During the last week of October, the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) held their annual Fall Conference in partnership with State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry鈥檚 (SUNY ESF) Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM), and in collaboration with Syracuse University鈥檚 Institute for Sustainability Engagement in Syracuse New York. The conference featured three days of great discussion about the complex challenges that come with waste and recycling, circularity, packaging, sustainability, and other important topics around the industry.
DAY ONE: FOCUSING ON REUSE
Mark Lichtenstein, Executive Operating Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, and Environmental Studies Adjunct Faculty for SUNY ESF kicked off the conference with a welcome to New York state and said that he was very happy to see the event held there. He noted how important NERC was to him in the 1980s when he cut his teeth in the solid waste business. Lichtenstein gave a land acknowledgement of the native nations that once occupied the lands where the conference was taking place. He talked about the Center and its origins in 2019 when it was first conceived to meet the recycling markets challenge. At the time, a proposal was put together for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. They approved of the idea and invested in it, which led to a public-academic partnership, that resulted in more capacity for research and innovation within waste management and the circular economy.
Next, Katherine Walker, Executive Director of CSMM, welcomed attendees and shared her enthusiasm for partnering with NERC for the first time. She stated that the goal of the partnership was to inspire and connect a diverse group to collectively embrace challenges of waste and expressed the desire to move through the next three days as a collective force to face complex environmental challenges. She said New York has a goal to become the most circular state in the nation and has much respect for the people who work every day and to make it possible. There is an incredible network of stakeholders across NY who have laid the groundwork, but it still feels like we are just getting started. The country is facing challenges, including climate change and resource depletion, and we have to embrace efforts that lead to tangible change. Key themes are reduction, reuse, reduce environmental impact, and newer initiatives. She commented that there is a lot more work to do. Closed loop and responsible purchasing are vital for fostering a sustainable marketplace, mapping recycling streams, and identifying gaps. Community engagement is critical, and we need to create a new culture of how we communicate with the public. Efforts are not individual pursuits; multi-generational effort is critical. The younger generation鈥檚 passion and commitment reminds us that we are fighting for our future generations.
Walker then introduced Dereth Glance from Region 7 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). Dereth said she was happy to return to CSMM for its 5th anniversary. CSMM was launched during the time of National Sword, when we were in a freefall. Solid waste management companies in New York knew municipalities were struggling and organized a collaboration to discuss creating solutions for solid waste. New York State DEC has invested 4.8 million dollars into diverting food waste and worked hard with the Climate Action Council to cover waste in their legislation. Dareth emphasized that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) provides the opportunity to create a circular economy without saddling the public with cost. Materials management is a step forward, but we cannot do it alone. We need producers to be a part of it as well. The use of our academic institutions partnering to solve these problems in real time is exciting. These conversations that are taking place are incredibly important, so we need to be creative because the infrastructure is hiding in plain sight. We need to move the needle further to be more resilient and sustainable and it requires all actors to work together.
Melissa Young, Director of the Institute for Sustainability Engagement (ISE) at Syracuse University provided remarks next. She talked about how she got started in the field and how that opened her eyes up to how people view sustainability. Melissa said that sustainability looks different in every community. To make a real impact, we need to listen to groups and ensure strategies are aligned with their needs. Statewide education and outreach campaigns need to work closely with stakeholders. She then announced that the Center for Sustainable Community Solutions rebranded to the Institute for Sustainability Engagement. The program highlights a long partnership with SUNY ESF, connecting people with resources to move solutions forward, expand impact, and improve our world. She said this event is about doing just that.
Then, Megan Schulz-Fontes, NERC鈥檚 Executive Director, remarked that it was great to be there and partner with the CSMM at SUNY ESF. Megan spoke about her background and said it is important to have government, academia and industry at the table in order to create solutions. NERC is leading discussions on SMM through committee work, webinars, and collaboration. They have expanded their committees to include Organics and continue to provide regional data on MRFs and the flow of glass in the Northeast. She commented that they were looking forward to working with the 11 states who make up their state membership and discussed the issues that are important today. She previewed the list of topics and encouraged everyone to attend the 8th annual environmental leadership awards ceremony.
Kathryn Walker then introduced SUNY ESF鈥檚 President, Joanie Mahoney, who provided wrap up remarks. She thanked everyone for being there and said it is an honor for SUNY ESF to host this event. Under the leadership of Sue Fassler, SUNY ESF launched its first sustainability action plan this year鈥攁ctions that are aimed at implementing environmental and sustainability throughout the college. The CSMM has made tremendous strides and has grown to secure 10 million in funding with 35 individuals doing research in the field. President Mahoney recognized the partnership between NERC and the NYSDEC and spoke about the recent launch of ISE, which is looking to form international partnerships and host large scale events to promote training and research. She said their latest initiative was the launch of a used material marketplace on campus and pointed out that SUNY ESF was ranked #4 on the list of most sustainable colleges. This is critical work fostering a sustainable resilient future for our communities and beyond.听
Finally, Kathryn Walker encouraged everyone to take the opportunity to engage with one another. She said the people in this room are your collaborators and are here to share your journey. We have the power to challenge the status quo with our creativity and positivity. Challenge each other to think outside the box. Thank you to the conference team for putting all this together. Then, she challenged attendees to engage with three people you have never met and share origin stories.
