Teru Talk Newsletter

Teru's Trash Talk

Listen! They're playing our song: "You can't manage what you don't measure." California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) staff have been hammer-down at work to good effect. Now available for our consideration are their State of Recycling and State of Disposal reports, and this Tuesday staff will meet with the public (us) to go over their findings.

CalRecycle says that the workshop will "present highlights of the State of Disposal and State of Recycling reports that focus on solid waste recycling and disposal in California and those materials and activities that count under the statewide 75% recycling goal." Whether on-line or in person, be prepared to submit your Comments. Honest: they asked for it...

Because this is Tax Preparation Time in these United States, most of us are sorting out jumbled receipts. All too often, it becomes painfully obvious with this house-cleaning process that better management is in order. According to California's new reports, pretty good records have been kept for what we have all been throwing into our landfills. But when we start digging for detail about our state-wide Resources Recycling and Recovery, those tracking receipts are, well, they are generally missing.

We all hate over-regulation and nobody wants to add another reporting requirement, but good grief, folks: only 4% reporting? If we don't document what we are doing with the public's scarce money and precious resources, we shouldn't be too surprised when new mandates make us pay attention. Much to CalRecycle's credit, the reports tell it like it is, despite the agency's clear recognition that the burden of measurement-for-management is shared by both the Public Agencies and the Waste Management Industries they oversee.

But bless them, that isn't the only lilting refrain we hear: "Garbage to Gold! Garbage to Gold!" sings the Sacramento regional Valley Vision team. This week brings their refreshing webinar to fetch us up on the broad possibilities of turning food waste and other rapidly rotting organic liabilities into golden assets. Speaking of requisite tracking: we'll hear all about California Assembly Bill 1826, and the programs that must be in place by January 1, 2016 to divert commercial food waste away from landfills, and advance the "Farm to Fork to Fuel" Sacramento valley visions.

Between 2011 and 2013, something profound happened to our national solid waste management hierarchy. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) caught up with Europe, and added "Energy Recovery" as the preferred option below Recycling and Composting, and above Disposal. Now to be clear, Energy Recovery is defined as just about anything other than resource destruction - conversion to fuels, chemicals, really any commodity. It was so much simpler when we all just trashed our discards, wasn't it? Shucks, now look at all this Recycled stuff we have to "measure and manage".

Hey Rube!

Check out what the smart cities of San Jose and Phoenix are doing, testing out advanced waste conversion platforms. There's a Pee-to-Power highlight, a number of bits advancing thermal conversion, and just a lot of progress evident in this week's news. Indeed, it all adds up to LOTS more tracking ... and far better Resource Management.

This Week's Top Story

ICM's Advanced Gasification Unit Will Demo at SF Bay Area WWTF

Kansas based ICM, Inc. has announced a signed contract with Florida company JUM Global, LLC, a developer contracted with the City of San Jose, California, for a gasification demonstration unit using ICM’s proprietary technology. 03/16/2015 

The Week's News

Greenergy Earns RSB Sustainability Certification for Waste Based Biodiesel

United Kingdom (UK) based Greenergy International Ltd has earned the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) sustainability certification for the production of biodiesel from used cooking oil at its facilities in Immingham and North Cave.   03/19/2015

Laminate Packaging Recycling Trials to Demonstrate Enval Technology

United Kingdom company Enval Limited has announced a pilot project to assess the feasibility of including flexible laminate packaging, such as food and drink pouches, pet food pouches, and toothpaste tubes, into existing household recycling schemes. 03/19/2015

UPV/EHU Researchers Gasify Circuit Board Waste Plastics for H2 Production

Researchers at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country are developing systems to recover hydrogen using waste plastics from electronic boards. 03/19/2015

Hawaii Governor Proclaims March 18th as Pacific Biodiesel Day

Hawaii Governor David Ige and Lt. Governor Shan Tsutsui proclaimed March 18, 2015 as Pacific Biodiesel Day to perpetuate and honor the legacy of the inventor of the diesel engine, Rudolph Diesel, as well as the contributions of Maui headquartered Pacific Biodiesel. 03/18/2015

CalRecycle Posts State of Recycling and Disposal Reports, Meeting Agenda

The California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has rescheduled its 'State of Recycling and State of Disposal' public meeting for March 24, 2015 after an earlier postponement. 03/18/2015

Flagship Ventures Invests in Red Rock Biofuels for 1st Commercial Refinery

Colorado based Red Rock Biofuels LLC has announced a strategic partnership with Flagship Ventures that sets the stage for the construction of its first commercial scale refinery in Lakeview, Oregon. 03/18/2015

California Propel Fuels Stations Will Sell Neste Oil's NExBTL Renewable Diesel

Finland based Neste Oil has announced that California company Propel Fuels will sell Diesel HPR (High Performance Renewable) at its retail stations. 03/18/2015

CEC Accepting Loan Apps for Renewable Energy and Efficiency Projects

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has announced the opening of the application period for 1% loan financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 03/18/2015

Sacramento Region's Valley Vision to Host Garbage to Gold Webinar

The Sacramento, California regional organization Valley Vision has scheduled a       webinar on March 26, 2015 at 11-12:00pm to address "Garbage to Gold: New Food Recycling Policy Brings Economic and Environmental Opportunities." 03/17/2015

UWE Bristol Researchers Publish on Urine-Fuelled Distress Signals

Researchers in the Centre for Bio Energy at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) have published an article featuring urine-fuelled distress signals in Chemistry World. 03/17/2015

The Week's Action Items

Due 04/14/2015: Proposal to City of Phoenix for Trash into Resource Pilots

​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Arizona City of Phoenix, Department of Public Works has issued Request for Proposals (RFP) 15-SWD-001 - Transforming Trash Into Resources Pilot Program. 03/17/2015