Quarterly Newsletter        October 2013 
Recycle Tip: 
Purchase items that are made from recycled material (i.e., post-consumer product).      


A typical building usually generates close to one ton of e-waste ev
ery few
months. 

The
state of California bans all e-waste from landfills making e-waste recycling a key component of DC Environmental's recycling program.

We make it easy for you to dispose of your e-waste in a responsible way. We also provide metrics reporting for all recycled items, from batteries to computers, with full supply chain accountability. This is a great way to increase your diversion rate.


Schedule an Electronic Waste Event for your Building:
Do you or your tenants have some e-waste piling up in your building?  If so, please contact us to schedule a pick-up or an event for your tenants at no cost to you.
(Please note: minimum weight requirement must be met)
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Waste Audit:
Are you looking to begin the LEED certification process?  DC Environmental offers comprehensive, LEED compliant waste audits as an added service to help you achieve the numerous LEED prerequisites and credits related to waste management and diversion.  Contact us to schedule a waste audit.
(Cost details upon request)

 

Services DC Environmental Provides
  • Waste Stream Management
  • E-Cycling (Electronic Waste Recycling)
  • LEED Compliant Waste Audits
  • Recycling Reports
  • Bulky Item Pickup  
  • Additional Services:
    • Document Destruction
    • Temporary Roll Off Services
    • Seasonal Services
    • Universal Waste Recycling Program
    • Fluorescent Light Bulb Recycling
    • "Share the Success" Programs - to help publicize client sustainability successes
    • Compactor Monitoring

Data Security Solutions  

with Electronics Recycling


Our preferred electronics waste recycling vendor
understands the risk of data theft and undertakes a wide range of data erasing, sanitation and destruction services for government, military and law enforcement authorities and has extensive experience in this field. Either on-site or after secure transport to one of their asset management facilities, this provider eradicates proprietary information embedded in the drives and further processes the assets for reuse or recycling.

What you gain:
  • Data Protection Services
  • Witnessed Destruction
  • Ultimate Security
  • Certificates of Recycling and Destruction  
How to Encourage Tenants to Recycle at Work
 

1. EDUCATE

  • Host a meeting with your DC Environmental consultant to inform the tenants about the benefits of recycling.
  • Create a permanent resource such as a bulletin board or bookshelf in the lobby for tenants to reference whenever they wish.
  • Keep track of the statistics - DC Environmental provides recycling reporting which will keep the tenants informed of their recycling success 

 

2. PROVIDE INCENTIVE

  • Offer a reward to the office group that creates the least amount of trash and the most recyclables
  • Encourage tenants to begin recycling at work and at home for an even bigger reward

3. KEEP IT SIMPLE 
  • Make it convenient for tenants to participate
  • Choose volunteers to keep the workplace recycling program running
DC Environmental
Ranked 132nd on the Orange
County Business Journal's Fastest Growing Private Companies List

The Orange County Business Journal's annual list of Fastest Growing Private Companies has ranked DC Environmental 132nd out of 165 companies, with a 40.5% growth since 2011.

This list includes companies that had annual sales of at least $300,000 for 12 months through June 2011. Companies were required to show a minimum of 15% growth in revenue per each 12 months spanning back to 2011.

Recycling Diversion from MRFing Alone Misses Out on Good Material Going to the Landfill   

 

The acronym 'MRF' stands for Materials Recovery Facility. This type of facility is a specialized plant that receives, separates and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to end-user manufacturers. There are two types of MRFs: clean and dirty. A clean MRF accepts recyclable commingled materials that have already been separated at the source (i.e., office suite) from the waste stream. A dirty MRF accepts a mixed waste stream and then proceeds to separate out unsoiled recyclable materials through a combination of manual and mechanical sorting.   

 


Dirty
MRF

DCE Program
Diversion Percentage
25%-35%
55%-75%

 

When the recyclables are mixed in with the trash, a large percentage of these items are soiled and contaminated and only a  small percentage can then successfully recovered at a 'dirty' MRF. As you can see in the above chart, dirty MRFs account for recycling diversion of a mere 25% to 35%. In contrast, DCE's program can yield a much higher recycling diversion of 55% to 75%.  

