News &
Updates

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

September 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

Renewing Supporting Members

NERC NEWS

NEWLY POSTED

TOXICS IN PACKAGING CLEARINGHOUSE NEWS

Patricia Dillon Moves on from Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse & State Electronics Challenge

STATE NEWS

Connecticut

Comprehensive Material Management Strategy Adopted

Massachusetts

New York

Central New York Compost Workshop & Facility Tour

Vermont

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWS

OF GENERAL INTEREST

Announcing the Release of Two EPA Documents to Support the Beneficial Use of Industrial Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials

NEW & RENEWING MEMBERSHIPS

Membership is key to NERC's regional and national commitment to sustainable materials management. We are delighted to thank the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and UNTHA Shredding Technologies for their continued Sustaining Membership in NERC.

In addition, NERC would like to thank renewing Supporting Members:

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

New Voices, New Solutions—NERC’s Fall Conference

NERC is adding new features to its upcoming Conference—New Voices, New Solutions. In addition to presenting the newest topics affecting materials management, the Conference will feature emerging professionals and NERC Fall Conference Banner 2016 many speakers that have never before presented at a NERC event.

Here’s a quick peek at our current list of speakers:

Marcel Van Ooyen, GrowNYC

Kate Bailey, Eco-Cycle Solutions

David Biderman, SWANA

Luke Soules, Co-Founder, iFixit

Nathan Clark, ReFED

Michael Timpane, RRS

Daniel Bell & Greg Williams, Agri-Cycle Energy, Stonyvale, Inc.

Tyler Frank, Garbage to Garden

Rob Wirtanen, Industrial Hearing Testing

Bob Cappadona, Casella Recycling, LLC.

George MacDonald, Maine DEP

Andrew Brooks, Bootstrap Compost

Athena Lee Bradley, NERC

The topics to be discussed include achievable recycling rates, electronics reuse, sustainable packaging, safety in recycling operations and hauling, and the changing roadmap for food scrap management, tackling food scrap collection, and successful processing.

The Conference will be November 1 – 2 at the Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador.

Search for Lanyards!

Over the past three years, NERC has been using surplus and off-spec lanyards at its Conferences for name tags. We’ve received more than 400 reusable lanyards from a trade association, business, and non-profit organizations. It’s turned into a bit of a novelty at NERC’s events for attendees, who get to select the right lanyard to suit their mood or their outfit to display their name tag. Our only problem is that we don’t always get them back!

We are in the process of preparing for NERC’s Fall 2016 Conference and are in need of lanyards. If you have any lanyards that you aren’t using or need to get rid of, please consider donating them to NERC.

To discuss further, please contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Event Organizer.

New Members Join the NERC Board of Directors

Two new members have joined the NERC Board of Directors: Todd Moore, representing New Hampshire; and Mike Oconnell representing Rhode Island. Todd is replacing Sharon Yergeau who is now enjoying retirement, and Mike is replacing Sarah Reeves who has moved on to become the General Manager of the Chittenden Solid Waste District in Vermont.

Todd Moore has worked for the NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) since Todd Moore photo 2000. Todd worked in the Permitting & Environmental Health Bureau of the Air Resources Division from 2000 to February 2016. Todd moved to the Solid Waste Bureau of the Waste Management Division in February 2016, where he now serves as Bureau Administrator. Prior to coming to DES, Todd worked for a NH environmental consulting firm for 8 years. Todd has a B.S. in Civil Engineering-Environmental Concentration from the University of New Hampshire.

Mike Oconnell has been the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) since 2007. Previously, he was the Chief Operating Officer at Americold Logistics. He has an MBA from the University of Connecticut, and a BA from the University of Maryland. He is also a US Navy Veteran.

