Waste stream journal, Vol. 1, no. 3 (Summer 1997)

THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL

A Waste Reduction Newsletter of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs

* * * VOL. I NO. 3

SUMMER 1997

**** IT'S ON US

Five-year Report
Georgia Makes SWM Progress
25% Reduction Goal Not Met by Deadline
More Recycling, Safer Disposal
In areport that isn't really
a news flash, DCA will announce that Georgia did not meet the 25% waste reduction by the July 1, 1996, deadline set forth in the Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act of 1990. In fact, per capita disposal amounts increased by almost five percent.
Though the news will come as no surprise when the 1996 Georgia Solid Waste Management Report is re-
leased later this summer, progress made in safe disposal, waste reduction and collection infrastructure may tum a few heads. Because the 1996 report is the fifth compilation of solid waste data issued by the Department, it contains a five-year summary of Georgia's performance in solid waste management: The report is primarily based on the Solid Waste Survey and Full Cost Report, administered to local govemments annually by DCA. Disposal and landfill informatio~ is provided by EPD.
SWM continues on age 4: 1&

Talkin' Trash-

Goals & Garbage

1 *** The Public Sector.

l * * *
The Private Sector

Garbage Goal Remains, Says

AttorneyGeneral What do you get when you

Here's one idea that may

combine one dead pig, a full not come up in this summer's

case of beer, a reclining nude Collection Efficiency Work-

and some shotgun shells? It's not as fun as a barbecue on a

shops (see article on page 7): Patrick Palmer of Bristol, Vt.,

Efforts to Meet Goal

small town Saturday night, but . picks up waste and recyclables Should Continue

it's still peachy! These are from the town's 1,800

some of the "strangest and residents using horses and a

most noteworthy" items found wagon. His earnings ($15,600

In an opinion issued in July,

during the second annual per year for once a week pick State Attorney General

"Let's Keep Georgia Peachy up) pay for the upkeep of Thurbert Baker determined that

Clean" Clean Up Week, April 19-26. For a full report, see page 2. (By the way, the reclining nude was a painting.)
* * *
Many of Georgia's local governments are busy updating the short term work programs of their solid waste management plans, The majority of these updates are due in 1998. Local governments will receive reminders from DCA well before plans are due. Contact your RDC or DCA for more information. (See article on page 11 for more information on plan updates.)
* * *
Cigarette butts are out...of the car window,. that is. A Georgia House Bill to specifically identify the butts as litter did not pass in the 1997 session. Litter gurus point out that cigarette butts are already

horses at his nearby farm.
* * *
In a change from birds to birdies, Eagle Golf Ventures Inc; of Dunwoody is transforming a closed Sandy Springs landfill into a golf course. A clubhouse, training center, driving range, putting greens and practice area are already open, and plans for the adjacent cour.se are in the works. Company President Kay Broaddus hopes to open several such facilities on closed landfills around the state. If your local government may be interested, call Broaddus at (770) 390-0960 for information.
* * *
Bedminster Bioconversion Corporation recently relocated its corporate headquarters to Marietta from Cherry Hill, N.J. An industry leader in in-vessel co-composting of municipal

the State's 25 percent waste reduction goal is still in effect, even though it was originally expressed in terms ofa calendar date (July 1, 1996).
"The heart of the [1990 solid waste] legislation is the requirement of active involvement in programs for reducing waste," he stated. Baker wrote that efforts to meet the goal should continue.
"Our target is still there," said Paul Radford, director of DCA's Planning, Information and Management Division. "We're armed with better information and better tools than we were five years ago, so let's go get it."
To have met the goal as expressed in the legislation, Georgia would have had to reduce the amount of waste discarded in the state's landfills to 5.33 pounds per capita per day by July 1, 1996. Instead, the state's disposal rate increased to 7.43 pounds

See PUBLIC on page 5: tW

See PRIVATE on page 5: tW per capita per day by the goal

date. (Please see article at left

In This Issue

for full details.) State agencies and local

Covington/Newton Co. exceeds waste reduction goal. See page 5.
Waste Reduction Advisory Council begins second year; new members appointed. See page 6.

governments have continued to . work toward waste reduction since the goal date passed. For example, the State

Local plan update deadlines approaching, See page 11.

GOAL continues on a e 8: 1&

THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL SUMMER 1997 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

GCB Hosts Conferences;

OVER 350 GROUPS TOOK PART IN THE SECOND ANNUAL

New Communities to Join KAB

"LET' s KEEP GEORGIA PEACHY CLEAN" CLEANUP, almost triple the number participating in the 1996 event. During the

Central Savannah River Clean and Beautiful, the state's second regional KAB affiliate, was formed in July when Columbia County joined Augusta-Richmond Clean & Beautiful's efforts. The agreement adds . one of Georgia's fastest growing counties, with a population of more than 80,000, to the area served by the former AugustaRichmond organization.
***
Beautiful Fayette and Valdosta-Lowndes Clean and Beautiful are winding down their pre-certification efforts and planning dates for their actual KAB certification. Look for more information on their successes in upcoming issues of The Waste Stream Journal.

***
The KAB South/Southeast Regional Forum, hosted by GCB in Savannah on August 12-16, registered a record 300 attendees. The agenda featured tours, nationally-recognized speakers, KAB training, a


DCA. staffpitchin' in on the Pickup

weeklong cleanup, held in April, 7,586 volunteers removed litter from 1,140 miles ofroadway, 30 acres of vacant lots, and 43 illegal dumps. Volunteers contributed 21,000 hours to projects in their communities.

beach cleanup and eve11 a low country boil.
***

attend to offer an optional PROJECT WET (Water Education for Teachers)

sponsoring a Highway Beautification Wildflower Workshop/Symposium in

GCB will celebrate the ten- Training on .Wednesday,

year anniversary of the Georgia September 17. As always, the

Clean and Beautiful Executive Conference will also include

Directors' Association (lovingly legislative updates, project

known as GCBEDA) at its sharing and networking

annual Executive Directors' opportunities.

Conference. The Conference

***

will be held September 17-19 at

The Garden Club of

Red Top Mountain Lodge near Georgia, Inc. and the Georgia

Cartersville. DNR staff will Experiment Station are

Griffin at the Experiment Station on September 3. The agenda includes information on wildflower species, "howto's" for starting a program, and a wildflower tour. The registration fee is $10 and should be submitted by August 28 to Tally Sweat, 7 Gilbert Trace, Atlanta, Ga. 30308.+

GEFAAwards Extra Grants in April Round
$2.8 Million Distributed
GEFA's $2.5 million Recycling and Waste Reduction grant program grew to $5 million in April, allowing the agency to fund extra projects during its April review period.
The agency made 43 awards totaling $2.8 million. The grants-ranging from $9,000 to $200,000-funded equipment, construction, education and coordination for a variety of waste reduction projects.
"When more solid waste trust fund money became available, EPD transferred it here," explained James Thompson, program manager for GEFA. "The idea is to make as much waste
GEFA$$$""'
2

LEAD APPLICANT TYPE OF ACTIVITY

. .

