News &
Updates

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

September 2012

NERC’s Advisory Members

Distinguished Benefactors

Benefactors

Sustaining Members

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

MEMBERSHIP

Renewing Benefactor

Renewing Sustaining Members

Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI)
Trex
UNTHA America
UNICOR

Renewing Supporting Members

NERC NEWS

STATE UPDATES

CONNECTICUT

MAINE

New Director of Sustainability Unit, Maine DEP

NEW YORK

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

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 and guest blogs 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 Samsung as a renewing Distinguished and UNTHA-America as a new Sustaining Member. UNTHA has been a Supporting Member of NERC for several years and this year has upgraded its membership level to Sustaining. In addition, we are welcoming several renewing Sustaining Members — ISRI, Trex, and UNICOR, and Supporting Members - the Maine Resource Recovery Association (MRRA), Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center, and the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority.

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

Recycling Experts to Gather at NERC's Fall Conference — Successful Recycling: Programs, Plans and Realities

What do Dr. Lisa Skumatz of SERA, Gary Liss of Gary Liss & Associates, Kevin Roche of Ecomaine, Ted Siegler & Natalie Starr, DSM Environmental Services, Inc., Amy Perlmutter of Perlmutter Associates; Joanne Shafer of Centre County (PA) Recycling & Refuse Authority, and Sarah Kite of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation all have in common? They will be speaking at NERC's Fall 2012 Conference, October 23–24, at the Hotel Northampton in Northampton, Massachusetts.

If you haven't already done so, take a look at the Conference Agenda on NERC's website. You will be pleasantly surprised to find that so many recycling experts from around the region and country will be available at this 1½ day event. This is a great chance to meet and speak directly with the people behind the names you have become familiar with over the years.

Sponsor and exhibitor opportunities are available!

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

NERC Reuses the Reuse Marketplace Website for New Regional Materials Exchange

That's right. The Reuse Marketplace will no longer be a network of individual state Materials Exchanges. Instead, NERC is transforming it into a regional materials exchange to link businesses in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont to postings of other business, institutions, organizations, and governments unwanted and surplus materials. This new website will promote reuse by making it easier for exchange members to reuse non-hazardous items across state borders. The site will go live this month.

Sponsors of the Reuse Marketplace are: the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection; Delaware Solid Waste Authority; Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation; Casella Waste Systems; Global Plastics Recycling; GreenCycle; Harvest Power; All American Waste; Willimantic Waste; and Wheelabrator.

Additional states and sponsors are welcome to join and support the Reuse Marketplace. For additional information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC's Assistant Director.

Help Us Reach 200!

NERC's Facebook page has almost 100 likes! So, our new goal is 200. We can't promise a bale of recycled aluminum if you "Like Us." But, we would be very grateful and you will be rewarded with regular updates on what's happening at NERC and elsewhere in the recycling world.

A NERC Blog Worth Repeating: More Illuminating Reflections on NERC's History and Recycling

The NERC staff takes pride in its blog articles and guest features. If you haven't yet been to the NERC blog we hope you will sign up to have the articles automatically emailed to you. We post every Tuesday and occasional Thursday, so we promise not to fill up your inbox. To entice those of you who haven't been to the NERC Blog yet, we offer this article we first posted on July 17, 2012.

The article, "More Illuminating Reflections on NERC & Recycling,"was one of the continuing series of guest blogs by people who have been influential in NERC's history in recognition of NERC's 25th anniversary. Connie Saulter, was NERC's second Executive Director.Here's what she has to say.

First of all, I would like to say Congratulations to everyone who has been involved in the Northeast Recycling Council since its inception. That NERC is celebrating its 25th Anniversary speaks volumes to a dedicated number of individuals and agencies who maintained a strong vision of the importance of a public/private partnership toward solid waste/recycling initiatives.

When did you first become involved with NERC and how long were you actively involved?
I joined NERC in the fall of 1990, when NERC consisted of just Shelley Dresser [NERC's 1st Executive Director] and me, and we worked from Shelley's home. When I left in the summer of 1995, NERC had real offices in downtown Brattleboro and four full-time staff.

