July 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
Renewing Sustaining Member
- UNICOR
Renewing Supporting Member
- Colling Swift & Hynes
NERC NEWS
- NERC Finalist for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant
- ISRI Steps up as First Sponsor of the State Electronics Challenge
- NERC Works on Zero Waste with Building & Remodeling Industries
- Organics & Fertilizer Resource Document Updated
- Commonly Used Hauler Terms & Weight Conversion Factors
- Minutes from Spring Board of Directors Meeting Posted
STATE UPDATES
CONNECTICUT
- Loomis Chaffee – A Class Act
- Spring into Cleaning Out
MAINE
- Presentations to the Legislative Committee on Natural Resources
- Summer Intern Arrives
VERMONT
- Vermont Passes Electronic Waste Legislation
OF GENERAL INTEREST
- Resource Recycling Conference
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Send an email to executive.director@nerc.org making the request. Please be sure to include your full name and organization.
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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.
NERC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
TOPICS
MEMBERSHIP
We are delighted to welcome UNICOR as a renewing Sustaining Member of NERC, and Colling Swift & Hynes as a renewing Supporting Member.
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
NERC Finalist for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant
NERC has received word that it is a finalist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) program. EPA received more than 1,000 proposed projects aimed at restoring and protecting this national treasure.
GLRI grants will fund projects that address the most important Great Lakes priorities, including reducing toxic contaminants, restoring the Great Lakes Areas of Concern, protecting beaches and beachgoers, keeping out invasive species and reducing polluted land-based runoff. NERC’s project will introduce the State Electronics Challenge to the six Great Lakes states that are not already participating in the Challenge—Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin—and expand the program in the two Great Lake states that already are in the Challenge—New York and Pennsylvania. If the grant is funded, the State Electronics Challenge will now be available to 22 states.
President Obama has made restoring the Great Lakes a national priority. In February 2009, he proposed $475 million for the GLRI, an unprecedented investment in the nation’s largest fresh surface water ecosystem. Congress appropriated full funding in October 2009. Grants are expected to be awarded later this summer. For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director.
ISRI Steps up as First Sponsor of the State Electronics Challenge
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The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has demonstrated its commitment to environmental sustainability by being the first non-governmental entity to pledge support for the State Electronics Challenge. As a sponsor, ISRI is helping to sustain and grow the program, which is currently available in 16 states, with 6 more in the near future. ISRI has a history of environmental leadership, including its notable efforts to promote responsible e-recycling through efforts such as R2/RIOS. For more information about the R2/RIOS program, contact Robin Wiener, President, ISRI.
The State Electronics Challenge, modeled after the Federal Electronics Challenge, promotes and supports electronics stewardship among state, regional, and local government agencies. It promotes purchasing environmentally preferable EPEAT®-registered products, power management, and environmentally sound equipment recycling.
The Environmental & Sustainability Impacts
of Supporting the Challenge
In the first two years of the program, Challenge participants achieved remarkable environmental results.
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Reduction In |
How Much? |
Equivalent To |
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Energy use |
44.19 million kWh |
Electricity to power 3,700 |
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Greenhouse gas emissions |
7,946 metric tons of carbon equivalents |
Removing 3,751 cars from the road/year |
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Toxic materials, including lead & mercury |
1,355 pounds |
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Municipal solid waste |
386 tons |
Waste generated by 184 households/year |
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Hazardous waste |
139 tons |
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The goal for the State Electronics Challenge over the next three years is to secure new participants representing a minimum of 250,000 employees and to support current organizations in their efforts. With more than 3 million state and local employees in the United States, the potential impact of this program is significant. For more information about becoming a Challenge Sponsor, contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director, at executive.director@nerc.org.
NERC Works on Zero Waste with Building & Remodeling Industries
NERC is working with builders and remodelers in three states to incorporate reuse and recycling in construction and deconstruction projects, with the goal of moving towards zero waste. According to the U.S. EPA, “an estimated 164 million tons of C&D from buildings is generated annually in the U.S.” With EPA funding, NERC will be working with four projects over a two-year period in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York to divert at least 50% of the jobsite waste to reuse and recycling.
In addition to providing training on the importance of reuse and recycling in construction and remodeling, NERC will also develop fact sheets for haulers, contractors, and architects, as well as a model waste management plan. These materials will be posted on NERC’s Website.
The project partners in Connecticut are the:
- New Haven Small Construction Business Development of the Economic Development Office;
- New Haven Regional Contractors’ Alliance; and
- Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
The partners in New Jersey are the:
The partners in New York are the:
- Capital Region Builders and Remodelers Association;
- Empire State Development Environmental Services Unit; and
- New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
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New Haven Project
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In New Haven, CT, developing contractor skills, reusing and recycling the components of an unoccupied house identified for demolition, and making space for a community project, are all elements of NERC’s efforts in support of a deconstruction project scheduled for June 14 – 27 at 183 Saltonstall Avenue.
Fifteen different contractors in the New Haven area will participate in the two-week deconstruction demonstration project. This project will combine classroom and field training to learn first-hand the step-by-step approach used to deconstruct a home.
