Back to Newsletter Archives

THE PULSE
Newsletter of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries
Volume 16, No. 12, December 2011

President's Message | Fast Facts

CARI President Bertrand Van Dorpe,
CARI staff Donna, Tracy, and Len,
and the CARI Board of Directors
wish every member,
its employees and their families,
a wonderful holiday season
and a prosperous New Year.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. Just as this has been a busy year for our industry, so it has been for CARI. We brought on new members, maintained and grew existing relationships, launched new projects, and continued fighting long-term battles on industry’s behalf. And, as those of you who joined us at one of our events can attest, we had a bit of fun too.

This year saw three industry-related issues gain particular attention: metal theft, product stewardship, and railway service. CARI has been actively advocating for our industry on all fronts. As members of the Coalition of Rail Shippers (CRS), we are working toward resolving service issues with CN and CP. Representatives of CARI have spoken at a number of industry conferences about the industry’s concerns with stewardship programs and suggested ways in which these programs might be improved. And CARI has attended consultation meetings for potential programs that will have an impact on our members.

Metal theft is a two-sided battle, and a seemingly never-ending one. Not only are we continuing to fight metal theft through maintaining www.scraptheftalert.com, building relationships with law enforcement and issuing press releases, we are having to fight the misconception that recyclers are part of the problem. CARI spoke to the legislators of recent metal theft bills in B.C. and Nova Scotia, offering an industry perspective and advising against punishing recyclers for the crimes of others.

While these three issues alone are enough to keep CARI staff busy, we have also been developing new programs to increase awareness of our industry and to improve the ability of our members to do business. In August we launched the website www.canadarecycles.org, which we believe will give governments and the public a better understanding of the scope of our industry.

CARI already has new projects on the horizon for 2012. Early in the New Year, we will revamp the CARI website and update our Human Resources Manual. And mark your calendars for these three national events in 2012:

CARI’s 71st Annual Convention, June 21–23, Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Ottawa ON
CARI’s National Golf Tournament, August 16, Heron Point Golf Links, Alberton ON
CARI’s 15th Annual Consumers’ Night, October 15, Fairmont Royal York, Toronto ON

Thank you for continuing to support CARI this past year. I wish you all a happy, healthy 2012!

Bertrand Van Dorpe
CARI President

Click the image above or visit http://www.cowangroup.ca/cari-07 for information.

FAST FACTS

• Last month the United States Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 251, which expresses support of the American recycling industry. In addition to the economic benefits of recycling, the resolution recognizes the environmental benefits of recycling including safeguarding natural resources and reducing the amount of recyclable materials sent to landfills, and saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The resolution was backed by a coalition made up of ISRI, Steel Recycling Institute (SRI), the Aluminum Association, Paper Recycling Coalition (PRC), the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA), the National Solid Waste Management Association (NSWMA), and the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA).

• The recently released report “E-Waste Recycling and Reuse Services Worldwide” predicts electronic waste collection services will triple by 2020. China and India currently hold the largest market shares in terms of value, with approximately 23% and 21% of the respectively.

• Canada and Mexico recently announced their intention to join the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). With the addition of these two countries, the TPP would be the largest trade agreement in the world, and might mean increased trade transparency with China.

• A new report released by the European Environment Agency (EEA) declares recycling provides a significant economic benefit to Europe’s economy and also helps meet the material demands of economic production. According to the report, Earnings, Jobs and Innovation: The Role of Recycling in a Green Economy, revenue generated from recycling almost doubled between 2004 and 2008, and revenue and collection levels have rebounded since the early 2009 downturn. Employment in the recycling industry also increased about 45% from 2000 to 2007. Although, the report says that even maximum recycling in the EU would not cover the demand for resources, increased recycling can improve resource security.

• Winnipeg-based Blue Diamond Technologies Ltd has signed a deal to build up to 13 tire recycling facilities in China. The deal includes exclusive rights to Blue Diamonds patented tire recycling technology. The first facility, located in Hangzhou, is expected to begin operating by the end of 2012, and will produce crumb rubber, steel and fibre from scrap tires. Blue Diamond currently has a pilot operation in Minnesota.

• As part of its newly adopted commitment to sustainability, Novelis Inc. plans to increase its usage of recycled aluminum from 33% to 80% by 2020. The company said its goal is to improve the lifecycle of its aluminum products by reducing embedded carbon through the use of recycled aluminum, expanding post-consumer recycling facilities, and by driving product innovation.