How did you first get involved in NERC?
Chip Foley and I worked together with the CONEG Source Reduction Council back in 1989. Chip first introduced me to Shelley Dresser shortly after I began work with the CONEG. Shelley had set the ball in motion for the creation of NERC while working for the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Office — when I met her; she was also operating NERC out of her home in southern Vermont. That is Shelley's story to tell and I will let her. At some point Shelley mentioned that she had submitted a grant application to EPA with hopes that the grant combined with funding from the member states would allow her to hire staff to further research a number of initiatives she had underway and also be able to obtain office space. EPA awarded her the grant; Shelley offered me a position with NERC, and I was off to Vermont. Well, sort of. First I had to tell my husband we were moving.

Shelley and I continued to work out of her house for the first few months after my arrival in Vermont while looking for a suitable home for NERC. After looking at a number of spaces, we ultimately decided on the space where NERC continues to live all these years. We had a couple of temporary hires early on; eventually we hired Michael Alexander as an intern to work on the newspaper publisher's initiative. He made such an impression we kept him full time. Next we wooed Ellen Pratt away from EPA headquarters (the opportunity to live in Brattleboro, Vermont helped!). Becky Bartlett became our Office Manager. Shelley and I became Co-Directors, and shared management responsibilities.

We had an office, staff, a number of projects, a budget and we were off and running! I really do not remember exact dates but I think sometime in late 1993 or early 1994 Shelley decided she wanted to expand her family and spend more time with them and relinquished her role at NERC. I became the Director of NERC and held that position until I too moved on in the summer of 1995.

What were you doing then and what are you doing now?
In addition to helping to develop NERC, my husband and I bought a farm in Vermont and kept busy restoring the farmhouse, gardening, and learning to snowshoe. Then I had the brilliant notion to start raising Tunis sheep, an endangered breed of domestic sheep — but that's another story.

I'm currently "between shows", which is a cute way of saying I'm retired. Well, sort of. Between the garden, house, dogs, cats, and husband, life is full. We still recycle just about everything we can — does anyone know of a program to recycle plastic garden pots?

What are some of your fondest memories of NERC?
My fondest memories of NERC are of the people involved at every level. I was very fortunate to know and work with some dynamite individuals during those years, people who believed in recycling and protecting the environment and who were willing to share their knowledge.

What do you consider to be NERC's greatest strengths? Greatest achievements?
NERC's greatest strengths were and remain the people that are involved in its programs. What has made NERC so effective over the years is its ability to bring people together to share information on recycling. NERC had State members openly sharing information on how programs were working (or not), private sector representatives being up front on how state regulations were affecting their businesses (the good, the bad, and the costly), and always good big picture guidance from EPA, especially Cynthia Greene who has maintained her strong support all these years. One of NERC's great achievements is the ongoing coordination of pulling all these folks together for meetings, seminars, workshops, conferences and watching all this interaction bear fruit with more interaction, information sharing and coordination between all the players and stakeholders.

What role do you see NERC as having played in the recycling industry?
NERC has served locally and regionally as a clearinghouse for sharing information — a neutral corner, as it were, where federal and state agencies and industry groups can gather to share information, build relationships, and hopefully, develop common goals and create alliances to work together towards those goals.

What are the most pressing issues facing the recycling industry today and in the next five years?
Some might say that recycling has not become mainstream, that it is an accepted part of the lexicon of U.S. business. However, many of the issues we first set out to address remain. In order to be sustainable, recycling has to become more than just "saving the environment" — it has to be shown to be cost-effective. The true life-cycle cost of every product needs to be captured within the price of the product; but as it now stands, for too many industrial and consumer goods, its simply too easy (and too cheap) to throw it away.

What role do you think NERC should play in addressing these issues?
Exactly what it has been doing for the past 25 years — educating government and industry stakeholders on the true costs of waste disposal and working with those groups to develop markets for recycled materials.

Congratulations and Happy 25th Anniversary to the Northeast Recycling Council!

Manufacturing with Recycled Materials

Ever wonder what happens to your recyclables? Many people don't realize the size and extent of the recycling marketplace. Some materials get shipped to other parts of the country or overseas to be processed further or incorporated into new products. However, much of what we divert for recycling in the Northeast stays right here in the Northeast. The New York Recycling Markets Database includes more than 230 facilities that use recovered materials to make products.

