News &
Updates

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

May 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

New Supporting Members

DSM Environmental Services
WasteCap Resource Solutions

Renewing Supporting Member

National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER)

NERC NEWS

STATE UPDATES

MAINE

MASSACHUSETTS

Sustainable Materials Recovery Program & Issues Municipal Grant Application

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 WasteCap Resource Solutions and DSM Environmental Services, Inc. as new Supporting Members and the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER) as a renewing Supporting Member 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

Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH) Receives EPA Environmental Merit Award

EPA Award

From left to right: Sharon Yergeau, NH DES & TPCH Chair; Patty Dillon, TPCH; David Westcott, CT DEP; and Peter Pettit, NY DEC

The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH) was honored to receive an EPA New England Environmental Merit Award on April 22 for its achievements in reducing the toxicity of packaging entering the solid waste stream. The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. administers and supports TPCH.

On hand to accept the award were several TPCH members Sharon Yergeau, New Hampshire; TPCH Program Manager, Patty Dillon; David Westcott, Connecticut; and Peter Pettit, New York State. The ceremony took place in historic Faneuil Hall in Boston.

EPA’s Environmental Merit Award is an annual award that recognizes outstanding environmental advocates who have made significant contributions toward preserving and protecting our natural resources. This annual ceremony has recognized the environmental achievements of New Englanders for more than three decades.

Supporting Waste Management Efforts in Delaware Schools

NERC staff recently visited two schools in rural Delaware as a part of its USDA-funded rural assistance project to promote source reduction, recycling, and composting in schools. These schools included Frankford Elementary School and New Castle Charter High School.

The school visits included a waste sort and meeting with each school’s Recycling Advisory Committee. As part of the meetings, each school’s Committee identified specific goals and objectives to work on over the next year. NERC will provide onsite technical assistance to the schools to support their waste management efforts.

Frankford Elementary is interested in reducing their overall use of paper by 25%, which will greatly reduce their paper costs and the volume of paper discards. They will also be undertaking composting of their food waste. New Castle Charter is interested in focusing on paper recycling. The students spearheaded the collection of paper a month ago, and need to find a vendor to take it. Once that hauling agreement has been secured, they plan on expanding their program to include plastics.

As part of this project, NERC is developing tip sheets on reuse, recycling, and composting, as well as project ideas and case studies. All of these resources will be posted on the NERC Website.

For more information regarding the work with the Delaware schools, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director. For more information regarding the project in general, contact Athena Lee Bradley, NERC’s Projects Manager.

What’s the Difference between the State Electronics Challenge (SEC) & the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC)?

Are you confused about the difference between the SEC and ERCC? Too many initials that are too similar? You’re not alone! Here are some key facts to help clarify each of these programs and the benefits they offer.

What is the State Electronics Challenge (SEC)?	What is the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC)?
*A voluntary program for state, regional, and local government to “green” the lifecycle of their computer equipment.* Participants (Partners) buy “green” computers, manage their computers to save energy and extend their useful lives, and dispose of their computers in an environmentally sound manner.	*A collaboration among states that have passed electronics take-back laws to coordinate and facilitate the implementation of those programs.* The private sector, as well as states that have yet to pass laws, are also invited to participate in an advisory role.
Who runs the SEC? The SEC is operated and administered by NERC.	Who runs the ERCC? The ERCC is administered by NERC, with program services provided by the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER).
How many members are there? As of April 15, 2010, there are 42 SEC Partners.	How many members are there? As of April 15, 2010, there are 10 government members and 12 affiliate members.
How can I join? Any government entity in 16 states* is welcome to sign up as a Partner. It’s free, and it’s easy! Join SEC.	How can I join? Membership in the ERCC is dues based. The dues are a function of whether the member is government (passed legislation or not passed) or in the private sector. Advantages of State Membership Advantages of Affiliate Membership
For more information contact Lynn Rubinstein (NERC) or visit the SEC Website. A PowerPoint introduction to the State Electronics Challenge is available online: State Electronics Challenge: An Overview PowerPoint Presentation	For more information contact Jason Linnell or visit the ERCC Website. A PowerPoint introduction to the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse is available online: Overview of Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse

*CO, CT, DE, ME, MA, MT, ND, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SD, UT, VT, WY

Disposal Bans & Mandatory Recycling in the NERC States Document Updated

An overview of the disposal bans and mandatory recycling requirements in the ten NERC states has been updated and posted on the NERC Website.

Since this document was last updated in 2005, a number of new disposal bans and mandatory recycling provisions have been adopted by the states. In particular, disposal bans for CRTs (seven states as compared to two in 2005) and mercury-containing products, such as mercuric oxide batteries (seven as compared to five in 2005), have become more commonplace. In fact, there were no disposal bans for the general category of mercury-containing products in 2005, and now five states have such bans. Two states added bans on the disposal of tires, bringing the total to nine. The only state in the region without a tire disposal ban is Rhode Island.

While disposal bans are a more popular strategy than mandatory recycling, mandatory recycling has gained in popularity since the 2005 report. In 2005, only five states had mandatory recycling requirements, but now only one state remains without such a requirement: Delaware.

For more information, you can download the complete document from the NERC Website, or contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director.

New Resources on Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC) Website

The ERCC has posted several new resources on its Website. The new resources will help aid in comparisons of the state and local electronics recycling laws and include maps with breakdowns of the product scope, covered entities, and landfill bans. Within each map, users can see an overview of what is covered and click on the state for more detail. In addition, the ERCC is tracking collection results from each state law on the per capita basis and posting the latest results in the context of the covered products and other differences.

For ERCC members, a more detailed part of the Website with specialized comparisons and research, in addition to a customized registration tracking database, will soon be released. The ERCC is working with four subcommittees on projects such as performance measures, return share data collection (including sampling), market share data coordination, and online manufacturer/recycler registration. For more information on how to be involved in these projects, please contact Jason Linnell or Lynn Rubinstein.

Upcoming & Recent NERC Speaking Engagements

Looking for a chance to learn more about NERC projects? Plan on attending one of the upcoming speaking engagements where staff will be presenting:

May 7, ISRI Electronics Recycling Program/ISRI Annual Convention
Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director, will participate in the panel “Managing Change — Electronics Recycling Panel.”

June 7, Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) Annual Recycling Conference
Mary Ann Remolador, NERC Assistant Director, will speak about C&D Recycling and Reuse, with an emphasis on zero waste and deconstruction.

June 7, Colorado Association for Recycling (CAFR) Summit for Recycling
Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director, will present about the State Electronics Challenge.

In addition to the upcoming presentations, Athena Lee Bradley has recently presented at several events:

MassRecycle’s University of Resource Management in partnership with MassDEP’s Organic Summit: “Special Events Zero Waste (or darn close)”
The 17th Annual Maine Recycling & Solid Waste Conference: “After the Disaster: Managing the Debris”
Vermont & New Hampshire Agricultural Fairs Association: “Special Events Go Green.”

NERC Staff in the Community

NERC staff make many contributions to their communities — both as a result of NERC projects and their volunteer efforts.

Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director

Board Member, Franklin County (Massachusetts) Solid Waste Management District
Board Member, Franklin Regional Council of Governments (Massachusetts) Planning
Friends of the Tilton Library

Mary Ann Remolador, Assistant Director

Co-Energy Coordinator for the town of Springfield, Vermont
Board Member, Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center
Board Member, Southern Windsor/Windham Counties Solid Waste Management District (Vermont)

Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager
Athena spends most of her volunteer time on special events, such as the Northampton, Massachusetts, “Almost Everything Goes — Rigid Plastics Collection,” and coordinating zero waste activities at the Garlic and Arts Festival in Orange, Massachusetts. She recently joined the Brattleboro Solid Waste Committee.

