The PULSE February 2020

THE PULSE

NEWSLETTER OF THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF RECYCLING INDUSTRIES

Vol. 25, Issue 2, February 2020

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Small acts of education can go a long way

By now we’re all well aware of the negative misconceptions that shadow the recycling industry. Because so many of these wrongful ideas stem from assumptions and superficial knowledge, the single most important response for us is education. CARI continues to inform and advocate on behalf of the membership, but what can individual members do on their own? Here are a few ideas.

  • Be engaged and present in your community. Industries that lack a human face are far easier to ignore or view negatively. If you haven’t already, think about opportunities to join business associations, sponsor community events, or give presentations as a way to educate your professional peers and the general public. Consider holding an open house or inviting a school group to tour your facility. Each new bridge we build in this way will increase the likelihood that others may look at recycling with an open mind and a fresh perspective.
  • Generate positive news stories. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your local newspaper or other media entity and propose stories about your business that offer a different perspective. Most journalists are eager to learn and to challenge assumptions held by the public. If you’ve invested in a new technology or implemented an innovative new method, that’s news about our industry that the public needs to know about. Feel free to contact CARI for tips and guidance on this front.
  • Arm yourself with research-based recycling facts — and share them whenever necessary. There’s a popular misconception that because recycling alone has not solved all of our environmental problems, recycling is a failure that’s not worth our time or investment. Of course, actual research on recycling’s ongoing impact tells a much different story. The “Education” page of the CARI web site is a good place to begin for gathering powerful facts on recycling that describe the positive results in quantifiable terms. CARI also offers a downloadable brochure detailing the benefits of recycling for our members to use.
  • Reach out to your local government representative. Your local councilors or other elected officials can represent your interests much more effectively when they know you personally and the challenges that you face. As their constituent and a job provider in their community, your opinion is important. Many municipalities are taking a hard look at how they manage blue box recycling, but do the key figures involved know much about the industrial recycling that goes on locally? Make friendly contact to educate them about your importance and how you can make an even greater impact.

Do you have other education ideas? We’d love to help you explore them. Get in touch with CARI president Tracy Shaw. [email protected]

Matt Zubick
CARI Chair

CANADIAN SHIPPER LAUNCHES 2020 SHIPPER’S CHOICE SURVEY

Canadian Shipper has begun its 2020 annual survey, giving shippers opportunity to rate carrier performance. The survey covers all modes of freight transport and the results, published in Canadian Shipper magazine, can provide useful information for shippers.

Click here to access and complete the survey.

ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE CANADA ISSUES CHALLENGES

Through the Innovative Solutions Canada program, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced six new challenges to small- and medium-sized businesses in February.

One of the challenges seeks solutions for reducing e-waste and another for diverting plastic waste from end-of-life vehicles.

Successful applicants may receive up to $150,000 to develop a proof of concept and potentially an additional $1 million to develop a working prototype.

Read more about all six challenges here.

CARI Member News

  • DAVIS INDEX LAUNCHES MARKET PRICE PLATFORM FOR METALS RECYCLING INDUSTRY

CARI member Davis Index, a global commodity price reporting agency, launched in February the world’s only market intelligence publication built solely for the metals recycling industry.

Now available as an annual subscription, the service includes more than 900 proprietary price indexes spanning 80 countries, as well as metals futures prices and other reference data, according to a Davis Index release. The platform delivers hyper-local coverage of markets in the US, UK, Germany, Spain, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

For more information, visit davisindex.com.

  • MACHINEX PLAYS KEY ROLE IN NEW WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY

In late February, CARI member Machinex (of Plessisville, Quebec) took part in official grand opening ceremonies for a new Waste Management facility located in Laval, Quebec.

Machinex supplied Waste Management with a turnkey system for the new facility, including an OCC screen, disc separators for fine particles, a magnetic separator, and a Machinex II-Ram baler.

Successfully operating for the past few months, the facility is equipped to process up to 50,000 tonnes annually of recyclable material from the industrial, commercial, and institutional sectors in the greater Montreal area.

Give us a call on (613) 728-6946

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