.

AWARD

Alamo Purchase. equipment for mulching yard trimmings and organic materials

20,000

Aragon Purchase baler for processing recyclables andtow motor to handle loads

25,000

Ashburn Purchase 1eafvacuu1n,. wood chippiir for composting program Baldwin co. Conduct food/wood waste composting project (Central State Hospital & Prison)

20,000
'
36,000

Barnesville Purchase equipment to crush glass and cans

12,395

Bartow co. Add storage area to recycling center, construct two. additional col.lection centers fo( recyc)ables; purchase .shredder, initiate industrial waste reduction program

157,000

Brooklet Purchase.wood chipperto prepare yard trimmings for composting

11,495

Candler Co. Consolidate green boxes, construct convenience centers/recycling drop-off centers ar.ound county (Metter, Pulaski) nncludes $25,000 for SE KABJ

125,000

Dade Co. construct stationary and portable recycling collection bins in county, establish KAB program: purchase recycling collection equipment .and waste oil recovery /storage program ffrentonl

62,082

Dougherty co. Conduct home cempos:ting education program, provide c6rnposters

30,950

Duluth Provide additional compost bins, produce brochure on composting

9,000

Edison Purchase wood chipper to process storm debris and yard trimmings

Forsyth co. construct additional staffed recycling drop-off centers

Floyd co. Establish regional school central sourca separation recycling .project

<Bartow County,. Cartersville and Romel



'
,.

20,000

..

..

.,

80,000

.. .

150,000

..

Gay Construct community drop;off recycling center and purchase vehicle

30,000

Gwinnett co. Expand Recycling Bank of Gwinnett, add sorting line conveyor and baler, 10.000 sq. ft. paper 50,000 handling facility, sorting conveyor and forklift

Hall co. Develop model comprehensive commercial and industrial waste reduction initiative, reuse center. &composting program (Clermont. Gainesville, Gillsville, Oakwood, and Flowery Branchl

Hazlehurst Expand recycling center, purchase processing equipment

,

200,000 70,000

Houston Co. Implement countywide curbside recycling program, purchase recycling bins. conduct recycling public education

64,700

Jesup/Wayne co. .Expand and equip recycling center to handle biweekly recyclables pickup Lookout Mountain Purchase leaf vacuum to handle the large velum~ of yard trimmings

126,328 20,000

- - - - - - - - - - , . . . - - - - - - GEORGIADEPARTMENTOFCOMMUNITY AFFAIRS

MCLAURIN AWARDED ASHS AWARD

Dr, Wayne McLaurin, pro- attendees learned how to

fessor of horticulture at the compost at home and how to

University of Georgia, wa.s train others in home com-

awarded a Distinguished posting. He developed the

Achievement Award by the materials used in the 14

American Society for Horti- workshops, and he has

cultural Sciences (ASHS). personally trained over 800

The award recognizes his volunteers in this format.

work in reducing Georgia's

He served as the senior

waste stream through author of The Home

composting education and his Composter Handbook, a

contributions to horticultural comprehensive 152-page

education in the state and reference manual on the

throughout the nation.

science and techniques of

McLaurin has worked with composting, and other mater-

DCA and other State agencies ials that have been used

since the passage of the 1990 and adapted throughout

Solid Waste Management Act the country. He also helped

to show how composting establish Georgia's 94 perm-

can help meet the State's anent home composting

waste reduction goal and to demonstration sites.

offer technical assistance for

Georgia's home com-

local governments in their posting program has received

composting efforts.

national recognition as the

McLaurin helped develop first statewide program of its

a series of workshops at which kind in the nation. Program

Dr. McLaurin, recipient of Distinguished Achievement Award
elements, including materials components designed and written by McLaurin, have been used in 22 states.
"Wayne's help has ensured the success of Georgia's large scale and home composting efforts," said DCA Commissioner Jim Higdon. "We're proud to have someone so deserving of national recognition working with us."+

Acronyms Commonly Used in This Newsletter:

DCA Georgia Department of Community Affairs

DNR Georgia Department of Natural Resources

EPD

Georgia Environmental Protection Division (DNR)

P2AD Georgia Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (DNR)

RDC Regional Development Center

GEFA Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority

GCB Georgia Clean and Beautiful (DCA)

KAB Keep America Beautiful, Inc~

MSW Municipal Solid Waste

C&D Construction and Demolition

i&GEFA$$$
reduction money as possible available for local governments."
In addition to the $2.8 million awarded in April, the program funded 15 projects at a total cost of $1.2 million in January. The recipients were selected from a pool of 83 requests for a total of $11.2 million. The remaining million dollars will fund some of the applications already received, with notification to be made this summer.
As part of the renewed effort at coordination among state agencies, DCA, EPD and P2AD assisted in reviewing the applications. Their involvement helped to ensure effective use of funds arid consistency with both the State and local solid waste management plans.. The four agencies will continue to work together on the projects by offering technical assistance to the recipients.+

LEAD APPLICANT TY~E OF ACTIVITY

AWARD

McRae/Helena Purchase equipmen.t for composting operation



70,000

Montgomery Co. Initiate comprehensive incentivebaSed solid waSte/recycling program,. recovered materials and 200,000

processing center



..







NGA waste Mgt. Expand recycling activities to three addition.al counties; provide infrastructure to participants .. 100,000

Authority !Lumpkin, Towns & Union now, add three morel





Nahunta Purchase wood chipper to handle yard trimmings .

20,000

Newton co. construct. Recyclable Material Collection anq Distribution Facility (Covington, Oxforq, Porterdale,. Mansfield, and Newboml
Oglethorpe Co. Purchase two recycling separation trailers,truck for towing trailers

150,000
. 21,500

Paulding co. Conduct recycling public info/education, construct recycling center (Dallas, Hii"aml

98, 150

Perry Enhance recycling center, purchase trailer and containers

15,000

Pike co. Purchase wood chipper, develop composting program Pine Mountain Purchase wood chipper, develop composting program

45,000
..
20,000

Portal Purcha5e bater, platform and chipper

Preston/Webster co. construct staffed' recycling faciJity, purchase processing equipment

.

