July 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 Members
New Sustaining Member
Renewing Supporting Member
Member Spotlight - Fire Rover
NERC News
- Call for Papers for NERC’s Fall 2021 Conference
- NERC Annual Environmental Leadership Award - Applications Due August 14
- Growing the Upcycled Food Economy Webinar - July 14, 1 eastern
- New Officers Elected
- New Government Recycling Demand Champion Joins Program
Newly Posted
Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse News
State Updates
CONNECTICUT
MASSACHUSETTS
NEW YORK
Advisory Member News
- North American Plastic Recycling Rates Highlight Need for Investment in Collection & Infrastructure
- Vanguard Renewables Names Joel Gay Chief Executive Officer
- Goodrich Farm of Salisbury, Vermont Wins 2021 Dairy Sustainability Award
- Salvation Farms Receives $77,550 from Chittenden Solid Waste District
- FCC Environmental Services MRFs Receive First Gold Glass Recycling Certification in Texas
Of General Interest
Membership is key to NERC's regional and national commitment to sustainable materials management. 2021 continues as a dynamic time with several new members, along with a great show of support by renewing members.
We welcome our newest Sustaining Member - Fire Rover, LLC (see Member Spotlight below). And, we thank our renewing Supporting Member Resource Recycling Systems (RRS).
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.
Member Spotlight - Fire Rover, LLC
Recently the city of Phoenix, Arizona experienced two fires at recycling centers, 
one of which required “over 200 firefighters and 10 agencies to put out,” reported the Arizona Republic.
While a number of factors contribute to the frequency of fires in materials recovery facilities (MRFs), the recently published 4th Annual Report by new NERC Advisory Member Fire Rover focuses much of its attention on society’s increasing dependence on—and improper disposal of—lithium-ion batteries. In the report, Fire Rover Vice President Ryan Fogelman writes, “We had been having fire incidents since the beginning of time, but as an industry, the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery wave really threw us for a loop.”
“We are looking at the cost of lithium-ion battery fires in the U.S. and Canada to be a staggering US$1.2 billion annually,” Fogelman continued. “Add that to the cost of the traditional fire hazards we already are facing and the number doubles to US$2.4 billion annually.”
Fire Rover’s solution to the problem of fires in MRFs is the development of a fire detection and suppression system that features three main components:
- Thermography and video analytics pinpoint and detect fires in their infancy and identify hotspots before flare-up.
- An automated fire suppression system that delivers significantly higher volumes of fire suppression solutions to the base of the fire than recommended by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
- A monitoring and maintenance program that includes continuous system up-time monitoring with daily check-ins and regular on-site preventative maintenance.
“Fire Rover came to market in 2015 and was developed specifically for the waste and recycling industry to provide early heat abnormality detection, remote human verification and remote application of cooling agents directly to the source of the abnormality,” Fogelman said.
Fogelman writes in the Annual Report: “After six years of putting our patented Fire Rover solution to use in the industry, I can confidently say that our solution can and is the only solution on the market today that can lower the risk profile of a good operator to levels seen before the lithium-ion hazards hit our industry.”
Fire Rover is headquartered in West Bloomfield, Michigan. In 2019, the company received the Gold Edison Award for Innovation in Industrial Safety. “One of the game-changing winners, Fire Rover, was recognized as a true innovator in Industrial Safety,” said Frank Bonafilia, Executive Director of the Edison Awards.
In 2020, Fire Rover received the Innovator of the Year award from NERC Advisory Member National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA). The award celebrates innovation in design and manufacturing that increases the effectiveness or efficiency of recycling equipment and operations.
“As a technology start-up new to the waste and recycling industry in 2015, NERC’s staff and members were warm and welcoming us. The staff not only reached out to see how they could help, but provided a number of venues for us to interact with their members. I truly appreciate the organization and the innovative and personal approach they bring to the industry.”
Clearly, Fire Rover brings essential strengths to an ongoing dialogue of Advisory Members across the recycling and waste management spectrum. NERC looks forward to a productive relationship.
NERC News
Call for Papers for NERC’s Fall 2021 Conference - due July 9
The Northeast Recycling Council invites all who are interested in presenting at its virtual Fall Conference on October 12 - 13 to submit a presentation abstract.