Plenary Keynote
The first day鈥檚 Plenary Keynote featured Garry Cooper Jr., CEO and Co-Founder of Rheaply, who started out by emphasizing that reuse is possible at scale. He said it is important to talk about sustainability and climate change. We live in a linear economy and throw away 90% of everything that is made. We have to move beyond that. About 70% of New York greenhouse gas emissions comes from the building sector, while 80% of furniture ends up in the landfill after its first use. Workplace resources represent a lot of avoidable embodied carbon emissions. The circular economy is a complex issue, and it is a lot to think about for universities, small businesses, and individuals鈥攊t needs to be simplified. As a society, we can start with a few basic principles: 1) Build only what we need by reusing and adapting existing buildings while being space conscious, 2) Build with the right materials by prioritizing low carbon or renewable materials, and 3) Build efficiently by reducing material waste while working towards sustainability. He talked about how Rheaply unlocks the circular economy by enabling a circular life for an asset with visibility and traceability. The best use is not continuous recycling; it is to find the highest and best use for your assets, and that means reuse, refurbish, maintain, resell, etc.听
Garry explained that Rheaply started out in Northwestern University鈥檚 Lab sharing laboratory equipment. Then, it grew beyond university labs and into commercial buildings. He remarked that everything in Amazon buildings are on Rheaply, because they have a zero-waste policy. Rheaply operates the NYC Reuse Marketplace (for businesses, small or non-profits who might have the time and space). Rheaply鈥檚 free-to-join Reuse Marketplace connects small businesses with others who may have assets to share. Some projects include office building decommissioning with the Cleveland Guardians from Progressive Field to Cleveland-Area non-profits, and Citigroup鈥檚 single floor decommission to donate computer monitors and keyboards to low-income communities. He said that to get started, you must 1) Know what you have by essentially google mapping the working world, 2) Use what you have鈥攃an you reuse the items internally? If not, then 3) sell or donate what you don鈥檛 need and start looking at other local places that may be able to use it. Technology helps to remove blind spots, build collaboration, and allows people to act faster. ESF鈥檚 Center for SMM is building an internal reuse program on campus lowering ESF鈥檚 waste to landfill and incineration percentage through reuse and circularity across departments. So, what鈥檚 next? He encouraged attendees to consider joining the Reuse Marketplace, chat with your team, share with your network, post your first listings, and move materials. Storytelling is as critical as participating. Climate change should be talked about more than it is; it is something that we can solve together.
Session Breakouts 1
After the keynote and a short break, attendees had the chance to choose between two sessions, 鈥淎ll Things Reuse!鈥� and 鈥淢ethods for Managing Difficult to Recycle Fibers鈥�. The 鈥淎ll Things Reuse!鈥� was moderated by Diane Cohen, CEO of Finger Lakes ReUse and the panel featured speakers: Sue Fassler, Director of Sustainability for the Center of SMM, Delaney Demro, Program Manager for the Center of SMM, Morgan Ingraham, Program Associate at the Institute for Sustainability Engagement at Syracuse University, and Gabrielle Gaustad, Dean of the Inamori School of Engineering at Alfred University.
Fassler kicked off the discussion by talking about the ESF Resource Exchange, which is a surplus property reuse modernization. While she expressed that they do not have enough data to present success quite yet, she did say the zero-waste goal is at 90%. Since 2018, SUNY鈥檚 collegewide diversion rate has grown from 29% to 51% and the campus rate is 64%. In addition, landfill tonnage has decreased by 35%. She said that while the collegewide diversion rate was 50%, furniture was about 1% of the trash. Prior to the exchange, unwanted items were sent out in an e-mail, and that resulted in new purchases being made even when there were reusable materials available. When the Exchange was launched, they did an inventory and found surplus property, so they kicked off the initiative with campus leadership and got them excited about the program. A soft launch was done in early July and relaunched in early September. She said over the summer, people did join, but in the fall at relaunch, four training sessions were held. The platform is Crowdsourced. The items go for approval, then get posted, a claim is submitted, a work order, etc. It has made the process much more efficient. At firstlaunch, there were 124 users in first few months with 379 items listed and 79 offers made. Currently, there have been 156 items exchanged, 6,200 lbs. diverted from landfills, and $37,600 value recaptured. She said they are now looking at expanding it.听
Demro next talked about the NYSAR3 Community Reuse Grant that supports small businesses, non-profit organizations, municipalities, and community organizations. These organizations can receive up to $2,000 to support reuse initiatives and pilot programs, including repair, rental and lending, redistribution, reuse education, and replacing single-use items. It prioritizes social and environmental impacts with measurable outcomes, replicable projects, and partnering with marginalized communities. The Community Reuse Grant is offered every summer, and the application period is June through August. Demro pointed out that grant recipients from 2023 included Russell Community Helpers in Russell, NY, which used grant funding to purchase an Amish-made building to shelter a free item table. Russell Community Helpers recovered approximately 5,000 items between December 2023 and March 2024. They have also hosted prom dress and winter clothing drives. The success motivated them to register as a non-profit organization. Another recipient was The Tool Library in Buffalo, NY, which hosted five Dare to Repair Cafes with 25 volunteers, and repaired 149 items, diverting 1,291 lbs. from the landfill. They also inspired local organizations to host bike repair events. She said this year, they were able to triple the amount of funding from $5,000 to $15,000, which can fund $5,000 per project. Winners were announced at NYSAR conference.
Ingraham talked about The Northeastern Tool Library (NETL) located in Keeseville, NY. She said it is a facet of a circular, sharing economy, and a place where residents and community members can come in and rent tools for free. This provides affordable access to tools, helps reduce, reuse, and repair (consumption of new tools, broken tools, etc.), gives community resilience, allows disaster response, and helps to build connection between residents especially in rural areas, while acting as a community hub. Funded by NYSAR3, she said they will be developing digital infrastructure, identity, and brand recognition, engaging stakeholders and forming partnerships with already established reused places. They will also do some educational outreach, form a guidance document, and host a commencement event to bring in residents and open the facility. She pointed out that if you are interested in getting a tool library in your own town, you can 1) Build off an existing infrastructure, 2) Tap into community partnerships, 3) Get to know your residents, 4) Find a space, and 5) Develop a guidance document.
