News &
Updates

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February 2015

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

Renewing Benefactor

Renewing Sustaining Members

Renewing Supporting Members

Member Spotlight - Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)

NERC NEWS

STATE UPDATES

CONNECTICUT

NEW YORK

ADVISORY MEMBER UPDATES

Electronic Recyclers International Announces Partnership with Wharton Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership

OF GENERAL INTEREST

Grant Program Sparks Interest & Improvements in Residential Foam Recycling

MEMBERSHIpWe are delighted to welcome renewing Benefactor Panasonic, Sustaining Members Electronic Recyclers International, Inc. (ERI) and Steel Recycling Institute (SRI), as well as Supporting Members the Association of New Jersey Recyclers (ANJR), the Council of State Governments/Eastern Regional Conference, and Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI).

To see a complete listing of NERC's Members and Supporters, as well as the benefits of membership, visit the NERC Advisory Membership web page.

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

Member Spotlight - Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)

“Ideas are the juice that powers our economy with innovation happening fast on multiple technology fronts,” writes Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) ®, in the introduction of the publication, Five Technology Trends to Watch in 2015. “Rapid developments are in play in areas as diverse as 3D printing, Ultra HD, sensors, health care, automotive electronics, agriculture, transportation, biotech and genetic mapping. The $211 billion consumer electronics (CE) industry is at the vanguard of innovation.”

This is just one of the many publications and white papers that the Consumer Electronics Association, the preeminent trade association of the electronics industry, offers to its members. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative and regulatory advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. CEA serves as a predictor of innovation in electronics, but is also an advocate for responsible electronics recycling and sensible energy efficiency policies, among other sustainability issues.

The Consumer Electronics Association became a NERC Sustaining Advisory Member in 2011. As of January 2015, CEA has increased its level of membership to Benefactor. It is also a Sponsor of the State Electronics Challenge and very active in the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse – national programs offered by NERC.

Consumer Electronics and Being Green
Knowledge is power. CEA believes that by empowering consumers with actionable information on how to live green, buy green, and recycle responsibly, millions of people can lower their energy consumption, shrink their carbon footprint, and reduce waste - all while saving money. T

Through CEA, the consumer electronics industry is operating the first-ever industry-wide electronics recycling initiative with the goal of recycling one billion pounds of electronics annually by 2016. The eCycling Leadership Initiative seeks to improve consumer awareness of the over 8,000 collection sites currently sponsored by industry; increase the amount of electronics recycled responsibly; increase the number of collection opportunities available; and provide transparent metrics on ecycling efforts. One billion pounds of electronics would fill about 89 million cubic feet, equivalent to an entire 71,000-seat NFL stadium. The Initiative was launched in 2011, and as of the end of 2014, more than two billion pounds of electronics were responsibly recycled.

Another CEA program provides consumers an easy way to search online by zip code to find a place to responsibly recycle their electronics, and features a clever application to calculate energy usage in your home. The drag and drop calculator is easy to use and works in real time calculating use of energy in these areas: computing and wireless, entertainment, home office, and telecommunications (cell phone and wireless home phone systems). The application will calculate your energy use score in these categories and provide tips on how to reduce your energy use. CEA also produces public service announcements and lesson plans on electronics recycling, all available for free download.

CEA recognizes that we all have a stake in finding solutions for sustainable materials management and diminishing natural resources. The global economy is also a global eco-system, and it's never been more important to share the responsibility of preserving our planet.

This is why the Consumer Electronics Association produces and disseminates numerous reports and studies on sustainability and green initiatives, including the CEA 2013 Sustainability Report. The reports also provide transparency on the consumer electronics industry's sustainability practices. While these reports illustrate creative strides toward the goal of sustainability, CEA recognizes that there is still much more to be done.

CEA in the Global Arena

CEA is perhaps most well-known for the International CES, held annually in January in Las Vegas; it is the world’s largest innovation “green” event featuring over 150,000 retail buyers, scores of media analysts, and press coverage from over 150 countries.

CEA also sponsors a variety of events and awards programs designed to educate consumers and unite manufacturers, retailers and market movers. CEA makes an ongoing effort to grow the consumer electronics industry by developing essential industry standards to enable interoperability between new products hitting the market and existing devices.

CEA Working for Change

In Washington, D.C. and state capitals nationwide, legislation and regulations that impact the consumer electronics industry are being considered every day. CEA Government and Legal Affairs, the legislative voice for consumer electronics, actively advises, lobbies and reports on federal, state and international consumer electronics policy on behalf of its members and the industry.

