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Request for Applications: DCEO's Food Scrap Composting Revitalization and Advancement Program (F-SCRAP)

DCEO's Food Scrap Composting Revitalization and Advancement Program (F-SCRAP) is now soliciting projects and will accept formal grant applications until January 13, 2012. Grants are available to assist local governments, for-profit, and not-for-profit businesses and organizations with their food scrap collection and processing efforts. Projects that demonstrate public economic benefits, such as job creation, will be given priority.

Grant funds are made available from the Illinois Solid Waste Management Fund and DCEO may award grants up to $250,000 for any one project. Applicants must provide a minimum 10% cash match of the total project costs. Grant funds may only be used to purchase project-related capital equipment such as collection, processing or handling equipment and project-necessary expansion and modernization costs.

This solicitation is expected to be highly competitive and entities interested in submitting an application are encouraged to carefully read the Request-for-Application (RFA) document, which can be downloaded from DCEO's Recycling and Waste Reduction Division's Web site: www.illinoisrecycles.com.

TOP ILLINOIS RECYCLERS RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABILITY (Download the PDF list of winners)

2011 winners of the annual Excellence in Recycling Awards, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), were released today. These awards recognize individuals, companies and nonprofits that have made outstanding achievements and contributions to the recycling and waste reduction industry.

Award winners were announced at the annual Illinois Recycling and Waste Management Conference and Trade show, Destination Sustainability: Greening Illinois Together, Monday, June 6 – Wednesday, June 8, 2011. Funded in part by its sustaining sponsor, the Illinois DCEO, this was a joint conference hosted by the Illinois Recycling Association (IRA), the Illinois Counties Solid Waste Management Association (ILCSWMA), and the Illinois Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America (IL SWANA). (Download the PDF list of winners)

ILLINOIS TO LAUNCH TWO NEW RECYCLING & SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES (Download initiative details in the press release PDF)
State leads nation in developing model for sustainability, job creation & economic development

WHAT: The launch of two new statewide initiatives as part of a national model for sustainability, job creation and economic development will be announced by the Illinois Recycling Association (IRA) at the Annual Illinois Recycling and Waste Management Conference and Trade Show, Destination Sustainability: Greening Illinois Together, sponsored in part by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and co-hosted by the Illinois Recycling Association, the Illinois Counties Solid Waste Management Association (ILCSWMA), and the Illinois Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America (IL SWANA).

National and state leaders in sustainability developed these initiatives in response to the critical need to address the importance of reclamation, recycling and reuse as strategies to create green jobs, decrease the amount of waste ending up in landfills and incinerators, and support the development of more sustainable approaches to managing resources.

WHO: Conference speakers and other leading participants include:

  • John Bradford, Chief Innovations Officer, Interface Inc.
  • Eric Heineman, Sustainability Policy Advisor, Office of the Governor
  • David Smith, IL. Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, Illinois Energy
  • Paul Purseglove, Illinois EPA
  • Kimberly Worthington, City of Chicago Dept. of Environment
  • Wynne Coplea, Manager of Waste & Recycling for the City of Springfield
  • Mel Nickerson, Environmental Law and Policy Center
  • Neil Seldman, President, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
  • Rick Anthony, Zero Waste International Alliance
  • Julie Elzanati, Executive Director, Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN)
  • Dan Knapp, Owner, Urban Ore
  • Mary Lou Van Deventer, Operations Manager Urban Ore, and former president, Northern California Recycling Association
  • MaryEllen Etienne, Materials Exchange/Reuse Sector Specialist, Reuse Alliance
  • Buddy Boyd, Gibsons Recycling Depot Ltd.
  • Caitlin McAllister, Product Stewardship Institute
  • Patty Dillon, Northeast Recycling Coalition
  • David Hartke, President, Board of Directors, Illinois Counties Solid Waste Management Association (ILCSWMA)
  • Karen Rozmus, President, Land of Lincoln Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA)

WHEN: Monday, June 6 – Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Announcement of Initiatives: Monday, June 6, 10:00 am

WHERE: Hilton Hotel, Springfield, IL
700 East Adams Street, Springfield, Illinois, United States

WHY: Decreasing waste disposed in landfills and incinerators by increasing what is reclaimed, recycled and reused is among the fastest, cheapest and effective solutions to protect the environment. The recycling industry is also a proven driver of new job creation and economic growth. In Illinois recycling reliant and reuse industries contribute a total of 111,500 jobs, a payroll of $3.6 billion, and over $1 billion in state and local taxes.

