News &
Updates

To view our archived Bulletins, click on a date below.

February 2021

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

New & Renewing Memberships

New Sustaining Member

American Beverage Association

Renewing Sustaining Members

New Supporting Members

Renewing Sustaining Members

NERC News

Newly Posted

NERC Updates Summary of Announced Increased Capacity to Use Recycled Paper
Webinar Recordings & Presentations: Buy Recycled Training, Alternative Recycling Technologies, Plastics: A Complex Global Topic, Paper Recycling, Depackaging & Commercial Composting, and Recycling Markets 2021

State Updates

VERMONT

Biennial Report on Solid Waste Published

Advisory Member News

New & Renewing Memberships

Membership is key to NERC's regional and national commitment to sustainable materials management. The start of the new year has brought with it several new Advisory Members, as well as many Members renewing.

Welcome to our newest Sustaining Member - American Beverage Association. And, thank you to our renewing Sustaining Members:

In addition, we are welcoming two new Supporting Members: Tetra Tech and Vanguard Renewables.

. Along with several renewing Supporting Members:

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.

NERC News

Reframing Recycling in 2021—NERC’s Spring Conference - March 30 - 31

Make your plans now to join us on March 30 - 31 (1 – 5, eastern, daily) for NERC’s virtual two-day Conference—Reframing Recycling in 2021. The Conference will feature recycling experts from the US and Canada taking a new look at reuse and recycling strategies. Be part of the discussions in analyzing and existing and new approaches.

The Conference topics and speakers include:

Understanding & Choosing the Right EPR Model: The Canadian Experience

Peter Hargreave, President, Policy Integrity Inc.
Sara-Emmanuelle Dubois, President & Founder, NovAxia Inc
Pierre Benabidès, Senior Consultant, Lichens Recyclability

Setting Post-Consumer Recycled Content Requirements: Resources for Policy Makers

Dan Felton, Executive Director, Ameripen
Elizabeth Balkan, Director of Reloop North America, Reloop Platform
Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director, National Stewardship Action Council

Recycling Markets Opportunities & Challenges

Alasdair K. Carmichael, Program Director, NAPCOR
Kim Holmes, Owner & Principal Consultant, 4R Sustainability; and Scott Farling, VP of Business Development and Research, Titus MRF Services

Demystifying Compostable Packaging Panel Discussion

Olga Kachook, Senior Manager, Sustainable Packaging Coalition
Nora Goldstein, Editor, BioCycleCONNECT
Carla Castagnero, President, Agrecycle

Renewed Interest in Refillables

Caren McNamara, Founder/CEO, Conscious Container

US EPR Program Updates—Mattress, Paint & Electronics

Marie Clarke, VP of Policy and Government Affairs, Mattress Recycling Council
Laura Honis, Connecticut and Rhode Island Programs Manager and John Hurd, Vermont and Maine Program Manager, PaintCare
Electronics – Jason Linnell, Executive Director, National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER)

SILVER SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSORS

Conference Contact: Mary Ann Remolador, Assistant Director & Event Coordinator

Residential Food Waste Collection & Plastic Film Recycling and Markets - Upcoming Webinars

Strategies for Collecting Residential Food Waste - February 3, 2 eastern
Composting and anaerobic digestion are great, but first the organics have to be collected. This free webinar being offered by NERC and NEWMOA, will present three models for successful collection of food waste from households:

Amy Donovan, Franklin County Solid Waste District (MA) - Transfer station drop-off
Bob Spencer, Windham Regional Solid Waste District (VT) – Municipal curbside and transfer station drop-off
Phoebe Lyttle, Garbage to Garden - Subscription service collecting curbside organics from households

CEU credit available from NJ Rutgers, NH DES, and PROP

Bronze Sponsor

Plastic Film Recycling & End-Markets - March 9, 2 pm eastern

NERC is hosting a panel conversation about residential plastic film recycling and the status of film end-markets. Presented as a free webinar, the conversation will be moderated by Chaz Miller, NERC Board of Directors. Speakers will be:

Tonya Butler, More Recycling
Eadaoin Quinn, EFS Plastics
Cherish Miller, Revolution
Sandi Childs, Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)

CEU credit available from NJ Rutgers, NH DES, and PROP

New Government Recycling Demand Champion Advocate

The Government Recycling Demand Champion Program - a joint initiative of NERC and APR to promote the purchase of products with post-consumer resin by government entities, school, colleges, and universities, is delighted to announce that a new Advocate has joined - the City of Middletown, City of Middletown, CT logo Connecticut.

An Advocate is an organization commits to purchasing products made with post-consumer recycled plastic, but is not ready to act, planning to begin within a year of joining the program. The Challenge provides free technical assistance and support to Advocates to enable their commitment.

A program fact sheet, as well as a recording of an introductory webinar are both available for download.

For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Project Manager, and visit the website which has fact sheets and other resources.

Are you Missing Out on NERC's Blogs?

NERC publishes a blog every Tuesday. Topics are wide-ranging and represent differing view points and expertise. Subscriptions are free, and you can always read past blogs on the NERC website. Recent topics have included:

For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director.

Follow NERC on LinkedIn

Add NERC to your social media routine. Follow us on LinkedIn!

Newly Posted

Summary of Announced Increased Capacity to the Use Recycled Paper - Updated January 2021

NERC has published an update to its Summary of Announced Increased Capacity to Use Recycled Paper report. Despite all of the upheaval in the recycling industry, several capacity expansions have been completed and others are moving towards their projected opening dates. This latest update reflects our continuing progress towards increased capacity to use recycled paper in North America.

Download the most recent report here.

When NERC first published this list in November, 2018, it included new capacity at 17 mills, of which three projects were completed. This latest update includes 28 expansions, of which nine have been completed. Whether or not all of the new capacity is built depends, among other things, on overall economic circumstances and demand for the final products. Announcement of a new mill does not guarantee it will be built. One planned conversion is now on hold. Announced opening dates are often pushed back. Nonetheless, the completed and announced capacity increase is impressive.

The list of additional North American recycled paper capacity includes totally new paper mills along with existing mills that are closed or are still operating but are being converted to produce different end products (e.g. from newsprint to packaging). It also includes two mills that will be using recycled feedstock other than OCC and RMP. One is a facility designed to produce paper pulp and plastic pellets using beverage cartons and aseptic packages as its primary feedstock. The other is a mill designed to use food contaminated paper from commercial sources.

The majority of new capacity increases in this list are for mills producing linerboard and corrugated medium. They will use old corrugated containers (OCC), often called “cardboard boxes”, as their feedstock. They are unlikely to use mixed paper, whether derived from residential or commercial recycling programs, unless their stock preparation system allows for its use. However, up to half of these mills plan to use mixed paper. For the most part, mixed paper will be a minor input. Several mills, however, plan to consume significant amounts of residential mixed paper (RMP) which is collected at curbsides throughout the country. In addition, the price for mixed paper tracks that of old corrugated containers. Increased capacity and market value for old corrugated containers normally increases the price paid for residential mixed paper.

The total new capacity that this information reflects the potential for more than 5 million TPY of new OCC and mixed paper consuming capacity and 1 million TPY of recycled pulp.

NERC has been reporting on national investment in paper recycling infrastructure since November 2018. The report has been updated six times - April, June, August, November 2019, March 2020, and January 2021.

For further information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director or Chaz Miller, Chair of the NERC-NEWMOA Regional Recycling Markets Committee.

