Steve Apotheker is the Senior Recycling Analyst for the Waste Reduction, Planning & Outreach Branch for Portland Metro – which is a regional governmental agency serving three counties and 25 cities in the Portland, Oregon region. Steve previously served as an editor for Resource Recycling Magazine and prior to that, worked extensively in recycling in Illinois. In comments from fully 33 persons who supported Steve’s nomination (representing haulers, cities, state, attorneys, consultants, academics, counties, and state recycling associations), Steve received the following accolades:
“One of the most dedicated, hardest working persons known in the field of waste reduction and recycling”.
Steve has not only been instrumental in helping Portland Metro become one of the top half dozen leading agencies in the country in recycling, diversion, and measurement, but has conducted leading work in sustainability, MRF quality, data analysis, waste policy leadership groups, and legislative committees. Steve has a demonstrated history of bringing creativity and innovation to new programs, coupled with real analysis of the programs and their performance.
Nominees noted that Steve is recognized nationally for his willingness to share what he knows. He is the ”go to” guy (with the nickname of “the Oracle” for some nominees).
Steve lives and works environmentally and is a tireless volunteer on behalf of recycling – with AOR, NRC, and countless other groups. Steve’s experience and expertise in recycling began in Illinois- Champaign Urbana at Illinois’s Community Recycling Center, and he was a founding father of the Illinois Recycling Association (initially known as the Illinois Association of Recycling Centers). He has worked in the field almost 30 years, and he is an elite among the elite, and highly deserving of the NRC’s award for a lifetime achievement in recycling.
“...one of the most brilliant minds in the business”
…encyclopedic knowledge of recycling.
Murray Fox is an engineer and has owned and developed a variety of successful recycling companies over the years. His career started just after World War II, when he worked in automating car washes and quickly turned to recycling. In the early 1950s Murray worked in aluminum, making smelting and casting equipment innovations. He then turned to glass. His unwillingness to just dump materials into the waste stream led him to develop innovations in uses, recycling, and reuse opportunities for glass cullet. Murray purchased a small one-truck operation and built it into a cutting edge, automated system for cleaning and pulverizing glass and created an intermediate glass processing facility in the Northeast, growing that company from 125 tons per month 3,200 tons per month by 1976. His operations in MA, NJ, and NY expanded into cullet, can-counting machinery, balers, and recasing lines. By 1991 he got into “plastics”, working in plastic beverage containers, and he helped grow a process for reclaiming and reusing waste plastics, allowing commingling of all 7 types of waste stream plastic to be processed into newly extruded products. Murray holds several patents.
Murray was one of the founding fathers and is a charter member of NRC and an honorary member of the Board of Directors.
Thinking of the future, Murray also set up the environmental he set up the Trust Fund, providing scholarships to the NRC for outstanding members of our next generation of recyclers. Murray has “made recycling work” for many decades.
Next Step Recyling
(Lane County, OR)
Founded in 2002, NextStep Recycling implements its three-part mission through focused efforts locally, other areas of the state, and internationally.
NextStep:
1) educates and empowers disadvantaged individuals and organizations by providing refurbished computers allowing access to technology and the Internet;
2) recycles computers and other electronics in an environmentally sound manner, keeping hazardous waste out of Oregon’s soil and water environments;
3) provides skill-training opportunities to those who are considered unemployable, are currently underemployed, and/or are people new to the job market; and
4) offers education to the general public regarding the importance of electronics and polystyrene foam recycling and the impact of these kinds of waste on our environment
NextStep Recycling is the clearinghouse for social service agencies that place computers with clients, and the only facility in Lane County that recycles EPS foam.
Contact:
Lorraine Kerwood
(541) 686.2366 x119
lorraine@nextsteprecycling.org
East Baton Rouge Recycling Office
(Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Baton Rouge began curbside recycling in 1990. Over the years our curbside recycling program, as well as other waste diversion programs, has grown steadily supported by strong community outreach and effective planning. In 2006 after several years of strategic planning and an RFP process, we began phased-in conversion to single-stream recycling. To date, with 55,000 carts delivered, tonnage collected curbside has increased by over 30%. We are working towards a goal of a 50% increase in tonnage by the end of 2007. We attribute our success to in-depth strategic planning, effective networking with local leaders, and a creative grass-roots public outreach effort. The new single-stream recycling program has saved landfi ll space as well as dollars: our new rate of $1.52/household/month saves over $1.00/hh/month compared to our former rate ($2.60/hh/month).
Contact:
Susan Hamilton
(225) 389-5194
shamilton@brgov.com
Maryland Aviation Administration and Partners
(BWI Airport, MD)
The Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) has led a significant effort to increase recycling at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Martin State Airport in Maryland. As a result of this effort, the MAA has increased recycling from 4.75 percent in February 2004 to 27.28 percent for calendar year 2006. The MAA has met the 20 percent State goal for 32 consecutive months (September 2004 – April 2007, the most recent reporting month).