Illinois Joint Conference

Illinois Recycling and Waste Management Conference and Trade Show

June 6-8, 2011
Springfield, IL

 

Recycling Economic Information Study (PDF)

"U'SAgain Celebrates Earth-Month" by diverting 5 Million pounds of Textiles from our landfills

In 1970, when the first Earth Day event was held, the amount of clothes and shoes discarded in landfills topped 1.6 million tons in the US. By 2010 the amount of clothing discarded has increased five-fold to more than 8 million tons. As the Earth Day movement turns 40 years old in 2010, the strain on our planet’s resources and ecosystems is still increasing, and the need for action to protect Earth, our home in the universe, has never been greater.

USAgain (pronounced use-again), a textile recycling company is celebrating Earth day/Month by diverting over 5 Million pounds of clothes and shoes from landfills during the month of April. In an effort to conserve resources, fight climate change, and reduce solid waste in landfills, USAgain collects and reuses clothing. Together we can save our planet.

5 Million pounds of clothes and shoes reused is comparable to the following:
• Offsetting emissions from 2,900 cars in a full year
• Saving water equivalent to 171,000 swimming pools
• Avoiding the use of 1,000,000 lbs of pesticides for cotton growth
• Reducing the use of 1,500,000 lbs of fertilizer for cotton growth

By allowing these items to be reused we will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35 million pounds.

If you have usable used clothing and want to help us reach our 5 Million Pound Earth Day/Month goal you can go to our web site at www.usagain.com to find you the closest collection box.

Material Matters August 2009
Note From the President, KAB and NRC Propose Combined Operations, llinois Commodity/Waste Generation and Characterization Study Released, "Greening Illinois Together" Illinois Joint Conference 2009 Sponsors, and more

Decon '09: It's Time- The BMRA Annual Conference.The Building Materials Reuse Association's is thrilled to announce the 2009 International Conference on Deconstruction, Building Materials Reuse, and Construction and Demolition Materials Recycling. DECON '09 will be held on Tuesday, April 28th through Thursday, April 30th, 2009, on the Campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago Chicago, Illinois. For more information go to http://bmra.org/events/conference

Check out our You Tube videos and subscribe to our You Tube stream.

Request for Application for the 2009-2010 IL Zero Waste Schools Grant Program

Letters to Senators Durbin (PDF) and Burris (PDF) requesting their support for recycling components in the Economic Recovery Package

Connection between Recycling and Climate Change (US EPA)

The Latest Edition of Material Matters November 2008 -- IRA's downloadable newsletter! (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) Recycling and Reuse Act Signed by Governor, A Message from the President, From the Executive Director, Commodity/Waste Generation and Characterization (CWGC) Study, Spotlight on DCEO, Welcome New IRA Members, Member Spotlight: Real Time Freight, And more!

DCE0 FY-09 Grant Round: Request for Application posted for Traditional and Electronics grants. Applications due Dec 22, 2008.

Nomination forms for the 2009 Recycling Awards and 2009 Outstanding High School Environmental Club Awards are now online.

Governor Blagojevich Signs Landmark Recycling and Reuse E-Waste Law (PDF) New law is one of the nation’s most aggressive in protecting the environment and public from toxic substances in electronic wastes and providing incentives for reuse.

Statement on City of Chicago Recycling Program

Want to know how much electronics could be processed in IL if a law were enacted to ban electronics from landfill disposal? Check out the E-Scrap Capacity Report (1.6MB PDF)

The new On-Line Membership Directory has been unveiled. Click here to view the latest information on the current Illinois Recycling Association members.

E-Cycling in Illinois - Residents can recycle electronics at many locations. Check out the latest brochure! Click to find e-cycling centers!

Kudos to the businesses who use recycled products! Click here for a complete list.

Congratulations to Illinois communities who have reached the 10 Year Anniversary of their Curbside Recycling Programs. Click Here to see who they are.