NERC & DSM Environmental Awarded Contract to Conduct Construction & Demolition Debris Market Study

NERC, in collaboration with DSM Environmental, has been awarded a contract from the Massachusetts Department of Enviromental Protection to conduct a construction and demolition (C&D) market study. The study will evaluate the current and future status of C&D management in Massachusetts and will recommend potential options for the diversion of a greater proportion of recyclable materials in fines and residuals to recycling markets. The study is anticipated to be completed in January 2017. For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director.

Recycling Business Development Assistance Available from NERC

Recycling business development means fostering the vitality of businesses that process, manufacture and sell recycled-content products, including organics management and composting. NERC offers processors, manufacturers, end-users, and governments services to help grow recycling businesses and stimulate the demand for recyclable and recycled-content products, as well as compost.

And, NERC offers a comprehensive free resource to assist recycling business entreneurs with getting assistance and funding from government entities in the Northeast: Recycling Business Assistance Guide for the Northeast. The document provides state-by-state detailed information and contacts, including:

Primary Resources
Grant & Loan Funding Programs
Statewide Loan Programs
Regional Loan Programs
Taxes & Business Incentives
Technical Assistance for Recycling Businesses
General Business Assistance
Disaster Debris Management
Waste Reduction & Reuse Resources

In addition to this web-based resource NERC offers consulting services, including:

Identifying dependable supplies of quality recovered materials
Working with suppliers to ensure that material specifications are achieved
Assisting with business plan development
Helping to identify investment, technical assistance, and growth opportunities for new technologies or businesses
Stakeholder facilitation – bringing together market players together, through forums, linking of suppliers and end-users
Researching and managing recycling market databases and material exchanges
Supporting green procurement through policies, specifications, training, and program analysis

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

Want to Advance your Sutainability Goals? Join us for a Free Webinar - September 13

Buying green, saving power & paper, responsible reuse & recycling - the State Electronics Challenge is a free program that can assist you to advance your organization’s sustainability practices and recognize you for what you've accomplished.

The Challenge is open to local, regional, tribal, and state governments, all public & private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations. Participants receive access to free technical assistance, tools, resources, and recognition in support of their efforts to decrease the environmental impact of electronic office equipment. The Challenge also documents the success of participating organizations. Program participants receive annual sustainability reports that detail their reductions in energy use, greenhouse gases, and waste.

For more information, contact info@stateelectronicschallenge.net or visit the website at www.stateelectronicschallenge.net.

NERC Reaches 1,000 Followers on Twitter

In August, @NErecycling, the Twitter handle of NERC, surpassed 1,000 followers. The number represents an increase of over 250% since one year ago.

In consultation with the Development Committee of NERC’s Board of Directors, NERC staff has undertaken a more active role on social media in recent months, especially Facebook and Twitter. The dramatic increase in followers of NERC on Twitter suggests that there are many who consider NERC’s message to be important to share.

NERC staff thanks our Twitter followers for their support. We look forward to opportunities for mutually beneficial dialogue with you!

And for those of you that aren't yet Twitter followers, now's the time! @NErecycling

NERC Blog Worth Repeating—YP in the Biz

NERC's Fall Conference New Voices, New Solutions, November 1 - 2, 2016 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, will showcase young professionals in materials management. Hope you can join us!

Most conferences I attend these days go out of their way to recognize “young professionals” and/or bring us “experienced professionals” together with the “young professionals.” At last week’s WasteExpo, Waste360 sponsored the “40 Under 40.” Nominations were solicited to identify the “next generation of leaders in the waste and recycling space.” The result was 40 professionals, from public, private, and nonprofit sectors, who are “shaping the future” of the industry. The 40 were recognized through Waste 360 and in various promotional activities at WasteExpo.

At the Federation of New York Solid Waste Association’s recent Solid Waste and Recycling Conference a fun “EP DOWNLOAD TO YP UPLOAD” event was hosted to bring together young professionals and experienced professionals for networking.

A couple years back, BioCycle opened its conference with “Millennials On The Move In Climate Resiliency.” This opening session was a great way to set the tone for the conference, bringing experienced professionals and young professionals together throughout the conference on panels, as participants, and through networking.

