October 2022
NERC’s Advisory Members
Distinguished Benefactors
Benefactors
Sustaining Members
A list of all the logos of our Sustaining Members can be found under Advisory Members
New & Renewing Members
Renewing Sustaining Member
New Supporting Member
Renewing Supporting Members
Member Spotlight - Henkel Corporation
NERC News
- Early Registration Rate for NERC’s Conference Ends October 3 - Don’t Miss Out!
- Material Reuse Deep Dive Forum - Impact of Building Materials Reuse on Climate Change
- Departing Executive Director Honored by MassRecycle
Newly Posted
- Solar Panel Recycling & EPR Webinar Recording & Presentations
- Material Reuse Deep Dive Forum 1 – Recording & Presentations Available
- Two New Glass Recycling Resources
- NERC's FY 2022 Audit & 990 Published
- NERC's FY22 Annual Report Posted
State Updates
MASSACHUSETTS
- RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts Annual Report
- MassDEP Promotes Mattress Recycling in Anticipation of Waste Disposal Ban
Advisory Member News
Of General Interest
Membership is key to NERC's regional and national commitment to circularity and sustainable materials management. We thank our newest Supporting Member - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as well as our renewing Sustaining Member - Republic Services, and renewing Supporting Members:
Thank you to everyone for supporting NERC and its mission.
For information about Advisory Member opportunities, visit the NERC website.
Member Spotlight - Henkel Corporation
Headquartered in Germany with its US-based subsidiary located in Rocky Hill, 
Connecticut, Henkel is NERC’s newest Advisory Member. The company’s global footprint encompasses 52,000 employees from 124 countries in both developed and emerging economies. In the US alone, Henkel employs over 8,000 employees at approximately 60 sites.
Henkel operates three primary business units:
- Adhesive Technologies, whose adhesives, sealants and functional coatings supply four business areas: Automotive and Metals; Electronics and Industrials; Packaging and Consumer Goods; and Craftsmen, Construction and Professional.
- Beauty Care, which is active in the Consumer Goods business with Hair Cosmetics, Body Care, Skin Care and Oral Care, as well as the Professional business.
- Laundry & Home Care. “The Laundry & Home Care business unit is the cornerstone of Henkel’s success story,” the company’s website states. “In 1876, the company’s first product was a laundry detergent based on sodium silicate.” The unit’s product portfolio includes laundry detergents, laundry additives, dishwashing, hard surface cleaners, toilet care, and insect control products.
Obviously, with such an extensive portfolio of products, Henkel is one of many corporations grappling with the issue of sustainable packaging. Adhering to the basic tenets of the circular economy—eliminate waste and pollution; circulate products and materials; and regenerate nature—the company’s sustainable packaging strategy “focuses on including materials from sustainable sources and using a smart design to close the loop – for the benefit of people and the planet.” Henkel’s goals for packaging by 2025 are:
- 100 percent of Henkel’s packaging will be designed for recycling or reuse.
- Reduce the amount of virgin plastics from fossil sources in consumer products by 50 percent.
- Support waste collection and recycling initiatives by investing in innovative solutions and technologies to promote closed-loop recycling.
Henkel’s sustainable packaging strategy is but one part of wider sustainability commitments. The company’s 2030+ Sustainability Ambition Framework rests on the following foundations:
- Regenerative Planet, focusing on climate change mitigation measures, a functional circular economy and the protection of nature and biodiversity. The company intends to transform its processes, products and use of raw materials in the direction of a resource-efficient, carbon-neutral future.
- Thriving Communities, through diversity and inclusion, education, and well-being.
- Trusted Partner, by driving performance and systems change with integrity through values-based culture, deep rooting in science and passion for technology.
According to Jillaine Dellis, Vice President, Sustainability and Industry Affairs, “Sustainability is deeply anchored in our business strategy and alive in our purpose. With that foundation, our sustainable transformation continues!”
Henkel has also designed Researchers’ World, an out-of-school learning environment for children ages eight to ten, focusing on using scientific methods, critical testing, analysis, interpretation of data, science, and creativity.
Recently, Henkel earned the Leaping Bunny seal of approval from Cruelty Free International for ending animal testing of its Dial line of products.
NERC enthusiastically welcomes Henkel to its community of Advisory Members, where it joins a large community that believes in circularity and an environmentally sustainable economy. We look forward to collaborating on issues involving sustainability and the circular economy, and anticipate an important voice added to our recently launched Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiative.
NERC News
Early Registration Rate for NERC’s Conference Ends October 3 - Don’t Miss Out!
The early registration rate for NERC’s Fall Conference ends on October 3. Register now so you don’t miss the discounted rate.
The jam-packed Agenda is full of great speakers and timely topics. You won’t want to miss this chance to learn from US and Canadian experts, network with many of your peers in-person, and meet different vendors. You will also have the opportunity to meet Jon Smieja of Greenbiz, our keynote speaker.
CONFERENCE SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSOR
BRONZE SPONSORS
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Sponsor Opportunities & Exhibitor Spaces Available
Conference Contact: Mary Ann Remolador
Material Reuse Deep Dive Forum - Impact of Building Materials Reuse on Climate Change
December 7 (11:30 - 1 eastern, 8:30 – 10 Pacific)
Register Here
NERC and a Planning Committee of reuse practitioners from around the country continue to develop and offer free, quarterly Material Reuse Deep Dive Forums. Avoiding the use of new building materials is key to decreasing the built environment's impact on climate change. This second Reuse Deep Dive Forum will feature three speakers presenting studies and data about deconstruction, salvage, and reusing materials. The presenters are:
Sarah Edwards, CEO, Eunomia Research & Consulting
Heidi Swank, Executive Director, Rethos
Gretchen Worth, Project Director, Susan Christopherson Center for Community Planning
Forum contact: Mary Ann Remolador
Departing Executive Director Honored by MassRecycle
Every year, MassRecycle solicits nominations for Annual MassRecycle Awards that recognize outstanding achievements in and contributions towards recycling, reuse, and waste reduction in Massachusetts. Among the award winners this year was Lynn Rubinstein, who was honored with a lifetime achievement award.
Newly Posted
Material Reuse Deep Dive Forum 1 – Recording & Presentations Available
Reuse Centers: Creating Local Community Connections & Benefits—The first Forum in the Materials Reuse Deep Dive Forum series was held on September 7. With more than 750 Forum registrants and the continuous flow of comments and questions from the audience, it’s obvious that reuse is causing a buzz. Attendees hailed from 43 states, DC and Canada!
Links to Forum 1 Recording & Presentations
- Forum 1 Recording
- Community Forklift Presentation
- St. Vincent de Paul Society Presentation
- Stardust Presentation
Solar Panel Recycling & EPR Webinar Recording & Presentations
- First Solar - Solar Panel Recycling webinar presentation
- Kelley Keogh Solar Panel Recycling webinar presentation
- PV Module Stewardship & Takeback Program webinar presentation
Two New Glass Resources
As part of its work through a USDA Rural Utilities Solid Waste Management Grant, NERC supported two regional recycling programs in Maine—Unity Regional Recycling Center and NASWA. As part of the effort, NERC developed a glass recycling safety guide for each program. Unity’s Glass Recycling Safety Guide is geared towards its glass crushing program and NASWA’s Guide is geared towards collecting whole bottles. The resources are available online:
- Glass Recycling Safety Guide – Unity’s Glass Collection & Crushing Program
Glass Recycling Safety Guide, NASWA’s Whole Bottle Collection Program
Project Contact: Mary Ann Remolador
NERC's FY 2022 Audit & 990 Published
NERC has published its most recent audit and federal tax 990 filing.
NERC's FY22 Annual Report Posted
The Annual Report for FY 2022 is now available on the NERC website.
