Skip to Content

[X] CLOSEMENU

NERC Blog

Why reuse programs shouldn't wait for consumers

Today's guest blog is authored by Olga Kachook, director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) at GreenBlue. The original post can be read here.

If you follow reuse news, you may have noticed reusable packaging started 2023 with some impressive legislative tailwinds in Europe. France recently banned fast-food restaurants from serving disposable plates, cups and tableware to anyone eating or drinking on site, and in Germany, every business offering food or drinks to go must provide reusable containers. 

Like twisty cobblestone streets and month-long vacations, it’s tempting to file these policies under "Europeans being European." This kind of mandated reuse would never work in…

We Can’t Give Up on Plastic Recycling: We Must Do Better

Guest blog author Kristen Rinehart is the vice president and general manager of recycling for NERC Advisory Member Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS), a Hilliard OH-based stormwater management company and the largest plastic recycler in North America.

Here’s a harsh reality: Americans are really good at generating plastic waste and really bad at recycling it. According to the World Economic Forum, the U.S. recycling rate for the 40 million tons of plastic waste generated annually is only about 5%. In October, Greenpeace USA released a report that claims plastic recycling is a failure, declaring, "The data is clear: Practically speaking, most plastic is just not recyclable.”

Recycling plastic certainly isn’t easy. Plastic bags and Styrofoam are notably difficult to recycle. But to give up on plastic recycling altogether would be a tragic mistake –– not just for the environment, but for the economy. But first, as Greenpeace suggests, let’s look at the data. While it is certainly true that we don’t recycle enough plastic, it isn’t because plastic cannot be recycled. Recycling businesses are actually…

Recycle Your Paint with PaintCare

PaintCare February Email Bulletin

PaintCare operates eleven paint recycling programs across the country, providing a network of more than 657 convenient drop-off sites in the northeast alone. Households and businesses are encouraged to recycle products such as paint, stain, and varnish at these drop-off locations. Thank you for your help in recycling over 6.5 million gallons of paint across our five northeast programs in Connecticut, Maine, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont!

Connecticut

Since the Connecticut PaintCare program launched in July 2013, Connecticut has established 157 year-round drop-off sites and collected 3.4 million gallons of paint. For inquiries, please visit the CT state page and contact Laura Honis.

Maine

Since October 2015, the Maine PaintCare program has established 128 year-round drop-off sites and collected 947,000 gallons of paint. For inquiries, please visit the ME state page and contact John Hurd.

New York…

The Hidden Cost of Landfilling vs. Recycling

Today's guest blog is courtesy of NERC Advisory Member The Recycling Partnership. The original post can be read here.

Why Landfills Are Not the Answer 

Here’s why we can’t just landfill our way out of the vast consumption and disposal of materials.   

Page: