News &
Updates

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

June 2012

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

New Sustaining Member:

E-World Online
Sharp

Renewing Sustaining Members:

NEW NERC PUBLICATIONS

NERC Updates Strategic Plan

NERC NEWS

STATE UPDATES

Connecticut

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

UNTHA America Adds to Staff

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.

MEMBERSHIP

We are delighted to welcome E-World Online and Sharp as a renewing Sustaining Members, and the Paper Recycling Coalition and R2 Solutions as renewing Supporting Members.

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. NERC has more than 50 Advisory Members.

To see a complete listing 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.

NEW NERC PUBLICATIONS

NERC Updates Strategic Plan

While looking to its future and celebrating its 25 year history of success, NERC has updated its Strategic Plan. Called "Envisioning Our Future," the Plan speaks to the period 2013 – 2018. If you'd like to receive a copy of the Plan, contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director.

NERC NEWS

Zero Waste in New England

NERC is participating in a project to development a "Zero Waste New England E-Guide." This EPA New England funded project involves a team of zero waste experts that includes the Northeast Recycling Council. This initial step in the project is to compile data — from waste reduction to product stewardship — that is occurring in the New England states.

And, there is a lot happening. New Englanders do not typically embrace the term "zero waste" like folks on the West Coast do (and the many international communities and businesses that have adopted the goal), but two New England states, Connecticut and Massachusetts, use the phrase. Connecticut has a Webpage devoted to the topic and Massachusetts prominently displays the term in its draft "2010-2020 Solid Waste Master Plan: A Pathway to Zero Waste."

Massachusetts' 2020 Plan lays a foundation for the long-term goal — to achieve "zero waste." It sets a 2050 goal for Massachusetts residents and businesses to reduce their waste disposal by 80%. One of the ways the state is proposing to reach this goal is through a ban on landfill disposal of organic materials by commercial establishments. Massachusetts also has a zero waste module in its Municipal Waste Reduction Toolkit posted on its Website.

Connecticut has set a waste diversion go of 58 percent by 2024. Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont have set diversion goals of 50 percent. A Bill to mandate recycling and composting in Vermont has recently passed that State's House and Senate and is awaiting signature by Governor Shumlin.

Maine law specifies product stewardship responsibilities for end-of-life management for: dry cell mercuric oxide and rechargeable batteries; mercury auto switches; electronic waste; cell phones; mercury thermostats; and, mercury-added (fluorescent) lamps. Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont have similar product stewardship or extended producer responsibility policies for electronic scrap. Connecticut also has a paint product stewardship program and has been working on one for mattresses.

Perhaps, for now, we can look less at the definition of "zero waste" and focus more on the steps that we take to reach our state and local waste diversion goals, efforts to establish shared responsibility in the management of our discards, the adoption of "pay-as-you-throw" in New England communities, outreach, recycling and composting in our schools and at special events, and other strides we are making around New England to reduce our waste.

Your thoughts and comments on zero waste are welcome. Send them to Athena Lee Bradley, NERC Projects Manager

Interested in Green Procurement - Consider EPPnet

Did you know that there is a national dialogue on green procurement and that you could be a part? EPPnet, a unique listserv dedicated to dialogue among public sector and NGO procurement officials, is a free service offered by NERC.

EPPnet links federal, state, and local environmental officials, and private procurement specialists charged with purchasing green products and services and developing policies for the procurement of these products. EPPnet is intended to provide subscribers with quick access to information, such as: availability of product specifications, vendors of particular products, pricing information, and strategies to achieve recycled product procurement goals and federal procurement policies. Please note: Private vendors are precluded from joining the listserv.

EPPnet is a Yahoo! Group, and membership must be approved. To join the listserv go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPPnet/ and click on "Join this Group!"

For more information, contact Athena Lee Bradley.

Learn All About "It" – Follow the NERC Blog

The new NERC Blog provides regular substantive offerings on a wide range of topics related to materials management. We'll be posting regularly on Tuesdays and most Thursdays. Topics in May included:

Upcoming June postings will include zero waste, paper recycling for businesses, and saving energy, paper, and money with paper and printer management.

This summer, we'll begin posting guest blog "reminiscences" about NERC in honor of its 25th anniversary.

In order to be sure you see all the postings, and know when a new Blog posting has happened, become a "follower" of the NERC Blog. To become a follower go to the Blog and scroll down the left hand column until you see the "Follower" heading. Click on the "Join this Site" icon. You'll be asked to sign in or register using a Google, Twitter, or Yahoo! account. You can also "Follow by Email."

