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July 2016

NERC’s Advisory Members

Distinguished Benefactors

Consumer Technology Association (CTA)

Benefactors

Coca-Cola

Samsung

Waste Management

Sustaining Members

  • Advanced Drainage Systems

  • American Beverage Association

  • Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)

  • Blount Fine Foods

  • BlueTriton Brands

  • Bulk Handling Systems

  • Casella Resource Solutions

  • CLYNK

  • Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Inc.

  • Council of State Governments/Eastern Regional Conference

  • Eco-Products

  • Fire Rover, LLC

  • GDB International

  • Glass Packaging Institute

  • Henkel

  • Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI)

  • International Bottled Water Association

  • Keep America Beautiful

  • Keurig Dr. Pepper

  • MRM

  • Nestle USA

  • NEWMOA

  • PaintCare

  • Plastics Industry Association

  • Re-TRAC

  • Recycling Partnership

  • Republic Services

  • Reverse Logistics Group

  • Revolution

  • Serlin Haley

  • Sims Municipal Recycling

  • Sonoco

  • Strategic Materials

  • Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC)

  • TOMRA

  • US Composting Council (USCC)

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

NEW & RENEWING MEMBERSHIPS

Renewing Sustaining Members

New Supporting Member

  • AD&D Partners

Renewing Supporting Member

Member Spotlight - BHS-Sonthofen

NERC NEWS

STATE UPDATES

MASSACHUSETTS

NEW YORK

VERMONT

 ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

Of General Interest

 NEW & RENEWING MEMBERSHIPS

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.

For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director.

Member Spotlight - BHS-Sonthofen

BHS_Logo_RGB

 

Headquartered in Germany and with North American headquarters located in Charlotte, NC, BHS-Sonthofen is one of NERC’s recent Advisory Member additions, having signed up in early 2016. But that’s not to say that the manufacturer of advanced crushing machines and other technologies for the recycling industry is a new kid on the corporate block; the  was founded in 1607, and what is more was located on the same site as the current company’s German headquarters.

More than 400 years later,  BHS-Sonthofen is a leading global manufacturer of equipment for several applications in the recycling industry. The aforementioned crushing machines, for example, not only “selectively reduce the particle size of the input material,” the company states, but “separate composite materials and can clean and shape metals into balls if required” as well. The shredding machines manufactured by BHS, which crush, untangle and disaggregate materials, are applicable to electrical and electronic waste, aluminum, and other recycled materials. And in addition to e-waste applications, its granulator, which sizes feedstock via cutting action, can be applied to tires and other material as well.

Why NERC?

Transforming materials into value is the core message of BHS-Sonthofen and is a perfect partnership with the goals and the ideals of NERC.  BHS-Sonthofen is looking forward to supporting the members of NERC as they protect resources locally, nationally, and globally.

Recycling Industry Success for the Long Term

In addition to its individual machines, BHS designs entire recycling plants. “We design and implement complete recycling plants or plant components for treating recyclable materials for a wide variety of applications,” BHS states. The company even offers a modular recycling plant that requires no extensive installation; therefore, it can be put into use almost immediately, and one module features “a complete manual sorting line as well as the automatic separation of ferrous metals.”

Designing high-tech machines that contribute to a global recycling effort is important, and BHS backs it up with its environmental mission. “Our environmental management is aimed at keeping the risk of environmental hazards and pollution as low as possible,” the company states. “The environmental management function is analyzed based on audits by independent, external auditors and then certified.”

During the 2015 GreenTec Awards ceremony in Berlin, BHS received a prize certificate in the Recycling & Resources category, for its pioneering process for the recycling of refrigerators and cooling devices. “Cooling and propellants are thermally and catalytically treated, thereby eliminating their harmful effects on the climate,” according to an account of the awards ceremony.

Of course, financial stability is another important aspect of a sustainable company profile, and BHS-Sonthofen describes itself in these terms: “Our company is financially independent. We regard profitability as a precondition for long-term survival.” The company's 350 employees work in eight locations throughout the world; in addition to recently completing a new headquarters for its American operations in Charlotte, BHS has in recent years opened plants in Australia and Turkey. BHS has also been awarded as one of the most successful small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany.

