2005

July 2005: Learning on the road with Women’s Council

While women have tremendous gains in many fields of industry over the past few decades, the waste industry is one where only a small percentage of the workforce is female. On average, women make up about 13 percent of the workers in the U.S. waste industry versus 47 percent of the total workforce in the United States.

About two years ago, female employees, owners, operators, and other women who work in industries servicing the waste market formed the EIA’s Women’s Council. “No, we’re not pushing to see the flowers painted on the sides of compactors and 20-yarders, but we are pushing to give women the knowledge to succeed in a typically male dominated industry, “ said Nancy Bretas, manager of Corporate Communications, Republic Services, Inc.

The Council provides training, networking, and educational opportunities to its members. Recently, several members of the Women’s Council toured the E.L. Harvey & Sons operations in Westborough. Ellen Harvey, executive vice president, E.L. Harvey & Sons, and past chairwoman of the Council, coordinated the tour. The Harvey family hosted the two-day event at their full service waste removal and recycling facility. The group was treated to a complete tour of the operations, as well as a bus trip to the Semass Resource Recovery Facility, West Wareham, Massachusetts.

July 24, 2005: E. L. Harvey & Sons, Inc. recently hosted the National Solid Wastes Management Association’s Chairman’s Council Spring Tour

The Chairman’s Council is a networking group within the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) and consists of owners and senior managers of privately held companies, who are interested in finding innovative and effective ways to enhance their operations.

Each spring, the Chairman’s Council tours solid waste facilities in different regions of the United States. The 2005 tour began in Philadelphia, and visited 12 solid waste facilities on its way to E.L. Harvey & Sons, Inc. in Westborough.

E.L. Harvey & Sons, Inc. was selected to be visited due to its reputation as one of the premiere family-owned and managed waste companies in the country. Harvey is recognized for its comprehensive waste operations, providing a full slate of quality waste management services.

The Harvey team conducted guided tours of the entire Harvey operation. This included all administrative operations, fleet maintenance, waste transfer station, municipal recycling facility, C & D recycling facility and a community drop-off center.

Following the tours, the Harvey family and staff hosted a clam bake for the Chairman’s Council participants. Many participants rated the tour of E. L. Harvey & Sons, Inc. as the highlight of the 2005 Spring Tour.

(The National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) is a trade association for the private sector solid waste industry. Its members provide solid waste collection, disposal and recycling services throughout the United States.)
Westborough Athletic Boosters Association

July 18, 2005: Contributions To WABA Total $300,000 Over 13 Years

Contributions by E.L. Harvey & Sons, Inc. to the Westborough Athletic Boosters Association (WABA) now total more than $300,000 over the past 13 years said, E.L. Harvey Executive Vice President Ellen A. Harvey.

E.L. Harvey has not only been a platinum sponsor of the WABA’s annual golf tournament each year, which requires a $5,000 contribution, it has also “filled virtually half the field of golfers by bringing in their business clients,” according to WABA Chairman Gary Peters. The company was also a major donor for the “Turf’s Up” project, which raised funds for a new athletic field at Westborough High School, which opened a year ago.

The most recent WABA golf tournament was held June 20, 2005 at Kettlebrook Golf Club in Paxton.

“ E.L. Harvey and the Harvey family have been good neighbors and good friends to the Westborough community for many years,” Peters said. “One of the ways they’ve given back to the town is through athletics. Four generations of Harveys have participated in athletics at Westborough High School. What they’ve contributed goes beyond dollars and cents. We’re very appreciative of what they’ve done.”
WABA’s mission is to support athletic programs in Westborough. In addition, at least 50% of the money it raises is used for scholarships for graduating seniors.

“ A community with a strong athletic program is a strong community,” Harvey said. “Participation in sports builds teamwork, character and a strong work ethic. It helps our kids overcome challenges and use their energy in a positive way. It prepares them to become successful adults who will contribute to the community themselves. We’re proud of the support we’ve been able to provide to WABA.”

July 13, 2005: Ellen Harvey Receives Special Award From EIA Women’s Council
E.L. Harvey & Sons, Inc., a leading waste disposal and recycling company, announced today that Executive Vice President Ellen A. Harvey has received a special award from the Environmental Industry Associations’ Women’s Council, for founding and chairing the council.

“ The Women’s Council was founded initially based on Ellen’s vision that we needed to develop a more visible role for women, who are working in what has historically been a male-dominated industry,” said Xenya Mucha, product marketing manager for Solid Waste at John Deere, who now chairs the Women's Council. “Under Ellen’s leadership, we’ve come a long way toward achieving that goal.”

Ms. Harvey served as chairwoman of The EIA’s Women’s Council for two years; building it up to more than 40 members representing major public and private corporations throughout the United States. The Council sponsors regular educational programs and facility tours, and develops educational sessions for WasteExpo, the industry’s leading trade show. The Council provides a national forum for strategic contacts, for networking, and for the professional advancement of its members.
business of the year

Ellen Harvey

Nancy Bretas, a member of the Board of Directors, who is the communications manager at Republic Services, Inc., said , “Ellen is a dynamic leader who is helpful in accomplishing our mission. She has been instrumental in helping the women in our industry unlock our full potential.”

In addition to being active on the Women’s Council, Ms. Harvey designs, develops and presents corporate educational programs that E.L. Harvey & Sons provides as a service to its customers. She has been instrumental in creating and implementing environmental and recycling programs for large corporations such as Staples, Bose, General Dynamics, EMC, Whole Foods Markets, Stop & Shop Supermarkets, Polaroid, Boston Properties, Boston Medical Center, BASF and the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Annhurst College and a master's degree from Suffolk University. She completed post-graduate work at Yale University’s School of Environmental Studies. She also earned a certificate of corporate training from Boston University’s Division of Continuing Education.

