Northeast Recycling Council

NERC is a non-profit organization that conducts research, hands-on projects, training, and outreach on issues associated with source reduction, recycling, composting, environmentally preferable purchasing, and decreasing the toxicity of the solid waste stream.

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NERC’s vision is a world in which waste is minimized and natural resources are conserved.

Its mission is to minimize waste, conserve natural resources, and advance a sustainable economy through facilitated collaboration and action.

As part of its mission, NERC administers and supports several programs.
See program links below.

State Electronics Challenge Annual Awards & Environmental Results

Congratulations to the 28 State Electronics Challenge (SEC) Partners that submitted annual reporting data and received individualized sustainability reports. And 14 Partners are being recognized for their achievements with awards. The cumulative results were among the most impressive ever.

2018 Partner Environmental Benefits

	Purchasing EPEAT^®Products & Paper Use Reduction	Use	Reuse & Recycling	TOTAL BENEFITS
Reduction In	How Much?			How Much?	Equivalent To
Energy use	2,037,369 kWh	64,895,878 kWh	22,639,336 kWh	1,625,084,453 kWh	Electricity to power 133,390 U.S. households/ year
Greenhouse gas emissions	300,234 metric tons of carbon equivalents	11,611,033 metric tons of carbon equivalents	1,008,433 metric tons of carbon equivalent	12,919,769 metric tons of carbon equivalents	Removing 2,808,645 cars from the road/year
Toxic materials, including lead & mercury	849 lbs.	653,143 lbs.	24,681 lbs.	678,673 lbs.	Weight of 135,735 bricks
Municipal solid waste	94,771 lbs.	2,752,530 lbs.	526,491 lbs.	3,394,620 lbs.	Waste generated by 835 households/year
Hazardous waste	850 lbs.	44,380 lbs.	227,315 lbs.	272,545 lbs.	Weight of 1,021 refrigerators

2018 Award Winners

SEC Partner	Recognition	Lifecycle Phases
Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority, Pennsylvania	Gold	Purchasing, Use, & End-of-Life Management
City of Corvallis, Oregon	Gold	Purchasing, Use, & End-of-Life Management
City of Fort Collins, Colorado	Gold	Purchasing, Use, & End-of-Life Management
City of La Crosse, Wisconsin	Gold	Purchasing Use, & End-of-Life Management
Providence School Department, Rhode Island	Gold	Purchasing, Use, & End-of-Life Management
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)	Gold	Purchasing, Use, & End-of-Life Management
Regional Technology Coalition / State College, Pennslvania	Gold	Purchasing, Use, & End-of-Life Management
Ball State University, Indiana	Silver	Purchasing & End-of-Life Management
City of Columbia, South Carolina	Silver	Purchasing & End-of-Life Management
City & County of Denver, Colorado	Silver	Purchasing & End-of-Life Management
City of Keene, New Hampshire	Silver	Purchasing & Use
Maryland Department of Transportation	Silver	Purchasing & End-of-Life Management
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources	Silver	Purchasing & End-of-Life Management
Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania	Bronze	Purchasing

The environmental results and award winners are listed on the State Electronics Challenge website.

Member Spotlight - Interstate Refrigerant Recovery

When chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were invented about a century ago, they were seen as safe alternatives to sulfur dioxide and ammonia, the refrigerants most widely used at the time. However, by the 1970s, scientists discovered that CFCs were an environmental hazard, as they contributed to the breakdown in the ozone layer of earth’s atmosphere. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in its landmark Clean Air Act, included the regulation of CFCs in Title VI among its directives. Read more . . .

NERC Events

Learn about NERC's fall conference and spring workshop, as well as presentations from past events.
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NERC Blog

New blogs are posted weekly on substantive topics related to materials management. Visit the blog to see what's new
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NERC Resources

The NERC website offers a wealth of information, resources, and tools to support materials management; in the region and nationally.
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NERC Membership

Support NERC and be recognized for your commitment to the advancement of an environmentally sustainable economy.
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Quick Links

NERC's listserv for Advancing Organics Management in the Northeast

This unique listserv is an opportunity to share information about what’s happening with organics management. It is open to anyone interested in advancing organics diversion in the Northeast. Learn more at the Organics Listserv website.

Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH)

TPCH supports the implementation of toxics in packaging laws and the reduction of heavy metals in the waste stream on behalf of its member states.
Learn more at the TPCH website

The State Electronics Challenge (SEC)

The SEC encourages state, regional, and local governments to purchase greener computers, reduce the impacts of computer use, and manage obsolete computers in an environmentally safe way.
Learn more at the SEC website

Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC)

ERCC provides a forum for information exchange among state agencies implementing electronics recycling laws and all impacted stakeholders.
Learn more at the ERCC website

NERC’s Environmentally Preferable Products Procurement Listserv (EPPnet)

EPPnet links federal, state, and local environmental officials, and private procurement specialists charged with purchasing green products and services and developing policies for the procurement of these products.
Learn more here