News &
Updates

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April 2010

NERC’s Advisory Members

Distinguished Benefactors

Benefactors

Sustaining Members

A list of all the logos of our Sustaining Members can be found under Advisory Members

MEMBERSHIP

New Supporting Member

Recycling Organizations of North America (RONA)

Renewing Supporting Member

Rockland County Solid Waste Authority

NERC NEWS

STATE UPDATES

CONNECTICUT

MASSACHUSETTS

RHODE ISLAND

The Future of RIRRC’s MRF

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

State College Borough Pilots Curbside Collection of Food Waste

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NERC's mission is to advance an environmentally sustainable economy by promoting source and toxicity reduction, recycling, and the purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services.

State and Advisory Member Updates, as well articles of General Interest are provided as submissions to NERC and may not reflect the policy or position of the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.

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TOPICS

MEMBERSHIP

We are delighted to welcome the Recycling Organizations of North American (RONA) as a new Supporting Member and the Rockland County Solid Waste Authority as a renewing Supporting Member of NERC.

A hallmark of NERC is the strength of multi-stakeholder involvement and problem solving. This is a direct result of the active participation and support of NERC’s Advisory Members. To see a listing of Advisory Members and the benefits of membership, visit the NERC Advisory Membership Web page.

The broad spectrum of interests represented by NERC’s Advisory Members and Board Members and their willingness to participate significantly contribute to the unique and important role that NERC plays in recycling in the region.

NERC NEWS

Reuse Marketplace Attracting Many Visitors

Since the launch of the Reuse Marketplace in late January, there have been 718 unique visitors to the site! This great response is proof that reuse is important and that people are looking for reuse opportunities. Currently, eight Exchanges participate in this pilot project funded by U.S. EPA. NERC is working on a plan to develop this site into a national network of Exchanges. For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC.

Save the Date for NERC’s Fall 2010 Conference

NERC’s Fall ’10 Conference will be a little later this year to avoid conflicting dates with other events. The Conference will take place on November 3 – 4 at the Hotel Northampton in Massachusetts, and will be followed by NERC’s Board Meeting. Keep an eye out for the Conference agenda, which will be posted later this Spring. For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC.

Web-Based Resources Workshop a Hands-on Success
A roomful of leaders in the recycling and reuse community gathered in Northampton, Massachusetts, at the NERC workshop to learn what social marketing actually means, how it works, and how it can be used to enhance our programs . It was an eye opener for most of the 40+ year olds in the room! We also learned how to use the Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator and the NERC Environmental Benefits Calculator to measure and promote the impacts of our programs. The ways in which Materials Exchanges enhance and support source reduction, sustainability, and environmental enhancement was highlighted by Gene Jones of the Southern Waste Information eXchange, along with the opportunity that now exists to coordinate exchanges through the Reuse Marketplace.

First Gold Level Recognition Awarded to State Electronics Challenge Partner

In its second full year, 33 government agencies — ranging from Maine’s state government to cities such as Keene, New Hampshire — participated as SEC Partners, making a commitment to purchase “green” computers, lower the energy consumption of computers in use, and reuse and recycle equipment at the end of its life. Their combined efforts in 2009 resulted in significant environmental benefits; including avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing more than 1,800 cars from our roads and saved enough energy to power 1,450 homes.

2009 Partner Environmental Accomplishments

	Purchasing EPEAT® Products	Enabling Power Management	Equipment Reuse & Recycling	TOTAL BENEFITS
Reduction In	How Much?			How Much?	Equivalent To
Energy use	2.12 million kWh	11.1 million kWh	4.15 million kWh	17.4 million kWh	Electricity to power 1,450 U.S. households/year
Greenhouse gas emissions	396 metric tons of carbon equivalents	2,105 metric tons of carbon equivalents	222 metric tons of carbon equivalent	2,723 metric tons of carbon equivalents	Removing 1,829 cars from the road/year
Toxic materials, including lead & mercury	494 lbs	Not applicable	75 lbs	569 lbs
Municipal solid waste	9,581 lbs	Not applicable	133,358 lbs	142,939 lbs	Waste generated by 32 households/year
Hazardous waste	19,237 lbs	Not applicable	47,957 lbs	67,194 lbs

And the SEC had its first Gold level Partner — the Providence, Rhode Island, School Department — for successful implementation of all three lifecycle program requirements. Its activities alone accounted for avoided energy use equivalent to the power for 794 homes, and greenhouse gas savings equivalent to removing more than 1,200 cars from the roads.

