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Sara Bixby Hired as SWANA’s New Deputy Executive Director for Administration, Information Technology and Financial Management

Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Silver Spring, MD. May 9, 2013. The Executive Director and CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), John H. Skinner, Ph.D. BCEEM, announces the hiring of Sara Bixby as the new Deputy Executive Director for Administration, Information Technology and Financial Management beginning June 2013.

"Sara's excellent experience in managing real-world solid waste management operations will help SWANA provide more valuable programs and services to our members,” said Skinner.

Serving as the Director of the South Central Iowa Solid Waste Agency for the past 10 years, Bixby has worked in the solid waste field as a consultant and local governmental official since the early 1990s. She is a Past President and Life Member of SWANA and held various positions on the SWANA International Board of Directors and served on the Board of the Iowa Society of Solid Waste Operations’ Iowa Chapter.

Previously, Bixby served as the Chair of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and represented SWANA as a delegate to the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA).

Bixby is currently a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of SWANA’s official journal, MSW Management magazine and is SWANA Certified as a Manager of Landfill Operations.

Of her new role within the solid waste industry Bixby said, "This is a great opportunity for me to work with and for an organization that I believe in; with and for people that I have long admired. I am excited to continue my involvement with SWANA in a new way."

SWANA Chapters Eligible to Join the Applied Research Foundation

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Silver Spring, MD. The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) announces that SWANA Chapters are now eligible to become subscribers of the SWANA Applied Research Foundation (Foundation).

The North Carolina Chapter is the first Chapter to join the Foundation. Recognizing this accomplishment, Applied Research Foundation Director, Jeremy O'Brien, P.E says that “The North Carolina Chapter Board is to be commended for taking the initiative to become a Foundation subscriber and to pave the way for SWANA Chapters to participate in and support the Foundation's research efforts."

The annual subscription fee ($10 per Chapter Member per year) enables the Chapter to join one of Foundation's four research groups: Collection; Recycling; Waste-to-Energy; and Landfill Disposal Membership offers free, unlimited access to all the research reports developed during each year that the Chapter participates as a subscriber. In addition, Chapter members are able to purchase any of the 35 reports from past years at a 50% discount rate.

Chapter subscribers join other subscriber organizations by being directly involved in the Foundation's research through:

Designating an ARF Chapter Delegate to represent the Chapter in the Foundation and communicate the Foundation's activities with the Chapter
Submitting and voting on research topics
Participating in project review meetings held in conjunction with related SWANA symposia
Networking with local government and private sector leaders on the research topic of interest
Providing research data and reviewing interim results and final work products

“NC-SWANA is proud to participate in SWANA’s Applied Research Foundation supporting meaningful research in the field of solid waste management. Our support will be put to direct use by the industry, addressing issues related to collection, disposal, recycling, waste-to-energy, etc.,” offers Michael Etheridge, President of the North Carolina Chapter of SWANA.

For more information on how YOUR local SWANA Chapter can join The Foundation, please contact Jeremy O'Brien, P.E., Director of Applied Research, at jobrien@swana.org or by phone: 704-906-7269.

SWANA Recruiting Deputy Executive Director for Administration, Information Technology and Financial Management

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

SWANA is seeking to hire a qualified individual to serve as a Deputy Executive Director for Administration, Information Technology and Financial Management, who would be responsible for the management of staff, contractors and departments in the areas of budget development, accounting and financial management, information technology, database management and office administration.

Duties and responsibilities and the salary range for this position can be found here. Interested individuals should submit a cover letter, current resume and salary requirements to hr@swana.org by the revised date of March 29.

This position would report to the Executive Director and CEO and would be located in SWANA’s Silver Spring headquarters. The individual would also need to be capable of substituting and acting for the Executive Director and CEO in the areas of external communications, advocacy, and representation; therefore knowledge and experience of solid waste management policies and issues, and prior management level work experience in the solid waste management field is necessary for this position.

SWANA Issues Policy on Safe Recycling of Electronic Waste

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Silver Spring, MD. - On January 7, 2013, the International Board of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) approved a policy regarding the safe recycling of electronic wastes.

As an organization of solid waste professionals, SWANA supports the following policy positions on responsible recycling of electronic waste:

Regional and local governments should endeavor to assure that flexible and cost-effective recycling options that meet applicable state and local requirements are available to all households and businesses within their jurisdictions;
Federal governments should assure that options are available for the reuse and/or recycling of e-waste generated by all federal departments and agencies
All levels of government should require that recycling facilities comply with enforceable worker safety, public health and environmental standards. Requiring recycling facilities to be certified under recognized, national recycling certification programs would facilitate compliance
Federal and international programs and conventions should prohibit the international shipment of e-waste to facilities that do not comply with standards for worker safety and public health and the environment, and to countries that do not have regulatory programs to enforce such standards
Prior to implementing a ban or restriction on the disposal of e-waste, infrastructure must be in place to regulate, collect, store, transport, re-use, recycle or re-manufacture the e-waste
Owner/operators of solid waste facilities should be protected from liability for the inadvertent disposal of banned e-waste if they carry out waste screening programs in accordance with the provision of the facility permits and have made good faith efforts to post signs and notify haulers that covered electronics are not accepted by the facility

“Electronics contain valuable materials, such as precious metals, copper, and engineered plastics, all of which require considerable energy to extract, process, and manufacture from virgin resources” said John H. Skinner, Ph.D., SWANA Executive Director and CEO.

