Friday, May 11, 2012

Waste Polution Prevent Listserve May 11, 2012 by Sandra Boggs

WasteP2 Listserve
May 11, 2012
by
Energy and Pollution Prevention Bureau
Department of Environmental Quality
Sandra Boggs
recycle.mt.gov

[Re-posted with permission by Recycle Montana!]
1. Heads Up! Lowe’s & KAB Grant Program: Due May 16th
Thanks, Trashman, for the head up on this! The deadline for Phase 2 of these grants has been extended to
Wednesday, May 16th. Keep America Beautiful affiliates were the only eligible grant applicants in
Phase 1 of this new program; the May 16th deadline is for civic organizations, non-profits, government,
and colleges. Check out the website for more information and learn about appropriate projects.
https://secure2.convio.net/kab/site/SSurvey?JServSessionIdr004=qbtel3fnl6.app214a&SURVEY_ID=220
0&ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS Ignore the dates on the website –
they have not yet been updated to reflect the new deadline for Phase 2.

2. Plastics Recycling in Helena this Weekend; Aluminum collected too!
S.A.V.E. has organized another plastics recycling drive starting today and continuing until
Monday, May 14th. The hours are 8am - 6pm at 1100 Last Chance Gulch (behind the YMCA at
the far parking lot). http://www.savemobile.org/ Check out the list of supporting businesses and
find out the details about preparing your recyclables for drop-off.
http://www.savemobile.org//Recycle/recycling.plastic.shtml

3. Electronics Recycling in Helena next Weds. May 16th
Next Wednesday is the third one of the month which means it is Electronics Recycling Time at
the City of Helena Transfer Station. The City’s new E-Waste Recycling Program is permanent!
meaning that residents can drop off their unwanted or non-working electronics from 9:00 am –
2:00 pm the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Fees apply to some items; many are free.
http://www.ci.helena.mt.us/departments/public-works/solid-waste/recycling.html;
http://www.ci.helena.mt.us/fileadmin/user_upload/City_Public_Works/solid/Documents/EWAST_
PRICE_SHEET.pdf

4. Electronic Events Planned for Lake, Flathead and Richland Counties
Richland County: 3pm – 7pm on Thursday, May 17th at the County Shop, Sidney; this event is
FREE. Other events are planned for June 21, July19, and August 16th. Same time and location.
A two-day weekend event will be held Sept 7-8th. www.ars.usda.gov/npa/nparl/ewaste
Lake County: 9am – 3:30pm on Friday, May 18th at the Transfer Station. First 500 lbs FREE
then $0.35/lb. http://lakecountyrecycling.com/e-waste_10.html
Flathead County: http://www.valleyrecycling.com
9 am - 2 pm at Valley Recycling, Kalispell; fees apply.
9 am - 12 pm at The Wave, Whitefish; fees apply

5. Shred Event and Prescription Drug Take-Back in Lake County, May 18th
The fifth-annual Community After Tax Shred Day will be held Friday, May 18 from 9 a.m.-noon
at the Community Bank in Polson. There will be a mobile shred truck at the bank to shred
personal documents and bank staff will be available with tips to protect yourself from identity
theft.
Prescription Drug Take-Back: Police will be at Community Bank to accept and properly dispose
of unused prescription drugs.

6. Wyoming Could Supply Rare Earth Minerals
Rare earth elements are essential to many renewable and alternative energy applications, such as
batteries, magnets, and certain computer components. China controls most of the supply, but
Wyoming is exploring a deposit near the Black Hills in northeastern Wyoming
http://wyofile.com/2012/05/rare-stake-can-wyoming-help-serve-worlds-hunger-for-rare-earthminerals

7. Pacific Steel & Recycling Purchases Idaho Firm
This Spokesman Review article describes the recent acquisition of Forest Steel Inc. by Great
Falls-based Pacific Steel & Recycling. Forest Steel is located in Dalton Gardens, Idaho
www.spokesman.com/blogs/officehours/2012/may/01/forest-steel-sold-pacific-steel-recycling

8. Butte Makes Use of Recycled Pulverized GlassThe Montana Standard reports that crushed recycled glass is finding a use as bedding in Uptown
Butte’s planters. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality provided the crushed glass
as a demonstration project, according to the account. http://mtstandard.com/news/local/shiningexample--- recycled-glass-finds-use-in-uptown/article_782291ba-942e-11e1-a688-001a4bcf887a.html  

9. Alaska Receiving Tsunami Debris AlreadyTrash and litter from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan are being blown into the coastal towns
and inlets of Alaska. Things look bad now but are expected to increase as current-driven debris
begins showing up in the next year. http://www.adn.com/2012/05/05/2454109/sea-monster-oftsunami- debris.html# -Anchorage Daily News

10. Webinars, Trainings, Conferences and More:

May 17, 2012
1:00 pm MT
Free to members
Power Management for Computers, Copiers, & Printers
Sponsored by the State Electronics Challenge
(Sign up for Free membership!)

May 22, 2012
Noon – 1:30 pm
Free to members;
up to $95 for others
Simple Life-Cycle Analysis and Their Role in Product Stewardship
Sponsored by the Product Stewardship Institute
Register and learn more:
www.productstewardship.us/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=924#Fees

June 5, 2012
Free to members;
up to $95 for others
Evaluating New York’s E-Scrap Law One Year Later
Sponsored by the Product Stewardship Institute
Register and learn more: www.productstewardship.us/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=924#Fees

June 7, 2012
11:00 am – Noon
FREE to State
Duplexing and Print Management
Sponsored by the Federal Electronics Challenge
No pre-registration required visit https://epa.connectsolutions.com/fec/ at the
Challenge Partners time of each call. Call in number 1-866-299-3188, code: 202-564-8847

Friday, May 4, 2012

Waste Polution Prevent Listserve May 3, 2012 by Sandra Boggs

WasteP2 Listserve
May 3, 2012
by
Energy and Pollution Prevention Bureau
Department of Environmental Quality
Sandra Boggs
recycle.mt.gov

[Re-posted with permission by Recycle Montana!]

*Bin Loan Program for Special Events! Up to twenty bins available for use at your public event.

* Save the Date!  Economy, Energy & the Environment Conference September 12 -14 in
Bozeman, MT

News and Updates:

1. Helena: Recycle Your Cycle Event, Saturday, May 5th
This event is from 9 – 11 am on Saturday and provides an opportunity to sell, swap, or purchase
bicycles. The Police will also be there offering free registration for bicycles, and handing out
calendars and safety information. To reserve a free space, contact M.C. Beeby at 431-3152 or
mc@mcbeeby.com.

2. Livingston/Park County: Electronics Collection Event
This Saturday, May 5th, residents of Livingston and Park County can recycle their electronics
between 10 am and 3 pm. The event is at the Fairgrounds. Recycling fees do apply, although
some items are free. Check the price list here:
http://www.yellowstoneewaste.com/images/pdfs/Livingston_Pricelist_2012.pdf

3. DNRC Offers Biomass Grants
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is soliciting proposals for three Woody
Biomass Utilization Grants. The first and second are for feasibility study, planning, design or
permitting and target private businesses, public entities, state and local governments, institutions,
tribal and non-profit entities. One is limited to projects within 50 air mile radius of the
communities of Butte, Bozeman or Superior. Award availability ranges from $9,000-$10,000.
The second is more regional and has an award availability of $60,000. Both feature submission
deadlines of June 7, 2012. The third is a statewide grant with the same targeted groups. It is for
the purchase of equipment, construction costs, pre-construction costs such as planning, and
economic feasibility studies. Award availability is expected to be $55,000 with a Request for
Proposals date in Summer or Fall of 2012. Application details for these and other grants
currently advertised can at: http://dnrc.mt.gov/Forestry/Assistance/Biomass/FinAsst/FinAsst.asp

