June 2022
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 Sustaining Member
Renewing Sustaining Member
Renewing Supporting Members
NERC News
- NERC Announces Upcoming Retirement of Executive Director
- Annual Environmental Leadership Award - Applications Being Accepted
- Call for Papers for NERC’s Fall Conference
- NERC FY23 Leadership Selected
- Resa Dimino & Jen Heaton-Jones Join NERC Board
- NERC Forms DE&I Committee
- New Listserv Dedicated to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
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Upcoming Webinars: Successful Glass Recycling in Rural Communities; Avoiding Contamination in Food Waste Feedstock for Composting; & Starting a Glass Recycling Program in Rural Areas - the Nuts & Bolts
Newly Posted
- NERC Releases Latest MRF Values Report - Downward Trend
- Minutes from NERC Board Spring Meeting Posted
State Updates
MAINE
MASSACHUSETTS
NEW YORK
Advisory Member News
New & Renewing Members
Membership is key to NERC's regional and national commitment to circularity and sustainable materials management. We thank our newest Sustaining Member, Nestle USA and renewing Sustaining Member Fire Rover. Also renewing are Supporting Members Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) and Rockland Green.
Thank you to everyone for supporting NERC and its mission.
NERC News
NERC Announces Upcoming Retirement of Executive Director
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), a multi-state non-profit that conducts research, hands-on projects, training, and outreach on issues associated with source reduction, recycling, composting, environmentally preferable purchasing, and decreasing the toxicity of the solid waste stream, has announced the planned retirement of its longstanding Executive Director, Lynn Rubinstein. Her tenure will continue through early fall 2022.
“Few have served NERC with more commitment or dedication than Lynn Rubinstein. She has been at the forefront of so many connections, projects, and initiatives that have not only raised the profile and reputation of NERC, but have supported and furthered recycling, reuse, organics recovery, product stewardship, safer solid waste management, and diversity/equity/inclusion for the mutual benefit of the public, business, and state and local governments in the Northeast region and beyond. We are all-at-once so sad to see Lynn go, and yet so appreciative of Lynn’s leadership,” commented Josh Kelly, NERC Board President.
NERC will be working with TSNE, an expert in non-profit Executive Director transitions, to work with the Board and key stakeholders to ensure that NERC continues to be the outstanding organization that it has been for the past 35 years, with no loss in performance or quality during the transition or with the hiring of a new Executive Director.
Megan Mansfield Pryor, Vice President of the Board noted that “the Board has a solid plan to secure a new Executive Director who will meet the needs of the organization as it is, and as it grows. We have formed a dedicated team who, along with our expert advisers at TSNE, will ensure a smooth transition of NERC’s leadership. We are incredibly grateful to Lynn for all that she has done for NERC, and for her relentless dedication to making sure that NERC continues to thrive.”
NERC will begin accepting expressions of interest in the position in the near future and anticipates posting a job description in early June. For more information, visit https://www.tsne.org/nonprofit-jobs.
Annual Environmental Leadership Award - Applications Being Accepted
Advancing and supporting a sustainable economy and environment is especially critical this year. In recognition, NERC seeks nominees for its annual Environmental Sustainability Leadership.
This year, NERC will honor an organization or individual that has demonstrated activities that resulted in expanded markets for post-consumer feedstock of materials collected from residential recycling programs in one or more of the NERC member-states. The end-market itself, does not need to be in one of the NERC states, but preference may be given if it is. Applications are due August 12.
“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. “This year, the decision was made to highlight end-market development.”
The award will be presentations November 2, during the NERC Conference in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. For more information about the Conference, visit the NERC website.
A copy of the NERC 2022 Environmental Sustainability Leadership Award Application is available for download.
For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein.
Call for Papers for NERC’s Fall Conference
The Northeast Recycling Council invites you to submit an abstract about one of the topics listed below for its Fall Conference, November 2 - 3.
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.
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TOPICS LIST Only abstracts that relate to one of the topics listed below will be considered. |
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Food Waste Reduction
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Reuse/Waste Reduction
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Market Development & Support
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Abstract Submission Requirements
All requirements must be submitted for your submission to be considered complete. (No more than two abstracts will be accepted from one person/organization.)
- Abstract (350 words or less sent as a Microsoft Word or PDF file, or shared Google Doc)
- Title and detail the proposed presentation content, and specify which topic from the above list 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 (must include cell phone number and email address)
- Headshot (JPG file)
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SUBMISSION DEADLINE: June 24 |
Send Submissions to Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director & Events Organizer – Feel free to call with any questions at 802-451-8852.
NERC FY23 Leadership Selected
With the new fiscal year comes a change in NERC's leadership team. The Executive Committee for fiscal year 2023 will be:
- Megan Pryor, Maine, President
- Josh Kelly, Vermont, Vice President
- Rick Watson, Delaware, Treasurer
Megan Mansfield-Pryor is an environmental specialist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, where she oversees and administers the architectural paint, mercury thermostat, and mercury lamp product stewardship programs and provides outreach, education, and technical assistance to municipalities and businesses to meet specific situational needs in waste reduction and recycling efforts. Megan holds a master’s degree in policy, planning, and management with a concentration in sustainable development and a bachelor's degree in environmental planning and policy from the University of Southern Maine.
Josh Kelly is the Solid Waste Program Manager at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. The Program oversees the regulation and implementation of solid waste management including waste reduction, separation, collection, hauling, facility management, disposal, reuse, recycling, composting, and producer responsibility services. This also includes compliance, education, and enforcement work for solid waste and salvage yards, along with the development and implementation of the State’s materials management plan.
Josh has over 20 years of experience as an environmental professional, working for the Institute for Sustainable Communities, the Highfields Center for Composting, and the Trust for Public Land. Josh has a BS in Environmental Studies and Biology from St. Lawrence University.
Rick Watson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Delaware Solid Waste 
Authority (DSWA). He leads the organization which is responsible for managing all municipal solid waste, recycling, household hazardous waste, electronic waste and other special waste programs for the entire State of Delaware. He joined DSWA in 1981 after working three years with Consolidated Rail Corporation as an environmental engineer designing fuel oil spill containment and treatment systems. He first served DSWA as a project engineer for Delaware’s first double lined sanitary landfill. Through the next 40 years he has overseen design, construction, and operation of solid waste projects, including landfills, transfer stations, landfill gas control systems, and various recycling projects.
Rick has been a Professional Engineer in Delaware since 1983 and received his DEE certification from AAEES in 1996. He has served as an AAEES Engineering Excellence Award judge, an Environmental Engineering Program Evaluator for ABET, was on the Publication Committee, then on the Audit Committee for several years, including two years as Chair and just finished four years on the Board as a Trustee- at-Large.
Resa Dimino & Jen Heaton-Jones Join NERC Board
As part of its ongoing commitment to DE&I, the NERC Board has elected two additional Ex Officio members to the Board: Resa Dimino, New York, and Jen Heaton-Jones, Connecticut.
Resa Dimino is a managing principal with RRS, a sustainability and materials 
management consulting firm, and a partner at Signalfire Group, a subsidiary of RRS focused on supporting governments and businesses to navigate policy and regulation to move toward a circular economy. Resa has over 30 years of experience in waste reduction, recycling, product stewardship, and environmental economic development. She has held roles in the recycling industry, trade groups, and public sector including WeRecycle, NAPCOR, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. As of late, she has managed and directed multiple recycling supply chain assessments, infrastructure gap analyses, EPR modeling, and policy development projects. Resa recently led and participated in projects supporting the development of carpet EPR in New York, the study of PET thermoform recycling costs and material flows, and mapped the infrastructure and material flow of plastics in the US and Canada.
Jen Heaton-Jones is the Executive Director of the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA), a regional, governmental solid waste management authority serving 14 municipalities in Western CT. She has been with the HRRA since 2009. She is the current chair of the CT Product Stewardship Council, Vice President of the CT Recyclers Coalition and President of the Northeast Chapter of NAHMMA.