NERC’s Conferences are unique in that they provide an opportunity for government and industry to discuss the issues considered the most important and timely for advancing toward a circular economy. The Conferences attract an expert speaker pool and a diverse audience of government, industry, non-profits, consultants working in sustainable materials management, and students interested in recycling issues.
NERC is seeking abstracts about the following topics:
- Environmental Justice
- Reuse
- Solar panels
- Repair and refurbishment of consumer goods (business and community models)
- C&D materials and markets
- Replacing single use plastics with reusables
- Organics
- Simplifying compostable vs. biodegradable, & efficacy of labelling
- Reducing food waste
- Food rescue efforts to address hunger
- Policies
- Federal recycling policies
- Status of Northeast state’s sustainable materials management bills (reuse, recycling, composting, etc.)
- Impact of recycled content requirements on end markets
- Creating inclusivity in EPR systems
- Transportation Issues & Impact on Recycling Industry
Abstract Submission Requirements (All items listed below must be submitted in order for the submission to be considered complete.)
- Abstract (350 words or less sent as a Microsoft Word or PDF file)
- Detail the proposed presentation content and specify the topic listed above in which it fits.
- Specify if and when you have presented the topic at another event (include event name, location, and date)
- Speaker bio & contact information (cell phone number and email address)
- Headshot (JPG file)
Abstracts due July 9.
Send Submissions to Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director & Events Organizer – Feel free to call with any questions at 802-451-8852. Thank you.
NERC Annual Environmental Leadership Award - Applications Due August 14
Advancing and supporting a sustainable economy and environment is especially critical this year. In recognition, NERC seeks nominees for its annual Environmental Sustainability Leadership.
The award program offers a unique opportunity for individuals and companies in NERC’s 11-state region that demonstrate an impact on an environmentally sustainable economy in furtherance of the NERC mission. Awards are given to the public and private sector, with a special category reserved for NERC Advisory Members.
To be eligible, an organization or individual must be located within one or more of NERC’s 11-member states. Applications are due August 14.
“Every year we receive dozens of outstanding applications and are always impressed by the range and depth of what is accomplished in our region, “ Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director commented. “It is obvious that the commitment to an economically sustainable economy thrives in the Northeast and we are proud to be able to recognize the leaders in these efforts,” she added.
Award presentations will be made in October during the NERC Conference. For more information about the Conference, visit the NERC website.
For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director.
Growing the Upcycled Food Economy Webinar - July 14, 1 eastern
This joint NERC and NEWMOA webinar will focus on the emerging business of upcycling food waste. The presenters will cover:
- State of the upcycled food movement - definition, certification standard, and environmental benefits
- How upcycling is different than other methods of diverting wasted food – donation, animal feed, composting, anaerobic digestion
- Key challenges with upcycling food waste
- Business leaders who are building the food upcycling economy
Presenters:
- Leah Graham, Marketing Director, Upcycled Food Association
- Dr. Jonathan Deutsch, Professor and Director, Drexel Food Laboratory, Drexel University
- Anna Hammond, Founder and CEO, Matriark Foods
CEU credit available from NJ Rutgers, NH DES, and PROP
New Officers Elected
With the new fiscal year comes a change in NERC's leadership team. The Executive Committee for fiscal year 2022 is:
- Josh Kelly, Vermont, President
- Megan Pryor, Maine, Vice President
- Rick Watson, Delaware, Treasurer
- Lynn Rubinstein, NERC, Secretary
We'd like to sincerely thank Robert Isner, Connecticut, for serving as the Board President in FY21.
New Government Recycling Demand Champion Joins Program
We are delighted to announce that the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Environmental Assistance & Customer Services has joined the Government Recycling Demand Champion as a Champion. As such, it commits to increasing its purchase of products with post-consumer resin.
The Program supports public sector and educational institution efforts to increase the purchasing of products with post-consumer plastic content. It is a free program offered in partnership with APR. A brief fact sheet about the program is available. For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Program Manager.
Newly Posted
NERC FY22 Operating Plan & Budget
NERC has posted its FY 22 Operating Plan & Budget. For information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director.
All NERC Webinar Recordings & PowerPoint Presentations Available on Website
A new dedicated web page has been posted on the NERC website that provides registration links to all upcoming webinars, as well as the recordings and PowerPoint presentations of the most recent webinars. The webinar page can be found here. You can continue to find registration links and the most recent webinar recording on the NERC home page.
Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse News
ERCC Launches Updated e-Cycle Compliance Calendar Website
The Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC) has officially 
launched the e-Cycle Compliance Calendar website. This website is a one-stop location for stakeholders such as collectors, manufacturers and recyclers to view and track requirements across the 25 state electronics recycling laws. The vision for the e-Cycle Compliance Calendar website originally sprung from conversation among ERCC members who wanted a comprehensive and public resource for tracking the complicated requirements under state electronics recycling laws. The multi-
year effort to develop the database and website involved state agencies reviewing information about their laws as well as ERCC members giving input on the most effective ways to view and report data. The site was made possible by a contribution from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
The e-Cycle Compliance Calendar website is available as a free resource at http://ecyclingcompliance.org. Any user can create and save custom reports by signing up for an account. With an account, users may also choose to receive email alerts for specific state deadlines or changes. The website will be maintained and updated by ERCC administrators. To be involved in the ongoing development process with this project and others, check out membership options by going to the ERCC website.
For a tutorial on how to utilize the e-Cycle Compliance Calendar site, please see our latest webinar recording here.
The ERCC is a joint program of NERC and the National Center for Electronics Recycler (NCER).
For more information, contact Jason Linnell, program manager.
State Updates
CONNECTICUT
Sustainable Materials Management Employment Opportunities at CT DEEP
Energy and Environmental Protection Office Director (Program)
Recruitment #210617-1753MP-001
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is seeking to hire an Office Director to provide bureau-wide planning and policy development and strategic waste and capacity planning for the Bureau of Materials Management and Compliance Assurance (MMCA).
This position offers an opportunity to help shape the management of materials in Connecticut for the future. This is a critical time in Connecticut's waste management system as one of five waste to energy facilities is planned to close and regional landfill capacity is forecasted to decline by 40% in the next few years. With fewer and rapidly aging disposal options in state, municipalities are increasingly relying on out of state landfills to manage their municipal solid waste and can expect greater volatility in disposal costs over the long term.
Deadline: July 13, 2021 11:59pm.
Materials Management and Compliance Assurance - Energy and Environmental Protection Bureau Chief
Recruitment #210615-3477MP-001
The State of Connecticut, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is currently seeking to hire a Bureau Chief to lead the Materials Management and Compliance Assurance Bureau in innovatively fulfilling its important mission and to be a part of DEEP’s senior leadership team. The Bureau Chief of the MMCA directs the operation of three divisions: Waste Engineering and Enforcement, Water Permitting and Enforcement, and Emergency Response and Spill Prevention.
The Bureau Chief has supervisory responsibility for approximately 130 full time staff, administrative responsibility for an operating budget of approximately $15 million, including 5 federal grants. This position also oversees an annual capital budget of upwards of $10 million.
Deadline: July 13, 2021 11:59pm.
MASSACHUSETTS
MassDEP Green Team Awards Announced
Massachusetts environmental officials have recognized students from 19 schools across the Commonwealth for outstanding environmental actions as members of the “Green Team,” a statewide environmental education program sponsored by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). Students took part in a range of activities, including expanding school recycling programs, researching electric vehicles, collecting textiles for donation and recycling, starting compost piles at home and school, using the compost generated to nourish a garden to grow vegetables, making their school driveways “Idle-Free Zones,” increasing energy efficiency in their schools and communities, and reducing their carbon footprint at school and at home. For the complete list of THE GREEN TEAM Prizewinners and their Projects, click here. The full press release can be found here.
NEW YORK
NYS List of Designated Food Scraps Generators Now Available
Effective Jan. 1, 2022, businesses and institutions that generate an annual average of two or more tons of wasted food per week must donate excess edible food to the maximum extent practicable and recycle all remaining food scraps if they are located within 25 miles of an organics recycler with capacity (e.g. composting facility, anaerobic digester, etc.).
NYSDEC has published lists of all designated food scraps generator (DFSG) and their requirements for compliance with the law. View list of Designated Food Scraps Generators. These lists, as well as waiver information, compliance requirements, and current available resources, can be found on DEC's website
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to FoodScrapsLaw@dec.ny.gov.
