Waste Characterization Study in Fort Worth

In mid-March, a GBB Project Team conducted a waste characterization study of 400 garbage and 400 recycle carts for the City of Fort Worth, TX. The study and projections will be used by the City to evaluate its Pay-as-you-Throw (PAYT) collection system and the effectiveness of its recycling education programs by accurately quantifying and characterizing the composition of the waste and recyclables streams generated by residents.

As the Field Manager, GBB Consultant II Elizabeth Rice planned and managed the study, overseeing a team of 12 temporary workers sorting the content of the carts into 25 categories over a 5-day period at the South East Landfill. The waste was sampled from collection carts randomly selected by the City in a "snapshot" waste sorting approach. The carts were received as pairs, so observations could be made about the decisions residents were making between recycling and disposal. GBB found that the composition and level of diversion varied between neighborhoods, information that the City can use in future outreach planning. A full report on the composition of the waste is being developed by Action Research, a CA-based public information firm.

Fort Worth currently recycles 22% of trash and compost with 40% as the goal. Having a better understanding of the composition of the waste and recycling stream will enable the City to adjust its programs and communication strategy to increase recycling, save money, and extend the life of the landfill.

GBB partnered with Parker Leigh Environmental, LLC, a certified Texas HUB and M/WBE firm based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, for the waste sort. GBB has previous experience in Fort Worth that includes the planning, procurement, and negotiation of services for the City, which was one of the largest and most extensive procurements of privatized services ever undertaken by a U.S. community, and yielded substantial savings and lease/royalties for the City since these new services began operating in 2003. More recently, GBB completed a performance evaluation of the City's selected solid waste contractors.

View a Fort Worth Star-Telegram interview about the study with Ms. Rice:

Click image to view interview.
(42 seconds)

• Read article entitled "City of Fort Worth doing a little dumpster diving."

• View a photo gallery of the waste sort.

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The inaugural Renewable Energy from Waste Conference was held in November 2013 in West Palm Beach, FL, and the co-organizers - Recycling Today Media Group, Renewable Energy from Waste Magazine, Smithers Apex, and GBB - are hard at work preparing this year's event, which will take place November 17-20 in San Jose.

On November 17, attendees will have the option to register, with a separate fee, for a unique and interesting 4-hour workshop on Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) led by Dr. Matthias Kuehle-Weidemeier, who has directed various MBT projects in Australia, Croatia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Japan, and Germany, and is the organizer of four conferences, including the Waste-to-Resources - International Symposium MBT & MRF, which is the world's largest conference on MBT and MRF with sensor-based sorting technology.

The comprehensive and market-driven conference is dedicated to the production of renewable energy and resources from waste materials. The two-day event in 2013 turned out to be an overwhelming success, establishing itself as the premier event for the rapidly developing and dynamic waste conversion industry, with great content in an ideal environment for more than 200 key industry players to learn, network, and exchange ideas.

The 2014 Conference will bring together those operating a wide range of waste conversion technologies, including gasification, anaerobic digestion, refuse-derived fuel, and plastics to oil to discuss everything from the economics of waste conversion, operational advice, and case studies to the legislative climate for conversion technologies. This year's conference and exhibition will also include two full days of plenary sessions and leadership roundtables providing key insights into renewable waste financials, market trends and opportunities, and technology developments, plus multiple B2B networking opportunities and exhibition time. Attendees will also experience highly interactive panel discussions on understanding the economics of waste conversion; preparing feedstock for refuse derived fuel; and the legislative outlook for conversion technologies.

The diverse program will be enhanced by tours of San Jose's world-class waste processing and conversion facilities, The Newby Island Resource Recovery Park and Zero Waste Energy Development Co.

GBB is proud to be associated with this event, and we look forward to seeing you there. Visit the conference's website for registration and more information. The 2013 opening and closing presentations can also be downloaded:

• "Update on Renewable Energy From Waste Technologies"

• "Closing Comments for Renewable Energy from Waste Conference"

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Spotlight on Camilo Restrepo – Former GBB Intern

In 1982, GBB launched its Internship Program to give participants special career advancement opportunities to acquire hands-on experience in the solid waste management industry, further their knowledge in the environmental field, and work with GBB consultants.

Camilo Restrepo is one of those former GBB interns. In 2007, he was an Environmental Research and Development Analyst at Cementos Argos S.A., in his native Colombia, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering. As a Fulbright Scholar, he moved to the U.S. to pursue a Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland and joined GBB as part of the Internship Program from May 2008 to July 2009.

After completing his Master's Degree, he went back to his hometown as a Technologies and Processes Research & Development Manager at Cementos Argos, where he was promoted to Vice President Innovation in 2012. Cementos Argos S.A. is a multiregional company based in Medellin, and has been the leader in cement, ready mix, and aggregates in Colombia since 1934. It is the fifth largest cement producer in Latin American and the fourth largest concrete producer in the U.S.

On a personal note, Camilo and his wife Claudia had a little girl in the spring of 2012. While Camilo's career at Cementos Argos is progressing nicely, Claudia's jewelry business is thriving too!

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