Mahle Waste Is Turned Into a Commodity
A variety of large cats from the Cricket Hollow Zoo near Manchester are licking their paws after enjoying a large delivery of chicken wings from a freezer storage company in Waterloo.
Approximately 41,000 pounds of chicken wings were diverted from the Black Hawk County Landfill in mid-January through the DNR's Iowa Waste Exchange (IWE) program.
After the manufacturer of the chicken wings went out of business, the company made the decision to clean out the facility, allowing one week to find a home for the out-dated wings to free up space in their freezer and avoid the expense of hauling and landfill fees.
Iowa Waste Exchange Representative Ben Kvigne said, "When none of the potential recipients that would normally have an interest were a successful match I started thinking creatively and proactively sought out the Cricket Hollow Zoo."
The Zoo Keeper, Pam Sellner, was happy to hear of the opportunity. She was able to provide her lions, tigers and other cats with a tasty, nutritious and affordable meal.
Cricket Hollow Zoo has roughly 300 animals and about 80 different species. The zoo is located 1½ miles to the west of Manchester on County Road D22.
Visit Cricket Hollow Zoo's webpage at http://www.crickethollowzoo.com/index.html.
back to top
In August 2007, Diane Faris, Race Chair for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's Des Moines Affiliate Race for the Cure contacted Julie Plummer, Iowa Waste Exchange (IWE) Resource Specialist located at Eastern Iowa Community College. Faris was interested in initiating a recycling program similar to the one that Plummer, who served as the Komen Quad City affiliate's honorary survivor chair, had initiated at their race held in Davenport earlier that year.
Upon Plummer's recommendation, Faris contacted Shelly Codner, IWE Resource Specialist serving Central Iowa, and requested her assistance in implementing a comprehensive events recycling program at the 2007 Race for the Cure. Both the Quad Cities event and the Des Moines event - appropriately tagged Recycling at the Race - were highly successful, and because of these successes and at the request of the Susan G. Komen foundation, Plummer and Codner have continued to serve as recycling coordinators for these events for the past three years.
Since 2007, these events (Quad Cities race held in June, and Des Moines race held in October) have diverted nearly 100 percent of all cardboard generated onsite, totaling just under 10,000 pounds, and have recycled nearly 500 pounds of plastic bottles and beverage containers. Recycling at the Race collection activities have been expanded to include paper, shrink wrap, glass, pallets and even rubber bands. This year, with the assistance of Metro Waste Authority the Des Moines affiliate expanded those efforts and diverted nearly 600 pounds of food waste for composting. The Waste Commission of Scott County has provided on-going assistance to support recycling efforts for the Quad Cities event.
Recycling at the Race |
With the overwhelming support of the respective race committees and the generous assistance of recycling partners and volunteers, the Iowa Waste Exchange has introduced and demonstrated the added value of Events Recycling to over 100,000 race participants, sponsors and volunteers through Recycling at the Race.
In addition, Susan G. Komen's Des Moines and Quad City affiliates
- Were honored as the 2008 recipients of the Iowa Recycling Association's Best Public Education Campaign award for Recycling at the Race;
- Have been contacted by Komen's National Office as to marketing the program on a national level and;
- Have also been contacted by local committee members of Relay for Life, a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society held in several locations throughout the United States, on duplicating efforts in several Iowa counties.
back to top
Hy-Capacity Green Team |
Hy-Capacity utilized FABA programs in their efforts to become a Zero-Landfill facility. The company received a Solid Waste Alternatives Program (SWAP) forgivable loan for the purchase of a vertical baler to expand its recycling program to include polyurethane and cushion foam. The Iowa Waste Exchange (IWE) facilitated an agreement between Hy-Capacity and Foam Rubber Products in Muscatine to receive the baled materials.
Hy-Capacity's team approach to production efficiency, recycling, waste reduction, and the family atmosphere within the plant serve as a model for private companies. With a commitment to the environment and a partnership with FABA, a facility can reduce waste and energy usage while becoming more productive and profitable at the same time.
Hy-Capacity, Inc., is a family-owned corporation that manufactures and refurbishes various tractor components such as pumps, pressure plates, clutches, engine components and hose assemblies at its Humboldt facility. Another plant in Dayton manufactures complete replacement tractor cab kits. The company employs approximately 100 people.
Hy-Capacity has a history of environmental stewardship: since the early 1990s the company has recycled paper and corrugated cardboard; in 2002 a grinder was purchased to grind scrap PVC flooring and cushion foam into packing material.
