Skip to Content

[X] CLOSEMENU

NERC Blog

GreenEducation.US Announces First Graduating Class

GreenEducation.US (GreenEd), an online education portal for sustainability professionals, became the first organization to have its training program accredited in California by the National Standards Certification Board of the National Recycling Coalition. The certification program provides a 32-­‐hour online, web-­‐based, professional training program in Sustainable Resource Management and Zero Waste. The goal is to ensure that individuals working in solid waste, recycling, reuse and other related industries have a practical understanding of key policy and programs that affect the management of waste and recyclables.

Space Trash…the Final Frontier?

Space debris includes a multitude of objects: there are the smaller items, including nuts and bolts, tools, etc. on up to some 4,000 defunct satellites; and then there are rocket stages, which are as large as school buses. As with so many human-caused problems, space debris continues to grow. Who knows, maybe space can help usher in a new era of worldwide cooperation?

Free Tools for Boosting Recycling Performance

Brief fact sheets on local tools for increasing recycling have recently been developed by the Carton Council to help address recycling access gaps and boost materials recovery. These tools are facts-based, commodity neutral and remain unbranded – so NGOs, SROs, and state agencies can freely share them with local governments.

Materials Management Sides with Science on Paris Agreement

International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) President Antonis Mavropoulos said of Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement, “that the US is leaving the Paris Accord is a decision that will create huge profits for the fossil fuels industry and huge costs for the whole planet, especially for the poorest and more vulnerable countries and populations.” ISWA described the decision as “an affront to science, our planet and to our future generations.” Zero Waste is one of the fastest, easiest climate action strategies that communities can implement today to immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Don’t Let it Go to Waste

Compostable packaging will play a significant role in achieving the EPA’s food waste reduction goal. While 7% of composters already accept compostable packaging, wider adoption is needed to divert additional material. With proper labeling on packaging through the new How2Compost label, contamination can be reduced.

Designing Waste

According to Lean Manufacturing, Japanese companies refer to waste in business as “Muda”, or “the Seven Wastes”. The two types of Muda that involve what we in the waste business typically term “trash” are: overproduction and defects. However, a substantial volume of business waste results from “rebranding” corporate images and lavish events.

Observations from Volunteering at a Food Bank

Today’s article is by Chaz Miller, Director of Policy/Advocacy for the National Waste & Recycling Association in Washington, D.C. In it he describes his experience volunteering at the Maryland Food Bank.

Food Waste Diversion Sen$e

Its International Compost Awareness Week! Composting can significantly reduce the nation’s waste stream, more than 50% of which is composed of organics—food scraps, brush, and soiled paper. Compost helps filter stormwater pollutants and sequester carbon. And, it creates jobs—just making compost employs twice as many workers as landfills, and four times as many as incinerators on a per-ton basis.

A Refreshing Closing the Loop Message

It seems that over the past several years we have failed to include in our messaging the true value of recycling; that is, the importance of taking “waste” materials and turning them into new products. A process that saves virgin materials for future generations, reduces energy use and pollution, and yes, creates jobs through recycling and manufacturing. Moreover, using recovered materials has become a vital component of the manufacturing process for many industries.

The Compost Story

This week's blog presents the Compost Challenge and the soon to be released video, "The Compost Story."