April 2012
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 Sustaining Member
Renewing Sustaining Member:
NEW NERC RESOURCES & DOCUMENTS
NERC NEWS
- The Time is Right for Mattress Reuse & Recycling in the Northeast
- Attention New Hampshire Facility Operators - NERC's Spring Workshop Eligible for NHDES Continuing Education Credits
- NERC Seeking Credits for Conferences & Workshops
- Greening Special Events
- Upcoming NERC Speaking Events
- Webinars Planned – Learn about the State Electronics Challenge & How it can Help You
- NERC Participating in Development of Zero Waste New England E-Guide
- Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Problem Solving
STATE UPDATES
New York
ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS
- 2010 Steel Recycling Rates Released - Steel Remains Most Recycled Material in North America
- Good Point Recycling Announces grant to Fair Trade Recycling Organization WR3A
- ERI Hosts GSA, EPA & Industry Partners for White House Energy, Environment and Conservation Roundtable
- Join the Product Stewardship Institute Webinar Series - Lifecycle Analyses, New York's E-waste Program, Coke's PlantBottle Packaging, & More!
OF GENERAL INTEREST
| 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 and blogs are provided as submissions to NERC and may not reflect the policy or position of the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.
NERC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
MEMBERSHIP
We are delighted to welcome a new Sustaining Member — the Product Stewardship Institute – as well as renewing Sustaining Member — Electronic Recyclers International (ERI).
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. NERC has more than 50 Advisory Members. To see a complete listing 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.
NEW NERC RESOURCES and DOCUMENTS
Newly Revised Asphalt Shingle & Boat Wrap Recycling Documents
There have been significant revisions made to two documents on NERC's Website — Boat Wrap Collection & Recycling Programs in the Northeast States and the Asphalt Shingles Manufacturing & Waste Management in the Northeast. The Boat Wrap Summary now includes information on Pennsylvania's collection and recycling program. With this addition, we know there are boat wrap programs in the ten Northeast states and that 972 tons of wrap has been collected for recycling since 2005.
The Asphalt Singles document now includes significantly more information on the states that allow for recycled asphalt shingles in paving applications and additional available resources.
For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC's Assistant Director.
NERC NEWS
The Time is Right for Mattress Reuse & Recycling in the Northeast
There's one thing that's clear, people in the Northeast are eager to find environmentally responsible alternatives for disposing of their unwanted mattresses. Since NERC posted the agenda on its Environmentally Sound Mattress Management Workshop, staff has received numerous phone calls and emails from a variety of government agencies, colleges and universities, prisons, and businesses wanting to know more about how to responsibly manage unwanted mattresses. As a topic that hadn't generated much interest in this region, it seems that now is the right time for mattress management.
The Workshop will provide the opportunity for learning and discussing the issues related to the reuse and recycling of mattresses — the right contacts, questions to ask, analyzing the costs, and steps for managing this material. A session to introduce attendees directly to mattress management companies is also offered. In addition, the Workshop speakers bring a wealth of knowledge on managing used mattresses and will be available for the full day.
If you have questions, concerns, comments, or just want to learn more about disposing of your mattresses in a responsible manner, join us for the Workshop.
Workshop Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Location: Hotel Northampton, Northampton, Massachusetts
Sponsors
For more information, contact: Mary Ann Remolador, NERC's Assistant Director & Conference/Workshop Organizer.
Attention New Hampshire Facility Operators – NERC's Spring Workshop Eligible for NHDES Continuing Education Credits
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is recognizing NERC's Environmentally Sound Mattress Management Workshop for recycling facility operators' continuing education credits. The day-long Workshop will fulfill the annual educational requirements. See the Workshop agenda for detailed information about the sessions and speakers. You may also register online.
For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC's Assistant Director and Conference/Workshop Organizer.