I am particularly intrigued by the number of young professionals in composting and reuse. Both of these facets of materials management foster entrepreneurial opportunities that seem particularly suitable for younger professionals in a still struggling economy.

Chris Cano, with Gainesville Compost, was one of the plenary speakers at BioCycle. Mr. Cano started his company while still in college. Today, Gainesville Compost is a “pedal-powered” community compost network in Gainesville, Florida. Using bicycles as their means of collection, employees pick up food scraps from Gainesville’s restaurants, cafes, bars, and residences. The collected food scraps are taken to a distributed network of partner composting sites at urban farms, restaurants, churches, and other organizations. The company markets the resulting product, a blend of compost and vermicompost, as Soil Food. The company also sells the “Can of Worms” to promote home vermicomposting.

Also on the BioCycle plenary panel was Michael Lemon of Biogas Researchers (“BR”). Mr. Lemon co-founded the non-for-profit business with his father, Jim Lemon, in 2013. BR is working to promote biogas development and use through education, research and other charitable activities. Its goal is to increase the amount of methane-rich biogas that is captured and beneficially used at landfills, wastewater treatment plants, farms (dairy, swine, poultry, and beef) and other biodigester facilities across the United States. Biogas researchers works to identify the range of energy, environmental and other opportunities that may be available at places and projects where the production and/or consumption of biogas currently exists or could exist in the future.

A recent news article, Garbage entrepreneurs are turning food waste into a business, profiled other young entrepreneurs looking to make a business in the growing food scrap management world. Fueled by the desire to do something good and make money at it, many aspiring entrepreneurs, the article noted, are going into food scrap collection and processing.

Melissa Tashjian is a part-time waitress, and full-time compost entrepreneur. Ms. Tashjjian started Compost Crusader, LLC, with a small dump truck collecting food scraps and other organics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her customers include local restaurants, schools and hospitals. She hauls the collected materials to a farm in Racine County for composting. Starting two years ago with just a handful of customers, her client number has grown to more than 55 and her small dump truck has been replaced with two larger garbage trucks. With the business growing and making money, she’s been able to reduce her waitressing hours and hire employees.

Co-founders Andy Brooks and Igor Kharitonenkov started Bootstrap Compost 2011. The company uses bicycle trailers, the T (Boston’s subway system), hand trucks, and other vehicles to collect and transport food scraps from houses, apartments, dorms, co-ops, condos, cafes, offices, and restaurants around Boston. They also offer collection at special events. Bootstrap partners with local farms to divert thousands of pounds of organic material from landfills every week. Their partner farms use the finished compost in their operations and also provide the company with compost to use for community garden projects.

In the world of reuse and upcycling, co-founders Stephanie Hansen and Renee Hansen started Spinfish Event Solutions, a company marketed as a “waste diversion and rescue service.” The company provides consulting services to event organizers for diverting unwanted custom event materials and waste through charitable donations, refurbishments, freecycling, upcycling and other means. Diverted materials include: furniture, wine bottles, corks, jars, printed promotional materials, t-shirts, chip board, bottle caps, vinyl banners, exercise equipment, custom decor pieces, vinyl, foamcore, and promotional giveaways. The company works with clients to set up collection points and arranges for nonprofit organizations and businesses to pick up the items.

Renee Hansen also founded Hipcycle, a leading online store for upcycled goods. Their mission is to “help address the global waste problem through upcycling.” The website carries hundreds of upcycled products, along with positive messaging about the benefits of upcycling.

Nice to be working with and learning from a growing number of young professionals in the field!

By Experienced Professional, Athena Lee Bradley. First posted on June 14, 2016.

NEWLY POSTED

Reuse Explorations Guide: Innovative Programs & Strategies

NERC’s new Reuse Explorations Guide will benefit a wide range of people, including state, tribal, municipal, and community leaders, as well as materials managers, economic development specialists, citizen activists, reuse businesses, charity/non-profit representatives, and others who are looking to expand reuse in their communities.

