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November 2012

NERC’s Advisory Members

Distinguished Benefactors

Consumer Technology Association (CTA)

Benefactors

Coca-Cola

Samsung

Waste Management

Sustaining Members

  • Advanced Drainage Systems

  • American Beverage Association

  • Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)

  • Blount Fine Foods

  • BlueTriton Brands

  • Bulk Handling Systems

  • Casella Resource Solutions

  • CLYNK

  • Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Inc.

  • Council of State Governments/Eastern Regional Conference

  • Eco-Products

  • Fire Rover, LLC

  • GDB International

  • Glass Packaging Institute

  • Henkel

  • Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI)

  • International Bottled Water Association

  • Keep America Beautiful

  • Keurig Dr. Pepper

  • MRM

  • Nestle USA

  • NEWMOA

  • PaintCare

  • Plastics Industry Association

  • Re-TRAC

  • Recycling Partnership

  • Republic Services

  • Reverse Logistics Group

  • Revolution

  • Serlin Haley

  • Sims Municipal Recycling

  • Sonoco

  • Strategic Materials

  • Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC)

  • TOMRA

  • US Composting Council (USCC)

A list of all the logos of our Sustaining Members can be found under Advisory Members

MEMBERSHIP

Renewing Sustaining Member

NERC NEWS

STATE UPDATES

Vermont

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

OF GENERAL INTEREST


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 the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) as a renewing Sustaining Member.

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.

NERC NEWS

Thank you Peter Pettit

Description: http://www.toxicsinpackaging.org/epa_award.jpgFor the past two years Peter Pettit, Director, Bureau of Waste Reduction & Recycling NYSDEC, Division Materials Management, has served on the NERC Board of Directors. His participation, creativity, and enthusiasm for NERC have truly benefited the organization. We can look forward to Peter remaining active with NERC and its projects.

Mark Your Calendar – NERC Sets Dates for Spring Workshop and Board Meeting!

NERC's Spring '13 Workshop on Textiles Reuse & Recycling will be held on April 2, 2013 at the Nathan Hale Inn at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. This will be followed by NERC's Board Meeting on April 3, 2013. Mark your calendars now, so you don't miss it! For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC's Assistant Director & Event Organizer.

New Board Member from New York State

tomTom Lynch, Supervisor of the Recycling and Outreach Section, Division of Materials Management, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), has joined the NERC Board of Directors, replacing Peter Pettit. The Section is responsible for promoting the waste reduction, reuse, and recycling priorities of New York's Solid Waste Management Hierarchy through technical assistance, outreach and education activities, and implementing other specific activities mandated by State laws and policies, such as the Returnable Container Act and Executive Order 4. In addition to representing New York on the NERC Board of Directors, Mr. Lynch is a member of ASCE and also serves on the ASTSWMO Municipal Waste Recycling Task Force, and serves on the NEWMOA Solid Waste Steering Committee.

Mr. Lynch has been with the NYSDEC for over 25 years and has been involved in most of the Department's solid and hazardous waste management activities. Prior to that, he worked for Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. as a consulting environmental engineer. Mr. Lynch is a licensed professional engineer in New York State and has a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Clarkson College of Technology and an MBA from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. NERC welcomes Tom, and looks forward to working together to forward sustainable materials management.

NERC's Fall 2012 Conference Was an Event to Remember

conferencepanelExpert speakers, engaging topics, a great turnout, in an appealing location describes NERC's Fall 2012 Conference — Successful Recycling: Programs, Plans & Realities. The Conference speakers presented on best management practices for PAYT, foodwaste collection, zero wasteplanning, and single stream collection. Panelists discussed the future for each of these programs and our role in moving recycling forward. In addition, the Steel Recycling Institute sponsored a networking event at a local brewery, where table discussions included the Conference sessions as well as RONA's Plan for National Standards for Certifying Sustainable Resource Management.

For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC's Assistant Director & Events Organizer.

A NERC Blog worth Repeating: Thoughts by Ed Boisson, former NERC Executive Director

The NERC blog is featuring a series of articles in celebration of NERC's 25th Anniversary. We've invited people who have been influential in NERC's history to write guest blogs about their experiences at NERC and where they see the direction of NERC and recycling headed. Ed Boisson, former NERC Executive Director, shared these insights.

"Happy birthday to the Northeast Recycling Council!"

I first became involved with NERC in summer 1994, while I was a recycling market development manager with the California Integrated Waste Management Board. After seeing an ad for the Executive Director position, I pondered my options. Of course I was familiar with NERC's pioneering work negotiating voluntary agreements with newspaper publishers and other industry engagement efforts. And after meeting the staff and members, and discovering that Brattleboro was a great place to live, I pursued the job and soon found myself driving cross country to Vermont.

