Wastecap Resource Solutions - News

Member Spotlight: Madison Gas and Electric!

4/22/2022

EMIS at mge

Environmental Management Information System (EMIS), which is used to manage environmental data and processes supporting the monitoring, record-keeping and reporting associated with environmental management, marked its first full year of operation in 2020. Benefits of the EMIS include access to environmental data to support remote audits and the central tracking of recycling data and waste disposal cost savings.

back on the road in 2022!

Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) will be completing its Adopt-a-Highway event this year during Earth Week. We are very excited about this year's event as it will be our first time out in three years due to the pandemic!

green masters program

In 2021, MGE earned the Green Master designation for the eighth consecutive year from the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council. Only the top 20% of applying companies receive the Green Master designation.

The independent, points-based benchmarking program evaluates applicants in nine key areas: energy, climate change, water, waste, transportation, supply chain, community outreach, workforce and governance. MGE was the first utility to be awarded the distinction in 2014.

reduce, reuse, recycle

Our all-in-one recycling method includes paper products, glass, plastic and aluminum. We also recycle various metals and other scrap materials left over from field work. Our computing equipment and supplies are sent to an e-Stewards certified company for recycling or reuse, and our alkaline batteries go to a vendor who recovers steel and zinc.

A Continuous Improvement Sustainability Team recently updated our battery recycling program. The new policy allows employees to bring in alkaline, NiCad and rechargeable batteries from home. We established collection points around the company for safe, efficient drop-offs.

We also recycle thermostats and other mercury-containing devices, chemicals, steel, iron, copper, glass and cell phones. Additionally, a local vendor takes our wood pallets, recycling them into mulch.

A new Wisconsin Recycling Directory, and the Passing of An Era.

10/12/2021

Looking for a new home for your waste?

Whether its a reuse store for your old light fixtures, a hauler to take loads of clean drywall from your construction site, or a partner to process your corporate campus's e-waste, the Wisconsin Resource Directory makes finding local outlets easy.

Thanks to our sponsors, we were able to put our knowledge of Wisconsin's markets online for anyone to conduct their own map-based searches.

Try the Wisconsin Recycling Directory today, bookmark us for tomorrow!

If your business isn't in the directory, you can easily add your locations directly through the home page.
If your business is in the directory, contact us at marketing@wastecap.org to update your listing with detailed business hours, material handling instructions, or other marketing material.
If you'd like to support the directory and include your advertising, please email marketig@wastecap.org

WE SUNSETED WASTECAP TRACE ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2021!
For 16 years WasteCap hosted an online tool to manage your waste diversion operation and gauge it's performance. It focused on building a waste management plan that was effective and delineated clear responsibilities, tracking each waste material stream and providing insightful reporting for any time frame on multiple projects. It was supported by the community for many years, and we'd like to thank everyone who contributed to making it a success.

See below: the impact of TRACE and information on transitioning your data.

THE IMPACT OF TRACE
Since 2005, TRACE has helped companies and individuals, in Wisconsin and beyond, to divert over 1 million tons of material from landfills and incinerators.

Projects in Wisconsin averaged an 85.3% diversion rate!
Nationwide users averaged 73.1%.

Enough material was kept out of landfills to fill Lambeau Field to the top of the stadium 1.8 times, about 42% of an average Wisconsin landfill. Finding better uses for that material effectively added a month and a half of life to each of Wisconsin's 53 landfills. More importantly, getting this material back into the economy has saved:

961 thousand metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of keeping 12 thousand cars off the road every year since 2005.
20 thousand acres of habitat, including 1.8 million trees.
A year's worth of drinking water for 800 thousand people.
$35 million through reduced waste hauling fees.

On behalf of WasteCap I would like to personally thank those companies that supported TRACE over the years. We could not have continued this long without your help.

TRANSITIONING YOUR DATA
You will be able to access your data and run reports until September 17, 2021. Before then, please choose the next step that best suits your needs:

If you are using TRACE for a Wisconsin DFD project, you should have transitioned to WasteCap's new program hosted under ReTRAC Connect. If you haven't done so, please contact us at projects@wastecap.org, subject "DFD Transfer".
If you are using Recycle 360, contact Stephan Berry at Stephen.Berry@wasteconnections.com for instructions, subject "Recycle360 Transfer".
If you are an American Family Insurance user, contact Halie Tenor at htenor@amfam.com for instructions, subject "AmFam Transfer".
If you use TRACE for any other purpose, and are interested in maintaining your data or transitioning to another program, you have options:
- (a) Run reports on your projects prior to September 17th, 2021, and continue to track your waste data on your own.
- (b) Work with WasteCap to transition your project history to ReTRAC Connect, taking advantage of new features and improved accessibility.
- (c) Work with WasteCap to transfer your project history to a different third-party waste management program.
- Contact us at projects@wastecap.org with the subject "TRACE Transfer" if you would like a quote for (b) or (c).

