News &
Updates

To view our archived Bulletins, click on a date below.

July 2023

NERC’s Advisory Members

Distinguished Benefactors

Benefactors

Sustaining Members

A list of all the logos of our Sustaining Members can be found under Advisory Members

Advisory Member Spotlights

Scrapp and SUNY CESF - Center for SMM

New & Renewing Members

Sustaining Members

Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast
The Recycling Partnership

Supporting Members

Chittenden Solid Waste District
EFS-Plastics
Good Point Recycling
Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center (RMC)

Meet Our New Team Members

NERC News

Upcoming Events

Material Reuse Forum 4: Creating Policies That Support Reuse
- September 20, 1:30-3:00 eastern
Residential Food Waste Regulatory Strategies
- October 4, 1:30 - 3:00 eastern
2023 Annual Fall Conference
- November 1 - 2

NERC In the News

GPI acknowledges NERC’s report on glass being used as ADC in landfills
Glass Packaging Institute responds to recycling report
Study suggests glass widely used as ADC in Northeast
MRF glass used as alternative daily cover
What happens to the glass containers you think you’re recycling

State Updates

Connecticut DEEP seeks public comment on Bottle Bill Implementation and stewardship plans for gas cylinders
Massachusetts publishes new RecyclingWorks case study report on recovery of textiles and mattresses
New Hampshire establishes a food waste disposal ban
Vermont ANR shares Flood Recovery Resources for the state

Advisory Member News

MassRecycle VP Advocates PaintCare Legislation for Massachusetts
Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) has created three new toolkits for solid waste operators.
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe on Reuse and Repair
SUNY College of ESF - The Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM) is conducting a study of film plastic recycling in New York State (NYS)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research projects receive seed funding from The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) to enhance waste sorting on campus.
The U.S. Composting Council requests support for the COMPOST Act

ADVISORY MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

We are pleased to welcome two new Supporting Advisory Members to Northeast Recycling Council: Scrapp & The Center for Sustainable Materials Management at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Scrapp

Scrapp is a waste technology and data platform on a mission to simplify waste management infrastructure by enabling brands, municipalities, packagers & consumers to speak one common language through accessible technology & data analytics. Learn more.

SUNY CESF - Center for SMM

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is home to approximately 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students who are focused on the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable future. Learn more.

NEW & RENEWING MEMBERs

Membership is key to Northeast Recycling Council's regional and national commitment to circularity and sustainable materials management. For more information about NERC's Advisory Member program, please visit Nerc.org/Advisory-Members/What-Is-A-NERC-Advisory-Member and view our Advisory Membership Brochure.

Thank you to the following members for their support. We appreciate your commitment to Northeast Recycling Council and its mission.

Sustaining Members

Supporting Members

Meet OUR NEW TEAM MEMBERS

Sophie Leone
Development and Program Manager
Sophie joined NERC in the summer of 2023. She is a recent graduate from the University of Maryland with her master's in public policy, specializing in environmental policy. She has dedicated the past two years to advancing her knowledge and experience in policy at the state, national, and international level related to sustainability, waste management, and climate change. Contact for: the Vermont E-Scrap Program and social media.

Mariane Medeiros
Project Manager
Mariane is an experienced environmental engineer with a strong background in project management, sustainable development, and renewable energy. She effectively led for 6 years multi-disciplinary teams from ideation to implementation and has lectured for over 5 years on environmental topics. With a passion for positive change, Mariane is committed to contributing her skills to meaningful projects that drive sustainability.

nerc news

2023 Environmental Leadership Awards Application
The 7th Annual Environmental Leadership Awards Ceremony, recognizing those who further NERC’s mission to minimize waste, conserve natural resources, and advance a sustainable economy through facilitated collaboration and action, will take place on November 1, 2023 at the Annual NERC Fall Conference Awards and Networking Reception The Providence Hotel in Providence, RI. This year, NERC will honor an organization, a municipality or county, and a long-standing member for their outstanding contributions to recycling education and innovation. Read the eligibility requirements and submit a self or peer nomination no later than August 30, 2023.

MRF Glass Used as Alternative Daily Cover | July 12, 2023
NERC has released a report that reveals data about post-consumer recycled glass containers being used at landfills in the Northeast states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont) and Quebec. NERC’s Glass Committee compiled the Recycled Glass Used as Alternative Daily Cover in the Northeast US & Quebec Report to get a better understanding of the volume of recycled glass containers coming out of Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) that never reach manufacturers for making new products, but are instead used as Alternative Daily Cover (ADC)—cover material placed on the surface of the active face of a municipal solid waste landfill at the end of each operating day.

