Call for Papers for CRA 26th Annual Conference March 21 - 24, 2016 at Wilmington Convention Center

CRA welcomes presentation abstracts for the 2016 Conference, covering all recycling disciplines  and topics from both the public and private sectors.  Papers that highlight success stories as well as innovative programs, methods, and technologies to advance material recovery or waste reduction are preferred.

Abstracts are encouraged in the following major topic areas, but not limited to:
Education and Outreach, Collegiate & School Recycling, Multi-Family & Commercial Recycling, Public Area Recycling, Special Wastes & Electronics, Organics, Household Hazardous Waste, Construction & Demolition Recycling, and Waste Reduction

New MRF Study Reveals Ways to Improve Recycling Facility Efficiency

Five national trade associations, including the American Chemistry Council (ACC), Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR), Carton Council of North America (CCNA), Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) and the  National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), joined together to commission a study to find ways to optimize the recycling of their packaging after it goes into the bin or cart.

The MRF Material Flow Study evaluates where packages end up in a sorting facility, how packages flow in a variety of materials recovery facilities and what potential changes to the sorting processes could improve recovery. The study found:

Size and shape make a diff­erence - Items tend to flow with similarly sized and shaped materials, so, containers shouldn't be completely flattened or crushed by residents before being placed in their recycling bin or cart. Additionally, package form and stiffness influences flow.  Materials that hold their shape have a higher likelihood of making it to the right bale.
Good separation is important - Maintaining equipment to ensure efficient sorting is critical.
Optical sorters can help identify material types - As the recycling stream evolves into being more diverse and lightweight, optical sorters play an increasingly important role.

Last fall, nearly 200 representatives from recycling businesses in the Carolinas (and beyond) met for one night to make connections new & old to help grow their recycling businesses.  Join us and your peers for the 2nd Annual Recycling Business Connections to be held on October 14, 2015 in Charlotte. The Carolina Recycling Association, NC Recycling Business Assistance Center, and SC Department of Commerce are working together to provide a unique networking opportunity for you to foster partnerships that will help grow your business.  Early Bird Registration ends September 15!

Carolina Plastics Recycling Council Campaign - Your Bottle Means Jobs - Finalist in Recycling Innovators Forum

The Carolinas Plastics Recycling Council (CPRC), a partnership of recycling companies and other stakeholders dedicated to the increased recovery of plastic in North and South Carolina, has launched the Your Bottle Means Jobs campaign to get more of the 3 billion plastic bottles (150,000 tons) discarded each year in the Carolinas back into the production cycle.  The campaign has been selected as a finalist at the Resource Recycling Innovators Forum. Blair Pollock of Orange County, NC, the fundraising chair, and Chantal Fryer with South Carolina Department of Commerce, will represent the campaign at the Forum held as part of the Resource Recycling Conference in the final round of competition.

KAB Recycle-Bowl Registration Now Open Competition Promotes Waste Reduction & Recycling in K-12 Schools

Got game? If your school has a good, solid recycling program (or the potential to build one), set your strategy toward winning the state competitions or the national grand prize.  Recycle-Bowl is a free competition and benchmarking tool for K-12 school recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities.  Recycle-Bowl begins Monday, October 19, 2015 and runs through Sunday, November 15, 2015. Be sure to sign up by Tuesday, October 13, 2015!

The Recycling Partnership Announces Greenville, SC as Next City Partner

The Recycling Partnership announced that Greenville, SC will be their second 2015 grantee.  Greenville will use its grant from the Recycling Partnership towards the purchase of 96-gallon recycling carts and education campaign resources. The Recycling Partnership includes technical assistance support that encourages the use of both educational and operational best practices.  

Greenville anticipates cart distribution to begin in April 2016. In addition to upgrading to 96 gallon carts, the City also anticipates adding plastic containers to its curbside acceptable materials list.  According to Allison Brockman, the City's Recycling Coordinator, The Recycling Partnership's mission and grant program aligned well with the City's endeavor to convert its existing recycling program to an automated cart-based collection system, and the two-pronged support stemming from the collaboration-funding and technical assistance-is invaluable as the City undertakes this major change. "Once fully implemented, the recycling roll cart collection system will deliver numerous benefits to the Greenville community, including improved residential recycling rates, less waste entering the landfill and, most importantly, a more convenient method for residents to recycle more at the curbside," said Brockman.

CRA Member Spotlight Catawba County, NC Provides Technical Assistance to Georgian Delegation

Catawba County, NC's #1 county for materials recycled per person, welcomed international guests from Telavi, Georgia in August. As part of their efforts to make Telavi the cleanest city in its country, The Georgia delegation visited Catawba County to learn from Catawba experts about their waste management success.

The multi-day visit was part of a technical exchange and agreement between Catawba County and Telavi allowing the latter to study the county's successful solid waste collection, disposal system, recycling success and other related issues.  Although the delegates and county officials had already discussed Catawba County's waste management success when County Manager Tom Lundy and Utilities and Engineering Director Barry Edwards visited Telavi in March to evaluate their current system, Kalmakhelidze said "seeing is believing" when it came

Telavi delegates, Catawba County officials and Republic Services officials.

to witnessing it in person during the visit.

The multi-day visit came to its culmination Thursday afternoon when the delegation gatheredwith Catawba County officials and officials from Republic Services Material Recovery Facility (MRF) at the MRF in Conover.  In addition to all the assistance from Catawba County, Republic Services surprised the delegation with a parting gift to help jump start Telavi's waste management abilities - a Republic Services garbage truck.

CRA Board of Directors

President Amanda Kain Catawba County Vice President Harris DeLoach III Sonoco Recycling Secretary Amanda Fairley Waste Management Treasurer Wes Westbrooks BMW Manufacturing Board Development Chair Michael Talbert Mecklenburg County

Chad Beane Moore County Public Works Lynn Bestul New Hanover County Anne Blindt Albemarle Regional SW Authority Patrick Darrow Goodwill Industries John Demary Pitt County Solid Waste & Recycling

Paul Hanna MetalTech Systems Brett Henderson PowerHouse Recycling Tonya Randell Moore Recycling Associates Rusty Smith Santee Cooper Karen Terry-Johnson Pratt Recycling