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The 2003 Award Ceremony and 2004 Kick-off Event MIT, CAMBRIDGE APR. 26, 2004
“Although
it is sometimes portrayed that we must choose between the environment
and the economy, all of you here today are the hard evidence that we
can have both – environmental protection and a strong economy,”
said Tyke Crowley, Environmental Coordinator of the Senator John
Kerry’s Office on behalf of Senator
John Kerry in his address to over 70 people who attended
Race-to-Recycle annual event, honoring 2003 Race Champions. The event,
managed by WasteCap of MA, featured a
The special Event combined 2003 Race Award Ceremony with the 2004 Race Kick-Off. The crowd included 2003 Race-to-Recycle champions and participants as well as the prospective 2004 Race participants. Representatives from sponsoring organizations, and members of the business and environmental communities also attended. The guests networked and enjoyed a zero-waste lunch, donated by the Whole Foods Market. The lunch consisted of baskets of sandwiches and sweets individually wrapped in compostable paper. After the event, the baskets were reused, juice and water bottles recycled, and linen tablecloths were washed. Food scraps, unbleached napkins and paper plates (donated by EarthShell and GreenWave Companies) were collected in special recycling containers and picked up by Herb’s Disposal Company for composting. The only non-recyclable and non-compostable waste were 10 potato chip bags. This year WasteCap also organized an exhibit at the event, which showcased participating buildings’ recycling program efforts. A number of buildings displayed materials such as poster boards, green team promotional materials, recycling bins with original stickers, e-mail updates, and much more. This exhibit was a great success in promoting a company and sharing great ideas with everyone!
Before the award presentations, R. Marc Fournier, Executive Director of WasteCap, highlighted 2003 Race-to-Recycle achievements. In 2003, 31 facilities recycled 16,000 tons of various materials, almost twice as much as in the previous Race, with an average recycling rate of 41%! The participants recycled anything from paper and cardboard to electronics, fluorescent lamps, yard waste, food scraps, and even meat renderings! The four invited speakers spoke about various recycling issues. Robert W. Golledge, Jr., the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, talked about the importance of business recycling. Tyke Crowley, Environmental Coordinator from Senator John Kerry’s office, read an address from the Senator that stressed the importance of reducing and recycling solid wastes and improving public health. Janet Kincaid, from the American Forest & Paper Association, emphasized the importance of fiber recycling in the workplace, and Julie Ryder, from Senator Edward Kennedy’s office once again stressed the importance of waste management issues. The speakers presented 18 gold-etched awards made with 100% post-consumer recycled glass for outstanding recycling efforts. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards were presented in the following five categories – Institution, Manufacturer, Large Office, Medium Office, and Small Office Building. Awards were also presented for the Most Improved, Best Newcomer, Best Fiber Recycling, and Most Creative Recycling Program. After the award winners were announced, Marc Fournier officially announced the "kick-off" of the 2004 Race-to-Recycle. Event Participants were then allowed time to further network and view the recycling displays.
December 2003 “Beyond the Basics” Recycling Workshop A Success
Source Reduction, Andrea Bowman, WasteCap of Massachusetts
Composting, Lee Kane, Whole Foods Market
Thanks to all of the workshop presenters, those who attended and special thanks to Lee Kane and Whole Foods Market for keeping everyone well fed by providing breakfast and lunch. Finally thanks to MIT for hosting the event. Together, the event was a great success! If you would like a copy of any of the presentations, please contact Andrea Bowman at WasteCap at andrea@wastecap.org.
August 2003
Guests then toured the facility to view the recycling program first hand. Many questions were asked along the way, with Jim and his custodial staff answering all questions in detail All participants were treated to a continental breakfast provided courtesy of C.B. Richard Ellis.
July 2003
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March 2003 Race-to-Recycle Participants Tour the E.L. Harvey Recycling Facility
On March 20th, WasteCap
staff members were joined by Race-to-Recycle participants for an
up-close view of a recycling
processing facility in action. Participants met at E.L. Harvey & Sons (www.elharvey.com), a Gold Race Sponsor, for a comprehensive tour of their Westborough facility, including their Material Recovery Building and Paper Sorting Facility. E. L Harvey & Sons is one of the few independent full service waste management companies remaining in the Boston area. Since it’s beginning in 1941, E. L. Harvey has showed a strong dedication to recycling and environmentally sound waste disposal -- a commitment shared by WasteCap and all its members.
Ben Harvey, vice president of E.L.
