Dear Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) Workshop Attendee:
We are pleased to invite you to CalRecycle's "Zone Works" Training Workshop on April 6-7, 2016, at the Holiday Inn in Sacramento. Zone Works offers the unique opportunity for Zone Administrators, CalRecycle Zone Liaisons and Loan staff, and valued program partners to regularly convene and discuss current issues and to coordinate business assistance activities. The theme of this Zone Works is Material Management Matters. Through the educational and networking sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about new and expanding funding opportunities and other business incentives to support recycling manufacturers and reuse/recovery networks.
The first session of the training workshop starts following lunch on April 6th and will explore extended producer responsibility and connections with the RMDZ program with a focus on Carpet Stewardship in California. Day One also features a session highlighting California business incentives for recycling manufacturers; including an:
Attendees will also receive an overview of guidance documents and webinars to help assist local jurisdictions, elected officials, and the public to plan and finance new recycling facilities. Prepared by the Institute for Local Government (ILG) under contract with CalRecycle, this information includes resources regarding facility financing, understanding permitting, land use, siting, CEQA, and the different types of facilities for recycling, organics and anaerobic digestion. Afterwards, we will enjoy the ever-popular Peer Share session lead by Maureen Hart. In addition to sharing local program information, issues, etc., Peer Share will address regional market development collaboration between adjacent zones, and how to effectively market the RMDZ loan program. We will conclude the first day with a networking reception during which attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the material shared throughout the day and have additional access to workshop presenters.
On Day Two we will have two sessions focusing materials management networks before concluding at noon. The first session features a representative from the US Business Council for Sustainable Development to highlight the United States Materials Marketplace. This marketplace facilitates company-to-company industrial reuse opportunities that support the culture shift to a circular, closed-loop economy. We will also have the opportunity to hear about a program that targets zero waste within the production industry, providing Zero Waste project consulting services, operating a reuse facility in Southern California, and participating in the US EPA Food Recovery Challenge. The second session will address food waste reduction programs with a focus on food recovery. This session of the workshop offers an overview of two local food recovery programs. One of the programs features an expansion to the food recovery program and a partnership with a local anaerobic digestion project to recycle food waste into clean energy, which together were partially funded by CalRecycle’s GHG Reduction grant. The second session will highlight a local food recovery program and its use of technological advances to expand its network. To conclude the training workshop, we are fortunate to hear from a US EPA, Region 9 representative regarding a food waste mapping tool and other related resources.
Registration is open to Zone Administrators, Zone Liaisons and other CalRecycle team members. When you use the online registration process, CSUS will book you a room for one night and confirm your registration. Zone Administrators who have an executed Zone Incentive Funds (ZIF) contract and register will automatically have a related ZIF request added and approved for one person and one night in ZIRS. For FY 2015/2016, ZAs can request reimbursement up to $750 for expenses like hotel, mileage, airfare, and parking related to attending Zone Works. Any reimbursement for an extra night of hotel expense or to bring a guest needs preapproval. For questions about ZIF requests, including preapproval for more than one night of hotel expense and/or to bring a guest to Zone Works, please contact Frank Severson at Frank.Severson@CalRecycle.ca.gov or
We are excited about the diverse array of excellent speakers, and hope you will join us in Sacramento on April 6-7, 2016. If you have any questions about Zone Works, please contact Marshalle Graham at marshalle.graham@calrecycle.ca.gov or
Sincerely,
Marshalle Graham, Zone Works Coordinator
Local Assistance and Market Development
Kris Barberg is the Executive Director and co-owner of EcoSet Consulting in Los Angeles. Kris joined forces with EcoSet in 2009 after a decade of freelance work on TV commercials and films, and observing the environmental impacts behind the scenes. Striving for Zero Waste sets and marketing events, EcoSet and their clients have been setting new standards by implementing waste reduction strategies and diverting discarded materials through recycling and organics collection. EcoSet leverages the positive social impact of the production process by recirculating food, wardrobe, props, set dressing, construction materials and reusable creative elements to non-profits, schools and artists in the communities where productions and events take place. Kris and her team have provided services in more than a dozen North American cities since 2009.
Keith Bergthold has been the Executive Director at Fresno Metro Ministry since February 2014. Prior to joining Metro, Keith spent the previous seven years as the City of Fresno’s Assistant Director of Planning, leading the team developing the Fresno 2035 General Plan Update. Concurrent with his City and Fresno Metro Ministry employment, Keith serves as the volunteer CEO of the Regenerate California Innovation (RCI), a San Joaquin Valley nonprofit involved in its 13th year of a workforce development partnership with the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, and Kings Counties Central Labor Council, and ProPath, Inc., a private company specializing in workforce and employment preparation services. RCI began its community work in 2001, engaging in congregation-based community organizing with PICO and helped launch Faith In Community, a network of congregations advocating for justice and equity in Fresno County. RCI has also been involved in affordable housing and economic development initiatives in rural areas of the San Joaquin Valley.
Fresno Metro Ministry founded in 1970, is a 45 year old Fresno-based 501c3 community benefit organization that has evolved to become a multi-faith and multi-cultural organization working across all identities and boundaries to find effective ways to increase the environmental, social, and economic health of our city and region. Fresno Metro Ministry is committed to the theory and practice of Asset-Based Community Development for building diverse partnerships for community well-being through its three primary program areas: cross-sector community leadership and innovation, community food systems, and resilient communities. Metro recently completed a new strategic direction process, and has launched several new partnership projects such as the Better Blackstone Association and Food to Share as collaborative pathways for achieving a mission-vision of ‘Learning, Connecting, and Engaging to Achieve Healthy People and Healthy Places in Fresno and across the San Joaquin Valley.’
Keith has completed graduate course studies in Urban and Regional Planning and holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Behavior. Keith can be reached at keith@fresnometmin.org or 559-485-1416 ext 101, or 559-250-1902.
Heather Carpenter is one of the founders and partner of A&J Industrial and Landfill Dzine. Mrs. Carpenter graduated National University (2002) with a bachelor degree in business. She has worked in the Recycling / Trash industry for the past 12 years. She has held outside sales positions with Waste Management, Smurfit Stone & Recycling, as well as Berg Mill Inc.
Heather has helped her clients with making their waste stream more efficient. Her experience with recycling began in 2005. Heather has experience within the recycling industry includes plastic identification, factory management, and developing recycling contracts.
In 2007 Heather’s husband Joshua and her founded A&J Industrial in central California, which started out as a brokerage company that specialized in agricultural and manufacturing recycling.In 2013 Heather and Joshua founded Landfill Dzine in central California. Landfill Dzine diverts used lay flat irrigation hose from landfills and turns it to fashionable products.
Joshua Carpenter is one of the founders and partner of A&J Industrial and Landfill Dzine. Joshua graduated National University (2002) with a bachelor degree in finance. Mr. Carpenter also owns a financial planning practice in Fresno Ca., where he specializes in corporate retirement plans, as well developing employee retirement education programs. Joshua currently sits on the finance committee for Reading and Beyond, which is a nonprofit that helps children, kindergarten through high school improve their reading skills. In 2007 Joshua’s and his wife Heather founded A&J Industrial in central California, which started out as a brokerage company that specialized in agricultural and manufacturing recycling.
In 2013 Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter founded Landfill Dzine in central California. Landfill Dzine diverts used lay flat irrigation hose from landfills and turns it to fashionable products.
Maureen Hart has been working in Recycling, Energy, and the Community Based Economy since1980, first in Michigan and then in California. Presently she is working with Redwood Regional Economic Development Corporation on the Manufacturer’s Network Project, the winner of the very competitive PG&E Economic Vitality Grant (2013). She completed a Master Certificate in Sustainable Supply Chain Management at the University of San Francisco. Hart has worked for corporations, non-profits, government, small business, and now with them as a consultant. As a contractor/staff, she was interim Executive Director and Program Manager at the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (6 years). She is the Zone Administrator with the North Coast Recycling Market Development Zone/CalRecycle (2000 to present). She has worked with manufacturers on increasing their energy efficiency and using recycled materials in their production. Hart was General Manager and Corporate Manager of large recycling centers and collection programs in San Francisco, marketing over 120,000 tons/yr. of recyclables to domestic and export markets (now Recology) and 120 employees. She worked with towns in Northern California facilitating their transition plan from a logging based economy (Center for Environmental Economic Development) and successfully worked with a theater school expansion capital campaign, grant writing and business planning (Dell Arte). Hart managed an Appropriate Technology Center in East Lansing for 5 years that still exists today, 35 years later (now Michigan Energy Options).
Zoe Heller manages the Zero Waste section at the US Environmental Protection Agency, Pacific Southwest Region. The Region serves Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 federally recognized tribes. Zoe is responsible for the Region’s Sustainable Materials Management program which includes Sustainable Food Management, a national effort that seeks to reduce wasted food and its associated environmental impacts over the entire lifecycle. Prior to joining the Zero Waste section, Zoe served as Special Assistant to the Regional Administrator and has also worked in the Region’s Environmental Justice program.
Brennen Jensen joined Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) as the California Program Manager for the CA Carpet Stewardship program in 2013. This first of its kind Extended Producer Responsibility program is working to create new opportunities for recycling and diverting post-consumer carpet in California. Since 2011, CARE has served as the legislatively designated Carpet Stewardship Organization (CSO) managing the Program with oversight from CalRecycle. To date, the Program has recycled 170 million pounds of post-consumer carpet, resulting in an estimated greenhouse gas emissions reduction of over 167,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e). The Program is currently working to increase carpet recycling and recycled product infrastructure capacity, expand collection access for consumers, retailers and contractor/installers, and engage stakeholders including state and local governments to build recycled product demand. Brennen has a BS in Environmental Science Technology and a BA in Spanish from Humboldt State University, and is part of the first graduating class earning a Master’s of Science in Biomimicry from Arizona State University and the Biomimicry Institute. A background in government, private and non-profit organizations, Brennen has cooperative facilitative approach that seeks to find creative solutions to complex problems, while expanding localized opportunities for waste, energy and emissions reduction throughout California and beyond.
Daniel has spent the last six years with the US Business Council for Sustainable Development. He helps design, launch and manage Materials Marketplace projects in Austin, Detroit, Memphis, San Diego, and the nationwide US Materials Marketplace. Daniel also helped launch the Houston Energy Efficiency in Buildings Project, and currently serves on the Communications Committee. His role supports the development of ambitious and practical strategies for reducing building energy consumption by 30% or more in the Houston market. Other professional interests include: social entrepreneurship, with special emphasis on new business opportunities that utilize by-product and waste materials; engaging meeting design and facilitation; team building; and communications and marketing.
Chris leads investment due diligence as well as administrative, financial, and risk management. Prior to joining the Closed Loop Fund, he led a Strategy and Finance team dedicated to providing support to Walmart Sustainability. While at Walmart, Chris worked on Waste, Transportation, and Energy projects, including several that focused on increasing Walmart’s recycling rate and closing commodity loops. Before Walmart, Chris worked in TPG Capital’s Ops group, where he provided post-acquisition execution and support and KSL Capital on the buy-side. Chris received his MBA from University of Texas At Austin and his undergraduate in Economics from Cornell University.
James Shimp is a graduate of Chico State University (2005) and University College London (2007). Mr. Shimp’s academic focus – imaging technology in forensic and bio-archaeological statistical analysis – translated into a tangentially related career in the financial sector. He is currently an analyst with the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA), working primarily with the Sales and Use Tax Exclusion Program (STE).
Mike Tinney is a business development consultant specializing in helping sustainable products companies grow profitably. Mike has worked on three TBAP consulting teams focusing on outreach to State and local agencies. Prior projects include providing business development assistance to companies receiving grants from the California Energy Commission PIER Program, as well as RMDZ loan recipients.
Currently he works under contract to Carpet America Recovery Effort, CARE, helping develop products and markets for recycled carpet material.
His background includes executive level positions with International companies in the construction products business. He founded Tinney Associates in 1991.
Maria Yap is the founder of Peninsula Food Runners, a food rescue non-profit organization that services San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Maria has been in the food recovery business for 8 years.
Maria is a graduate of the University of Arizona, majoring in Food Service Management and minoring in Nutrition. She is also a professional chef and a graduate of Tante Marie Culinary School. For 10 years, Maria was a Pharmaceutical Executive Marketing Representative with Glaxo Smith Kline in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, managing terrritories over two million dollars in sales.
Maria Yap, with the collaboration of husband Tod Hing, introduced technology to the food recovery business in mid 2013. Tod, who is a Computer Consultant for Stanford University, developed the Chow Match App which is presently being used in parts of California and Maryland.
Today, the Chow Match App manages nearly 30,000 meal deliveries a week with almost 300 volunteers. The Chow Match App plans to expand to 5 additional states in 2016. As of to date, almost a million meals have been provided back into the communities, over 1,170,340 Lbs of food from the landfills which is equivalent to reducing 920,000 lbs of C02 from the environment.