The global business landscape is littered with start-up companies whose promising first steps ended, within a few years, with closure and other forms of corporate demise. But after more than 400 years, BHS-Sonthofen continues to develop a successful business model, while providing crucial solutions to some of the most important areas of the recycling industry.

For more information about BHS-Sonthofen Inc., contact Peter Schirk, Recycling Sales Manager, at peter.schirk@bhs-sonthofen.com , or call (908) 335-2537.

NERC NEWS

NERC Engages Board & Advisory Members to Plan Fall Conference - November 1 & 2, Portsmouth, NH

The planning for NERC’s Fall 2016 Conference agenda is well underway.  The Conference will be held on November 1-2 at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Some of the topics to be presented are:

  • What diversion rate is achievable and how?
  • The changing face of electronics recycling—reuse!
  • Sustainable packaging,
  • Safety in recycling, and
  • Organics.

The collaborative process used to identify the Conference topics, speakers, and specific session content is a group volunteer effort with NERC’s Board and Advisory Members.  The Agenda Planning Committee for NERC’s Fall Conference includes:

Board Members – Robert Isner, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection; Rick Watson, Delaware Solid Waste Authority; George MacDonald, Maine Department of Environmental Protection; Bryn Oakleaf of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; Chaz Miller of the National Waste & Recycling Association (Ex-Officio Board Member) and Walter (Chip) Foley (Ex-Officio Board Member).

Advisory Members - Joanne Shafer, Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority; Debra Darby, Organix Solutions; Barbara Heineken, RRS & Carton Council; Marcie Smith, American Chemistry Council

The Conference agenda and registration will be posted on NERC’s website by the end of July. 

For more information about the Conference, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director & Event Organizer.

First Sponsor for NERC Fall Conference!

The Northern New England Chapter of NWRA (National Waste & Recycling Association) is the first sponsor for NERC's Fall 2016 Conference! 

"The private sector recycling companies organized under the No. New England NWRA chapter are happy to be able to continue to partner with NERC in reviewing recycling issues of the day and working together to promote the recovery of as much after useful life discarded material as possible. The upcoming Portsmouth, New Hampshire meeting will be yet another opportunity to continue our work together!" says Steve Changaris, Northeast Region Manager of NWRA.

If you'd like information about sponsoring NERC's Fall Conference, contact Mary Ann Remolador.

WasteExpo Experience

It was a big event…600 exhibitors, reportedly the most ever for a WasteExpo; and nearly 13,000 attendees from across the globe, representing all facets of solid waste management. Indeed, WasteExpo is North America’s largest solid waste, recycling, and organics industry event. Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, this year’s WasteExpo featured several days of education sessions, the National Waste & Recycling Association’s (NWRA) Annual Awards Breakfast, recognition for Waste360’s inaugural 40 Under 40, the Education Research and Education Foundation’s Annual Charitable Auction, and a new Food Recovery Forum. Networking opportunities abounded throughout.

Then, of course, there were the exhibitors—filling two giant halls with booths, trucks, all manner of industry-related equipment, containers, products (from odor control to data tracking), and pretty much everything relating to the world of waste and materials management. Lots of equipment and product demonstrations. And, SWAG… and, free massages…

The event started Monday, June 6, with 25 different sessions and panels, along with the fourth annual Investor Summit. The educational sessions ranged from fleet management and data tracking to zero waste strategies. The day ended with the Welcome Reception at the Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub at the Cosmopolitan Hotel.

Athena Lee Bradley of NERC’s staff had the privilege of presenting at WasteExpo’s new Food Recovery Forum. A part of the WasteExpo Organics/Composting track, the Food Recovery Forum featured panelists from around the nation addressing wasted food reduction, recovery, and diversion.

The Road to Zero Waste—Organics Diversion and Food Recovery Solutions in Action opened the Organics Sessions. The panelists included Eric Lombardi, Executive Director, Eco-Cycle International; Evan Edgar, Principal, Edgar and Associates; and Barnes Johnson, US EPA Director, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery. Discussion featured the Community Zero Waste Roadmap, California’s organics ban and its focus on the relationship between the ban and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a national goal of a 50-percent reduction in wasted food by 2030.

The Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA) Panel featured Michael Desso, director of safety, health & environment for Nestle USA; Brian Higgins, Sustainability Manager for the Innovation Center for U.S. DairyBank Equipment Finance; Meghan Stasz, Senior Director of Sustainability for the Grocery Manufacturers Association; and Jason Wadsworth, Sustainability Manager for Wegmans Food Markets. The panel addressed how food manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants are working to reduce and divert food waste across the supply chain. Barriers were discussed, including the need for more infrastructure to collect and process food scraps. An interesting point brought out by the panel was the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) new Food Loss & Waste Protocol­­­­. This is a multi-stakeholder effort to develop the global accounting and reporting standard for quantifying food loss along the food supply chain.

Day two of WasteExpo started out with the NWRA Awards Breakfast and another day of education sessions. Organics and food recovery, technology, waste and recycling sorting, safety, and source performance standards for landfills were just some of the topics addressed. The Exhibit Hall opening was a definite highlight of the day. Waste 360’s 40 Under 40 Awards reception was held Tuesday afternoon.

The Organics Equipment and Technologies session featured presenters from Labrie Environmental Group, Heil Environmental, and Marathon Equipment. There was lots of audience participation, discussing how manufacturers and haulers are working to improve equipment, technology, and strategies to collect organics.

Another important focus of the day was the Residential Food Scrap Program Development, Compostable Products in Food Recovery, and Packaging Solutions session. Panelists included representatives from two compostable bioplastics companies, Natur-Tec© and EcoSafe© Zero Waste, as well as Eco-Products, Inc. The latest in compostable plastics developments and the role these products can play in improving participation in both household and commercial food scrap diversion were discussed.

Day three of the event was filled with more educational sessions, and the second full day of the exhibit hall. Many WasteExpo attendees also participated in the Environmental Research & Education Foundation's (EREF) Annual Auction, which raises money to fund and direct scientific research and educational initiatives for waste management practices.

A highlight of the last day of sessions was the Brown Bag Luncheon Series: Sustainability Roundtable’ featuring Katrina Tesarova, Vice-President, Global Sustainability, Las Vegas Sands Corporation; and Brittany Price, Director of Sustainable Operations, MGM Resorts International. The presenters provided an overview of efforts at their resorts to promote sustainable practices, including LEED certified buildings; energy efficiency and renewable energy practices; and, of course, waste reduction, recycling, and composting.

 Interestingly, the Roundtable brought out a discussion of what happens with all the waste generated in the Las Vegas resorts, casinos, and conference centers. Walking around the hotels and conference center, I observed there were no recycling bins. The practice is for the facilities to collect all waste together and then have employees sort collected materials. Food scraps are collected separately in resort kitchens and sent to a pig farm located just outside of Las Vegas. In fact, the food scrap diversion has been so successful that the pig farm is expanding and improving its operations to handle more food scraps.

For more information, contact Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager.

STATE UPDATES

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Recognized by Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council

In late May the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council recognized twelve organizations and one individual for their leadership in the sustainable purchasing movement, a growing trend in which organizations are using their purchasing power to advance the long term health and vitality of society, economies, and the planet.

The award winners employed a wide range of sustainable purchasing strategies and documented the resulting environmental, social, and/or economic benefits. Among the awardees was the Leadership Award for a Special Sustainable Purchasing Initiative, which was presented to The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Responsible Purchasing Network for leading the establishment of a cooperative contract through which agencies in multiple states can now buy independently certified green cleaning products at favorable pricing and with specialized training and outreach.