NERC Embraces Reuse & Recycling for Office Closure | July 10, 2023
After working virtually for more than three years, it became obvious to staff that NERC’s office in Brattleboro, Vermont was no longer necessary. Upon making that decision, we were then faced with figuring out a plan for tackling the 36-year accumulation of paperwork, supplies, equipment, and furniture. As you might expect, we explored all of the different available options for reuse and recycling in the area...This part of the closure process was very rewarding knowing we helped local organizations and kept items out of the landfill.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Material Reuse Forum 4: Creating Policies That Support Reuse
September 20, 1:30 - 3:00 eastern | View presenters and register

The Forum will dive into the different building reuse policies of Portland, Oregon and San Antonio, Texas. The presenters will discuss the policy details, program management, and impacts of San Antonio's Deconstruction Ordinance and Portland's Green Building Policy. The Forum will also focus on stakeholder education and outreach strategies.

Residential Food Waste Regulatory Strategies
October 4, 1:30 - 3:00 eastern | View presenters and register
The seminar will look at the different regulatory strategies chosen by two states for residential food waste diversion, as well as their strategies for implementing them. As the 3rd largest state in the US, California has a food waste recycling requirement for residents (SB1383). In Vermont, one of the smallest states, a food scraps ban is implemented. This is part of the state's Universal Recycling Law.

2023 Annual Fall Conference
November 1 - 2 | Save the Date
The event will be held at The Hotel Providence in Providence, Rhode Island. The Conference provides an opportunity for government and industry to discuss critical and timely issues related to advancing a circular economy. The annual event attracts an expert speaker pool and a diverse audience of individuals from government, industry, and other organizations, all working in sustainable materials management. Topics will include Product Stewardship and EPR Programs, Media Literacy, New Approaches to Recycling Market Development, and more.

NERC IN THE NEWS

GPI acknowledges NERC’s report on glass being used as ADC in landfills
Packaging Gateway | July 24, 2032

Glass Packaging Institute responds to recycling report
Greg Morris, Glass International | July 26, 2032

Study suggests glass widely used as ADC in Northeast
Jared Paben, Resource Recycling | July 17, 2023

MRF glass used as alternative daily cover
American Recycler | July 2023

What happens to the glass containers you think you’re recycling
WBUR | July 14, 2023

State News

Connecticut

CT DEEP is renewing stakeholder engagement on its Bottle Bill Implementation DEEP will host a series of meetings to engage all stakeholders and legislators in a Bottle Bill Advisory Group to solicit input on the areas of interest and question regarding components of PA 21-58, beginning in late July 2023, through the end of the calendar year. The first meeting was held on July 24. Read more here. Add your name to the distribution list for the Bottle Bill Advisory Group.

Additionally, CT DEEP is requesting public comment on stewardship plans submitted in accordance with Section 22a-905h of the Connecticut General Statutes. These plans outline the collection, transportation, and processing of gas cylinders. Please submit any comments to DEEP.MMCAPlanning@ct.gov by August 11, 2023. The requirements for the plans can be found here.

Proposed Gas Cylinder Stewardship Plans:

Massachusetts

A new RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts case study report highlights two examples of businesses with programs to recover textiles and mattresses:

Ecos Properties, a commercial real estate company that transformed a large-scale hospitality renovation project into an impactful reuse and recycling initiative, and
Worleybeds, a mattress manufacturer and retailer, that diverts hundreds of tons of material from disposal per year through a partnership with a local mattress recycler.

New Hampshire

The State of New Hampshire has established a food waste disposal ban targeting entities generating 1 ton of food waste or more per week. The measure passed as part of the recently-approved State budget, and will go into effect starting February 1, 2025. Under the disposal ban, entities generating at least 1 ton of food waste per week would be required to divert such waste away from landfills or incinerators, provided that an “alternative facility” is located within 20 miles of the generating site. The ban is designed to allow for a variety of alternative management pathways, including food donation, animal feed, composting, and anaerobic digestion. Entities likely to be affected by this ban may include supermarkets, food manufacturers/processors, food distributors, hotels and resorts, hospitals, colleges and universities, and prisons. For reference, the exact language of the law can be found on the New Hampshire General Court's website. Questions can be directed to Michael Nork at Michael.A.Nork@des.nh.gov

Vermont

The State of Vermont is working with the U.S. EPA to collect flood-related hazardous materials and is asking towns and Solid Waste Districts to set up temporary Hazardous Materials Collection Sites at town fire departments, town public works garages, or transfer stations. Residents can bring their flood-related hazardous materials to the State of Vermont hazardous materials collection site at the former Middlesex Police Barracks at 1078 U.S. Route 2 in Middlesex or to local collection locations and events. Please check online before as information may change. Collections will begin as early as Saturday, July 29, 2023. Residents and businesses can call the DEC Solid Waste Management Program at 802-828-1138 with questions on flood-related hazardous materials. Read the latest press release.

Additionally, information about how towns can utilize the State Debris Contractor when an overwhelming amount of debris which exceeds local and state capacity to manage and remove it, can be found on the Vermont Emergency Management Debris page. Towns can also contact the State Emergency Operations Center for flood debris assistance at 1-800-347-0488. Visit the Agency of Natural Resources Flood Recovery Resources page for more resources.