You're also encouraged to post your comments about what you read. For more information, contact Athena Lee Bradley.

American Chemistry Council Renews Support for NERC Social Marketing Program

NERC is pleased to report that the American Chemistry Council (ACC) has generously renewed its support for the NERC social marketing program. It is through their support, and that of the Steel Recycling Institute, that NERC is able to provide a Facebook page, Twitter account, and now its Blog. Thank you ACC!

New Rural Organics Management Project

NERC has been notified of a new U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Services Solid Waste Management Grant to begin in October. The project will allow NERC to work with rural towns and solid waste districts in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont to implement best management practices for organics and debris management.

Through the project NERC will:

Develop an Organic Materials Best Management Practices Guidance Document for rural communities.
Deliver training sessions about state requirements for organics management, best management practices for maintaining and operating an organics diversion program, and implementation strategies for successful and cost-effective organics and disaster debris management preparedness.
Deliver on-site technical assistance for handling organics, starting a municipal composting program, or expanding or improving an existing organics management system, and debris management preparedness.
Hold a series of Webinars about best management practices for municipal organics diversion programs and debris management preparedness

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

New Vermont Mercury Lamp Recycling Law Resources

In May, NERC hosted a Webinar introducing the new Vermont mercury lamp recycling law. The law, which will go into effect on July 1, introduces a new producer responsibility program for the recycling of mercury lamps.

Gary Gulka, Chief of the Assistance & Prevention Section in the Waste Management and Prevention Division of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC), and Erik Sorenson, of the National Electronic Manufacturers Association (NEMA), were the presenters. Their presentations are available on the NERC Website:

Overview of Vermont's Mercury Lamp Recycling Law - Gary Gulka, VT DEC
Vermont Lamp Recycling Program – Erik Sorenson, NEMA.

NERC Participates in National E-Scrap Initiatives

Because of its expertise with e-scrap issues, NERC has been invited to participate in two national initiatives: Reducing E-Waste through Purchasing Decisions; and eXplore eRecycling: Sustainability Efforts in The Arc Network. Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director, is representing NERC in each of these efforts.

Reducing E-Waste through Purchasing Decisions is a project of the Delta Institute. The Delta Institute received a grant from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center to identify opportunities and barriers to purchasing agents for including end-of-life decisions in the purchasing process for electronics. Delta will use research, a survey process, interviews, and pilot projects with private companies to identify and document strategies that link purchasing and disposal options for electronic equipment. The overarching goal of the project is to increase the recycling and reuse rates of e-waste. NERC is participating on the project Advisory Committee.

eXplore eRecycling: Sustainability Efforts in The Arc Network, is a project of the Arc Network. The Arc Network is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. It has a grant from the Walmart Foundation to identify and develop current e-recycling programs employing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across our chapter network and country. The initiative will also gather leaders from the e-recycling, environmental, disability, and business fields to identify practice and policy recommendations that further the conservation and competitive employment outcomes of these programs. NERC is serving on the initiative's Expert Advisory Committee.

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

NERC "Firestarter" at eWaste Summit

Recently, Lynn Rubinstein, NERC's Executive Director, was one of five "firestarters" at a by invitation only eWaste Summit organized by Best Buy. Fellow firestarters were:

Leo Raudys, Senior Director Environmental Sustainability, Best Buy,
John Shegarian, President and CEO, Electronic Recyclers International,
Chris Librie, Director, Environmental Initiatives, HP, and
Mike Watson, Director of Compliance – Takeback, Dell

firestarter Each of these brief presentations addressed the following questions:

What issues you/your industry are currently facing regarding eWaste
Challenges you face in educating people about the importance of recycling these products
Challenges you face with making sure all stakeholders participate in recycling (manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, governments, and consumers)

The discussion that followed the firestarter remarks was facilitated by Joel Makower, Chairman and Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com. The summit was designed not to duplicate the work everyone is already doing, but rather to discover opportunities where joint efforts can unlock even better solutions to the ewaste issue. For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director.

New Resources on Paper Reduction & Power Management

Many new resources, including tutorials, step-by-step guidance, PowerPoint presentations, sample educational materials, and more are now available on the State Electronics Challenge website.

