Events

Seminars

NERC Seminars provide professional development opportunities to learn about a variety of topics related to material management. All seminars are offered at no cost and are open to anyone. View recordings of past seminars.

The Seminars offer presentations and discussions on a wide variety of topics from many different points of view. Presenters and attendees have the opportunity to discuss their opinions so all sides of an issue are heard. Neither the expressed nor the implied opinions of any individual Seminar presenter, attendee or sponsor should be considered as an endorsement by NERC or reflective of its position.

EPR for Carpet: Opportunities and Impact

Tuesday, March 28, 2:00 - 3:00 eastern | Register

Recycling carpet creates jobs and achieves substantial reductions in Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Yet, despite decades of discussions and voluntary agreements to recover carpet, only ~1 percent of carpets are recycled in the US. California is the only state whose carpet recycling rate is 30%, as a result of its extended producer responsibility program for carpet. Just before the new year, New York became the second state to enact extended producer responsibility (EPR) for carpet. New York’s improved approach offers a practical, effective policy that can serve as a model in other parts of the region and the country. Join this conversation with a carpet policy expert, an established recycler, and a local official about the opportunity and impact of carpet EPR.

Presenters

David Bender, Chief Executive Officer, Circular Polymers by Ascend
Garth Hickle, Managing Partner, Signalfire Group
Dawn M. Timm, Director, Division of Environmental/Solid Waste,
Niagara County Department of Public Works

Material Reuse Forums

The quarterly deep dive forums are in-depth discussions about issues impacting the reuse of durable items—construction materials, consumer and household items, electronics, books, textiles, and fixtures and furnishings.

Forum 3: Measuring Economic Impacts of Reuse
April 11, 2:00 - 3:30 eastern | Register

Forum 3 will focus on data about the economic impacts of reuse at Finger Lakes Reuse, as well as in the states of Minnesota and Washington.

Presenters

Wyeth Augustine-Marceil & Nika Mikec, Graduate Students, Cornell University
Heather Trim, Executive Director, Zero Waste Washington
Emily Barker, Executive Director, Reuse Minnesota

EPR for Packaging & Bottle Bill Programs: How Can They Coexist?

April 13, 2:00 - 3:30 eastern | Register

Hear from experts on EPR for packaging and bottle bill programs and how these two systems can work together.

Presenters

Peter Spendelow, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Heidi Sanborn, National Stewardship Action Council
Allen Langdon, Circular Materials

Properly Managing E-Cigarettes & Vaping Waste Streams
April 27, 1:00 - 2:30 eastern | Register

Proper management of waste from e-cigarettes and vaping, including any opportunities for recycling the materials is the focus of this Seminar. Presenters will talk about the different devices and their waste streams, the classification of the waste and requirements for handling the material, and overall challenges.

Presenters

Michael Tynan, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Kristin Fitzgerald, EPA Headquarters Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
Donald Stillwaugh, Department of Solid Waste, Pinellas County, FL

Recordings & Presentations

All seminar recordings and presentations are available under NERC's Resources. View our Resources Search Tool and check 'Seminars.'

Collaborative Solutions to Automate MRFs (March 16, 2023)

Recording
Presentations:
- Joaquin Mariel, Balcones Recycling
- Tim Barry, AMP Robotics
- Nick Doyle, TOMRA

Gypsum Wallboard 2: Opportunities to Increase Recycling (January 24, 2023)

Gypsum Wallboard 1: Problems, Recommendations, & The Current State of Recycling (January 9, 2023)

Recording
Presentations:

Ground Glass Pozzolans – A More Sustainable Solution for Recycled Glass & Concrete (December 14, 2022)

Strategies for Residential Food Waste Reduction & Composting (December 13, 2022)

Recording
Presentations:
- “Use By” is Dated – “End Food Waste” Initiative Engaged New American Communities to Reduce Food Waste, presented by Lisa Piering, Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA)
- End Food Waste Initiative in East Boston, presented by Krishana Abrahim-Petrie, Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA)
- Community Composting in Urban Areas, presented by Brenda Platt, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Rubber Modified Asphalt Workshop (December 8, 2022) - Presentations

Material Reuse Forum 2: Impact of Building Materials Reuse on Climate Change (December 6, 2022)

Solar Panel Recycling & EPR (September 20, 2022)

Material Reuse Forum 1: Reuse Centers Creating Community: Connections & Benefits (September 7, 2022)

Recording
Presentations:

NextCycle: A Model for Recycling Market Development (August 10, 2022)

Avoiding Contamination in Food Waste Feedstock for Composting (June 14, 2022)

Purchasing Standards for Low Carbon Concrete (June 1, 2022)

Extended Producer Responsibility for Gas Cylinders (May 3, 2022)

Food Waste Reduction Strategies & Tools for Businesses & Institutions (April 20, 2022)

End Markets for Finished Compost (February 23, 2022)

Recording
Presentations:

Recycled Content Mandates: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (January 6, 2022)