NERC Seeking Credits for Conferences and Workshops
NERC's Conferences and Workshops are filled with informative sessions and in-depth discussions on timely reuse and recycling issues, and at an affordable price. NERC is working to bring even more value to these events by seeking eligibility for continuing education credits from different entities. More information about this will be available in future issues of NERC's Email Bulletin. If you are interested in assisting with this effort or would like to share pertinent information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC's Assistant Director and Conference/Workshop Organizer.
Greening Special Events
The summer special event season will soon be starting. As a way to "green the event," many event organizers are adopting zero waste or "near zero waste" policies. As much as half (or more) of the special event waste stream may be compostable, making composting an essential component for "going green" and approaching zero waste. Events of all types and sizes have successfully implemented food waste diversion.
NERC has worked with a range of special events to implement composting. In a recent project funded by a United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 grant, NERC provided technical assistance and training for diverting special event-generated food waste to composting at events in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Philadelphia Folk Festival and Delaware Coast Day participated in the project.
The goal of the project was to assist event organizers to implement a sustainable food waste diversion program at their events and to serve as a model for other events. For purposes of the project, materials diverted included pre- and post-consumer food, as well as compostable flatware, plates, packaging, and napkins. Assistance with integrating food diversion into existing recycling efforts was also provided.
Case studies and food waste management plans for both events are posted on NERC's website. Other resources available for download include a Guidance for Special Event Food Waste Diversion and a Food Waste Management Plan Template.
For additional information contact Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager.
Upcoming NERC Speaking Events
NERC has been given the honor to be a plenary speaker at the 19th Annual Maine Recycling & Solid Waste Conference. The Conference takes place April 23 & 24 in Northport and is sponsored by the Maine Resource Recovery Association. NERC will start the second day of the conference presenting "NERC — 25 Years of Making a Difference." The presentation will offer a brief history of NERC, an overview of our state members and our advisory members, as well as a summary of some of our more successful past projects, current projects, and of course looking ahead to the future of waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting and the role that NERC can play.
NERC will also be conducting a session covering its ongoing NYS/Regional Recycling Markets Database project and its recently completed School Waste Reduction, Recycling, & Composting project. NERC will present an overview of the Database which is becoming increasingly regional with more than 1,300 service provider listings from around the Northeast and the USA. NERC will provide background on its school project, which involved working with eight schools in three states, Connecticut, Delaware, and New York. The technical assistance provided to the participating schools, the school resource documents development during the project, tips for success in working to implement waste reduction, recycling, and composting in schools, and what we learned from our interactions with the schools in the project will be discussed.
The Maine Conference typically brings more than 200 attendees. It is the only state-wide solid waste and recycling conference held in Maine. This integrated conference attracts solid waste professionals, town officials, municipal managers, businesses and manufacturers interested in learning more about recycling and solid waste issues.
Drawing upon its work in disaster debris preparedness, NERC was also asked to speak at the Maine Partners in Emergency Preparedness conference, being held in Augusta at the Civic Center on April 24–25. The conference is hosted by the Maine Emergency Management Agency, International Association of Emergency Managers Region 1, State Emergency Response Commission, and Maine Association for Local Emergency Managers. The conference brings together some 500 government officials, emergency managers, business leaders, educators, health and human services providers, and non-profit organization representatives.
The Conference will feature more than 50 individual workshops offered over the two days. Keynote speakers are emergency managers from Vermont and from Springfield, Massachusetts. They will share real-world New England disaster experience: a major tornado in Massachusetts, and massive flooding and hurricane impacts in Vermont.
Those of us who experienced Hurricane Irene last year or the early snow storm ("Alfred") that hit our region in October know the huge volumes of solid waste debris that such disasters leave behind. Debris removal, storage, and disposal can have long-term environmental and cost effects. Impacted communities, residents, and business owners face difficult clean-up and recovery decisions. NERC's presentation, "Be Prepared," will discuss the importance of community disaster preparedness, present an overview of ways communities can be better prepared for managing debris created by disasters, and outreach and education that community officials can present to residents and business leaders.
For additional information contact Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager.