The Reuse People, a California-based non-profit organization with a regional office in Hamden, CT, will lead the training. Abcon Environmental, a New Haven-based company will remove and dispose of the asbestos shingles. MGM Carting and Recycling Corporation, a West Haven-based company will be responsible for hauling the other materials.
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Paterson Project
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In Paterson, NJ, reuse and recycling will be incorporated into a combination remodeling and new construction job as part of a Paterson Habitat for Humanity (Habitat) project working in collaboration with NERC. Habitat will begin working at the jobsite once the lead and asbestos abatement, currently in progress, has been completed.
The targeted two-family home and property was purchased by Habitat from a private developer and will be transformed into two two-family homes for low-income families. Habitat was able to pursue this project with funds from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
Habitat will be using the National Home Builders Association standards for implementing this project, and is seeking volunteers to assist with the project.
In Albany, NY, NERC is approaching this project differently than in the other states due to the lack of reuse and recycling markets in the greater-Albany area. NERC is working with Empire State Development and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to develop a cost analysis of disposal, reuse, and recycling options for new construction projects. In addition to the financial analysis, informal markets will be sought for potential material waste. Once this information is complete, NERC and the project partners will seek a contractor willing to include the waste management alternatives of reuse and recycling at their jobsite.
For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC Assistant Director.
Organics & Fertilizer Resource Document Updated
NERC has revised and updated its Summary of Compost & Compost-Related Fertilizer Regulations in the Northeast States. The document provides an overview of the existing laws in each of the ten northeast states as they pertain to the production of compost and fertilizer from compost. It is critical information for any compost processor or producer of fertilizer from compost. The document is organized by state, with separate sections compost and fertilizer for each. In addition to an overview of the laws, where they are available, hyperlinks to the full text are provided, as well as contact information for the regulatory agencies.
For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director.
Commonly Used Hauler Terms & Weight Conversion Factors Posted
Definitions for terms commonly used by solid waste and recycling haulers, as well as weight conversion factors for recyclables, have been posted in an easy-to-use reference document on the NERC Website. For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC Assistant Director.
Minutes from Spring Board of Directors Meeting Posted
The minutes from the NERC Spring Board of Directors Meeting are now available. For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director.
STATE UPDATES
CONNECTICUT
Do you worry about who will step up to be the next generation of environmental stewards? You can take heart that there are young people who care deeply about the earth and are working to ensure that our world will be clean and green.
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Students from Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, Connecticut,
Visit the Windsor-Bloomfield Landfill. |
Students from Jeff Dyreson’s environmental science classes at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut, made a trip to the Windsor-Bloomfield Landfill, the state’s only municipal solid waste landfill, on a cold Saturday this winter. It made such an impression on them that they worked with Jeff, Enita Jubrey, assistant to the Town Manager and Mark Goossen, landfill manager, to learn about recycling practices and to raise awareness about waste reduction and recycling at their school and in Windsor.
The students created a survey to gauge what residents and the Loomis-Chaffee community knew about Windsor’s recycling program. Over 500 people responded to an on-line survey which was accessed from the Town’s website. When they analyzed the responses, the students found that people recycled glass, plastic and cans more than paper and residents were not aware that they could recycle items like aerosol cans and aluminum pans.
The students’ next step was to use the survey information to create two public service announcements (PSAs) entitled “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” and “Windsor Recycles” starring fellow students and Windsor residents like Mayor Donald Trinks and Dr. Sheila Culbert, head of the school. The PSAs are practical, fun and informative; they show the viewer what can and can’t be recycled in Windsor, how to get a bin, and why recycling is important.
The students’ hard work was highlighted at a red carpet affair called “Lights, Camera, Recycle” at Loomis Chaffee in February. At the event, the students shared their results with other students from the school, faculty, and town officials. The quality of their work, their depth of knowledge about recycling and presentation belied their young age.
The survey and the PSAs are important to Windsor for a couple of reasons: first, most town recycling programs don’t have the staff or the money to conduct a survey or produce videos. Secondly, like many towns, Windsor’s recycling program has added materials over the years, but some residents aren’t aware of the changes. The survey results pointed out that residents aren’t recycling all the paper they can and they don’t know new items have been added to the program, like aluminum pans. That tells the town where they need to focus their educational efforts.
In the past, towns used mass mailings to educate residents about recycling. But mailings are expensive and use paper and probably get thrown away before they’re even opened. Using the videos to promote recycling can have more impact because they can be viewed in a way most people get their information now – on the internet. These videos have been shown on Windsor community TV and have had more than 1000 hits on the town’s website. Enita Jubrey also pointed out that the students’ videos get your attention because they convey basic information about recycling and waste reduction in a fun and engaging way from a teenager’s unique style and point of view.
Both Loomis Chafee and the Town of Windsor are pleased with the results and plan to continue the project during next school year. For more information, contact Enita Jubrey or Jeff Dyreson. The videos can be accessed from the Town of Windsor’s Website.