The Guide offers insights for small and tribal communities, but is designed to assist communities of all sizes and demographics. It is an online resource with hyperlinks to additional information throughout.

Many reuse strategies and models are explored in the Guide, from food recovery to repair. Program implementation, keys to success, and program examples are included in each reuse strategy.

The Reuse Explorations Guide was developed with funding from the USDA Rural Utilities Service Solid Waste Management Grant program.

Available for free download on NERC’s website.

New Resource to Reduce Wasted Food

NERC has published a new resource—Reduce Wasted Food – Tip Sheet for Residents. The Tip Sheet provides several ways that an average person can reduce the amount of food that gets wasted at home. It includes actions we can take every day and weekly to make sure that the food we have in the fridge gets eaten, strategies to inform us about the foods we need to buy, tips on getting to know the coldest and warmest sections of the fridge, how to store items appropriately, a section on how to use the crisper settings and which fruits and vegetables need high or low-humidity settings, food facts, links to recipes and apps, and more.

Although the Tip Sheet was originally written for Vermont residents, it can easily be edited for any community and state. If you're interested in customizing it let us know and we can provide you with a draft in Word.

NERC would like to recognize and thank the efforts of the following people for providing valuable edits and feedback on the Tip Sheet:

Paul Tomasi, NEKWMD (Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District)
Esther Fishman, Londonderry Group
Michael Bender, Bennington County Regional Commission
Bryn Oakleaf & Celia Riechel, VTANR (Vermont Agency of Natural Resources)
Genna Williams, VT Foodbank

The Tip Sheet was developed with funding from the USDA Rural Utilities Service Solid Waste Management Grant program. As part of this project, NERC will also be developing Food Scrap Management tip sheets in the near future.

For more information about the Reduce Wasted Food Tip Sheet, please contact Mary Ann Remolador.

Updated State Program Contact Information

You may have noticed that NERC has a map of its member states on its home page.

You can link from each state directly to a page that provides information about that state, including "program contact information". For example, who to contact about organics, about C&D, or about tires in each of the NERC states. We update this information on an annual basis. Recently updated are:

NERC FY 2017 Operating Plan

Each year, the NERC Board of Directors adopts an Operating Plan and budget for the fiscal year. The Operating Plan for the current fiscal year is now available.

TOXICS IN PACKAGING CLEARINGHOUSE NEWS

Patricia Dillon Moves on from Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse & State Electronics Challenge

Patricia Dillon photo For more than 12 years, Patty Dillon has been a valued and important member of the NERC staff. Her primary role has been as program manager for the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse, but also as a co-program manager for the State Electronics Challenge.

As of August, Patty has left NERC and joined the Green Electronics Council as a Manager of Standard Development.

Thank you Patty for all of your tremendous contributions to NERC and to TPCH.

STATE NEWS

CONNECTICUT

Comprehensive Material Management Strategy Adopted

The final adopted Comprehensive Material Management Strategy (“CMMS”) required pursuant to Section 22a-241a of the Connecticut General Statutes has been posted at www.ct.gov/DEEP/CMMS. The CMMS comprises the revised State Solid Waste Management Plan. This strategy reflects extensive public comments received by DEEP.

Connecticut must prepare for a decrease in trash disposal capacity at the state’s waste-to-energy facilities in the next few years, and the associated increase in the cost of disposal. DEEP estimates that if the state’s rate of waste generation remains constant, the statewide cost of disposal will increase by at least $25 million per year by 2024. This can be avoided through a 10 percent reduction in waste generation, an increase in recycling, and a statewide focus on the development of new infrastructure for materials management.

The CMMS focuses on meeting the state’s goal of 60 percent diversion from disposal by:

Reducing waste and increasing recycling at the local level.

Fast-tracking the deployment of new technologies that more effectively sort recyclables and recover energy and materials of value from waste.

Encouraging greater responsibility and participation by corporations in sustainable materials management.