With more than 70 committees, subcommittees and working groups and roughly 1,100 participants, the CEA Technology & Standards program maintains an unmatched reputation as a credible and flexible standards making body accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Walter Alcorn, Vice President of Environmental Affairs and Industry Sustainability commented that “CEA is delighted to be able to support NERC and its outstanding initiatives.” He added that “CEA is happy to continue our relationship with NERC, working to serve our common goals of innovation and sustainable materials management.”

NERC NEWS

Take the Tour at NERC Spring 2015 Conference

The Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) will offer a tour of two facilities—the ReCommunity Single Stream Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and the Revolution Recovery Construction and Demolition MRF— directly after the last session of NERC’s Spring 2015 Conference on April 8^th. Both of the facilities are located at the Delaware Recycling Center, a 70-acre property, in New Castle. DSWA will provide free transportation to and from the Chase Center (the Conference facility) and a bagged lunch. The duration of the tour is estimated to be 3.5 hours (12:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.).

Tour Registration Deadline: April 1^st.

New Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities for NERC’s Spring Conference

NERC is offering new combination packages for sponsors and exhibitors of NERC’s Spring 2015 Conference—Own the Future: Creative Options to Sustainable Materials Management. Depending on the package chosen, sponsors may now exhibit at the Conference and exhibitors may sponsor the event. The new combined options offer sponsors and exhibitors increased benefits and greater recognition.

If you have any questions regarding the Conference sponsorship or exhibiting, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director and Events Organizer.

Take Advantage of Free Assistance & Resources to Green Your Office Electronics

The State Electronics Challenge is a free program that helps government organizations, schools and non-profit organizations to reduce their environmental footprint by implementing best practices for purchasing, operating, and recycling electronic office equipment.

The Challenge provides access to free technical assistance, tools, resources, and recognition in support of efforts to decrease the environmental impact of electronic office equipment. It also documents the success of participating organizations to reduce energy use, greenhouse gases, and waste.

For more information, contact executive.director@nerc.org or visit the website at www.stateelectronicschallenge.net.

Sustainable Supply Chain Knowledge Website - Free Webinar - February 19

The demand for sustainable suppliers in the supply chain has created the opportunity for sustainable organizations to become preferred business partners. Organizations that strategize, set targets, measure, monitor, and report their environmental and social efforts will likely generate more revenue, retain and potentially create jobs, and reduce the risk of jeopardizing potential business.

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) is able to assist companies in NYS with their journey along the sustainability continuum. Through NYSP2I’s “Sustainable Supply Chain” program, manufacturers can learn to identify opportunities to become leaders in their industry sector by recognizing their impacts, determining a strategic certification or label to pursue, or educating stakeholders on making sustainable purchasing decisions. One way NYSP2I is assisting companies is through its new online resource, “Sustainable Supply Chain Knowledge Clearinghouse”.

The Clearinghouse provides an overview of the benefits of supply chain sustainability, a systematic approach to making improvements to meet customers’ demands and make sustainable purchasing decisions, and also suggestions for improving and managing environmental impacts (energy, water, waste, air). The site includes an assessment tool for use by companies to determine their sustainability status and how well the company may respond to customer scorecard questionnaires. Links to many resources can also be found throughout the site.

Businesses from any sector and any state are welcome to visit the Clearinghouse. Those in the food, electronics or paper and printing sectors may find the specific pages focused on these industries of particular interest.

Please join NERC on Thursday, February 19, 1:00 p.m. eastern for a webinar which will introduce the Clearinghouse and highlight the information and resources available to make supply chains more sustainable. Patricia Donohue, Sustainable Supply Chain Program Manager and a Senior Engineer at the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) at Rochester Institute of Technology, will be the guest presenter.

For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director.

Pay As You Throw—a Hot Button Issue in Vermont

NERC staff, Athena Lee Bradley, was recently invited to speak about pay as you throw (PAYT) on local Brattleboro radio talk show “Green Mountain Mornings” on WKVT radio. The interview coincided with two NERC Blog postings on PAYT, Pay as you throw…the debate goes on and on… and Pay as you throw…the debate goes on and on…Part 2. Under Vermont’s “Universal Recycling Law” Act 148, all Vermont municipalities (including solid waste districts, alliances, groups of towns, and individual towns) are required to implement a variable rate pricing system for the collection of residential municipal solid waste by July 1, 2015. Many Vermont communities, including Brattleboro, have established advisory committees to figure out the best was to implement PAYT in their community and, more importantly, gain resident support for this new and typically controversial way of paying for trash disposal.

