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AOR
2005 Annual Fall Forum Wrap-up:
Association of
Oregon Recycler’s
Annual Fall Forum
RECYCLING PERILS AND
POTENTIAL IN THE RECOGNITION OF NEW ENERGY REALITIES
November 2,
2005, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
In Salem,
Oregon at 680 State Street (The Micah Building), 2nd floor
A fall forum sponsored by the
Association of Oregon Recyclers with
the Oregon Refuse and Recycling Association and Oregon and the
Recycling Markets Development Corporation
The Association
of Oregon Recyclers, with the support of Oregon Refuse and Recycling
Association (ORRA) and Oregon Recycling Markets Development Company (ORMDC),
presented their annual Fall Forum, Recycling Perils and Potential in
Recognition of New Energy Realities, on Wednesday, November 2. This
day-long forum provided information and inspiration to over 50
interested audience members. The speaker lineup expertly presented
information on the big picture of sustainability as well as energy use
and alternatives and their effects on the recycling industry.
Regina Hauser of
Oregon Natural Step began by defining sustainability, providing the
audience with a foundation for the day. She was followed by Bruce Walker
of City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development. He presented
one city’s programs and plans that are part of a sustainable lifestyle.
The volatile
price of oil and the increasing cost of transportation were the
motivators for this forum. Christopher Dymond of Oregon’s Department of
Energy presented a review of Oregon’s energy consumption, the sources of
our energy, and the cost to our citizens. He followed this up with views
of the near future and the limits that we have on petroleum sources.
Because of changes in transportation costs and because of state goals
for sustainability, solid waste management has changed significantly.
Wayne Rifer presented some of the changes in approach because of these
larger perspectives.
Blue Heron Paper
has adjusted their paper mill to reap some of the true benefits of a
sustainable business plan. Les Joel led the company to modify a boiler
to utilize wood waste (see last year’s fall forum) as an energy source
and replace virgin feedstock with more recycled material.
As the forum
progressed, the big picture of sustainability and the conundrum of
energy consumption as a sustainable practice became more defined. The
haulers get it. Dave White of ORRA has been immersed in this topic for
some time and was able to convey the conditions of a sustainable system
so we all understood. David Allaway of Oregon DEQ presented the numbers
on energy savings from using recycled content, replacing virgin material
in various packaging options. This is a point that Blue Heron Paper
understands perfectly.
A lot of this
day’s discussion was about the dependence on oil, how can this be
sustainable, how can we justify transporting materials to distant
markets. Mr. Allaway addressed this issue, confirming that the
transportation of the material is not the primary energy waster.
However, decreasing petroleum use, even in the transportation part of
this equation, was addressed by an Oregon company, SeQuential Biofuels.
Tomas Endicott of SeQuential presented the basics of the Biodiesel
industry and ended the day with a positive alternative.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PRESENTATIONS
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