Webinars Planned – Learn about the State Electronics Challenge and How It Can Help You
Plan to join us to learn how state, tribal, regional, solid waste districts, towns and cities, schools, colleges, and university can save energy, reduce costs, and achieve sustainability goals by changing the way they buy, use, and recycle computer equipment. The Webinars will provide an opportunity to learn about the State Electronics Challenge and what the program offers.
The Challenge is a free program that provides support and recognition for lifecycle stewardship of computer equipment: buying green, energy and paper conservation during use, and proper reuse and recycling at the end-of-life.
For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Program Manager.
NERC Participating in Development of Zero Waste New England E-Guide
EPA New England has awarded a contract for the development of an online "Zero Waste New England Communities" toolkit to a team of zero waste experts that includes the Northeast Recycling Council. The project is being led by Micro Services Plus (MS+) and the team includes:
- HDR Engineering
- The GrassRoots Recycling Network
- Gary Liss
- Rick Anthony
- Clean Water Action New England, and
- NERC
The goal of the project is to develop an online resource E-Guide for communities in New England that are interested in learning more about zero waste goals or adopting a zero waste program. Athena Lee Bradley, NERC Projects Manager, will be the primary NERC staff member participating in this project.
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Problem Solving
Do you have questions about environmentally preferable purchasing? Are you curious about the latest developments and trends? Then, you should participate in the EPPnet listserv.
EPPnet links federal, state, and local environmental officials, and private procurement specialists charged with purchasing green products and services and developing policies for the procurement of these products. EPPnet is intended to provide subscribers with quick access to information, such as: availability of product specifications, vendors of particular products, pricing information, and strategies to achieve recycled product procurement goals and federal procurement policies. Please note: Private vendors are precluded from joining the listserv.
For more information, contact Athena Lee Bradley, EPPnet administrator.
STATE UPDATES
New York
NYS DEC's Bureau of Waste Reduction & Recycling Participates in Tire Derived Aggregate Program Technical Advisory Board
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Non compliant stockpile — |
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Use of TDA by NYSDOT in I-87 |
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Demonstration project using TDA as foundation backfill at the University of Buffalo |
Waste tires have long been a public nuisance and health threat when improperly managed. Seen as an environmental threat responsible for many damaging fires and breeding vermin, waste tires are seen by many as a valuable economic resource. Towards that end, Empire State Development awarded the University at Buffalo's Center for Integrated Waste Management economic support to further the study and promote the beneficial use of waste tires in civil engineering applications by creating the Tire Derived Aggregate (TDA) Program in 2007.
One part of the program was the creation of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB) for the New York State TDA Program.
To extract regulatory knowledge and technical assistance from and environmental perspective, a member of the Division of Materials Management's Bureau of Waste Reduction and Recycling was asked to represent the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) on the TAB.
The TAB furthers the mission of the TDA Program by promoting and expanding the beneficial use of recycled tire products in civil engineering applications in New York State through Education, Research and Product Development Support.
The NYSDEC participated in roundtable discussions regarding abatement of non-compliant waste tire stockpiles, regulatory discussions on permitting waste tire storage facilities and various discussions on beneficial uses of TDA.
The TAB currently consists of 11 members from Government, academia, engineering consulting and private industry and meets twice per year. The group is currently planning the 2012 New York State TDA Workshop, "Tire Derived Aggregate in Residential Construction and Site Development" for April 19, 2012.
ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS
2010 Steel Recycling Rates Released — Steel Remains Most Recycled Material in North America
The Steel Recycling Institute (SRI) has announced the 2010 overall recycling rate for steel is 88 percent. This percentage maintains steel as the most recycled material in North America. The 88 percent recycling rate also reflects a return to more historical levels between scrap demand and production after depressed steel production in 2009.
"As economic recovery continues so does the demand for quality steel scrap," said Gregory L. Crawford, Executive Director for the Steel Recycling Institute. "While the 103 percent steel recycling rate for 2009 sounded impressive, it was reflective of an economy that was unbalanced with more scrap collected than steel produced. This signifies that scrap demand and steel production are getting back into balance."
