NERC Blog

This guest blog is courtesy of The Recycling Partnership and Upworthy, and was originally published on Upworthy's website. The blog was written by Mark Shrayber.

If you live in a major metropolitan area, you've probably complained about the fact that "garbage night" means that you're going to have to spend at least five minutes of walking downstairs, pulling your trash, compost, and recycling bins on the curb, and then debating whether you'll bring them back in first thing in the morning or on the way home from work.

Right now, you're probably thinking about what a bother it might be to have to put your shoes on and leave the comfortable warmth of your living room to ensure that all your trash and recycling is gone in the morning. So here's something to consider as you pull your slippers on: According

This guest blog is courtesy of the World Resources Institute Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, and was original published on their website, and written by Emma Stewart, Graham Pugh and Matt Jordan.

In her speech before the United Nations in September 2019, Greta Thunberg called out the assembled world leaders for their stubborn adherence to the status quo in the face of an escalating climate crisis. "How dare you pretend that this can be solved with just business as usual?" she said.

Perhaps no sector better illustrates this need to do more than the buildings sector. The International Energy Agency recently found that by 2050, we can cut

In October 2019, NERC Advisory Member The Recycling Partnership (TRP) issued a new report entitled The Bridge to Circularity: Putting the New Plastics Economy into Practice in the U.S.  “The momentum around plastics waste should provide an entry point to address the broader question of how to build a circular economy for all consumer packaging in the U.S.,” the report states.

The following month, the US Environmental Protection Agency published The National Framework for Advancing the U.S. Recycling System. According to EPA, the 45 original signatories to the 2018 America Recycles Pledge (which includes the Northeast Recycling Council), working collaboratively through 2019, “pledged to work together to identify specific actions to take in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. recycling system.”

EPA…

This guest blog is provided courtesy of the National Geographic Society Education Blog, and was written by Olivia Ries, the National Geographic Society Youth Empowerment writer. The blog provides an introduction to composting - what it is, and how an individual can compost.

Hi! Olivia here from One More Generation!

Remember how back in December I wrote about gardening and composting on my holiday list? Well, do I have some news for you! It turns out these go hand and hand! At first, I thought compost was just something that you put in your garden that was good for plants. With all the information I have discovered, I learned there is so much more.

Let’s start with the definition of ‘compost’.

Definition of Compost(ing)

• A mixture of organic matter, as from leaves and manure, that has decayed or has been digested by organisms, used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients. (

This guest blog is courtesy of Efficiency Vermont and was written by Jake Marin & Ali White.

Some of our favorite Vermont products require refrigeration: craft beer, apple cider, cheese and other dairy products, and more. That refrigeration can be a significant portion of a Vermont business’s electric use, whether it’s your neighborhood convenience store, a major grocery chain, or a restaurant.

All refrigeration systems have chemicals called "refrigerants" in them. These systems are designed to hold just the right amount of refrigerant to get the job done effectively and safely. However, with wear and tear, all systems eventually leak refrigerant…

This guest blog was written by Keefe Harrison, CEO of the Recycling Partnership, and is slightly edited from the originally posting on their website.

In February 2020, the pressing need to protect our environment from plastic waste by activating a truly circular economy is top of mind.  This is an important point in time to pivot our society’s current make-to-waste approach to a more circular economy – one that focuses on everything from smart chemistry and design, production, all the way through to reuse and recycling.

While companies begin to align around activating the circular economy in the U.S., the reality of delivering those goals shines a bright light on the need to first overhaul the U.S. recycling system.  A challenge in its own right, it is magnified when put against the burden of inexpensive waste disposal, growing costs for communities, and the pricing disparity between virgin and recycled content plastics.

Now is the time for action. 

 It is clear…

This guest blog is courtesy of The Recycling Partnership.

Tired of the same old new year’s resolutions? You know, the ones you abandon before February? 2020 is the dawning of a new decade, not just a new year – why not resolve to recycle more where you work, live, learn, buy, and play? It’s not only a simple resolution, it’s one that benefits the environment, creates jobs, reduces litter, and benefits future generations.

But first, let’s recap why we should all recycle.

Why recycle? What are we wasting for™?

• Recycling benefits the environment by diverting hundreds of millions of pounds of valuable materials from landfills and avoiding millions of metric tons of greenhouse emissions annually, creating healthier air and cleaner waterways. Recycling also reduces the need for sourcing new raw materials through mining and logging, which can create water pollution and emit greenhouse gases. It also saves energy used to produce new products from raw materials.
• Recycling…

U.S. PIRG and Frontier Group collaborate on a report detailing best practices for municipal compost programs.

According to a report delivered earlier this year, “Only 326 towns and cities out of more than 19,000 nationwide offer curbside food waste collection.” And even that small number represents an increase of 65 percent in the past five years! In my hometown of Brattleboro, Vermont, I’m fortunate in that our local transfer station—Windham Solid Waste Management District—offers weekly curbside pickup of compost, “diverting approximately 104,000 pounds of compostable materials per month from landfills.”

Why compost, you might ask? The aforementioned report, authored by U.S. PIRG Education…

This guest blog is courtesy of Maureen Darrah who works with Shini USA and BV Thermal, divisions of Budzar Industries and leading manufacturers for the plastics industry. 

With the Super Bowl coming up, people are starting to plan where they will go and who they will watch the game with. While it is common for people to watch the game with a group, unfortunately, large gatherings like a Super Bowl watch party can create an immense amount of waste.

Below, we’ve outlined ten easy ways you can make your upcoming Super Bowl watch party eco-friendly. Give them a look!

1. Make Your Food

At any Super Bowl watch party, there is typically a large spread of food and snacks to munch on while you watch the game. Whether you’re hosting or attending the party of a friend, consider the environmental impact of the food you bring to the table.

Takeout and premade party platters often…