MVR NEWSLETTER: WINTER 2010 Also online with links at: www.missoulavalleyrecycling.com
Smurfit –Stone Container, who filed for bankruptcy protection a year ago, and is the world’s largest paper recycler, is closing the Frenchtown Mill. Many of our customers have called to ask how this will effect recycling in Missoula.  Folks at the recycling centers in town report that they have not been sending OCC (Old Corrugated Cardboard) to Stone for well over a year, so the closing should have no effect on our recycling markets- already depressed from the global downturn.
Senate Climate Bill includes funding for Recycling Programs
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28781.html
After Republicans had boycotted committee hearings, Chairwoman  Barbara Boxer brought the Kerry-Boxer Climate bill, SB1733, to vote- passing 10-1. The lone dissenting vote came from …guess who?
“Montana cannot afford the unmitigated impacts of climate change, but we also cannot afford the unmitigated effects of climate change legislation” …Sen. Max Baucus
The EPA, in an “unprecedented” analysis as to the scope of the bill, estimated the bill would cost less than fifty cents per day per household.  Max wants to slow down the rate of greenhouse gas reductions.  The Senate bill calls for 20% greenhouse gas reductions by the year 2020. The House bill calls for 17%. Some of the money collected from the greenhouse cap and trade program would fund recycling- which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The bill now must go through the agriculture, finance, and foreign relations committees before going to the full Senate.
Global/ Local e-waste problem: MVR now takes cell phones
Do you think glass in the landfill is a big problem?  Then Google  “E-WASTE” , (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste )and find out why 21 states have passed legislation requiring the collection of electronic waste from going to landfills or incinerators.  Unfortunately, awareness of this issue is very low. The average household has 3 pieces of unused, broken, or obsolete electronics at home. That number is growing as people buy more soon-to-be-obsolete gadgets, and less than 20% get recycled. The danger of these items in our landfill is that they contain heavy (but useful) metals, and toxins that endanger the water and air.  Wisconsin recently passed e-waste laws using the “Great Lakes” model. They require landfills to separate electronic devices. Manufacturers must register with the state government and arrange to recycle the products. It is hoped that they will now consider the manufacturing process as a part of the recycling process. Montana classifies cell phones, TVs, etc. as Hazardous waste. Manufactures and retail chains would like to see a uniform federal law (yea right) rather than a patchwork of state laws requiring recycling of e-waste.
Palmer Electric  (PETES Electric) can be found on the web: at www.peteselec.com .  A valuable resource for recycling e-waste, they are licensed and inspected by the State of Montana to take hazardous e waste items including TVs, monitors, and fluorescent lights for a fee. The owners  have personally traveled to the recycling center in Washington to make sure it is properly taken care of, and not sent to a foreign country. (http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3921  and http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/12/11/discarded-electronics-are-poisoning-african-children Palmer will even pick up your items for a $15. Fee.  MVR will still pick up CPUs (no keyboards or monitors), and now we are happy to collect your cell phones for proper recycling.

HAPPY NEW YEAR IN 2010