Recycling is indeed integral to our regional economy. Here are just a few examples:

Washington Mills Electro Minerals, Inc. in Niagara Falls, New York uses more than 24,000 pounds of recycled aluminum oxide each year to make new aluminum oxide products. $Description: z:\MarketsDB\ProjInfoGen\Promotion\IceStone.jpg$

IceStone in Brooklyn, New York manufactures durable surfaces for countertops, bathroom vanities, conference tables, and wall and floor coverings using 100% recycled glass and concrete.

A-Turf, Inc. in Cheektowaga, New York builds athletic fields for locations all over the U.S., using recycled rubber.

Andela Products, Ltd., Richfield Springs, New York, converts sorted and mixed glass bottles and cullet into $Description: z:\MarketsDB\ProjInfoGen\Promotion\Andela Sand.jpg$ sandblast media and landscaping/crafting material, diverting more than 1,000 tons of glass each month from the waste stream for use in these value-added $Description: z:\MarketsDB\ProjInfoGen\Promotion\FiberCel.jpg$ applications.

FiberCel Packaging, LLC in Portville, New York manufactures a lightweight and cost-effective alternative to other packaging materials, using 100% recycled cardboard.

GreenFiber in Hagaman, New York manufactures insulation, fire, and sound products from 85% recycled paper fiber.

Manufacturers looking for recovered materials can find suppliers of the materials they need on this searchable, up-to-date and comprehensive database too. You can search for specific recyclables collected by Material Recovery Facilities or materials processors. The database includes seventeen primary material categories, ranging from batteries to wood. Each primary material type is further subdivided into secondary material categories to allow for refined searches. There are more than 150 secondary categories on the database.

End users as well as recycling service providers are encouraged to be listed on the Recycling Markets Database. There is no cost to be listed or to use the database. And, no matter what role you play in the recycling process, each listing includes material specifications that define exactly what the recycler or the end user is looking for.

The database is housed on the New York Empire State Development website. For more information contact Athena Lee Bradley, NERC's Projects Manager.

C&D Trainings and Recycling Summit in Puerto Rico

With funding from EPA Region II, NERC will be holding two trainings on C&D reuse and recycling in Puerto Rico, October 17 & 18, 2012. The first training will be held at the EPA Caribbean Division office in San Juan and the second to be held at Catholic University in Ponce. WasteCap Resource Solutions will present the trainings.

In addition, NERC has been instrumental in the planning of a Recycling Summit in San Juan this September, along with the Environmental Finance Center of Syracuse University, EPA Region II and Caribbean Division; and the Puerto Rico Association of Home Builders. The Summit will review the recycling requirements and permitting processes for C&D management in Puerto Rico, and address the primary barriers to recycling these materials. Regulators, reuse and recycling specialists, contractors, engineers, and architects will be invited to participate in the Summit as well as the trainings.

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

STATE UPDATES

CONNECTICUT

Connecticut Food Residual Mapping Study Updated

CT DEEP, in conjunction with EPA Region 1, has updated their report, database, and map of large-scale food residual generators in the state. The webpage for this study features an Excel spreadsheet containing over 3,300 industrial, commercial and institutional generators, an interactive PDF map with layers and object tool, and a report explaining how the update was conducted. An entrepreneur, composter, hauler or waste manager can not only see where food generators are located, but can use the information to choose logical locations to site new organics recycling facilities, line-up new accounts, select the right collection vehicles, and design efficient transportation routes.

This update is timely as Connecticut seeks to expand their organics recycling infrastructure relative to Public Act 11-217 which mandates phased-in participation in food residual recycling projects by certain businesses , and also as a result of their solid waste composition and characterization study which found that compostable organics comprised nearly one-third of the waste stream.

More Opportunities to Recycle Mattresses

Connecticut now has two mattress recycling facilities — Recyc-Mattresses, Inc. in Bloomfield and Park City Green in Bridgeport. Both facilities are providing new jobs in Connecticut's growing recycling industry. At the two facilities, mattresses are largely dismantled by hand to maximize materials recovered for recycling. About 90% of a mattress — including foam, cotton, wood, metal, felt and polyester — can be recovered and sent to end-user markets that make products such as carpet padding from the foam. This creates a great opportunity for municipalities, institutions, the hospitality industry and bedding retailers to manage mattresses in a way that is good for the environment and the economy. Both facilities charge a nominal processing fee because the sale of the components cannot fully cover the cost of recovering the materials. Municipalities now spend about $1.2 million annually on mattress disposal.