Advisory Member news
North American Plastic Recycling Rates Highlight Need for Investment in Collection & Infrastructure
North American recyclers continue to recycle the majority of the post-consumer plastic recovered for recycling. Recycling of plastics in North America has risen approximately 8% since 2017. However, the recycling industry faces ongoing challenges, according to a 2019 survey sponsored by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), the Foundation for Plastic Recycling, and the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
The 2019 U.S. Post-Consumer Recycling Data Report released today marks the first year the major plastic categories have been reported together in one report. A dashboard of data and digital access to the full data report are now available. These are some of the developments toward more comprehensive reporting on the state of plastic recycling.
Most of the material recovered for recycling in the United States in 2019 was purchased by reclaimers in the United States or Canada (87.9% combined) with just 12.1% exported overseas. Within the 12.1% of exports, bottle exports rose slightly by 26 million pounds; non-bottle rigid exports stayed flat; and post-consumer film exports dipped by 28.5 million pounds.
The 2019 U.S. Post-Consumer Plastic Recycling Data Report, based on surveys by Stina Inc. and NAPCOR, presents the findings of the major plastic categories recovered for recycling, by destination, with changes over time. In 2019, a total of 5,094 million pounds of post-consumer plastic sourced in the United States was recovered for recycling. Post-consumer plastics in the study included bottles, non-bottle rigid plastics, film, and other plastic but not foam.
In aggregate, recycling of bottles, non-bottle rigid plastic and film declined by 27 million pounds in 2019 or 0.5%. Compared to 2018, the largest increase in recycling in 2019 was among non-bottle rigid plastics (45.9 million pounds) and the largest drop in recycling was in PET bottles (39.3 million pounds). Although film plastic overall declined, there was an increase in film recovered for recycling from retail and agricultural sources. Plastic bottles continued to make up the majority of the plastic recovered for recycling at 55.2%, with non-bottle rigids accounting for 25.3%, film 19.2%, and other plastic, excluding foam, making up the remainder at 0.3%.
“Flat or declining recycling rates are a sign that the system needs support. Declines in mature recycling streams, such as PET and HDPE bottles, make brand company commitments to increased recycled content even more challenging. There are many opportunities to support continued growth in film and non-bottle rigid recycling as well as turn the course for bottles by focusing on what recyclers need to succeed as they are the engines of the circular economy,” said Steve Alexander, APR’s president and CEO. “Our modes of commerce and consumption are changing and our system of recovering resources must change too. Collection of quality material is essential for recyclers to produce quality feedstock at lower environmental and economic costs.”
“Companies across the plastics value chain are deeply committed to transitioning to a circular economy, and we’re pleased to see innovations and investments in everything from designing for recycling to modernizing our plastics recycling infrastructure,” said Joshua Baca, ACC’s vice president of plastics. “We look forward to working with policymakers, our business partners and other stakeholders to accelerate the shift toward circularity.”
Click here for access to the data dashboard and the full data report.
Vanguard Renewables Names Joel Gay Chief Executive Officer
Vanguard Renewables, the U.S. leader in organics to renewable energy, today announced the appointment of Joel Gay as its Chief Executive Officer.
“Vanguard is in the midst of an aggressive expansion plan to deploy more than 100 new anaerobic digester projects across 30 states, representing nearly $2.5 billion of digester facilities. As the scale of the business grows, our team is expanding to include some of the most talented project developers and operators in the industry,” said George Polk, Chairman of Vanguard Renewables. “Joel is an accomplished, results-driven leader, with the proven ability to inspire growing teams and businesses to reach new heights. I am very excited for Joel to lead Vanguard Renewables forward.”
“We are thrilled to have Joel take the helm as we continue to accelerate the growth of our successful renewable energy production platform,” said John Hanselman, Founder and Chief Corporate Development Officer of Vanguard Renewables. “Joel has the right skills to drive us further in achieving our mission to increase the nation’s renewable fuel supply, while supporting America’s farm families.”
Prior joining Vanguard Renewables, Mr. Gay was President and CEO of Energy Recovery, a global manufacturing and technology company serving multiple industrial markets. Under his leadership, Energy Recovery more than quadrupled its equity value as he led the company through a strategic and operational transformation including the creation of an extensive research and development program, the invention of new technology, and through that, expansion into new markets. At 37, Mr. Gay became one of the youngest CEOs of a Russell 2000 company, the youngest Black CEO of a publicly traded company, and was later named one of Fortune’s 40 under 40 in 2016. Mr. Gay holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA from St. Thomas University.