Finally, Gaustad talked about glass reuse and the partnership with the NYS College of Ceramics and the NYS DEC. She pointed out that glass is enemy #1 at MRFs. There is a disconnect between supply and demand. It comes down to quality, transportation, and price. In 1967, there were 40 container glass companies, but in 2018, it was down to 17. She talked about wine bottle reuse viability and said that the Vitricity team is assisting with an economic feasibility study of a wine bottle washing facility, working with the Finger Lakes and Long Island. The initial survey results showed high support. Key challenges were the collection with possible damage, labels, logistics, and upfront costs. Data from community surveys shows that 5 to 6 million bottles are used per year, but 200,000 to 350,000 stay at the wineries. Now, they are doing some prototyping. She said bottle reuse, if subject to large economies of scale, is estimated at a breakeven point of 40,000 bottles per month and that community participation is key.
The second set of sessions focused on 鈥淔ollowing the Stream鈥擨dentifying Opportunities to Leverage and Expand Recycling Markets鈥� and 鈥淏ehind the Scenes: Reworking New York鈥檚 Sustainable Procurement Guidelines鈥�.
Moderated by Lichtenstein, 鈥淔ollowing the Stream鈥擨dentifying Opportunities to Leverage and Expand Recycling Markets鈥�, featured Walker, Gaustad, Jesse Kerns, Assistant Director, Institute for Sustainability Engagement at Syracuse University, and Kweku Attafuah-Wadee, Project Manager, Center for SMM at SUNY ESF.
First, Kerns presented a series of maps that showed flow of materials and transportation systems, then Kweku Attafuah-Wadee spoke about film plastics market research. Their project objectives are to assess film recycling related to retail recycling programs. The main objectives are to identify retailer needs and barriers to compliance and provide technical assistance to support retail film plastics collection and recycling, a better understanding of film plastics recycling and reverse distribution chains, and ascertain a certain degree of consumer awareness and behavioral trends relating to retail film recycling programs. Recovered film plastic has gone to recyclers for composure lumber. While drivers were minimizing commercial waste disposal costs, diversion from landfill, and reducing GHG, the challenge is low volume generation, so the suggested intervention is recyclability and PCR market competition. These include transitioning from multi- to mono-material packaging, recyclability labels on film plastic packaging, incentives for PCR feedstock use, policies promoting sustainability, mandates for recycled plastic content minimums, and more. They have developed a list of film recyclers, brokers, and manufacturers in the New York region. Based on consumer surveys, the primary goal was to get a sense of awareness level鈥攁 useful tool for plastics waste management. However, a majority of respondents struggled to accurately name all the acceptance criteria, but they wanted to know more about the programs. He pointed out that there is a need for education and the public to know what the criteria is. Looking ahead, they are going to publish more survey reports, perform expert interviews, and develop film plastic guidance.
Gaustad talked about main challenges, such as many applications cannot incorporate cullet in current form. Contamination is critical. There is potential for applications vetoing aggregation and sorting. However, she emphasized some of the reuse projects, including building large barriers for flooding mitigation along coastlines. This allows for rapid deployment and critters really like it and attach to it without corrosion. In cement applications, there are alkali silicate reaction challenges, such as de-alkalization with water and glass. With regards to fertilizer applications, SLS-recycled glass as a soil additive can confer hostile conditions (hydroponics). There are also luminescent glass microspheres for road applications that can be retro-reflective, which is great for trails or parkways. She also mentioned other value market projects, such as 3D printing companies for buildings, foam glass, glass fertilizer, as well as building insulation, etc.
Walker spoke about the work on textiles recovery in New York State. Some of the key learnings were that there were a lot of opportunities to divert textiles across U.S. Most New Yorkers (95%) say they divert unwanted textiles at least some of the time; however, there is a lack of visibility information into true generation. Therefore, the diversion rate is elusive and there is an incomplete picture because it does not account for textiles flowing through informal channels. Ninety-five percent of collected textiles are suitable for reuse, repurposing, recycling. She recommended education, policy, and infrastructure. Each of these pillars plays a functional role in ensuring that the public is aware of textile diversion opportunities, has convenient access to options, is incentivized to participate, and has the financial support for implementation and continuous improvement of solutions. She said the next steps to consider are to document programs and activities, tracking informal textile reuse repair and repurposing, visibility into downstream pathways and ultimate disposition, and optimal collection and processing systems.
Plenary Session
The afternoon鈥檚 plenary session covered 鈥淐ollaborating for Impact: Building SMM Messages and Strategies Through Partnership鈥� moderated by Melissa Young, Director, ISE at Syracuse University, and featured Demro, Lindsay Eberhart, Program Associate, ISE at Syracuse University, Celeste McMickle, Director, TRUE Zero Waste, Carly Stone, Communications Associate, ISE at Syracuse University, and Kshirajaa Ramesh, Researcher, Center for SMM.
Eberhart talked about the Recycle Right New York campaign. She said it was born out of a need for cohesive messaging and the stakeholder group remains at its core. For example, there was an emerging study from West Rock to dispel the myth that pizza boxes were not recyclable due to the grease and cheese. Due to the lag in information and change in recycling guidelines, many people were left confused, so they needed connect with stakeholders and identify potential partners. They took a survey outside at a pizza event as to whether they recycle pizza boxes. Inside the facility, there was a pizza box recycling team who had created and put out educational materials. She emphasized that the outcome was clear messaging with the audience.
McMickle went over TRUE, which is a zero-waste certification program that aims to transform the way businesses manage resources and drive the transition to a circular economy. It is part of U.S. Green Building Coalition. She showed the Zero Waste Hierarchy, which showed that the top level is redesign, reduce and return; the second level is reuse repair and remanufacture; and the third level down is recycle and compost, while landfill incineration is at the bottom. The TRUE program looks at all materials steams to get a big picture. It encourages rethinking policies, focuses on upstream, and implements rating system credits, and strategies. Minimum program requirements include diverting 90% of solid waste from the landfill or incineration and the company must have a zero-waste policy, etc. in order to achieve different certification levels. TRUE provides a game plan on how to get there. Upstream is waste prevention and downstream is waste management. McMickle emphasized wanting to shift the balance upstream because that鈥檚 where things really happen.