 

The higher diversion percentages are justified by teaming up with DCE and implementing a higher touch recycling program in your building(s). DCE is able to achieve higher diversion percentages from the successful roll out of our program, providing on-going education and support as well as quarterly reporting that highlights the success of the program.

 


DIVERSION...DIVERSION...DIVERSION!

 

The State of California pushes for higher diversion (75% by 2020)...DC Environmental seeks it for all customers...Tenants love it...Property Management teams know they need it.

 

Let's work together to make it happen! 

Waste Prevention & Recycling at the Office
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CalRecycle points out some useful procedures when considering to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle, especially in the office.

Reduce

  • Eliminate unnecessary reports and reduce report size.
  • Eliminate unnecessary forms and redesign to use less paper.
  • Don't use cover sheets on faxes.
  • Make fewer copies. Share copies and don't make more copies than you need.
  • Print or copy on both sides.
  • Proof documents on screen and preview before printing.
  • Set up computers to automatically print two-sided.
  • Use light weight paper.
  • Remove duplicate names and out-of-date entries from mailing lists.
  • Take steps to reduce unsolicited mail.
  • Design mailers which avoid the use of envelopes (fold and staple the paper).
  • Use electronic mail and voice mail.
  • Post announcements on bulletin boards or circulate copies.
  • Circulate memos, documents, reports, and publications.
  • Allow internal documents to be circulated with legible minor hand corrections rather than retyping drafts.

Reuse

  • Collect paper that has been used on one side and reuse as draft paper in fax machines, for scratch pads and copies (in copiers with multiple trays, one tray can be stocked with draft paper).
  • Buy only copiers and printers that will make two-sided copies reliably.
  • Reuse envelopes by placing a label over the old address.
  • Use reusable envelopes for interoffice mail.
  • Use outdated letterhead for in-house memos.
  • Reuse file folders.
  • Shred newspapers and reuse for packaging.
  • Investigate whether local libraries, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. could use your old trade journals or magazines.

Recycle

  • Provide desktop recycling containers for employees.
  • Provide clearly labeled recycling bins near copiers, shipping and receiving areas, and in employee eating areas to collect white paper, mixed paper, newspaper, magazines, cardboard as well as nonpaper products (glass, aluminum, plastic, etc).
  • Don't buy paper that is a contaminant in recycling, e.g. thermal fax paper, glossy/plastic coatings, plastic windows, bright colors including goldenrod, laser printer inks, adhesive products.
  • Print directly on envelopes rather than using labels.  
Increases in Waste & Recycling Costs...WHY? 

California might be seeing increases in waste and recycling costs due to China's Green Fence policy, impleme
nted in February 2013 to prevent the import of trash--including contaminated scrap metal, paper and plastic--into the country. Since the U.S . exports
about 50%
of all materials collected for recycling, sending two-thirds of that to China, the Green Fence has greatly affected the market for recyclables. 
   
Since the Green Fence went up, there have been closer inspections of containers of scrap arriving at Chinese ports, resulting in an increasing amount of contaminated recyclables being turned away.  
 
U.S. based waste and recycling haulers and processors have increased their rates, citing the need to do more secondary sorting to ensure recyclables are "clean" enough for export to China. Some of the bigger haulers are even investing in high tech facilities that do optical sorting. On the other hand, some haulers are simply treating contaminated recyclables as trash, dumping it in landfills. 
 
Although the Green Fence is expected to come down in November, its effects are expected to linger. So what can your building or business do to manage costs and ensure that recyclables are not going to the landfill?
 
1) Keep your recycling stream clean  
Remind your staff and tenants to source separate recyclables in accordance with your recycling program. This means making sure that they are making the effort to take liquids and any wet, messy food wastes to designated trash bins rather than discarding them in a recycling bin. If your recycling stream is too contaminated, recyclable materials such as paper may not be recoverable at a sorting facility. Your recycling could end up in the landfill, and the cost of having it sorted after pickup will be passed along to you in the form of increased waste and recycling rates.

 

2) Manage potential rate increases
Being prepared and aware of the market, along with maintaining a clean recycling stream, will put you in a better position to negotiate when you are hit with a rate increase. By working with your hauler, you have a better chance at keeping any rise in rates to a minimum.

Earn a
$500
Credit
Referral Credit
DC Environmental is offering a one-time
$500 credit to your account (or gift card) for a referral turned customer.

 

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