Roswell Expand existing recycling center, construct new building to house operations

Screven co. Construct recycling .and waste drop-offc~nters; eliminate green boxes (Sylvania, Oliver, Newington, Rocky Ford, Hiltonia & Coopervillel

Statesboro Construct recyding processing c~nter !Bulloch County)

Troup Co. Deveiop convenience centers with recycling operations

..
. .
.
.

10,000 50,000 200,000 100,000
100,000 50,000

Tybee Island Purchase tub grinder for shared use w.ith other jurisdictions

35,000

Vidalia Purchase bobcat loader and horizontal baler to expaod recyc"ng center

50,000

White co. Purchase wood chipper to handle storm debriscandyard trimmings

18,850

Wilkinson co. Develop. addftional convenience center, conduct .recycling Plltilic edL1cation ffwiggs county; Allen.town, D~tiville, Gordon, Irwinton, lyey; Jeffersonville, Mcintyre a_nd Toomsborol

100,000

Zebulon purchase recycling bins forJocal residents .

TOTAL.

..

..

.. 15,000 $2.788.450

3

THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL SUMMER1 9 9 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - , - - - ' - - - - - - - - - - - Soild Waste Management Annual Report Highlights Progress

tW SWMfrom page 1

Report Highlights

made up of commercial and

As noted, Georgia did not industrial waste.

meet the 25 % waste reduction

Finally, robust economic

goal. To have been successful, and population growth,

Georgians would have had to Olympic construction and the

reduce the amount of waste devastating floods that

disposed of from 7.11 pounds inundated large portions of the

per capita per day in fiscal year state in the summer of 1994

1992 to 5.33 pounds per capita resulted in much higher

per day by the July, 1996, amounts of waste disposed of

deadline. Instead, Georgians than anticipated.

had increased the amount of waste disposed of by 4.5% to More Recycling 7.43 pounds per capita per day. Opportunities

The chart below shows the

In 1992 only 51% of

change in waste disposed of counties and 28% of cities had

over the five-year period. recycling services available to

Though per capita disposal residents in their jurisdictions.

figures decreased in 1993 and By 1996, 87% of counties and

1994, they rose in 1995 and 71 % of cities reported having

1996. As reported in the Fall recycling opportunities availa-

1996 Waste Stream Journal, ble. These jurisdictions serve

three primary reasons for the 94% of the state's population.

increase have been identified.

Moreover, recycling was

First, because many generally more convenient in

landfills did riot have scales or 1996 than in 1992. Curbside

trained operators in 1992- recycling was. available in 61

and because many of them did . more local government 50% of the state's population.

not even report-the base year jurisdictions in 1996 than in

For the first time, the 1996

figure may be skewed.

1992. Though curbside col- survey asked. local govern-

Second, the State's strategy lection was available in only ments if recycling services

for achieving waste reduction 15% of counties and 35% of were available to businesses

primarily involved local govc cities with recycling, the within their jurisdictions.

emments and, thus, residential service was available in almost Eighty-four percent of

waste disposal. Subsequent an of the state's large local . counties and 65% of cities

surveys have shown that the governments. Jurisdictions reported that these services

majority of the waste stream is with curbside service include were available.

Population/Waste 10 Disposed (annual figures in millions) 7.5

---+-
Population

5

- -{]- - 2.5 Tons Disposed

Per Capita 10 Waste Disposal
7.5

5

---+-- 2.5
Per Capita Average
1992 1993

1994

1995 1996

Fewer, Safer Lttnd.fills
In 1992, Georgia reported having 181 MSW landfills. (C&D landfills were not reported.) Only 3% of the state's solid waste was disposed of in lined landfills. Since then, 93 MSW landfills and 26 C&D landfills have closed, while 35 MSW landfills and two C&D landfills received permits for opening or expansion. Some MSW landfills converted to C&Ds, further altering the makeup of Georgia's disposal facilities.
At the end of Fiscal Year

1996, Georgia had 101 MSW landfills and 35 C&D landfills. About 75% of the state's 1996 capacity was lined, with 65% of municipai solid waste going to lined landfills.
Improved Solid Waste Collection
In 1993, the first year the survey asked the question, 99 counties and 68 cities reported using green boxes. These large, unstaffed collection bins were usually scattered throughout the countryside, leading to unattractive and unhealthy collection sites.
By 1996, many local governments had replaced them with more centralized manned and unmanned dropoff centers or curbside collection. Though used by 77 counties and 44 cities in 1996, green boxes served just 22% of the state's population and

4

---""---------~---- GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

were generally used by landfills, the trend toward use

counties with populations of of those operated privately

25 ,000 or less.

demonstrates the changing

Use of curbside collection, role of local governments in

a more convenient option, solid waste management.

grew from 18 counties and 338

Where local governments

cities in 1993 to 34 counties once acted as direct service

and 389 cities in 1996.

providers, they must now

Move to Privatization

be able to develop requests for proposals and

More local governments franchise .agreements and to

have turned to private contract for' services with the

vendors for both solid waste private sector. They also must collection and la~dfill be able to monitor service de-

management. In 1992, 26% livery and take corrective

of counties and 30% of cities action when services are

relied on private vendors for . inadequate.

solid waste collection

"The annual report de-

services. In 1996, those monstrates what many of

numbers had increased to , us in State government knew

69% and 71 %, respectively. was happening," said

Similarly, many local Paul Radford, director of

governments closed their DCA's Planning, Information

MSW landfills and began and Management Division.

using facilities operated by "While we were concerned

private companies. In a few that the state wouldn't meet

cases, they turned over the waste reduction goal, we

operation of their facilities to knew that we were making

private contractors. Local significant progress in many

governments using p:rivately areas of solid waste

operated disposal facilities management."

increased from 10% of

The annual report will

counties and 11% of cities in be mailed to local KAB

FY92 to 39% of counties and affiliates and recycling co-

24% of cities in FY96.

ordinators. If you would like

Though the majority of to receive a copy, please

local governments are still contact Berenice Thomas at

using publicly operated (404) 679-3142.

City of Covington and Newton County:
Reaching the Goal

Though the State does not track waste reduction at the

local government level, many communities have let State

agencies know that they met or exceeded the 25% waste

reduction goal by July 1, 1996. One of those communities ,

was Covington/Newton County.

When the Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management

Act passed in 1990, Newton County residents immediately began

taking steps to assist the

State in achieving the 25%

reduction goal. The

County reports that, by the

end of FY96, its residents

had reduced the per capita

amount of waste going to

landfills by 25.9%.