In the coming months, DEEP will provide further information on CMMS implementation, as well as opportunities to receive training and share best practices.

MASSACHUSETTS

MassDEP Recycling Business Development Grant Awards (Round 1) Announced

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Commissioner Martin Suuberg, announced grant awards totaling over $900,000 to 7 companies to increase the amount of materials they recycle under the Recycling Business Development Grant (RBDG) program.

The seven grants will enable Massachusetts recycling companies to expand and grow their operations and increase the amount and quality of recycling in the Commonwealth. "Recycling plays an important role in the Massachusetts economy employing thousands of people and converting the recyclables we all separate into valuable end-products. Continuing to advance opportunities to increase recycling not only helps protect our environment but creates jobs and supports our economy" said Commissioner Suuberg.

As a condition of receiving funding, grant recipients commit to meeting tonnage goals over a two-year period. The RBDG program targets difficult to recycle materials that may otherwise be disposed and this round of grants included funds to promote the recovery of mattresses, packaged food, plastics and glass.

Visit MassDEP’s Recycling Business Development Grants webpage for a list of grant recipients.

MassDEP to Host Discussions on Developing Hauler Regulations

MassDEP has engaged DSM Environmental Services to develop a reference document on Best Practices for Municipalities Developing Hauler Regulations. MassDEP is requesting input and feedback from solid waste/recycling haulers and Board of Health officials.

Under Mass General Law, local Boards of Health have the authority to regulate private haulers operating in their communities. Many have requested a “model” or “template” to assist them with updating existing regulations or adopting new regulations to ensure recycling services for residents, businesses, and institutions. In response, MassDEP contracted with DSM Environmental Services to compile a reference document or template (attached) for cities and towns seeking to harmonize local regulatory efforts and expand compliance with the waste disposal bans (310 CMR 19.017).

This meeting is geared toward waste haulers and Board of Health officials in Massachusetts. Note: This will be a Credentialed Education Session: (2.0 CEUs offered to health officials).

There will be two meetings in September. The first will be held on September 28 at MassDEP Northeast Regional Office, 205B Lowell Street, Wilmington, MA 01887 (10:00AM – 12:00PM). The second will be held on September 29 at E. L. Harvey & Sons, Inc., 68 Hopkinton Rd, Westborough, MA 01581 (1:00PM – 3:00PM).

NEW YORK

Central New York Compost Workshop & Facility Tour

From June 27^th to June 28^th, 2016, the Central New York Compost Workshop and Facility Tompkins County Food Scraps Drop Spot Tour was held in and around Cortland, NY to further discuss composting in New York State. The workshop and tour were organized by Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District and Cornell Waste Management Institute. Participants included NYS Department of Environmental Conservation staff, staff from various Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Tompkins County Food Scraps and FOG collection individuals from both county and private recycling and composting centers. Individual speakers and panel discussions spoke upon the basics of composting, how to develop composting on the community level and the regulations overseeing composting facilities of various sizes. Participants toured facilities across both Cortland and Ithaca, including Homer Municipal Composting, Cornell University Composting, Tompkins County Recycling & Solid Waste Center, and Cayuga Compost.

Curing Pile The facilities ranged in size from small scale community based sites to large scale composting facilities, such as the privately owned and permitted Cayuga Compost. The combined workshop and tour allowed participants to see firsthand the success in different composting operations, their equipment, quality of finished product and operational costs.

Further questions regarding the workshop and tour can be directed to Conservation Assistant Jared Popoli of the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District (607-756-5991,) or Cornell Waste Management Institute (cwmi@cornell.edu).

Vermont

Results are in: Trash is Down, Recycling is UP!

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that trash disposal throughout the state decreased 5%, while the recycling rate has increased from 33% to 35% since the new recycling services and requirements went into effect in July 2015. Over the past year, the Vermont Foodbank has also seen an increase in fresh food donations and in 2016, they estimate over 4 million pounds of food will be rescued from producers and retailers in Vermont, a 60% increase over 2015.