Patricia Dillon, Program Manager
Finance Committee, Town of Merrimac, Massachusetts, 2004 – present, serving as Secretary from 2007 to present.

Moon Morgan, Office Manager
After five years on the Board of Directors of Rock River Preservation Inc. (RRP), NERC Office Manager Moon Morgan retired in early April from the Vermont non-profit he helped to establish. RRP is an environmental organization whose mission is to ensure public access to summer recreation areas along the Rock River in Newfane, Vermont, and to protect this natural environment through land purchase, conservation, and education efforts.

As he was winding down his activities at RRP, Moon joined a small group of therapists and other professionals to establish another non-profit, the Northeast PNI Institute for Healing, in Brattleboro, Vermont. PNI stands for psychoneuroimmunology, a field that investigates the relationship between the brain and the immune system as a way of understanding how emotions, feelings, and intensions affect health. The field gained attention when Norman Cousins, the editor of Saturday Review magazine,developed a recovery program incorporating large doses of Vitamin C, along with a positive attitude, love, faith, hope, and laughter induced by Marx Brothers films. His work eventually led to the creation of the Cousins Center for PNI at UCLA. The Northeast PNI Institute was established to provide public education, professional training, and individual and group treatment using PNI techniques.

STATE UPDATES

MAINE

Beware the Ides of March??
Not this time! March 15, 2010, was the day marked as the beginning for the newest member of the State Planning Office Waste Management and Recycling Team – Suzanne Duplissis. Suzanne is an Auburn native with a new degree in Public Administration from the University of Maine. As one of her final projects, she interned at the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, working with communities on solid waste and recycling issues. Suzanne picks up the assignment to help municipalities promote recycling and waste reduction in their communities.

Solid Waste Capacity Report Submitted

The State Planning Office has submitted its annual Solid Waste Generation & Disposal Capacity report to the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee in accordance with 38 MRSA, section 2124-A. The report provides an overview of Maine’s municipal solid waste generation, recycling, combustion, and landfill activities for 2008 in order to:

1) Determine the impact of these activities on available solid waste disposal capacity,
2) Identify planned and consumed capacity at disposal facilities, and
3) Project the lifespan of capacity.

MASSACHUSETTS

MassDEP Announces the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program & Issues Municipal Grant Application

The Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP)will provide grants and technical assistance to municipalities, regional groups, schools, businesses, recycling processors, and manufacturers in support of increased recycling and waste reduction efforts in Massachusetts. This program was authorized under the Green Communities Act and corresponding MassDEP regulations (310 CMR 19.300).

MassDEP is pleased to issue the Municipal Grant Application, the first of several initiatives under SMRP. This application will assist Massachusetts’ cities, towns, and regional government entities with recycling, composting, reuse, and source reduction activities that will increase diversion of municipal solid waste and household hazardous waste from landfills and incinerators. The funding categories in SMRP are designed to foster innovative strategies and regional partnerships that will save communities money and protect the environment.

For more information visit the MassDEP grant Website.

OF GENERAL INTEREST

PSI’s Spring 2010 Informational Networking Conference Calls Series

Plastic Bags: What’s the Fuss? What’s the Cure?
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
1:00 - 2:30 PM EST / 10:00 - 11:30 AM PST
Presenters Phil Bobel (City of Palo Alto), Jerry Fleagle (Iowa Grocery Industry Association), and Carol Misseldine (Green Cities California) will explore a range of policy and program approaches currently being implemented by policy makers, companies, and advocates alike.

