Waste not

WasteCap and Milwaukee push for more recycling

By Janine Anderson

A WasteCap training session draws a full house. The organization teamed up with Milwaukee to push for more recycling on construction projects. Photo courtesy of WasteCap Wisconsin

Milwaukee is looking to generate more recycling on construction projects.

To make that happen, the city teamed up with WasteCap Wisconsin, a Milwaukee-based organization that offers waste reduction and recycling assistance to businesses, to get information about recycling into the hands of the people who need it most. The training initially targeted city employees and then expanded to include contractors that work on city projects, said Ann Beier, sustainability director for the city.

“We wanted to educate them on the importance of recycling on city projects,” she said. “We haven’t set a goal citywide, but some cities have done that, and we’re looking into doing that.”

Jenna Kunde, director of strategic development for WasteCap, said the training generated a lot of interest, and the organization ultimately had to turn some interested companies away.

“We’ve been working on $2.97 billion in demolition projects, helping people recycle,” Kunde said. “The city, their side is going, ‘How do we encourage our contractors to recycle?’

“This collaboration brings us together, and the city is able to host us, bring us in. We can present what we know.”

Kunde said WasteCap wanted to provide information that would show recycling can be easy and economical in addition to offering a wide range of environmental benefits.

Typically, Kunde said, WasteCap is hired by the owner to implement a recycling plan on a particular construction site. There have been times, she said, when the contractors on a project wouldn’t let the company on the site.

But once WasteCap explains its goals and how to reach them, Kunde said, that usually changes.

“There’s definitely that initial resistance,” she said. “Everybody recycles at home, and I’ve been really impressed. The workers, as long as it’s set up well with clear signs on Dumpsters and conveniently located, they know what to put where, and they really do it.”

The response from people who attended the Aug. 16 training has been good, Kunde and Beier said.

Amanda Schauer, a project manager with Pewaukee-based VJS Construction Services, said the training session was a great way for her to learn more about the kinds of things she will be expected to do on future projects.

“It was very informative, and it made it appear easy to do,” she said. “We’ve recently found a little more interest in [recycling], along with green building and sustainability.”

Beier said the session ultimately helped the city train employees and contractors to implement Milwaukee’s vision for construction recycling. The city generally asks for recycling on projects, she said, noting the Department of Public Works and the Housing Authority as two units of government that incorporated recycling and reuse into recent projects.

“First, it does save us money in tipping fees, reuse and not having to buy new materials — and with the environmental aspect,” Beier said. “The government should lead by example. It’s hard to say, ‘You have to recycle,’ if we’re not doing it ourselves.”