A recent Partner-only Webinar has resulted in a wealth of resources that will help you implement paper conservation strategies in your office. The tools range from practical step-by-step guidance on duplexing, confidential printing, and electronic printing, as well as case studies about printer and paper reduction efforts at EPA Region 8, and posters that can be copied to promote paper conservation.

E-Scrap Recycler Demonstration & Why Certification Matters – Webinar

The State Electronics Challenge — a national program that works to promote responsible lifecycle management of computer equipment – will be offering a special Webinar on Thursday, June 21, 3 p.m. 003 eastern/noon western. Renee St. Denis, Sims Recycling Solutions, and Kris Murphy, Metech Recycling, will present video footage of how their respective companies process and recycle e-scrap. Both of these companies are third-party certified electronics recyclers. The Webinar will include a discussion of what it means to have achieved certification, and why the Challenge requires that the program participants use only recyclers that have achieved this distinction.

For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Program Manager.

Learn about Lifecycle Management of Computer Equipment – Purchase, Use, and Reuse & Recycle – Last Webinar of the Season

This will be your last chance until fall to participate in a Webinar and learn about the State Electronics Challenge , and how your organization can benefit from participating in this free, national program. You can earn recognition, save money, get free technical support and all while taking simple steps to change how you buy, use, and manage equipment at its end-of-life. For more information, plan on joining us on Thursday, June 14, 3:00 p.m. eastern, noon western.

A Year in Review Published for State Electronics Challenge

A comprehensive review of the State Electronics Challenge activities, achievements, and trends over the history of the program — including environmental accomplishments — is now available. The Annual Report for Sponsors is an annual chronicle of how the program tracks and measures its effectiveness, the results of that tracking, and includes details on Partner activities and environmental achievements. For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Program Manager.

STATE UPDATES

CONNECTICUT

Transforming Municipal Materials Management, June 12 Summit

On June 12, CT DEEP along with the US Environmental Protection Agency and Yale University will hold the second sustainable materials management summit, Capturing the Value — Transforming Municipal Materials Management, at Yale University in New Haven.

At this summit, municipalities will explore how they can enhance policies and take simple actions that support waste reduction and increased recovery of materials for recycling and composting. We will hear how municipalities collaborate with haulers to support zero waste goals, examine collection trends, learn about incentive structures such as pricing systems that result in saving money and reducing trash, and understand how municipalities are using resource management contracts to support waste reduction.

This summit is targeted to chief elected officials, chief administrative officials, finance and budget directors, school business managers, tax assessors/collectors, public works directors, recycling coordinators, waste and recycling collectors/haulers, and other interested citizens.

Mattress Stewardship Legislation Stalls In Connecticut

Senate Bill 89, An Act Establishing A Mattress Stewardship Program, died when the House failed to vote on the bill before the legislative session ended on May 9th. The Senate had previously passed the bill by a vote of 32 to 4 earlier in the session. This bill, if it had passed into law, would have been the first in the nation to create a mandated statewide program for mattress recycling. The bill would have required mattress producers to finance and manage a mattress stewardship program by joining a single stewardship organization (a non-profit Mattress Recycling Council).

Supporters of the bill, including a number of municipalities that incur significant annual costs related to mattress disposal, are expected to raise the bill again next session. For more information, contact Tom Metzner at CT DEEP.

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

UNTHA America Adds to Staff

UNTHA shredding technology America, Inc. continues to grow and has added another member to its staff. Located in Hampton, New Hampshire, UNTHA America is a division of the Austrian-based UNTHA shredding technology GmbH, one of the world's leading providers of size reduction equipment for the recycling industry. Joining the U.S. team is Frank Payson as a service technician. Payson will be trained to service the entire UNTHA line of shredding machines. He will provide maintenance, aesthetic treatments such as painting, and also the ability to rebuild machines "from the ground up" should the need arise. Payson will work out of the Hampton headquarters but will also travel throughout North America to service UNTHA clients.

Payson has an extensive background in the equipment maintenance field, having previously worked with airport X-ray machines, electronic circuit boards, and in the air-conditioning/heating industry.

"Frank is a great addition to our team," says Bernhard Mueggler, president and CEO of UNTHA America. "His being here allows us to provide even better customer service to our clients. By having a service crew stateside, we can ensure that any maintenance needs are met immediately."

"I'm pleased to join UNTHA," says Payson. "The company has a great atmosphere and the shredding technology is fascinating. I enjoy hands-on work and look forward to working with the incredible equipment they produce."

For more information about UNTHA America, please visit www.untha-america.com.