In 2008 the company undertook the Lean Manufacturing program to identify potential production efficiency opportunities through management and employee teamwork. The Lean process recommended eliminating the transportation of cardboard from Dayton to Humboldt to be baled and also suggested identifying markets for plastics recycling.
As a result of the Lean process, Hy-Capacity formed a Green Team and set the goal of becoming a Zero-Landfill company. Their first priority was the five tons of foam packing material the company generates each month. Cindy Danielson, the Humboldt Plant Manager, contacted the vendor of the material, Insta-Pak, which agreed to take back the packing material if baled. The company purchased a baler for the Dayton plant for plastics and cardboard, eliminating the need to transport the materials to Humboldt. A SWAP grant funded the purchase of another baler for the foam material, and IWE representative Fred Kesten coordinated with a company in Muscatine to receive the baled PVC materials from Hy-Capacity.
The Hy-Capacity Green Team also designed a recycling program for the plant, placing recycling containers for plastic, paper, bottles and cans at various locations in the facility. Old parts carts were cleaned and repainted to carry the containers and steel cages were built for corrugated cardboard and plastics.
As a result of these efforts, the 40 cubic-yard trash compactor has been replaced with a 1.5 cubic-yard dumpster. The remaining waste consists of food and paper towel waste. The company purchased a composter in July 2009 to further reduce the organic waste disposed of in the dumpster.
As of August 1, 2009, two semi truck loads of 400-pound PVC and Insta-Pak bales have shipped for recycling. The company is collecting rainwater for parts-washing and is working to find a market for the seven barrels of blaster dust and grinding sludge they generate each month.
Hy-Capacity's efforts will prevent approximately 88.8 tons of plastic from ending up in a landfill each year, saving the company $16,200 in pull fees and $17,108 in transportation costs. Fuel usage will be reduced by 978 gallons annually.
The company has been recognized for its environmental programs: in December, 2008 the company was featured in the Humboldt Independent for its efforts to become a Zero-Landfill facility; in July, 2009, Hy-Capacity was honored with the Iowa Farm Bureau's ReNew Rural Iowa award on WHO Radio for its efforts to grow the agricultural economy while implementing best practices in recycling and environmental protection.
Thanks to Cindy Danielson, Ken Brantland, Karen Skoglund and Molly Varangkounh at Hy-Capacity.
back to top
The Des Moines Zoo was faced with a disposal problem of what to do with llama hair, zebra dung, animal food waste, cardboard, paper and newspapers. The zoo produces an estimated 4,264 cubic yards of waste each week that was being landfilled.
The Iowa Waste Exchange suggested starting a program with Red Wiggler worms to manage the waste. Today waste materials are placed in a 4’x 8’ wooden box housing worms that eat this material and convert it to a highly valued natural fertilizer, worm castings or excrement. In the first three weeks of the vermicomposting project, the worms have eaten 16 cubic feet of waste from the zoo and are reproducing.
Each bin will produce one ton of castings allowing zoo officials to drastically reduce the purchase and application of chemical fertilizers. It is anticipated by spring 2008, three worm bins will be in operation and the worms will number 125,000 to 175,000 capable of consuming 9 tons of materials each year. Zoo officials plant to turn this vermicomposting project into an educational tool for the public.
back to top
Mahle Engine Components USA, Inc. is a manufacturer of bearings and other engine components in Atlantic, Iowa. In September 2007, the Iowa Waste Exchange received a call from William Hildebrand, Environmental Coordinator, about finding a use for 9000 obsolete parts trays weighing approximately 18 tons. If a use could not be found for these trays, they would be disposed of in the local landfill. These polystyrene trays were stacked and wrapped on pallets, allowing the trays to be transported easily via ground transportation. Because the logistics of moving this waste was simplified they were easier to market and transport to another company.
Markets were immediately interested in the obsolete trays however; testing found that the trays also had a thin coating of polyvinylchloride, which made them unsuitable for some specific markets. Finally the IWE contacted Terry Stark of Avant Ministries to take the obsolete pallets. Within one week, Avant Ministries arranged for transportation and found a buyer for the trays to recycle into new products. They were sold to a company as a commodity to help fund Avant Ministries mission programs.
The IWE helps companies like Mahle Engine Components avoid landfilling approximately 18 tons of unwanted products while identifying the waste as a commodity for reuse.
back to top