Harvey, guided the tour group throughout the 40
acre facility bustling with large
trucks, loaders, balers, shredders, and the like. To participants not
very familiar with the processing of recyclables, it was a good
opportunity to see what happens to
paper, cardboard, plastic, metals, and other
Most of the work performed at the E.L. Harvey facility consists of “repackaging” (a combination of sorting and baling) the material so it becomes valuable and suitable for shipping. The “repackaged” material is then shipped to various markets all over the world for processing into new materials. After the tour, participants returned to a conference room for an opportunity to pose questions to Ben Harvey about his facility and to network with others. Among other things, Mr. Harvey educated the group about the challenges faced by recycling services, including how weak economies usually lower the overall amount of waste generated. WasteCap would like to thank Ben Harvey and his staff at E.L. Harvey for providing this enlightening tour and for his generosity in becoming a Gold Sponsor of the Race-to-Recycle. January 2003 Event at the State House Ushers in the 2003 Race-to-Recycle
WasteCap of
Massachusetts kicked off the 8th annual Race-to-Recycle at
the State House on January 16th in an event marked by the
first public appearance of Ellen Roy Herzfelder, Governor Romney’s
newly appointed Secretary of the Executive Office of Secretary Ellen Roy Herzfelder said a business recycling competition is "what the Romney administration is all about" and praised the Race-to-Recycle, a competition that recognizes businesses for their leadership in recycling and waste reduction. "The key is to link environmental protection with economic growth and to develop a partnership between the public and private sector," Roy Herzfelder said. "The only thing we don't want to recycle is old, tired ideas."
Senate President Pro-Tempore Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst) provided some context for the progress Massachusetts has made in its recycling efforts. When he first arrived on Beacon Hill, Rosenberg said, waste management bills had no mention of recycling or re-use, only of "burning and burying." Also speaking at the kick-off was Remy Esquenet, of the Washington D.C.-based American Forest & Paper Association. He called the competition a model for innovative recycling efforts. "This competition is really cutting edge," Esquenet said. "WasteCap programs in other states would do well to duplicate it."
“Fifty-three companies from across the state are now participating in the competition and WasteCap hopes to have 100 companies enrolled by the end of the year”, according to R. Marc Fournier, WasteCap’s Executive Director. They will compete over the next 12 months to save money, promote their business, and conserve natural resources. An awards ceremony will occur early in 2004 in the Great Hall at the State House. October 2002 Race-to-Recycle
Planning Meeting On October 16th, Race-to Recycle organizers, sponsors, and participants met over a continental breakfast to chart the future course of the Race-to-Recycle program. This meeting was used as planning session to review discuss, and gain further input about WasteCap’s draft proposal for the new and improved year-long program.
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On
December 2, WasteCap conducted its fourth and final workshop for the
2003 Race to Recycle participants. The workshop, free to race
participants, was held at WasteCap’s new office on the campus of MIT.
The focus of the event was Advanced Recycling and what companies can
do to take their recycling programs to the next level. Topics ranged
from source reduction, to composting, to recycling hard to dispose of
materials. A wealth of information was shared among the attendants.
Highlights of the four presentations included:
Donations
made through Raytheon’s DiRT program to N.H.’s Donation Depot
include virtually everything—“You name it, we have donated it!”
On August 13th, seven-time Race-to-Recycle award
winning building, One Beacon Street, provided an "open house" tour of
the property and a presentation about their waste operations.
Participants were able to learn and observe first hand how teamwork
and organization has led to a successful cost reducing recycling
program. 
Property
Manger, Jim Fox, began the tour with an extensive overview of the
recycling program. After the overview, participants were able to ask
Mr. Fox questions and answers.
Providing
further insight, Jenny Silverman, of Red Sun Press, used her industry
knowledge to inform the participants about tips in designing and
printing educational posters. Red Sun Press is a recognized leader in
the printing industry for its use of environmentally preferred
products. In 2000 Red Sun Press was awarded the “Buy Recycled and
Environmentally Preferred Products” Business Award for their
pioneering role in promoting recycled paper for printing.
In
the remaining portion of the workshop participants were able to use
UMass Boston’s computer lab to create their
own recycling education posters with the help of the speakers.
Lauren Liss, commissioner
of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), echoed those
sentiments. “The DEP has been a proud sponsor from the very
beginning, because like many of you here, we recognize and value the
economic and environmental benefits that result from reducing waste
and recycling. It is clear that WasteCap has played a vital role
in making the connection between the
business community and the statewide effort to reduce waste.”
The event drew a crowd of
over one hundred including representatives from sponsoring
organizations, Race participants, prospective participants, and
members of the business and environmental communities. Attendees also
had the opportunity for networking and enjoyed a zero waste lunch,
made possible by the donation of Earthshell biodegradable plates and
composting services provided by Herb’s Disposal. 