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THE PULSE
Newsletter of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries
Volume 14, No.6, June 2009

President's Message | CARI Activities Updates | CARI Members | Fast Facts

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

How many times have you heard it said that CARI is the Canadian voice of the recycling industry? While this is certainly true, do you really know what this means?

This was evident when CARI was formed back in 1941. However after the war, CARI, like it's members, continued to operate quietly and did what was necessary to make a living. Back then governments were much less intrusive and a loud voice was often not needed. However, in the last two decades issues that needed to be addressed, especially environmentally based issues, have caused much more regulation and administration for the industry. Unfortunately, governments and agencies who create the laws, regulations and rules usually know very little about our sector of society. New requirements often prove to be impractical, and regulations for other sectors may negatively side swipe recycling due to the ignorance of those making the rules.

CARI responded to this changing environment and focused on becoming a meaningful voice. It is now recognized as the industry's focal point and receives proposals for new regulations along with requests for our input into the final product.

Over the past few years, members have heard a great deal about metal theft and the efforts of CARI. We have been very active in both a defensive and offensive mode on this subject and this remains a huge issue today. CARI receives proposals from all levels of government. They include items such as stewardship programs, regulations on mercury removal, PCB's, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), tax proposals, cargo securement, and international protocols such as the Basel Convention.

Additionally, CARI has spoken for the industry and negotiated with organizations that see the value of creating and expanding programs for recyclers. This has led to benefits to our membership such as reduction in their operating costs, fuel and purchasing. CARI has lobbied the Canadian and Chinese governments and eventually went to a committee of the World Trade Organization to ensure that Canadian recyclers had a fair opportunity to trade with China. The result was the creation of CCIC Canada, the recognized organization that inspects export loads for China. A similar issue has already been raised for a trade problem with India.

Did you know that our Executive Director – Len Shaw is a registered "In-house Organization lobbyist" under the Federal Lobbying Act? Every 6 months he completes the required report to maintain this status.

CARI will continue to speak loudly on all current and future issues for its members while maintaining its status as the Canadian voice for the recycling industry.

Sheldon Jarcaig
CARI President

Visit www.agroinsuranceinc-crhb.ca for info.

CARI ACTIVITIES UPDATES

HR Manual

Due to the difficulties with the text transfer from our PDF HR Manual, a Word document version of it has been posted on the website . Although the file is large, it can be downloaded and altered without having to reformat.

Mercury Switch: Switch Out

To thank recyclers and dismantlers for doing a great job on automotive mercury switch collection, Switch Out is having a contest. Participants in the contest must send in at least two collection pails containing automotive mercury switches throughout 2009 to be automatically entered into the competition. Any business that returns ABS switches will double its odds of winning by receiving a second automatic entry. Only registered participants in the Switch Out program may take part in the contest. Please visit www.switchout.ca for details.

CARI MEMBERS

CARI member, American Iron & Metal Co. (AIM) is building a new facility that will expand and enhance the company’s position in ensuring its operations can be operated in a safe and secure manner. Simultaneously, AIM has been building a network of auto recycling facilities that hope to marry auto recycling facilities with environmental policies. One of AIM’s projects at its facility in the Halifax regional is to provide the municipality with a used vehicle recycling program that will ensure cars are processed in a safe and sustainable manner. The company is also involved with the Retire Your Ride program launched by the Clean Air Foundation.

Global Electric Electronic Processing Inc., a CARI Member, has partnered with the Réseau Québécois des Centres de Formation en Entreprise et Récupération (CFER) to motivate young students to protect the environment within the educational framework. While receiving training on the recycling of electronics, students are enrolled in an educational program that combines traditional teaching methods with a professional integration curriculum. This program gives them access to a certificate. Additionally, GEEP Ecosys Inc. will provide certain students at the end of their training, with the possibility of a supervised industrial internship designed to receive hands-on experience.

FAST FACTS

• The Oregon Senate has unanimously approved Bill 570 that bans the sale of certain types of metal unless they come from an approved source. The law imposes new record-keeping, transaction reporting, and police notification on recyclers if they suspect materials received are stolen. Metal dealers can only pay sellers by cheque mailed after three business days. The bill additionally creates the class A misdemeanour offense of unlawful purchasing and transporting of metals and unlawful altering (obliterating a serial number). Incompliance would result in criminal charges. 89 of the Legislature’s 90 members together with all the state’s utilities, agricultural organizations, law enforcement and others in the Oregon Metal Theft Coalition supported the bill. It’s not known when the bill will reach the House of Representatives.

• According to Rohit V Shah, director of the Bombay Metal Exchange, the Indian government has assured the metals trade and industry that it will remove and amend many of the rules on imports of metals scrap as early as possible. India’s Ministry of Environment & Forests appears to agree to relaxing and amending the stringent standards for imports of non-ferrous scrap. Shah said the ministry would simplify the Form 9 and the new form will be issued by the department concerned. Until then, he stated that all imports are free from Form 9 formalities and that the submission of pre-shipment testing certificates would not be compulsory. The industry awaits formal confirmation of these changes.

• The California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control has announced a policy that treats fluff as a hazardous waste. For years, the leftover car shreds have been used as municipal landfill covers under a state variance granted more than 20 years ago. However, state officials now say the practice has health risks and should be stopped. Currently, California is the only state that requires fluff to be treated, which recyclers do before it's sent to landfills. Sen. Lou Correa has put forward a bill that would prohibit the tightening control on fluff until the California EPA delivers a report on the issue to the assembly and governor. This would put the rules on hold until December 2010.

• As people switch to flat-screens, the collection and disposal of obsolete electronics are becoming an environmental problem that is costing Massachusetts cities and towns an estimated $2 million to $4 million dollars a year. State lawmakers in Boston will hear a bill that would make manufacturers responsible for recycling their electronic products. Producers oppose and warn that the costs would be passed on to consumers. Although the Legislature has not passed similar bills in the past, environmental specialists and public officials say the growing tide of electronic waste, combined with economic pressures, give the bill greater urgency. Seventeen states already have rules that require manufacturers to pay for recycling electronic waste.

• Xerox recently unveiled its new ColorQube 9200 multifunction printer, which reduces waste by 90 percent while saving nearly two-thirds the costs of traditional color printing. Using solid ink rather than ink cartridges, the printer is also designed to print more than 55,000 pages from a single ink block before needing to be changed. Furthermore, the company claims that the ColorQube 9200 will use 9 percent less energy throughout its lifecycle and produce 10 percent fewer greenhouse gases than a similar laser printer. The printer is now available in North America, and globally in September 2009.