In addition, Massachusetts was recognized with the Sustainable Purchasing Business Case Leadership Award in recognition of documenting over $28 million in annual savings and 190,000 metric tons of carbon emissions reduced as a result of its comprehensive Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program.

MassDEP Recycling Business Development Grant Deadline July 15

The deadline for Round 2 of MassDEP’s Recycling Business Development Grants (RBDG) is July 15, by 5:00 p.m.  The RBDG program is intended to help Massachusetts recycling processors and manufacturers create sustainable markets for eligible materials, and to add value to municipal and business recycling efforts. Selected applicants will receive grant awards of between $50,000 and $400,000.

MassDEP will evaluate each applicant's capabilities and experience, the extent to which the proposed project fosters stronger local recycling markets, the technical feasibility of the investment, the applicant’s financial match, and the likelihood of success and continued sustainability of the investment after the grant. MassDEP may require a site visit and/or interview with the top ranked applicants as part of the evaluation. 

Visit the MassDEP RBDG webpage for more information about eligibility and material requirements, and a link to the application.

Massachusetts Mattress Recycling Initiative

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has launched a new initiative to help cities and towns recycle old mattresses instead of sending them to landfills or municipal waste combustors.  About 85% of the contents of mattresses and box springs can be recycled, including wood, metal springs, cotton, and polyurethane foam.  Very little mattress recycling occurs in Massachusetts at present, due to limited markets and high recycling costs. 

Mattresses are also costly to dispose of as solid waste and many municipalities pay surcharges for mattress disposal in addition to the per-ton “tipping fee”. The metal coils within the mattresses do not easily combust and their entanglement with equipment at incinerators poses a unique set of problems and costs.

That’s why MassDEP is offering municipal grants, offered under the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP), to help off-set the cost of recycling discarded residential mattresses handled at the transfer station or collected at the curb.  SMRP was authorized by the Green Communities Act and corresponding MassDEP regulations (310 CMR 19.300-303).

“MassDEP wants to encourage the development of a stronger mattress recycling infrastructure by creating a supply and helping municipalities save money” said Commissioner Suuberg.   To insure there’s a place to recycle the mattresses, MassDEP went out to bid and awarded contracts to three recyclers in Gardner and Lowell, MA and West Warwick, RI.  Up to $500,000 has been budgeted for mattress recycling grants this year.  Last June, 48 cities and towns applied for the new Mattress Recycling Incentive grant. In the fall, all 48 municipalities were awarded a grant, and most of these have already started collecting mattresses. MassDEP matched grantee communities with a state contracted recycler and will pay transportation and recycling costs for municipally collected residential mattresses for a two year period.  After the grant period ends, MassDEP anticipates that the cost to recycle will decline and most municipalities will continue to recycle.

Applications for the current year’s municipal grants through the SMRP program closed on Wednesday, June 15th. The requests included 13 applications for the Mattress Recycling Incentive; awards will be announced this fall.  

Increasing mattress recycling will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create jobs in local recycling businesses.  A 2015 study estimated that 35 million mattress and box spring units each year in the United States are replaced, removed or otherwise disposed.  If all those were recycled, it would generate on the order of 10,000 jobs and save between 1 and 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases.

MassDEP officials estimate that as many as 600,000 mattresses are discarded every year in Massachusetts.  About two thirds of those go back to mattress retailers who collect the old mattress when the new one is delivered.  About half of those go out of state for refurbishment while the other half are disposed as trash.  Roughly another 200,000 mattresses are handled by municipalities at transfer stations and through residential trash collection.  MassDEP hopes to capture about 50,000 of those discarded mattresses for recycling within the next five years.

Municipalities will have the opportunity to apply for a mattress recycling grant annually for the next few years.  The next application will be issued in April 2017.  For more information on the grant program please visit the SMRP grants webpage.

NEW YORK

DEC & DOH Announce Initiative to Improve New Yorkers Ability to Dispose of Unwanted Medication

New Yorkers now have more options to safely dispose unused, unwanted, and expired drugs, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos and Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Howard Zucker announced.  Governor Cuomo recently signed legislation that will facilitate drug collection efforts by now allowing pharmacies to take back unwanted drugs.

