During its midyear meeting August 20 the board of directors of the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) approved sending the membership proposed changes to the bylaws, the launch of an awards program, and establishment of an issues and education fund.
CMRA members shortly will be receiving copies of the proposed changes to the association’s bylaws, the first revisions of the document since the association was established in 1996. While most of the bylaws clarify certain sections such as definitions of member categories and eligibility for board of director positions, the purposes of the association has been expanded to include language to promote recycling over disposal and to work closely with environmental regulators to promote construction and demolition recycling.
An awards program will be started next year by CMRA to honor the C&D recycler of the year, facility of the year, and governmental recycling program of the year. CMRA members will be eligible for this honor, the only such awards specifically for C&D operations.
The CMRA board also announced that it will set up a separate fund to promote C&D recycling to the appropriate regulatory officials at the state and local levels throughout the country.
“Most other industries, including those opposed to recycling on economic grounds, have spent large amounts of money on advocacy experts for their viewpoint,” according to Bill Turley, executive director of the CMRA.
In addition, Turley added, “many regulatory officials do not have the facts about recycled construction and demolition materials, and the aim is to provide them the information they need to make accurate choices when faced with decisions regarding C&D recycling.”
Called the Issues and Education Fund, a kickoff dinner to raise revenue for the concept will be held during the association’s Annual Meeting January 25-28 in New Orleans. For more information about the fund, please contact the CMRA, (630) 548-4510.