This Earth Day, make a commitment to track your waste.

4/22/2021

Waste isn't just litter on the side of the road

Trash escapes into the environment in many ways, from deliberate dumping to careless leakage at every stage of our collection and processing systems. While damage done from litter is considerable and visible, it's just the tip of the "wasteberg."

In our linear economy, we take material from the environment, make products, and throw them away.

Every step of the process requires it's own sacrifice of energy, water, and habitat, and generates its own waste material. Processing and finishing waste averages 70 times the weight or volume of a product, but the consumed energy, water and habitat compounds the hidden costs of waste.

talk about the bigger picture

In Wisconsin, mountains of trash are cheap and easy to build. Waste doesn't have to go far to find one. Except for a few materials, there is little cost difference between landfilling and recycling.

Efforts to divert waste from the landfill can be hard to justify based on disposal cost alone, so reduction is a key strategy for many. Savings are almost always hundreds of times higher if a material isn't purchased in the first place.

Beyond direct costs, understanding the broader impact of wasteful practices can help a business or institution value the effects of its actions on its customers, community and supply chain. There are tools and rules of thumb that can be used to estimate the greater economic and environmental impacts of your waste. The EPA's WARM model estimates atmospheric impacts, energy savings and job creation trends. At WasteCap we also like to note any water and habitat savings estimates that can be made as well.

START MEASURING TODAY

Set improvement goals based on the values that strike the strongest cord within an organization. Any goal to improve waste diversion (the percentage of material kept out of landfills) should also include material reduction efforts. Benchmark waste quantities against the key performance indicators that drive the numbers - total occupant hours, widgets produced, or shipments moved, for example.

Determining success isn't possible however without data. You can't manage what you don't measure, and you can't assume you're succeeding if you don't know the facts.

invite a professional to review your operations

Most of the companies that reach out to WasteCap already have a commitment to do better, be it for their shareholders, their employees, their community or their customers. Sometimes they are just starting their journey to improve their diversion rate, others are seeking help with zero waste certification. They all believe they are doing an great job, and it took them a leap of faith to ask for an outside opinion. For that they were always rewarded.

Zero waste professionals like those at WasteCap are able to quickly cover basic principles and common sources of errors. These initial cursory audits can reveal a lot in a short amount of time. Once the gaps are identified, you can build up an appropriate response that delivers the best returns for your particular values.

Reducing waste isn't a quick or easy journey, but there are plenty of us here who can help.

Giving Tuesday and Beyond

12/1/2020

Three Ways You Can Change the World

On your own, every purchase you make and every piece of material you throw away makes a small impact on the resources wasted locally and around the world.

By working together we can move markets, create jobs, keep our communities healthy, and preserve the beauty of Wisconsin.

Please consider WasteCap in ways large and small this season, and beyond, with these simple options.

Tell corporations who you support:
*The same site with the same deals.
*A portion of every purchase goes to the non-profit of your choice.
*Please use smile.amazon.com and select WasteCap as your non-profit!

Donate directly to make an impact:

*Expands our material and economic research.
*Helps us reach out to new audiences.
*Supports internships and education opportunities.
*Improves waste reduction tools for the public.
*Enables us to advise local and national efforts to reduce waste to landfill.

Become a member to move markets:

*Send WasteCap to speak at conferences and advocate change.
*Sponsor the next generation of interns changing the world.
*Solve Wisconsin's need for food security, local energy, and
greenhouse gas reduction through better use of organic waste.
*Give Wisconsin students the opportunity to deconstruct a
building slated for the landfill and take those materials back to
their art and trade classes.
*Increase Wisconsin's use of recycled material, purity of material
streams, and options for reuse and recycling.
*Create a reuse and recycling directory for Wisconsin.

Or we can simply provide you or your company with insight, resources, and a helping hand on your waste reduction journey.

FIVE KEY STEPS TO START A ZERO WASTE PROGRAM

8/27/2020

Our friends at Zabble have put together a concise summary of the strategic moves that really help a zero waste program succeed at your company. As a wise person once said -
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Read the Full Article

Microsoft Uses an Old Idea to Get to 90% Waste Reduction

Dispose only that which is broken is not a new idea, but it takes designing for repair and reuse and implementing a process for salvaging usable parts from non-functional products.

Check out the “Circular Centers” Microsoft is running on their campuses, taking the rework shop or repair cafe up a notch!

Material Reuse DOES HAVE Its Hazards

We're all about Reuse here at WasteCap, so we've learned our fair share of lessons. GreenBiz has put together a great summary of some of those hazards, but it misses a major one: chemical ingredients.

