News &
Updates

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

October 2016

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 & RENEWING MEMBERSHIPS

Renewing Sustaining Members

New Supporting Members

Chittenden Solid Waste District
GreenPath Sustainability Consultants

Renewing Supporting Members

NERC NEWS

STATE NEWS

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Environmentally Preferable Furniture Purchasing Guidance

NEW YORK

Waste Reduction, Reuse, & Recycling Facility Tours

VERMONT

Fall Community Composting Forums

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

NEW & RENEWING MEMBERSHIPS

Membership is key to NERC's regional and national commitment to sustainable materials management. We are delighted to thank the Association of Plastic Recyclers, the Recycling Partnership, and the Council of State Governments/Eastern Regional Conference (CSG)for their continued Sustaining Memberships in NERC. And, we welcome Chittenden Solid Waste District (VT) and GreenPath Sustainability Consultants as NERC's newest Supporting Members, as well as thanking DSM Environmental Services and MSW Consultants for renewing Supporting Members in NERC.

To see a complete listing of NERC's Members and Supporters, as well as the benefits of membership, visit the NERC Advisory Membership web page.

The broad spectrum of interests represented by NERC's Advisory Members, Individual Supporters, and Board Members and their willingness to participate significantly contribute to the unique and important role that NERC plays in recycling in the region.

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

Presenting Young Professionals & New Speakers at NERC’s Fall Conference

NERC has taken a new approach to organizing its upcoming Conference—New Voices New Solutions—taking placeNovember 1 – 2 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Recycling Today Ad 2016 (3)

We made a conscious decision to include many young industry professionals on the agenda. There are also many new speakers—84% of the speakers have never before presented at a NERC Conference.

Our goal for moving in this direction is to provide attendees with access to new perspectives and to broaden our discussions at the Conference.

Here are some of the speakers:

Marcel Van Ooyen, GrowNYC
Kate Bailey, Eco-Cycle Solutions
Jennifer McCrackin, Havi Group
Kristina Hansen, Plastics Forming Enterprises LLC
JD Lindeberg, RRS
David Biderman, SWANA
Bob Cappadona, Casella Recycling, LLC.
Rob Wirtanen, Industrial Hearing Testing
Luke Soules, iFixit
Rohi Sukhia, Tradeloop Corporation
Nathan Clark, ReFED
Daniel Bell & Greg Williams, Agri-Cycle Energy, Stonyvale, Inc.
Tyler Frank, Garbage to Garden
Andrew Brooks, Bootstrap Compost
Athena Lee Bradley, NERC

For more information about the Conference, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director & Event Organizer.

Optimize RFPs for Electronics Recycling - Free Webinar, October 18th

Electronics Recycling graphic EPA Region 3 On October 18, 1:30 - 3, eastern, NERC and the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC), will be jointly sponsoring a webinar with EPA Region 3 about best management practices for Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for electronics recycling services.

Two knowledgeable panelists will share their expertise and opinions, followed by a question and answer session. Guest presenters will be:

Kitty McIlroy, Project Analyst, Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority
Neil Peters-Michaud, CEO, Cascade Asset Management, Madison, Wisconsin

Join the Movement Towards Sustainability - the State Electronics Challenge Continues to Grow

Is your organization doing everything it could to minimize the environmental impact of its electronic office equipment? Maybe not, but you could be with the assistance of the State Electronics Challenge; a free national program offered by NERC. Currently, 163 organizations in 38 states have signed up - representing more than 212,500 employees and their computers, printers, and imaging equipment that are impacted. Since these statistics were last reported in this newsletter (September 2015), the number of participating organizations and employees participating have both increased by 7%.

These are the organizations that have joined since August of last year:

University of California, Long Beach
Town of Harwinton (Connecticut)
Borough of West Chester (Pennsylvania)
City of Boston (Massachusetts)
Frontier Regional and Union 38 School Districts (Massachusetts)
City of Brighton (Colorado)
State of Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection Northwest District
Keep Charlotte Beautiful, Inc. (Florida)
Polk County Waste & Recycling (Florida)
Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority (Pennsylvania)
Town of Portsmouth (Rhode Island)
Kentucky Community & Technology College System (KCTCS)

For more information about the State Electronics Challenge, visit its website and take a look at a simple fact sheet, a recording of an introductory webinar, or just reach out to Lynn Rubinstein, Program Manager.

The Challenge is funded through the sponsorship of Samsung, Panasonic, and R2/RIOS.