Recycling Markets 2021 Webinar Recording & Presentations

Depackaging & Commercial Composting Webinar Recording & Presentations

Buy Recycled Training Webinar Recording & Resources

Alternative Recycling Technologies - Webinar Recording & Presentations

Plastics - A Complex Topic: The Global Perspective - Webinar Recording

Paper Recycling - Opportunities & Challenges - Webinar Recording & Presentations

State Updates

VERMONT

Biennial Report on Solid Waste Published

The 2021 Biennial Report on Solid Waste, which includes the report on landfill operation in Vermont that was required by 2019’s Act 69 (the Single-Use Products Law) has been submitted to the Legislature.

The Report, which is in a new 2-page format with links to other relevant documents, is now available on our website here.

The 2019 Diversion and Disposal Report, which is linked in the Biennial Report, can also be found directly here.

We received thoughtful comments on the Biennial Report from two entities. The Responsiveness Summary, in which we address the comments and indicated when changes were made to the Report, can be found here.

Advisory Member news

Thank You to the Essential Employees of the Waste & Recycling Industry

This year, USA Hauling & Recycling, All American Waste, Murphy Road Recycling and F&G Recycling want to express their gratitude to all employees throughout the waste and recycling industry. Whether you are a driver, a line sorter, a welder, a technician, a customer service representative, or other operator, your efforts are appreciated. It has been a difficult year, and thanks to you all, waste and recycling collection and processing has continued to be done in a safe and efficient way.

The work you do in this industry may go unnoticed by the public but day in and day out you get the job done. To us, every one of you has always been essential.

Thank you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZzr_sJQoyc

Quick Holiday Recycling Tips from USA Hauling

Every year around the holidays, we receive the same questions: is wrapping paper recyclable? What should I do the packing materials my gifts came in? How can I get out of Christmas dinner with my in-laws?

While we can’t help you with that last question, we do have plenty of tips for the others!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Zy-WPXORU

Make 2021 the Year You Resolve to Recycle More, Better

2020 may have become the year many Americans “resolved” to stayed home, but it taught us the value of recycling as a valuable and essential public service and allowed us to confront the daily reality of how valuable recycling is to critical supply chains providing cardboard for online order shipments, packaging for food, and even raw materials for that ever-elusive gem – toilet paper.

If you’re tired of the same old new year’s resolutions – you know – the ones you abandon before the end of January, why not resolve to recycle more this year?

It’s not only a simple resolution, it’s one that benefits the environment, creates jobs, reduces litter, and benefits future generations. When it comes to impactful resolutions, recycling just makes sense.

But first, let’s explore 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 creates jobs and supports our economy. As recently as 2017, recycling generated $117 billion in economic activity and $13.2 billion in tax revenue. Today, recycling employs more than 156,000 men and women nationwide and could create more than one 1 million new jobs within the next two decades (va Eco-cycle).
Recycling benefits future generations by decreasing our use and reliance on natural resources and decreasing what we put in landfalls, which leads to the production of greenhouse gases and decreases water and air pollution.

10 Tips to Help You Recycle More, Better in 2021 #RecyclingMatters

But just how can we recycle more, better in 2021? Here are our top tips for a new year, new recycling habits to ensure we all make new year’s resolutions we can keep.

