Businesses to Participate in County Recycling Forum

Northrop Grumman’s Electronics Systems facility in Linthicum always has been environmentally conscious for as long as Kip Keenan can remember.

Recycling is up 22 percent since Keenan, sector director for the facility’s environmental, health and fire protection program, arrived 24 years ago, he said. The increase is partly due to the switch to single-stream recycling instead of different recyclables being sorted according to type.

The facility installed switches on the dumpsters that notify employees when the dumpsters are full. This means the dumpsters can be emptied on an as-needed basis, which saves the facility money.

Both initiatives were implemented as a result of collaboration among employees and have been huge successes, Keenan said. So when county officials contacted Northrop Grumman about participating in a forum on recycling for businesses, Keenan eagerly accepted.

“We have a great story to tell, so I wanted to participate,” he said.

The forum will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Henry L. Hein Public Service Building, 7480 Baltimore Annapolis Bvld., Suite 100, Glen Burnie. The following panelists have been listed as participants:

• Susan Ford Esq., moderator, Annapolis and Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce
• County Executive John R. Leopold
• Councilmen John Grasso (R-2nd District) of Glen Burnie and Chris Trumbauer (D-6th District) of Annapolis
• Joanna Bache Tobin, chairwoman of the Anne Arundel County Recycling Advisory Committee
• Jim Pittman, deputy director of the Anne Arundel County Waste Management Services
• Gene Condon, vice president and general manager of Arundel Mills
• Dena Jackson, director of the supply chain at Anne Arundel Medical Center
• Keenan
• Dan LaHart, supervisor of operations for Anne Arundel County Public Schools

The free forum will allow for questions and answers from the audience and will be taped to air on Comcast 98 and Verizon 38.

Leopold said the forum was in line with his commitment to recycling. His other efforts have focused on increasing recycling among residents, which is up to 39 percent. His goal is 50 percent.

The county recently began a pilot program allowing residents in some neighborhoods to use larger bins with wheels. Those who don’t want to use them can use the smaller bins. A couple years ago, the county allowed residents in Brooklyn Park row home communities to keep the recycling bins in the alleys behind their homes, instead of having to drag the bins through their homes.

“We’ve done a lot of things to move recycling forward. I’ve created a citizens advisory committee on recycling, recognizing the interest in the county,” he said. “The citizens advisory committee has made recommendations to me that I’ve put into place. It’s been a great sounding board for ideas.”

Leopold said he has similar hopes for the forum.

“This forum will focus on commercial establishments and dispel myths,” he said.

Keenan said he was looking forward to hearing what officials from large facilities like Anne Arundel Medical Center and Arundel Mills had to say, as well as sharing Northrop Grumman’s successes.

“I’m not sure we’re going to get new ideas, but I’m looking to sharing the best practices for us with Anne Arundel Medical Center and Arundel Medical Center,” he said.

Recycling, Keenan said, is smart because it pays for itself in time.

“We’re trying to help drive the market. You have to buy recycled content, as well as recycle what you send out,” he said. “Anne Arundel County wants to get the message out, and we’re right there with them. It’s great for our employees, too, because they’re very environmentally conscious.”