Demro talked about the Center of SMM and its TRUE partnership. The purpose is the adoption of sustainable materials management and waste reduction practices at organizations and businesses statewide, and to contribute to positive environmental, economic, and health outcomes. The program overview is to support New York state organizations to design waste out of their systems, as well as provide financial assistance, technical assistance, and guidance. She said it is currently in the pilot year of the partnership program. Through Certify Circularity NY (C2NY), Goodwill of the Finger Lakes has earned pre-certification and they have also worked with UBS Arena in Long Island (who has since moved on to get full certification and achieved a 95% diversion rate this year). In addition, they are working with Chanel to get certification, Maison Jar in Brooklyn, NY (who achieved a 99% diversion rate), Redish (a reusable container company in New York that diverted more than 98% of their materials), and Staach Sustainable Furniture company (achieving a 92% diversion rate). One of the common challenges they faced was gaining staff buy in鈥攈ow do you motivate staff in other functional areas to participate? She pointed out, you must be patient and provide support, and find the sustainability champions. A next challenge was obtaining the data鈥攚hen your hauler cannot provide diversion data, where do you turn? A good choice to consider is a consultant. Demro said they are relaunching program in April 2025 to other areas.
Stone spoke about collaboration for reuse in restaurants. She said COVID set the stage for disposables to be at the forefront of the industry. Recovering from those effects still resonate. It starts with a conversation: how do we solve this and who can help us do it? Stone said there was a collaboration between the Orange County government, the Center for SMM, and the Syracuse University Institute of Sustainability. Orange County Green Grub is a free pilot program that aims to support businesses in reducing their reliance on single-use waste informed by local expertise. Participant benefits are waste reduction, cost savings, networks, expertise, etc. Participating businesses include Village Hands Cafe, Hudson鈥檚 Ice Cream Cafe, and Pecorinos. Stone explained that one of program鈥檚 strength is offering several pillars of support to get programs off the ground. This includes country government, marketing and outreach, and sustainable materials management. All target areas to help develop an action plan from all angles. Asa result, there is enthusiasm about the program.
Ramesh discussed moving New York forward on EPR. They have re-engaged manufacturers and producers into end-of-life management of commodities. They have also collaborated for impact packaging. Two videos were developed through RRS, the Center for SMM, and Syracuse University鈥檚 ESF鈥攐ne for the public and one for legislation. When developing the video, Ramesh said they had to figure out what the tone should be in order to make it relevant for New Yorkers. They wanted it to be narratively and visually interesting. The key messaging is the importance of recycling, to show what is in the landfills, to show the circular economy, emphasize job creation, and show the benefits of EPR and its potential.
Social Hour
At the social hour, which wrapped up the first day and gave attendees a chance to relax and network, Dave Vitale and Sue Rowland were honored. Gary Feinland spoke about working with Vitale and his career and how he helped achieve and create programs. He emphasized that Vitale is fully committed to the job and his greatest legacy involved creating waste management plans and putting a high priority on data analysis, and he also had a large role in developing the local solid waste management process. Sally Rowland was also praised for her amazing work in developing the organics and education program and tirelessly advocating to improve them. She published two engineering theses around the subject, served on student advisory boards, and was relied on as voice of reason throughout the DEC and other associations. A toast was made to both Vitale and Rowland and people expressed that they will be missed.
DAY TWO: FOCUSING ON EPR
Day two of the conference opened with Schulz-Fontes recapping what happened the day before and how much excitement there was in the discussion. She recognized sponsors and the NERC staff for a great event and told everyone to remember that each of us has a voice and are integral in major change. She also encouraged the audience to attend the environmental leadership awards ceremony that night to honor the awardees.
Next, Walker welcomed people to the second day and remarked that she had been in this world since 2021 and its amazing when we look back and realize it has been five years; she felt like they were just getting started. They have developed an incredible group of people working in this field and the Center for SMM works with ISE to challenge this concept of waste. Currently, they are working on a number of different issues, including hard to recycle materials, waste reduction, reuse, and trying to provide facts and research that will advance policy and make things accessible for people. She introduced the welcome speaker of the day, New York State Senator Rachel May of New York鈥檚 48th District.
Senator May welcomed NERC to New York and SUNY ESF. She remarked that she had the opportunity to attend the International Manure Expo held in Auburn, NY and learned a lot about innovations in dealing with that material. She said in her district there are the Owens Corning Factory and a steel factory, and she toured both, seeing that they are trying to be cutting edge in what they are doing with regards to reducing their carbon footprint and waste. She expressed that she was on the board of OCRRA, which is renowned for the work they do on recycling, as well as chairing the recycling committee. She said she was trying to bring the mindset to people to understand the basics of recycling and sustainability in the state, which is challenging especially trying to get different entities to talk to each other. She is also trying to expand bottle bill and EPR legislation and create a chief sustainability officer. She emphasized to attendees to bring her ideas that would make good legislation or get into the budget.