At the time, NERC was transitioning from a legislative orientation to a market development orientation. A recession was deepening, and the mantra then as now became jobs, jobs and jobs. Along with staffers Michael Alexander, Ellen Pratt, Mary Ann Remolador and Rebecca Bartlett, and the Executive Leadership Team of Jeff Lissack (MA) and Janet Matthews (NY), and later Guy Watson (NJ) and Randy Coburn (NY), NERC pursued directions we hadn't conceived of previously. We teamed with regional investment groups to sponsor recycling investment forums that helped launch innovative firms. We held recycling business development training programs for local and state economic development officials with the National Development Council and the Wharton School. We researched recycling business growth, mergers and acquisitions, and investments, and we compiled detailed financial statistics on the industry. We also continued NERC's tradition of engaging key decision-makers, including sessions with State Departments of Transportation and Procurement Departments; and we continued to monitor efforts and engage newspaper and yellow page publishers, pulp & paper manufacturers, and other industry groups. On top of all this, NERC member meetings were held quarterly, providing regular opportunities to tackle the hot topics and have some fun.

In my last couple years with NERC we launched the regional Recycling Economic Information Project that was soon after expanded to the U.S. by the National Recycling Coalition. And, we developed the first environmental benefits calculator, perhaps the first centralized source of materials management life-cycle data designed to be used easily to estimate energy, greenhouse gas and other resource conservation benefits of local recycling programs.

NERC's greatest strength is its base. As a regional coalition of state agencies that also brings together industry, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders, NERC helps to frame the debate and set the agenda for the recycling community. NERC is continuing in this vein through its many initiatives involving electronics, sustainability and other topics at the cutting edge of materials management.

NERC will undoubtedly continue to help chart the course for recycling and materials management enthusiasts as we continue to transition to the 21st century agenda. The key issues I see include:

  • Continuing to establish a solid policy and program foundation that links recycling and waste reduction to broader energy, climate and sustainability goals;
  • Launching renewed business and market development efforts that address our high dependence on export markets and the vulnerability of domestic recycling market infrastructure (especially on the West Coast, but throughout the nation);
  • Expanding recycling collection and processing infrastructure to include hard-to-recycle portions like food waste and contaminated paper; and
  • Developing appropriate policies to guide implementation of anaerobic digestion and other conversion technologies to manage the materials that slip through the recycling and composting infrastructure, while delivering low-cost, low-carbon fuel sources.

Currently, as a consultant with SAIC Energy, Environment & Infrastructure based in my home town of San Rafael, California, I remember my days with NERC very fondly. I miss the people and the energy that NERC always provided. I will continue to watch NERC from afar and, as opportunities arise, visit and work with NERC's team as they continue to chart the course for recycling in the "new" century."

Don't miss the NERC blog postings! Go to the NERC blog and scroll down the left hand column until you see the "Follow by Email" block. Enter your email address and hit submit. For more information about the NERC blog, contact Athena Lee Bradley.

New Case Study on Hospital Recycling Program Now Available

With NERC's assistance through an EPA New England grant, St. Mary's Regional Medical Center of Lewiston, Maine has been diligently working on improving its recycling program over the past 22 months. The progress made by St. Mary's, the strategies it implemented, the challenges faced and resulting outcomes, and future plans are all documented in a case study that is available on NERC's website.

St. Mary's is a great example of how a business can maximize its recycling efforts--its management supports environmental stewardship, recycling is an activity that all staff are expected to participate in, help and ideas about the recycling program are solicit from staff, and recycling progress is measured. As a result of its recycling efforts while working with NERC, St. Mary's increased the tonnage of paper recycled by 10%, increased the tonnage of cardboard recycled by 26%, recycled more than 1,300 pounds of plastic, and diverted more than 1,000 pounds of blue wrap for reuse.

For more information about St. Mary's recycling efforts, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC's Assistant Director.

Pathways to Zero Waste – New England

On October 2, more than 100 recycling professionals from around the region gathered to participate in "Pathways to Zero Waste - New England" workshop. The workshop was part of an EPA New England funded project involving a team of zero waste experts that includes the Northeast Recycling Council. The project will culminate next summer with a "Zero Waste New England E-Guide."

Participants gathered in three locations — Chelmsford, Massachusetts; Randolph Center, Vermont; and Hartford, Connecticut.

The morning session was video cast from the Chelmsford site to the other two locations and featured Jeri Weiss, EPA New England; Gary Liss, Liss Associates, speaking on "How to Become a Zero Waste Community;" and Ruth Abbe, HDR, who reviewed the new Electronic Resource Guide (e-guide) that will address zero waste efforts and ideas for New England.

The afternoon consisted of small group discussions held at each workshop location. Topics centered on "Questions and Feed Back about the E-Guide" and "What would help your community move toward zero waste?" The small group discussion results were shared via video cast from each site.

