NapaMAX.org Launches Materials Exchange 

Online exchanges like the auto trading Web sites and eBay have made it possible to sell any item, from any location, to anyone in the country. A buyer can search hundreds of categories to find their specific treasure, view the item, complete the transaction, and receive the item shortly thereafter.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if a company that deconstructs buildings could enter the type and quantities of materials to be removed, and have several buyers or reusers ready to pick up everything shortly after the materials were taken from the building?

What if architects, while writing construction documents, would itemize these materials and give the list to contractors to post on the Internet for pickup during the deconstruction phase?

How much material would be diverted from landfills if this resource were used every day? We will soon find out.

The California Network of Counties is moving from just informing companies to how they can recycle and reuse materials, to providing an opportunity to list the materials and conduct the transaction online.

An Interview with Kevin Miller, Program Manager of NapaMax.org

What prompted this effort? The growing need to divert construction and industrial waste from landfills and to reuse and recycle. During 2002, the California Integrated Waste Management Board funded a Reuse Assistance Grant to develop a Web site using the latest technology that would facilitate the reuse and recycling of construction materials and other heavy industry materials. The County of Napa and the NapaMax project were awarded a grant to provide a Web-based real-time exchange and documentation of the volume, weight, and material in a format that is both measurable and trackable.

Genacom Inc, a Web site and database development company, www.genacom.com, was selected to implement the vision of NapaMax and its partners, the Solano-Napa Builders Exchange and the City of Napa.

What is NapaMax.org? A prototype that takes the benefits of the current paper catalog of listings and moves to an online real-time data-based system with content management and transaction processing functionality.

How will you get companies to use the system? Our corporate partners tell us they need this to be profitable and efficient for businesses to take full advantage of the system. We chose Genacom because their corporate customers demand a return on investment.

“Our goal in designing the user interface, database, and transaction functionality is to make it user-friendly, simple, elegant, easy to use, along with a powerful engine to control the content. We included many of the best features of a commercial exchange, and expect to handle thousands of transactions per month.”
David Northcutt, President of Genacom

How will suppliers and reusers work together? Suppliers will post listings available and reusers will post materials requests. Often, the quantity that is offered by the “supplier” is more than is needed by the “reuser.” No problem. When the transaction is completed, the quantity available is adjusted in the listing and waits for the next reuser.
Conversely, a reuser that needs more quantity can request an automatic e-mail, page, fax or voice-mail, with the notification of each new listing. Additionally, a reuser has the opportunity to maintain a “watchlist” of items and be notified immediately when those items become available on the Web site.

The advantage of real-time means that when a contractor in Sacramento places an order for five tons of asphalt, as soon as it becomes available in Napa, the transaction can be completed the same day.

Most materials will be picked up by the reuser. Each posting has the location for pickup or delivery.

How are the units and tonnage of deferred waste measured? After the physical transfer of material, we receive a follow-up e-mail of the total quantity in units and weight. This recap provides a reporting of results for deferred waste from the landfill. Additionally, the Web site houses information that makes it easy for the supplier and the reuser to determine the weights.

Can anyone view the listings? Yes, www.napamax.org is open to the public. Browsing our listings is easy. You just select the category, materials, and display options, then click on search. You can also scan for new listings as well as keywords to find listings.

What is the user profile? This is a great feature. You can list your favorite categories and with each log-on, you save time by going direct to your categories for material opportunities, and choose transactions. For security reasons, only contact and location details are released to the parties of the transaction. At any time you can edit or delete this information.

What are the “groups”? You can establish your own (internal) reuser groups and forward, via e-mail, listings to them first, and then have the listing released to the public a week or so later. External groups might be a group of several companies that regularly reuse and recycle each other’s materials. They can save time and money by trading directly through the NapaMax database.

Can communities be external groups? Yes. Lets say you have a community playground that needs donated materials. They can post a “wish list” on the NapaMax site, and direct the community to look at the online “wish list.” After each donated transaction, that item is deleted from the needs list.

When repeat suppliers and reusers start doing transactions offline, how will NapaMax measure the results? We expect this may happen. Once a user has registered on NapaMax.org, we send them a periodic survey (quarterly) to help us keep track of the category and weight of materials reused. Our expectation is that the ability to save user information, maintain groups, and re-post recurring items will be compelling reasons to continue to use the site.

How close is the NapaMax.org site to CalMAX.org?
NapaMax.org is a prototype to test and fine-tune as we measure the acceptance, use, and success of this new system. We are building on the CalMAX vision by using their categories and existing participant listings. When they see similar results of the systems of documentation of the volume, weight, and material in a format that is both measurable and trackable in several counties, they may choose to move to Web-enable the database and transactions on the entire California system. We anticipate other counties will contact us as they evolve their reuse and recycle programs to this or a Web-based system. We are all working together at the State and municipal levels to find the best solutions to achieve a maximum percent reuse or recycle.

How does this project reduce costs? First, the Web-based system eliminates the long-term costs of copying and mailing a large document to thousands of interested parties. The information is always current, quicker and easier to use, and capable of providing data for qualifying and quantifying landfill diversion. Most of all, it will facilitate the diversion of thousands of tons of materials for reuse or recycle, which will save business and communities millions of dollars each year. It will also help us to provide “939” (Integrated Waste Management Act, AB 939) reporting in which we show we are meeting reuse and recycling goals mandated by the State of California. This prevents much needed taxpayer dollars being diverted from local needs.

The Web-based system requires minimal staffing and site maintenance; the same person screens and posts each listing. Checking listings and generating reporting are only a few mouse-clicks away.

How do you measure the user response to the Web site? We use Web site statistics software and user surveys, as well as the reports that track diverted materials, and an analysis of the savings in printing, postage, and man-hours needed to do the catalog equivalent. Combined, the reports are already demonstrating the value of this system.

How do you receive listings? Listings can be received by e-mail, fax, mail, or phone.

What are the next steps for the NapaMax Web site? 
Our first phase was to build the database and transaction engine and launch the site. Now, similar to the “auto trading Web sites” and eBay, we include posting a digital photo of the material. This image will increase transactions as it is important for buyers to see what they are getting.

We also are launching a marketing program in collaboration with our partners, the Solano Napa Builders Exchange, Solano County, and the City of Napa to inform and to train companies how to use the system. Other counties are contacting us to learn how they can partner on the NapaMax.org site, or launch one of their own.

For more information:
Kevin Miller, Waste Reduction/Recycling Coordinator
City of Napa Public Works Department
P.O. Box 660, Napa, CA 94559-0660
Phone: (707) 257-9520, Ext. 7291, FAX: (707) 257-9522 kmiller@cityofnapa.org

For questions on the operation of the Web site and database contact: Chris Templeton at Genacom Inc.
jct@genacom.com  www.genacom.com 
(707) 226-7000.

CalMAX Coordinator Note:
CalMAX is excited for NapaMax and is eager to see how their new system functions. Funded in part by a Reuse Assistance Grant, a sister program to CalMAX here at the California Integrated Waste Management Board, NapaMax will put information technology tools to use in novel ways to serve their customer base. We wish them the best. In the meantime, CalMAX is always open to suggestions on how we can better serve our customers. We also are willing to provide local material exchange services to those communities less inclined to develop their own system. If you have ideas or questions, contact us at calmax@ciwmb.ca.gov.

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Last updated: August 01, 2008