Member Highlight: Momentum Recycling

A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to visit a local glass recycling plant as well as the insulation factory across the road from the glass recycling plant. This trip was part of a tour that Jeff Whitbeck, co-owner of Momentum Recycling (a USEE Institutional Member) and one of our newest USEE Board Members.

Momentum Recycling is a local business dedicated to helping organizations move toward zero waste. They do this by providing waste-stream assessments, helping each organization develop a custom recycling program, and then implementing the customized program. Part of each recycling program is setting up a comprehensive recycling collections procedure for each client. Momentum Recycling also provides educational tools for the employees, clients, residents, and guests of each organization to help them understand the importance of an organization's commitment to zero waste. Once these steps have been implemented, Momentum Recycling also works to publicize each organization's commitment to move toward zero waste.

Momentum Recycling

Different organizations have different recycling plans depending on their goals and the facilities used by each organization, and Momentum Recycling has many different ways to help each organization move toward zero waste. There are mixed recyclables bins, cardboard and white office paper, glass, organic waste, and electronic waste options. In order to manage all of the recyclables generated by organizations, Momentum Recycling works with several government agencies, non-profit groups, and material recovery facilities and recycling facilities across the Wasatch Front.

As part of Momentum Recycling's commitment to education, they schedule some occasional site visits to help inform their clients about where the recyclables are going. One of these visits was to the glass recycling plant and the fiberglass insulation factory. It was fascinating to learn about the different kinds of glass that can be recycled, the history of the plant, and where most of the recycled glass goes when it's done being processed. Most of the glass that Momentum Recycling processes for their clients goes to the glass recycling site near Owens Corning, which is the fiberglass insulation manufacturer across the street. Most of the glass at this plant gets ground back down into sand so that Owens Corning may use the recycled glass in the manufacture of fiberglass insulation. It was certainly a treat to learn about this process. Thank you Momentum Recycling for setting it up!

To learn more about becoming an Institutional Member of USEE, visit our membership page. If you are already a USEE Institutional Member and would like to participate in the member highlight opportunity, please contact Nicole by calling 801-328-1549 or by email at nicole@usee.org.

Student Voices - Energy Principles and Perspectives

Joe Andrade, who has presented both at USEE Green Bags and at the 2009 Annual Utah EE Conference, worked with 7th and 8th grade students at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education (SLCSE) to produce these videos about Energy Principles and Perspectives. Check out some of the student perspectives below in the SLCSE Energy Videos below!

Appetite for Energy

Green Magic



Induction and Electricity

More SLCSE energy videos can be found on YouTube! We did not have room to post them all here, but check out these other videos by using the links below.

Introduction: SLCSE Energy Videos

Hot Stuff

Sun Fuel

Burn Baby Burn

Diary of Energy

Making of SLCSE Energy Education Videos

Wind Farms!

You may have noticed by now that I've been passing along a lot of KSL articles lately. It just seems like so much has been popping up that seems worthy to share. So bear with me as I link to other articles, and enjoy Nicole's longer, well researched, in-depth blogs. :)

The article below about windfarms caught my eye as I grew up in California, near the Altamont Pass, which has a HUGE windfarm. Supposedly the Altamont Pass Windfarm was one of the first in California, and I know its been around for a long time since I don't ever recall seeing the green (or brown) hills without them being covered in huge turbines. When we were little, we just referred to the pass as "The Windmill Hills." Moving to Utah and hearing people talk about how the turbines might be an "eyesore" always seemed odd to me as my brother and I always thought they were so beautiful and our favorite part of the drive to our grandparents house. By the way, there are over 4900 windmills covering the hills.

Here is a picture of the Altamont Pass Windfarm (photo credit).


Now, on to the KSL Article......

First blades attached at Utah wind farm

July 7th, 2009 @ 8:21am

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The first set of blades on the first of 97 planned turbines has been hung at a wind farm under construction near Milford.

Officials with First Wind LLC say the first turbine tower went up in early June and the blades were attached late last month.

More turbine towers are expected to go up in the coming weeks. Company officials say the project is on track to be finished by mid-November.

The turbines are initially expected to generate 300-megawatts of electricity.

Electricity from the project will go to California.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Isn't that great? I'm excited to see this alternative energy source becoming more popular here in Utah. Hopefully driving through Milford will now remind me of home.

I'd also like to note that there are issues with the windfarms harming wildlife (especially birds), but as I understand it, the newer larger turbines spin more slowly and are high enough to be out of the general path of the birds.

Anyone have any insights? Do you think windmills are pretty too?

Garbology

Recently, USEE had the pleasure of helping out with the Squatter's Brew Pub Recycled Materials Sculpture Contest. We had over 15 entries, all of which were wonderfully creative sculptures made completely from recycled materials. Grab a meal at Squatters this week and you'll be able to see them all on display. Congrats to everyone who participated!

All the recycling info inspired me to give you all a little quiz about recycling. The quiz comes from the Municipal Solid Waste Activity Guide published by Project Learning Tree. If you are interested in getting a copy, please email me at andree@usee.org and I'll give you the details (you have to participate in a 2 hour workshop that we can set up).

Here we go (answers below)...

1. If you live in a populated area, you're probably used to having someone come by and pick up your trash. When do you think regular trash collection began in the United States?
a. early 1900's
b. late 1700's
c. middle 1800's

2. Can you guess how much trash Americans threw away in 1994?
a. 1.43 thousand tons
b. 625.9 thousand tons
c. 209 million tons
d. 6.8 billion tons

3. Between 1980 and 1994, our rate of recycling and composting did what?
a. more than doubled
b. more than quadrupled
c. increased 5 percent
d. increased 100 percent

4. Below are some ways we deal with garbage. EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency) has a preferred order of use for these methods in a waste management system. What do you think the order is?
___ recycling and composting
___ landfilling
___ waste combustion
___ source reduction

5. Who developed the first trash dumps?
a. Anasazi
b. ancient Greeks
c. Babylonians
d. English barons

6. Compost can be a squirmy, hot mass of rotting garbage. Which organisms might you find that are turning this stuff into good soil?
a. bacteria
b. earthworms
c. fungi
d. meadow mice
e. mites
f. snakes

ANSWERS:

1. By the early 1900's most major cities has some type of collection system. 2. 209 million tons were produced in 1994. 3. More than doubled. It went from 10 percent to 24 percent. 4. EPA prefers this order: source reduction, recycling and composting, waste combustion, and landfilling. 5. The ancient Greeks developed the first garbage dumps in 500 B.C. 6. Bacteria, earthworms, fungi and mites along with other microorganisms and insects all help to break down organic material in compost.

Teaching Green Building

The US EPA for region 8 has released an 'e-packet' that focuses on education opportunities for the Green Building movement. USEE staff and volunteers are exploring ways to implement a green schools program in Utah. Any Suggestions?

From the EPA Website:

The buildings in which we live, work, and play protect us from Nature's extremes, yet they also affect our health and environment in countless ways. The design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal of buildings takes enormous amounts of energy, water, and materials, and generates large quantities of waste, air and water pollution, as well as creating stormwater runoff and heat islands. Buildings also develop their own indoor environments, which present an array of health challenges. Where and how they are built affects wildlife habitat and corridors and the hydrologic cycle, while influencing the overall quality of human life.

As the environmental impact of buildings becomes more apparent, a field called green building is gaining momentum. Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition. Research and experience increasingly demonstrate that when buildings are designed and operated with their lifecycle impacts in mind, they can provide great environmental, economic, and social benefits. Elements of green building include:

• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Water Stewardship
• Environmentally Preferable Building Materials and Specifications
• Waste Reduction
• Toxics
• Indoor Environment
• Smart Growth and Sustainable Development

CFL Recycling

Image Source

The idea of saving energy by using Compact Florescent Light (CFL) bulbs rather than the regular old bulbs is old hat to most of us by now. But, did you know that you need to take special measures when disposing of CFLs? Read below to learn more (Source: http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/index.html?MAINSECTION=cflrecycling)

What are CFL's?

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are energy efficient and cost effective lighting alternative to regular incandescent light bulbs. A compact fluorescent light bulb fits in a regular light bulb socket or can be plugged into a small lighting fixture. CFLs are typically used in homes and are increasingly used by businesses. They use 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Every CFL can keep more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere.

Why do I need to be careful when I dispose of them?

CFL lamps (light bulbs) contain a small amount of mercury necessary for normal operation. The mercury contained in a CFL bulb is less then 4 mg, which is less then the cell batteries used in watches, hearing aids, some toys, calculators, thermometers and in dental fillings; however, the lamps should be handled responsibly and recycled to reduce the mercury from passing into the environment.

What do I do now?

Home Depot has the answer! At each The Home Depot store, customers can simply bring in any expired, unbroken CFL bulbs, place them in a plastic bag and deposit them both into a bright orange collection unit. The bulbs will then be managed responsibly by an environmental management company who will coordinate CFL packaging, transportation and recycling to maximize safety and ensure environmental compliance. Customers will be able to locate the CFL receptacle on the front end of the store near the entrance, by the Returns desk or near the exit doors inside the store.

Information about cleanup by state can be found at the following EPA website: Visit http://www.epa.gov/mercury. You can also visit the Eco Options CFL Recycling Page to learn more about recycling CFL's at your local Home Depot store.
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