Some examples of what communities are already doing were discussed, including Toward Zero Waste Newburyport (Massachusetts) and Middletown, Connecticut. The City of Middletown has been chosen by EPA to be one of fifteen municipalities throughout the nation to participate in a Zero Waste Pilot Program, to assist municipalities in creating zero waste programs. EPA has also started a Zero Waste Roadmap Wiki.

Participants felt that the Zero Waste E-guide needs to include a strong educational component, as many New Englanders are skeptical about the term "zero waste." Templates, fact sheets, short, step-by-step "recipes" on implementing zero waste, and "elevator speeches" tailored toward different target audiences would be valuable. How zero waste makes economic sense, perhaps using business case studies, also needs to be promoted. A short, simple definition of zero waste would also be helpful.

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

Demonstrate Sustainability & Stewardship in Your Operations: the State Electronics Challenge Webinar - Wednesday, November 7, 2012 – 3:00 pm Eastern/ 2:00 pm Central/ 1:00 pm Mountain/ Noon Pacific

Learn about the State Electronics Challenge (SEC), a free, voluntary program that harnesses the purchasing power and resources of the public sector to change the way office equipment is designed, used and disposed of. SEC Partners elect to buy green office equipment, use it efficiently, and recycle it responsibly. Partners enjoy cost savings, as well as tangible sustainability and environmental benefits — energy conservation, greenhouse gas avoidance, and reductions in solid and hazardous waste.

Any state and local government agency, tribal government, school, college, university, or other public entity can be an SEC Partner. Joining provides access to SEC support and implementation tools, technical assistance, and sustainability reports documenting material, energy and cost savings to support your sustainability goals. Partners also get recognition for their efforts through the SEC awards program.

Who should be interested in learning more: IT, sustainability/environment, recycling, and procurement staff within state, tribal, regional and local government; and K–12 schools, colleges, and universities.

Samsung Shows Environmental Leadership – Sponsors State Electronics Challenge

Samsung has once again distinguished itself for its outstanding commitment to energy conservation, green design, and responsible recycling with its continuing Distinguished Sponsorship of the State Electronics Challenge. This is the third consecutive year that Samsung has been a Distinguished Sponsor of this national program that supports sustainable lifecycle management of electronics in the public sector. Samsung, thank you!

Michael Moss, Director of Corporate Environmental Affairs, Samsung Electronics America, receives award recognizing Distinguished Sponsorship from NERC President of the Board, Sarah Kite

STATE UPDATES

Vermont

CSWD Drywall Recycling Program Off to Successful Start

In summer 2012, Vermont's Chittenden Solid Waste District launched a long-awaited recycling program for clean, new gypsum drywall. "We'd been talking about it for years," reports Nancy Plunkett, CSWD's Waste Reduction Manger, "but the transportation and tip fees for the nearest markets exceeded landfill disposal costs. There would be no incentive for most contractors to keep the material separate."

When CSWD managers were writing the District's Five Year Work Plan in 2008, they saw increased demand for C&D recycling programs, largely driven by LEED building projects, higher landfill tip fees, and more favorable drywall recycling markets. Consequently, they included drywall as a target material to include in an expanded source-separated C&D recycling program at CSWD's Williston Drop-Off Center (DOC). Planning for a 3-bay storage facility to house drywall and other materials began in 2009 as part of the 5-year plan.

In 2010, Plunkett applied for and received an energy grant from the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission as part of the federal stimulus program. The grant contributed $77,500 toward the total $221,000 capital cost of purchasing a baler and building the new 3-bay structure.

After the inevitable permitting delays and construction material shortages exacerbated by tropical storm Irene recovery efforts, the District completed facility construction in June 2012 and began accepting clean, new drywall scrap in July.

The facility Operator inspects every incoming load. For loads up to two cubic yards, the Operator charges a fee of $18/cubic yard, and prorates smaller quantities. Customers with larger loads weigh in at the adjacent transfer station and pay $70/ton. Both fees are calculated to enable the District to run the program as a break-even proposition, excluding capital costs, and compare favorably to tip fees for C&D landfill disposal, which are currently $105–$121/ton.

In October, CSWD shipped its first 20-ton trailer load of drywall to USA Gypsum in Reinholds, PA, which processes the material into soil amendments. The District pays USA Gypsum a $15/ton tip fee plus $46.80/ton transportation (including a prorated fuel surcharge fee) for total per ton cost of $61.80. Drop-Off Center costs bring the total costs for the program to about $70.00/ton.

The Williston DOC Operator reports that the program is going smoothly. "Given our estimate that 3,000 tons of this material was being sent to landfills annually from Chittenden County before we started this program," says Nancy Plunkett, "we're thrilled to see that it's off to a strong start."