“Recycling electronics recovers these valuable materials for reuse, conserves resources, and results in lower pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions than making new products from virgin materials” Skinner added.

Discarded electronics or “e-waste”—including TVs, video and audio equipment, computers, computer accessories, printers, scanners, fax machines and mobile devices (e.g., phones, PDAs, tablets, pagers)—comprise one to two percent of the municipal solid waste stream.

If you'd like more information about this policy, or to schedule an interview with John Skinner, please call Wendy Melis at 240-494-2256 or via email.

SWANA Supports Extension of a Production Tax Credit for Renewable Energy

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

SILVER SPRING, Md. – On December 17, SWANA sent a letter to leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives supporting passage of the Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012, S.3521. This bill would expand the number of landfill gas and waste-to-energy projects that are eligible to receive a Production Tax Credit for renewable energy creation.

This legislation would increase the number of renewable energy production facilities that qualify for the Production Tax Credit by including projects that are under construction by the December 31, 2013 deadline, rather than just those projects that are placed in service by that date. This bill has been reported out of the Senate Finance Committee by a vote of 19 to 5.

“Passage of this legislation would support the further development of facilities that recover renewable energy form solid waste,” said John H. Skinner, Ph.D., SWANA's Executive Director and CEO. “This would further America’s efforts towards a sound and sustainable renewable energy policy that emphasizes energy independence and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”

A copy of the letter can be found here

AF&PA 2013 Recycling Awards are Now Open

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Committed to Recycling? Tell Your Story and Get Recognition!

Paper recovery reached record heights in this country—more than 66% of what was consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling in 2011. Programs like those identified through the AF&PA Recycling Awards are crucial to continued success in this area, and offer great resources for others interested in learning from best practices already in place around the country.

December 3rd, 2012 launches the search for the 2013 AF&PA Recycling Awards. This Awards Program offers a great opportunity for solid waste industry professionals to be recognized for their outstanding paper recovery efforts.

AF&PA’s annual program awards cash prizes, features local and national visibility, and provides original framed art work for an outstanding school, business, and community paper recycling program.

For complete Awards Program details, go to www.PaperRecyclingAwards.com. Deadline for entries is February 15, 2013.

New in 2013 is a Fan Favorite award in each category that will be determined by a voting campaign promoted through Facebook and Twitter. In addition, schools will be encouraged to submit student artwork and recycling messages that could be used to educate their peers about the importance of paper recycling. Winners, runners-up, and unique programs will become prominent content on a redesigned www.PaperRecyclingAwards.com website and in printed AF&PA outreach materials in 2013.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) is the national trade association of the forest products industry and advances public policies that promote a strong and sustainable U.S. forest products industry in the global marketplace.

Submit an entry today!

SWANA Supports Recycling: America Recycles Day 11-15-12

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

SWANA’s mission is to advance the practice of environmentally and economically sound management or municipal solid waste in North America. Since recycling is often both economically and environmentally sound and is a preferred approach for managing municipal solid wastes, it is an essential part of SWANA’s professional development efforts.

SWANA’s recycling programs include:

Cutting-edge training programs with courses targeted toward recycling professionals including courses on Managing Recycling Systems and Managing Recycling of Construction and Demolition Materials.
Certification Program where individuals can demonstrate their competence and expertise in various aspects of recycling.
Recycling and Special Waste Technical Division, one of the largest technical divisions at SWANA, that works to promote state-of-the-art approaches to recycling through conferences, symposia, newsletters, and which provides the faculty for our training courses.
Excellence Awards Program that recognizes outstanding solid waste and recycling programs that utilize effective technologies and processes in system design and operations, advance worker and community health and safety, and implement successful public education and outreach programs.
Applied Research Foundation that produces research reports on various recycling and solid waste topics that have reached tens of thousands of solid waste management professionals through articles in industry magazines and journals.
Advocacy Program that represents the interests of solid waste and recycling professionals by being a proactive advocate of environmentally and economically sound recycling and solid waste management legislation and regulations.

According to Jeremy O’Brien, Director of the Applied Research Foundation “SWANA members, and the residents and businesses in their communities, work day in and day out to keep valuable recyclables out of landfills and return them to the marketplace. As a result, the mining or harvesting of virgin materials—along with their environmental impacts - and the use of fossil fuels are both substantially reduced. SWANA applauds these efforts and offers our thanks and appreciation to our members for their dedication and achievements.”

Additional Ways to Advance Recycling Efforts EVERY DAY:

Applied Research Foundation

To support SWANA’s mission of 'advancing the practice' by conducting collectively-funded research on pressing solid waste issues that are identified and selected by the Foundation's subscribers, join the Applied Research Foundation today.