In 2010, domestic steel production moved towards recovery with more than 86 million net tons produced while consuming nearly 76 million tons of steel scrap. Recycling rates for steel are generally released 12–18 months following the end of the calendar year as they are based on data released from: American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Annual Statistical Reports, US Geological Survey, EPA Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste, National Automobile Dealers Association, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.
In addition to the overall rate, specific steel market rates were also released. The recycling rate for steel from appliances remained stable at 90 percent with a slight increase in tonnage from 2.8 million net tons in 2009 up to 2.9 million net tons. The recycling rate for steel packaging increased slightly to 67 percent with more than 1.5 million net tons recycled. Steel plate and beam construction recycling held stable with a rate of 98 percent as did the rate for steel rebar at 70 percent. With the expiration of economic incentives to recycle 'clunker' automobiles in 2009 and changes in automotive purchasing habits, the 2010 steel recycling rate for automobiles fell from 121 percent in 2009 to 113 percent in 2010. This is reflective of an auto fleet that shrunk from 248.9 million in 2009 to a fleet of 248.2 in 2010.
"A healthy recycling rate for automobiles will generally exceed 100 percent as older cars were made with earlier generation steels than today's lighter, high-strength steel automobiles. Therefore, the shrinking auto fleet, along with heavier steel leaving the road will result in a recycling rate greater than 100 percent," explained Crawford.
SRI continues to work directly with recycling coordinators to increase the volume and sources of steel scrap captured through local recycling programs, such as empty steel aerosol containers. In fact, 75 of the top 100 recycling programs (by population) now accept empty steel aerosol containers.
"The number of programs accepting empty steel aerosol containers will continue to grow as new programs see the success of leaders," said Crawford.
And as that success increases, so will future steel recycling rates. For more information on the recycling of steel or the Steel Recycling Institute, visit: steel.org, or follow us on Twitter at @EnviroMetal.
Good Point Recycling Announces Grant to Fair Trade Recycling Organization WR3A
WR3A – the World Reuse, Repair and Recycling Association — has received a grant to support four representatives to the Pan African Congress in Nairobi, Kenya, in March. The funds will support Aatelco of Holland, Worla World Academy of Angola, Retroworks de Mexico, and WR3A representatives to attend the conference and represent the Fair Trade Recycling model.
Under this system, domestic recycling for home-generated scrap in developing nations is funded with the proceeds of repair and refurbishing of much newer material. Interest in WR3A's Fair Trade Recycling has exploded in the past 9 months following publication of 5 separate UN and Basel Secretariat funded studies of "e-waste" in Africa. Those studies found that A) 85% of the imported computers are typically reused and repaired, and B) that by far most of the "e-waste" filmed in primitive dump sites was not brought from Europe but was generated by African cities.
"Paying Africans a fair wage to properly recycle the 15% of material which arrives "along for the ride" is one possible approach," said Robin Ingenthron, CEO of Good Point Recycling. "Improving quality is another approach. A prohibition or ban reduces the number of suppliers, and is the worst idea for either development or environment." Fair Trade Recycling proponents believe increased quality as well as fair compensation for manual recycling. "From the UN Studies, it's clear that the Geeks of Color are not making the mess in Africa. They are cleaning it up. WR3A is proud to be invited to this conference, and my company is proud to sponsor the costs of travel."
WR3A also announced the arrival of a Master's Degree student from University of Paul Cezanne, Marseilles. Adelaide Rivereau will be using forensic shipping records to make exports more transparent, and is translating Fair Trade Recycling literature for Francophone countries. She is the 5th intern to work at WR3A, following Frederic Somda (Burkina Faso), Oscar A. Orta (Mexico), Jay Boren (Google Foundation), Brenda Wijnen (University of Amsterdam), and will be working together with researchers from five universities to document how much of the used export trade is "dumping" and how much is an opportunity for "geeks of color" in emerging markets.