To meet their goal, the

County and municipalities

developed infrastructure to give residents opportunities

Recycling receiving area

to recycle, then focused on educating them about waste reduction.

Early in the process, the City of Covington and Newton County

. developed a staffed recycling center. Later; Covington and

Oxford implemented curbside recycling programs.

Meanwhile, Covington/Newton County Clean & Beautiful

dispatched Miss Dew Drop, a Southern belle with a trash can

lid for a hat, to the schools to explain recycling. The Clean

and Beautiful programs reached up to 8,000 school children

each year.

~y 1995, the County had reduced waste by only 17%,

leadmg to a logistical change. Through a low-interest GEFA

loan, the County built staffed recycling facilities at the

compactor sites where residents took their waste, making a

total of nine recycling centers. By making recycling just as

convenient as throwing away trash, the improvement pushed

the County beyond its goal.

Talkin' Trash, Public
1I'ii PUBLIC from page 1
included in the definition of litter, even though the current law does not specify them.
* * *
DCA mailed the 1997 Solid Waste Survey and Full Cost Report to all local governments in mid-July. The reports are due back to DCA by September 30. If you have questions when completing your survey, please call Patrick Vickers at (404) 679-3151.
* * *

cy~Cl!rnis~p

County's new re-+ and composting

Talkin' Trash Private
1I'ii PRIVATE from ;age J

facility 1s scheduled to open in

the spring of 1998, according solid waste and waste water

to a recent issue of Waste biosolids, Bedminster is

News. Working with Muni- constructing its showcase

cipal Waste Management LLP facility in Cobb County.

of Atlanta, the County hopes The company already has

to use the facility to divert 87 operating facilities in

percent of materials that would Tennessee, Texas, Arizona and

otherwise be landfilled. The Florida and is developing more

operation also has contracts in Massachusetts, Canada,

with 37 other jurisdictions, Sweden and Australia.

which have guaranteed to provide a certain amount of

* * *

mixed waste and recyclables.

Southeast Paper Manu-

The facility will charge a $35/ facturing Company is

ton. tipping fee. Officials making about $35 million

expect to process 1,200 tons worth of capital improve-

per day.+

ments at its Dublin plant,

according to Waste News. Over two-thirds of the money will be spent on upgrading the plant's paper machine to remove water faster during the newsprint recycling process. The upgrade should increase production by 29,000 tons per year.
* * *
Construction Steel Inc., of Smyrna, has introduced the Screen USA Series of portable screening plants for small to intermediate producers, according to Waste Age's Recycling Times. The self-contained machines can be pulled behind a one-ton truck
5

THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL SUMMER 1997----------=~1-c.,----------

. OPEN BURNING BANNED IN

WRAC

ATLANTA AREA

Gears Up for

For the second year, residents and businesses of the 13-county AtlantaOzoneNonattainment Area are facing an open burning ban during the summer. months, resulting in more materials to be mulched, composted or disposed of as solid waste.
After last year's ban ended, the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association surveyed .about 200 of its members. According to Chris Cochran, governmental affairs representative for the Association, the responses indicated that most developers and builders had hauled materials to landfills during the ban.
About .a quarter indicated they had chipped materials, and about a fifth had buried on site. Toward the end of the summer, some respondents had stockpiled debris for burning after the ban ended. Many respondents used a combination of handling methods.
Most respondents indicated that they bum debris when the ban is not in effect, though about half also haul materials to landfills. Slightly more than half bury on site when the ban is not in effect, and fewer chip debris into mulch.
"The number one effect of the ban is an increase in housing costs because of the added expense of hauling or chipping," said Cochran. "The average increase is $1,200 to a house and $800 to a lot."
Thoughbuilders reported hauling more often, the ban did not lead to a noticeable disposal increase in the area's MSW and C&D landfills, according to Susan Wagner, EPD environmental specialist. "We had more permit-byrule facilities, which means burying inert waste on site increased~ There was a lot of

mulching and composting

going on, too," Wagner said.

According to Charles

Slade, vice president of Green-

cycle of Georgia; an Atlanta-

based composting firm, more

companies opted to mulch

their trimmings than to

compost them. "We received

a fair amount of chipped debris

to compost," said Slack "It

wasn't overwhelming by any

means. Mostly, people were

grinding on site and either

using it there or giving it to

nearby residents."



The ban is an effort to

keep ozone in the Atlanta area

from reaching unhealthful

levels, which happens more

often during the summer

months. Ozone is formed

when volatile organic com-

pounds and nitrogen oxides

coming from man-made and

natural sources react in the

presence of sunlight.

EPD has identified open

burning as a significant

contribu.tor of the pollutants

that form ozone, leading to the

implementation ofthe banfrom

May 1 through September 30

each year.

Types of burning prohibited during the period are: (1) burning of leaves, tree limbs or other yard trimmings; (2) burning over of forest land by the landowner; and (3) burning of vegetative waste from land clearing (including a ban on the use of air curtain destructors).
As long as there are no local ordinances to prohibit them, fires for carrying out recognized agricultural practices; for recreational purposes or cooking food; or for training fire-fighting personnel are still allowed.
The Atlanta Ozone Nonattainment Area includes the following counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale.+

w w dca state

a us

DCA to Launch Web Site

Beginning around midAugust, you can get the latest solid waste information on DCA's new web site.
Once on-line, the site will contain general information about soUd waste legislation and programs, as well as articles from The Waste Stream Journal. Soon, you will be able to search the Recycling Markets Directory for Georgia, read the Solid Waste Management Annual Report, and find information on Georgia Clean and Beautiful, the statewide litter campaign

and the state's local KAB affiliates.
DCA's site is not limited to solid waste issues, however. You will also find information on housing programs, grants and loans, planning, building codes, economic development, and surveys and data collected by the Department.
We will update and add to our home page regularly (that's the address above this article), so be sure to visit often. For more information, please contact webmaster@dca.state.ga.us.+

Second Year
bCA's Waste Reduction Advisory Council completed its first year and is preparing for the next year of advising the Department on solid waste issues and serving as the advisory board for the Georgia Clean and Beautiful program.
In its first year, the Council met six times; giving input on a full range of solid waste issues, including waste reduction and recycling grants, programmatic goals for local governments, recycling coordinator training and the statewide litter campaign. They also made recommendations regarding revisions to the State solid waste management plan.
Most recently, the Council considered legislative issues for the 1998 session. Members divided into thfee committees to study issues related to litter prevention, tax credits and incentives, and funding sources and passed recommendations on to the Department.
New Members Appointed
The makeup of the Council will remain essentially. the same as in 1996-97. It con~ tinues to represent commercial recyclers, waste haulers, private industry, local governments and environmental organizations. New members for the upcoming year are: Jim Durrett, The Georgia Conservancy;
Winn Hill, Southwire Company;
Phil Jones, Bryan County; and
Tavia McCuean, Nature Conservancy of Georgia.
Connie Wiggins, executive director ofGwinnett Clean and Beautiful, will continue to serve as Council chairman.+

