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Solid Waste Reduction Tips on the Internet
Virtual tips for managing the environmentBy Phil RiebelWith the daily activities, numerous projects and meetings on the go, the last thing on our minds may be to take a few hours to browse the Intern...
January 1, 2002 By Pulp & Paper Canada
Virtual tips for managing the environmentBy Phil Riebel
With the daily activities, numerous projects and meetings on the go, the last thing on our minds may be to take a few hours to browse the Internet for environmental news and opportunities. However, the time spent researching the Net usually advances our environmental expertise or the performance of the company.
For many pulp and paper companies, solid waste reduction has been an important environmental objective. With this in mind I have identified some of the more useful web sites for Canadian mills. Since my last extensive search there has been an explosion of B2B (business-to-business) sites. For example, the Yahoo B2B link for “Environment” will show several potentially useful sites, some of which are listed below.
| Organization/Name | URL | Comments |
| American Forest and | www.afandpa.org | The site has a section on recycling |
| Paper Association (AF&PA) | that includes teacher tools for | |
| educators. | ||
| CanadianEnvironmental.com | www.canadianenvironmental.com | |
| A good resource for | ||
| environmental managers. | ||
| Calendar of events, information | ||
| by topics, all Canadian | ||
| environmental regulations | ||
| on-line, products / services by | ||
| topic and geographical area. | ||
| Good for finding specialized | ||
| suppliers and consultants. | ||
| The Composting Council | www.compost.org | Central resource and network for |
| of Canada | the composting industry. | |
| Cutting Paper | http://eetd.lbl.gov/paper | A site focused entirely on how to |
| reduce paper waste. Good | ||
| educational materials to promote | ||
| paper recycling in the mill. | ||
| Fiber Clay Council | www.fiberclay | Fiber clay is another term for |
| clarifier (primary) solids. The | ||
| council helps the industry | ||
| promote the use of fiber clay as a | ||
| raw material for other products | ||
| (household, agricultural, | ||
| industrial, civil engineering) | ||
| Global Recycling Network | http://grn.com/grn/home.htm | |
| Re-groups many companies and | ||
| services in the recycling industry | ||
| The Internet Consumer | http://www.obviously.com/recycle | |
| Recycling Guide | Many recycling tips and facts to | |
| use for educational materials and | ||
| communications. | ||
| Internet Recycling and | www.recycle.cc/resource.htm | |
| Composting Resource Page | Links to equipment, products and | |
| services by topics (i.e. | ||
| compactors, composters, odor | ||
| control, publications) | ||
| National Council for Air and | www.ncasi.org | Technical news and reports on all |
| Stream Improvement | pulp and paper environmental | |
| (NCASI) | issues. Good reports on recycling | |
| /re-using ash, fiber clay, biosolids. | ||
| For member companies only. | ||
| Parkson Corporation | www.parkson.com | The Thermo-System appears like |
| an innovative sludge drying | ||
| technology for biosolids | ||
| Recycled Paper Coalition | www.papercoalition.org | Re-groups organizations, |
| publications, products & services, | ||
| paper manufacturer’s and | ||
| distributors involved with | ||
| recycling paper | ||
| Recycling and hazardous | www.omega-systems.ca | Solvent recovery, hazardous |
| waste recovery systems | waste disposal, compactors | |
| Recycling containers | www.wastewarrior.com | Recycling containers |
| Secondary fiber inc. | www.secondaryfiber.com | B2B site, recycled fiber broker, |
| provides access to secondary fiber | ||
| and markets | ||
| Waste reduction Tips | www.recycle.cc/tips.htm | An on-line subscriber service that |
| provides many waste reduction | ||
| tips that can be used to educate | ||
| mill personnel | ||
| Solid waste and | www.solidwastemag.com | Canada’s magazine on collection, |
| recycling magazine | hauling, processing and disposal, | |
| the latest news in the field | ||
| U.S. EPA Office of | www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/rrr.htm | |
| Solid Waste | Good site touching all aspect of | |
| waste reduction. | ||
The search led to the following immediate benefits:
A good paper on beneficial use of paper-mill residue compost in potato production
Much educational material on solid waste reduction in offices, homes and communities that will be used to promote recycling around the mill and in a joint project with the municipality (in newsletters, fact sheets, presentations).
A yearly membership to “Waste Reduction Tips”, an e-news service.
Contacts for three Canadian suppliers of waste compactors to obtain proposals. Compactors are used to crush waste paper into bales that are then picked up for transport to board mills for re-use.
A contact name and additional information to begin evaluating a new biosolids dewatering technology for the solids dredged from an ASB.
Information on two solid waste management software packages that may be useful to track opportunities and cost savings
Information on a new erosion control technology that uses compost blankets, tubes and socks
Contacts at two companies that specialize in ash re-use
A number of these findings have triggered phone calls, discussions and requests for more information. Some of the findings will result in time and/or cost savings and improved environmental performance. It is so easy to get focused on the day-to-day that we sometimes forget the benefits of education and research.
Phil can be reached at phil.riebel@upm-kymmene.com.
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