When sourcing materials from aggregated recyclate, you risk an unknown chemical soup going into your new product. Seeing as product ingredient disclosure is a rapidly growing concern, the push for healthier products is making more sustainable products difficult to market. We see an even greater need now to design for reuse, and consider using as few chemical additives as possible in any product meant to be recycled or reused.

Potential Hazards of Reuse

RESOURCES TO PUSH Enhanced Producer Responsibility

Placing the responsibility to recycle entirely on the user only gets us part of the way towards a circular economy. Market forces aren’t enough to make producers consider their material choices, and so many locales are turning to EPR regulations as a way to hold producers accountable for the products they put into the market

For EPR to work, though, it has to be done right. Some of our current programs simply end up as a mandated upcharge that producers simply pocket with no actual requirement to reduce waste. Others have worked as intended for decades, like the bottle and can deposits requirements. More needs to be done. If you want to see more corporate responsibility, these resources can help you convince your state politicians to keep us moving forward.

Press to Make the World a Better Place

WasteCap Seeks New Executive Director

6/22/2020

WasteCap Resource Solutions is seeking a new Executive Director to lead the organization. If your passions includes leading an organization and helping businesses with their zero waste journey, this position is for you. Help transform waste into resources! Full details can be found in the position description below:

Executive Director Position Description

2020_-_executive_director_-_position_description.pdf
File Size:	109 kb
File Type:	pdf

All interested candidates should send a (1) cover letter and (2) resume by email or mail to:

Rob Schaefer (Business Manager)
business@wastecap.org

WasteCap Resource Solutions, Inc.
2123 W. Michigan St. Suite 100
Milwaukee, WI 53233

Waste & Recycling During COVID-19 Outbreak

3/19/2020

Trash and recycling is often not top of mind. Most people don't realize how much waste really costs. WasteCap not only thinks about it, but strategizes how to reduce it and change processes to support a circular economy. Given all the Covid-19 emails going around from businesses assuring you of their safe practices or letting you know how they'll be reimbursing you in these hard times, we thought we'd keep you up to speed on what might be going on with the world of trash and recycling.

Pellitteri Waste Systems - Member Spotlight

10/17/2019

Pellitteri Waste Systems is a family owned operation providing superior trash & recycling collection and processing to commercial, industrial, and residential customers throughout Southern Wisconsin. Read more about how Pellitteri is finding solutions to encourage a fully functioning recycling system.

WasteCap Aims to Upgrade State's C&D Recycling Program

10/8/2019

WasteCap & the DFDM are gathering support & feedback to upgrade the successful State of Wisconsin Department of Administration Construction & Demolition program. Please read about the program, show support and provide feedback.

WasteCap Presents at UW System Sustainability Conference

10/4/2019

WasteCap moderated the waste & recycling breakout session at the UW System's Annual Sustainability Conference held at UW-Madison from October 3rd - October 4th. WasteCap shared tips, and considerations for managing materials at universities.

Cascade Asset Management - Member Spotlight

8/15/2019

The member spotlight is on Cascade Asset Management as a valued silver-level member. For over 20 years, Cascade Asset Management has provided the most secure, responsible, and valuable IT asset disposition (ITAD) services available to businesses and institutions. Learn more about how Cascade is leading charge to create a circular economy.

Sadoff Iron & Metal Company - Member Spotlight

6/7/2019

WasteCap Resource Solutions is proud to highlight our member, Sadoff Iron & Metal Company! Since 1947, Sadoff has been recycling scrap metal. In 2016, Sadoff started an e-cycling and data destruction business. Sadoff's vision is to be the preferred choice in metal recycling. To accomplish this, Sadoff incorporates customer focus, operational excellence, finds innovative solutions, and manages risk.

Tips for Avoiding Asbestos During Home Renovations

6/6/2019

Since its debut in 1994, HGTV has changed the way Americans think about home renovations. From elaborate remodels to do-it-yourself decorating, homeowners turn to the latest home shows for inspiration and education, and rehabbing older homes is a growing trend. Beneath the surface lurks a hidden danger that poses a serious health threat, and that is asbestos.

$68,000 Saved and 1,600 Tons Diverted - Project Spotlight

3/8/2019

In 2018, WasteCap Resource Solutions consulted on the demolition of two masonry-and-steel light industrial buildings located at 2048 and 2100 Winnebago St., in Madison. The two buildings combined - one one story and the other two stories - totaled 35,000 square feet. WasteCap and other local nonprofits including Sector 67, which specializes in tech and engineering, worked to salvage reusable material and equipment from the buildings during the demolition. Much of the remaining material was recycled. In total, 1,600 tons, or 75.26% of demolition waste was diverted from the landfill, saving the owner, Accipiter Properties, $68,000.