6

_ _ ____;__ _ _- - ' - - - - - - - - - - - GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

COLLECTION satisfaction. These interactive Buy Recycled Vendor Show to

EFFICIENCY

Collection Efficiency Workshops will help,

Feature Recycled Products

WORKSHOPS

The workshops will be

Recycling can't work if no one buys recycled products, and

held August 25 at Lanier that's an area where government agencies and businesses can

Scheduledfor August

Center Hotel in Gainesville, and August 27 at the Crown

At two one-day workshops Plaza Hotel in Macon.

to be. offered in late August, . Trainers will walk participants

participants can find ways to through the process of

save money in their solid assessing potential collection

waste budgets by collecting strategies and projecting

solid waste and recyclables potential cost savings. Each

make a significant impact. At what is expected to be the Southeast's largest recycled
products show for 1997, purchasing agents and recycling coordinators from private businesses and federal, state and local governments will see first-hand that products made from recycled materials compete with those made from virgin materials in price, quality and availability. And purchasing those products gives the added benefit of supporting recycling markets.

more efficiently.

exercise will include dis-

Joel Makower, editor of The Green Business Letter and a

The collection of resi- cussion of outside factors to be leading voice on business, the environment and the bottom line,

dential solid waste and considered when assessing a

recyclables can represent potential collection change.

between 40 and 60 percent of Examples of public education

a community's total solid campaigns and sample time

waste management costs. tables for implementation will

These costs are often inflated also be reviewed.

by the continued use of

Sponsored by DCA in

older, more labor intensive cooperation withACCG, EPD,

technologies or outdated col- GMA, GEFA and the Georgia

lection practices.

Chapter of the Solid Waste

At the same time, local Association of North America

will be the keynote speaker for the conference. Other nationally-recognized speakers include Phil Bailey of Eastern Research Group and Fran McPoland, federal environmental executive. Ron Alexander, a national expert on compost uses and parameters, has also been invited to speak.
Originally scheduled for September 9-10, 1997, the show has b en expanded to include a tour onthe afternoon of
September 8. Tour participants will visit Southface Energy and Environmental Resource Center in Atlanta to see how

governments face increased (SWANA), the workshops will demands for. public services, be conducted by National further straining their budgets. SWANA and R.W. Beck. Solid waste managers, like For more information, other local government workers, contact Kathleen Kilbane

recycled products can be used in building construction and landscaping.
The tour will also include a trip to SciTrek Museum, where

must become more efficient with National SWANA at. and improve customer (301) 585-2898, ext. 253.+

participants will view "Earth Quest: The Challenge Begins."

Compost Training To Be Held at

This exhibit teaches how day-today decisions can affect the environment. Even seasoned

New Bioconversion Center

recycling professionals will pick up educational and

promotional ideas.

A two-day technical participants about the

The exposition will be held at the Inforum in Atlanta. The

training workshop on com- physical, chemical, biological conference registration fee is $50 for members of the Georgia

posting facility operation will and engineering aspects Recycling Coalition (GRC) and $65 for nonmembers. Tour

take place October 27-28, of operating a composting registration is an additional $10.

1997, at the University of facility, as well as methods

Primary sponsors are DCA, GRC, US EPA-Region 4, and

Georgia's new Bioconversion for controlling and monitoring the US General Services Administration: For exhibitor or

Center in Athens.

the .composti~g process attendee information, please contact Stephanie Hubbard of GRC

The Composting Facility Operators and Professionals

A consultant with Compost Marketing Consultants Inc.

+ a-t (-770-) -822--9-30-8.+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Technical Training Workshop will address quality and recovery and reuse. The initial operation is located in the

is for solid waste managers, marketing issues.

main thrust of the Center's same complex.

facility designers, consultants

The Compost Facility research will be in the area of If you would like

and solid waste regulators. It Operator Training will be the composting.

additional information on the

will help participants become inaugural event for the Biocon-

The $1.5 million facility, training or the Bioconversion

familiar with the theoretical version Center. Scheduled funded. by the Georgia Center, please fax your name,

and practical aspects of . for completion in August, Research Alliance, contains address and telephone number

running a composting facility. the Center will serve as a reactors, monitoring instru- to K.C. Das of UGA's

Instructors from the research and demonstration mentation and laboratories. Department of Biological and

University of Georgia and facility to study various UGA's five-acre yard Agricultural Engineering at

Georgia Tech will teach biological processes for waste trimmings composting (706) 542-8806.

7

THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL S U M M E R 1 9 9 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - " ' - - - -

STILL NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH YARD TRIMMINGS?

With the summer landscaping season almost over and the leaves of fall lurking just around the comer, local governments may be ready for a review of the options for dealing with yard trimmings.
Tough new rules on handling and disposing of yard trimmings went into effect on September 1 oflast year. These rules require local governments to adopt ordinances banning yard trimmings
.!:.(21~

from lined landfills and prohibiting mixing yard trimmings with other solid waste.
Now that you've separated them, what do you do with all those yard trimmings? In discussing the following options, we assume that the local government is the provider, .either directly
contract, of solid waste collection services.

OPTION #1:
JusT DoN'T Do IT
A local government may simply refuse to collect or accept yard trimmings (or waste mixed with yard trimmings). Cities and counties choosing this option would almost certainly have to educate their residents on yard trimmings handling methods such as backyard composting, grasscycling, mulching and using alternative yard covers. If the government has traditionally collected yard

trimmings, a reduction in its customers' sanitation fees may need to occur upon elimination of the service.
OPTION #2:
LAND APPLY If your government has
access to a field that is not in use, spread leaves or grass (or larger materials if they have been ground) onto the land to a depth of three or four inches. Using a plow or disc harrow, tum the yard trimmings into the soil. They will decompose in six to nine months, just in

time for next year's crop of yard trimmings.
OPTION #3:
CHIP AND GRIND Chipping and grinding
yard trimmings into mulch is the .most popular method of handling yard trimmings in Georgia. The mulch can be used for controlling erosion and landscaping public areas. Any surplus can be sold or given to residents.
To chip and grind, you will need a chipper or tub grinder and a place to store the pre-

arid post-processed trimmings. If purchasing, maintaining and operating the necessary equipment is not feasible, privately owned grinding operations are often available for contract services.
OPTION #4:
COMPOST Composting is the process
of gathering, piling and churning yard trimmings (and other compostable material), thereby causing them to decompose and tum into compost. The minimal w

Garbage Goal Remains

of meeting the goal alone. Because local governments

lfW Goalfrom page 1
has awarded more waste reduction grants to local

primarily serve t.he residential

planners felt that

sector, working solely through them

working through "OUR TARGET IS STILL has not effectively

governments this year than in the past. The update of the Georgia Solid Waste Manage- ment Plan, undertaken during the past year, still calls for State agencies and local governments to put in place

those networks would be the most direct method of reducing waste and the most likely to elicit strong initial results.

