Advancing Waste Reduction and Recycling in the Carolinas Since 1989

 Happy Holidays to Our

CRA Family and Friends!

 

Greetings!

As 2014 winds down and we prepare to celebrate the holidays with our families and friends, we send a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to our CRA family as well.

As you celebrate the glory of the season may your home be filled with love, joy and hope.  May we never fail to see the blessings in our lives.

We thank you for the faith and confidence you have entrusted in us and we look forward to a fantastic year in 2015.

Sincerely,

Diane, Jenn, and the CRA Board of Directors 
 
Special Thanks to Our 2015 Sponsors!

2015 CRA Annual Awards
Honoring the Best of Recycling in the Carolinas!

Each year, CRA proudly honors the best programs, projects, and individuals for outstanding achievement and commitment to the mission of the CRA. Award winners will be announced at the 2015 Awards Gala & 25th Anniversary Celebration at the 25th Annual Conference. They will also be recognized in the CRA newsletter and through press releases sent to local media listed on the application form.  We encourage anyone to apply for an award, both members and non-members of CRA.

2015 Award Categories:
  •     Recycler of the Year Award
  •     Local Government Award
  •     Outstanding College or University Program
  •     Outstanding School Program
  •     Outstanding Business/Industry Recycling
  •     Outstanding Composting or Organics Recycling Program
  •     Getting the Word Out: Sensational Education and Outreach
  •     Volunteer Leadership Award
  •     Keep America Beautiful Outstanding Litter Prevention Program Award
  •     Bill Evans & Carol Bond Memorial Award for Outstanding Toxicity Reduction
Nominate someone today!
Register Now!
Carolina Recycling Association's
25th Annual Conference and Trade Show

March 23 - March 26, 2015
Embassy Suites Kingston Plantation
Myrtle Beach, SC

Join us March 23 - 26, 2015 at The Embassy Suites - Kingston Plantation for CRA's 25th Annual Conference and Trade Show, "Making Waves in Recycling".  We will discuss new recovery strategies, identify new materials, address new opportunities and explore new horizons.
www.cra-recycle.org/2015conf
CRA Issues Call for Board Nominations
Seeking Candidates for the 2015 Board of Directors 

The CRA Board Development Committee is seeking recommendations for CRA Board nominees for the 2015-2018 board positions. The organization is seeking Board members that can provide leadership to fulfill the CRA's mission and goals.

If you are currently a CRA member in good standing, you have a good work ethic, industry experience, you have the time to conduct board business and the ability to travel North and South Carolina for meetings, you may be the perfect candidate. The meetings will take place on the 3rd Thursday of the scheduled month with the exception of December, which will be on the 2nd Thursday.  Click here to view the tentative dates for the 2015-2016 meetings.  All Board members are expected to attend the annual planning retreat and Board meeting, held within 60 days of the annual conference and elections.  The 2015 Retreat will be May 6-8, 2015.

Please use our electronic Candidate Submission form to nominate a candidate.  The deadline for submission is January 16, 2015.


If you are not interested in serving as a Board member, but would like to serve on one of the CRA committees, we would also like to hear from you. The CRA is a member organization and its value comes from members like you.

Questions? Please contact Michael Talbert, Board Development Chair or Jenn Cooper, CRA Program Manager.   View the full information about 2015 Elections and the Annual Meeting.
Calling all Colleges and Universities for RecycleMania 2015
15th Annual Competition Kicks Off Feb 1

Registration for RecycleMania 2015 is open.   All colleges and universities are encouraged to participate  in this year's RecycleMania Tournament, a nationwide waste reduction and recycling competition. Starting February 1, schools across the country will kick off the eight-week competition to see who can best rally students to recycle and reduce waste.  Since the inaugural competition in 2001, over 700 colleges and universities and millions of students have participated, recycling and composting 630 million lbs. of materials and preventing nearly 900 thousand metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) of greenhouse gas emissions.