ERI Hosts GSA, EPA & Industry Partners for White House Energy, Environment and Conservation Roundtable
Officials from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Massachusetts, the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), and industry partners Metech Recycling, Inc., WeRecycle!, LLC, XTechnology Global, North Coast Services LLC, Waste Management Recycle America, and Electronic Recyclers International, Inc. (ERI) gathered recently at ERI in Holliston, Massachusetts, for a White House Energy, Environment and Conservation Roundtable discussion. The roundtable was led by New England Regional Administrators Robert Zarnetske (GSA) and Curt Spalding (EPA).
The meeting was part of the Obama Administration's strategy to promote job creation and the responsible recycling of electronics products. Topics included the need for harmonizing regulations across states and the importance of government buying green to promote responsible recycling stewardship. The visit to ERI featured a behind-the-scenes look at the recovery of precious and rare earth metals and other valuable materials from used electronics such as computers, monitors, televisions, and cell phones. It is estimated that over 30,000 computers are recycled per month across the country.
The roundtable was moderated by ERI Chairman and CEO, John Shegerian, and provided an opportunity for Zarnetske, Spalding, and a host of New England green business leaders to discuss growing job opportunities in the region, and specifically, the American Jobs Act, and what it can mean for the surrounding communities.
Zarnetske and Spalding shared specific elements of the American Jobs Act and gathered feedback and input from the other Roundtable participants, which will be shared with Washington D.C. and communicated directly to the White House.
Individuals from a number of companies and organizations were in attendance, including RMG, Enterprise, Metech Recycling, Inc., WeRecycle!, LLC, XTechnology Global, North Coast Services LLC, Waste Management Recycle America, Electronic Recyclers International, Inc., NERC, the Northeast Resource Recovery Association, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and MassRecycle.
At the conclusion of the roundtable, the group memorialized the discussion by reaffirming the commitment and value of the partnerships between private, federal, state, and local sectors toward promoting and sustaining the growth of this important emerging industry.
"It was a real honor and a privilege to co-host this very special round table event with the GSA and EPA," said Shegerian. "It has provided a terrific opportunity for our fellow businesses here in Massachusetts and New England to get an understanding of the American Jobs Act and how it can help business growth in our region and find out how forward-thinking companies are getting traction in today's economy."
The discussion also featured opportunities for business leaders to brainstorm and share ideas on spurring job creation. Zarnetske shared the principal reason for the Round Table: to have a conversation about solutions — and what we as a country can do to move our economy forward and create new jobs now.
"A growing electronic recycling industry has great environmental and economic potential--it makes addressing pollution profitable while also creating green jobs," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "We applaud the leaders of this industry and are excited to continue expanding the conversation through these roundtables. "
"E-cycling is good public policy and good business. Companies all over the country are proving that environmental stewardship can be profitable," said Bob Zarnetske, regional administrator of GSA's New England office. "This is an important emerging market and the federal government is here to help this industry grow jobs and improve the way we handle our resources."
Join the Product Stewardship Institute Webinar Series — Lifecycle Analyses, New York's E-waste Program, Coke's PlantBottle Packaging, & More!
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Why Join PSI's Webinars?
Become an expert on the latest cutting edge issues in the product stewardship field from the comfort of your own office.
Join PSI and leading experts in the field in important product sustainability discussions with a diverse range of attendees, including federal, state, and local government, industry, NGOs and associations, and others.