Start by participating. Half of what American households throw away is recyclable. Check locally to know what’s accepted in your curbside recycling, what day it’s picked up, or find a nearby drop-off site.
Know what to throw [and what not to throw]. Recycling is a global issue that requires local solutions. Many communities accept different materials. In most communities, plastic bags, clothing, food and liquid, garden hoses, electrical cords, Styrofoam™, needles and yard waste do not belong in curbside recycling. Visit your local city website to learn what materials are and are not accepted.
Properly dispose of masks, wipes, and gloves. While we may turn our hopes toward broad distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, please remember to properly dispose of gloves, masks, and wipes. These items are not recyclable and should not be flushed.
Twin the bin. Make it easy for anyone in your house to recycle as easy as it is to throw something away. Locate your in-home recycling bin next to your trash can. For extra credit, twin the bin in your kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry room. Most of a home’s recyclables originate in these three rooms.
Empty your recyclables. Before you toss your empty cans, bottles, and cartons, make sure you remove food waste and such – then recycle.
Return items to stores for recycling. Some items can’t be recycled at the curbside in some programs. These include plastic wraps and films, plastic shopping bags, and air shipping pillows. Many retail locations provide recycling centers for these items. Check where your buy your groceries, electronics, and hardware for participating locations.
Keep electronics and batteries out of the recycling cart. While these should be recycled, batteries and electronics do not belong in your curbside recycling cart, trash, or bin. These can start fires at recycling centers, trash centers, and in trucks. Please take a moment to check locally for hard-to-recycle items.
Don’t bag your recyclables. Most curbside recycling and drop-off programs require recyclables to be placed directly into the cart or bin. Unless your community instructs otherwise, don’t bag your recyclables.
Customize and download your free recycling signs. Help recycle better where you live, learn, work, and play. Our DIYSigns for recycling will help your family, friends, students, teammates, and colleagues recycle more, better. Get started personalizing and downloading yours for free.
Reduce, reuse, and rethink. When it comes to sustainability, reducing, reusing, and rethinking only help to further recycling efforts to protect our planet. Find ways to reduce your consumption, reuse items, and rethink your needs and approach. For example, you can:

Reduce by purchasing smaller amounts of food or having it pre-cut to your family’s unique needs. Remember, when it comes to sustainability, it starts at the cart.
Reuse by purchasing reusable options of products and shop with your reusable shopping bag.
Rethink by considering the packaging of what you purchase to see if it’s recyclable or made from recycled content. Learn more about the circularity of packaging here.

While recycling may feel universal, the truth is only slightly more than half of Americans can easily recycle at home, but together we’re working to change this and transform U.S. recycling for good. Tell us how #recyclingmatters to you by tagging us on social media or using the hashtag recycling matters. Together, let’s #recycle2020 into an even better year for recycling in 2021.

Strategic Materials Names New Chief Legal Officer & Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Strategic Materials, Inc., North America’s largest glass recycler has announced Sherry D. Williams as chief legal officer and senior vice president of human resources. In this role, Williams will lead the company’s global legal, compliance & ethics, and human resources organizations. Williams will report to President and CEO Chris Dods.

Chris Dods said, “We are excited to have an executive of Sherry’s caliber lead our compliance and corporate governance. Her ability to implement practical policies and procedures, manage regulatory matters and develop strong teams through collaboration with all stakeholders is exactly what we need to support our strategic growth.”

Williams is an accomplished legal strategist and expert in managing compliance, with a proven ability to develop a culture of trust and integrity across the globe. Prior to joining Strategic Materials, she served as vice president, deputy general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer for Jabil, an American worldwide manufacturing services company. She also served as senior vice president, chief ethics & compliance officer for Halliburton, one of the world’s largest oilfield service companies.

“I’m eager to bring my experience and perspective to the organization,” Williams said. “I look forward to working with Chris and the rest of the Strategic Materials team to support the Company’s success and commitment to excellence and integrity.”

Williams graduated from the University of Oklahoma and earned her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law. When stepping away from legal duties, Williams serves on the Board of Directors for several non-profit organizations, including Brown Girls Do Ballet, which promotes diversity in the arts by providing annual scholarships, a mentor network and community programs to empower young girls.

Casella Sustainability Report Published

In December, Casella launched our 5^th biennial sustainability report. The report lays out ten ambitious sustainability targets for the year 2030. While some goals focus on lessening negative impacts (e.g., reducing greenhouse gas emissions), many of the goals focus on amplifying beneficial impacts (e.g., increasing tons recycled to 2 million tons per year, and doubling the company’s renewable energy production). I hope NERC members will check it out and I would welcome any thoughts or feedback on how we can collaborate around our shared goals! The report can be accessed here: https://www.casella.com/about-us/casella-sustainability.