Hartford Business Journal

www.CTGreenGuide.com SprinG 2014 • Connecticut Green Guide 21 organization focused more on recycling and seeks to eliminate waste-to-energy at the CRRA's plant in Hartford in favor of recycling, composting, or anaerobic digestion. By closing the state's largest waste-to-energy plant as the recycling rate increases, more garbage would go to the five remaining plants, run by private companies Cov- anta and Baltimore-based Wheelabrator Technologies. "Our plan is to move up the waste hierarchy," Diaz of Covanta said. "We listened to what our customers wanted … and diversified our portfolio." Covanta is fighting the industry crisis by offering bundle services to its customers, not just trash haul- ing but recycling electronics waste, plastics, cardboard, mattresses, medication, and food waste. This one-stop- shopping for the 42 Covanta communities grew its role and revenues. The company signed long-term contracts for the communities around its Bristol and Wallingford facilities and is negotiating a similar bundle contract for its Preston facility. The bundle service also attracted commercial custom- ers like grocery stores, corporate headquarters, restau- rants, and theme parks. These business contracts will be important to keep feeding enough trash into Covanta's three plants as the recycling rate increases, Diaz said. "We are growing by leaps and bounds on the com- mercial side," Diaz said. This progress is important for the industry, Kirk said, because it needs to stay viable over the long-term. Even countries like Denmark and Germany with high recycling rates still burn 15- 20 percent of their garbage. "Smart people understand that burying is not a preferable solu- tion. That would be a giant step backward," Kirk said. "If it is not recycled, the best thing to do is to turn it into energy." CT Trash-to-Energy Economic Impact Direct impact* indirect impact induced impact Total Total Revenue $248M $86M $94M $428M employment 381 209 349 939 Labor earnings $33M $13M $14M $60M value Added** n/A $148M $104M $252M SouRCe: GoveRnMenT ADviSoRy ASSoCiATeS *ToTAL RevenueS, JoBS AnD JoB eARninGS oF 6 WTe PLAnTS in ConneCTiCuT **vALue ADDeD ReFLeCTS TAxeS PAiD, AnD BuSineSS AnD HouSeHoLD inveSTMenTS, AS WeLL AS eARninGS Tom Kirk at the CRRA facility in Hartford, which handles the garbage for 51 Connecticut communities. PhoTo | STEVE LaSChEVER

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