New this year, RecycleMania is adding a text and social media based competition where schools earn points each time a student post a selfie or message when they recycle, compost or reuse items.   Check out the orientation webinar on Jan. 15 to learn more about RecycleMania 2015.
In honor of America Recycles Day 2014, the NC Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (DEACS) partnered with the Carton Council and Keep NC Beautiful to hold the inaugural Recycle Guys ARD Poster contest.  The winner of this year's contest is Desirea Martin, an 8th grader from Salisbury, NC.  Desirea's winning poster has been printed and is available at no cost through the Recycle Guys to be used to promote recycling at schools, community events, and public spaces.
Sonoco Offers Details on Plant-based HDPE
Sonoco Producing Plantplastic Bottles for Ecover's Green Cleaning Line

In early December, South Carolina-based Sonoco announced it had begun production of plant-based HDPE in a packaging partnership with cleaning products brand Ecover.  According to Sonoco, 75 percent of the molecular weight of the bottles comes from bio-based sources and the remaining 25 percent is made using post-consumer recycled material.

"Anywhere that accepts HDPE will accept this material," wrote John Wilson, Sonoco product manager. "Bio-based HDPE retains the same properties as petroleum-based HDPE and therefore it does not contaminate the recycling stream."

Sonoco and Ecover use sugar cane as a starting point in the generation of the plant component of the HDPE resin, which they call Plantplastic.

"We take sustainably harvested sugarcane and refine it into sugar," Wilson said. "The sugar is then fermented and distilled to produce ethanol. The ethanol is dehydrated to produce ethylene, which is polymerized to produce the plastic. We chose sugarcane specifically because sugar drives the fermentation process."

According to Wilson, Ecover and Sonoco worked together to develop an "optimal blend" and Sonoco procures material from resin suppliers and manufacturers the bottles.

The push toward bio-based plastics has sparked criticism from some recycling advocates, who say packaging companies have backed off of recycled content claims as they've moved ahead on plant-based plastic technologies.

Plastic producers counter they view packaging sustainability holistically and that plant-based resin offers significant environmental benefits. In a press release announcing the Plantplastic product, Sonoco stated, "The bio-resin ... uses up to 90 percent less energy and emits 75 percent less greenhouse gases compared to petroleum-based virgin resin."

CRA Member Spotlight
Hatteras Recycle Held Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at New Headquarters


Todd Phillips started Hatteras Recycle in 2006 because he saw a need. Thousands of beach  cottages serving the rental markets on the Outer Banks of NC had limited access to the local recycling program. He began with one truck and some bins. With reliable contracts from cottage rental agencies and some financial help in the form of several grants from NC RBAC over the years, he has expanded and improved his company's equipment and its performance. Today he has 3 compactor trucks, 12 seasonal employees, and routes that serve 1850 households and 50 businesses. In addition, he provides recycling carts at 5 parks and beach accesses. He is now able to bring compacted single-stream materials to a transfer station owned by Bay Disposal in nearby Currituck County.

Hatteras Recycle held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at its new workshop and garage. This was no ordinary ribbon cutting - a top local chef served up his delicious clam chowder and other treats to an appreciative crowd.  "Our ribbon cutting was better than we had anticipated, with the ceremony serving to celebrate the relationships that make Hatteras Recycle the success it has been," said Phillips. "Tom Murphy opened up the ceremony with a wonderful greeting. We were able to recognize our partners in recycling, Midgett and Hatteras Realty, along with community powerhouse Mary Helen Goodlough Murphy."


Upcoming Events
February 17 
Green Business Bootcamp
by SC DHEC
Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling
 For more information and registration

March 23-36 
CRA 25th Annual Conference


Embassy Suites Kingston Plantation
Myrtle Beach, SC

Upcoming Webinars
Jan 15 @ 1:00 - 2:00 PM
RecycleMania 2015 Orientation Webinar I
by Keep America Beautiful
 
Jan 20 @ 1:30 - 2:45 PM
Vermicomposting
by Sustainable Materials Management Series
CRA Board of Directors
President
Goodwill Industries

Vice President
Catawba County

Treasurer
BMW Manufacturing

Secretary
Waste Zero

Board Development
Mecklenburg County

Moore County Public Works

Albemarle Regional SW Authority

NC DEACS

Sonoco Recycling

Pitt County Solid Waste & Recycling

Waste Management

MetalTech Systems

PowerHouse Recycling

Coastal Carolina University

Santee Cooper



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Please send all correspondence, membership payments, and event registration to:

Carolina Recycling Association
PO Box 1296
Greenville, SC 29602

� 2014 Carolina Recycling Association. All Rights Reserved.