NERC Forms DE&I Committee
NERC recently decided to form a DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusion) Committee. This next step in NERC’s work on DE&I will include the assistance of the following State and Advisory Members:
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State Members |
Advisory Members |
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Anne Bjur, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources |
Billy Connelly, Vanguard Renewables |
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Shelly Forcier, Delaware Solid Waste Authority |
Lauren Craig, Coca Cola Beverages Northeast |
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Josh Kelly, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources |
Randy Hartmann, Keep America Beautiful |
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Megan Pryor, Maine Department of Environmental Protection |
Jessica Levine, The Recycling Partnership |
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Cherish Miller, Revolution |
The Committee will initially focus on developing a DE&I mission statement for NERC, strategizing ways to the increase diversity of NERC’s Board, and supporting state agency diversity and staff retention.
If you have any questions regarding NERC’s work on DE&I, contact Mary Ann Remolador.
New Listserv Dedicated to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
NERC is delighted to announce that we have developed the new Google Group—DEI Connect. This members-only, online forum is a resource for those working in the recycling and solid waste industries. The listserv provides the opportunity to share ideas, information, resources, and events that support and promote DE&I; and to learn from others. The listserv was developed in direct response to feedback received by NERC from attendees of its DE&I training series, held earlier this year.
You can join DEI Connect by either of the following ways:
- Sign in to Google Groups and search the groups list for DEI Connect. Then request to be added to the list, or
- Request to be added by emailing Mary Ann Remolador (include your name, state and affiliation).
(Please note: Google requires you to have a Gmail account to join and participate in groups.)
DEI Connect is one way in which NERC is working to engage in DE&I efforts. More information about NERC’s DE&I work can be found here. If you have any questions contact Mary Ann Remolador.
Upcoming Webinars: Successful Glass Recycling in Rural Communities; Avoiding Contamination in Food Waste Feedstock for Composting; & Starting a Glass Recycling Program in Rural Areas - the Nuts & Bolts
Successful Glass Recycling in Rural Communities - June 6, 12:30 eastern
Developing and maintaining a successful glass-recycling program in a rural community may seem like a daunting task. The webinar will feature three rural recycling centers that are successfully collecting post-consumer glass and the non-profit organization they are working with prepare it for use by a fiberglass manufacturer. The presenters will discuss their strategies for educating residents about glass recycling, minimizing contamination, storing the glass, and accessing end markets. The webinar is made available with funding from a USDA Rural Utilities Grant.
Presenters:
• Paul Albee, Manager, Norwich Transfer Station, Vermont
• Bonnie Bethune, Senior Member Services Representative, Northeast Resource Recovery Association
• Ben Hoy, Director, Walpole Recycling Center, New Hampshire
• Susanne Simon, Coordinator, Thetford Recycling Center, Vermont
Register
Avoiding Contamination in Food Waste Feedstock for Composting - June 14, 1 eastern
The usefulness and value of finished compost depends on a feedstock that is free of contaminants, such as plastic and non-degradable service ware and bags. Unfortunately, it is all too common to find these materials in food waste destined for composting. This webinar, jointly hosted by NERC and NEWMOA, will address successful educational strategies and programs to avoid these contaminants.
Presenters:
- Erin Skelly, Environmental & Compliance Technician, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Organics Recycling Facility, Minnesota - Strategies to Reduce Contamination at a Composting Facility
- Kate Kurtz, Organics and Landscape Resource Conservation Program Lead, & Becca Fong, Residential Recycling and Compost Program Manager, Seattle Public Utilities - Addressing compost contamination in Seattle: a combination of policy and outreach
- Natasha Duarte, Director, Composting Association of Vermont - Navigating compost contamination concerns in Vermont
Starting a Glass Recycling Program in Rural Areas - the Nuts & Bolts – June 29, 11 eastern
The webinar will feature two rural areas in Maine that began new glass collection programs. Michael Berry, Board Member & Treasurer of Unity Area Recycling Center and John Sutherland, Administrator of the North Aroostook Solid Waste Association (NASWA), will share their experiences with starting and running transfer station glass recycling programs. Presentations will include details about operations, funding, education, markets, and more. The webinar is made available with funding from a USDA Rural Utilities Grant.
Register
Newly PostedNERC Releases Latest MRF Values Report - Downward Trend
In this 12th in NERC’s series of quarterly reports on the market value of commodities from MRFs in the Northeast. The report covers the period January – March 2022. Seven states are represented in the report, including Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Overall, values were down somewhat from the previous quarter.