State Updates
MASSACHUSETTS
RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts Annual Report
RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts recently published its annual report for Fiscal Year 2022. Key successes include:
- Approximately 1,500 tons of material diverted from disposal, contributing to an overall cumulative program impact of nearly 250,000 tons of material diverted since 2013
- 1,458 total phone and email hotline inquiries
- In-person or virtual technical assistance (TA) provided to 115 businesses
- Compost site technical assistance provided to 2 operations
- Over 104,000 website visits to
- 20 speaking engagements/events, reaching 1,286 attendees
- New case study and instructional video about construction and demolition material recycling featuring Structure Tone
- Example signage for recycling, trash, and organics available in Spanish and dual Spanish-English (available on our Get Help page)
View the full report and contact RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts to learn more.
MassDEP Promotes Mattress Recycling in Anticipation of Waste Disposal Ban
In July 2022, MassDEP awarded $440,000 in grants to 44 cities and towns, specifically for mattress collection containers. The purpose of this grant is to support municipalities in their compliance with the mattress waste disposal ban, which will become effective on November 1, 2022. Under this regulation, mattresses and box springs will be banned from disposal in landfills or combustion facilities. More than 75% of a mattress’s components are recyclable. Recycling is a preferred management method since mattresses are bulky and costly to dispose of in landfills and incinerators.
MassDEP also released a Mattress Recycling Primer that includes detailed guidance for municipalities as they prepare to implement a mattress recycling program and comply with the upcoming waste disposal ban. It includes information on the waste ban and acceptance criteria, options for various collection methods (curbside pickup or aggregation at a drop-off site), how to estimate mattress generation and track inventory, and more. Additional information on mattress recycling, including fact sheets, case studies, and webinar presentations, is available at: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/mattress-recycling.
In addition, MassDEP is putting together a Waste Ban Social Media Toolkit to help municipalities shape their messaging about changes to their textile and mattress collection programs. The toolkit, due late September, will provide general context about the bans, tips for talking about the waste bans, and text and images that can be used for social media or printed outreach. Related social media posts have been posted on Recycle Smart MA’s social media channels and the August newsletter, Waste Bans 101: Less Trash for a Cleaner Massachusetts, is available for use by municipalities interested in creating emails and/or press releases.
Advisory Member News
PMAA Municipal Authority Communications Awards Announced
New this year, the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association (PMAA) created the Municipal Authority Communications Award in an effort to recognize and value the integral work done by authorities.
Municipal authorities have been providing the citizens of our Commonwealth with a wide array of critical services for over 80 years. All too often authorities do their work efficiently and quietly, in the background, with their good work taken for granted, a consequence of the safe, reliable, and economical services provided.
Authorities are a success story that needs to be told. They meet the continuing environmental and regulatory challenges of the evolving world. They work in concert with their municipalities to manage and support the growth and vitality of our communities. In a time when privatization and monetization threaten this model of service, the authority story needs to move to the forefront more than ever before.
This award recognizes member authorities that have established an effective communications strategy for their customers through design, innovation, creativity, comprehensiveness, and effectiveness.
Our award recipients this year were the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority and Chester Water Authority.
The Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority (CCRRA) provides environmentally sound and economically efficient integrated waste management, reduction, and recycling services; they work cooperatively with the private sector and provide educational services with the intent of enhancing the quality of life in Centre County. Congratulations to Amy Schirf, Education Coordinator, and the staff at CCRRA.
Of General Interest
Deconstruction + Reuse Conference ’22: Build Your Reuse Toolkit
October 18, 19, 20 – 11:00am – 5:00pm ET - Virtual
We need to build a reuse toolkit: to grow our operations, launch new operations, develop markets for our materials, and build strategic partnerships with reuse campaigns in other countries, governments, architects, preservationists, and the building industry. A toolkit to reuse entire structures, promote design for deconstruction, and prioritize access to residential and commercial building materials over demolition. Let’s come together to share what we know, the strategies that are working, the partnerships our community has built and needs to build and perhaps, most importantly, to connect reuse more solidly as a strategy to address climate change while creating equity with work deeply rooted in our communities.
For more information and registration: www.buildreuse.org/conference