The SEC also recognized two Silver and a Bronze level of accomplishment:

The State of Maine – Silver (Procurement and End-of-life Management)
Town of Windsor, Connecticut – Silver (Procurement and End-of-Life Management)
Regional Technology Program, Borough of State College, Pennsylvania – Bronze (End-of-Life Management)

Congratulations to all! SEC Partners were eligible for one of three recognition levels – Bronze, Silver, or Gold – based on completion of SEC program requirements.

The State Electronics Challenge is growing! As of April 2010, 38 state, regional, and local government agencies, collectively employing over 45,000 people, have joined the SEC as Partners.

If your organization is interested in joining the Challenge, click here. For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein.

NERC Assistant Director “In the Spotlight”

The recent iWasteNot Systems Newsletter puts Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director and Vermont Business Materials Exchange (VBMX) Administrator in the spotlight. The article recognizes the work that she has done with VBMX and includes tips about how she has helped to make the Exchange a growing success.

STATE UPDATES

CONNECTICUT

Recycling Times Are A-Changin’

Connecticut may be the land of steady habits, but the way we recycle and what we put into our bins is “rapidly changing.” The State’s goal is to “reduce, reuse and recycle” 58% of our trash by the year 2024. Some of the ways we are now recycling may help us reach this goal:

Single Steam Recycling
Many Connecticut towns and cities are going to single stream recycling because it is more economical for trash haulers and easier for residents. Single stream is a collection system where all paper, bottles, and cans are put in the same container without being separated. Typically, when a town goes to single stream, residents are given larger containers for their recycling. When residents have larger recycling containers (regardless of the collection method), they tend to put more in it.

Recycle Bank
In some recycling programs in Connecticut, the truck picking up the recyclables is able to read a computer chip on the cart which identifies the resident and records the weight. The weight is converted into points. The more the resident recycles, the more points they earn. Points can be redeemed towards goods and services offered by national and local RecycleBank partners.

SMART (Save Money and Reduce Trash) Programs
SMART (also known as Pay-As-You-Throw) is a collection method where residents pay for trash based on how much garbage they produce. To get a better idea on how this works, think about how we pay for electricity: if you conserve, your bill will be lower than someone who doesn’t. Towns that have SMART programs usually see their recycling rates increase because residents are motivated to reduce the amount of garbage they produce and recycle everything they can rather than buy another bag.

Expanded Bottle Bill
As of October 1, 2009 the bottle bill expanded to include non-carbonated beverage bottles (e.g., water bottles).

More Plastics Added

Many Connecticut towns now accept more than #1 and #2s (resin codes 1 -7 are found on plastic containers). That’s good news for people who have been frustrated about not being able to recycle containers like yogurt cups or deli containers (usually #5 or #7) or are just confused about what plastics could be recycled.

What’s so different now? Tim DeVivo of Willimantic Waste says some of the change is due to high tech equipment which makes it easier to sort recyclables and remove contaminants. End markets are also looking for plastics #3 - 7 to make low-grade plastic for items like pallets, packaging corners, and sheeting. Willimantic Waste collects recycling from 45 towns and accepts plastics with resin codes #1 - 7 (no plastic bags or film), and many other items that even a few years ago would not have been acceptable in most curbside recycling programs.

CRRA, the Resource Recovery Authority in Hartford that processes trash and recycling for 64 CT towns, is installing equipment to handle sorting plastics #1 - 7. Paul Nonnenmacher of CRRA says that when the new equipment comes on-line in early 2010, all 64 towns will have to add plastics #1 - 7 to their programs.