4. Vegetable/Fruit Farmers Protest New Herbicide-Resistant GMO Seed
Since weeds are getting tougher - a harsher herbicide is planned for application to geneticallymodified
seeds that won’t be affected by the poison. What happens to surrounding farmland?
Grist’s Tom Laskawy describes the struggle between large commodity farmers and local
vegetable and fruit farmers. The latter are concerned about herbicides drifting onto their crops
and impacting growth and production. http://grist.org/industrial-agriculture/meet-24-d-apesticide- even-conventional-vegetable-farmers-fear/

5. Innovation: Is it Happening on U.S. College Campuses?
Check out the competitors in EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design
Competition for Sustainability to learn about ongoing research to solve economic and
SAVE THE DATE!
Economy, Energy & the Environment Conference
September 12 -14, 2012
Bozeman, MT
environmental challenges across the world. http://www.epa.gov/ncer/p3/project
_websites/2012/2012awardwinners.html
Press Release: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c 27/67080215612d011e852579ea0077eda3!OpenDocument

6. Incinerators Have Bad Reputation Which is Now Outdated
According to The Economist garbage incinerators are not the polluters of the past and may be a
better choice than trucking garbage for miles or sending it as cargo overseas.
www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/04/garbology-0

7. Wisconsin Experiences Increased Illegal Dumping of Electronics
Since a statewide electronics recycling law was implemented in 2010 – officials have seen more
electronics littering roadsides and fields. This is despite over 150 collectors operating in the state
and over 400 collection sites. http://www.wasterecyclingnews.com/email.html?id=1335792621
-Waste & Recycling News

8. Olympic National Park Removing Dams for Salmon Restoration
Thus far, this dam removal project is the largest project yet in an effort to restore Salmon habitat.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/28/us-usa-river-washington-idUSBRE83R0DX20120428

9. Recycling Plastic Bags - at Home
Ever get tired of taking your used plastic shopping bags to the super market for recycling? You
can turn your plastic bag waste into crafts – as explained by this woman on hipcycle.com.
http://hipcycle.com/blog/2012/04/25/plastic-bags-2?goback=%2Egde_1871786_member_111051724

10. Webinars, Trainings, Conferences and More

May 7, 2012
11 am – Noon
Free
Plastics Recycling: Keep Your Top On!
Sponsored by the Association of Post-Consumer Plastic Recyclers
Register: online

May 9, 2012
Noon – 1:30 pm
Free to members;
up to $95 for others
Making the Change: Local Gov’t Perspectives on Transition to EPR
Sponsored by the Product Stewardship Institute
Register and learn more:
www.productstewardship.us/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=924#Fees

May 10, 2012
11:00 – 12:30 pm
Recycling Education and Awareness: Tools, Tips and Ideas for Campus and
Community Outreach
Sponsored by CURC; http://curc3r.org/curc-webinars/webinar-series

May 17, 2012
1:00 pm MT
Free to members
Power Management for Computers, Copiers, & Printers
Sponsored by the State Electronics Challenge


May 22, 2012
Noon – 1:30 pm
Free to members;
up to $95 for others
Simple Life-Cycle Analysis and Their Role in Product Stewardship
Sponsored by the Product Stewardship Institute
Register and learn more:
 www.productstewardship.us/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=924#Fees

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Free Compost Workshop June 21 in Helena

Montana Department of Environmental Quality is sponsoring a "Composting in Montana Workshop" from 9am-noon on June 21, 2012, at the Montana Association of Counties Building (2715 Skyway Drive, just west of the Helena Regional Airport).  Registration is free and open to the public. Call Kathy O'Hern at 406.444.9879 or visit https://app.mt.gov/confreg2/index.html and click on “Start” and select “Home Composting Workshop" to sign up or learn more.

 [Click on the above image to see event flyer with more details]

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Environmental Tips