Vanguard Renewables is the national leader in the development of food and dairy waste-to-renewable energy projects. The Company develops, owns, and operates farm-based anaerobic digestion facilities that produce renewable natural gas (RNG) from recycled food waste and farm manure. Its manure-only division develops and operates farm-based anaerobic digesters to produce renewable natural gas for the low carbon fuel standard market.
“Vanguard has been a bona fide disruptor within the clean-tech and renewable energy markets through its creation of the most scalable RNG platform in the world – a differentiated commercial model incorporating vertical integration that contemplates the most valuable components of the renewable energy and waste management value chains. This groundbreaking model has forged a truly circular economy that prevents waste and pollution, captures clean energy for beneficial use, and creates value for all stakeholders. In sum, this equates to an incredibly unique and timely opportunity that I am keen to further scale and monetize. Vanguard’s founders, John Hanselman and Kevin Chase, have well-positioned the Company for its next phase of growth and value creation,” said Joel Gay, CEO of Vanguard Renewables.
Vanguard Renewables was founded in 2014 by John Hanselman and Kevin Chase, who grew the Company’s footprint from a project in Massachusetts to a nationwide enterprise. Mr. Hanselman will continue to lead partnerships with major corporate, utility, and agricultural stakeholders. Mr. Chase will continue to serve as the leader of Vanguard’s Ag business.
Mr. Gay added, “My passion has long been creating and accelerating the development of technologies that solve hard problems and make both industries and the environmental economy in which they reside more sustainable. Alongside the founders and the existing team, I am massively excited to help make Vanguard and RNG the most viable, scalable, and economically sensible solution to materially reduce our collective carbon footprint while supporting American farmers, industries, and consumers.”
Goodrich Farm of Salisbury, Vermont Wins 2021 Dairy Sustainability Award
The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy announced that Goodrich Farm of Salisbury, Vermont is the winner of a 2021 Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability Award. The U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards honor dairy farms, businesses, and partnerships whose practices improve the well-being of people, animals, and the planet. Among its many sustainability initiatives, the Goodrich Farm hosts an anaerobic digester in partnership with Vanguard Renewables, Middlebury College, and Vermont Gas Systems that produces 180,000 Mcf of renewable natural gas and features the first phosphorus removal system in Vermont to protect the Lake Champlain watershed.
“The Goodrich Family is invested in the future. They have created a path of sustainability focused on innovation,” said Anson Tebbetts, Secretary for Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. “All through the process, Chase and his family knew it would create a positive path for their multi-generational family farm. But the project is also about their neighbors and the community including a major college institution.”
Goodrich Farm, managed by siblings Chase and Danielle Goodrich, is a multi-generational dairy farm in Addison County milking 900 cows while caring for more than 2,000 acres of land. The farm is a member of the Agri-Mark/Cabot Cooperative. In 2020, the unique partnership of Goodrich Farm, Vanguard Renewables, Middlebury College, and Vermont Gas Systems launched a 1.32-million-gallon Farm Powered® anaerobic digester project to produce 180,000 Mcf of renewable natural gas annually from manure and food and beverage waste. One of the largest anaerobic digesters in the U.S., the project was over a decade in the making.
“In 2009, when Danielle and I entered the dairy business after attending college, we saw two major challenges to our viability – the dairy business was getting more volatile and the environmental impact of dairy farms was under greater scrutiny,” said Chase Goodrich. “Hosting the anaerobic digester diversifies our income, improves our carbon footprint while protecting water quality, and makes us better neighbors, farmers, and animal owners.”
At the Farm Powered anaerobic digester methane-emitting cow manure and food waste are recycled into carbon negative renewable natural gas (RNG). The RNG travels by pipeline to Middlebury College’s nearby power plant, bringing the College closer to reaching its 10-year goal to power the campus with 100 percent clean energy. The anaerobic digester provides the farm with a diversified income stream in addition to high-quality, low carbon liquid fertilizer, animal bedding, and a reduction in the farm’s carbon footprint.
“We are thrilled for this recognition for the Goodrich Family”, said John Hanselman, Founder and Chief Development Officer of Vanguard Renewables. “Even better, Chase and Danielle’s sustainability journey is highly replicable. All dairy farms can incorporate regenerative agricultural practices such as no till farming and cover crops and pursue hosting an anaerobic digester project to diversify revenue and sustain the farm for future generations.”