Not sure what you can put in your recycling cart or bin? Check with your town’s recycling contact or web site to find out what your town is currently accepting for recycling.

Of course, just because you can recycle plastics #1-7 doesn’t mean you should throw your reduce and reuse ethic out in the recycling bin.

Plastics are petroleum and natural gas products that use a lot of energy and other resources in production and disposal. Some plastics can have health hazards as well.

Reuse — The Oldest Green Collar Job

Have you ever thought of ‘reuse’ as an industry? Well, those in it often do. The industry is made up of professionals engaged in all aspects of reuse — remanufacturing, repairing, repurposing, reusing, dismantling and ultimately, re-selling.

Last year, CT DEP started facilitating a group called the Connecticut Materials Reuse Network (CT MRN). The network is an off-shoot of the state-wide Solid Waste Advisory Committee. The Committee is working to implement Connecticut’s Solid Waste Management Plan – in this case partnering with industry, businesses, and municipalities – to recover construction and demolition waste through reuse and recycling. All are welcome to attend CT MRN meetings, which are held usually on a monthly schedule.

For the last year, CT MRN has focused mostly on deconstruction – part of the building materials reuse world. Deconstruction is the dismantling of a building in a way to reuse and recover as much of a building’s parts as possible. Materials are sold on-site or perhaps taken to a building materials reuse center or reclaimed lumber yard depending on the material.

Connecticut has seven building materials reuse centers and two reclaimed lumber yards. Two more reuse centers plan to open for business in 2010. Reuse centers are like thrift shops – but instead of clothing and bric-a-brac, the items sold are doors, windows, appliances, lighting and plumbing fixtures and cabinets. Reclaimed lumber yards, re-mill timbers deconstructed from old buildings including mills and barns. All these materials are available to homeowners, businesses, and contractors.

How do I find Building Materials Reuse Centers in Connecticut?

CT MRN has just released A Guide to Local Building Material Reuse Centers to help increase awareness of the reuse centers in the state. For more information about CT MRN, contact Sherill Baldwin .

St. Vincent’s Medical Center “Goes With the Flow”

Can you imagine what 1,000 empty, plastic water bottles looks like? You’ll soon be able to see them “up close and personal” and glued to a display in the main lobby of St. Vincent’s Medical Center (SVMC) in Bridgeport, Connecticut. One thousand bottles of water is about what they sell each day at the hospital – 350,000 per year - and most of them probably ended up in the trash. What a waste!

Kerry Eaton, chief administrative officer, at SVMC thought so, too. “Since there’s extremely safe, great-tasting water available at the turn of the tap throughout our hospital, we felt the right thing for St. Vincent’s to do would be to switch to tap water.” So, as part of their continuing efforts to reduce waste and prevent pollution, they recently announced that as of Feb. 1, 2010 they will no longer sell water in plastic bottles.

The hospital is partnering with the local water utility, Aquarion Water Company, in a campaign called “Go With the Flow” to emphasize the quality of the water already available from the tap and fountains at the hospital. Along with the “1,000 bottles” display, the hospital’s Food and Nutrition staff and Green Team have been putting up signage and creating activities to educate staff, patients, and visitors on the benefits of eliminating water bottles from the campus.

MASSACHUSETTS

MassRecycle Hosts 5th Annual University of Resource Management & 10th Annual Organics Summit

This two-in-one event will be held on Tuesday, April 6th in Westboro, MA and will include workshops, trainings, and over 30 vendor exhibits.

Topics include:

Evaluating Curbside Waste Reduction Options
Residential Food Waste Collection
Learning More About Recycling Processors
Recycling in the Small Business Sector
The Tech-Savvy Transfer Station: Emerging Technologies to Improve Operation and Lower Costs.
Adding Product Stewardship to the Municipal Toolbox

Sack the Bag! Campaign

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is pleased to share a new consumer friendly publication intended to encourage the reduction of disposable shopping bag use called Sack the Bag! This brochure was developed as an educational component in the Memorandum of Understanding between MassDEP and the MA Food Association for their 500+ member supermarkets.