Tuesday Keynote
The keynote of the day was given by Erin Simon, Vice President and Head of Plastic Waste and Business for World Wildlife Fund (WWF), who dove into why collaboration is important in solving global issues and the key to being successful in it. She expressed that we have had times when we came together like during the pandemic. We need to find common ground, build bridges, and reach out beyond our organization to find unlikely partners. The WWF has partnered with The Recycling Partnership to develop a value chain, multi-community for common targets. The Business Coalition for Plastics Treaty is a global negotiation and compromise. The world is coming together against a global threat that each party can鈥檛 solve on their own. Plastics really needs this kind of effort, because of the abundance of the growing issue. She said while we have had commitment of 60%, we also have had an increase in plastic pollution of 50%, so we need a common strategy that a treaty can provide. A few years ago, in 2022, the UN member states agreed to negotiate a treaty to end plastic pollution on an accelerated timeline and that signals that everyone needs to help out to get this done. The four must haves are: 1) get rid of polymers and other materials of concern, 2) design guidelines so it can work in our infrastructure and continue to recirculate so end markets are positive, 3) use financial flow as an instrument to help support those countries who need a bigger leg up, and 4) start and strengthen the mechanisms that can help us get there. She said there is a greater ambition to come around these policies. With phasing out single use plastics in federal procurement and changed position in negotiations, there is a lot of consensus happening. In March, two bi-partisan bills passed the senate, which laid the fundamental groundwork needed for all policies. She expressed that regardless of who takes office, it is imperative to encourage them to engage in this work. There are five EPR bills coming up, and business and government need to come together to redesign the supply chains. What does EPR need to be consistent across states? Recycling is just one of the many global strategies, but we also need to reduce waste at the beginning, and we also need to reuse and learn from the existing municipal systems that are already working. We need to have the infrastructure to collect it, clean it, and fill it to get it out there again. In Petaluma, CA, brands came together to fund a three-month pilot of reuse cups (hot and cold). There were meetings with the mayor and business owners and that collaboration led to talking about what kind of funding was needed, what were common goals, and how they could build on upon the project. WWF has always been fighting for a world where there is no plastic in nature, and they need everyone from global leaders to grass roots initiatives to work together鈥攃ollaboration is key.
Engagement Strategies
The first general session, 鈥淭he Power of Participation: Successful Engagement Strategies from State Recycling Campaigns,鈥� was moderated by Lisa Ruggero, Assistant Director of Outreach Programs, Institute for Sustainability Engagement at Syracuse University, and featured Lindsay Eberhart, Program Associate, Institute for Sustainability Engagement at Syracuse University, Sarah Culler, Senior Manager of Education and Outreach at Delaware Solid Waste Authority, Jennifer Heaton-Jones, Executive Director at the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority and Cathy Doodnauth, Environmental Analyst III at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Culler said the state campaign is self-sustaining. The program has evolved into school assemblies but has limited takeaways and one education coordinator. The Environmental Education Center is an interactive environmental learning space to get a deeper understanding and retention with a staff of five members. They want students to take information home to their families, especially those using curbside recycling for the first time, who need to know how to use the bins correctly. Culler talked about 31,000 students visiting the center and she was proud of the fact that they have been able to blend education with real world action. There is a working conveyor belt where they have the students work the line at the 鈥淢RF鈥�, and they take an active role in waste reduction and environmental protection. If a school can get to the Environmental Education Center, there is no cost to tour it because the goal is to spread the recycling message to a new generation.
Next, Heaton-Jones talked about the RecycleCT Foundation, which was formed in 2014. Public Act 14-94 created universal recycling guide funded by the DEEP and set a goal for 60% diversion by 2024. The mission was to promote material management. The campaign assets aim to try to meet public in every possible way, including flyers, posters, postcards, app, social media, website, a search wizard, and videos to encourage municipalities to promote recycling education.
Doodnauth went over the Recycle Smart MA education and outreach program. Launched in 2018, at the time, nearly every city and town had different requirements and National Sword had just taken place. The program creates a statewide list of recycling rules, funded through waste Energy Certificates. It received an EPA SWIFR Grant in 2023 to create a Recyclopedia, quizzes, communications through social media, newsletters, and webinars. A Recycling Roadmap helps people learn more about what happens to your recycling after it is collected and shows that it is going to the MRF. The program is almost 100% online with twice per week posts on social media and a newsletter sent once per month. Outreach efforts include an expanded smart recycling guide that features 12 languages, and it has started geotargeting ads to areas with high contamination. They have partnered with influencers to promote resources, provide clear information and explanations to followers, and got a lot more followers as a result. She said they hope to continue that trust in relationships.
Eberhart explained the Recycle Right New York statewide public outreach and education campaign that engages 130+ recycling coordinators and connects stakeholders to different resources across the state. It creates free educational content including tools and resources, as well as offers free technical assistance, and in person engagement at community fairs and events. Research collaboration and transparency drives a lot of the work that they do. She said that for recyclers, they have a Recyclopedia and Know Your Local Guidelines tool. Funding comes from Environmental Protection Fund which is administered through the NYS DEC.
EPR and Market Development
Like Monday, after the general session, there were two sessions offered to attendees to choose from鈥攐ne covered 鈥淎 Deep Dive into EPR for Products鈥� and the second focused on 鈥淪trategies for Market Development in States鈥�.
鈥淪trategies for Market Development in States鈥� was moderated by Bob Bylone, CEO and President of the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center. Keira Higgins, Consultant for RRS, started the conversation by talking about programming best practices for effective market development. Economic development and support fosters partnership and thought leadership. These are the core elements of Nextcycle. It is funded at the state level to align with state goals. RRS is pairing with key stakeholders to make sure business strategies are getting invested. Nextcycle has been adapted for state needs. For example, Colorado focuses on thermoform and foam, Michigan on textiles and wormies, and Washington on firehoses and reusable cups. Each has a slightly different goal and material, but it is adapted to different regions. Nextcycle is a tool for states to allow for programs to exist with investment. Partners include Closed Loop and the Carton Council; there are also angel investors in DC. Material streams addressed include food scraps, plastics, mixed recyclables, organic materials, textiles, and fibers, etc.