This year the U. S. Dairy Innovation Center awards recognized seven winners across five categories; and Goodrich Farm is one of three 2021 Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability winners across the U.S. and the only winner in New England. The New England region has a strong agrarian tradition but lost 19 acres of farmland per day or 7,000 acres/year between 2001 and 2016 due to severe development pressure (according to the latest data available from American Farmland Trust).
CSWD Receives $131,200 Materials Management Grant from Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
The Chittenden Solid Waste District has been awarded a grant worth $131,200 by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), an arm of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, to be used toward capital infrastructure improvements to the Environmental Depot--CSWD's hazardous waste collection facility-- and enhanced food scrap collection at CSWD Drop-Off Centers.
The grant is part of $975,000 made available from the Solid Waste Management Assistance Fund provided by the State to help towns and solid waste planning entities implement their solid waste plans, as required by state law.
CSWD received $60,400 to convert the food scrap collection system at the District's seven Drop-Off Centers from dozens of 65-gallon carts serviced by a private hauler to more efficient and user-friendly custom-built containers managed by CSWD staff. In addition to increasing capacity and reducing ongoing costs, the change will also give CSWD the capacity and flexibility to explore piloting innovative centralized collection programs with member communities. The grant represents 40 percent of the project costs, with CSWD matching the remaining 60 percent.
CSWD will apply the remaining $70,800 awarded to a much needed overhaul to the 1990's-era biosolids building that has housed the District's Environmental Depot hazardous waste collection facility in South Burlington since 2003. Structural changes will add more than 1,500 square feet of usable space. This will enable the District to reunite the nationally recognized Local Color recycled paint and hazardous waste programs under one roof and recognize innumerable labor, material, fuel, and operational efficiencies as well as savings in facility lease costs.
"CSWD manages more than 600,000 pounds of hazardous waste and paint collected from residents and qualifying businesses, and roughly 690 tons of food scraps collected just from residents at our Drop-Off Centers each year," said Josh Tyler, CSWD's Director of Operations. "We will use these funds to implement changes to CSWD's food scrap, hazardous waste, and paint collection programs so they can continue to grow and meet our residents' and businesses' needs well into the future," added Tyler.
Salvation Farms Receives $77,550 from Chittenden Solid Waste District
The Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) is pleased to announce that Salvation Farms will be receiving $77,550 for the second Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) awarded by CSWD and approved by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.
Salvation Farms is a federally recognized non-profit with a mission to build increased resilience in Vermont's food system through agricultural surplus management. As the fiscal agent of this SEP, Salvation Farms will distribute the funds and oversee implementation of cold storage infrastructure at four partner organizations serving communities across Vermont and will invest $23,000 of the funds in a large walk-in freezer in Johnson for storage of minimally processed, frozen food products for distribution throughout the Lamoille Valley.
"The opportunity to work with CSWD in presenting a proposal to increase the capacity of organizations for better storage and distribution of rescued food from Vermont farms was a privilege. To have the proposal approved and be awarded these funds is an honor and we are pleased to be able to serve our collaborations and partner organizations in this way," said Theresa Snow, Executive Director of Salvation Farms. "Additionally, Salvation Farms is excited to be able to increase our own organizational capacity to store frozen products that we create from Vermont surplus farm foods."
These four partner organizations will benefit from the funding:
Healthy Roots Collaborative will receive $10,000 to construct food storage space in St. Albans. Equipped with CoolBot Technology, the storage will help ensure that more fresh produce gleaned from Northwest VT farms can be distributed to 25 recipient sites in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties at an expected savings of thousands of dollars compared with current operations. Healthy Roots collected and distributed more than 29,000 pounds of local surplus produce in 2020.
NEK Gleaners, a community-based collaboration between Salvation Farms and Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District (NEKWMD), will receive $15,000 to establish cold storage capacity to efficiently store and distribute produce gleaned from a dozen local farms for distribution to 24 community food sites serving Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia counties.
Helping Overcome Poverty's Effects (HOPE) in Addison County will receive $18,000 to expand fresh produce storage and purchase a refrigerated trailer for enhanced preservation and distribution of gleaned produce. In 2020, HOPE's gleaning program collected and distributed more than 36,000 pounds of surplus produce from 29 farms to 21 food access sites throughout Addison County.