Altius Building Company - Member Spotlight

2/25/2019

WasteCap Resource Solutions is proud to highlight our member, Altius Building Company! Altius Building Company was born out of an extensive 60 year-old construction group, and much of that group still works for Altius carrying on their tradition of partnerships and community ties. Today, Altius offers a wide range of construction operations including municipal, commercial, senior living residences, apartment complexes, low-rise condominiums, mixed-use developments, and transitional student apartments.

Not Measuring C&D Waste? You Might Be Losing Money.

2/19/2019

When contractors need to move mounds of waste during a demolition project, it is easy to say waste management is top of mind. But a significant amount of waste — about 54 million tons according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — is generated in new construction and renovations. When waste management isn’t a priority, these materials are often sent to the landfill. Some might consider this the easiest route, but it’s also the most expensive and environmentally detrimental.

United Milwaukee Scrap - Member Spotlight

1/23/2019

WasteCap Resource Solutions is happy to highlight our newest member, United Milwaukee Scrap! United Milwaukee Scrap (UMS) is a 4th generation company that processes, purchases and sells metal scrap that is generated throughout the Midwest.
Marty Oxman, WasteCap Board Member and Industrial Trader at UMS, explains, “United Milwaukee Scrap prides ourselves on creating partnerships with our customers based on integrity, experience and superior customer service.”

WasteCap Wins 2018 Force for Positive Change Award

3/22/2018

WasteCap Resource Solutions was presented with the prestigious Force for Positive Change Award for making a substantial social impact in Wisconsin. WasteCap won the hotly contested Manufacturing/Art/Design/Construction prize category over other finalists such as 7 Rivers Recycling, Cathedral Squared Enterprises, and Eye Heart World. The $12,500 award will be used to fund WasteCap's deconstruction and salvage training services.

Deconstruction Junction: Milwaukee's Reuse Future

1/30/2018

After years of trying different approaches to deconstruction projects, the city of Milwaukee passed a deconstruction ordinance that will increase sustainable-building practices and workforce-development opportunities. Now, contractors are at a junction allowing them to choose to build a better reuse economy.

UPDATE: The City of Milwaukee's Deconstruction Ordinance has been stayed until March 1, 2020.

Campbellsport St. Joseph Convent Demolition and Salvage Project

10/18/2017

WasteCap completed its final tracking and waste inspections for the School Sisters of St. Francis on June 30, 2017. This yearlong project, located in Campbellsport, featured the demolition and salvaging of five buildings and the associated infrastructure of the former convent. This project surpassed its 85% landfill diversion goal by boasting a final rate of 98%.

DOWNLOAD CASE STUDY HERE

Waste Audit at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

8/2/2017

WasteCap Resource Solutions is set to preform eight waste audits on the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee campus this year. The first audit took place on the morning of July 21, 2017. Our team, fashioned in protective gear, prepped to dig through over 80 pounds of waste.

WasteCap Welcomes New Executive Director

1/9/2017

WasteCap Resource Solutions today announces the selection of Travis Blomberg as its new executive director. Chosen from a pool of over 60 applicants, Blomberg brings over six years of planning, administration and communications experience within the sustainability sector.

“We are very pleased to announce this appointment,” said Jim Birmingham, board chairman. “Travis has a breadth of perspective and experience that will bring leadership and creativity to WasteCap’s programs.”

Sendik's Food Market Receives Award for Organics Diversion

11/19/2015

Food Waste is something we're quite passionate about here at WasteCap and when we learned that Sendik's Food Market had installed Grind 2 Energy systems in everyone of their stores, we knew they were just as passionate. They are ahead of the game, they saw they had the potential to create energy instead of waste.

Project of the Year - Transformation Award Winners

11/18/2015

The 2015 Transformation Awards live on! Not all of our award winners were able to accept at the event, but we stopped by to present them with their handmade, much deserved awards. Last week, we visited General Mitchell International Airport to present three organizations with Project of the Year: General Mitchell, Milwaukee County & CD Smith Construction.

DOWNLOAD CASE STUDY HERE

Deconstruction to Assist with Chronic Flooding at KK River

9/1/2015

Five years ago, massive flooding caused more than $30 million of damage in Milwaukee’s 30th street corridor through water damage of 3,000 homes. The 2010 storm inspired a project by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) to reduce the risk of flooding. Work is underway to create three storm water basins to relieve the problem. To make room for the basins, MMSD collaborated to relocate seven homeowners and tenants that had all seen chronic flood problems over the years in preparation for removing houses.

DOWNLOAD CASE STUDY HERE