EcoBytes - Volume 1, Issue 3 (May 1999)

Welcome to Volume 1, Issue 3 of EcoBytes, the Center for Ecological Technology's (CET) email newsletter. EcoBytes updates you on CET's activities in solid waste, energy, and sustainable development.

We encourage you to contact us for more information about any of our programs. You can reach us in Pittsfield at cetpitts@aol.com or (413) 445-4556 or in Northampton at cetnoho@aol.com or (413) 586-7350. For mailing list additions and deletions, please send a message to cetpitts@aol.com.

In This Issue:

• Sun Revs Up Aspiring Engineers and Race Car Drivers
• Give Us Your Weak, Your Tired, Your Old T-shirts
• Thanks a Rot, MassRecycle!
• New Funding Will Sustain Work in Adams
• Coming Next Issue: Wood pallets, wood pallets, and more wood pallets!

Sun Revs Up Aspiring Engineers And Race Car Drivers

Under partly sunny skies, solar and battery powered model cars went wheel-to-wheel on a 50-foot plywood dragway at the Berkshire Junior Solar Sprint. Students, parents and friends cheered on the 100+ middle school students from 8 schools who raced and showcased the solar-powered, zero-emissions cars they designed and built. CET and Herberg Middle School Technology Department organized the Berkshire Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) competition, held in Pittsfield on May 25th, in conjunction with the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association's (NESEA) American Tour de Sol. The Tour de Sol featured more than 50 solar-powered vehicles, displays and events promoting environmentally-friendly transportation. The Berkshire JSS winners in each of four categories (speed, innovation, craftsmanship and technical merit) are eligible to compete in the New England Regional Event organized by NESEA in Portland, Maine in June.

The Junior Solar Sprint is exciting because young people are learning first-hand that non-polluting transportation is possible. It's great to see students and teachers working together on projects that combine science, technology, transportation and the environment," said Paul Schmidt of CET and Berkshire Solar Sprint co-coordinator. Berkshire Gas Company, Berkshire Bank, Pittsfield Cooperative Bank and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) sponsored the Berkshire JSS. Contact Paul Schmidt in CET's Pittsfield office for more information.

Give Us Your Weak, Your Tired, Your Old T-Shirts

More than 17 tons of clothing were collected during CET's 4th Annual Earth Day Clothing and Textile Drive, coordinated in partnership with Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires. This year's total surpassed last year's by more than four tons and is more than four times the amount collected during the first drive four years ago. CET and Goodwill received assistance with the drive from the Southern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District, Tri-Town Health Department (Lee, Lenox & Stockbridge), and US Postal Service-Pittsfield Office. Hundreds of households and dozens of community organizations, small businesses and thrift stores participated. Goodwill retails useable clothing, produces wiping cloths, and bales other textiles for clothing markets, providing a local opportunity for reuse and job-creation. For more info, contact Alan Silverstein in our Pittsfield office.

Thanks A Rot, Massrecycle!

On May 6, CET received MassRecycle's Commercial Recycling Award at the New England Environmental Expo for its composting projects in western Mass. By helping more than 50 farmers start or expand composting operations, more than 13,000 tons of organic materials have been diverted from disposal since 1997. Currently, 6 haulers bring materials from 48 waste generators at 71 locations to 7 area farms for composting. Organic waste is collected from 28 supermarket locations, 11 restaurants, 16 institutions/schools, 5 food processors, 1 greenhouse, 1 wholesale grocer, and 10 other organic waste generators. A supermarket chain with 11 participating locations achieved a 23% reduction in trash generation. Project participants have reduced their overall waste disposal costs by up to 30%. CET's management of the project is made possible by funding from EPA New England, USDA SARE, MA Department of Environmental Protection, the Lawson Valentine Foundation, the Sudbury Foundation and the Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation. Contact John Majercak in the Northampton office for more info.

New Funding Will Sustain Work In Adams

The Town of Adams received one of six Sustainable Development Challenge Grants awarded by EPA New England. CET has been working with Adams on sustainable development planning activities for two years and will continue to work with municipal departments to incorporate sustainable strategies into their activities under the new grant. CET will also coordinate public education and other community initiatives promoting a sustainable future for Adams. "The project will focus on being sustainable while dealing with a variety of economic development issues in Adams, including economics, tourism and recycling," said Jim Leitch, Adams Town Administrator. "We're starting to implement recommendations from our sustainable and community action plans," he said. For more information about CET's work in Adams, contact Laura Dubester or Nancy Nylen in our Pittsfield office.

Coming Next Issue:

Wood Pallets, Wood Pallets and More Wood Pallets!