THERE ... WE' RE ARMEDWITHBETTER INF 0 RM AT I 0 N AND BETTER TOOLS

reached the largest waste generators, the industrial and commercial sectors.
As a result, P2AD, created in

mechanisms that will reduce

Local govern- THAN WE WERE 1993, became part

waste going to landfills.

ments will still

of the State team

"We've been working hard, but. the Attorney General's opinion tells all of us-State agencies, local

need to demonstrate their efforts toward reaching
the waste reduc-

FIVE YEARS AGO, SOLET's GO GET IT."

to address waste generation and reduction issues. Through a 1996

governments and individuals tion goal through PAUL RADFORD, DCA memorandum of

alike-that we need to renew strategies in their

understanding that

our efforts and our resolve to solid waste management

work toward meeting the plans. Moreover, local govern-

goal," said Radford.

ments should pay special

clarified. State agency solid waste responsibilities, P2AD has taken on primary responsi-

In the past, much of the burden of meeting the waste reduction goal fell on local governments. Networks for assisting and educating local governments were well established when the solid waste legislation was passed, and

attention to the goal as they update their short-term work programs. (Please see article on page 11 for a discussion of local government solid waste planning requirements.)
However, local governments will not bear the burden

bility for assisting and educating businesses and industries in solid waste reduction.
Local governments will still receive the support they need from other agencies as well. GEFA has awarded $4

million in local government waste reduction grants over the last year, and will award an additional million late in the summer. (Please see article on page 2.) EPD made the funds available from the State solid waste trust fund. EPD has also committed to offering technical assistance in reporting, regulatory compliance and alternative waste disposal technologies.
DCA will continue to offer technical assistance on waste reduction, including areas such as variable rate programs, recycling, composting, enterprise funds and full cost accounting. Public education, primarily through the Georgia Clean and Beautiful program and an upcoming media campaign, will also continue to be a priority for the Department. Additionally, DCA will continue to prepare an annual report of progress toward the goal for the Governor and General Assembly.+

8

- - - - - - - - - - . , . . . . - - - - - - - - GEORGIADEPARTMENTOFCOMMUNITYAFFAIRS

technology approach to doing this involves forming large (9' high x 15' wide) rows of compostable material and turning them about once a year with a front-end loader. Compost would be available for sale, giveaway or use in one to three years using this approach.
More frequent turning and more efficient turning equipment reduce the time needed to compost the material, but also cost more. On the other hand, if you produce finished compost more often and monitor its quality, you are more likely to be able to recoup the extra costs through marketing your product. Local governments opting to compost yard trimmings must determine the technology and overall costs they can.afford.
OPTION #5:
SEND IT TO AN
INERT LANDFILL
Inert landfills are EPDpermitted disposal facilities that accept only wastes that are not likely to cause groundwater contamination or other environmental concerns. Developing an inert landfill to dispose of yard trimmings may be the least expensive method for many local governments, provided they have excess, suitable land. Meeting reporting requirements and other state regulations, such as periodically covering the active area with dirt, add to the cost of managing an inert facility.
Unfortunately, this method does not produce a useful product and merely diverts yard trimmings from lined landfills as opposed to reducing or eliminating their disposal.
State law strongly recommends local governments require reusing and recycling yard trimmings to the greatest extent possible before settling on inert landfilling as a solution.+

P2AD Kicks Off Household

RIVER CLEANUP

Hazardous Waste Program

ORGANIZERS

P2AD recently kicked off its Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Prevention and Management Program with the

NEEDED

release of a Guide to Best Management Practices for

DNR is looking for

Household Hazatdous Waste and Radon.

volunteer organizers to plan

The Guide, which will be distributed to local KAB river cleanups throughout the

affiliates, recycling coordinators, county extension agents, state as part of the Sixth

fire departments, health departments and selected State Annual Georgia River.

agencies, is designed to help these agencies field HHW Cleanup Week. Scheduled for

questions. It is divided into eight categories based on product October 11-19, 1997, the

use: automotive products, cleansers, hobby products, home cleanup will celebrate Clean

maintenance, personal care, pesticide.s, radon and Water Week.

miscellaneous.

Last year's River Cleanup

P2AD also announced plans for its comprehensive HHW covered 12 rivers, one lake

program. The effort stems from a 1996 Memorandum of and 13 creeks.in 28 counties.

Understanding among DCA, EPD, GEFA and P2AD that More than 2,200 individuals

gave P2AD responsibility for implementing programs for volunteered 5,000 hours

prevention and management of HHW and used automotive and collected over 2,300 bags

fluids. The plan has a threefold purpose:

of trash.

inform Georgia residents about the

"This is an ideal project for

prevention and proper management

any community group," said

ofHHW;

Eve Funderburk, coordinator

increase awareness about threats to the environment and health from improper use or disposal of household hazardous products; and
provide technical support for local government efforts to address HHW issues in their communities.

of Georgia's Adopt-A-Stream program. "School children, civic organizations and senior citizen groups all participated last year. Whether you contribute a couple of hours or . a whole day, you'll be able to make a significant difference

Some of the tasks P2AD will undertake are development in Georgia's rivers."

of a public awareness program and educational materials,

To receive an organizer

distribution of the best management practices guide, package, please call DNR's

provision of technical assistance for local governments and Customer.Assistance Program

establishment of an information center.

at its toll free number,

In keeping with the philosophy of preventing the (888) 373-5947.

generation of material .that must be managed as waste,

activities will focus on prevention and proper management

rather than on collection of HHW. Technical assistance will RECYCLING

be available to local governments hosting collection programs, but these communities will be eneouraged to include a prevention awareness component in their programs.

