On November 15th, millions of Americans celebrated the 14th anniversary of America Recycles Day and pledged to increase their recycling habits at home and work and to buy products made with recycled materials. Looking back over the past few decades, recycling progress has been significant, with the national recycling rate increasing from less than 10% in the 1980s to over 33% today. During that period, tens of thousands of community recycling programs were established across the country. However, even with this progress, this is a time of uncertainty for the recycling movement in North America. The precipitous decline in recycled commodity prices that started a year ago has adversely affected the economics of many local recycling programs. While prices are improving, communities continue to find it difficult to expand their recycling efforts during this period of economic downturn and significant cuts in municipal budgets.
At the same time, some of the national recycling associations are working through a period of significant change and are facing challenges of their own. The National Recycling Coalition (NRC), a leader in the recycling movement over the past 30 years is struggling to reduce its debt and reorganize its programs to avoid bankruptcy. Keep America Beautiful (KAB) has stepped forward to continue some of NRC’s prior efforts and is working to provide better recycling support to its extensive affiliate network. The newly established Recycling Organizations of North America (RONA) has shouldered the ambitious goal of attempting to link together grassroots recycling programs across the country.
SWANA has communicated its willingness and interest to continue to work cooperatively with all recycling organizations to advance recycling in North America. We believe that we are facing an unprecedented opportunity to make recycling a cornerstone of the international efforts to mitigate global warming and to reduce the dependence on non-renewable energy. In addition, we believe that recycling can be advanced by strengthening its connection to community development goals, job creation and green manufacturing efforts. Now more than ever, it is imperative for the national recycling associations to work together on some of these common challenges and opportunities.
We believe that we have some unique strengths and resources that can compliment and help the other members of the recycling community. We pledge to continue our bedrock efforts related to recycling training, education, certification, research and advocacy in order to assist our members in carrying out effective recycling programs in their communities. SWANA will continue to work to advance recycling in North America through the following programs.
Training, Education and Certification
SWANA prides itself on its cutting edge training program. We will continue to put forward new and updated courses targeted at recycling professionals.
- The Manager of Recycling Systems Training Course
This course, updated with additional new information in May 2009, covers the planning, developing, marketing, funding, contracting and managing of recycling programs. This includes collection, processing, end-use standards, and protection of human health and the environment. This course prepares students to become a Certified Recycling Manager by taking and passing the Recycling Systems Certification exam. - The Managing Composting Programs Certification Training Course
This newly updated course, given for the first time in September 2009, prepares students for the SWANA/ United States Composting Council Certification Exam and covers composting lawn, wood, food and agricultural materials and the planning, design and operation of composting facilities. - The Managing Construction & Demolition Debris Training Course
Updated in December 2008, this course covers the basics of managing construction and demolition materials, including definition, composition, recycling, environment and human safety issues. This course prepares students for the SWANA/Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) C&D Certification.
Annual Recycling Symposium and Conference
For over 10 years SWANA has put on an annual recycling and special waste symposium entitled Thinking Outside the Blue Box. This symposium encourages innovation in recycling and special waste management by going beyond typical curbside programs and focuses extensively on recycling, composting, product stewardship and special waste issues. The Winter Training Center held in conjunction with the symposium, offers a variety of SWANA recycling training courses and certification exams. This year’s symposium will be held on February 8-13, 2010 in Charlotte, NC. For more information see: http://www.thinkingoutsidethebluebox.org/.
SWANA’s Annual Conference and Equipment Exhibition, WASTECON®, will continue to include recycling education and training as a special theme along with other aspects of integrated solid waste management. This year’s WASTECON® will be held in Boston, MA on August 15-17, co-located with the APWA Annual Conference and Exhibition. For more information on WASTECON® see http://www.wastecon.org/.
The SWANA Recycling and Special Waste Technical Division
SWANA has seven Technical Divisions which provide opportunities for our members to meet, interact and share information with other professionals specializing in various aspects of solid waste management. As our second largest Technical Division with over 600 members, the Recycling and Special Waste Division actively works to advance recycling, composting and special waste practices and to reduce waste. The Division members plan and put on the annual symposium and conference programs, develop and teach the various recycling training courses, participate in regulatory and legislative advocacy efforts and engage in many networking and information sharing efforts.
Recycling Research
In its 9th year, SWANA’s Applied Research Foundation carries out collectively-funded and defined applied research projects that address pressing solid waste management issues. The Foundation has produced many research reports that are available to SWANA members and the general public for free or at nominal prices. Research reports in the recycling area include: Curbside Collection of Residential Food Waste, Recycling and Disposal of Discarded Consumer Electronics, Markets for Recovered C&D Materials, Separation of Food Wastes from Multi Family Buildings and Dual Collection of MSW and Yard Wastes. The Foundation’s research results have reached tens of thousands of solid waste professionals through publication in MSW Management and Resource Recycling Magazines.
Excellence Awards
SWANA’s Excellence Awards Program recognizes outstanding solid waste and recycling programs and facilities that advance environmentally and economically sound practices through effective technologies and processes in system design and operations, proactive worker and community health and safety, and successful public education and outreach. SWANA provides Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in 13 categories including composting, public education, recycling and integrated solid waste management.
Recycling Advocacy
The goal of SWANA’s advocacy program is to represent the interests of the solid waste and recycling professions by being a proactive advocate of environmentally and economically sound solid waste legislation and regulations. SWANA monitors state, provincial and federal legislative and regulatory activity to keep our members informed of issues pertinent to the municipal solid waste and recycling field and develops quarterly reports on litigation and legislation. SWANA works with outside groups, coalitions, legislators, and agencies to advance our legislative and regulatory goals. In the recycling area, SWANA has endorsed tax credits and accelerated depreciation for recycling equipment, tax free bonds for recycling facility financing, and state and federal grant funding for local recycling programs.
Get involved with SWANA and its 8,000 members and 45 Chapters in the US, Canada and the Caribbean as we work to advance recycling through a full and extensive catalog of training, education, certification, advocacy, research and recognition programs. There is no better time to join the leading association for solid waste professionals to advance both recycling and your career. Send me your ideas. What else can SWANA do to help its members advance recycling in communities throughout North America?
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