November 17 & 18
•••
Iowa Bottle Bill Summits
Cedar Rapids & Des Moines
Info below. RSPV by Nov. 13 !
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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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 Alan Schumacher, Quincy Recycle
It's official! America Recycles Day is also Iowa Recycles Day!
This Friday, Governor Kim Reynolds will proclaim November 15, 2019 “Iowa Recycles Day.” Members of the Iowa Recycling Board of Directors will join representatives from our partner organization Keep Iowa Beautiful at the Capitol to attend the proclamation-signing ceremony.
The proclamation recognizes the importance of recycling and raises public awareness about its role as a cornerstone of Iowa’s environmental protection efforts.
We applaud Governor Reynolds for the formal recognition. Watch for pictures of this Friday's signing ceremony in next month’s newsletter!
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HAPPY AMERICA RECYCLES DAY 2019!
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 WHAT IS AMERICA RECYCLES DAY?
“America Recycles Day® (ARD), a Keep America Beautiful national program, is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States.” (Source: Keep America Beautiful)
America Recycles Day is November 15th, and there are lots of ways to get involved in honor of this day.
HOW CAN I MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
- Take the “#BERECYCLED” pledge at the America Recycles Day website.
- Recycle at work! Check out the Recycling At Work program to access resources and learn how to improve workplace recycling.
- Educate yourself on your local recycling program and stay informed on program changes. Wondering where to recycle something? Use the Recycling Locator.
- Recycling is a great alternative to landfilling, but reducing and reusing have the most impact! Check out these resources for reduction and reuse tips:
- Reducing and Reusing Basics (EPA)
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:Common and Creative Tips and Ideas (Sustainable Baby Steps)
- Take a break from consumption, or discover ways to consume less with these resources.
- 30 Day Unshopping Challenge
- Reclaim Your Holidays
- New Dream
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Please join us this Sunday or Monday!
Learn more about the benefits of Iowa's bottle bill
and how to advocate for positive change in 2020.
RSVP by Wednesday, November 13 to
loder@brownwinick.com
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PANEL SPEAKERS:
Susan Collins, President, Container Recycling Institute, Culver City, CA
Troy Willard, Owner, Can Shed, LLC, Cedar Rapids, IA
Mick Barry, Owner, Mid America Recycling and Chairman of the Board of National Recycling Coalition
TIMES & LOCATIONS:
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November 17
Cedar Rapids, 1 - 4 p.m.
Can Shed
4121 16th Ave SW
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November 18
Des Moines, 6 - 8 p.m.
Central Library
1000 Grand Ave
(Networking & social at 5:30)
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IRA BOARD PLANS FOR 2020:
SEEKS MEMBER INPUT
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Please join us in congratulating our newly elected board members, Kate Bartelt and Jenny Koska, and re-elected board members Mitzi Brunsvold and Alan Schumacher. They will each serve a three-year term from October 2019 to October 2022.
In keeping with tradition, these four board members, along with the rest of the IRA board, will gather together this month for the annual board retreat. This retreat gives the new board an opportunity to get to know each other, and kicks off planning the upcoming year. Results from this year's Membership Survey will be reviewed during the meeting and will inform planning decisions made by the board and committees. If you have not yet taken the survey, click below to have your voice heard.
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As always, members are welcome and encouraged to join board committees. Here are descriptions of the 2019/2020 committees:
FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT:
Ensures IRA assets are managed in accordance with approved policies and serves as a resource to the board on financial matters. Increases and diversifies funding and provides continued growth and financial stability for the IRA.
MEMBERSHIP:
Promotes, increases and retains membership. Works with staff to maintain a membership database. Surveys membership for interests, needs and strengths.
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP:
Increases student membership and develops events and programs to recruit students and their institutions.
COMMUNICATIONS AND PROGRAMMING:
Plans and develops programs, events, and services that add value to membership and advance the goals of the IRA. Enhances and strengthens the visibility of the IRA through complete and accurate messaging. Enhance members' and the public's understanding of recycling and solid waste issues through communication channels including, but not limited to, monthly newsletters, social media, print materials, press releases.
LEGISLATIVE:
Develops annual legislative priorities, plans an annual legislative event, and manages the IRA's legislative liaison.
STRATEGIC PLANNING & BY-LAWS
Implements the IRA's strategic plan and updates plan as needed. Reviews the association's by-laws and standing rules to ensure the board is in compliance and all rules are in accord with current practices.
NOMINATING/BOARD MEMBER MANAGEMENT
Develops a slate of board candidates, recommends candidates for board vacancies and orients new board members.
CONFERENCE:
Assists with planning the annual conference held each October.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS:
Plans and implements an annual scholarship award program. Creates, develops and evaluates an annual awards program recognizing outstanding contributions to recycling and waste reduction in Iowa.
AUDIT:
Performs an annual financial audit of the IRA.
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THOUGHTS FROM THE PAPER & PLASTICS RECYCLING CONFERENCE
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Submitted by Wendy Larson, Midland Davis Corporation
 The 2019 Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference was held October 23-25 at the Marriott Downtown Chicago. This is generally a fairly well-attended conference with this year being somewhat of a surprise given the challenging market conditions. I was told there were 600+ registered attendees this year as compared with 719 registered attendees in 2018. It is the longest running conference in the recycling industry.
I would imagine most attendees (including myself) shuffled their time between attending sessions and visiting the trade booths, scheduling meetings with existing and new customers and just general networking. The venue in my opinion lends itself well to all of those activities.