Vermont Studio Center, a nonprofit arts organization in Johnson, will receive $4,500 to install a freezer in their existing kitchen space. Vermont Studio Center is partnering with Salvation Farms to coordinate minimal processing of gleaned produce, and this on-site storage will support that work.
https://vermontstudiocenter.org/“Waste prevention is a cornerstone of CSWD's mission," said Sarah Reeves, Executive Director of CSWD. “Salvation Farms is an ideal partner in rescuing food that would go uneaten and ensuring it is efficiently delivered to our neighbors in need," she added. "It's a wonderful synergy of food systems enhancement, community building, and waste prevention."
FCC Environmental Services MRFs Receive First Gold Glass Recycling Certification in Texas
The Glass Recycling Coalition (GRC) announced FCC Environmental Services as a recipient of a gold-level certification for two material recovery facilities (MRFs) based in Dallas and Houston, Texas. FCC Environmental Services becomes the first gold designation for MRFs in Texas and for MRFs without integrated glass beneficiation in the country, and the eighth and ninth MRFs to hold this certification in the country.
The free certification program recognizes MRFs with additional equipment and operational procedures to clean up glass in both single- and dual-stream systems, producing more marketable and higher-quality glass. GRC’s website currently hosts an interactive map showing MRFs, glass processors, and end markets across the country. GRC certified MRFs are noted on this map along with public recognition of this certification.
The full press release can be found at . Learn more about the Glass Recycling Coalition and apply for MRF Glass Certification at www.glassrecycles.org.
Of General interest
U.S. Plastics Pact Roadmap to 2025 Launched Driving A National Strategy To Achieve Circular Economy Goals
NERC has helped launch The U.S. Plastics Pact's (“U.S. Pact”) “Roadmap to 2025,” an aggressive national strategy illustrating how the U.S. Pact, and its signatories, known as Activators, will achieve each of the U.S. Pact’s four 2025 targets through specific actions, responsibilities, and interim timeframes to realize a circular economy for plastics in the United States by 2025.
Launched in August 2020, The U.S. Plastics Pact is a consortium led by The Recycling Partnership and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact network, which unites a holistic ecosystem of cross-industry stakeholders behind a common vision and national strategy to address plastic waste at its source by 2025.
As an Activator of the U.S. Pact, NERC joins other stakeholders across the plastics value chain in achieving systemic change and accelerating progress toward the following 2025 targets by inspiring and supporting upstream innovation through coordinated initiatives such as rethinking products, packaging, and business models in order to transition away from today’s take-make-waste model to a circular economy where plastics never become waste:
- Define a list of packaging to be designated as problematic or unnecessary by 2021 and take measures to eliminate them by 2025.
- 100% of plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.
- By 2025, undertake ambitious actions to effectively recycle or compost 50% of plastic packaging.
- By 2025, the average recycled content or responsibly sourced bio-based content in plastic packaging will be 30%.
The U.S. Pact’s Roadmap is designed to kick-start action and help U.S. industry leaders and packaging producers develop a national strategy, advance shared goals, and measure the strength of progress through annual reporting. This national strategy will assist Pact Activators in reaching ambitious goals by 2025 that they could not otherwise meet on their own through sharing knowledge, optimizing investments, identifying gaps, overcoming systemic barriers, and implementing policies.
“The current state of U.S. infrastructure, coupled with the lack of incentives to utilize recycled content in plastic packaging, have put immense strain on the value chain,” said Emily Tipaldo, Executive Director, The U.S. Plastics Pact. “The Roadmap is designed to help U.S. industry leaders act on the significant, systemwide change needed to realize a circular economy for plastics by 2025. The timeframe is short, and the workload is immense, but if we choose to do nothing, the visions of a circular economy across the U.S. will give way to the status quo. We look forward to working with all our Activators to drive this critical change.”
The Roadmap holds NERC and other Activators of the U.S. Pact accountable to sustainability objectives by creating the pathway in which companies, governments, and NGOs can successfully ensure that plastics remain in the U.S. economy and out of the environment for years to come.
To read the U.S. Pact’s full Roadmap, please visit https://usplasticspact.org/roadmap/.