MANUALS AVAILABLE

To receive a copy of the best management guide or for

The Recycling Program

more information on the HHW program, please call Development Training

Stephanie Siniard ofP2AD at (404) 651-5120.+

sessions held in May and June

in Athens and Tifton received

rave reviews from the 80
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROGRAMS... participants. DCA and the

Beginning in the next issue of The Waste Stream Journal, Georgia Recycling Coalition

communities will have an opportunity to share success stories, hope to sponsor similar

solid waste issues and/or upc.oming events in a page training sessions next year.

devoted especially to local programs. Please send your brief Meanwhile, if you would like

submissions (100 words or less) to: Editor, The Waste Stream a copy of the manual

Journal, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, 60 distributed at the conference,

Executive Park South, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329-2231 or fax to us please call Paula Longo at

at (404) 679-0572. The deadline for submission is October 15.+ (404) 679-3161.+

9

THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL SUMMER1997 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

DCA Solid Waste Assistance

THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL
is a quarterly publication of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Funding for this publication is provided by the Georgia Solid Waste Trust Fund.
We welcome any comments, criticisms or suggestions for future editions. News releases are welcome. We cannot guarantee we will publish all releases, but we do wish to report significant waste reduction news from the state and the region. Please send releases and correspondence to: Editor The Waste Stream Journal Georgia Department of Community Affairs 60 Executive Park South, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30329-2231 (404) 679-4922 (404) 679-0572 (fax)

Paul Radford, Director, Planning, Information & Management Division ........,................ (404) 679-4934
Leamon Scott, Director, Office of Waste.Management ...................................................... (404) 679-4816
Lynn Cobb, Georgia Clean and Beautiful Coordinator ...................................................... (404} 679-4910
Patty Mcintosh, Waste Reduction Manager ....................................................................... (404) 679-4853
Mark Bryant, Consultant ..........,...................................................................................,..... (404) 679~4998 Solid Waste Management Technical Assistance (Full Cost Accounting, Ordinances, Variable Rates, etc.), Solid Waste Planning
Jeff Darrow, Project Manager, Georgia Hospitality Environmental Partnership ............... (404) 679-1598 Waste Reduction Assistance for Hospitality Industry
Renita Davis, Consultant .................................................................................................... (404) 679-4922 Solid Waste Management Technical Assistance (Yard Trimmings Diversion), Solid Waste Public Information, Solid Waste Annual Report, The Waste Stream Journal
Bonnie Fryer, Research Assistant ....................................................................................... (404) 982-3462
Rhonda Koplin, Consultant ................................................................................................ (404) 679-3152 Education Training, Georgia Clean and Beautiful
Paula Longo, State Recycling Coordinator ........................................................................ (404) 679-3161 Solid Waste Management Technical Assistance (Recycling, Variable Rates, Buy Recycled, etc.)
David Smith, Consultant .................................................................................................... (404) 679-3150 Special Projects (Christmas Tree Recycling, Statewide Litter Reduction Campaign, Home. Composting), Georgia Clean and Beautiful
Berenice Thomas, Secretary ............................................................................................... (404) 679-3142
Patrick Vickers, Senior Information Specialist, Office of Research and Analysis ............. (404) 679-3151 Solid Waste Management Survey and Full Cost Report

SOLID WASTE/ENVIRONMENTAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS
AUGUST 15 Getting More For Less: MSW and Recyclables Collection Efficiency .................................... Lanier Center Hotel, Gainesville 27 Getting More For Less: MSW and Recyclables Collection Efficiency ............................................. Crown Plaza Hotel, Macon 28 P2AD's Agriculture Showcase ....................................... ,...................... Tifton u .. :;
SEPTEMBER 3 Highway Beautification Wildflower Workshop/Symposium ............................................................................................. Griffin
8-10 Buy Recycled Procurement Conference and Exposition ................................................................................... Inforum, Atlanta 16-19 SWANA Carolinas Solid Waste Conference 97 ............................................................................................... Myrtle Beach, SC 17-19 Georgia Clean & Beautiful Annual Executive. Directors' Conference ............................................................ Red Top Mountain 18-19 P2AD's Pulp and Paper Industry Workshop ............................................................................................................. Jekyll Island 22-24 National Recycling Coalition Annual Meeting ........................................................................................................ Orlando,. FL 23-25 Southern States Environmental Conference ................................................................................................................. Biloxi, MS TBA Public Information Meetings on State Solid Waste Management Plan Update
OCTOBER 1-3 ACCG Commissioner's Training Program/Fall Policy Conference .................................................... Marriott Marquis, Atlanta 6-9 GA SWANA Landfill Operators Certification Training Workshop ........................................................ Southern Tech, Marietta
11-19 Georgia River Cleanup Week 25 Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Annual Conference ...................................................................... North Georgia College, Dahlonega
27-28 Composting Facility Operators and Professionals Technical Training Workshop .............................................................Athens
27-30 SWANA Wastecon 'St. Louis, MO
30-31 Governor's Conference on Pollution Prevention and the Environment.. ........... Ga. Internat'l Convention Center, College Park
NOVEMBER 12-14 Georgia Recycling Coalition's Annual Meeting ........................................................... Radisson Rivelfront Hotel, Augusta, GA 15 America Recycles Day 17-19 EPA Region 4 Pollution Prevention/Green Manufacturing Conference .............................................. Marriott Marquis, Atlanta 20 SWANA Closure/Post-Closure for MSW Landfills Workshop .............................................................. Southern Tech, Mari.etta 21 "Use Less Stuff' Day
10

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

THE LANDFILL LOWDOWN

It's Local Plan

Last summer, DCA, P2AD and EPD developed and distributed a survey of the state's MSW and C&D landfills. Agency staff and interns followed up with visits to 116 landfills (90%) throughout the summer. The survey forms and interviews revealed a lot about the operations at Georgia's landfills. Here are 10 interesting findings:

