By Randy
Bright, BIRP President
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here to return to the President's Message Archive.)
President's Column
by: Randy Bright
BIRP has received accolades
for its efforts in Corbin and Prestonsburg to boost
recycling. BIRP purchased and provided bottle shaped
receptacles which have been placed in various high
traffic and high profile areas. The latest article
appred citing the efforts of BIRP and the City and
noting the contribution made by private industry.
GREEN IS IN! All we are hearing now are
comments about our economic "footprint" and how we must
be concerned with how we are contributing to the
problem. Our industry has geared up and we are working
with a variety of different groups seeking to expand
recycling efforts.
Kentucky's statewide 2007
Waste Tire Amnesty program collected a toral of
1,093,843 tires in five Area Development Districts in
Jefferson County. Another 332,820 tires were
collected during Commonwealth Cleanup Week and at
several sites around the state for a grand total of
1,426,663 tires.
Alcoa wants to raise the
industry's used beverage can recycling rate to 75% by
2015 in the United States and Canada. The current rate
is 52% An aluminum container can be recycled many, many
times and uses 95 percent less energy to produce a new
can compacted with mining and using bauxite. A 75%
recycling rate would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by
11.8 million tons annually.
Presently the market for PET
is 18 cents clear and green mixed. That is up from 13
cents a year ago. HDP is selling for 39 cents per pound
while aluminum cans will bring 90 cents per pound.
The market for recycled
material is improving. BIRP continues to speak out for
private industry and is working to help improve
recycling rates.
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