Town of Fairhaven Receives $7.9 Million in Recovery Act Funding to Improve Green Infrastructure

On March 8, 2010 EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Ira Leighton along with state and local officials and the town of Fairhaven broke ground on a wastewater treatment facility in Fairhaven, Mass. The wastewater infrastructure project, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), is helping create green jobs, boost the local economy, improve aging water infrastructure, and protect human health and the environment. “Fairhaven’s green infrastructure projects have put it on the leading-edge of the Commonwealth’s renewable energy revolution,” MassDEP Commissioner Laurie Burt said.

The Town of Fairhaven was awarded $7.9 M in a principle forgiveness loan through the ARRA and MA DEP/SRF Green Infrastructure Reserve to implement several renewable energy projects at their wastewater treatment facility (WWTF). The funding will go towards a renewable, biogas/anaerobic digestion fueled combined heat and power system and three solar photovoltaic rooftop panels.

RHODE ISLAND

The Future of RIRRC’s MRF

The MRF owned by Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation serves the entire state of R.I. and is one of the largest in New England. Currently, the MRF is a dual-stream facility capable of processing 35 tons of paper and 25 tons of mixed recyclables per hour. Since January 2008, the quasi-state agency has been exploring the feasibility of converting its MRF to a single-stream facility, which should bring added benefits to RIRRC as well as municipalities, residents, and local businesses.

Research has proven that single stream recycling is the least costly residential collection method; the collections can be made twice as quickly; and the simpler program is welcomed by residents, who react by increasing volume. With a conversion, RIRRC will add optical sorting along with other sorting technologies to increase efficiency and decrease costs. Since it has been five years since the MRF was last upgraded, the new and more efficient technologies will thrust the facility into the modern era. Plus, the switch will simplify public education efforts and open up a commercial recycling stream.

RIRRC presently doesn’t collect plastics 3s through 7s, but a changeover to single stream will enable the agency to accept and sort the material. With these changes, along with implementing additional collection efficiencies and incentive programs, it is expected that the municipalities will be able to meet or exceed their minimum recycling rate of 35 percent.

Some challenges facing the Corporation in making the switch to single stream are the potential negative effect on the marketability of materials, increased residue, financing capital, and the cost of added public education. The municipalities will feel the pressure to switch to automated collection, and may expect RIRRC to underwrite the costs to purchase carts and/or to educate their constituents.

The R.I. municipal recycling program serves approximately 370,000 households with 50,000 drop-off/subscription customers, 270,000 HH with a curbside (two-bin manual collection) and 50,000 HH with an automated cart collection. Statewide, the current collection cost is estimated to be $16M and has the opportunity with the single stream recycling strategy to decrease the municipal cost per ton by 40 percent, which would make recycling more cost effective than disposal. If RIRRC realizes the predicted increase of 50K tons of municipal recycling, it will represent $2M in avoided tipping fees for this customer segment.

RIRRC plans to meet with the municipal leaders and financers in this spring with an expectation of issuing an RFP by October 2010. With the approval of the proposal and quote to come in early 2011, the entire program would be tested and then launched by January, 2013.

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

State College Borough Pilots Curbside Collection of Food Waste

In January 2010, State College Borough began an 18-month pilot food waste collection program. This program, called “Greening State College,” allows residents living in two selected neighborhoods the opportunity to help divert organic waste from our landfills.

Residents were given a small kitchen pail as well as a 35-gallon cart if they wished to participate in the pilot program. Once a week, residents place their food waste filled cart along side of their trash container for collection by Borough staff. The food waste collected is then added to State College Borough’s yard waste composting operation.

A few local businesses in the Borough have joined the pilot as well, placing their food waste in the 35-gallon carts to be collected twice a week.

“Greening State College” is on the cutting edge in the U.S. and provides the only curbside food waste collection program in Pennsylvania. The demonstration project is a partnership of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, State College Borough, Pennsylvania State University, and the Centre County Solid Waste Authority, which is an Advisory Member of NERC. For more information on the program, visit www.statecollegepa.us.