March 2010
NERC’s Advisory Members
Distinguished Benefactors
Benefactors
Sustaining Members
A list of all the logos of our Sustaining Members can be found under Advisory Members
MEMBERSHIP
Renewing Sustaining Members
- WeRecycle!
- Metech Recycling
NERC NEWS
- Seasoned Experts to Speak at Upcoming Workshop on Web-based Tools
- Special Events Going Green
- Make Your Compost Product Work for You! FREE Compost Marketing Workshop/Field Days
- Multi-State Voluntary Programs Gain More Participants
- NERC in the News
TPCH NEWS
STATE UPDATES
MAINE
OF GENERAL INTEREST
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NERC's mission is to advance an environmentally sustainable economy by promoting source and toxicity reduction, recycling, and the purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services. |
State and Advisory Member Updates, as well articles of General Interest are provided as submissions to NERC and may not reflect the policy or position of the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.
NERC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
TOPICS
MEMBERSHIP
We are delighted to welcome WeRecycle! and Metech Recycling as renewing Sustaining Members of NERC.
A hallmark of NERC is the strength of multi-stakeholder involvement and problem solving. This is a direct result of the active participation and support of NERC’s Advisory Members. To see a listing of Advisory Members and the benefits of membership, visit the NERC Advisory Membership Web page.
The broad spectrum of interests represented by NERC’s Advisory Members and Board Members and their willingness to participate significantly contribute to the unique and important role that NERC plays in recycling in the region.
NERC NEWS
Seasoned Experts to Speak at Workshop on Web-Based Tools
Nothing is worse than going to an event and discovering that the speakers know little more on a topic than you do. This will not be the case at NERC’s Web-based Tools Workshop on March 23. The four speakers to be featured at the Workshop were specifically selected due to their in-depth knowledge of the web-based tools they will be presenting and regular use of these tools in their work.
Featured Speakers
- Social Media Tools - Joe Shoenfeld, Associate Director of Outreach Marketing and Technology, University of Massachusetts Joe has mastered the use of social media tools in promoting UMASS Extension Services and knows how these tools can be effective in promoting your message.
- Environmental Benefits of Recycling and Reuse - Jessica Wozniak, Executive Director, MassRecycle. Jessica has had years of experience in dissecting and interpreting NERC’s Environmental Benefits Calculator and now promotes its use to businesses and towns.
- Materials Trading - Eugene Jones, Executive Director, Southern Waste Information eXchange. Gene has worked with Materials Exchanges for many years and understands the importance of the Reuse Marketplace network to move unwanted items.
- Environmental Benefits of Computer Purchasing & Recycling - Patricia Dillon, Program Manager, Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. Patty helped to develop the Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator and teaches others how to use it.
Workshop Details
Date: March 23, 2010
Location: Hotel Northampton, Northampton, Massachusetts. Rooms are available at the hotel by calling 800 547-3529. Reservations must be cancelled by noon one week before arrival to avoid charges.
Who Should Attend: Representatives from business, business service providers, state environmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations; municipal recycling coordinators, sustainability coordinators, and consultants.
Workshop Sponsors
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For more information on the agenda, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director and Events Organizer.
The Vermont & New Hampshire Agricultural Fairs Association recently held its 20th Annual Meeting and Trade Show at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont. Approximately 250 people attended the meeting, with 60 trade show vendors. This year the organizers of the event wanted to promote “going green” at fairs to their membership. Two sessions were organized on the topic; NERC staff presented at one of the sessions.
There are an increasing number of special events around the country that are “going green.” At one of the largest—the Minnesota State Fair with an average of 1.7 million people attending the event—more than 3,500 tons of material gets recycled each year, including: paper, laser toner cartridges, glass, metal, fluorescent bulbs, vehicle and appliance batteries, antifreeze, beverage containers, automotive oil, tires, grease, meat scraps, manure compost, construction material, plastic shrink wrap, wood waste, paint, food waste, cardboard, concrete, oil filters, plastic bottles, and more. The Fair also features the “Eco Experience,” an interactive environmentally-focused exhibit.
The Maine Common Ground Country Fair has achieved 90 percent waste diversion through composting and recycling at an event that has more than 50,000 attendees. The Franklin County Fair, Greenfield, Massachusetts, now has close to 100 recycling bins spread throughout the venue, along with compost bins located in the food court areas. Last year the event recycled 1.6 tons of cardboard, 1,700 pounds of mixed containers, and 1,800 pounds of compostable material. More that 100 volunteers rallied to help the event “go green.” At the Garlic and Arts Festival, a two-day event with some 12,000 attendees, only two bags of garbage were generated in recent years. Practicing zero waste, garbage cans are only found near the porta-potties. Food scraps and paper are composted; cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic and glass are recycled. Vendors are required to use only biodegradable or recyclable serviceware and utensils.