THERE AREN'T AS MANY OF THEM RIGHT NOW, BUT PRIVATE LANDFILLS TAKE IN MOST OF THE STATE'S WASTE.
Local government landfills outnumbered private landfills in the survey by a three-to-one margin, but over 68% of waste went to privately operated facilities. Further, private landfills contained nearly 65% of the total cubic yards of capacity remaining in all of Georgia's landfills.
PRIVATELY OPERATED LANDFILLS ARE MORE LIKELY TO MEET SUBTITLED REGULATIONS.
Abouf 45% of privately operated landfills met federal safety specifications, compared with only 18% of public sector operated landfills. Although only 24% of the landfills surveyed were Subtitle D, over 60% of Georgia's waste was disposed of in Subtitle D facilities. The eight largest MSW landfills, each of which accepted over 750 tons of waste per day, were all Subtitle D landfills.
PRIVATELY OPERATED LANDFILLS ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO BE LOCATED IN THE ATLANTA AREA.
About 60% of the private facilities reporting were located in the Atlanta region.. All other geographic areas contained mostly government owned landfills. Large private disposal operations outside the Atlanta region were located in Taylor County, Savannah, Valdosta and Barrow County.
MOST OF THE STATE'S WASTE .STREAM IS GENERATED BY BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY.
The estimated waste composition reported for all 116 landfills was 39% residential, 37% commercial and 20% industrial. The waste composition reported for privately operated landfills was 35% residential, 42% commercial and 18% industrial-considerably different than the composition reported for publicly operated landfills (46% residential, 25 % commercial and 23% industrial).
THE ATLANTA AREA HAS A LARGE PORTION OF THE STATE'S LANDFILLS, CAPACITY AND WASTE.
Twenty-one landfills in the Atlanta region contained about 39% of the state's capacity and accommodated about 48% of the total yearly tons of waste reported for all participating landfills. Only five of the existing landfills in the Atlanta region were expected to be open in another ten years; however, those five landfills

contained over 80% of the remaining capacity rep.orted for all landfills in the region.
THE MIDDLE FLINTREGIONHASA LARGE PORTION OF THE STATE'S LANDFIU CAPAC/TI; TOO.
Thanks largely to just one landfill, a privately operated facility located in Taylor County, the Middle Flint region had 17% of the state's remaining landfill capacity, in an area that contains a mere 1% of Georgia's population.
LANDFILL OPERATORS ARE WORKING. TO PRESERVE SPACE AND KEEP LANDFILLS SAFE THROUGH ALTERNATIVE COVERS
Fifty-five landfills (about 47%) operated with the use of alternative daily covers, usually tarps, for the purpose of cutting down on the several inch-thick soil layer normally required to be spread over the working face at the end of each day. It is generally thought that such a practice significantly preserves valuable airspace over time.
THROUGH BANNING HAZARDOUS AND BULKY ITEMS
Operators of 112 landfills reported banning certain items from their facilities. Tires were identified as a banned item at 57 landfills and hazardous waste was similarly identified at 55 landfills. Other often-identified items were lead acid vehicle batteries (53), liquids (45), yard trimmings (26), oil/automotive fluids (9), and paint/household chemicals (5).
THROUGH SEPARATING YARD TRIMMINGS
Yard trimmings were already being separated from solid waste at 75 of the 116 landfills. Of these, 33 had inert cells/locations in which separated yard trimmings were being placed. Chippers were in use at 24, grinders at 27, and large scale composting at seven.
THROUGH PULLING OUT RECYCLABLES.
Separating items for recycling was being done at 57 of the 116 landfills responding to the survey. White goods, tires, steel and paper/ corrugated cardboard were most likely to be pulled from the waste stream for recycling. Nearly 70% of the landfill operators reported that they worked with their local government on recycling.
FOR A COPY OF THE COMPLETE LANDFILL OPERATOR SURVEY RESULTS,
please call Mark Bryant at (404) 679-4998.

Update Time
in Georgia
It's time for Georgia's local governments to think about updating their solid waste management plans to include a short term work program (STWP) for the next five years.
The Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act requires local governments to develop or be included in a local solid waste management plan. According to DCA's solid waste planning standards and procedures (as amended in 1994), each plan must include an STWP with a year by year breakdown of specific actions for the subsequent five-year period. STWPs should be reviewed annually and updated, at a minimum, every five years.
Twenty-two local solid waste plans, covering about 90 local governments, were approved in 1992 and thus have STWPs due in 1997. The vast majority of the remaining local governments will have to submit STWPs to DCA prior to December 31, 1998.
WhatSTWPs Should Address
The Act required solid waste plans to demonstrate how the local government
would assist the State in reaching its 25 percent waste reduction goal by July 1, 1996. Though the goal date has passed, the State Attorney General has ruled that the goal still exists and that the related requirements in the Act are still in effect. (Please see article, page 1.)
As a result, STWPs must continue to include strategies for helping the State meet the waste reduction goal along
See UPDATE, page 12 1Ef'

11

THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL SUMMER1997---------~-------~

AMERlCA RECYCLES DAY

Local governments, KAB composting demonstrations or

affiliates, schools, civie organizing school or office

organizations and businesses supplies exchanges.

are invited to participate

Allpledge cards will be

in America Recycles Day collected and used as entries

(ARD) on November 15, forastatedrawingofdonated

1997. Georgia is one of 36 prizes. The cards will then be

states participating in the first entered in a national drawing

annual event.

for "The Green Dream

\\.ECYr Participating org-

anizations will need to sche-

'-.ti~i..~.

.

House," a house

. . ".(~~

built of recycled materials.

dule events at ~

~JJ

~~~~~s i~~~- ~ B~ .., ?< ~~:Ues1r~~ ti.~~ pprleodmgiesicnagrdtos .C

d

The idea tshueccehsigsfhully,

increase

three-year-

r e c y c 1in g
efforts and/or recycled product

b.OV, '~
IJI \

old Texas
Recycles Day, which has

purchases. Types

contributed to an

of events that might GEO RG\ ~ increased recycling

be held in con-

rate in 90% of partici-

junction with ARD

pating communities.

include collecting hard to The national version aims to

recycle materials, conducting increase consumer purchases

of recycled products and increase nationwide media attention and public support for recycling and waste reduction.
"The goals of America Recycles Day .are important to Georgia and should be embraced at the local level. Good participation should yield very successful results for the state," said Leamon Scott, director of DCA's Office of Waste Management.
DCA will solicit ARD participants in August. Local KAB affiliates have already been contacted through Georgia Clean and Beautiful. For communities and groups choosing to participate, DCA will provide posters, pledge cards and event planning guides. For more. information, visit the ARD web site at www.americarecyclesday.org, or contact Paula Longo at (404) 679-3161.

i&UPDATEfrom pg. 11
with strategies for ensuring adequate disposal capacity and handling capability. STWPs should break down specific tasks for the next five-year period, enumerating budgets and assigning responsibility for each task listed.
DCA has already held four workshops to better acquaint RDC staff with the STWP update process. Workshops for consultants and local government solid waste staff will be held in late 1997 and early 1998.
Communities with STWP updates due by the end of 1997 were notified in late March. DCA will provide at least six months' notice to local governments as their deadlines approach.
For more information, call Mark Bryant at (404) 679-4998.

THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL
Georgia Department of Community Affairs
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