EcoBytes - Volume 3, Issue 3 (September 2001)

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

Remember to visit us online at www.cetonline.org to learn more about our programs. You can reach us by email at cet@cetonline.org or call us in Pittsfield at (413) 445-4556 or in Northampton at (413) 586-7350. For mailing list changes, please send a message to Ruth Dinerman.

CET extends our deepest condolences to all who have lost family or friends in the tragic events of September 11th. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all who helped in the rescue efforts.

IN THIS ISSUE:

• ReStore Grand Opening - September 28th, High Noon
• Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste
• Is an Answer Blowing in the Wind?
• Is Your Copy Paper 30% PC2 (Politically Correct and Post-Consumer)?
• In Search of Trails and Treasures in Adams
• CET Welcomes Two AmeriCorps*VISTA Members
• Coming Next Issue: Communities Collect Household Hazardous Waste

Restore Grand Opening - September 28Th, High Noon

CET and Commissioner Lauren Liss, MA Department of Environmental Protection, invite you to the ReStore Home Improvement Center's Grand Opening on Friday, September 28th, 2001 from noon to 1 p.m. at 250 Albany Street in Springfield. U.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal, State Senator Linda J. Melconian, State Senator Brian P. Lees, Mayor Michael Albano and other Federal, State and local officials will join us. Tour the ReStore, celebrate the Grand Opening of CET’s newest venture and help us say thank you to partners and funders. Email an RSVP, if you will join us. For information and directions, visit: http://www.cetonline.org/Home/Restore.php

Taking A Bite Out Of Food Waste

Northampton’s vibrant downtown restaurants, all great places to eat, produce substantial quantities of food waste. Together with the City of Northampton Board of Health, CET increased the number of restaurants that compost their food waste and waxed corrugated cardboard. Practical collection sites and routes were established by coordinating with restaurants and several waste haulers. The use of cooperative "recycle sheds" for compost and recyclable container collection sites proved to be particularly successful. Funded by the city, these shared sheds simplified the collection process and helped to minimize collection costs. At present, 70 tons of organic wastes a year from 11 restaurants are now being composted. For more information, contact Jim Desmond in our Northampton office.

Is An Answer Blowing In The Wind?

More than 100 Berkshire area residents toured Green Mountain Power's "wind farm" in Searsburg, VT this summer. By getting up close and personal, visitors experienced these eleven wind turbines, each nearly 200 feet tall, that produce about 6 megawatts of electricity, which is equivalent to the needs of approximately 2000 households. Guided by Vermont Environmental Research Associates, visitors learned about the technology and issues related to siting a wind farm in New England. The Berkshire Renewable Energy Collaborative, a committee coordinated by CET, sponsored the tours. The Collaborative is committed to increasing energy efficiency and the responsible use of renewable energy in the Berkshire region. For more information about renewable energy, contact Nancy Nylen in our Pittsfield office.

Is Your Copy Paper 30% PC2 (Politically Correct and Post-Consumer)?

CET has joined WasteCap of Massachusetts and Solana Recyclers in the Recycled Products Purchasing Cooperative (RPPC), a national nonprofit initiative to market recycled office paper products to businesses. By providing recycled copy paper and other recycled paper products at prices which meet or beat what many businesses pay for virgin paper, coupled with easy ordering and shipping, the RPPC encourages mainstream businesses to participate in natural resource conservation. Although CET will focus its marketing in western Massachusetts, we welcome any and all inquiries. 30% and 100% post-consumer copy paper are available. For more information, contact Jamie Cahillane in our Pittsfield office.

In Search Of Trails And Treasures In Adams

During the past two years, CET has worked with the Town of Adams to develop a Sustainable Community Action Plan. One result is a broad-based citizens effort to promote the "Trails and Treasures" of Adams. With assistance from the National Park Service, and Antioch New England Institute, residents and the Town developed the first in a series of community treasure hunts known as "Quests". In July, many residents tested the Quest by following rhymed clues to a hidden treasure box in the downtown. Future Quests will highlight historical and natural "treasures" of the community. A "Favorite Walks and Hikes of Adams" brochure describes a variety of trails that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. For more information about the "Sustainable Adams" project and the "Adams-Town of Trails and Treasures" initiative, contact Nancy Nylen in our Pittsfield office.

CET Welcomes Two Americorps*Vista Members

Rob Feigal-Stickles has joined CET’s Waste Management team. As an A*VISTA member, Rob is working on a variety of projects including the Business Paper Recycling Co-op, the MA Materials Exchange, household hazardous waste education and recycled paper sales. Rob is a recent transplant from St. Paul Minnesota where he worked in environmental and urban planning. Before that, he coordinated recycling efforts at Kalamazoo College. Rob is a graduate of Kalamazoo College where he studied Biology and Environmental Studies. Stop by our Pittsfield office to say hello.

Jeff MacFarlane joined CET’s Waste Management Team in June. Jeff is an integral part of every aspect of the ReStore, from picking up donations to sales to painting to public relations. Before coming to CET, Jeff worked with a non-profit forestry conservation organization and as a contractor. Jeff graduated from University of Massachusetts in 2000 with a B.S. in Forestry Conservation. Stop by the ReStore to ask Jeff for a tour, and shop, shop, shop!

A reminder: If your company participates in workplace giving, CET is a member of Earth Share, a national coalition of over 500 local, regional, state and national environmental organizations.

Coming Next Issue:

Communities Collect Household Hazardous Waste