Reading, Arithmetic, & Food Scrap Composting in Vermont

Congratulations to Flood Brook School for joining the growing number of schools in Vermont which are composting food scraps. Flood Brook is a K-8 school, serving 270 students from the communities of Londonderry, Peru, Landgrove, and Weston.

Food Scrap collection_Flood Brook 1 Through a grant from Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), NERC has been working with Flood Brook, Fisher Elementary and Arlington High School/Middle School in Arlington to implement food scrap composting. ANR awarded grants to the University of Vermont for work with schools in the Rutland and Colchester regions; the Windham Solid Waste Management District for work with schools in the Brattleboro region; the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District for work with schools in the NEK region; and, to NERC to work with schools in the Bennington region. The goal of the grant program is to help schools come into compliance with the requirements of Vermont’s Universal Recycling law and help to educate the next generation of Vermonters on how easy and important it is to recycle and divert organics.

Food scrap collection_Flood Brook 2 Esther Fishman, Recycling Coordinator for the Londonderry Solid Waste Group was instrumental in working with NERC staff to ensure successful implementation of composting at the school. The school’s Principal, Neal McIntyre, Facilities Director Greg Harrington, and Food Service Director Kelly Foster and her staff have been immensely supportive in making food scrap composting a reality at Flood Brook. Parents and community members have stepped forward to provide monitoring during the first month of the food scrap collection to help train students in separating out the food scraps. Flood Brook students were certainly quick learners and enthusiastic supporters their first day of composting!

The collected food scraps are hauled by TAM Organics to their facility in Bennington.

NERC’s Blog Worth Repeating - Trash Tutorial: Please, careful what you put in the bins

NERC’s Blog Worth Repeating, Trash Tutorial: Please, careful what you put in the bins, was writtenby Sarah Kite-Reeves, Director of Recycling Services at Rhode Island Resource Recovery and NERC Board of Directors Treasurer. It first appeared as a special to the Providence (RI) Journal.

Every now and then I have the opportunity in this space to speak from the heart. I’m very grateful to The Providence Journal for allowing me to do so.

With Thanksgiving approaching, I can’t think of a better time to give thanks to Rhode Islanders for participating in the statewide recycling program, and to give thanks to the many people who work at the Materials Recycling Facility in Johnston.

These men and women do back-breaking work. From 6 in the morning to 4 or 5 at night, they move, sift, pull, and sort Rhode Island’s recyclables. They pull material out of the stream that truly doesn’t belong — tires, chains, clothing and hoses. But recently, for reasons I don’t understand, the recycling loads have been covered in things that are not only messy, but can be dangerous to handle.

Every day, we deal with items that shouldn’t be in the bins. But over the past three weeks, recycling loads from all over the state have been contaminated by food scraps, leaf and yard waste, paint, chemicals, and human or animal waste.

Bags and bags of dirty diapers have found their way into recycling bins and carts. Full bags of trash are being “recycled.” Food waste — everything from half eaten hamburgers to vegetable scraps to leftover take out — is being found in recycling carts and bins. Why? And why now?

The suddenness is curious, as if a switch was flipped somewhere that made people forget which cart was which. Even communities that normally have stellar recycling records have sent us contaminated loads. I’d love to hear (anonymously is fine) from those who’ve tossed diapers and food and paint in their recycling, to better understand what the decision-making process was.

Was the trash overflowing? Was the recycling cart the first thing you saw early in the morning? When walking your dog, was recycling the first container you came across on the way home?

Or something different? Do you “make the leap” that if paper is recyclable then the wood from which it is made must also be OK for the bin? (It isn’t). Or are alternate recycling options too burdensome? You may know that there is a recycling center in town that will accept leaf and yard debris, but it’s easier to just put it in your recycling bin?

There are dozens of people who have to physically touch your recyclables to ensure that everything is sorted properly by the machines down the line. People have to pull the bags of diapers off the line, pull the engine blocks off the line, avoid the needles and syringes that explode on the conveyor belts, and try to catch the sheets and towels before they wrap around the sorting screens and cause a fire.

Propane tanks of all sizes, jugs of unknown liquids, bags of Styrofoam peanuts, paper saturated with paint are all contaminants and have the power to shut down the facility or cause our people harm.

Many things are recyclable, but not everything recyclable belongs in your cart or bin.

