By Ted Fischer
December 15, 2008

This year's MWMA fall summit focused on Waste to Energy technologies, benefits and barriers, but also focused the spotlight on Solid Waste Trends and Challenges. Recycle Bank, a recent addition to the Solid Waste Advisory Council, was on hand to encourage MWMA attendees to learn about their new technology of using RF ID tags and rewards to encourage recycling within cities. Recycle Bank, which has been recognized for their charity support though Active Cause, has established pilot programs across the country including Philadelphia, Austin and Central Virginia to improve the recycling rates of its customers. Preston Read of Recycle Bank made the presentation and answered questions from the delegation. He said that local economic development through the use of discount coupons and an increased public view of recycling encourages higher recycling rates and city savings. Recycle Bank estimates 1.75 million in savings every year according to the data they have collected during the life of their programs.

On the Challenge end of the discussion was Susan Thorneloe of the U.S. EPA office, of Research and Development. She presented to the MWMA delegation EPA's view on the handling and disposal of debris and hazardous materials in emergency situations. Unique challenges exist for the handling, transport, and disposal of debris resulting from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. Safe and timely disposal of disaster-generated waste and debris is critical to helping restore a community or region and prevent further contamination or spread of disease. She said that a design philosophy was key in solving the problem in the early stages. Each employee should be aware of the guidelines set forth by the city in times of disaster or clean-up. The suite of DSTs or Decision Support Tools, developed by EPA, provide quick and easy access to information needed for making decisions associated with handling, transport, and disposal of waste and disaster debris. The Decision Support Tools or DTS provide location'specific information to identify specific facilities and contacts for managing waste and debris.

Decision Support Tools provide references to technical information, regulations, and other information that is important for the protection of public health, first responders, and the environment. The decision support tools are not intended to override existing regulatory or legal requirements that apply to the disposal of materials within a particular community; rather it provides a starting point for cleanup activities. Final disposal decisions can only be made after contacting the appropriate persons at state and regional regulatory offices of EPA and coordinating with a disposal site. Waste classification categories are frequently defined at the state level, and include hazardous waste, municipal solid waste, construction and demolition waste, and special waste. Therefore, appropriate contact information and links are provided throughout the DSTs so that response personnel will be aware of applicable regulatory and legal requirements for the range of potential disaster-generated waste and debris.

For more on Recycle bank or EPA's Waste and Disaster Debris Management and Disposal (DTS) Decision Support Tools, please visit our website at usmayors.org/mwma