“Vermont’s Universal Recycling law is working,” said DEC Commissioner Alyssa Schuren. “Vermonters are throwing away less and recycling more, while excess food is finding its way to hungry Vermonters.”

For the last 15 years, Vermont’s recycling rates have stagnated, with about two-thirds of our waste still being landfilled. The Universal Recycling law (Act 148 of 2012) aimed to change this by increasing convenience and providing incentives to recycle and compost more.

“Recycling makes sense environmentally and economically, and the Universal Recycling Law has reinforced that.,” said Paul Tomasi, director of Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District (NEKWMD). “Recycling is simply what we do here in Vermont.”

The NEK District’s Lyndonville recycling facility saw a 25% jump in recyclables during the first three months after the recycling requirements went into effect (July, August, and September 2015).

“Since state recycling kicked-in, we’ve seen a huge jump in recyclables from both residential and commercial customers. Most people already did this, but now there is a little extra motivation.” said Jeff Myers, President, Myers Container Service.

Beginning in 2015, the Universal Recycling law banned disposal of baseline recyclables and required solid waste transfer stations and haulers to collect these materials. Baseline recyclables include the statewide six: paper (mail, magazines, newspaper, office paper, paper bags, and box board); aluminum (cans, foil, and pie tins); cardboard; steel cans; glass bottles and jars; and hard plastic bottles and containers (#1 and #2).

“Act 148 is another step in the strong history and already robust ethic of recycling in Vermont. It is certainly a crucial element in the progression of the value of resource renewal and conservation across Vermont’s economic and environmental landscape.” said John Casella, CEO of Casella Resource Solutions.

Next summer (July 1, 2017) Vermonter’s will have more options than ever to separate and compost their food waste, when the Universal Recycling law will ensure that all transfer stations that take trash also provide food scrap collection services.

“The Northeast Kingdom already benefits from 12 food scrap drop-off locations, helping many residents compost when they prefer not to do it at home. It’s become second nature to many households and now their trash no longer stinks.” said Paul Tomasi, Executive Director, NEKWMD.

For more information: visit www.vtrecycles.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/vtrecycles

Twitter: @vtrecycles

Less Waste, More Recycling: Leaf & Yard Rules Went into Effect July 1, 2016

Vermont took the next step to reduce waste with a ban on leaf, yard and clean wood debris in landfills, effective July 1, 2016. The landfill ban is part of the 2012 Universal Recycling law (Act 148), which was enacted to increase recycling rates, decrease waste in landfills, and ensure that materials are managed sustainably.

“Vermonters can help the environment and save money by recycling, and that includes recycling organic materials like leaves and clean wood,” said Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz.

Leaf and yard debris includes grass clippings, leaves, brown paper bags, small-diameter brush, and other untreated vegetative matter. Clean wood includes trees, branches, stumps and root masses, as well as untreated and unpainted wood and lumber. Traditionally, these materials have been used as mulch, composted to produce a rich humus prized by gardeners for increasing soil fertility, or simply left to decompose at the edge of the backyard.

Making it easier to sustainably manage leaf, yard, and clean wood debris is part of Vermont’s Universal Recycling law. Vermonters throughout the state should see an increase in the number and convenience of management options. Effective with the landfill ban, solid waste haulers and transfer stations must offer to collect, at a fee, leaf and yard debris. Residents may also bring debris to a transfer station, to a commercial composter or to a local stump dump, where the materials will be managed appropriately.

“Residents have been bringing their leaves and brush to us for many years,” said Deane Wilson, Waste Diversion Manager, Rutland County Solid Waste District. “We are pleased to see leaf and yard debris now recycled statewide.”

Residents should call commercial composters in advance to confirm hours and availability. If leaf and yard debris has been treated with an herbicide or pesticide, residents should ask if the material will be accepted.