Increasing Wasted Food Awareness in Vermont

Last year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Administrator Stan Meiburg announced the United States’ first-ever national wasted food reduction goal, calling for a 50-percent reduction in food waste by 2030. With studies estimating that as much as 40% of our food is wasted, states and communities around the country have started to act.

NERC is working with communities in Vermont to promote wasted food reduction, food recovery, and food scrap composting through its USDA funded project Implementing the Food Recovery Hierarchy In Rural Vermont Communities.

One of the participating communities is Shaftsbury. Located in Bennington County in southwest Vermont, Shaftsbury is a town of just under 4,000 in population. Last spring, NERC participated with representatives from the Bennington County Regional Commission and TAM Organics; the Shaftsbury Town Administrator; and the Shaftsbury Transfer Station attendant, to plan for implementation of food scrap collection at the Transfer Station in July. NERC developed promotional materials, including a flier, poster, and website announcement, to publicize the new program. NERC staff was onsite at the transfer station to kick off the program on July 5 by distributing fliers and speaking with residents about the new program. The Town is also selling kitchen compost collection containers at a bulk rate price for residents. TAM Organics provides the collection service and hauls the materials to their compost facility in Bennington.

In early May 2016, NERC participated in an “Ask a Compost Expert” event, held in conjunction with the distribution of compost bins and kitchen food collection containers. NERC staff engaged with 50 people to discuss incorporating food scraps in home composting, and provided instruction on integrating food scraps in composting. Discussions and instructions relating to general composting, adding food scraps to backyard compost bins, dealing with critters and fruit flies, and using compost, were shared.

In Londonderry, NERC staff and the Recycling Coordinator for the Londonderry Group—which includes the towns of Landgrove, Londonderry, Peru, Weston, and Windham in southern Vermont—hosted a compost display and children’s activities during the region’s Fourth of July events. Children’s activities included making “composts blasts,” which are bathroom tissue tubes filled with seeds and compost for kids to plant. Another activity involved children coloring “Eat Me First” signs that could be placed on small boxes. Participants received tips on reducing wasted food, and Londonderry’s food scrap collection at the region’s transfer station was promoted. In August, NERC and the Londonderry Recycling Coordinator hosted a similar outreach event at the region’s Farmers’ Market.

Check out NERC’s new resource—Reduce Wasted Food – Tip Sheet for Residents. With insights learned through its project, NERC is compiling a compendium of wasted food reduction, food recovery, and composting projects. Have a program or project you want to share? Send your program information or questions to Athena Lee Bradley.

Compost Operators Training in New York

A 1-day Compost Operations Training was held in the Town of Bethlehem, New York last month. Designed for facility operators and managers, recycling coordinators, composting educators, students and others, the training was focused on adding food scraps to the compost mix.

compost operator training audience The training was very successful with fifty-three people participating. The day started with several hours of instruction and discussion. The packed agenda included presentations and discussion on the science of composting, compost operations and methods, process management, facility management, and regulations.

The afternoon included a facility tour of Bethlehem's permitted compost facility. In-field lessons, including temperature, moisture, bulk density, and oxygen measurements were conducted at the facility; site location, lay compost operator training out, drainage, and handling potential problems (including odor and fire) were also discussed.

Instructors for the training were: Bob Rynk, SUNY Cobleskill; Jean Bonhotal, Cornell Waste Management Institute; Athena Lee Bradley, Northeast Recycling Council; Gary Feinland, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; and, Phil Holloway, Empire Zero.

The training was co-sponsored by the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR³) New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The training was organized by the Town of Bethlehem Recycling Coordinator Dan Lilkas-Rain on behalf of the NYSAR³Organics Council. The Organics Council hopes to offer additional regional compost operator trainings during the coming year.

Attendees received a number of resources, including NERC’s Organics Management and Composting Guide and Compost Marketing Guide, along with the training presentations. For more information, contact Athena Lee Bradley.

NERC Blog Worth Repeating: Our Clothing Problem

NERC’s Blog Worth Repeating was first posted on July 19, 2016.

About 85 percent of clothing and textiles ends up in landfills. Savers, a for-profit, global thrift retailer of used clothing, accessories and household goods, operating in the industry for more than 60 years, recently published The State of Reuse. To produce the report, Savers commissioned a survey of 3,000 North Americans. According to Savers, consumers around the world purchase more than 80 billion pieces of new clothing every year. Americans trash an average of 8.1 trash bags of clothing each year, amounting to a nationwide 26 billion pounds of textiles tossed.