Advisory Member News

Good Point Recycling, in partnership with Fair Trade Recycling (World World Reuse Repair and Recycling Association [WR3A]) and University of Yaounde’s new NGO Enprosa Action, released a groundbreaking report. The comprehensive report details the results of a two year pilot project to test least expensive plastic litter collection in Cameroon, Africa. The report is titled "Reducing Plastic Litter in African Cities: Cost-Effective Methods and Potential for Recycling Offsets." Fair Trade Recycling is an export reform conservation group dedicated to partnerships in Emerging Markets to safeguard the planet's natural resources. According to Robin Ingenthron, CEO of Good Point Recycling and Founder of WR3A, shares "We were already astounded that a mere $1,500 donation with no strings attached led to such an incredibly detailed report." Read about the project and the findings of the report.

MassRecycle's Vice President and Chair of the Massachusetts Product Stewardship Council, Waneta Trabert, spoke at the Berkshire Innovation Center's Solid Waste Forum to garner support for proposed PaintCare legislation in Massachusetts. Current bills, H.823, S.551, and S.542 propose to reduce disposal costs for taxpayers through a point-of-sale fee managed by a non-profit producer responsibility organization. Though successful EPR has been enacted in surrounding states, bills have stalled in the Massachusetts legislature over the past decade. Trabert highlighted the need for Paint EPR to help address the ongoing solid waste capacity crisis and rising costs for disposal in the state. The forum, organized by Thomas Irwin, a passionate paint EPR advocate, was part of a statewide grassroots movement. The MassPSC has been actively working towards EPR legislation for paint, mattresses, and packaging. Trabert's recent testimony to the Massachusetts Legislature Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) sought to advance sustainability efforts in the state.

MassRecycle works to make a more sustainable and viable solid waste system. The MassRecycle Podcast offers insights into aspects of waste management, recycling, and creative reuse initiatives. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and at MassRecycle.org.

Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) has created three new toolkits for solid waste operators. Toolkits include a video with all needed information (so no reading required!), resources for operators, resources for residents, case studies and more! The new toolkits include Battery Disposal, Transfer Station Scales, and Recycling Education. Additional toolkits will be published in the coming months.

Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe on Repair and Reuse: Last year in Akwesasne, the SRMT Flyer Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Solid Waste Program diverted 1176.4 lbs. of reused items from the trash during reuse/fix events. The most reused item was clothing. The most commonly repaired item was lamps. We recognize the SRMT community made this reuse event a reality. People in Tribal lands are familiar with the reuse concept. Read the full article.

SUNY College of ESF: The Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM) is conducting a study of film plastic recycling in New York State (NYS) with a focus on the challenges relating to consumer-facing retail film plastic recycling programs. Through a methodology comprising market research, surveys, and stakeholder interviews, CSMM is striving to understand the prevailing barriers to maximizing film plastic recovery and recycling through retail film plastic recycling programs, as well as identify opportunities for improvements to film recycling in NYS. Ultimately, CSMM plans to develop and deliver guidance and resources to support individuals and businesses to increase and improve their plastic bag and film recycling efforts.

The Center for Sustainable Materials Management was established at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in 2020 through a NYS Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) grant administered by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The Center places ESF, DEC, and their partners in a leadership role regarding materials (waste) reduction, reuse, and recycling in New York and the US. The Center’s mission is to inspire, lead, and connect a diverse group of people and organizations that will collectively challenge the concept of “waste,” through redefining and reimagining how we procure, produce, consume, manage, and market materials.

For more information on the Center: https://www.centerforsmm.org/

For more information on bag and film recycling in New York state: https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/50042.html

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) is providing seed funding for two new research projects at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that will use automation to enhance waste sorting for campus recycling efforts and reduce manual labor costs in small urban farming operations. Both projects are funded through iSEE’s 2023 Campus as a Living Laboratory (CALL) program, which supports research teams that tackle interdisciplinary sustainability issues on campus or in neighboring communities. Learn more.

The U.S. Composting Council requests support for the COMPOST Act. The COMPOST Act – the bill that will catalyze compost infrastructure like engineering, equipment funds, and money for other “hard” costs for BOTH the public and private sector, is moving its way into the Farm Bill. The US Composting Council (USCC) was once again part of the development of C.O.M.P.O.S.T., the Cultivating Organic Matter through the Promotion of Sustainable Techniques, which provides $200 million annually for ten years, if passed by the 118th Congress.

The COMPOST Act, once again introduced alongside the Zero Food Waste Act, would create a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administered grant program for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and for nonprofits, which would offer three types of grants: planning grants, measurement grants, and reduction grants. Planning grants could be used to investigate the kinds of food waste mitigation projects or policies would be most impactful within a given community. Measurement grants could be used to better understand the amount of food waste generated in the state or community.

See the bills here. Please send the message at this link ---or write your own in the space provided—to ask them to sponsor the COMPOST Act and vote for compost and generative practices in the upcoming Farm Bill!