Coordinator Update: Summer 1999

by Kevin Taylor, CalMAX Coordinator

Connection of the Year

Congratulations, Myan Spacerelli, owner of Looney Bins, Inc.! The California Integrated Waste Management Board selected Myan's company as the 1998 CalMAX "Connection of the Year". The goal of the annual "Connection of the Year" award is to promote successful exchanges and motivate local businesses to utilize CalMAX as a resource effectiveness strategy. This year the Board considered seven "Connections" candidates, and in April Board members unanimously voted to bestow the "Connection of the Year" honors on Looney Bins, Inc. The Board bases its selection on these factors: the quantity of material diverted from landfills; the savings to the businesses concerned; the involvement of materials the Board targets as priority (organic wastes and construction and demolition debris); and the overall significance of the exchange.

Looney Bins is a deconstruction company in Sun Valley; the company collects wood, cardboard, metal, plastic, and other salvageable items when it deconstructs Hollywood studios and commercial sites in Southern California. Looney Bins tears down buildings or sets, sorts materials by type, and sells or donates them to businesses and organizations throughout California and Mexico. Looney Bins estimated that in 1998 it recovered and marketed over 600 tons of wood from Sony Studios through CalMAX connection. In addition, Looney Bins re-utilized over 200 cubic yards of polystyrene and 3,000 tons of it obtained via CalMAX.

In his gracious remarks to the Board, Myan Spacerelli credited CalMAX for how it has benefited his business. Looney Bins has become more profitable and also increased its efficiency, given the reduction of staff time previously designated to marketing salvageable materials. Our thanks to Myan Spacerelli of Looney Bins, Inc. for fully utilizing CalMAX and successfully illustrating how other businesses can benefit from this valuable resource.

Repair, Resale and Reuse Council

Over the last few years, CalMAX has been involved with programs and projects initiated by the California Resource Recovery Association's (CRRA) Repair, Resale and Reuse Council (RRaRC). Reuse and repair industries play a vital role in implementing a diversified approach to the State's integrated waste management policies and strategies. Many waste management activities concentrate on recycling and benefits of reusing and repairing resources. However, this is an ideal time to focus on the concept of reuse and repair as one of the cornerstones of our integrated waste management efforts. This focus enables reuse and repair to take a more visible role in local solid waste management programs and practices.

CRRA formed the Repair, Resale and Reuse in 1994 to bring attention to reuse and repair industries and businesses in California. These businesses and organizations have made significant contributions to source reduction efforts by refurbishing and marketing materials. RRaRC helps ensure that local governments, legislators, statewide businesses concerns, and residents understand the reuse and repair infrastructure, and the industry's role in perpetuating the waste management hierarchy.  Furthermore, RRaRC works to promote and endorse the concept of reuse and repair as a primary waste reduction strategy.

If you are interested in becoming involved in RRaRC, or have any questions, please contact CRRA at (916) 441-CRRA or by e-mail at crra@aol.com.

CalMAX E-Mail—What A Breeze!

CalMAX listers who recently received an e-mail confirming new listing(s) will receive an e-mail in the future regarding the status of the listing. CalMAX has previously contacted advertisers by phone to document successful exchanges and determine if a listing should be renewed. To reduce phone calls to our advertisers, CalMAX will now use e-mail as the primary method to track successful exchanges.

Your help in responding to our requests for information via e-mail should reduce your response time and still provide CalMAX with the information needed to ensure the ongoing funding of this vital program. We appreciate your timely response to these requests for information. Since the only "cost" for a listing is the time spent documenting one or more successful exchanges, we assume no response means the lister does not wants to renew the listing. Thank you for helping us keep CalMAX alive and well! Your time and effort in contacting us via e-contribute directly to the ongoing success of the CalMAX catalog and Web site.

The Ultimate Connection

Finally, while CalMAX can't take credit for facilitating this "connection," we extend heartfelt congratulations to CalMAX student assistant Sarah White, who became Sarah Weimer in June when she wed Eric Weimer, a student assistant in the Recycling Market Development Zone program. Best wishes, Sarah and Eric! We like to see integration between programs, but this is above and beyond the call of duty!

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Last updated: August 01, 2008