Matt Fletcher, Recycling Market Development Specialist for the Michigan Department of EGLE, next talked about recycling markets. They have worked to make sure materials are made into new products. He expressed that learning from each other and building in some of the great ideas from the week is a great strategy. Michigan has a long history of recycling鈥攊t has some of the first bottle bill laws and works closely with the Michigan Recycling Coalition. EGLE works to deploy $15 million per year directly to businesses and communities to grow the recycling system. He said market development is more than just strong markets; it is increasing access to and participating in recycling opportunities, informing residents and businesses on how, where, and why to recycle, while taking an equitable and inclusive approach to expanding recycling in diverse communities, training recycling professionals, and improving the quality of materials and growing markets. He pointed out that three key elements for successful recycling market development program is data, partnerships, and a good process to attract and incubate good ideas. Nextcycle Michigan is a multitrack incubator that provides technical support and subject matter experts monitoring to move ideas towards implementation. There have been 238 initiatives tracked across Michigan accelerating recycling and the circular economy. In addition, there are $692M total investments captured for completed and underway projects in the state.听
Shannon McDonald, Natural Resource Planner at the Maryland Department of the Environment, discussed recycling markets in Maryland. The recycling market development began in 2021 and was designed to promote the development of markets for recycled material and products (and reuse) in Maryland. The sustainable material management goals have been set for 2035 targets including waste generation per capita. There is a need to identify local markets for recycled materials, siting permitting, and technical assistance for innovative and resource recovery assistance. With Maryland鈥檚 population growth, where does industry expand on this? How can we capitalize in our state and region? Maryland is creating markets by leveraging partnerships, including identifying the recyclable materials representing the largest portion of the stream. He said they are being creative and collaborative in their approach, listening to all ideas, and doing outreach and insight. He emphasized to look at where are the markets are, as well as maximize on the potential of economy of scale. Achievements include industry expansion for textiles, asphalt shingles, medical waste, organics, and C&D. There is also future potential for reusable food serviceware, glass, marine waste, and plastics.
Finally, Liz Start, Founder of Start Consulting Group LLC, went over what is happening in Oregon. She said that after looking at who is in the room, the next step is to bring in the community as the third sector, including rural communities, fringe, and neglected communities. Co-designed priorities and tactics is an approach to design with people, not for people by sharing power, prioritizing relationships, and using participatory means. There is a need to co-design accessible communication with place-based mentors to help lower barriers. She said they are working with NextCycle Washington on programming and other state agencies to support the program. Operated by RRS, Cascadia, Start Consulting, and Traversal, it helps businesses to thrive and move to the next level. It is a six month program starts with the Accelerator Academy (group workshop sessions for ideas), individualized coaching (six month mentoring support), and pitch showcase. Examples include the Refugee Artisan Initiative that teaches people skills to make products from upcycled materials like firehoses, Ravel goes through a purification process that blends materials and recycle it into a new fiber, and Revino has a wine bottle reuse program (won the last pitch competition). NextCycle Oregon is getting funding from the Portland regional government to do a regional feasibility study. The approach was to research who would be the providers and funders and then select 30 interviewees and make 20 groups invited to a workshop series. Top priorities are to get focused grants, interest of investors, lower barrier funding, business support, and put an emphasis on prevention and reuse.
The second set of sessions included 鈥淥rganics: Leveraging the Strengths of Composting and Anaerobic Digestion鈥� and 鈥淭he Role of Life Cycle Analysis in Certification and Green Procurement鈥�
At 鈥淭he Role of Life Cycle Analysis in Certification and Green Procurement鈥� session moderated by Shaina Banks, Product Manager for Green Seal, she said that there are challenges with lifecycle analysis since they do not always tell the full story and there is a lack of transparency across supply chains, which create data gaps and uncertainties. The technical nature of it makes it difficult to communicate. Core elements of a green product include safer chemicals, responsible sourcing, low impact manufacturing, and sustainable packaging.
Victoria Nellis, Green Purchasing Program Manager at the Maryland Department of General Services, said that Maryland鈥檚 Green Purchasing Program was established in 2010 with an interagency committee who issues specifics that Maryland agencies are required to procure environmentally friendly products and services. She defined environmentally preferable products as energy efficient, non-toxic, non-ozone, made with recycled content, water-efficient, bio-based, and any other attributes recognized as environmentally friendly. Challenges and opportunities include lack of awareness, justifying what we need, and expanding on identifying green products. Nellis said that in order to approve an environmental ecolabel, start looking at what EPA accepts and branch out from there. Ecolabels are your friend; they make your life easier; you won鈥檛 have to audit the products because you鈥檒l know they work. Since the performance has already been addressed, you can look them up on the registry, and you don鈥檛 have to just take the vendor鈥檚 word for it. In the 2019 session, a bill was passed that banned the use of expanded polystyrene food service products, and in response, the Green Purchasing committee and office of state procurement worked together to remove non-compliant materials.
Next, Megan Jorgensen, Sustainability Maven for Eco-Products, talked about lifecycle analysis and product carbon footprint. It should be used as a compass, not a map. She said that Eco Products is a leader in foodservice packaging because they are made with renewable, post-consumer recycled and reusable materials. They work to improve composting and recycling infrastructure. A Product Carbon Footprint measures the carbon impact of a product and in order to determine greenhouse gas emissions associated with their products, CO2e values are measured through the evaluation of inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts of a product throughout its entire lifecycle. So, how does LCA and PCF data work? LCA databases are fed by a combo of Ecoinvent (trusted global resource for environmental data built on averages from data submissions from companies, industrial associations, and research institutes), other peer-reviewed studies (scientific articles covering studies about environmental impacts), or primary data (provided by an organization from their specific value chain). Different LCA databases can produce radically different results for similar raw material, manufacturing, and end-of-life (EOL) combinations, depending on the input of data. There are significant data gaps for products made from renewable resources that are designed to be composted. Examples of data gaps identified are molded fiber manufacturing, PLA Raw Materials, PLA, EOL, PLA, EOL, and compost. What everyone should know about using LCA and PCF data is that PCFs are highly dependent on the quality of data, there are substantial data gaps for compostable products, and it does not tell the full story of environmental impacts, plus, PCF data is constantly evolving.
McMickle explained that for every 1 ton of waste you generate, 71 tons of industrial waste are generated before the product gets to you (source: ILSR). What is 90% diversion in TRUE certification? It includes reduction, reuse, composting, recycling, anaerobic digestion, and other processing technologies. She explained the TRUE Zero Waste Certification Levels, gave an overview of the categories, points (1 point = 1 strategy), and upstream waste prevention versus downstream waste management. She also discussed TRUE precertification, TRUE Certification, and TRUE Recertification. A third-party assessor is sent to verify what they are doing and if they can be certified. Some companies that have accomplished this are Colgate-Palmolive, Toms of Maine, Maple Grove Farms, Earth Friendly Products, and Colgate-Burlington.
In the afternoon, a new networking opportunity was presented to attendees in order to learn about different facets of recycling and strategies. The 鈥淩oundtables: Case Studies to Increase Quality & Quantity of Recyclables鈥� session broke people up into groups that focused on different subjects. This included:
- Bret Biggers, Senior Economist, Recycled Materials Association
- Design for Fiber Recycling Markets
- Gretchen Carey, Sustainability Director, Republic Services
- Combatting Media Misinformation About Recycling
- Cathy Doodnauth, Regional Planner, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
- Recycle Smart App
- Jen Heaton-Jones, Executive Director, Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority
- Glass Drop-off Program
- Erin Jensen, Environmental Specialist, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Digitizing Recycling Information
- Paula Jensen, Project Manager/Senior Environmental Planner at the Prince George鈥檚 County Department of the Environment (DOE)
- Progressive Activities
- Michael Parkowski, Chief of Business and Governmental Services, Delaware Solid Waste Authority
- Universal Recycling
- Mike Noel, Director of Public Affairs, TOMRA
- Best Practices in Redemption System Design to Increase Closed Loop Recycling
- Bob Cappadona, Vice President, Casella Resource Solutions
- Material Recovery Facility (MRF) Retrofit
The final session of the day covered 鈥淏uilding Blocks for Consumer Recycling鈥� moderated by Michael Wasserman, Senior Consultant at Eunomia North America. The discussion featured Anne Bedarf, Director Packaging and Plastics Sustainability at Colgate-Palmolive, Tonya Randell, Public/Private Engagement Manager at Stina Inc., and Dylan de Thomas, Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs at The Recycling Partnership. Bedarf and Randall talked about the squeeze tube鈥檚 formal journey to recyclability. The first plastic tube was in 1954 and by 2019 some tubes could go into recycling stream. Plastic and laminate tubes are in every household. They said as the biggest oral care brand, they had to think about tubes and people鈥檚 centricity. 20 billion toothpaste tubes are not recycled every year. The objective is to have all tubes recyclable in practice and scale. Most tubes are made with a mix of materials making them not recyclable (particularly aluminum foil barrier). There was five years of R&D to introduce a first of its kind recyclable tube in 2019. It was presented at 90 forums and 1-1 meetings helped to initiate a recycling partnership pathway to a circulatory recyclability framework. Bedarf said they worked closely working with Stina on technical considerations and the outreach and education phase. Randall said that as brands innovate and more tubes for recycling become available, key areas of design include density and melt flow, wall thickness, closures, size, and dimensions, etc. Data shows that 90% of toothpaste tubes and over 75% of all tubes on the market were converted to designs compatible with the color HDPE bottle steam as of early 2024 and will continue to grow. How can we work with your communities to accept tubes? How can we overcome challenges for adding new formats and what are your approaches?
de Thomas spoke about building blocks for consumer recycling. Although there are state policy partnerships, 37 million tons of recyclable material are still lost each year. He dove into the requirements of an effective recycling system, which include that: 1) all packaging needs to be designed for recyclability, 2) all households need access 3) residents need to be fully engaged, 4) recycling facilities need to effectively process the material, and 5) recycling facilities need sufficient end markets. Seventy-seven percent of people believe that recycling makes a difference and has an impact, but 76% of residential recyclables are lost in the trash at home. The center for sustainable behavior drives measurable improvement in residential recycling behavior with evidence backed solutions. It restores confidence, gets participation, captures materials, decreases contamination, and builds equitable care. A national recycling database centralizes recycling access information from more than 9,000 U.S. communities covering 99% of the population. A recycling programs solutions hub is a free tool for recycling program for leaders to access, track and verify critical recycling program data. The hub has grown to 705+ users, with 575+ communities and 24.5 million households represented. He said we must communicate with consumers where they are, with the information they trust, and outreach that motivates. Currently, The Recycling Partnership has partnered with GreenBlue to offer a dynamic label so brands can deliver up-to-date and package-specific information to consumers.
Michael Nork, Environmental Analyst for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and Vice President on the NERC Board, wrapped up the second day by thanking all of the speakers, the attendees for their great questions, and the sponsors. He also invited the audience to attend the Environmental Leadership Awards Ceremony and Reception at the host hotel, the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, that evening.
Leadership Awards
Each year, NERC honors an organization, a municipality or county, and a long-standing member for their outstanding contributions to recycling and education and innovation. The eighth annual Environmental Leadership Awards Ceremony took place on Tuesday night at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown and recognized those who have further advanced NERC鈥檚 mission to minimize waste, conserve natural resources, and advance a sustainable economy through facilitated collaboration and action. The reception started with some light food and drink and people enjoying some time to relax after a couple of days of learning. There were appetizers, billboards highlighting the winners, a raffle drawing, and some cocktails for attendees to enjoy. Schulz-Fontes talked about history of NERC and what they offer, how they educate, the impact of support, etc. She said that tonight they are honoring the organizations that have demonstrated their ability for change and advocacy. Then, she introduced New York Senator May who provided opening remarks stating that the New York State Senate passed a painting and mattress recycling bill and a number of other EPR bills while expanding the Bottle Bill. As different containers come in, it is challenging to change the bill and to raise the deposit. Bottle bills are one of the best ways to take waste out of the stream. She expressed that she would love input and support for all bills and thanked everyone for their work. She then invited up Assemblymember Pamela Hunter, her colleague in the assembly (128th District), who gave remarks on OCCRA that does a great job with educating the public. She said there has been some significant progress in resource management, improving waste diversion, and seeing how it can drive economic benefits. New York is currently planning for 4 semiconductor fabrication plants, so in planning for the influx of people, we need to make sure sustainability is at the forefront of the conversation because it will take collaboration at all levels.