To watch a video about the recycling facility so that you can see the process up close, visit youtube.com/rirrc, and click on the MRF virtual tour.

So, in speaking from the heart, I ask you please at this time of year when we celebrate family to ensure that your recycling carts and bins only hold things that are actually in the Rhode Island program. If you’re not sure about something, you can write me, call us, send an email to info@rirrc.org, or look online at atoz.rirrc.org.

Trash Tutorial: Please, careful what you put in the bins was first published on November 22, 2014. It is reprinted here courtesy of the Providence (RI) Journal. Sarah Kite-Reeves, director of recycling services at Rhode Island Resource Recovery, answers questions of general interest posed by Journal readers about recycling, municipal composting, hazardous household waste, waste reduction and other related matters. Send your questions to Trash Tutorial, Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence RI 02902. You can also email your question to features@providencejournal.com. Put Trash Tutorial in the subject field.

STATE UPDATES

CONNECTICUT

CT DEEP Approves Mattress Stewardship Plan

On December 31, 2014, the CT DEEP approved the Connecticut Mattress Stewardship Plan developed by the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), a non-profit organization created by the mattress industry to develop and manage the statewide mattress recycling program established by Public Act 13-42. This makes Connecticut the first state to work with MRC to implement a statewide mattress recycling program.

The approved plan requires that retailers add a $9 recycling fee to each new or renovated mattress and box spring sold to Connecticut consumers. Consumers will begin to see this fee as a separate line item on their receipt beginning on May 1. Retailers and other businesses selling mattresses will remit the fees to MRC. The fees will pay for contractors that will collect and recycle the mattresses.

This program will divert mattresses from the solid waste stream to recyclers who will extract valuable resources including steel, foam and cotton from each mattress. It also minimizes recycling costs to consumers because the statewide program creates an economy of scale.

The approved plan, along with other related information, can be found at DEEP’s Mattress Recycling page.

Year 1 Results of Paint Stewardship Program In Connecticut

PaintCare recently submitted its first annual report to CT DEEP, covering the period from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. Highlights from the first year of collection included:

The establishment of 127 permanent collection sites for paint in Connecticut;
Convenient access (defined as being within 15 miles of a drop site) to a drop off location for 99% of the state’s population;
Collection of paint from five seasonal municipal transfer stations, 54 household hazardous waste events, and 11 paint only, one-day collection events;
The establishment by PaintCare of pick-up service for 34 sites, where paint was collected from generators with large volumes. These collections sites included the University of Connecticut and a state correctional facility resulting in a direct savings for the state in avoided paint disposal fees.
Collection of 240,798 gallons of paint during the first year. Of this amount 70% was latex, and 30% oil-based. All of the oil based paint was sent for fuel blending and burned for energy recovery. The majority of the latex paint, 81%, was recycled back into marketable paint.

The annual report, along with other related information, can be found at DEEP’s Paint Recycling page.

New Commercial Organics Recycling Law Webpage Published

In order to help fill the infrastructure gap in processing capacity for wasted food, landmark legislation was passed in Connecticut that guarantees some level of feedstock for potential composting or clean energy facilities. The intent of the law is to provide an incentive and encourage developers of food residual recycling facilities to build in Connecticut, thereby creating more opportunity for businesses to recycle food scrap. In the process of expanding processing capacity, it also will reduce the waste currently going to resource recovery plants that burn the waste, and will create jobs, soil amendments and clean energy. As a result of the law, DEEP has seen an increase in permit application submittals and overall interest in food scrap recycling, which will bring more options to Connecticut. A new webpage explaining the law has been created at www.ct.gov/deep/OrganicsRecyclingLaw.

NEW YORK

NYSAR3 Textile Recovery Campaign - Re-Clothe NY

The launch of NYSAR3's first ever state-wide collection and recycling education program is new york textile recovery off to a great start and has received excellent media response from across New York State.

However, to avoid confusion with North Face Apparel Corporation’s trademarked "Clothes the Loop" clothing recovery program, NYSAR3 removed references to "CLOTHES THE LOOP NY" from the NYSAR3 website and public information materials. Accordingly, please discontinue using the "Clothes the Loop NY" theme on any of your public information materials.

The NYSAR3 Textile Public Relations Committee has developed a new name for its state-wide textile collection and recycling campaign. The new name of the campaign is "Re-Clothe NY".

If you have any questions concerning this program, e-mail at nysar3@gmail.com. In the meantime, please continue to urge your residents and businesses to keep clothes and textiles out of the trash, and feel free to utilize all resources available at www.nytextiles.org.