There were a couple of noteworthy sessions I attended that I believe deserve comment. “Why Quality Counts” was a Thursday session with Holly Arthur of ISRI and Brent Bell of Waste Management. Holly presented an interesting view on how communication in the industry is so vital …and how we all play a part in what we say to others whether in a private conversation with a customer or out in the public or to the media. The appropriate message should be straightforward, well thought out, and aimed accordingly based on the audience. Our words are important and leave a lasting signal!
At this same session, Brent Bell (Waste Management Recycle America’s President), presented an interesting perspective from a substantial corporation involved daily with a strong commitment to recycling. His message stressed how recycling values have decreased while operation costs and the need for better quality have become an ever-increasing concern. He also discussed how WM is committed to recycling through their everyday operations and a substantial investment in new, state-of-the-art processing plants.
The final day of the conference brought another intriguing session: “Mixed Fortunes (Mixed Paper Session).” It featured Dan Kurtz of Waste Connections, Bill Keegan of Dem-Con and Shawn State of Pratt Recycling. To sum up these presentations, I’d say there’s optimism about the slow turn and increased consumption of mixed paper in the United States, especially at Pratt’s Wapakoneta, OH new container board mill, which will consume approximately 425,000 tons per year of mixed paper as well as OCC (old corrugated cardboard) and DLK (double-lined kraft). It provided a somewhat optimistic tone to the end of the conference.
If you are a processor, broker or consumer in the recycling industry who hasn’t attended this conference, you may want to watch for a "Save-the-Date" for next October.
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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES:
THANKSGIVING WASTE REDUCTION
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Submitted by Jane Wilch, City of Iowa City
During holiday times, households tend to produce more trash than normal with big meals, decorations and festivities. The following waste reduction tips have been designed to encourage Iowans to be more mindful of the environment as we plan, cook and enjoy our delicious Thanksgiving meals.
Waste reduction tips and graphics have been provided for educational purposes. The graphics are in PNG and PDF file types, and include two versions: one with the IRA logo, and one without. Use these resources to educate your customers, communities or networks on waste reduction this Thanksgiving season.
Tip #1: Plan your shopping list.
Make a list, and only buy what you know you’ll use. This is especially important when purchasing perishable items like produce, dairy, and meat.
Don’t forget your reusable shopping bags!
Tip #2: Skip paper or plastic cutlery.
Avoid using extra trash bags, and choose cloth napkins and reusable dishes. Recruit some of your guests to help with dishes.
Tip #3: Take only what you’ll eat.
On a holiday that is all about eating, it’s easy for your eyes to grow bigger than your stomach. Be mindful of your serving size. Give yourself, or ask for, small portions. You can always go back for more!
Tip #4: Don’t throw away food. Eat it, or compost it!
Eat it, or compost it. If you have a lot of extra food, pack doggy bags for your guests and/or freeze extra food.
Tip #5: Recycle wine corks, glass, and other recyclables.
Recycle wine corks at a ReCORK drop-off location. Holidays tend to create a lot of waste, so recycle what you can of glass, plastic, metal, paper, and cardboard.
Wishing all our IRA members a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!
These resources have been created by the City of Iowa City.
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New e-scrap recycling program serves parts of Iowa
 Through the recently launched Done with IT mail-in recycling program, consumers in portions of Iowa and other regions can mail used electronics to that region’s TERRA-approved processor in Nebraska.
E-SCRAP News article >>
Done with IT website >>
Final SMM Visioning report is posted
This past summer's sustainable materials management visioning sessions were the first of the Iowa DNR's multi-phase process to investigate sustainable materials management as the guiding ideology for state policy and programs.
The Visioning final report has been posted at www.iowadnr.gov/smm.
Work is currently underway on next steps, including a public awareness/opinion survey, a communications plan, and a request for proposals for Phase 2 of the SMM initiative. It is envisioned that Phase 2 of the SMM initiative will include, but not limited to, identification of priorities, action and strategy development, timeline, and responsible parties to develop a roadmap for transitioning to sustainable materials management.
Application period opens for DNR’s 2020 Derelict Building Grants
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is now accepting applications for the 2020 Derelict Building Grant Program. This program promotes the reuse or recycling of building materials from dilapidated buildings in communities of 5,000 residents or less. The application period will remain open through Feb. 20, 2020.
Learn more >>
EPA 2020 Environmental Ed Grants open for application
The EPA has announced the availability of up to $3 million in funding for locally-focused environmental education projects under the 2020 Environmental Education Grant Program. EPA will award three to four grants in each of the agency’s 10 regions. Groups interested must submit their application by Jan. 6, 2020, to be considered.
Learn more >>
Request for Proposals: Solid Waste Collection Injury and Fatality
The Environmental Research and Education Foundation in collaboration with the National Waste and Recycling Association seeks project partners who can help create an understanding of fatalities and injuries in the solid waste management industry by aggregating and analyzing data.
Learn more >>
Now accepting applications for EPA Youth and Environmental Educator awards
Each year the EPA administers the Presidential Environmental Youth Awards and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators. These programs recognize outstanding U.S. students and teachers who are dedicated to furthering environmental education in their classrooms and communities. Winners will be invited to Washington, D.C. in mid-2020 to be honored by the agency and present their work in a poster session.
Applications for both awards programs are due no later than January 15, 2020.
Presidential Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) >>
Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) >>
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