These numbers are troubling on many levels, starting with the fact that 95 percent of textiles can be reused or recycled.

Consumer perception of how much textiles end up in the trash is drastically underestimated, however. Survey respondents report tossing 4.7 trash bags worth of clothing and accessories each year, while the actual amount is nearly double at 8.1 trash bags.

Misconceptions about the perceived benefits to reuse and the available options for textile reuse and recycling were also revealed by the survey. One in three people who stated that they “don’t donate” said it’s just “easier” to throw out usable items than to donate them. One in three people surveyed said they didn’t know that 90% or more of textiles can be reused or recycled.

Clothing is relatively cheap for consumers. According to All Business, the fashion industry impacts much of the retail business around the world—home, beauty, cosmetics, and of course, apparel. And, fashion trends, along with hyperbolic retail advertising campaigns, foster the notion that we “need” to consume the latest in clothing styles. Pop culture images serve to reinforce this onslaught of new apparel and accessory trends.

Not surprisingly, the Saver survey found that nearly 50% of people feel they have “too much stuff.” But yet, as a society, there are clearly many of us who keep buying. Ultimately, as I’ve reflected previously in a NERC Blog, little will change the drive to consume since our world embraces a linear economic model that ties economic health to ever growing consumption.

As materials managers, we can certainly do more to promote reuse. The Saver survey found that almost half of respondents say “they would donate more if they knew their donation would help nonprofits they support.” Promoting reuse and its benefits, along with opportunities for reuse in our communities, can have a substantial impact at reducing the number of textiles ending up in the trash, while benefiting our communities and the environment.

By Athena Lee Bradley

STATE NEWS

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Environmentally Preferable Furniture Purchasing Guidance

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Environmentally Preferable Products Procurement Program partnered with the Center for Environmental Health to identify greener furniture options on the Commonwealths statewide furniture contract OFF38: Office, School and Library Furniture, Accessories & Services.

There is growing interest from buyers who would like to know more about the products on contract so that they may make environmentally preferable purchasing choices. In most cases, we found that environmentally preferable furniture is cost-neutral or may provide a cost savings for the buyer. You can also read about the project in our most recent issue of Buy The Way, the OSD official newsletter, on page 3 which also provides an update on the City of Boston’s fire codes that pertains to the use of flame retardant chemicals in furniture.

Even if you are not a Commonwealth of Massachusetts purchaser, this material may help you in making greener decisions on furniture purchases.

Visit the EPP Program Furniture Website to view these materials!

You will find a searchable list of furniture lines from existing OFF38 Vendor offerings, noting whether the items meet environmentally preferable criteria, including those for indoor air quality (targeting VOC’s, per and poly-fluorinated compounds, antimicrobials, PVC’s and flame retardants).

The list is comprised of over 350 lines of furniture from 15 vendors, representing 27 different manufacturers. Please note that it only targets vendors on the Commonwealths OFF38 contract, but the criteria are general and may be used by others. You may find the following documents on the website:

Summary of the Project: Finding EPP Furniture on Statewide Contract OFF38: Office, School and Library Furniture, Accessories & Services- this is a two page summary of the project including 4 important questions to ask your vendors prior to purchase!!
EPP Furniture Table: Environmentally Preferable Furniture on OFF38: Office, School and Library Furniture, Accessories & Services is an excel document that includes a searchable list of furniture lines from existing OFF38 Vendors offerings which notes whether the products meet environmentally preferable criteria, including those for indoor air quality.
Guidance: Guidance for Environmentally Preferable Furniture: Review of Chemicals of Concern and Certifications & Standards in Furniture, August 2016 is a full explanation of the criteria used in the table, and reviews the chemicals of concern identified, in addition to the third party certifications and standards used.

For more information please contact Julia Wolfe, Director of Environmental Purchasing for the Operational Services Division.

NEW YORK

NY Waste Reduction, Reuse, & Recycling Facility Tours

This summer the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center (SU-EFC) in collaboration with the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling (NYSAR³) conducted Waste Reduction, Reuse, & Recycling Facility Tours in Watertown and Albany, NY.

The Watertown tour was comprised of stops at the composting and recycling facilities at Fort Drum, the Thousand Islands Area Habitat for Humanity, Watertown Urban Mission, and the Jefferson County Transfer Station. The Albany tour included four stops; County Waste & Recycling, Habitat for Humanity Capital District Restore, Radix Ecological Sustainability Center, and the Wagner Farms anaerobic digester system.