“Many New Yorkers want to properly dispose of their unwanted drugs, but collection events and locations were not always convenient,” Commissioner Seggos said.  “Now that pharmacies are allowed to be a collection point, people can take their medicine to the same location where they get their prescriptions filled, which helps keep them out of our waterways.  The state encourages everyone to properly dispose of their unwanted medications.”

DEC and DOH encourage all pharmacies to become authorized collectors of unused, expired, and unwanted drugs, under the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s Controlled Substances Disposal Rule.  To that end, DEC will exercise enforcement discretion to alleviate regulatory hurdles for all authorized collectors, including removing requirements for them to obtain a Part 360 solid waste storage permit and the requirement that household pharmaceuticals that are hazardous waste be disposed of at a hazardous-waste facility.  Additionally, DEC has recently proposed regulations that would exempt pharmaceutical collection receptacles and events in the Part 360 Series that is presently undergoing public comment.  The Enacted Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Budget also included $1,000,000 to maximize the availability of drug collection programs throughout the State, including at local law enforcement agencies. 

Until recently, consumers were told to flush unwanted drugs. With technological advances and increased water quality research, low levels of medications have been detected in lakes, streams and rivers in the state.  Many drugs pass largely unaltered through wastewater treatment plants and enter rivers and other water ways. Drugs from heath care facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, and farms can also find their way into the water.  Although the health and environmental consequences are still being studied, current research is beginning to show correlations between continuous exposure to low levels of medications and adverse impacts to the health of affected fish and other aquatic wildlife.

In addition, the use and abuse of prescription medication is on the rise, and can result in addictions to illegal drugs like heroin.  Properly disposing of unused, unwanted, and expired drugs cuts down on the chances that they are used inappropriately.

“The state, and nation for that matter, are in the grips of an opioid epidemic,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker. “By disposing of unwanted medications appropriately, we can cut down the availability of these drugs as well as others. Allowing unwanted drugs to languish in medicine cabinets raises the risk that they will land in the wrong hands.”

DEC continues to proactively address this issue though its vigorous ‘Don’t Flush Your Drugs’ campaign and targeted collections by DEC Law Enforcement professionals at long-term health care facilities in the New York City Watershed and on Long Island.

VERMONT

New Share Table & Food Donation Resource Documents

The State of Vermont has released two new documents to assist with food recovery.  The documents were developed in partnership with the Vermont Department of Health (VDH), Agency of Education (AOE), Agency of Agriculture, Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), Chittenden Solid Waste District, Milton Farm to School, and the Vermont Foodbank. This team drafted the contents of these documents with assistance from the USDA-FNS, USEPA Region 1, and Food Rescue (Indiana based organization), among other partners.

Note that donating food to charitable programs has federal liability protection under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act. The federal law can be read here: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2010-title42/pdf/USCODE-2010-title42-chap13A-sec1791.pdf.  

Preventing wasted food and capturing edible food before it must be discarded is a way to reduce the amount of material that must be sent to be composted, or other downstream processing options that keep the material out of the landfill.

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

Rockland County Solid Waste Authority receives USEPA’s 2016 Environmental Champion Award for Household Hazardous Waste Facility Accomplishments

In May, the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority, New York (Authority) was recognized for its outstanding success in the collection of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) with the presentation of a 2016 Environmental Champion Award, at the USEPA Region 2 Offices in Manhattan. The Award, presented by USEPA Region 2 Director, Judith Enck, is the highest national award offered to the public by the EPA, and recognizes both individuals and organizations who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to protecting and enhancing environmental quality and public health.

Rockland County Receives EPA award

“Rockland residents and small businesses are fortunate to have one of only 14 permanent Household Hazardous Waste Facilities in New York State, within miles of their homes,” says Anna Roppolo, Executive Director of the Authority. “We are committed to protecting the environment and natural resources through an integrated system of processing facilities and reuse programs, and removing toxic materials from the trash at the HHW is part of that commitment."