Spring into Cleaning Out
It’s spring, and for many of us that means cleaning up and clearing out all those things taking up valuable space in our homes. But wait! Don’t reach for a trash bag! In Connecticut there are ways to get rid of that mess in an environmentally responsible way, especially when it comes to electronics and toxic house and yard products.
Do you have old computer equipment and other electronics hogging space in the basement or garage? In Connecticut, some municipalities sponsor their own electronics collections. If not, there are many more options: The CT Resources Recovery Authority has electronic collections scheduled for member towns this summer and through the fall. Besides those old computers, residents can bring along stacks of paper (canceled checks, bills, records) for free and safe paper shredding, too!
Another option that is convenient, supports job training programs for disabled people and gets you a tax benefit is to donate old electronics and entertainment products like Xboxes, to Goodwill through their Reconnect program. Not all Goodwill stores accept electronics, so check their website for locations and donation guidelines. You might also consider other charities such as the Salvation Army or the Cristina Foundation.
Stores like Staples and Best Buy will also take back a variety of electronic equipment for a nominal fee.
The U.S. EPA also has a list of other manufacturer and retailer programs for recycling electronics on their website.
Okay, so now you can actually move around in the basement! But what’s on that workbench -- oil-based paints, a mercury thermostat, rechargeable batteries, insecticides…yikes! Almost every Connecticut municipality has access to special collection for these and other items around the house that are considered household hazardous waste, such as nail polish remover, compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), oven cleaner and ammonia. Check CT DEP’s Website for dates and locations.
Also check out CT DEP’s Web page What do I do with? for ideas on how to find new homes for those hard to dispose of items.
Now, if only washing the windows were that easy!
MAINE
Solid Waste Management Presentations Provided to the Legislative Joint Standing Committee on Natural Resources
The State Planning Office (SPO) has given three presentations to the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee during the past month. One was a comprehensive look at the solid waste system and solid waste disposal capacity in Maine. Another focused on the state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill and its operation. The third presentation was an overview of possible actions to improve waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting programs across the state. The Committee is meeting another time to study various solid waste management issues and determine if any policy changes should be recommended to the next legislature. SPO’s PowerPoint presentations are available on-line. For more information, contact Sue Inches or Sam Morris.
The Waste Management and Recycling Program is pleased to introduce our summer intern, Benjamin Gadberry. Ben is a sophomore at the University of Maine at Farmington, who is majoring in creative writing. Among other tasks, Ben will be researching the impacts of changes in recycling, assist with the on-going statewide recycling promotion campaign, and help with communication efforts such as creating website information and producing other written and visual materials. Ben lives in Manchester, Maine, and in his off time enjoys skiing and windsurfing. For more information, contact Benjamin Gadberry.
VERMONT
Vermont Passes Electronic Waste Legislation
Vermont’s new electronic waste law will ban the disposal of electronic waste starting January 1, 2011, and will provide convenient collection of certain electronic waste for consumers, charities, school districts, and small businesses for free starting July 1, 2011. It requires manufacturers of computers, monitors, printers, and televisions to register with the Agency of Natural Resources and either sign up to be part of the state standard plan or submit their own plan for the collection, transportation and recycling of such electronic devices. Collection facilities will be located in every county and will operate year round. No fees would be charged to the household consumer, charity, school district, or small businesses (10 or fewer employees) that bring such electronic waste to collection facilities that are part of an approved plan. The payment for the program would be the responsibility of the electronic manufacturers. See the Vermont E-Waste Recycling Program Website for more information.
OF GENERAL INTEREST
October 26-27, 2010
Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio TX
www.rrconference.com
You are invited to attend the inaugural Resource Recycling Conference presented by Resource Recycling, Inc., publisher of Resource Recycling, E-Scrap News and Plastics Recycling Update.
Invaluable Information
Leading experts will present extensive and detailed industry assessments, including, the status of municipal recycling in North America, the outlook of future domestic and foreign recycling markets, demand, how climate change will impact recycling, and overviews of the key trends affecting materials recovery.
Tradeshow
The exhibit hall will showcase the latest innovations and service offerings from firms providing equipment and processing systems, reclamation opportunities, consulting services and markets for material.
Endless Networking Opportunities
The Resource Recycling Conference is your opportunity to network with colleagues, clients, prospective partners, vendors, and industry leaders. Meeting everyone in one location will make sure you save precious time and travel expenses. Come early and enjoy a Night in Old San Antonio reception sponsored by STAR on October 25th.
Increase Your Industry Exposure
The conference offers an array of sponsorship, exhibiting and advertising options that provide your organization with a cost-effective way to promote your products and services, establish your brand, build new business relationships and secure your position as a leader in the industry. It is the perfect opportunity to reach key industry decision makers.
Conference Highlights
• Thorough assessments of municipal recycling systems in North America
• Reports on the latest research
• Comprehensive overviews of compelling legislative and policy options
• Attendance by all the key players
• Numerous networking opportunities
• A tradeshow featuring the latest innovations and services
Who should attend Resource Recycling Conference?
•Processors and consumers of recyclables
•Environmental organization executives
•Managers of local recycling systems
•Recycling service providers
•State and federal waste management officials
• Potential investors