn would be less injurious to this source of revenue.

But, you say, what about the political aspects of economic flow control? Well, as we are now hearing, if this was easy, it would already have been done and we could go home. Maybe there are components of this approach that would not work in my community; but maybe some aspects could be implemented. What if this was done for just those customers which are “captured” anyway, through contracts or because the local government provides the service? A two part fee (one part being a waste generator fee; the second part being a truly variable tipping fee) might be more palatable especially to our political leaders who are struggling to finds innovative ways to make ends meet.

Just a thought and maybe we can all weather the storm.

John Hadfield
Vice President, SWANA

What do you think? Post your thoughts and comments below.

Interested in submitting a guest editorial or becoming a SWANA blogger? Email marketing@swana.org with your opinions and thoughts or suggested articles. Become more than just a reader of I AM SWANA News; become a contributor!

Public Service: The Rent We Pay for the Air We Breathe

2009-04-09T09:34:00.001-04:00

The following remarks were made by John Hadfield on his retirement as Executive Director of the Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) after 30 years of public service.

I have been very fortunate to have been a public employee for most of my adult life. The past thirty years have been most rewarding for me and I want to thank SPSA’s past Boards of Directors for giving me the chance to serve the region as Executive Director. I most especially want to thank my mentor, friend and SPSA’s first Executive Director, Durwood Curling, whose vision, integrity and courage shaped the agency during its formative years. Without his leadership we would not be here this evening.

Early in my career at SPSA, one of our advisors who later became a friend to many of us, made an observation to me one day. It may not have been his original thought, but the sentiment has remained with me since that day long ago. He told me that “public service is the rent we pay for the air we breathe”. With due respect to the author, I would like to paraphrase that sentiment to say “public service is our obligation in repayment for the benefits of citizenship” – not nearly as well said as the original, but perhaps a clarification.

Many of you are now in or have been in public service. Clearly, that would include public employees, but it also includes those who give of themselves to run for public office, those who volunteer to work at the local food bank, with Habitat for Humanity or at the social services office. In short, public service includes a broad range of things we do for the betterment of the community and our neighbors. In contrast, and without disparaging private enterprise, public service does not create monetary profit; public service seeks no financial reward. Public service has its own very special rewards.

Some years ago, perhaps shortly after my friend had given me the sage advice on public service, one of our national leaders wrongly observed that “government is not the solution to the nation’s ills; government is the problem”. That shortsighted vision led to an era of reduced regulation, deregulation, and no regulation. Among other things, that misguided view led us to many years of shortchanged inspections and deferred maintenance on our national infrastructure that could have prevented the tragedy of the collapse of an interstate highway bridge in Minnesota last year. That “me first” view led us to ignore the incestuous practices of the banking industry and the unchecked greed that paved the way to the housing market collapse that still reverberates throughout our economy today.

Now, I am not here to tell you that government is the solution, but I will remind you that government has a role in advancing the public good. Government and public service have a quintessential duty in shaping our national life, our region’s future and the tomorrows for our children and grandchildren. I believe that there are some things we do in this country that are far too important to the nation’s fabric NOT to be undertaken as a governmental responsibility. The ultimate disposal of our solid waste is among those duties that I believe is so important that it is and must remain a governmental responsibility.

Thirty years ago, the leaders of this region looked around and saw the need for change, for a bold new approach to the way we were managing the solid waste we were creating. They could look around and see a municipal landfill that had a constant fire burning in it. They could see another that would become a superfund site; and another that had explosive gas migrating into nearby city hall buildings. Just down the street from here, a municipal incinerator was under court order to close but the city had no options available to it.

Our leaders of the time saw the problems but they also saw solutions. They knew about the political boundaries but they also knew that environmental problems knew no boundaries. By working together they envisioned a future that none of them could create on their own. They also knew that solid waste management was a core public service.

These dedicated public servants created SPSA, a bold new approach - a regional approach – to solve the crisis of the day. We can criticize them for the mistakes they made, and there were some. Hopefully we have learned from their errors. But we should never forget their vision, their leadership and commitment to make this a better place.

