Vermont School Recycling and Composting - Grant

NERC was awarded a Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Waste Management and Prevention Division “Universal Recycling School Grant” to implement recycling and organics diversion programs in a minimum of four schools (k-12) in Bennington County in southern Vermont. The goal of the grant was to help schools come into compliance with the requirements of the Universal Recycling law and help to educate the next generation of Vermonters on how easy and important it is to recycle and divert organics. NERC was one of four entities to receive a School Grant award.


Through the project, NERC conducted the following activities:

  1. Held stakeholder meetings at each school to set goals, discuss costs, review program roll out, etc. Written documentation, to include a summary of the meetings and a plan for program implementation in each participating school was completed. 
  2. Conducted an onsite waste assessment of each school to establish baseline estimate of the amount of trash produced before program launch, status and success of existing waste reduction and recycling programs, program logistics, staffing needs, etc. A waste assessment report for each participating school was completed.
  3. Determined infrastructure needs for implementing recycling and organics diversion at each school, including containers for recycling and organics collection, separation area equipment/tables, posters, etc. Funding wa allocated through the grant to purchase necessary supplies.
  4. Conducted recycling and organics diversion trainings and education for students, faculty, and staff at each school and successfully launched recycling and organics diversion programs.
  5. Provided outreach to local area news publications on the program purpose and school recycling and organics diversion activities and achievements.
  6. Troubleshoot any issues and work with school, hauler(s), school district business staff, and others as needed to assess trash collection cost saving.

Simplifying Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - Grant

NERC has completed its Simplifying Environmentally Preferable Purchasing project, which was funded by the Roy A. Hunt Foundation. As part of the project, NERC developed Model Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Specifications and Purchasing Guidelines for paper, toner cartridges, and office supplies. NERC also created fact sheets on each of the EPP Model documents, and a press release about the newly developed resources. In addition, NERC presented a webinar on the importance of EPP and the EPP model documents.   Links to all of the project documents and the webinar recording and slides are provided below:


Model Green Procurement Specifications & Purchasing Guidelines

With funding from the Roy A. Hunt Foundation, NERC developed model EPP specifications and purchasing quidelines for monochrome toner cartridges, copy and multipurpose paper (20lb), and office supplies.


Model EPP Specifications and Purchasing Guidelines


Fact Sheets on Model EPP Specifications and Purchasing Guidelines


Simplifying EPP Webinar, July 24, 2014


Press Releases


List of Other EPP Specs

Thank You to the Expert Teams!

NERC would like to thank the following people that assisted with writing the model EPP specifications and purchasing guidelines:


Copy and Multipurpose Paper Expert Team
  • California - Karl Bruskotter, City of Santa Monica
  • New York - Bob Lazarra, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Oregon - Becky Wheeler, Eugene Oregon Purchasing Office
  • Responsible Purchasing Network and Conservatree - Susan Kinsella


Monochrome Toner Cartridges Expert Team
  • New York - Beth Meer, Commissioner's Policy Office, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Vermont - Brian Berini, Vermont Buildings and General Services
  • Washington - Jason Edens, City of Seattle and Shirli Axelrod, Seattle Public Utilities
  • Responsible Purchasing Network - Alicia Culver
  • Responsible Purchasing Network and Conservatree - Susan Kinsella
  • Rochester Institute of Technology, Imaging Testing Laboratories - Robert Matesic

Office Supplies Expert Team
  • California - Karl Bruskotter, City of Santa Monica
  • New Jersey - AnnMarie Weidemann, Division of Purchase and Property, New Jersey Department of Treasury
  • Oregon - Stacey Foreman, City of Portland
  • Responsible Purchasing Network - Alicia Culver
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