 Anna Roppolo, Executive Director, RCSWMA; with Judith Enck, Director, USEPA Region 2; & Keynote Speaker Murray Fisher, founder of NY Harbor School and the Billion Oyster Program.

The Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Firemen’s Memorial Drive in Pomona, NY is available to over 300,000 residents and small quantity generators. Common hazardous items, such as paint, chemical cleaners, pesticides, mercury containing items and electronics, to name a few, can be disposed of Monday through Friday, as well as 10 weekend events throughout the year.

In operation since 1995, the facility serves a critical role in pollution avoidance by annually recovering over 446,000 gallons of paint; 60,000 gallons of motor oil; 2,200 gallons of mercury; 72,000 gallons of pesticides; and almost a million pounds of electronic waste in 2015 alone.  Additionally, the HHW Facility participates in two compassionate re-use programs: cell phones are refurbished for distribution to domestic abuse victims through a partnership with the Rockland County Center for Safety and Change – and re-useable computers are sorted out by a local non-profit company called PC Users Group, to be refurbished and distributed to needy individuals.

The Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority manages waste within Rockland County, NY. The Authority operates as an integrated system under two contemporary environmental paradigms. First, natural resource management through waste management agreements and policies that govern household, school and business waste practices, and guide Rockland communities in managing waste to protect natural resources and create new resources for the manufacturing sector. Second, eco-development to ensure that waste management practices protect natural resources and prevent pollution, by landfill diversion and avoidance of environmentally detrimental waste disposal.

Elementary Students Think "Beyond the Bag" to Capture Top Recycling Prize from Trex Company

Composite Decking Leader Hosted Competition to Incentivize and Educate Students about Recycling

For the students at Mill Plain Elementary School in Vancouver, Wash., it’s easy being green! As one of 70 regional finalists of the 2016 Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge, Mill Plain students recycled approximately 1,989 pounds of polyethtrex-logoylene plastic (in the form of bags, wrap and film) –  during the six-month challenge of schools throughout the country. The plastic film they collected will be recycled by Trex to help make new composite decking and other building materials.

The Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge pits K-12 schools across the country against one another in a fun and spirited race to collect and recycle the most plastic bags and other types of polyethylene materials for the chance to win Trex products for their schools. A record number of 590 schools participated in this year’s program, collecting 240,864 pounds of plastic film since the competition started last November 15 on America Recycles Day.

Other winners from the Northeast include:

  • Huckleberry Hill Elementary in Brookfield, Conn.
  • Weston Elementary in Manchester, N.H.
  • Littlebrook Elementary in Princeton, N.J.
  • Frankford Township School in Branchville, N.J.
  • Menlo Park Terrance School 19 in Metuchen, N.J.
  • Coxsackie Elementary in Coxsackie, N.Y.
  • Southampton Elementary in South Hampton, N.Y.
  • Woodbridge Elementary in Cranston, R.I.

“Every year, Trex gets students on board with recycling by engaging their competitive side,” said Stephanie Hicks, material resource coordinator for Trex. “The 2016 Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge was the most successful to-date, educating thousands of students about how they can help care for our planet.”

For their efforts, Mill Plain students were honored with a new bench made of high-performance Trex composite decking, as well as a plaque and awards ceremony – with a special appearance by “Bagzilla,” a friendly monster dressed head-to-toe in hundreds of grocery bags. The celebration continued with a rousing game of “toxic beach ball” played with a large ball of plastic wrap while parents and faculty waved pompoms on the sidelines.

All the fun was captured on camera by the City of Vancouver, which produced a video of the event to tout the school’s success. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BEDeBG09g8 to check out all the fun! For more information on Trex’s recycling programs, visit www.trex.com.