They also understood that the commitment of dedicated public employees brings an invaluable and unique perspective to our environmental challenges, responsiveness to our other citizens and an opportunity to help mold that vision of the future.

SPSA’s employees like other public employees across this country are not highly paid; they are not working for a year-end bonus. They have families with foibles and financial strains like so many others. Their reward is the satisfaction that comes from knowing they have accomplished great things for the common good. Their self-esteem comes not from their paychecks but from the gratitude of their peers, the simple praise of their leaders and the hugs from their families. They deserve the support of all our leaders.

I am proud to have been a part of this agency and for the opportunity to serve the region in a way that I hope will be viewed as valuable. I encourage you to continue to be involved in making where you live a better place than when you arrived. I challenge you to pay the rent on the air you breathe.

Thank you.

MSW Solutions On Our Minds: Thoughts of Sara Bixby

2009-03-03T09:47:00.002-05:00

Did you ever have a week, where through coincidence or maybe serendipity, the same theme keeps repeating? And does the repetition make you start to wonder what it is the universe is trying to tell you and why now?

Tuesday night it was a speaker on wellness talking about the need to encourage employees to embrace healthy activities rather than trying to force them into it. Give them information, give them specific tools, make it easy to participate, he said.

Wednesday night, it was a fellow speaker at the Oklahoma SWANA conference, passionate about driver safety. Drivers have to want to be safe, he said. Rules and lectures work about as far as you can see your drivers or until they know you aren’t watching. They won’t follow the rules until each one grasps the personal ramifications for themselves and their family of not behaving in a safe manner. Make it personal, make it something they own.

Thursday afternoon sitting at the Tulsa airport, I had a chance encounter with an umpiring friend who works for a major airline in, oddly enough, quality control in the maintenance department. We talked about mentoring people to better performance. And then, on the flight between Tulsa and Denver, yet another quality assurance guy, this one a Canadian using ISO 9001 principles to help make improvements and pre-qualify contractors in the oil and gas industry. His point, and that of the retired doctor sitting next to him, was that it takes the personal commitment of every individual throughout a process – beginning to end – to avoid mistakes and create a quality outcome.

Was it just coincidence? Maybe it’s that I need to do a better job of pulling Agency employees into the process of responding to tighter budgets and changes processes? Or was it all a reminder that nothing changes for the better until people believe in and own the goal?

Please join this discussion by clicking on the comment button below or visit I AM SWANA to start your own conversations.

Sara Bixby
2009 SWANA Treasurer

MSW Solutions On Our Minds: Thoughts of Laurie Batchelder Adams

2009-02-03T09:11:00.006-05:00

This year, SWANA is committed to getting MSW Solutions readers involved in the development of this newsletter, starting with what we hope will be a new section titled, "On Our Minds: Thoughts of SWANA Members." This month, SWANA Past-President Laurie Batchelder Adams discusses the recycling markets crisis.

Like any crisis, the recent plunge in recyclables markets forces us to ask some hard questions. The always-easier-said-than-done challenge, of course, is to ask the right questions and take the right actions; to find a way to use the crisis to improve the status quo rather than simply reacting - or worse, over-reacting.

For example, a natural tendency in times of economic stress is to narrow our focus to essential activities - and scale back on forward-looking planning activities. But does it really make sense - now of all times - to shut down the very process that visions and strategizes ways to increase efficiencies, diversify cost and revenue centers, and improve how we structure practices for managing our diversion programs? After all, planning activities rarely result in program changes tomorrow - these changes are usually months and years away. The longer we postpone these processes, the longer it will be until improvements become reality.

Speaking of practices for managing diversion programs:

Should we count on recyclables revenues to balance our budget/maintain our cash flow? Or should we acknowledge that we’re playing a risk-based game where the “ups” are eventually followed by “downs” and maybe breaking even is the most we should hope for? The answer may depend on whether your organization has a long-term contract with fixed prices and a good performance bond to back it up.

Should we pursue long-term market relationships or stick to a spot market approach? Are we ready to accept reasonable, competitive prices from buyers who want reliable, consistent product quality and quantity? Or is the allure of the high up-market prices we enjoyed a year ago too good to equalize in a long-term agreement?

Will floor/ceiling prices or even quantity caps be the norm in future agreements? Should suppliers increase their ability for warehousing recyclables (and therefore the ability to speculate) in future years? If so - how much storage and what pricing are good enough to offset a downturn like this one? The editor of MSW Management magazine recently suggested that the industry consider formal sequestration (storage) of recyclables as a way to maintain supply, allowing domestic end markets to enjoy more stability and longevity. Would this work?

Please join this discussion by clicking on the comment button below. Also, consider joining SWANA’s recycled markets discussions at the Thinking Outside the Blue Box conference in Portland February 9-10. See www.thinkingoutsidethebluebox.org for more details.

Laurie Batchelder Adams
2009 SWANA Past-President

Interested in submitting an MSW Solutions guest editorial or becoming a SWANA blogger? Email marketing@swana.org with your opinions and thoughts or suggested articles. Become more than just a reader of MSW Solutions; become a contributor!

MSW Solutions On Our Minds: Thoughts of SWANA Members

2009-01-12T10:25:00.002-05:00

As we enter the new year, SWANA is committed to getting MSW Solutions readers involved in the development of this newsletter, starting with what we hope will be a new section titled, "On Our Minds: Thoughts of SWANA Members." This month, SWANA President Carl Newby shares his thoughts about the economy and the future of solid waste management.

Today I am pondering what the impact that the drop in the recycling commodity markets will mean to me and my jurisdiction and how long it will last. I am pondering if I have a safe operation and if our training up to date. I am pondering where the price of fuel will be next year and whether I should continue to pay for biodiesel. I am wondering how waste-to-energy will fare with the new Obama administration.

What scares me is that my local government may be forced to eliminate training and memberships in professional groups in response to the current national economic crisis. The information that I use to contemplate the questions I am faced with daily as a solid waste professional comes in very large part from my SWANA training and network. I know I will have good answers for the questions facing my jurisdiction based on my experiences and what I have learned through SWANA. I know I will continue to need the knowledge base that I use daily that comes in large part from SWANA participation.

As I prepare my budget this year, I am working to keep our training and membership dollars. I know my jurisdiction must ask the question about the value of training when funds are so tight. I will answer that it is critical that we keep learning and growing. I will answer that this is an investment in having the best staff we can to handle tight times. I will answer that, to ensure the best environmental and economic solid waste management for us, we must learn from others.

Carl Newby
2009 SWANA President

Interested in submitting an MSW Solutions guest editorial or becoming a SWANA blogger? Email marketing@swana.org with your opinions and thoughts or suggested articles. Become more than just a reader of MSW Solutions; become a contributor!

Conversations from I AM SWANA

2008-12-08T09:05:00.005-05:00

Have you been on SWANA's new online group yet? If you haven't joined the I AM SWANA Online Group then you're missing some great conversations.

This weekend, Jason Hale from Alaska asked about Special Service for the Elderly & Handicapped and he's already getting assistance. And Connie Burns recently asked about Operating Procedures and was able to connect with a fellow online group member to help her review her current practices. Maybe you have some expertise that you can share with Jason or Connie or a question you need help with.

Check out the I AM SWANA Online Group and join the conversation - whether you have a question or want to share your advice.

And attention SWANA British Columbia and Northern Light Members - your chapters have recently opened up chapter groups on I AM SWANA - bringing your local members even closer.

Have an opinion on a recent development in the solid waste industry? Want to share some tips and successes with other solid waste professionals? Write for the I AM SWANA blog and share your views. Just email marketing@swana.org for more information.

Green Marketing and Outreach Campaigns

2008-10-23T23:37:00.002-04:00

Terrence Gellenbeck with the city of Phoenix Public Works Department in Arizona presented his city's new recycling program Wednesday afternoon during the Green Marketing and Outreach Campaign session. Terrence provided excellent information on how they improved their recycling program by rolling out the “Recycling Changes Everything” campaign.

Keys to improving their city’s program included a three part initiative: new slogan, community outreach, and media outreach. The first part of their program included changing their slogan. The city has provided recycling since 1989 and had used the same recycling slogan for eight years, so Terrence believed the city needed a new recycling slogan to revamp and improve the program.

Secondly, community outreach was vital to improving recycling participation and reducing contamination. They formed a focus group and asked residents how to improve the recycling program. The focus group’s best idea was to incorporate pictures on education literature and materials. Terrence said this idea really helped their recycling program.

Lastly, he provided ways to maximize advertising. The city program organizers developed 30-second radio commercials, but radio stations sell advertising in one-minute blocks, so the city worked with a public water organization to share the cost of the advertising.

Another initiative the city of Phoenix rolled out was a bag reduction program. In three months, they found a 12 percent increase number of cloth bags used at grocery stores and an 8 percent decrease of plastic bags being used at grocery stores.

Lessons learned from a new campaign:
Know your customers
Identify key stakeholders
Develop a common vision for your organization
Be cost consciousness

Terrence’s parting words on recycling: It’s more expensive, but it legitimizes what you do.

2008-10-23T11:30:00.002-04:00

For more than two years Roberta Fernandez has committed to taking action to educate others on climate change.

Roberta spoke at Wednesday's keynote presentation and her passion and commitment showed as she talked about Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth climate project message.

Al Gore personally trained Roberta in Nashville to present his climate change message publicly. She said every action taken by an individual or organization that is positive and measurable is meaningful.

Roberta provided clear data about how the planet is becoming hotter and the stated the 9 of the 10 hottest year occurred in our last decade. She provided three reasons why our planet's temperature is changing. I. Population 2. Scientific and technological advances 3. The way we think.

The third reason, the way we think is harder to understand because people may not believe that we have caused the planet to become warmer based on our activities such as industry or driving. Many people don't believe this is a real problem.

Roberta said the misunderstanding is based on media perspective, which tries to explain both sides of the story, when scientific journals clearly and unanimously agree that the planet is warming and burning fossil fuels is a major culprit. We get 86 percent of our energy from burning fossil fuels!

She said every action taken by an individual or organization that is positive and measurable is meaningful. She changed her consulting business into Planet Partnership. It's an organization that educates people to take action in their own lives to reduce their carbon footprint.

Her message was clear, there are no national boundaries when discussing climate change and we're all in this together. So, let's take action and make a commitment to reduce our carbon footprint!

Waste Conversion Technologies: What does the future hold?

2008-10-22T10:58:00.002-04:00

Many communities are adopting greater diversion goals and must find new ways to reduce municipal solid waste. Technologies discussed at Tuesday’s session included Waste-to-Energy, Gasification, Plasma Arc, and anaerobic digestion of MSW.

Dan Costello with DHR Engineering, Inc. presented at the Waste Conversion Technologies session. To improve their waste diversion goals, DHR completed five international tours in three years to get a feel of the global community on waste diversion technologies.

Tour sites were chosen in Asia and Europe, including Japan, Germany and Belgium.
Waste-to-Energy sites are mainly used in Germany and Belgium. With more than 300 plants in Europe, this technology costs about $150-$200 US per ton.

Gasification processes are mainly present in Japan, but not in Europe, Dan said.
This technology seems to work best with more uniform and select waste feedstock. This technology costs about $300 per ton.

The Plasma Arc technology has operational issues due to fuel feed stock that is still being worked out, Dan said. No extension operation studies at a full load rate and cost per ton information were not available on the plasma arc technology.