Through NERC’s EPA-funded special events composting project, five food waste composting pilots have been implemented at special events in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. One of the pilots was held at SolarFest, a three-day event in July held on the grounds of Forget-Me-Not Farm in Tinmouth, Vermont. Some 5,500 people attended the event. NERC assisted event organizers with implementing a zero waste strategy that resulted in diverting 1,400 pounds of food scraps and soiled paper to composting and about 800 pounds of recyclables — cardboard, glass bottles, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and aluminum foil. After all the recycling and composting diversion, only 120 pounds of trash was collected.
Many sports arenas are also starting to implement recycling and composting. Another pilot in NERC’s special event project took place at the UConn Huskies football stadium. Sodexo Food Services, which runs the concessions and catering for Rentschler Field in Hartford, Connecticut, implemented recycling and composting at its Corporate Game Day Tents, Club areas, Luxury Suites, Press Areas, and kitchen and pantries. It also provides composting and recycling at all special events held at the stadium.
For more information, contact Athena Lee Bradley, NERC Projects Manager.
Make Your Compost Product Work for You! FREE Compost Marketing Workshop/Field Days
Tuesday, March 30, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
McEnroe Organics
5409 Rte 22
Millerton, New York
Sponsored by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc., New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, SUNY Cobleskill, and Cornell Waste Management Institute
Wednesday, April 7, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
New England Small Farm Institute
275 Jackson Street
Belchertown, Massachusetts
Sponsored by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc., Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and New England Small Farm Institute
Whether selling compost is your primary business or a side business, these workshops are for you! The workshops will provide marketing insights and sales techniques, including technical information on compost applications and benefits, feedstocks, quality standards, and marketing principles.
Learn how to develop a marketing plan for your compost operation, how to position your product, the ins-and-outs of compost market segments, bulk sales vs. bagged, distribution strategies, and making money on tipping fees. Sales strategies will also be covered, including sales points, using social media and new media techniques, branding, and customer education tips.
The workshop is free, but all attendees must register in advance. To register or for more information, contact Athena Lee Bradley. Lunch will be provided. Funding for the workshops is from the Northeast SARE (Sustainable Agriculture, Research, and Education) program.
Multi-State Voluntary Programs Gain More Participants
Two multi-state voluntary programs that NERC is responsible for administering—the State Electronics Challenge and the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse—continue to grow at impressive rates.
Since the beginning of the year, the State Electronics Challenge has added three new Partners:
- City of Vermillion Solid Waste Department, South Dakota
- Montana Department of Environmental Quality
- Natrona County, Wyoming
The Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse—launched in January of this year—already has 21 members; including nine of the states and municipal governments with electronics take-back laws.
For more information about either program, contact Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director, NERC.
NERC has been receiving a lot of press attention lately; between the new Reuse Marketplace search tool and Website, the Toxics in Packaging settlement with Barnes & Noble, and the launch of the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse “everyone” is writing about us! You can see an archive of recent articles on the NERC Website. This resource is updated regularly, so bookmark it for easy reference.
TPCH NEWS
Barnes & Noble Pays Fine in NH for Lead in Store Bag
In January, Barnes & Noble, Inc. became the first company to pay a fine to the State of New Hampshire for alleged violations of the State’s Toxics in Packaging laws. Under the terms of the agreement, Barnes & Noble, which operates five retail stores in New Hampshire, has not admitted liability for the alleged violations but will pay administrative fines totaling $3,000 to the State. The fines resolve allegations that the company distributed plastic store bags that contained high levels of lead and failed to submit Certificates of Compliance upon request.
In June and in August 2008, the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH), which coordinates implementation of the law on behalf of ten state members, notified Barnes & Noble of the potential violation and requested a Certificate of Compliance and supporting documentation to prove compliance. State toxics in packaging laws require the submittal of Certificates of Compliance within 60 days of receiving a request. Barnes & Noble, Inc. did not respond to the TPCH.
Once contacted by the States of Iowa and Washington in the spring of 2009, Barnes & Noble began removing non-compliant bags from circulation. Payment of the administrative fine followed an Administrative Order issued to Barnes & Noble by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in September 2009. The Barnes & Noble response to the Administrative Order included a statement that the company had removed the non-compliant bags from all of its New Hampshire stores prior to the date of the Administrative Order.
STATE UPDATES
MAINE
Plastic or Paper Checkout Bag? How about Neither!
This past Legislative session’s LD 367 would have placed a 10-cent fee on the consumer for each disposable checkout bag received at a grocery or retail store. In the end, the Legislature approved a Resolve, directing the State Planning Office to convene a work group to design and implement a statewide disposable checkout bag reduction campaign.
The work group spent the summer and fall working on identifying and clarifying the issue as well as reviewing possible campaigns and activities to address the concerns raised by the Legislature. With permission, the group is utilizing a campaign similar to the one developed in California, called ‘Got Your Bags?’
