Sierra Nevada Brewing October 22 - Mills River, NC Join us for networking, presentations, and a facility tour at Sierra Nevada on October 22, 2015.  Along with the tour and overview of the brewery's sustainability initiatives by Sierra Nevada Sustainability Coordinators Leah Cooper and Mandi McKay , the event will also include presentations from Henderson County's Environmental Programs Coordinator Rachel Hodge and Asheville's Sustainability Officer Amber Weaver. For more info and registration

PowerHouse Recycling November 4 - Salisbury, NC Join us for networking, presentations, and a  tour at PowerHouse Recycling on November 4, 2015.  We will meet at the Rowan County Ag Extension for presentations from Rowan County's Recycling Coordinator Caleb Sinclair, NC DEACS - Environmental Senior Specialist Rob Taylor, and PowerHouse's Director of Sales Brett Henderson.  Following lunch, we will feature a tour of PowerHouse's electronics recycling facility.   For more info and registration

Wallace Farm Opens Second Operation in NC Composting Ramps Up With Capacity Expanding by 200,000 tons/year

 
Wallace Farm, Inc., a successful NC composting business with a Large Type III composting operation in Huntersville, uses open-faced windrows as their preferred method of composting yard waste, food waste and other organic materials.

Last year, Wallace Farm purchased property southwest of Winston-Salem and they are scheduled to open a second Large Type 3 composting facility.  This facility will process materials coming from Davie County, Winston- Salem and other surrounding areas.  The new facility is designed to process 200,000 tons of organic waste per year with abundant buffers and ample space for setbacks on 160 acres. The NC DENR Solid Waste Section is still reviewing the application for this site.

Wallace Farm sells 85 percent of its compost as bagged product through a partnership with other large companies but also plans to grow the bulk markets at both facilities. Interest in high quality compost and food waste processing services  is  increasing  in  NC,  and  Wallace Farm is growing its operation to meet this demand.

Upstate Food Recovery Networking Event SC Dept of Commerce, SC DHEC, & Greenville Host Table to Farm Event

The SC Department of Commerce is hosting a Food Waste Recovery Networking Event in Greenville, SC on October 6, 2015 from 9:30-3:30 at Greenville County Square.  This event is one that restaurants, manufacturers, sustainability professionals, landscapers, nurseries, and other end users that are interested in food waste reduction strategies should attend.  Don't miss your chance to hear how Publix is partnering on food waste recovery in SC, learn from Zero Waste guru, Holly Elmore, founder and CEO of Elemental Impact, a national non-profit committed to bringing sustainable operating practices to the corporate community, and so much more. Held in conjunction with SC Department of Health and Environmental Control and Greenville County, this is your opportunity to network with knowledgeable resources in a new industry area!  Register by October 2 to attend.  Contact Anna Lange for more information.

Nominations Open for 2015 Awards for Innovation in Plastics Recycling Are you doing something original or groundbreaking with plastics recycling?

Nominations are now open for the 2015 Awards for Innovation in Plastics Recycling. Organized by the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), Washington, the annual event highlights innovations in the plastics recycling industry by recognizing selected companies and individuals whose vision and perseverance bring new technologies, products, and initiatives to the marketplace.  

"Every day innovative companies are finding new ways to divert used plastics from the waste stream, and, in the process are creating sustainable new products that contribute to everyday life," says Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council. "We're proud to continually honor successful plastic recyclers for their initiative and innovative spirit. Their efforts show consumers that recycling makes a difference, creates jobs and supports the economy."

In 2014, Geo-Tech Polymers, GreenBlue and QRS Recycling were selected to receive awards.

NC Recycling Business Assistance Center Announces 2016 Grant Round Proposals are Due by November 10

RBAC is now accepting applications for grant projects for the 2016 Recycling Business Development Grant Round.  They are seeking  viable,  well-planned  proposals  from  recycling businesses in NC that build lasting, private-sector capacity to divert materials from the waste stream and create  NC  jobs.  RBAC encourages you to consider applying for this grant if you are a recycling business in North Carolina seeking to increase or expand your recovery efforts.  

Previous grant winners are eligible to apply for 2016 grant funding under the following conditions:  (1) the project has been completed and the contract is closed; or, (2) the grantee has requested reimbursement for at least 90% of their grant award by November 10, 2015.

CRA Member Spotlight Pratt Industries and Machinex Partner & Open Flexible MRF in GA

Pratt Industries, a private, recycled corrugated packaging company, selected Machinex to design a system able to handle multiple material streams. Located in the city of Conyers in the state of Georgia, the system was engineered to mainly recover the mixed fiber from the stream, but was expected to have the flexibility to process single stream, commercial and industrial material, and commercial OCC as well. The system offers the flexibility to route the input stream differently based on operator preferences.  The system can also recover certain non-recyclable materials for use in its waste-to-energy gasification plant which is also located on the same Eco-campus.

Kurt Schmitz with Pratt Industries adds: ʺThis project has been a long time in development and we are excited about how the system is performing and achieving our goals. The system will enable us to process a variety of streams, producing paper for our on-site mill and fuel for our Clean Energy Plant which is also on-site. This facility is a key component in expanding our Eco-Campus capabilities. Machinex has become a true partner in the development of this facility.ʺ

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