The last technology he discussed included anaerobic digestion of MSW. Dan stated odor is a problem with this technology and no emissions data is available, though he expected emissions to be low compared to EPA MACT standards.

Patrick Matthews, with Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority in California discussed their research on the autoclave system technology.

The authority is made up of five cities and eastern unincorporated area of Monterey County and generates approximately 260,000 tons of waste per year. Fortunately, their authority diverts 50 percent of their waste, but has set of goal of 75 percent by 2015 and 50 years of sustainable processing/disposal capacity.

With strong opposition to landfills, Patrick wanted to research other technologies to divert waste with less environmental impacts. The authority is conducting a 2-year testing program on the autoclave system.

The autoclave is basically a large pressurized steam cooker and looks like a big cement mixer, Patrick said. The authority is in second year of testing. When speaking about the marketability of products from steaming MSW in the autoclave, high amounts of cellulose remains. Cellulose is a feedstock for ethanol production. The autoclave can process up to 2 tons of municipal solid waste per day up to three times a day and reduces waste volume by 60 percent.

We have to consider new technologies because there will probably not be very many landfills built in the next 10 years, so we have to look at new ways to handle waste stream, Patrick added.

2008-10-21T10:56:00.002-04:00

Greetings fellow trash lovers!

I'm probably not alone saying last night's Opening Reception of SWANA's WASTECON 2008 was a wonderful kick-off to the conference! It's a great, relaxed way to network and make new friends.

I feel such synergy when talking to others about waste reduction, recycling and sustainability! Not only did I chat with folks from the United States, I spoke with attendees from Canada and Australia, this truly is an international conference! It truly makes me believe that we're all in this together.

John Biedenharn, solid waste manager of Coconino County's Public Works Department, which is located in Flagstaff, AZ is looking forward to renewing his professional career with SWANA after being out of the country for more than 10 years. John worked in solid waste careers in Guam and North Queensland, Australia before moving to the states. "The short version of my passion in this work is to try to make a difference. It's the truth," John said.

Also attending last night's festivities included former international president Tom Parker encouraged members of SWANA to become involved with the organization. He has been involved on committees and boards throughout the past 10 years and feels he has gotten a lot more out of the organization by being involved.

Enjoy the conference and please come back to read more of our conference coverage!

Carbon is a Hot Topic - For Everyone

2008-10-19T15:20:00.003-04:00

WASTECON in Tampa is just a days away and it sounds amazing! This year's conference showcases energy and climate issues. There has been a lot of interest and concern about the reducing our carbon footprint lately. It's a hot topic!

Energy use and climate are issues that require assistance and action from an individual, business and governmental perspective. It must be addressed domestically and internationally since we're all in this together, right?

Some of the technical sessions you don't want to miss include: Food Waste to Energy, Sustainable Recycling and How Green is your Landfill? The latter session will discuss how to measure the carbon footprint of your landfill!

Be sure to check out the WASTECON blog at www.wastecon.org for conference information and updates.

I'll see you at Opening Reception!

Maximizing Recovery and Beneficial Use of Disaster Debris - Workshop in conjunction with WASTECON 2008

2008-09-22T07:52:00.002-04:00

Complimentary Workshop Registrations Available for
Florida Public/Government Officials!

On Monday October 20th, Kessler Consulting Inc. (KCI) will present an in-depth workshop on maximizing recovery and beneficial use of disaster debris. Sponsored by Sumter County with a grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the workshop will be held in conjunction with SWANA’s upcoming WASTECON Conference (Tampa Bay Convention Center, Monday, October 21 -23, 2008).

This four hour workshop will go well-beyond traditional disaster debris management training courses and focus squarely on implementing tactical plans that maximize recovery and beneficial use of disaster debris. Through a series of intensive case studies and interactive discussions, the workshop will feature the following best practices:
• Pre-planning steps to identify and secure end-markets for vegetative and other storm debris and create processing systems to meet the material quality specifications of those markets;

• Key elements in debris management contracts that require contractors to maximize diversion and beneficial use of vegetative storm debris;

• Public outreach strategies to ensure residents and businesses adhere to storm preparedness guidelines and follow curbside debris set-out procedures that maximize material quality and minimize contamination.

