Q&A for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Program

Who are the partners in this project?

The national partners for this project are Time Inc., The National Recycling Coalition, and International Paper. Local partners are FCR, Inc., Recycle America Alliance, Quad/Graphics, City of Milwaukee, Waukesha County and the Wisconsin Be SMART Coalition.

We have a common goal to increase magazine and catalog recycling in the Milwaukee Metropolitan area through education and promotion. The year-long pilot project will measure results quarterly and share information with other areas of the state at the end of the pilot.

What should be recycled in Wisconsin ?

What recycling services are offered in my community?

• Waukesha County residents can visit the website at www.waukeshacounty.gov/recycling or call 262-896-8300.
• City of Milwaukee residents can visit the website at www.mpw.net/Pages/MilwaukeeRecycles.htm or call 414-286-8282.
• Residents from other communities should contact their municipal public works department or their recycling hauler. Contact the regional DNR Recycling specialist if you need additional assistance (414-263-8500)

For tips on how you can save money and reduce the amount of trash you produce, where to take household hazardous waste, how to recycle at special events, and more visit www.besmart.org

What are the economic and environmental benefits of recycling?

• The average landfill cost per ton in Wisconsin is $ 36. When residents participate in the recycling program rather than throwing away their items, the community avoids the trash disposal fee. It cost less to recycle a ton of paper, bottles and cans than to bury or burn it and is better for the environment. Depending on the market value of waste paper and the contract arrangements, the community may get paid for the paper collected for recycling.
  
• The more residents recycle, the more the community can save money and help protect the environment by keeping recyclable materials out of landfills or air-polluting incinerators. By keeping recyclable waste materials out of our landfills through recycling and composting, Wisconsin has avoided siting the equivalent of between 5 and 8 new landfills or landfill expansions since 1990.
  
• Recycling creates jobs in the recycling and reuse industries and reduces environmental damage caused by extraction and depletion of natural resources. For example, recycling approximately 1 ton of newspaper saves the equivalent of 100 gallons of gasoline, which would otherwise be produced from the extraction of fossil fuels. When residents recycle, they help to realize environmental benefits including: energy savings, improved air and water quality, reduced rate of global warming and avoided environmental degradation
  
• Market demand and prices for paper and other recyclables such as metal and plastics are high due in part to global demand. Companies need these materials to manufacture new products.

How did this group come together?

Time Inc. and International Paper conducted a study to measure the percentage of magazines that are recycled today. Study results showed a clear opportunity to increase curbside recycling to achieve environmental and economic benefits. The National Recycling Coalition joined the partnership to help identify cities that could benefit from a program to promote curbside recycling of magazines and catalogs.

The metropolitan Milwaukee area already has successful recycling programs, but is always looking to improve. The Wisconsin Be SMART Coalition has a history of innovative regional recycling education programs. Recycling processors FCR and Recycle America Alliance want to work toward increasing recycling and Quad Graphics is a major magazine publisher with a strong environmental record. We have a common goal and a variety of resources.

Will Time Inc. be using the recovered magazines in producing new copies of its magazines?

Recyclables will be sold into the marketplace for their highest economic value. Magazines are often used to make newspapers and recycled paperboard for packaging.

What other environmental initiatives is Time Inc. involved with?

The ReMix program is just one element of Time Inc.'s sustainable development activities. Other efforts have focused on dramatically increasing the percentage of certified forest fiber used in the paper purchased by the company, and studying the impact the magazine production chain has on greenhouse gas emissions. Time Inc. also is a member of the Paper Working Group, made up of 10 major companies including, Staples, Nike, HP, Starbucks, Toyota and McDonald's, trying to increase the availability of environmentally preferable paper. In addition, the company is one of thirty- nine U.S. companies who are members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Does IP use recycled magazines?

Yes, International Paper uses a small amount of magazines in the recovered mixed paper we buy for our containerboard mills. IP uses many types of recovered paper in the production of our recycled content products, including old corrugated containers, sorted white ledger, sorted office paper and double lined kraft clippings.

What other environmental initiatives is International Paper involved with?

In addition to this unique partnership, IP is involved in variety of climate change and forestry initiatives. IP helped the World Resource Institute (WRI) develop the next stage of its international greenhouse gas accounting protocol to help organizations track and reduce their emissions that could affect our climate. The company also is a founding member of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) to foster market-based solutions to

reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to these projects, International Paper is a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WCSD) supporting a number of activities ranging from climate change work to participation on the WCSD's forestry committee and the mutual recognition sub-committee.

What can recovered magazines be used for?

Recovered magazines are recycled into products such as newsprint, tissue and recycled paperboard.

Where do the magazines go?

Once they are collected curbside or from drop off centers, magazines are sorted, and baled. Then they are shipped to various mills to be made into new paper products. The marketing group determines which market - export or domestic - best suits this commodity.

How are magazines recycled?

Once transported to the paper mill, the batches of magazines are sent to a re-pulper to be torn apart and separated into usable wood fibers. Coatings, paper clips, and other material are removed. The magazines are now a dark slurry of wood fiber, coatings, and other material. This slurry is sent over screens to remove the coarsest foreign material and let the wood fibers pass through. The cleaner portion of the slurry is washed and goes through additional screening. Depending on final brightness requirements, the cleaned slurry is often sent to a flotation tank where different techniques are used to separate the inks from the wood fibers. By now the slurry is mostly wood fiber and much brighter than the original gray magazine slurry. The bright slurry is now ready to be made into recycled paper.