Vermonters are also encouraged to manage leaf and yard debris at home, which many already do without even knowing it. “Making a pile and just letting it rot is perfectly fine—it’s called ‘passive composting,’ but I just call it pile it and forget about it. The pile is also a useful source of carbon material for my food scrap compost bin,” said Michele Morris of Chittenden Solid Waste District.

Other home management methods can actively benefit lawns and gardens. Mulching lawnmowers recycle grass clippings and leaves right back into the soil. Compost piles with food scraps benefit from the addition of carbon-rich sources such as dried leaves and grass, which reduce odors and speed up the composting process. Grass clippings, wood chips, and leaves make excellent mulch for gardens and plantings. Small branches make great trellises or poles for climbing plants.

“There are so many ways Vermonters can connect with each other to find good homes for things they no longer need. It shows how much people already care about reducing waste; in a way, the law is just confirming what Vermonters already know and do,” said Secretary Markowitz.

ADVISORY MEMBER NEWSCoca-Cola of Northern New England – Refreshing the crowd & talking sustainability at the 7th Annual Experience NH Event in Washington DC

This was the second year in a row that Ray Dube, CCNNE Sustainability Manager, was invited to participate at the Annual Experience NH event in Washington DC on June 15^th, 2016. Senator Jeanne Shaheen and the New Hampshire State Society hosted this great event that welcomed more than 45 New Hampshire businesses, restaurants and vendors in Capitol Hill. The annual event gives New Hampshire businesses the opportunity to showcase their products, services and customs for policymakers and government officials in the capital.

Ray Dube shipped his award winning recycling booth to Washington DC to talk about the CCNNE display everyday practices and routines that have created a sustainability-infused culture within CCNNE. Through this showcase, Ray is able to talk about the process of the recycled materials going back into local communities and businesses within the Northeast. North Face fleece and New Balance sneakers are a few examples of recycled goods that connect to thousands of jobs, specifically in New Hampshire.

To learn more about Coca-Cola of Northern New England, visit www.CCNNE.com

Local Festivals Reveal Recycling Numbers

College Township – Over 2,600 pounds of organics and recyclable material were collected during the four day Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (Arts Fest) & The People’s Choice Festival. Over 47,000 water bottles were recycled between the two festivals – that’s over 30,000 feet of water bottles stacked top to bottom – enough to reach an airplane in flight.

Over 1,100 pounds of cardboard, plastic and glass were recycled at People’s Choice and 1,500 pounds of organics, plastic bottles, metal cans, lemonade cups and French fry buckets were recycled at Arts Fest.

Arts Fest keeps getting “greener” each year thanks to the efforts of Fest Zero; a group of Penn State Alumni, current students and concerned citizens, the Borough of State College, the Pennsylvania State University and the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority. Compost and recycling bins were placed next to each trash can and for the first time in the 50 years of the festival, vendors purchased compostable plates and cutlery.

It was a great year for recycling at our local festivals. Lemont Fest also had a plentiful recycling program.

Thanks to all of the fair-goers who did the right thing!

Park Forest Elementary Students (Centre County, PA) Receive the President’s Environmental Youth Award at The White House

The Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority is proud to announce that four stu white house kids dents from our very own Park Forest Elementary School (PFE) went to the White House on August 16th and received the President's Environmental Youth Award.

The past few months have been quite a ride for the PFE Zero Waste Team. In April, PFE was recognized as a Centre County Green Business Partner. In May, they shared their video, “The Road to Zero Waste” with Governors, Department of Education Chiefs and other officials of the Chesapeake Bay Consortium. The Road to Zero Waste recently took First Place at the 9th Annual Recycling FilmFest held at the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania’s state Recycling Conference. During June, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and PA Department of Environmental Protection recognized Park Forest Elementary School as one of three Green Ribbon Schools in Pennsylvania. Following in July, PFE received the US Department of Education Green Ribbon School Award in Washington, DC.

The students, staff and faculty have worked hard to successfully divert 85% of the school waste from the landfill. Their road to becoming a zero waste school speaks to their commitment to being wonderful environmental stewards. We are so very proud their hard work and dedication has led them on the path to the White House.