The first 50 Florida public / government officials that register online will be provided with a complimentary workshop registration. The registration deadline for this offer is October 13, 2008. Please remember that you must be a Florida public/government official to take advantage of this offer. All others can register directly through SWANA: http://wastecon.swana.org. Florida public/government officials can register online using the following link: http://workshop-registration.notlong.com.

If you need further assistance with the registration process for Florida public/government officials only please email Jessica DelGrosso with KCI at jdelgrosso@kesconsult.com.

Things To Do in Tampa Bay

2008-09-15T11:06:00.006-04:00

You might know Tampa Bay for its beautiful sunsets and sparkling beaches but there is so much more to enjoy! Acclaimed for its tropical weather and colorful foliage, Tampa Bay also offers diverse attractions and exciting nightlife.

If you want to enjoy a little piece of the “Big Guava” during your stay for WASTECON, you should check out…

Raymond James Stadium

Check out Jon Gruden and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, October 19th. Click here for ticket information and pricing.

Visit trendy International Plaza for nationally acclaimed restaurants and bars after the game. You’ll enjoy exquisite flavors, artistic presentations, and a dining experience with international inspiration. Capital Grill and The Grape both offer extensive wine collections.

St. Pete Times Forum

Check out Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey after the WASTECON conference. Games start at 7:30 pm and tickets start as low as $15.

October 18th – Wild vs. Lightning
October 21st – Threshers vs. Lightning
October 25th – Sharks vs. Lightning

Tickets can be purchased at the McDonald’s Box Office at the St. Pete Times Forum and all Ticketmaster outlets. To order tickets by phone, call Ticketmaster at 813.287.8844 or 727.898.2100, or call the Lightning Ticket Office at 813.301.6600.

St. Pete Times Forum isn’t just about great hockey – they tout impressive recycling stats too. Here are some recycling facts from their website:

The Times Forum recycles an average of 24,000 pounds of beverage cans per year

It uses more than 320,000 aluminum cans per year with a near 100% recycle record

It uses approximately 70,000 wine and liquor bottles per year; 100% of those are recycled

Its recycling efforts reduce green house gas emissions, equal to taking 123 cars off the road per year

Its energy savings from recycling equals the total energy used by 30 houses per year

Its paper recycling program saves 576 trees from being cut down per year

Its waterless urinals save an average of 1,665,000 gallons of water per year

Singer, songwriter Neil Diamond is performing at the St. Pete Times Forum for only one night on Friday, October 24th, 2008. Tickets are on sale now. Visit the St. Pete Times Forum website for tickets and more information.

Libations after the game?

After the game, hang out with the locals at Hatricks Bar located at 107 S. Franklin St. Tampa. Or, take the charming trolley to trendy Channelside Bay Plaza where you can enjoy a movie, martini or both! You can sing along at the lively piano bar, Howl at the Moon, or catch a fruity drink at Margarita Mama’s or Banana Joe’s. Convenient connections between the vintage replica trollies and streetcars transport visitors between downtown hotels, historic Ybor City and Channelside.

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

TBPAC is located downtown on a picturesque nine-acre site along the east bank of the Hillsborough River, the 335,000 square-foot TBPAC provides an environment for a wide variety of world-class events. It boasts one of the nation's leading Broadway series and is nationally respected for producing grand opera, as well as presenting a wide variety of concerts, performances and events. More than 500,000 patrons attended 4,375 on-site events in TBPAC's 2006-2007 season.

The performing arts complex consists of five distinct theaters, a performing arts Conservatory, a rehearsal hall, boutiques, and three on-site restaurants and banquet facilities. The five individual theaters at TBPAC are Carol Morsani Hall (2,610 seats), Ferguson Hall (1,042 seats), the Jaeb Theater (268 seats), the TECO Energy Foundation Theater (250 seats) and the Shimberg Playhouse (130 seats).