There are five webinars in this series focusing on a variety of topics:
- Making the Change: Local Government Perspectives on the Transition to EPR, Wednesday, May 9 (2-3:30 p.m. ET/11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. PT)
- Lifecycle Flashing Before Your Eyes: Emerging Options for Simplified Lifecycle Analyses and Their Role in Product Stewardship, Tuesday, May 22 (2:00–3:30 p.m. ET/11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. PT)
- One Year Later: Evaluating New York's E-waste Program, Tuesday, June 5 (2:00–3:30 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. PT)
- Voluntary and Mandatory Product Stewardship Programs-Finding the balance between government regulation and private sector initiative, Thursday, June 14 (1:00–2:30 p.m. ET/10:00–11:30 a.m. PT)
- Coca-Cola's PlantBottle Package -Changing the Way We View Product Impacts, Tuesday, June 26 (2:00–3:30 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. PT)
Expert speakers for this series represent leading companies and organizations such as: The Sustainability Consortium, CLF Ventures, Sylvatica, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Call2Recycle, Consumer Electronics Association, Encorp Pacific, and The Coca-Cola Company; as well as state and local experts from the U.S and Canada including: Waukesha County, Wis., City of Vancouver, BC, Addison County, Vt., New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Town of Oyster Bay, NY, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, British Columbia Ministry of Environment, and Snohomish County, Wash.
You can find more information about all the webinars on PSI's Website.
- Affiliate and Non PSI Members/Partners pay $95 per Webinar
- PSI Partners pay $60 per webinar
- PSI Webinars are FREE for PSI Full Members and Sustaining Partners
OF GENERAL INTEREST
ReuseConex 2012 – Call for Speakers
The Reuse Alliance announces ReuseConex 2012, the 2nd International Reuse Conference and Expo. The theme of ReuseConex 2012 is "Growing Reuse Communities"; as such the event will serve as a platform for sharing best practices, scalable programming initiatives, and replicable research and policy. We invite the entire the reuse community (including reuse-based practitioners, advocates, researchers, designers, academicians, students, regulators, and policymakers) to submit speaker abstracts.
We invite abstracts in all areas related to reuse, including:
- Adaptive Reuse, Building Materials
- Reuse, Deconstruction and Salvage
- Behavior Change (changing our relationships with "stuff")
- Collaborative Consumption/Sharing
- Economy (access vs. ownership)
- Community Activism and Reuse
- Connection Between Reuse & Climate Change (GHG mitigation, energy conservation, and waste characterization studies)
- Cooperative Marketing Campaigns
- Corporate Reuse Programs
- Creative Reuse, Upcycling & Repurposing (connecting reclaimed materials with the artistic community)
- Cross-Cultural Reuse (how other cultures engage in reuse)
- Designing for Reuse (durables, refurbishing and remanufacturing)
- Economics of Reuse & Workforce Development
- Incorporating Reuse Into Municipal Zero Waste Plans
- Industrial Reuse (managing high-volume industrial materials)
- Low-flying heroes of reuse (small-volume, high-economic impact reuse)
- Making Events Green With Reusables
- Reuse & Waste Management Policy, Regulation & Planning
- Reuse in Environmental Education
- Reuse Sector Best Practices
- School/University Reuse Programs
- Technology & Reuse (using technology to encourage reuse through virtual exchanges, reuse center databases, DIY idea sharing/crowd sourcing, etc.)
Speaker Abstract Submission Instructions:
The abstract should provide sufficient detail to show that the submission contains significant results of a program, a research study, or policy analysis. Abstracts describing plans for future work or for the sales of a product or service will not be accepted.
Final decisions regarding presentations will be made by the conference programming committee. Speakers should be willing to provide us with authorization to place the presentations in the online conference proceedings.
Schedule
- April 6, 2012 – Presenter Abstract due
- May 1, 2012 – Notification to presenters
- July 1, 2012 – Draft Power Points (or presentation outlines) due for committee review
- August 1, 2012 – Comments back to authors
- September 1, 2012 – Deadline for conference registration to secure presenting spot
- October 1, 2012 – Submission of final abstracts and final PowerPoint presentations
Conference Co-Chairs
- Harriet Taub, Materials for the Arts
- Joe Connell, Habitat for Humanity Portland
- MaryEllen Etienne, Reuse Alliance
- Michael Meyers, Goodwill Industries International