Both tours highlighted sustainable materials management operations and specifically how various types and forms of discarded materials are given a valuable second life. At each stop, attendees were able to hear from facility operators regarding their specific mission, goals, accomplishments, and challenges and received a first-hand look at how materials that are diverted from the waste stream provide both environmental and economic benefits to communities. Education is important to the success of all organizations and through tours such as these, relationships with regulated entities and community members can be strengthened and programs and partnerships can further develop and achieve their goals. Further questions regarding the tour can be directed to Jesse Kerns of SU-EFC.

On August 4^th the following Watertown area facilities were visited.

The composting facility at Fort Drum. composting-recycling facilities Fort Drum NY

The Thousand Islands Area Habitat for Humanity warehouse. Thousand Islands NY Area Habitat for Humanity warehouse Executive Director, Brian Drappo, went over the specifics of their Habitat for Humanity shop and warehouse and discussed the process of applying to be a Habitat for Humanity Re-Store facility which they are currently in the process of doing.

Watertown Urban Mission NY At the Watertown Urban Mission we witnessed the stocking of backpacks with school supplies for local kids returning to school. We were amazed by the volume of donations processed by this facility. We got an in depth tour of the extraordinary sorting facility where compassionate volunteers open the bags of donated items and test donated appliances to see if they are still in a usable cond Jefferson County NY Transfer Station ition.

The final stop of the August 4^th tour was at the Jefferson County Transfer Station where we got to see how recyclables are received, processed and stored.

On August 12^th the following Albany area facilities were visited:

Scott Kellogg, Educational Director at the Radix Ecological Sustainability Center, discusses the differences between passive aer Habitat for Humanity Capital District Restore Albany NY obic and anaerobic composting.

The lighting section of the Habitat for Humanity Capital District Restore, which a volunteer created, is shown here with both new and used lights and fixtures. The Capital District Restore had an array of lighting.

At Wagner Farm Wagner Farms ALbany NY s, cow manure is put into a large, deep holding tank and mixed on a daily basis before being transferred to the anaerobic digester that is pictured on the right.

VERMONT

Fall Community Composting Forums

This fall Vermont Community Garden Network (VCGN) is partnering with compost expert James McSweeney of Compost Technical Services and local groups for four Community Composting Forums. The forums bring together a wide range of perspectives to explore the role community and school gardens can play in community composting and food scrap management.

The Community Composting Forums are open to anyone interested in moving forward community composting projects, getting connected to community and school gardens, or just being a part of the conversation. The discussions are sponsored by Northwest Vermont Solid Waste Management District, Rutland County Solid Waste District, and Greater Upper Valley Solid Waste Management District and moderated by VCGN partner and gardening expert Charlie Nardozzi.

This fall Community Composting Forums will be held at 4 locations around the state.
Find a forum near you!

The free forums will take place 6:30-8:00pm.

Rutland: October 4, College of St. Joseph, 71 Clement Rd.
Bakersfield: October 5, Bakersfield Elementary Middle School, 82 Academy Ln.
Orleans: October 17, Orleans Elementary School, 53 School St.
Woodstock: October 18, Woodstock Union High School & Middle School, 100 Amsden Way

Questions? Email Libby or call the VCGN office at (802) 861-4769.

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

Voluntary Product Stewardship Program Extension Announced for Post-Consumer Carpet

The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) and the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) announce an extension of the voluntary product stewardship (VPS) Program is to assist sorters of post-consumer carpet diverted from the nation's landfills. After having supported the program for two years, 2015 and 2016, this extension will provide funding for one additional year through 2017.

The VPS Program is market-based and designed to accept and manage all applicable post-consumer carpet, regardless of polymer type or primary materials or construction. The Program will provide financial assistance to qualified U.S. Sorters who divert post-consumer carpet.

"CRI is pleased to continue to offer financial support for the VPS Program," said Dan Frierson, Chairman of the Board of CRI. "Our members are participating voluntarily as part of our government relations activities, and have committed $4.0 million for the program's third year. The VPS Program will serve as a bridge for sorters as new technologies and applications are developed to increase market driven demand for all post-consumer carpet."

CARE will act as the stewardship organization for the VPS Program. Since 2002, CARE members have diverted more than 4.2 billion pounds of carpet from U.S. landfills.

"The VPS Program has been a key step in our mission to divert more carpet from U.S. landfills," said Brendan McSheehy, CARE's Chairman of the Board. "Sorters may use funds from the program to partner with their customers to divert carpet and recycle carpet back into useful consumer products, such as recycled carpet fiber, carpet cushion, broadloom, carpet tiles, and a wide range of plastic products".

The VPS Program launched in January, 2015 and will complete the initial two-year term at the end of 2016. This extension of the Program will end December 31, 2017. Sorters who qualify for financial assistance can expect to continue receiving funds without interruption, and the Q4 2017 fund payments will be completed in the first Quarter of 2018.

Sorters may qualify for funds by completing all required documents and submitting quarterly reports on their business results to CARE.

For more information, visit www.carpetrecovery.org and click on the VPS tab.

Waste Valorization: Using Renewable Co-Products as Feedstocks Conference 2016

AIChE, University of Massachusetts Lowell and Darby Marketing are co-organizers of the inaugural SPS '16 - Waste Valorization: Using Renewable Co-Products as Feedstocks, which will take place on December 12-13, 2016 at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center.

This 1½ day conference will bring together thought leaders from both industry and academia to share the latest insights around challenges and opportunities in utilizing pre-consumer co- products as feedstock for the production of new products. Valorization is the process of transforming by-products and co-products into valuable products such as fine, chemicals, materials (specifically polymer) and fuels. Waste valorization is based on the concept of circular economy and has attracted much attention in recent years with the aim of managing and reusing co-products that would otherwise end up in landfills.

The conference aims to develop a research agenda for using pre-consumer co- and by-products as feedstocks for development of new products. The conference will feature a workshop to discuss research priorities in the area of organic waste valorization and determine steps that will be taken to pursue the advancement of this area in academia and industry.

For more information, contact Debra C. Darby, Conference Co-Chair, 978-376-8879.

Slow Down To Get Around Becomes Law In New York State

In early September, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law Senate Bill 4268 (sponsored by Senator Carl Marcellino, R-5^th, and identical to Assembly Bill 7763 sponsored by Assemblyman Michael DenDekker, D-34^th), which will require motorists to slow down when passing waste and recycling collection vehicles starting in November. Now enacted, the legislation is now incorporated into Chapter 293 of New York State law.

New York is now the twelfth state to enact this vital legislation, commonly referred to as Slow Down to Get Around, which is designed to protect waste and recycling workers. The New York State Chapter of the National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) joins with local labor organizations and industry companies who advocated for this safety legislation in applauding Governor Cuomo and legislative champions Senator Carl Marcellino and State Assemblyman Michael DenDekker for taking this important step to help prevent unnecessary accidents and injuries in the Empire State.

Motorists are now required to slow down around waste and recycling trucks when actively engaged in making collections when safety lights are flashing, similar to cautions motorists must now exercise when traveling through a construction work zone or when passing a stopped public safety vehicle. The new law will become effective in November. New York is the latest state to enact this legislation, which is part of a nationwide campaign by NWRA and its state chapters. The effort in New York involved a broad coalition of private waste and recycling companies, labor groups and municipal leaders in getting this important worker safety measure enacted into law.

“This law is about the safety of waste and recycling collectors who serve our communities statewide,” said Steve Changaris, New York State chapter manager for NWRA. “Now all motorists are to exercise caution and must slow down to get around waste and recycling vehicles, which will save lives and prevent unnecessary accidents and injuries. Our focus now turns to raising awareness of the new law and educating New Yorkers of the dangers that collection workers face daily on our roadways.”

The most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the waste and recycling collection occupation ranks fifth in the nation for injuries, accidents and fatalities, and more recent data shows that many accidents involving waste and collection workers are caused by inattentive motorists and distracted driving. New York now joins eleven other states that have enacted Slow Down to Get Around, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

In all states, NWRA encourages motorists to be aware of the roadside dangers facing refuse and collection workers. NWRA is asking the media, public safety and transportation agencies and community leaders in New York to educate motorists about the new law and urge them to immediately begin exercising more care and caution in these work areas, even before the law becomes effective in November.