Performances during WASTECON:

October 14th – 19th Wizard of Oz
October 16th – 19th Hats the Musical
October 23rd –November 9th Hats the Musical
October 24th Florida Orchestra presents: Opening Night: Beethoven Symphony No. 7

And that's not even the tip of the iceberg...next time we'll go across the Bay into Pinellas.

Getting in Touch with the Local Committee

2008-09-04T15:28:00.006-04:00

As we near this year’s WASTECON, the local Florida committee has been hard at work setting up a great Wednesday night party, and assisting the SWANA association offices with the other logistics of WASTECON – setting up recycling, recruiting volunteers, etc.

And to give you a better idea of what is going on in FL, we have a guest blogger joining, Rick Clarke with the Pinellas County Solid Waste Dept. Rick currently works in the recycling section of the dept and gives tours and presentation of their facility to local children. As a matter of fact, Pinellas County recently won 2 SWANA Excellence Awards for its education program. Check out some info on their programs here: http://www.pinellascounty.org/utilities/PDF/swo_student_tours.pdf

So check back as Rick gives as an inside view of all things FL as well as a behind the scenes look at the great work the local committee is doing as a guest blogger for Around the Bin.

WASTECON Video Premiere

2008-08-07T17:00:00.004-04:00

SWANA staff put together the following video on WASTECON for the recent International Board Meetings. It was tough, but we were able to get all that WASTECON has to offer in 9 minutes 59 seconds (the limit for video uploads). Check it out:

Can't play the video on the blog? View the clip on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikqOZjoVuKs&NR=1

Have a video on solid waste you'd like to share? Post your links in the comment field or email marketing@swana.org.

WASTECON 2008 Podcast Premiere

2008-08-05T15:12:00.007-04:00

Want a sneak peek at one of over 25 WASTECON sessions? Well now's your opportunity with the premiere WASTECON 2008 podcast.

This podcast, we speak to Del Lisk of Drive Cam, Inc., who discusses the importance of How Driver Risk Management Technologies Can Improve Driver and Environmental Safety.

Listen to this episode

(or right click and select save as to save a copy)

Check out the full presentation on Thursday October 23 at 3:30 pm.

What other techniques do you use to encourage driver safety?

What's your MTCO2E?

2008-07-31T17:16:00.003-04:00

No, it's not the latest pick up line.
No, it's not any of that new-fangled text messaging code.

MTCO2E is short for Metric Ton of CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Equivalents. This is the standard measurement for carbon equivalent emissions. In the case of traveling, your mode of transportation and length of stay will create a certain amount of emissions. If you haven't already calculated your MTCO2E for your WASTECON travel, you can take a few moments and use our new online calculator. With the help of our WASTECON Carbon Advisors, HDR, we have created this online tool for each attendee to figure out his or her own emissions for travel to WASTECON.

But wait, I know what you're thinking! Aren't we supposed to be reducing our emissions? Yep! That's right. So, I thought about how we could reduce our emissions from our WASTECON Travel. One idea that I came up with is to start a Ride-Sharing thread on our new WASTECON Group site. Here you can offer a ride or get a ride to the event. You might also find other attendees who you could share a taxi to or from the airport.

That's one idea. What are some of your ideas??

An Interview with Dr. Jean Bogner, this Year's Lawrence Lecturer

2008-07-29T12:54:00.005-04:00

I recently had an opportunity to chat with this year’s Lawrence Lecturer, Dr. Jean Bogner, about waste, energy and climate. Dr. Bogner served as the coordinating lead author of the Waste Management Chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4th Assessment Report “Mitigation of Climate Change”. The IPCC was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore. Jean Bogner is the President of Landfills +, Inc., and a Research Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago.

SWANA - Dr. Bogner, thru your own studies and your work on the IPCC report, how have you seen waste impact energy and climate?