Her work for EIA as a seminar designer and presenter throughout the United States has gained her national recognition in the industry. She was the first recipient of the EIA National Solid Wastes Management Association’s Board of Governors Award in 1994. She is also an active member of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Women’s Council and the Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce, where she is a member of the program selection committee. She has over 20 years of professional experience with E.L. Harvey & Sons and has been actively involved in the waste and recycling industries’ associations.

EIA is the parent organization for the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) and the Waste Equipment Technology Association (WASTEC). EIA supports these associations through research and administrative, legal, federal affairs and public relations resources. EIA also has its own members, and programs and events, and is a primary sponsor of WasteExpo, the industry’s leading trade show.

June 7, 2005: Corridor Nine Chamber Names E.L. Harvey Business Of The Year
E.L. Harvey & Sons, Inc., a waste disposal and recycling company based in Westborough since 1911, announced today that it was recently named “Business of the Year” by the Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce.

“ E.L. Harvey exemplifies the type of business the Chamber likes to honor,” according to President Barbara Clifford. “It is active in both the Chamber and the community. It is a growing business that produces jobs and revenue for the communities it serves, it provides an indispensable service and it contributes to the environment by recycling thousands of tons of trash every year.”

Founded in 1911 by Emory Larkin Harvey, E.L. Harvey & Sons has been a family-owned and operated business in Westborough for nearly a century. The waste disposal company is one of the top recycling companies in Massachusetts, and provides waste disposal services for thousands of businesses and residents throughout central Massachusetts.

E.L. Harvey began recycling cardboard, newspaper, rags and metal in the 1940s – long before environmentalism was in vogue. The company began operating a dump for the town of Westborough in 1949, and opened two landfills in the 1960s.

“ We have continuously updated our operations to conform to the latest technology and changing government regulations,” according to Executive Vice President Ellen Harvey. “We take pride in being a good neighbor and a good corporate citizen.”

Business of the Year Award

E.L. Harvey added its first baler in the mid-1960s, then added roll-off trucks and a pit baler in 1971. Business continued to grow and, in 1975 the company moved into a building equipped with an HRB-brand solid waste baler. E.L. Harvey built a 17,500 square foot transfer station equipped with a second baler in 1986. Recyclables were hand-separated and exported, while other trash was transported to landfills and incinerators throughout New England. Paper is shipped worldwide. The company installed a shredder and a baler to destroy confidential records and high-grade office papers in 1988.

“ Our recycling business has expanded even further with new state regulations that encourage recycling as a means of reducing the waste stream,” according to Harvey. “In addition to paper and metals, we now recycle glass and plastic. Yard waste is collected in a mulch pile that is eventually used as landfill cover. Wood waste is crushed and taken to a burn plant to be used as fuel.”

E.L. Harvey completed new corporate offices in 1989, bringing administrative operations under one roof. The building serves as a meeting place for organizations such as the National Solid Wastes Management Association, the Massachusetts Recycling Association, the Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Shriners and other local groups.

E.L. Harvey began operating a construction and demolition recycling line in 1995, which uses a trammel to separate wood, metal, large stones and concrete from other waste. A new building with a state-of-the-art recycling system including an American baler opened in 1996. A new recycling center featuring a Bollegraaf Sorting System and Bollegraaf Confidential Destruction System opened in the building in 1999. E.L. Harvey continues to add new programs, such as its recycling program for computer and electronics equipment.

“ E. L. Harvey & Sons is constantly seeking innovative and more efficient ways to process our customers’ waste and recyclables,” Harvey said. “Recent changes, such as our construction and demolition recycling line, and our new commercial and industrial recycling line, will help us achieve the recycling goals of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Solid Waste Master Plan, while providing the best possible methods of disposal for our customers.”
June 7, 2005: Lottery Ticket Recycling Yields Big Payoff For E.L. Harvey & Sons
A program for recycling used lottery tickets is having a big payoff for E.L. Harvey & Sons and the Massachusetts State Lottery. “Instant Re-Play,” a program for collecting and recycling used lottery tickets, has yielded 50 tons of tickets, which are being recycled and converted into paper goods, such as tissue, toilet paper and napkins, according to Executive Vice President Ellen Harvey of E.L. Harvey, which is helping to collect and recycle the tickets.

“ The program is just getting started,” according to Harvey. “The number of tickets we’ve collected has grown each time we’ve organized a collection, and we expect it to continue growing as word continues to spread.”

An Earth Day collection on the Esplanade in Boston yielded eight tons of tickets in just five hours, while a June 28 collection at lottery headquarters in Braintree resulted in the collection of 16 tons of tickets in just five hours. Why would anyone collect used lottery tickets? Because every 25 tickets turned in can be exchanged for a new lottery ticket. One participant redeemed 130,000 tickets.

“ E.L. Harvey operates one of the top recycling businesses in Massachusetts, so we’ve relied heavily on the company’s expertise to coordinate collection and recycling of the used tickets,” said Program Manager David O’Reilly. “Instant Re-Play works exceptionally well, because it creates an incentive for everyone in Massachusetts to recycle.”

The program will continue to operate with additional collections to be announced. The next collection is scheduled for Monday, July 25 through Wednesday, July 27, 2005 at the Barnstable Fair.

“ Just because we’ve collected 50 tons of lottery tickets, it doesn’t mean our job is completed,” Harvey said. “We expect this program to continue and maybe even expand as more people find out about it.”