- Average value per ton with the expense of handling residuals: $147.12 – down 15% from the previous quarter.
- Average value per ton without residuals: $184.63 - down 14% the previous quarter.
These survey results reflect the differing laws and collection options in the participating states. Four of the states have beverage container deposit laws. As a result, fewer glass bottles, PET bottles and aluminum cans are processed in MRFs in those states. Those MRFs are also likely to have less revenue from those recyclables. In addition, the report reflects a mix of single stream, dual stream and source separation to collect recyclables with single stream being the most common approach. The type of collection used will have an impact on MRF design and operation. Thus, the data from this report reflects the unique blend of facilities and statewide laws in the reporting states.
Current report: NERC Northeast Recycling Market Report April 2022
Previous reports:
- NERC Northeast Recycling Market Report January 2022
- NERC Northeast Recycling Market Report October 2021
- NERC Report on Blended Value of a MRF Ton in the Northeast - August 2021
- MRF Blended Commodity Values in the Northeast April 2021
- MRF Blended Commodity Values in the Northeast - February 2021
- NERC Report on Blended MRF Values in the Northeast - November 2020
- NERC Report on Blended MRF Values in the Northeast - August 2020
- NERC Report on Blended MRF Values in the Northeast - May 2020
- NERC Blended Commodity Values in the Northeast - February 2020
- NERC Blended Commodity Values in the Northeast - August 2019
- NERC Blended Commodity Values in the Northeast - November 2019
For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein.
Minutes from NERC Board Spring Meeting Posted
The NERC Board met in early April, and the minutes of that meeting are now available.
State Updates
MAINE
Maine Recycles Week - November 14 - 18
Maine Resource Recovery Association has renewed its commitment to participate in Maine Recycles Week, an annual weeklong event dedicated to promoting public awareness toward waste reduction and recycling and promote the purchase of products made from recycled materials.
MRRA is joined by a diverse group of recycling and solid waste industry leaders, non-profits, municipalities, and environmentalist groups to continue to grow Maine Recycles Week for November of 2022 and was recognized for its participation in 2021
The thrust of Maine Recycles Week will be to get everyone effectively and efficiently participating in local waste reduction and recycling systems while being mindful of the products they purchase. During this week, citizens in each community are asked to do their part to sponsor and promote events that highlight recycling in their communities, businesses, and schools.
The recycling industry has been through many ups and downs over the years, and these last couple years have been rough. We congratulate you on your efforts and success to continue recycling in your area and want to let you know those efforts are greatly appreciated. We hope to spread more awareness of the importance of recycling and increase our efforts in the years to come.
Maine Recycles Week is being held November 14 through November 18, 2022, however the people in Maine have been recycling for 30 plus years or more. Many businesses and industries in the State of Maine embrace an environmentally sound operational philosophy that reflect Maine’s citizens’ concerns and needs. The thrust of Maine Recycles Week is now to get everyone effectively and efficiently participating in local waste reduction and recycling systems while being mindful of the products they purchase.
The History of Maine Recycles Week
In 1998, the now defunct Maine State Planning Office (SPO) joined 45 other states to celebrate America Recycles Day (ARD). ARD posed as an opportunity for SPO to meet municipal demand for the promotion of recycling at a state level. However, local schools and municipal recycling programs deemed that one day was just not flexible enough to allow for maximum participation.
In response to the feedback, SPO brought together a group of interested people to talk about ARD and how to transform it into an event for Maine. To provide flexibility while still maintaining a sense of unity with the national effort, the group created Maine Recycles Week, a weeklong recycling celebration to be held in conjunction with ARD.
Maine Recycles Week was held annually, for 12 years, from 1998 until 2010. Although Maine Recycles Week was continuing to grow and was becoming more popular year after year, budget cuts took away the funding that made the celebration possible.
Now, thanks to the efforts of Casella, ecomaine, Goodwill, Maine Beverage Association, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Resource Recovery Association, Municipal Review Committee, Penobscot Energy Recovery Company (PERC), and many others, Maine Recycles Week will be celebrated again in 2022.
Maine Recycles Week is currently developing a steering committee to discuss programming options for this year’s event. If you or your organization would like to participate, please contact Shelby.wright@casella.com.