Dr. Bogner - There are two things to emphasize with respect to climate and energy. First is that waste is actually a small contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Less than three percent of global anthropogenic emissions are caused by the waste sector. On the other hand, there are also significant opportunities for greenhouse gas mitigation from the waste sector with respect to landfill gas recovery and to activities which either reduce greenhouse gas generation or reduce waste generation such as recycling and waste minimization. Secondly, energy from waste (via landfill gas utilization, waste-to-energy, or use of anaerobic digester biogas) is an important renewable energy resource.

SWANA - How would you recommend a solid waste facility to mitigate their emissions?

Dr. Bogner - Well of course for landfills, landfill gas recovery and utilization, which has been a fully commercial technology now for over thirty years, is a good strategy. Incineration reduces greenhouse gas generation. Also, waste minimization and recycling activities reduce waste generation in the first place. So, I think the “take home” message is that we must preserve all our waste management options and sensibly apply greenhouse gas mitigation strategies that best fit local situations and regulatory guidelines.

SWANA - Do you foresee any new mitigation techniques which are starting to evolve in the industry?

Dr. Bogner - One technique is landfill biocovers, which is a strategy to design and construct landfill covers so that methane is oxidized at high rates before it can be emitted to the atmosphere. The oxidation is accomplished by methanotrophic bacteria which are aerobic microorganisms that naturally live in the soil.

SWANA - How would you encourage those who are collecting the waste to mitigate their emissions?

Dr. Bogner - On the waste collection side there could be opportunities to reduce transport distances, reduce redundant routes, and improve fuel efficiencies.

SWANA - How would you recommend that a facility that is working with either landfill gas or incineration portray the benefits of these technologies to the general public?

Dr. Bogner - I think the tremendous benefits are on the energy side. Landfill gas is roughly fifty percent methane. So there are significant energy benefits to recovering and using the landfill methane for direct use in gas-fired broilers or onsite electrical generation, or for upgrading to a substitute natural gas. Incineration is the pathway where you get the most energy benefit from solid waste through direct combustion.

SWANA - As this years Lawrence lecturer for WASTECON in Tampa, what is one thing that you hope that attendees will really take away from your presentation?

Dr. Bogner - Well as I mentioned at the beginning of this interview, I think the fact that the waste factor is a small contributor to global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions but there are significant opportunities within the sector for cost-effective mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, the sector is a small part of the problem but can be a larger part of the solution.

End

Don’t miss Dr. Bogner’s presentation at this year’s WASTECON Lawrence Lecturer Session, Wednesday October 22 at 9:30am as we continue to explore the connection between energy, climate and solid waste.

Member thoughts:
How is your facility mitigating its emissions?
What other mitigating techniques do you see coming down the pike?
Post your comments here.

Around the Bin Is Back

2008-07-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

Around the Bin is Back and Better Than Ever – at least that’s the goal – but we need your help! While the blog will begin by focusing on WASTECON, please feel free to discuss anything related to solid waste. The blog is for you and should cover the information that you want and/or need.

The idea of the blog is to give you an outlet to communicate with the other 8,000+ members of SWANA without leaving your home or office. SWANA staff will also be posting news, clips and information on WASTECON 2008 in Tampa to get the conversation started!

So join the blog today by e-mailing marketing@swana.org and share your thoughts! You can:

Provide links to articles, presentations and topics for discussion
Submit videos, photos, podcasts or other web jewels
Participate in SWANA interviews
Comment on other posts
Try something new!

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

P.S. Stay on top of all the latest blog action by subscribing under the Subscribe Now section in the upper right hand column. We have email subscription and RSS Feed (more on RSS in future posts).

2008-06-04T11:49:00.003-04:00

WASTECON 2007 Photo's

2007-11-02T08:35:00.000-04:00

Whether you attended this years event or unfortunately was unable to attend, the WASTECON 2007 photo's recap the fun times you had or missed at the networking events, trade show, educational sessions and so much more.

See you next year in Tampa!

Click here to view pictures now