About NWRA

The National Waste and Recycling Association is the leading organization providing leadership, advocacy, research, education and safety expertise for the waste and recycling industries. NWRA advocates at the federal, state and local levels on all issues of importance to our member companies as they provide safe, economically sustainable and environmentally sound services to communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Recycle-Bowl & America Recycles Day

We know a majority of individuals indicate that they want to recycle, however knowing what and where to recycle is not always as straight forward as it can be. Please join Keep America Beautiful (KAB) in raising awareness by educating individuals on what can be recycled and how to recycle properly. Two upcoming opportunities to collectively inspire individuals to recycle are: Recycle-Bowl (K-12 recycling competition) and America Recycles Day (leading up to November 15).

With a goal of reaching a record number of individuals this year through participating schools and community events across the country, we are asking you to help KAB by spreading the word of Recycle-Bowl and America Recycles Day to your networks. Please invite your networks to: 1) invite a school to participate in Recycle-Bowl; 2) host a recycling event in their community.

To assist you in your outreach, they’ve created some communication resources that can be tailored for your organization’s needs – 1) an email blast, 2) a newsletter article and 3) sample social media copy. Please note, there are two versions of each communication – one for Recycle-Bowl and another for America Recycles Day.

You can download these resources here.

Thank you for supporting these efforts to raise awareness about recycling.

If you have any questions regarding Recycle-Bowl or America Recycles Day, contact americarecyclesday@kab.org.

Solid Waste Experts Announce White Paper Offering New Information On Recycling Rates

Peter Engel of Kessler Consulting and Bill Moore of Moore & Associates have announced the release of a white paper entitled: "Demystifying MSW Recycling Rates" that sheds light on "real" recovery rates of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States.

"With so much emphasis on recycling and diversion in the market right now, there is a huge amount of confusion and contradiction about recycling rates," stated Mr. Moore. Mr. Engel continued, “A common foundation is essential for meaningful discussion and comparison among national, state, and local jurisdictions. This white paper provides some clarity that should help advance the dialog."

The project team believes this is the first study to integrate national MSW recovery rate data and distinguish between residential versus industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) sectors. Some of the key findings of this study are:

Recent research and the authors’ analysis suggests that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) MSW recovery and disposal numbers, which are widely referenced by stakeholders, may underestimate national MSW generation and overestimate recovery.

Comparing local government recovery rates to national statistics is rarely valid. Furthermore, the diversity of methods that state and local governments use to calculate recovery rates makes comparison amongst jurisdictions highly susceptible to misinterpretation.

The authors estimate that 60% of MSW is generated by the ICI sector versus 40% by the residential sector.

Estimated materials recovery is 24.1% of MSW nationally, with organics recovery adding another 7.7%, for a total of 31.8%, less than EPA’s 34.4% recovery rate.

The authors estimate that the ICI sector recovers 31% of its MSW through materials recycling, while residential materials recovery is estimated to be 14% of MSW generated.

According to Mr. Engel, "This study examines the challenge that the recycling community faces when comparing recovery data. It identifies the fundamental differences between local versus national recovery rates. In particular, our analysis indicates that the majority of materials recovery occurs in the ICI sector, not the residential sector, which has important implications for understanding the challenges and opportunities to achieve aggressive recovery goals."

The white paper concludes with recommendations for future improvement of recycling rates and ensuring they are measured consistently across all jurisdictions.

The white paper is available by e-mailing Peter Engel by visiting the Moore & Associates website– request the paper through the Contact Us button.

Mr. Engel is a senior consultant at Kessler Consulting, Inc., a solid waste consulting firm (based in Tampa, FL) that provides innovative and practical solutions for a wide range of solid waste management issues to clients in the public and private sector. He has worked as a consultant for 28 years, blending system-thinking and strong technical knowledge to help clients achieve their goals from planning and design to implementation and optimization.

Mr. Moore is president of Moore & Associates, an international consulting firm (based in Atlanta, GA) engaged in providing a range of market research and strategic services to the paper recycling industry. Prior to his many years as a consultant, he held a series of positions in the paper and recycling industries. These included founder and vice president of Paper Recycling International (a joint venture of Stone Container) and the first director of recycling for Waste Management, Inc.

Maine Resource Recovery Fall Workshop focuses on Hazardous Waste Disposal and Product Stewardship features Tours of Waste Handling Facilities

Maine Resource Recovery Association (MRRA) will host “The Prevention and Safe Handling of Hazards in the Waste Stream” on Monday, October 24, 2016 at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston, ME. The annual one-day workshop for industry professionals, municipal officials, and environmental organizations will also feature the election of the statewide non-profit’s Board of Directors for 2017.

