Current Activities of the CMRA

Editor’s Note: This document was prepared for CMRA board members before their last board meeting, and it describes many of the activities the association has been involved in recently.
Industrial Resources Council: The CMRA is part of a group of associations that promote the recycling of what the U.S. EPA considers industrial materials: C&D, tires, foundry sand, slag, pulp mill byproducts and coal ash. The latter material is getting a lot of bad press lately and is putting a lot of stress on keeping this group together. However, being associated with IRC has been a benefit in getting in front of regulators and the like because of the large tonnage involved. We have participated in successful conferences in states such as California, Arkansas and Illinois. In addition, the IRC has regular quarterly conference calls with the EPA regional and headquarters officials from across the country. There is a plan in the works to develop webinars on the recycled products made from industrial materials so that new personnel moving into the regulator jobs can learn about them with relative ease. The EPA will pay for the development of the webinars, which we would have control over the content.

EPA C&D Workgroups: The EPA has created two workgroups designed to promote C&D recycling. The CMRA is a major component of both. The first workgroup focuses on increasing manufactured product end uses for recycled wood and drywall. The second focuses on specifications and standards for all recycled C&D products. Valerie Montecalvo has been participating in this project on behalf of the CMRA.

Green Building Products Coalition: The CMRA has been invited to participate in a new coalition set up by the EPA to evaluate the “greenness” of modern building products. The USGBC will also be involved in this process. Start up is in May.

FHWA Green Pavement Tech-nologies: The FHWA is looking to promote certain green paving technologies and products as part of an initiative from a deputy administrator. The goal is to promote green technologies that are ready to go because the current political employees want some progress to show in their short stay in office. The two products they are promoting are recycled asphalt shingles in hot mix and recycled concrete aggregate, especially when used in two-lift paving. The other technology promotes warm mix asphalt. The CMRA was one of only four stakeholders outside the federal government invited to participate in this effort. It is a bit confusing on what the next step will be since it just got underway.

As you can see, the CMRA is the go-to place for all levels of government for information and input on the future of C&D recycling.

Third-party Recycling Rate Certification Program: There is a lot of controversy surrounding current claims of how much material is recycled at C&D recycling facilities across the country as part of LEED projects. There have been outrageous claims of very high recycling rates from facilities that are not capable of such rates, plus there has been manipulation of the current LEED standards by other facilities. The CMRA has been working to get USGBC approval to develop a third-part certification program for C&D recycling facilities that would provide verifiable recycling rates, and information on what products are being made within those rates. USGBC knows it has a problem in this sector, but wants a broader consensus of organizations involved in the development of the program. We have talked with a certifying agency that has set up a couple of certification programs that have been recognized by USGBC for LEED, but they want an astronomical sum to develop the program, plus our expertise. But we must find a way to develop such a program.

ConExpo-Con/Agg Education Program: CMRA is again co-locating its Annual Meeting with the CECA show in 2011, and as part of that agreement the CMRA will put on a few seminars. One will focus on concrete/asphalt recycling, the other on asphalt shingle recycling. Both are co-sponsored with NAPA.

Green Highways Program at CECA: The CMRA will organize and put on a Green Highways Workshop at ConExpo-Con/Agg. We have teamed with FHWA, EPA, AGC, and others to develop the program, which is almost finished. A major part of the program will be discussion of the use of recycled materials, which is very important in these programs, which are growing. A national green highways rating program is only a matter of time.

5th Shingle Recycling Forum: Building on the success of our last forum in November 2009 in Chicago, we are planning to hold another forum in Dallas, in November 2011. We have already gathered RFP responses form several hotels in the Dallas area, and expect to be able to offer a very reasonable room rate and also tours of local shingle grinding facilities for this event.

C&D World Magazine: The magazine remains the major publicity outlet for the CMRA. It has the largest audited circulation in the C&D recycling and demolition industries, and regularly devotes four to six pages an issue to CMRA advertising and editorial.

Industry Information Exchange: The CMRA regularly receives requests for information on C&D recycling from all walks of life, from students and the general public to its members. We are the place they get their answers, and do that to the best of our ability. If we don’t know the answer, we know someone who does.

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