Safer Cosmetic Products: Product Stewardship Meets Chemicals Policy
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
12:00 - 1:30 PM EST / 9:00 - 10:30 AM PST
Ken Cook and Jane Houlihan (Environmental Working Group) along with Lisa Archer (Breast Cancer Fund) will introduce you to the safer cosmetics movement, risks associated with cosmetics products, and companies that have joined the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

Managing Food Waste: Opportunities for Product Stewardship
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
1:00 - 2:30 PM EST / 10:00 - 11:30 AM PST
Leftover food is the single largest component of solid waste resulting in $1billion in disposal costs annually. This call will explore how a product stewardship approach can reduce food waste and increase composting. Morgan Harriman and Sumner Martinson (MA Department of Environmental Protection), Lorenzo Macaluso (Center for Ecological Technology), and Hermine Weston (Shriners Hospital) will present on this call.

Product Stewardship Laws for Electronics in the U.S.: Learning Through Experience
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
2:00 - 3:30 PM EST / 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM PST
There are now 20 electronics product stewardship laws in America, many of which are viewed as models for producer responsibility systems for other products. This call will review the performance of 5 state programs (ME, WA, CA, OR, and MN) and discuss lessons learned. Garth Hickle (MN Pollution Control Agency), Kathy Kiwala (OR Department of Environmental Quality), Miles Kunz (WA Department of Ecology), Carole Cifrino (ME Department of Environmental Protection), and Jeff Hunts (CA Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery) will present.

Life Cycle Thinking for Product Stewardship Professionals
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
1:00 - 2:30 PM EST / 10:00 - 11:30 AM PST
Life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used to compare various product end-of-life management strategies and is becoming increasingly prevalent in managing, reporting, and reducing GHG inventories. This call will provide an overview of LCA and its many applications. Presenters include Jon Dettling (Quantis), Susan Thorneloe (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), and Laura Draucker (World Resources Institute).

Please help us by forwarding the information below to your colleagues or to a distribution list so that it would reach those who would benefit from these calls. Thanks!

Want to know more about product stewardship? Interested in Product Stewardship 101? Over 130 joined us for the call on this topic!

The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) is a national non-profit environmental institute with membership from 45 states, over 150 local governments, tribes, and more than 55 businesses, organizations and universities working to establish cooperative agreements to reduce the health and environmental impacts from consumer products.

Consumer products are growing in number and complexity, and their environmental impacts pose long-term challenges for state and local governments at a time when agency resources have diminished. PSI represents the interests of state and local governments in product policy and seeks to shift responsibility for managing products at end-of-life from governments to producers, thus saving money on local waste management costs. Product stewardship, however, cannot be achieved without private sector leadership. PSI partners with corporations, organizations and academic institutions that support our mission and recognize our Principles of Product Stewardship, which include producer responsibility.

WASTECON® 2010 Comes to the Northeast this August

Whether you are looking for training and certification opportunities, new products and services, or just more information about what’s happening in the recycling world, WASTECON® has you covered. WASTECON® is the Solid Waste Association of North America’s (SWANA) largest annual trade show and conference.

This year WASTECON® is co-locating with the American Public Works Association (APWA) for the first time ever to bring you even more educational opportunities in recycling and an increased number of product and service providers in the combined WASTECON®/APWA exhibit hall.

Join SWANA August 15-17, 2010, in Boston and take advantage of:

Managing Recycling Systems Certification Course and Exam

Provides the information needed to successfully plan, develop, market, fund, contract, and manage recycling programs.

Recycling Technical Sessions, Including:
- Recycling Communication Techniques
- Waste Diversion Strategies
- Recycling and Climate Change
- Composting
- Recycling Collection Case Studies
- Benefits in Using Recycling Equipment at Landfills
- Zero Waste Planning
Exhibit Hall Featuring A Variety of Recycling Systems Service Providers

If you are interested in other facets of solid waste, there are a variety of training courses and technical sessions available. View the entire WASTECON schedule or email SWANA’s Marketing Department for additional information on this year’s event.

Along with providing the leading education and training in the solid waste management field, SWANA also knows how to have a good time! WASTECON® offers a variety of fun networking opportunities. This year’s events will include a Saturday Night Opening Reception and a Monday Night Networking Event at Fenway Park – not to mention the many other attractions that historic Boston has to offer.

We hope to see you there!