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THE
PULSE
Newsletter of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries
Volume 18, No. 9, September 2013
 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Throughout the year, CARI brings members together at a variety of national events like our convention and our consumers’ night. These events have the advantage of providing networking opportunities on a national and international scale, but sometimes focussing at the local level can bring businesses additional benefits.
In an effort to provide that local focus, CARI organizes annual chapter meetings each fall. Some chapters have been having these meetings for years, while others, like the Atlantic chapter, have taken up the idea fairly recently. These meetings vary in structure, but always offer great value to members.
It is coming up to that time of year again, and soon I, along with members of CARI staff, will be heading across the country to meet with CARI members and discuss local and national issues. We provide speakers for these meetings on topics relevant to our industry, and try to provide speakers on topics relevant to each specific region. To gain full advantage of these meetings, members should suggest topics to CARI staff and local CARI representatives, so we can arrange speakers to address the local issues at the local level. In the past, our chapter meetings have included presentations on topics ranging from radiation detection, metal theft legislation, ATM machines, and mercury disposal.
These presentations offer value, but the evenings are also a great opportunity for members to meet and network with others in the industry in a cost-effective manner. They are also the best occasion for members to meet one-on-one with CARI staff. CARI staff takes time away from the office to attend these meetings, strictly for the benefit of members. Please take advantage of having them there; ask questions, and identify local issues that they might not know of, but that require CARI’s attention or assistance. Think of these chapter meetings as another tool to grow your business and add value to your membership.
CARI’s 2013 fall chapter meetings have been confirmed for the following dates. Please contact local chapter representatives to register:
BC CHAPTER: Monday, September 30 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver
ALBERTA CHAPTER: Tuesday, October 1 at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino in Calgary
PRAIRIES CHAPTER: Wednesday, October 2 at Hy’s Steakhouse in Winnipeg
ATLANTIC CHAPTER: Thursday, October 3 at the Casino New Brunswick, Moncton
Hope to see you there.
Dennis Cebula
President
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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
CARI Member Everison International is currently purchasing Zorba from Canadian suppliers. Suppliers should be able to provide regular monthly container loads of between 90-96% Metallic and 1-4% Red Metals. Interested parties should contact Kamyar Tehrani at [email protected] or (647) 699-9429.
FAST FACTS
- Workplace safety remains a concern for the recycling industry. According to the latest federal Bureau of Labor Statistics refuse and recyclable material collectors is the sixth most dangerous jobs in the U.S. In 2012 the category’s fatal injury rate was 27.1 per 100,000 workers, ranking just behind structural iron and steel workers. This figure is an improvement over 2011 when there were 34 job-related fatalities for refuse and recycling, making it the fourth most dangerous occupation in the U.S.
- At the beginning of September, China eliminated license requirements for imports of copper cathode, copper concentrate, copper scrap and stainless steel scrap. A statement posted on the Ministry of Commerce’s website says the initiative aims to loosen commodity markets in China. Other products including iron scrap, aluminum scrap and unwrought zinc alloys will also be exempt from import license requirements. However, exporters must still follow AQSIQ guidelines, and an AQSIQ spokesman said there would be no immediate changes to domestic licensing rules.
- The government of Alberta is proposing changes to the province’s Designated Material Recycling and Management Regulation, in an effort to streamline regulatory framework and reduce costs to taxpayers. This fall, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (AESRD) will consult with industry stakeholders regarding its recommendation to consolidate Alberta’s eight existing recycling regulations into a single “Designated Materials Recycling Regulation.” The new regulation would include drink containers, used oil, tires, electronics and paint, and would introduce extended producer responsibility for packaging and printed paper and household hazardous waste. The province is also considering ending added visible environmental fees and making producers build the EPR costs into a product’s sticker price.
- The Abbotsford/Mission Recycling Depot reports that the IC&I program implemented at the start of this year is working. Tonnage was up 43 tonnes in the first three months of 2013 compared to the previous year. At the beginning of 2013 the City of Abbotsford, B.C. implemented a bylaw mandating all IC&I properties to offer adequate space for recycling on their premises. Previously, many Abbotsford businesses either had no recycling program in place, or collected only paper and cardboard. Under the new bylaw, businesses need to provide collection of all recyclables gathered in the residential collection program and that all the recyclables are delivered to an authorized depot.
- Earth 911 won the inaugural Recycling Innovators Forum competition at the recent Resource Recycling Conference. Their winning concept involves putting barcodes on recyclable products that can be scanned by smartphones. Consumers will be instantly taken to a website that provides all the recycling specifics about a product, with information tailored to a consumer’s location. Judges believed the idea was practical and has the potential to ‘transform’ the recycling industry. Earth911 received $20,000 (US) to help bring the project to reality.
- Statistics Canada released its 2010 Waste Management Industry Survey: Business and Government Sectors, which gathers information on the financial characteristics and waste management activities by companies, local governments, and other waste management bodies. According to the report, Canada’s overall diversion rate is 32%. Ontario has the highest disposal amounts (tonnage) in the country, but a lower per capita disposal rate than the national average. Across the country, non-residential sources make up the bulk of the materials disposed (65%).
- The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers has released new guidelines to help manufacturers design for recycling. This version of the APR design for recycling guidelines is grouped into five categories: caps and closures; inks; labels; colorants; and additives, layers, and fillers.
- At last week’s E-Scrap Conference, BAN announced it would release an update to e-Stewards standards later this year. A final draft of “e-Stewards 2.0” will be released in September, followed by a comments period before the official release date of November 1, 2013. Among other changes, the updated certification will address issues of data security. BAN and e-Stewards also announced they would separate, to allow each group to focus on its respective roles.
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