Awards & Recognition
State Electronics Challenge Receives 2017 Sustainable Purchasing Visionary Award
The Green Electronics Council has honored the State Electronics Challenge - a NERC program - with the 2017 Sustainable Purchasing Visionary Award. Since 2008, the State Electronics Challenge has enabled state, tribal, regional, and local governments, including schools and other public entities, to purchase and manage IT products in an environmentally sound manner. The State Electronics Challenge currently has 167 partner organizations who purchase EPEAT-registered IT products
NERC Recognized by Green Electronics Council as Leader in Sustainable Procurement of Electronics
The Green Electronics Council (GEC), managers of the EPEAT ecolabel, presented 37 organizations with a 2017 EPEAT Purchaser Award in recognition of their leadership in the procurement of sustainable IT products. When combined, the 2017 EPEAT Purchaser Award winners realized cost savings of more than $33.8 million across the lifetime of their purchased products. Along with significant cost savings, the 37 EPEAT Purchaser Award winners also recognized considerable environmental benefits from their purchasing decisions including combined greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing more than 40,000 passenger cars from the road for a year; a reduction of nearly 769 metric tons of hazardous waste; solid waste savings equivalent to that produced by 2,078 average U.S. households each year; a reduction in energy usage by 327.5 million kWh; and avoidance of 513.8 metric tons of water pollutant emissions.
Large scale public and private sector purchasers globally rely on the EPEAT Registry, the leading online rating system of sustainable IT products, to identify and purchase sustainable IT products. “The EPEAT ecolabel was established to provide large-scale purchasers a way to identify credible sustainable IT products,” said Melanie Bower, Director of EPEAT. “The EPEAT Purchaser Awards allows us to recognize those organizations who chose to realize significant cost savings and positive environmental benefits by making informed decisions about the IT products they purchase.”
The Green Electronics Council recognized the EPEAT Purchaser Award winners at a ceremony sponsored by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), the premier advocacy and policy organization for the world's leading innovation companies. Award ceremony speakers included Ian Kirk, a purchaser representative from the Canadian Government and Joel Sigler, Senior Manager of National Environmental Health & Safety at Kaiser Permanente.
Among those receiving awards was the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC) as a One-Star Award Winner.
EPA Recognizes NERC as an Outstanding Food Recovery Challenge Endorser
Left to right: Bryn Oakleaf, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources/NERC Board Vice-President; Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director, NERC; George MacDonald, Maine Department of Environmental Protection/NERC Board Treasurer; Chris Beling, US Environmental Protection Agency; Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager, NERC; Mary Ann Remolador, Assistant Director, NERC; Robert Isner, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection/NERC Board President.
On November 22, 2016 EPA announced its recognition of NERC as the Outstanding Food Recovery Challenge Endorser for 2016. NERC was one of 13 organizations and businesses being recognized.
“The waste reduction efforts of this year’s award winners, as well as all Food Recovery Challenge participants and endorsers, are leading the way for the United States to meet the national goal to cut food loss and waste in half by 2030,” said Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. “These Food Recovery Challenge award winners are reducing food loss and waste within their communities to make America a healthier, more sustainable nation. They are leading by example and have reduced their climate footprint, helped communities and achieved cost savings by taking actions based on EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy and sustainable materials management best practices.”
To reduce their food waste, Food Recovery Challenge participants use creative practices such as:
- Recovering food from farmers’ markets
- Creating food waste volunteer programs in high schools
- Giving college students the option to choose what goes on their plates
- Using tools to improve portion control and meal forecasting
- Adding infrastructure to more efficiently distribute perishable produce
NERC was recognized as a "narrative award winner".
EPA Region 2 — 2016 Environmental Champion Award
EPA Region 2 awarded NERC with its 2016 Environmental Champion Award for accomplishments in protecting the environment in New York and Tribal Nations.
NERC received the award on May 13, 2016 at the EPA office in New York City.
Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director, accepted the Award on NERC’s behalf. She was accompanied by Peter Pettit, Director, Bureau of Waste Reduction & Recycling, New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York representative on NERC’s Board of Directors.
National Recycling Coalition (NRC) 2015 Award for Outstanding Business Leadership — Non-profit Category
The National Recycling Coalition (NRC) awarded NERC with its 2015 Outstanding Business Leadership – Non-profit Business Award for showing leadership, innovation, and success as a non-profit model in recycling and diversion.
NERC was presented with the award at the Resource Recycling Conference on September 30, 2015 in Indianapolis.
Patty Moore, Moore Recycling Associates presents Mary Ann Remolador, NERC Assistant Director, with NRC award.
U.S. EPA New England Environmental Merit Award 2012
Steel Guru; April 28, 2012
The Northeast Recycling Council has been recognized by EPA for its outstanding environmental achievements over its 25 year history. In a ceremony at historic Faneuil Hall, NERC was presented with its award by Mr Curt Spaulding, EPA Regional Administrator, and by Ms Cynthia Greene, EPA New England, Manager of the Energy and Climate Unit.
Left to right: Cynthia Greene, EPA; Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director, NERC; Mary Ann Remolador, Assistant Director, NERC; Curt Spaulding, EPA; Greg Cooper, MA DEP, Vice President, NERC; Chip Foley, Vice President, Steel Recycling Institute.
In her remarks, Ms Greene stated that she had worked with NERC since in 1990, when at the time, EPA was working to develop recycling markets and divert recyclables from disposal. NERC is an impressive organization and one that the states and EPA relies on for timely research, project development and implementation, and information support. The Council is made up of the state recycling officials from 10 Northeastern states from Pennsylvania to Maine and it is now in its 25th year of work.
Ms Greene added that "This multi state nonprofit is committed to all aspects of recycling market development through environmental and economic sustainability. NERC has been able to effectively work with manufacturers, business and commodity associations, the waste industry, local, state and federal governments to promote recycling market development. Their reach has been broad, from the typical recyclables such as newspapers to manure and food waste composting, electronics, pharmaceuticals, demolition debris, reuse and environmentally preferable purchasing."
The EPA Environmental Merit Award recognizes valuable contributions to environmental awareness and problem solving, are a unique way that EPA recognizes individuals and groups that are making significant impacts on environmental quality in distinct ways. Awarded by EPA since 1970, the merit awards honor individuals and groups who have shown particular ingenuity and commitment in their efforts to preserve the region's environment. This year's competition drew nearly 100 nominations from across New England.
Mr Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA's New England office, said that "Congratulations to all of our 2012 Environmental Merit Award recipients. These awards are close to my heart because they acknowledge the importance of environmental stewardship. As stewards, all of these recipients are making real and lasting differences in communities across our beautiful region. Whether it's finding innovative ways to safeguard our water resources or conserving the energy our communities use each day, each individual has advanced our mission to protect human health and the environment."