Maine Recycles Week 2009 – Ends with a ‘T’!!
Another successful Maine Recycles Week was held in November of 2009, with dozens of schools participating and nearly 2,000 posters being submitted to the poster contest. The State’s First Lady again generously offered to host a tea in honor of the winners of the poster contest. She welcomed the young artists whose posters were chosen for the 2010 Maine Recycles calendar to a reception at the Blaine House. Eleven students and their families and teachers attended where the First Lady presented certificates of accomplishment and thanked them for promoting recycling in Maine.
OF GENERAL INTEREST
The road to recovery for the Haitian people following the devastating earthquake that struck that country on January 12 will be long and difficult. Of course their urgent needs are water, food, medical attention, and supplies, but as people begin to go about their daily life, personal items also become important. As a result, there are many recycling and reuse businesses and organizations organizing special collections to benefit the Haitian people.
Soles4Souls is working with several shoe and sporting good companies and retailers to send footwear to Haiti. Soles4Souls has committed to sending more than 1.3 million pairs of shoes to Haiti by the end of 2010. Its mission is to collect new and gently-used footwear and send them to people in need throughout the world.
All types of shoes are accepted for donation, including work boots, rain boots, athletic shoes, sport sandals, as well as socks. Additionally, Soles4Souls is sending emergency aid that includes food, medical supplies, bottled water, tents, blankets, and baby products. The organization is setting up a long-term aid campaign for Haiti as well. Shoes and other supplies are being collected at hundreds of locations worldwide; check the organization’s Website for one near you. Collected shoes can also be shipped directly to the organization’s warehouse.
Mobile phone recycler ReCellular is sponsoring a special used phone collection to benefit earthquake victims. Anyone wanting to donate to the Phones for Haiti campaign can download a prepaid mailing label from the campaign Website and mail it in to the company. Proceeds received from recycling the phones are being donated to the American Red Cross to help Haitians. According to ReCellular, it is donating 100% of the phone value as a contribution. All types of mobile phones are accepted.
Both Soles4Souls and ReCellular provide great opportunities for individuals, schools, and organizations to hold donation drives to support a good cause, while also encouraging people to clean out their closets and help to reduce waste.
Clean the World, Inc. is a charitable organization that collects used soaps, shampoos, and other hygiene products from hotels, motels, and other hospitality businesses. The items are sanitized (or “rebatched”) and distributed worldwide. Their goal is to help prevent illness and death caused by acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease. According to the organization’s Website, more than 5 million lives are lost each year to these illnesses — with the majority of deaths being children under five years old. These diseases can be preventable with proper cleanliness.
Clean the World is partnering with a number of hotels to sponsor special collections for Haiti. Motels and other hospitality establishments interested in participating should contact the organization. This is an innovative opportunity for hotels and motels to reduce waste and donate to an important cause.
InterVol is a nonprofit organization that collects unused medical supplies and older medical equipment and ships them to developing nations, as well as locally to support veterinary clinics and medical schools. Often, supplies are donated by hospitals and physicians that have items from surgical packs that are unused. Laws governing hospitals require that, once opened, the unused instruments in the pack cannot be used by that hospital. InterVol keeps these perfectly good medical supplies out of the waste stream and puts them to good use. Hundreds of volunteers sort through the donated supplies and equipment and pack them for shipping throughout the world.
Medical equipment that may be less than state-of-the-art in our country is often in perfectly usable condition. Equipment, ranging from exam tables to wheel chairs, x-ray machines, and stethoscopes, can be put to work saving lives in other countries. InterVol also partners with hospitals to send physicians to volunteer in developing countries.
Haiti has benefited from InterVol’s services for many years. InterVol continues to work with other relief agencies to bring critical medical supplies and equipment to assist the earthquake victims. Hospitals can work with InterVol to set up an in-house collection system to aggregate usable items.
Contact information for 200 reuse organizations can be found on the New York State Recycling Markets Database. The database has an extensive list of reuse and salvaging businesses and organizations, as well as Materials Exchanges. Searchable “reuse” subcategories in the database include: Equipment and Appliances; Computers; Electronics; Building Supplies; Architectural Salvage; Furniture; Medical Supplies and Equipment; Surplus Inventory; Clothing; Linens and Towels; Art Supplies; Paints/Coatings; Books; Records, CDs, DVDs; Food; and Other. The database can be searched by geographic region, by business type (such as processor, hauler, etc.), and by the materials they handle.
Also check out the new Reuse Marketplace Website, which is a single search tool integrating eight Exchanges on the Eastern Seaboard. In addition, NERC’s Materials Exchanges in the Northeast includes a list of not only Materials Exchanges, but also reuse opportunities around the Northeast.
For more information contact Athena Lee Bradley, NERC Projects Manager.