1st Annual NYS Summit on Organics Management: Community-Based Composting Summit

The goal of this 1st Annual Summit is to connect small-to-medium scale composters throughout NYS, provide tips and tools to support existing community composting as well as encourage new programs, and develop action items to continue to foster community composting around the state. Sessions include: National, State, and Local Programs; Starting and Maintaining a Program; and Future Considerations and Developing Best Management Practices. The Summit will be held on March 5 at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

ADVISORY MEMBER UPDATES

Electronic Recyclers International Announces Partnership with Wharton Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership

Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the nation’s leading recycler of electronic waste, recently announced that it has entered an academic partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business’s Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL).

ERI and IGEL will collaborate on initiatives that bond sustainability and business best practices and develop the next generation of sustainability solutions for both electronic recycling and the broader community. With a program committed to cultivating innovation, IGEL promotes knowledge for business sustainability through world-class research and an open dialogue between academic, corporate, government and non-government organizations.

Additionally, Wharton and IGEL faculty and researchers will participate in an open knowledge exchange with ERI regarding sustainability, industry and community leadership.

“Partnerships with leaders of industry such as ERI are essential to our research, teaching and thought leadership efforts,” said Joanne Spigonardo, Senior Associate Director of Business Development of Wharton’s IGEL. “This collaboration can yield practical real world results and cutting edge solutions for problems ranging from curbing the glut of e-waste entering our waste stream to digital security to electronic recycling best practices in general.”

“We are excited and honored to be working with the tremendous business and research minds of Wharton and IGEL,” said John Shegerian, ERI’s Chairman and CEO, “For us, the IGEL partnership offers a number of benefits, including access to faculty and research at one of the world’s leading business schools and the opportunity to contribute and share our experiences and best practices with these thought leaders. Based on our shared commitment to sustainability and the preservation of natural resources, we have formed an instant connection that is sure to fuel positive change.”

Shegerian has also been given a seat on the IGEL Advisory Board.

Among other aspects of the partnership, ERI will work with IGEL to discuss and analyze ERI’s game changing innovations in the electronic waste industry. There will also be collaborative reports created on the subject for the University’s Knowledge at Wharton journal and Shegerian will appear as a guest expert discussing electronic waste recycling on the “Knowledge@Wharton” segment featured on Sirius Wharton Radio.

OF GENERAL INTEREST

Grant Program Sparks Interest & Improvements in Residential Foam Recycling

The Foam Recycling Coalition has launched a new grant program to help fund infrastructure for the collection, processing and marketing of products made from polystyrene foam. The grant program targets the following post-consumer polystyrene foam products:

foodservice packaging (i.e. cups, plates, bowls, clamshells, cafeteria trays);
egg cartons;
meat trays; and
protective packaging (used when shipping electronics and other fragile items).

The coalition, part of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, is seeking applicants involved in managing residential curbside recycling programs, drop-off recycling centers and commercial recycling programs. Material recovery facilities also are expected to apply for funding, especially those looking to add or strengthen a polystyrene foam program. Grants, available to both public and private sectors, will range from an estimated $15,000 to $50,000 each.

“Dozens of cities in the U.S. and Canada already recycle foam, keeping it out of landfills,” states Lynn Dyer, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute. “With growing end-market demand for foam and improvements in foam equipment and handling, this new grant program serves as a catalyst to increased residential foam recycling.”

Grant amounts will be determined on a case-by-case basis dependent upon equipment needs. No cash match is required, but additional costs may be incurred by the grantee for related items such as site preparation, provision of conveying system, electrical infrastructure, freight and other installation costs.

Grantees will be expected to communicate the addition of polystyrene foam to their recycling program, both directly to households and in their regular communication materials. Grantees also will commit to collecting, processing and marketing polystyrene foam for a minimum of three years — and report on the volumes to the coalition.

The Foam Recycling Coalition was formed last year to focus exclusively on recycling foodservice packaging made from foam. Its members include Americas Styrenics; Cascades Canada ULC; CKF Inc.; Chick-fil-A; Commodore; Convermex; D&W Fine Pack; Dart Container Corp.; Dolco Packaging, A Tekni-Plex Company; Dyne-A-Pak; Genpak; Hawaii Foam Products; Pactiv Foodservice/Food Packaging; Shell Chemical LP and Styrolution America LLC. Additional support of the coalition comes from the EPS Industry Alliance.