Mr. Wayne S. Pennell, MAA Deputy Executive Director for Maintenance, Utilities and Terminal Services, attributes the increase to “the partnership of several groups which have worked diligently to raise awareness of the recycling efforts at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.” The partnership has included:
• BAA (Tenant)
• Tenants (airlines and concessionaires)
• Chimes (recycling collection)
• BFI (hauler and processor)
• Midpoint International (container supplier)
• Maryland Environmental Service (technical support)
Contact:
Edwin Maker, Sr.
(410) 859-7538
emaker@bwiairport.com
Mayor John Hickenlooper
(Denver, Colorado)
The City of Denver is one of recycling's great success stories. After the near death of the city's recycling program, Mayor Hickenlooper worked closely with recycling advocates to bring back residential recycling to the citizens of Denver. Today, Denver's residential recycling program incorporates state of the art collection and processing capacity with innovative outreach and communication strategies. These impressive changes have increased tons of recyclables collected by more than 60 percent.
Contact:
(Need Contact information)
National Starch Food Innovation
(Indianapolis, IN)
In January 2006, an “Idea for Improvement” was submitted with the simple question, “Why don’t we recycle more at National Starch”? Although a number of individual recycling initiatives were already in place, detailed discussion highlighted that there were considerable environmental benefits and cost savings from a more comprehensive program. To prove its effectiveness, a pilot scheme was set up with the only proviso that the program needed to be sustainable, require minimum management involvement and be driven by operators on the floor. A committee of hourly volunteers was set up and they set a target of reducing the volume of waste generated by 75%, through recovering, reusing or recycling all items within their particular waste streams. With the backing of all employees; the recycling duties are now part of everyone’s regular jobs.
After one year of operation, we enjoy a sustained reduction in volume of 98% while associated cost savings of 90%.
Contact:
Rich Catron
(317) 656-2285
claude.catron@nstarch.com
Gwinnett County Public Schools
(Lawrenceville, GA)
Department of Environmental & Supply Services developed an initiative to address the growing problem of polystyrene lunch tray disposal.
• In FY2006, GCPS disposed of 13,982,000 trays. In FY2007, forecasted sending more than 16,000,000 trays to the landfill.
• Pilot conducted at three schools in May 2005.
• Collection process developed through iterative steps of trial and error to improve each link in the chain.
• Overcame local school management’s objections of perceived additional workload.
• Designed Tray Collection Rack and had commercially manufactured.
• Designed UnderTruck Storage Box for delivery trucks to transport collected trays.
• Created video to use as marketing tool to solicit participation in program.
• 28 schools (59,609 students) actively participating in program at the end of the school year, May 2007.
• Removing approximately one ton of material from waste stream each day.
• First polystyrene recycling program in the state of Georgia.
Contact:
Brad Coury
(678) 226-7200
brad_coury@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
University of Vermont
(Burlington, VT)
The University of Vermont has been recycling since 1987 when the Custodial department, in response to student advocacy and state legislation, established the program. Since then, the program has expanded to collect over a dozen categories of materials, and integrates recycling, composting and waste reduction into the solid waste management system of the university. Annually, on average, the University diverts
960 tons of material from landfill disposal, or about 35% of the total waste stream. The system relies on successful partnerships with private, public and non-profit organizations. Full time university employees ensure that recycling is collected on a consistent basis. Students are employed to help promote and advocate and educate other students. After twenty years in operation, the program has evolved into a fully supported function within the facilities operations of the university.
Contact:
Erica M. Spiegel
(802) 656-4191
Erica.Spiegel@uvm.edu
RecycleBank
(Philadelphia, PA)
RecycleBank was founded in September 2004 by Ron Gonen, with the belief that environmental solutions create economic opportunities. Today, RecycleBank motivates people to become better citizens and smarter consumers by financially rewarding them for recycling at home. It does this by quickly and easily measuring the amount of material each home recycles and then converts that activity into RecycleBank dollars that can be used at over 300 local and national retail partners. RecycleBank recently won the 2007 Philadelphia Sustainability Award. The award recognizes those who are leading the way to a more sustainable future, represent solutions to some of the Philadelphia region’s most challenging environmental and quality of life issues and symbolize strong commitments to community involvement, partnership building and economic feasibility.
Contact:
Lisa Pomerantz
(917) 822- 6476
lisap@recyclebank.com
Colorado Association for Recycling
(Denver, Colorado)
The Colorado Association for Recycling was formed in 1991. It languished until 1998 when a dedicated group of volunteers took the first steps to expand its board of directors and membership base. Since then, CAFR has grown both financially and in the services they offer. CAFR courted businesses and communities, and succeeded in developing a solid member base of corporate support, which has helped CAFR positively impact and influence recycling in the state. After only three years of working at the legislature, CAFR has passed, or helped to pass, eight bills, three of which are landmark bills for Colorado. The two bills with the greatest impact will affect how the state makes its purchasing decisions, and will fund a grant /rebate program and two state employees who will track recycling rates and more. The third bill created a landfill ban, the first of its kind in Colorado.
Contact:
Marjorie Griek
(970) 535-4053
Marjie@cafr.org