Maine State Senator Thomas Saviello, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources will provide the Keynote address. Morning sessions will feature representatives from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Projects, Inc to offer information and safety training on the methods municipalities and businesses use for household hazardous waste disposal.

Another key topic of discussion will be exploring the formation of a product stewardship council (PSC) in the Maine. PSCs are coalitions of local governments, businesses, and other stakeholders that work together to promote and implement product stewardship policies and programs within their state. Presenters on the topic include, Product Stewardship Institute's (PSI's) Amanda Nicholson and PSI Board President Jennifer Holliday.

The afternoon’s agenda will feature hands on implementation topics dealing with the disposal of hard to handle waste such as mattresses, paint, tanks and tires and insight on how to organize a community-wide consolidated household hazardous waste, sharps, pharmaceutical and e-waste drive.

As part of the day’s offerings, workshop attendees will have their choice of waste handling facility tours in the Lewiston area including MMWAC, ReEnergy Lewiston, Casella Zero Sort and the Maine Environmental Depot.

PSI and MRRA will jumpstart the conversation about establishing a Product Stewardship Council in Maine with a pre-workshop conference call on September 27th.

The workshop is organized by Maine Resource Recovery Association, the state’s non-profit trade organization for recycling and solid waste professionals. MRRA works statewide to promote environmentally friendly and economically sustainable recycling and solid waste management practices, so that Mainers everywhere can recycle more and businesses and municipalities can save money.

Registration is $49 for the day including a continental breakfast and lunch. All sessions are open to the public. For more information or to register for the conference call and/or workshop, please go to www.mrra.net or call 942-6772.

David Borsuk Named to ISRI Board of Directors

During ISRI’s summer Board and Governance meetings, recycling industry veteran David Borsuk was elected to ISRI’s Board of Directors as a director-at-large.

David is currently the Manager of Industrial Marketing and Environmental Affairs at Sadoff Iron & Metal Company, located in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In addition to having been with Sadoff Iron & Metal Co. for 46 years, David has served as the chair of the ISRI Audit Committee and Airbag Working Group. He also serves as a member of ISRI’s Circle of Safety Excellence™ Steering Committee. David is a member of both the City of Oshkosh, WI Planning Commission as well as the Greater Oshkosh EDC Industrial Development Committee. He and his wife have three adult children.

Nomination Period Open for ISRI’s 2017 Design for Recycling® Award

ISRI is now accepting nominations for the prestigious Design for Recycling® (DFR) Award. The DFR Award is ISRI’s highest award given annually to the most outstanding contribution to products designed with recycling in mind. It recognizes proactive steps made by manufacturers who have actively incorporated DFR principles into products and processes.

Inaugurated the award more than 10 years ago, previous Design for Recycling Award winners include Cascades Fine Papers Group, Coca-Cola Recycling Company, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Dell Inc., LG Electronics, and this year’s winner Samsung Electronics America.

Recycling Industry Supports the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP)

Recently, ISRI sent a letter to Congress announcing its support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. The TPP has the potential to generate tens of millions of dollars in additional sales revenue for U.S. recycling businesses by eliminating tariffs on scrap commodities and recycling equipment exports.

The letter, signed by ISRI Chair Mark Lewon and President Robin Wiener, described how by opening new markets and expanding access to existing trade partners, the TPP will generate millions of dollars in tax revenue, make a positive contribution to our balance of trade, and create thousands of recycling jobs across America.

ISRI pointed out that the U.S. eliminated such tariffs for the import of scrap commodities and recycling equipment. At the same time, U.S. exporters face significant trade barriers including import tariffs that restrict the free flow of these goods. For example, tariff duties were applied to nearly $700 million worth of U.S. ferrous scrap exports annually with ad valorem rates ranging from 0.78 to 6 percent.

ISRI Releases the ISRI Scrap Yearbook 2016

ISRI released the latest edition of its Scrap Yearbook during the 2016 Commodities Roundtable Forum in September. The ISRI Scrap Yearbook 2016 is designed to not only provide the most up-to-date information and statistics about the U.S. scrap industry and global scrap marketplace, but also aims to provide readers with a clearer understanding of what the scrap industry actually is and how it works, along with the economic, environmental, energy, and trade benefits the industry generates globally.

In addition, the ISRI Scrap Yearbook 2016 also details what is defined as scrap, where it comes from, how it gets processed, and who uses it. Also included is updated and expanded information on nearly every aspect of the global scrap recycling industry.