For more information about CSWD's drywall recycling program, contact Nancy Plunkett, CSWD Waste Reduction Manager.

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

Austrian Engineer Visits UNTHA America Thanks to Exchange Program

UNTHA shredding technology America, Inc. recently hosted a mechanical engineer from Austria as part of a newly developed exchange program between the American offices and the Austrian headquarters. Located in Hampton, NH, 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. This fall, they have enjoyed the expertise of Georg Buchegger, a service technician from Salzburg. Buchegger has been with UNTHA for five years and is experienced in repairing all models of UNTHA's shredding machines, as well as providing regular maintenance. He has traveled around the world providing service to UNTHA clients.

"In Austria, service technicians are trained much differently than in the United States," says Bernhard Mueggler, president and CEO UNTHA America. "In the States, technicians may specialize in just one or two areas, but in Austria, they are trained in every discipline needed to build and repair our machines. They know how to do welding, machinist work, milling and other skilled tasks. Georg has all the abilities needed to actually make one of our shredders from the ground up. He could run the production shop himself if need be. Having him here to work with our service technicians is a wonderful experience. He is able to share a great deal of knowledge."

In the spring, Frank Payson, one of UNTHA America's service technicians, who is also being trained to service machines "from the ground up," will spend time at the Austrian headquarters for the second time to further improve his skills. "Frank will receive additional training at the UNTHA production facility to deepen his knowledge of the specifics of applied shredding technologies," says Mueggler. "It will increase his understanding of how our machines operate."

Buchegger, who is only 21, feels his career choice suits him perfectly. "I like the technical aspect and the hands-on work," he says. "I was not cut out for a desk job! This job allows me to use my engineering background yet I also actually work on the machines. It is an interesting combination. I also like the travel. Working for UNTHA has given me some great experiences."

UNTHA shredders are in widespread use across the United States. During his stay in the States, Buchegger has been able to travel around the country helping install or maintain UNTHA machines. He has especially enjoyed visiting New Hampshire. "I like America," he says. "It is very different from Austria. I look forward to taking some time off before I head home so I can explore this country further."

"Launching the exchange program benefits our employees and our customers," says Mueggler. "We look forward to continuing the effort in the years to come."

UrbanMining.org Offers Global View of Urban Mining Phenomenon

UrbanMining.org, an informational website dedicated to providing educational content for the public about the concept of urban mining, is sharing unique perspectives on urban mining from Asia, Europe, South America and other global regions, as well as locally. The site has added a series of recent regionally focused articles to its free library of articles, news stories and how-to features about urban mining, recycling and the environment.

Current perspectives on policies and procedures in China, Korea, Japan, Chile and other global urban mining hotspots are detailed among the site's collection of articles, with more to come.

Urban mining, the process of reclaiming compounds and elements from products, buildings and waste, is a growing trend in recycling that has presented new job opportunities and environmental solutions. The UrbanMining.org website was designed to track the urban mining movement and help explain this relatively new phenomenon to the general public.

"These global perspectives that we share on UrbanMining.org are very important, as they can help us understand the successes and challenges each country faces with the glut of electronic waste and what solutions they are exploring — with urban mining being the common unifying thread," said John Shegerian, Chairman and CEO of Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the nation's leading recycler of electronics and e-waste, and parent company of UrbanMining.org. "Out of global environmental problems has sprung powerful opportunities that cannot be ignored. It's clear that the recovery of reusable materials from unwanted or discarded sources have led us to a new level of reusing and recycling that will continue to have substantial impact on our economy and our environment."

OF GENERAL INTEREST

Green Lodging Calculator

The Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA) announces the launch of the "Green Lodging Calculator", an online tool to help lodging facilities, government programs, and technical assistance providers estimate the financial and environmental benefits from sustainable practices. Users answer a few simple questions about the lodging operations and sustainable practices, and the calculator provides estimates of the resulting environmental outcomes and cost savings.

The calculator contains over 40 individual metrics for 18 practices that lodging facilities might implement as part of their sustainable initiatives. These include activities resulting in:

  • Water conservation;
  • Reductions in chemical use;
  • Reductions in energy use;
  • Waste reduction;
  • Reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; and
  • Financial savings.

The Green Lodging Calculator is the culmination of a multi-year effort to improve the ability of sustainable hospitality programs to calculate the positive environmental and financial impacts of their efforts. The calculator may be used by lodging facilities; federal, state, local, and tribal government programs; and other technical assistance programs that are conducting outreach, assistance, and certification initiatives within the hospitality sector. The environmental outcomes and financial benefits that are estimated by the Green Lodging Calculator can be used to strengthen these programs, lead to broader adoption of sustainable practices, and market their sustainable hospitality initiatives.