Road To Zero Waste (RWZW) Conference

February 25-26, 2013 – Atlanta, GA
Make plans to attend.

RTZW Conference is one of the annual events SWANA offers to promote increased recycling levels in North America.

RTZW is a two-day event and trade show featuring a variety of zero waste experts and case studies that provides the latest information on zero waste initiatives, and practical advice on how your community can utilize these concepts in your municipal solid waste management plan. Complete details

About America Recycles Day
America Recycles Day is a national program of Keep America Beautiful, and is the only nationally recognized day and community-driven awareness event dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the U.S. Since its inception in 1997, communities across the country have participated in America Recycles Day on November 15 to educate, promote environmental citizenship, and encourage action. Learn more at AmericaRecyclesDay.org.

For the Best Offense Against Severe Weather Events, Use SWANA Resources to Build Your Best Defense

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Silver Spring, MD. October 29, 2012– As the East Coast braces for the impact and fall out from Hurricane Sandy, SWANA features the following information, available online, from its technical resources that we hope provides relevant and timely research for communities coping to deal with the aftermath of severe weather events:

• Managing Wastes Produced by Natural Disasters by John H. Skinner
• Municipal Solid Waste Collection Needs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti by The SWANA Haiti Response Team
• Hurricane Katrina Disaster Debris Management: Lessons Learned from State and Local Governments
• Planning for the Temporary Disposal of Disaster Debris: “Where Are You Going to Put It? by Robert C. Swan
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Debris Disposal by Josephine Rudd
• SWANA Executive Manager’s Summit on Debris Management

These and other invaluable resources, available online, cover a variety of information that helps waste management professionals address daily issues and situations encountered within the solid waste industry.

According to John H. Skinner, SWANA’s Executive Director and CEO, “The old adage ‘the best offense is a good defense’ holds true in situations like Hurricane Sandy. This severe weather event reminds communities of the need to put disaster response plans in place beforehand to be in a position to best deal with the large volumes of waste generated from these severe weather events.”

SWANA offers members 24/7 access to hundreds of industry-specific presentations, white papers, and research on topics such as: debris management and disaster-related cleanup within SWANA’s eLibrary.

For information on SWANA membership click here.

SWANA Comments on Court’s Permanent Injunction on the Dallas Flow Control Law

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

SWANA Comments on Court’s Permanent Injunction on the Dallas Flow Control Law

Silver Spring, MD. – John H. Skinner, Ph.D., Executive Director and CEO of The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) issued the following statement on the October 16 decision by the U.S. District Court to issue a permanent Injunction on the flow control ordinance enacted by the City of Dallas, TX.

“Judge O’Connor’s permanent Injunction opinion is not surprising given what he said when he handed down the preliminary injunction last January. He stuck by his earlier thinking that the ordinance impairs the plaintiffs’ franchise rights under the Contracts Clause of the U.S. Constitution and also found that the ordinance violated Texas law and the Dallas city charter. The city now needs to decide whether to appeal the decision to a higher court.”

“The important point however, is that this decision in no way undermines the constitutional right of local governments to enact ordinances to require haulers to deliver locally generated solid waste to publically owned transfer or disposal facilities, as upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 2007 United Haulers decision. The judge’s ruling is based on how he interprets the hauler franchise agreements at question in this case as well as state and city law issues. Therefore it’s hard to say how the decision might resonate elsewhere in Texas, not to mention other parts of the country. The Dallas decision does emphasize that when local governments institute flow control ordinances they need to be vigilant in observing state and local legal requirements and existing franchise agreements.”

“SWANA continues to believe that flow control can be an effective and legitimate instrument of integrated municipal solid waste management. To the extent it is allowed by law and after public discussion, including the consideration of economic, environmental and social impacts, and input from residents, businesses, and other interested parties, flow control can be implemented without unduly interfering with the free movement of municipal solid waste and recyclables across jurisdictional boundaries.”

About SWANA:
SWANA is a professional association with the mission of promoting environmentally and economically sound management of municipal solid waste in North America and serves over 8,000 members from both the public and private sectors. For 50 years, SWANA, the Solid Waste Association of North America, has been the leading professional association in the solid waste management field. SWANA’s mission is "to advance the practice of environmentally and economically sound management of municipal solid waste." SWANA serves industry professionals with technical conferences, certifications, publications and a large offering of technical training courses. www.SWANA.org

View Press Release Here

SWANA Announces 2012 Excellence Award Winners

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Honorees to be recognized at WASTECON 2012

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has announced the recipients of the 2012 Excellence Awards.

SWANA’s Excellence Awards Program recognizes outstanding solid waste programs and facilities that advance the practice of environmentally and economically sound solid waste management through their commitment to utilizing effective technologies and processes in system design and operations, advancing worker and community health and safety, and implementing successful public education and outreach programs. Programs also must demonstrate that they are fiscally and environmentally responsible through their compliance with all applicable federal, state and local regulations.

Read the Full Press Release here.