NERC Blog

All industries go through a “commodities cycle.” Prices for everything rise and fall and sometimes these cycles are extreme; for example, the 2000s commodities boom or the “commodities super cycle”. In recent months, Bloomberg reports, almost all commodity markets have taken a “severe beating.” The scrap industry is, of course, a commodities-based business, and is equally vulnerable to these cycles.

Last week, the Rhode Island General Assembly moved forward with the introduction of a new bill that would create an Extended Producer Responsibility program for packaging waste.

The International Year of Soils came to a close on December 4, but that won’t be the end of the work for many soil projects. According to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “soils are the foundation of food systems” and “are critical to achieving food security and nutrition.”

Thanks to metals, modern society is able to create technologies that are durable, corrosion resistant and powerful. Few of these technologies include cars, skyscrapers, weaponry, machinery and much more. However, there are many different uses of metal that aren't commonly known.

You can imagine my surprise when I learned about a thrift store that takes a different approach—Forest Finds Thrift Shop in the Village of Lyons Falls, New York. Forest Finds sorts all of the clothing received; cleans, fixes, and categorizes the toys by age level; does a great job in displaying all of the available items in an appealing way; supports more than 15 community organizations/efforts; and donates its revenues to support the Forest Presbyterian Church’s Deacons. And what’s really impressive is that they accomplish their work with one part-time store manager and more than 50 volunteers from the area!