While a proposed Mattress Stewardship bill ran out of time this legislative session, it will likely be proposed again next year since mattress recycling increases material recovery, decreases illegal dumping, and lowers costs for municipalities. For more information, visit DEEP's Mattress Recycling webpage, call 860-424-3366, or e-mail Tom Metzner.

Transforming Municipal Materials Management in Connecticut

The second sustainable materials management summit, Capturing the Value – Transforming Municipal Materials Management, was hosted by CT DEEP, US EPA Region 1, and Yale University at Yale University's Kroon Hall on Tuesday, June 12th. The event was attended by over 130 municipal officials, solid waste and recycling professionals, solid waste collectors and haulers, school administrators, and interested citizens.

Dialogue focused on how municipalities can implement waste reduction and cost saving measures by enhancing policies and making small changes. Participants heard from a diverse group of panelists on implementing unit-based pricing incentives to reduce waste and relieve municipal budgets, adopting zero waste principles in municipalities, collaborating with solid waste haulers for effective collection contracts, and using resource management contracts to support waste reduction and recycling in schools. Throughout the day, participants had time to view the exhibitor hall with representation by organizations and companies that specialized in recycling and organics infrastructure, recycling incentive programs, and unit based pricing services.

Special Events Recycling Bin Loan Program

When CT Public Act 10-87 passed in 2010, recycling requirements were clarified to require provision for recycling at public gathering venues where designated recyclables are generated and trash collection is provided. This includes venues such as public parks, sports arenas, retail establishments, hospitals, and other publicly visited sites. The updated requirements for recycling at common gathering venues went into effect in October 2011. Mansfield Waste Station

To support municipalities in meeting this requirement, recycling bins for special events, concerts, fairs, and festivals are now available to Connecticut communities through a grant that DEEP received from Keep America Beautiful and Anheuser-Busch Foundation. The Lend-A-Bin Grant provided the State of Connecticut with 200 ClearStream recycling bins for use by municipalities and civic groups to improve recycling collection at special events.

Municipalities are tasked with improving recycling and waste diversion in their communities, and this Special Events Recycling Bin Loan Program provides them with basic infrastructure to implement successful beverage container diversion programs.

Bins are available to any special event within the State of Connecticut and your event is not limited to borrowing from a particular location.

MAINE

New Director of Sustainability Unit, Maine DEP

George MacDonald, Maine's representative to the NERC Board and its Treasurer, began a new position with the State of Maine in early August. He is now the Director of the Sustainability Unit in the Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management, Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This is both a new position for George, and a new position within Maine DEP.

George joins the Bureau after 14 years at the State Planning Office, with experience in solid waste management, recycling, composting, contract management, fiscal operations, data management and community assistance. Most recently, George served in the Policy Office at DEP.

The Sustainability Unit merges a number of existing cross-media efforts including recycling, composting and beneficial use program requirements, as well as the Product Stewardship electronic waste and mercury added products responsibilities. The goal of this innovative new unit is to create and implement a comprehensive, coordinated approach to materials management in all waste streams, melding existing responsibilities with newer opportunities. The unit will work on the toxic chemical reduction and priority chemical reporting programs as well as on the Environmental Leader program, continuing its emphasis on sustainability recognition programs for businesses. Other topic areas for the unit include the Department's greenhouse gas and climate adaptation role, focusing on Maine's strategy for addressing potential impacts from climate change including changing water levels, species migration and related effects. Joining George in the new unit are Carole Cifrino, Mark King, Roy Krout, Kerri Malinowski, Enid Mitnik and Ann Pistell.

NEW YORK

NYS's Hazardous Waste Reduction Plan Program

In August 1990, the New York State Legislature passed a law (ECL 27-0908) requiring facilities that release hazardous waste and toxic substances into the environment to reduce, to the maximum extent possible, the volume or quantity toxicity of wastes, whether emitted into the air, discharged into the water or treated and disposed of in a permitted facility. The facilities must reduce these wastes by implementing technically feasible and economically practicable waste reduction technology processes or operation changes. The law requires the generators of hazardous wastes to prepare, implement and submit a Hazardous Waste Reduction Plan (HWRP). The HWRP must also be updated biennially with annual status reports.

The intent of ECL 27-0908 is to target hazardous wastes generated for industrial manufacturing processes. Since the inception of the program, 659 facilities have participated in this program and submitted HWRPs.

Data submitted for 2008 shows that, overall, for the original and new processes, approximately 38% less hazardous waste was generated for those wastes subject to the HWRP program per unit of production as compared to the base year the wastes first entered the program. In recent years, the generation of more than 8 million tons of hazardous waste has been prevented each year as a result of the reduction planning and pollution prevention activities implemented by generators through this program. These numbers include hazardous wastewater.

Since the beginning of the HWRP program, both hazardous waste and hazardous wastewater generation have been included together in the HWRP data and have not been separately delineated. Recently, the data was revised so that the reduction of hazardous waste separate from wastewater could be calculated. The data shows that for hazardous waste other than wastewater, 73% (approximately 309,000 tons) waste reduction was achieved for 2008.

4th Annual "College Interns' Summer Project Presentations"

The Toxics Reduction and Green Chemistry Section within the Division of Materials Management conducted their Fourth Annual "College Interns' Summer Project Presentations" on August 16, 2012. This internship program, supported with a grant from USEPA, matches motivated college students with New York State institutions, organizations and companies, in order to develop and implement various environmental projects or programs and strengthens the relationships between these entities and NYSDEC.

The program is headed by Aida M. Potter, P.E., Chief, Toxics Reduction and Green Chemistry Section but uses a team approach that uses expertise from other parts of NYSDEC. This team approach broadens the diversity of the projects and promotes collaboration and cooperation among the divisions and these entities. Erica Cruden, P.E., Division of Water, and John Barnes, P.E., Division of Air Resources, participate and were instrumental in every aspect of the program, from helping to select student candidates to recruiting host businesses.

2012 Projects

Following is a list of projects undertaken this year:

The Matt Brewing Company -Beer Loss and Carbon Dioxide Collection System

Siena College – Chemical Management System

Grow NYC – Rainwater Harvesting and Green Infrastructure in NYC

Covanta Energy – Anaerobic Digestion and Beyond Compliance Projects

Unison Industries – Energy Conservation through Ventilation Efficiency

NYSAR3 Conference – Save the Date

The New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR3) invites you to attend its 23rd Annual Conference and Trade Show, November 14–15 2012 and the Organics Council's Training Session on November 13 at the Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown, New York.

These events offer a great opportunity for participants to network with other recycling professionals, decision-makers, recycling coordinators, state and business representatives from across New York, as well as to hear the latest about recycling and composting trends, markets and policies.

Highlights of the Conference include:

A timely Organics conference agenda – Organics Management: A Growing Opportunity at "Home Plate"

An overview of NYS's Solid Waste Management Plan (Beyond Waste)

Planning an Organics Management Program

Rallying the Troops and Moving Forward Politically

Raising money through Grants and Public/Private Partnerships

Pilot Projects – Ulster County and Watervliet's Organic Waste Program

School and College Food Scrap Programs

Composting Education Program – Train the Trainer

Energy from Organics

Organics Reduction

A Timely Recycling Conference Agenda – Recycling… Expanding the Playing Field

Batter up! C&D Reuse and Recycling

Green Procurement – For Greener Fields

Product Stewardship – Carpet, Paint, Mattresses… Make it Home!

Take it out of the Park - Public Space and Event Recycling

Food Scraps

New Recycling Labels; The New Uniforms

Neighboring States New Laws and Regs – The All-Stars!

Pitching in – Hospitals Can Reduce & Recycle

Plastic Recycling… Bat'em in!

Odd Recyclables – Add'em and Knock Your Program Out of the Park!

And to add to a great agenda…

Vendor Show highlighting new technologies and services

NYSAR 3 Annual Meeting and Announcement Of New Board Members

Recycler of the Year Awards presentation

NY Recycles Poster Contest Winners Awards

Check www.nysar3.org for registration information and a complete agenda.

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

Three times is a charm! Sharp wins 2012 ENERGY STAR® Award for Energy Efficient Product Design

For the third year in a row, Sharp has been recognized by the U.S. EPA and Department of Energy with the ENERGY STAR Award for Energy Efficient Product Design. It's no wonder when you consider Sharp's growing line of energy efficient products. Plus, Sharp continues to develop key ENERGY STAR program efficiency metrics, promoting educational materials, and programs for customers, retailers and students.

Sharp's track record in offering ENERGY STAR qualified products in 2011 speaks for itself: Description: http://files.sharpusa.com/Email/AQUOS_Advantage/Summer2012/images/energystar_trophies.jpg

30 ENERGY STAR qualified TV models featuring QuattronTM Quad Pixel technology that enables very low power consumption

Awarded EPA's ENERGY STAR Most Efficient recognition for nine TV models — more than any other manufacturer (as of December 2011)

Expanded training efforts to include 20 courses for retailers and dealers, and incorporated ENERGY STAR information into education materials and road show presentations

Conducted the fourth year of Sharp's Solar Academy program, educating 2,900 students on such topics as climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy

Delivered a variety of efficient product lines to consumers, including ENERGY STAR qualified air purifiers, audio products, AQUOS BOARDTM interactive display systems, Blu-ray DiscTM disc players, DVD players and 100 percent of Sharp's air conditioner.

"This is a great honor for Sharp," says a company spokesperson. "The ideals upheld by the ENERGY STAR program are consistent with those of our corporate vision to contribute to the world through environmental-improvement and health-conscious business, focusing on energy saving and energy creating products." For more information, visit sharpusa.com.

Zak Enterprises Selects UNTHA America Shredder, Expands Business

Zak Enterprises, a leader in IT recycling and data security based in San Francisco, CA, has recently expanded its capabilities into the data destruction field. The company purchased the UNTHA America RS30 shredder and is now able to offer total destruction of hard drives, tapes and other data retention materials. Located in Hampton, NH, UNTHA shredding technology America, Inc. 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.

The RS30 debuted 25 years ago, but was recently redesigned, and now requires even less maintenance. Its ease of use and diverse capabilities attracted Zak Enterprises. Prior to purchasing the RS30, Zak Enterprises had been involved in reprocessing IT materials, but had not provided data destruction. The purchase of the RS30 has opened a new revenue stream." We are very pleased with the RS30," says Greg Hall, director of enterprise sales with Zak Enterprises. "Just having the shredding capability has allowed us to secure two new accounts and our business is expanding."

For more information about UNTHA America, visit www.untha-america.com.

Northeast Recycles: Over Half a Million Pounds of Batteries in the First Half of 2012

The Northeast Recycling Council's (NERC) ten member states have recycled nearly 600,000 pounds of rechargeable batteries in the first six months of this year through their participation in the Call2Recycle® program. Pennsylvania and New York are vying for the top of the list with combined collections of almost 300,000 pounds.

"The Northeast is well on its way to another million pound year," said Todd Ellis, Account Manager at Call2Recycle. "We are proud to partner with NERC's members for battery recycling within their communities. They are committed to increasing awareness of the need to recycle rechargeable batteries and growing participation in collections efforts."

These impressive results reflect national sentiments revealed in a survey commissioned by Call2Recycle earlier this year. The survey showed that many Americans have good intentions. Eighty-four percent say they have recycled in the past year to help the environment, as well as turned out lights/unplugged rechargers (68 percent), and purchased "green" products (53 percent). However, when asked if they could and should be doing more to help preserve the environment, 29 percent of Americans admit to suffering from "green guilt." The finding represents more than double the percentage (12 percent) who professed to feel guilty in 2009.

When asked what barriers to recycling exist, 44 percent say not knowing how or where to recycle old technology, while 19 percent say a local store doesn't offer a program. Other constraints cited include difficulty finding a collection event (16 percent) and lack of municipal recycling options (15 percent). Reasons for not doing more to protect the environment in general include not knowing what to do (32 percent); and not having the time (26 percent).

To see more results from the survey or find the nearest battery collection site visit www.call2recycle.org.

1-800-Recycling.com Profiles Hartford, Salt Lake City & Tulsa

1-800-Recycling.com, an interactive website dedicated to enhancing and democratizing the consumer recycling experience while making practical suggestions about green living, has added three new regional recycling profiles, expanding on its series of blog articles about the unique recycling options and programs in various metropolitan areas throughout the US and Canada.

The articles, titled "Local Focus: Changing the World One Region at a Time" outline what materials are recycled by each city and how each system works.