Announcing Steve Thompson Memorial Grant

Free Ride to 2016 Resource Recycling Conference

This year the recycling world lost a gSteve Thompson Grantreat leader, former Recycling Partnership Executive Director, Steve Thompson. In his memory, Re-TRAC Connect, Resource Recycling, and The Recycling Partnership are opening up five grants to attend the August 30 – September 1 Resource Recycling Conference in New Orleans.

All those who are interested in learning more about recycling may apply, but specifically encouraged are those at the collegiate or community recycling level who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend and learn at this year’s important conference. The grants will come in the form of complimentary registration plus a travel reimbursement of up to $1000 to cover room, travel, and meals. 

APPLY HERE by midnight EST, July 17, 2016.

OF GENERAL INTEREST

NCER & The Sustainability Consortium Release the Electronics Recycling Landscape Report

The National Center for Electronics Recycling and The Sustainability Consortium have released a report commissioned by the Closed Loop Foundation on the "The Electronics Recycling Landscape."  A webinar was held on June 1st to announce the results and start a dialogue on its findings.  NCER will be bringing the results to members of the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC), a joint program with the Northeast Recycling Council, to discuss how state electronics recycling programs should adapt to future changes in the waste stream, among other challenges.

This report explores:

  • The types and quantities of materials that are currently and will be moving from the consumer market into the waste stream,
  • Programs in place to deal with this and how effective they are,
  • And key drivers and innovations that will impact effectiveness of electronics recycling moving forward.

The Electronics Recycling Landscape Report is available here: http://www.electronicsrecycling.org/?p=676

Boston Region to Host Fourth International Reuse Conference & Expo

The Greater Boston Region (Massachusetts, USA) has been selected as the host for ReuseConex 2016, the fourth International Reuse Conference and Expo. The event, taking place October 17-19, 2016 at the Holiday Inn Boston-Bunker Hill, will feature prReuseConex logoofessional training opportunities with experts from the reuse industry as well reuse-based exhibitors, a reuse documentary film screening, and tours of local reuse organizations. This year’s conference theme is Leveraging REUSE in a Circular Economy, which will focus on bringing real-world reuse practices to life.

ReuseConex is a biennial event and this year’s co-hosts are Reuse Institute and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). “ReuseConex 2016 will help showcase New England’s sustainability ethic,” said MaryEllen Etienne of Reuse Institute. “Not only does the region have a community that encourages its citizens to do their part toward climate protection through resource conservation, it is home to a wide array of reuse organizations and has the reuse ‘know-how’ to host a spectacular experience for conference guests from all over the world." MassDEP’s Commissioner, Martin Suuberg, said “We are thrilled to have been selected to co-host the 2016 International Reuse Conference and Expo. Reuse enterprises provide triple bottom line benefits: financial, social and environmental. MassDEP is proud to have fostered reuse initiatives with programs for building materials, furniture and mattresses, textiles, food donation, and electronics, and looks forward to making more connections at the ReuseConex this fall.”

Registration is now open for ReuseConex, which serves as a unique platform to share innovative reuse initiatives, transformative ideas, and replicable/scalable programs, research, and policy. Attendees include reuse operation managers, environmental educators, economic development leaders, environmental activists, eco-entrepreneurs, green builders, creative reuse practitioners, sustainability consultants, venture capitalists, as well as recycling coordinators for corporations, government agencies and universities, and concerned citizens. An “early bird” discount registration rate is available now through June 30, 2016.

Other event partners and supporters include Bay State Textiles, Boston Building Resources, Casella Resource Solutions, Center for EcoTechnology, Connecticut Department for Energy and Environmental Protection, Environmental Protection Agency Region 1, Extras for Creative Reuse, Harvard University, iWasteNot Systems, Morgan Memorial Goodwill, New England Grassroots Environment Fund, Northeast Recycling Council, SCRAP USA and The Scrap Exchange.

About the Co-Hosts

Reuse Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of reuse – a central tenet of sustainability – through educational events, training services and research projects.

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is the state agency responsible for ensuring clean air and water, the safe management of toxics and hazards, the recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, the timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources.