Waste Knot Program Honored with National Award

This year’s theme for the EPA conference, “Building Community and Business Partnerships”, was a perfect platform to present Washtenaw County’s Waste Knot program’s efforts in partnering with local businesses to reduce waste. Washtenaw County Environmental Program Supervisor Jeff Krcmarik and Solid Waste Coordinator Dan Moody attended the conference where Jeff made a presentation on the Waste Knot Program, citing some of the individual efforts by the 250 partners in the Waste Knot program.  

During the conference, Jeff and Dan – with in introduction supplied by former Washtenaw County intern Lana Coppolino who is now serving as assistant to the EPA’s Deputy Director for the Office of Solid Waste Maria Vickers – presented a special Waste Knot bag (made from recycled plastics) to USEPA Office of Solid Waste Director Matthew Hales and Deputy Vickers. This 'goody bag' "included staple-less staplers, ‘nalgene’ bottles, drinking glasses made from recycled wine bottles, Green Information Guide CDs, and postcards of Washtenaw County’s E-Portal.  They seemed pretty impressed with the glasses and the stapler,” said Jeff Krcmarik.

The conference also featured the unveiling of the EPA Waste Wise program’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) calculator that allows solid waste planners and organizations to track and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions resulting from several different waste management practices.   "The WARM calculator will be a great tool for Waste Knot members and local units of government to calculate exactly how much Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions they’re reducing through recycling and diversion efforts." added Jeff.