For more information and updates on Maine Recycles Week 2022, please follow Maine Recycles on Facebook or visit www.mainerecycles.org
MASSACHUSETTS
3,500 MA Businesses & Institutions Contracting for Organics Hauling
RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts (RecyclingWorks) collects annual data from organics haulers on the number of commercial entities in Massachusetts contracting for organics hauling services. In 2021, the number of businesses increased to 3,500. This represents a 9% increase compared to 2020, when widespread temporary business closures and a shift in waste generation impacted commercial organics diversion activity. Since 2014, the number of commercial entities contracting for organics has increased by nearly 160%.
Effective November 1, 2022, the MassDEP is lowering the threshold for the Commercial Organics Disposal Ban so that it applies to businesses and institutions generating one-half ton or more of food waste per week (it currently applies to those generating one ton or more per week). This change is anticipated to drive further food waste diversion activity and lead to an increase in businesses and institutions contracting for organics hauling in the state.
NEW YORK
DEC Launches New Paint Recycling Program to Help Consumers & Businesses Safely Dispose of Leftover Paint
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos has announced that the New York State Postconsumer Paint Collection Program is underway, making it easier for households and businesses to safely dispose of leftover paint. DEC will oversee the program, which will be operated by PaintCare to manage unwanted architectural coating products and provide for recycling or proper disposal.
"Paint products can harm the environment if not managed properly,"Commissioner Seggos said. "New York State's Paint Stewardship Program will simplify the process for those looking to dispose of paint by providing a collection network of paint retailers, local government facilities, and reuse stores at more than 300 drop-off sites across the state."
Used paint is difficult to manage, with few available options for reuse or recycling. The program will accept leftover latex and oil-based paints and similar products at drop-off sites throughout New York. More information about DEC's program can be found on DEC's Postconsumer Paint Collection Program webpage and a complete list of products accepted can be found on PaintCare's website.
Funded by a consumer PaintCare Fee on the sale of all new paint in New York, the program will provide for continuous and convenient collection year-round and accept all program-approved products, regardless of the date of purchase. Drop-off sites will accept up to five gallons per customer per visit, with some sites choosing to accept more. Dropped-off paint should be in the original containers with intact labels that identify the product. Businesses, organizations, and households with 100 gallons of paint or more to recycle will be able to request a free pick-up at their location, though some restrictions may apply. More information and a request form can be found on PaintCare's website.
New Yorkers are asked to call PaintCare sites before dropping off paint to ensure they are open and can accept the types and amounts of paint for recycling. New PaintCare drop-off sites may receive a large volume of paint in the first few weeks of the program's operation. Sites are open and available year-round, so consumers do not need to rush to drop off their containers. In the meantime, find tips for using up and storing paint to preserve its quality on PaintCare's website.
Additional program information can be found on DEC's Postconsumer Paint Collection Program webpage.
Advisory Member News
APR Debuts New Circular by Design™ Video
The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) has developed and released a new, short video illustrating the association’s commitment to helping companies manufacture products and packaging that are compatible with today’s North American plastics recycling infrastructure - products that are Circular by Design™.
As the Voice of Plastics Recycling®, APR envisions a world with a circular economy for plastic goods, one in which companies manufacture recyclable products and consumers buy products made from recycled materials. The Circular by Design™ campaign, which includes the new video, is designed to inform consumer brand companies and other plastics recycling stakeholders of APR’s resources to empower manufacturers and bolster the circular economy.
“For years, a top priority for APR has been expanding demand for recycled content,” said APR President & CEO,Steve Alexander. “The good news is that, today, demand for recycled content is at an all-time high. APR is working to remind companies that we can help them meet their sustainability goals and design their products with circularity in mind.”
APR provides the gold standard of design guidelines and testing protocols to help companies determine whether their products can be successfully sorted and reprocessed in the current recycling infrastructure. The APR Design® Guide for Plastics Recyclability helps packaging engineers measure each feature of a package design against industry-accepted criteria to ensure that it is truly designed for recyclability – Circular by Design™.
“In a truly circular economy, consumer product companies are their own material suppliers,” Alexander continued. “Our hope is that this video spurs more product and packaging manufacturers to use the APR Design® Guide and other resources to make today’s products with tomorrow in mind.