For additional information, please contact Joanne Shafer at 814-238-7005, or by e-mail.

ISRI’s 2016 Commodities Roundtable Forum Focuses on Global Markets

Professionals and experts from around the world will converge in Chicago September 19-21, for ISRI’s 2016 Commodities Roundtable Forum. There they will share their views and insights into the global markets, providing attendees with the best opportunity to gain the market insights and intelligence needed to navigate today's economy.

In addition to Roundtables on ferrous, nickel/stainless, aluminum, copper, and plastics, new to this year’s Forum is a special Roundtable on World Markets. This broad-ranging discussion on the global commodity markets will feature speakers from around the world offering expert opinions.

ISRI & the Chlorine Institute Promote Importance of Compressed Gas Container Safety

ISRI recently joined forces with The Chlorine Institute in the creation of an educational toolkit to help recyclers safely handle hazardous compressed gas containers entering their facilities.

The toolkit promotes the four steps to handling compressed gas containers, which are to:

STOP unidentified gas containers entering the facility;
LOOK for valves, damage, and other identifying markings;
When handling potentially dangerous cylinders, THINK! Assume the gas container is holding pressure, and contact a hazardous material specialist to handle it; and
CALL the local fire department if the container is leaking, if not contact other expert assistance.

Included in the toolkit is a pocket guide, a print brochure, and a six minute YouTube training video. For more information, and to access the Compressed Gas Container Toolkit, visit the Chlorine Institute’s resources website, and scroll down to “Cylinder Safety Video.”

**ISRI’s Scrap Specifications Circular Gets an Update**

ISRI recently released an update to its’ Scrap Specifications Circular 2016. ISRI’s scrap specifications are internationally recognized guidelines used by buyers and sellers of recycled materials and products, and are intended to assist in the trading of scrap commodities.

The update includes the changes to paper specifications and amended electronics plastics specifications listed below:

Paper Specs (Page 31):

#58 Sorted Clean News (SCN)
#56 Sorted Residential Papers (SRP)
#54 Mixed Paper (MP)

Baled Specs (Page 48):

Baled CRT TV Plastic
Baled Light Colored CRT Monitor Plastic
Baled Dark Colored CRT Monitor Plastic
Baled Dark Colored Flat Panel Monitor Plastic
Baled Dark Colored Printer Plastic
Baled Light Colored Printer Plastic
Baled Dark Colored Mixed Electronics Plastic
Baled Light Colored Copier Plastic
Baled Dark Colored Copier Plastic
Baled Light Colored Mixed Electronics Plastic
Baled Mixed Color Electronics Plastic

Shredded Specs (Page 48):

Shredded CRT TV Plastic
Shredded Light Colored CRT Monitor Plastic
Shredded Dark CRT Monitor Plastic
Shredded Dark Electronics Plastic
Shredded Light Electronics Plastic
Shredded Mixed Color Electronics Plastic

In addition, the paper specifications News Grades #6, 7, and 8 Mix Grades #1, 2, and 3 will be removed effective December 31, 2016.

OF GENERAL INTEREST

Announcing the Release of Two EPA Documents to Support the Beneficial Use of Industrial Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials

EPA has announced the release of two documents to support states, territories, tribes, and the regulated community with their efforts to advance the beneficial use of industrial non-hazardous secondary materials:

The BU Methodology presents EPA's approach for evaluating a wide range of industrial non-hazardous secondary materials (secondary materials) and their associated beneficial uses. The BU Compendium is a companion document to the BU Methodology. It provides a more detailed discussion of specific considerations that may arise in particular evaluations, as well as a list of existing tools and resources (e.g. fate and transport models, human or ecological screening benchmarks, etc.) that can assist with these evaluations.

Both documents may be accessed by clicking on the links above. There is also a FAQ page for the document and updated related pages:

If you have any questions about the documents, please contact Rita Chow or 703-308-6158.