Buy It Again! Newsletter of the New Jersey Buy Recycled Business Network Winter, 2002 |
Reuse is the Name of the Game at the Trenton Materials Exchange Companies in the Mercer County area no longer need to throw out used office furniture or office equipment when remodeling or upgrading equipment as these items can instead be donated to the Trenton Materials Exchange where they will be showcased and resold to non-profits, schools, small businesses and the general public for minimal handling fees. This unique non-profit organization was established in 1999 by Carol Royal who recognized that much of what gets discarded by companies is still in fine condition and can be reused by others for many years to come. With its focus on educating the public about reuse, the organization soon started accepting obsolete computers, used medical equipment and donated building supplies. Used computers are carefully inspected and provided to Trenton day care centers or sent to a facility that disassembles the computers for reuse or recycling of their internal components. Medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, crutches, canes and hospital beds, is donated by those in the medical field or by individuals no longer in need of such equipment and is available to the general public, as well as to charitable organizations. Used, discontinued and slightly nicked building materials are also available at the Trenton Materials Exchange. In addition to items such as kitchen cabinets, doors, windows, tubs and sinks, the facility also has architectural artifacts available. Through the efforts of the Trenton Materials Exchange, almost
350,000 tons of usable equipment was kept out of landfills from January,
2000 through December, 2001. In recognition of its work, the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection presented its 2001 Source Reduction
Award to the Trenton Materials Exchange. The facility is located at 800
New York Avenue in Trenton and can be contacted at 609-278-0033. The organization’s
website, www.TMEx.org,
includes a detailed list of those items that are available at the facility. The strategic initiatives that New Jersey State government is pursuing to achieve the goals of a "Sustainable State" are the subject of a new report that was recently released by the Office of the Governor. The report, entitled "Governing with the Future in Mind: Working Together to Enhance New Jersey’s Sustainability and Quality of Life," also includes a number of broad strategic recommendations. By definition, a "Sustainable State" is one that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," (1987 Report of the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development). Increased procurement of recycled products and other environmentally-preferable products is one of the key recommendations found in the report, as is the creation of an Environmental Procurement Specialist position in the Department of Treasury. The report also highlights the New Jersey Buy Recycled Business Network as an innovative private sector purchasing network. "Governing with the Future in Mind" is available on the Department of Environmental Protection’s web site at www.state.nj.us/dep/. Marcal Still Going Strong For over 50 years, Marcal Paper Mills, Inc. of Elmwood Park, New Jersey has produced high quality napkins, facial tissues, bath tissue and paper towels from recycled magazines, advertising mail, glossy catalogs and school and office paper. The company’s paper products are made with virtually 100% recycled content and are available for use in the home, as well as in settings outside the home. Marcal’s manufacturing process keeps thousands upon thousands of tons of paper out of landfills and incinerators every year. Marcal also produces recycled content absorbents made from the natural clay and unusable paper fibers removed during the recycling process. Clay is derived from the recycling of glossy paper, such as that found in magazines. For further information about Marcal products, visit www.marcalpaper.com. |
Did You Know…
SmartWood a Smart Option Trees that are removed from residential properties and urban settings in New Jersey are usually chipped and marketed as recycled mulch. While this approach is well established, successful and beneficial to the environment as opposed to disposing of the material as waste, there is another option being pursued by D. Stubby Warmbold of Ewing, New Jersey. Mr. Warmbold has established a business that utilizes whole trees generated by residential and urban tree removal projects to make new products such as kitchen cabinets, furniture, flooring and molding. These high value products are produced by Mr. Warmbold’s network of Amish saw mills in Pennsylvania and are marketed under the SmartWood Rediscovered name. By using trees from these sources for its manufacturing operation, the company is helping to create a more diversified recycled wood market and helping to preserve forests and forest wildlife. Contact D. Stubby Warmbold at 609-538-8680 or at Stubwarm@aol.com for more on SmartWood Rediscovered products. NJBRBN News
Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems, Inc., Piscataway – Contact Debbie Manna, 732-562-3244 or dmanna@hcsus.jnj.com. New Jersey Buy Recycled Business
Network Steven Rinaldi, NJDEP, Bureau of
Recycling and Planning |