Other cities profiled in the series include Baltimore, Boise, Boston, Calgary, Charlotte, Cleveland, Edmonton, Flagstaff, Grand Rapids, Houston, Jackson (MS), Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Oklahoma City, Omaha, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Portland, Sacramento, St. Louis, Washington DC and Wilmington — with more to follow, including the addition of Detroit next week.

The articles, all archived at 1-800-Recycling's blog, provide helpful links to more information for local residents and interesting descriptions of how each city does its recycling.

"At 1-800-Recycling.com, our mission is to help people achieve their recycling goals and live more sustainable lifestyles," said John S. Shegerian, Chairman and CEO of Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the nation's leading recycler of electronics and e-waste, and parent company of 1-800-Recycling.com. "We know it can be confusing when recycling laws and municipal practices vary from city to city, so that's why we continue to work to shed light on how recycling programs are run in various cities, states and provinces around the US and Canada."

1-800-Recycling.com also features an archive of original news articles about green practices for businesses or individuals, recycling, tips, educational information and interviews. Content is updated daily, and for those reading the articles who become inspired, 1-800-Recycling.com provides its visitors everywhere in the United States with a dedicated tool to find recycling locations nearest to them (every zip code in the country is covered) for whatever it is they wish to recycle.

Consumers can also opt to call 1-800-Recycling via telephone for a 24/7 phone line resource. Both the site and the phone service will be able to direct users to responsible recyclers of electronics, tires, oil, paint, glass, plastic, household hazardous waste, wood, mattresses, carpet, junk – basically everything that can be recycled.

For more information on recycling needs, visit www.electronicrecyclers.com.

The Association of New Jersey Household Hazardous Waste Coordinators (ANJHHWC) Urge Residents to Recycle Electronics

The Association of New Jersey Household Hazardous Waste Coordinators (ANJHHWC) is pleased to announce E-CYCLE NEW JERSEY, a free electronics recycling program for NJ residents. Fortunately, New Jersey provides sites all over the state where residents can recycle covered electronics at no cost. Covered electronics refer to TV's, computers, monitors and laptops, although many local programs include additional items such as printers, fax machines, and DVD players. E-CYCLING is not only the law, but it's easy, free and a great way to do something good for the environment.

ANJHHWC's goal is to educate consumers and others on why it is important to reuse and recycle electronics and what the options are for safe reuse and recycling of these products. Increasingly, State and local governments, manufacturers, and retailers are providing more opportunities to recycle and reuse this equipment. Many computer, TV, and cell phone manufacturers, as well as electronics retailers offer some kind of take back program or sponsor recycling events.

More than 20 states have enacted legislation to manage end-of-life electronics, and more are expected to follow suit. Under the New Jersey Electronic Waste Management Act which took effect on January 1, 2011, manufacturers of covered electronic products were required to provide free and convenient recycling services. As a result, many of these companies partnered up with local governments to defray the cost of demanufacturing and recycling covered electronics. Thus, E-cycling opportunities continue to be local and convenient while the associated costs are incurred by the electronic manufacturers rather than the counties.

ANJHHWC supports recycling efforts and is committed to protecting the environment. ANJHHWC is a registered 501(c) (3) organization and is governed by an Executive Board. The Association believes that despite the availability of electronic recycling programs, electronics may still be improperly disposed of in our landfills and waste-to-energy facilities. As a sponsor, ANJHHWC is working to implement a state-wide public outreach campaign encouraging New Jersey residents to recycle electronics through various collection locations.

Covanta Energy has partnered with ANJHHWC on this important educational campaign. Covanta Energy is an internationally recognized owner and operator of Energy-from-Waste and power generation projects including three Energy-from-Waste facilities in New Jersey. Covanta Energy's facilities convert municipal solid waste into clean, renewable energy to help power local communities and reduce their environmental footprint. "We're pleased to partner with ANJHHWC on this effort which is consistent with Covanta's Clean World Initiative, a program dedicated to improving the company's overall environmental performance," said Kenneth Armellino, Director of Environmental Science and Community Affairs for Covanta Energy.

Newtech Recycling, Inc. of Somerset, NJ, an R2 and ISO 1400 certified electronics recycler has also joined in this initiative. A Toolkit, which included a "top ten" list of ways to promote E-cycling, was developed and sent to almost 300 electronics retailers in NJ. Newtech helped develop the toolkit and incurred the costs for distributing these materials state-wide.