Dylan de Thomas presented the first award of the evening, Outstanding Municipality, to the Town of Woodbury, which was accepted by Jennifer Weymouth, Sustainable Materials Management Planning and Implementation, CT Dept of Energy and Environmental Protection. The Town has used a CTDEEP grant, with the assistance from the Naugatuck Valley of Governments, to enter a pilot program to reduce the amount of trash hauled from there. As a result, this trial food-scrap diversion, along with a re-emphasis on reducing the amount of trash, using town-designated trash bags, and recycling and reusing the items taken to the Transfer Station, the Town has successfully reduced the handling fees through unit-based-pricing (PAYT).
The Outstanding Member award, presented by Erin Jensen, Environmental Specialist, Bureau of Planning and Licensing, Division of Sustainable Waste Management at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, was given to Good Point Recycling, and was accepted by Robin Ingenthron, its Founder and CEO. Celebrating its 25th anniversary of leadership in sustainable electronics recycling, the company has advocated reuse, fair trade recycling, and global integrity, ensuring that electronics are refurbished and responsibly managed.
The Outstanding Program award was presented to Chittenden Solid Waste District by Michael Robinson, Director of Public Policy at the Plastics Industry Association. Accepted by Kat Moody, Community Engagement and Outreach Manager, they were honored for their collaboration with Astronomers without Borders initiative to collect, sort, and reuse more than 115,000 solar eclipse sunglasses this year. According to Sarah Reeves, Executive Director, 鈥淭he project was truly a team effort that highlights the impact of community engagement and helped make CSWD one of the most successful programs in the country.鈥�
Finally, the Outstanding Organization award was presented to Helpsy by Josh Kelly, Solid Waste Program Manager, Agency of Natural Resources at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and President of NERC, and accepted by Lisa Sciannella, Chief of Staff, at Helpsy. With a mission to keep clothes out of the trash, Helpsy collects 100,000 pounds of clothes per day in cooperation with 1,500 communities, businesses, and non-profits. It supplies those used goods to thousands of thrift stores, resellers, sorting companies, and consumers worldwide.
Once the awards were presented, closing remarks were made by Sophie Leone, Development and Program Manager at NERC, to enjoy the rest of the evening.
DAY THREE: DIVING INTO INFRASTRUCTURE
The final day of the conference opened with remarks by Gary Feinland, Waste Reduction & Recycling Outreach and Education Section Supervisor at NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). He congratulated the winners from last night and expressed gratitude to NERC for bringing the conference to New York state. He was grateful that so many came from all over to get a closer look at what they鈥檝e been doing in the state and that they are fortunate to have a deep bench of materials management partner in ESF who hosted the event. They have been able to witness some of the work that ISE has been doing at university and NYSAR3. They have supported each other for decades. He expressed that there have been excellent discussions highlighting the critical role of collaboration across sectors and states. Hopefully everyone has made new connections and will continue the conversations.
Focusing on Reuse
The first session focused on 鈥淚nnovative Approaches to Reuse鈥� moderated by Sue Fassler. The first speaker was Crystal Dreisbach, CEO of Upstream who gave her talk via video. She went over Upstream鈥檚 mission and emphasized that we have a throw-away economy. Recyclable and compostable packaging are great ideas, but they are not the full solution to single use items. In a circular economy, products are designed from the beginning to be reused. For example, reusable dishes for dine-in, refillable packaging, returnable reusable packaging, like milk bottles, reuse cup programs, and crates. Reuse services provide the logistics, service, and infrastructure for reusing the products again. However, challenges facing reuse are the high upfront costs of infrastructure (wash facilities, logistics, and workforce), building confidence in reuse (it is hard to process the volume when the confidence isn鈥檛 fully there), competing with false solutions, and LCAs don鈥檛 capture the whole picture of reuse. Some of Upstream鈥檚 current activities include demonstrating reuse in schools, sports, and entertainment centers, and transforming the Grand Canyon national park. She said the reuse industry is growing and a reuse industry alliance, PR3, is being created that is developing its own standards. Key reuse opportunities are: 1) is to expand the recycling industry to include reuse where haulers and MRFs create new stable revenue streams collecting, transporting, sorting, processing, and redistributing materials back to retailers and producers; and 2) Reuse in large-volume, closed loop venues, anchor venues create demand at scale to justify the investment of buildout of wash sort and reuse. In a city with scaled and shared infrastructure, reuse can create up to 69% savings in GHG (source: Ellen MacAurther Foundation). She pointed out that reuse provides jobs to people who are systemically challenged by employment.
Next, Adam Rack, Co-Founder of Revino, talked about their goal to revise the reusable glass bottle system, since 69% of glass is landfilled annually (as of 2023). In the U.S., 3.6 billion wine bottles are sent to landfills. The U.S remains one the only industrialized nation lacking commercial scale return and reuse bottle infrastructure. In Ontario, Canada, 98% of beer bottles sold were reused in 2023. He said that a reuse strategy is the most sustainable. Revino is unlocking scale designed by wineries, for wineries. It is the first of its kind, engineered for reuse, identifiable by AI optical system, and has sustainability signaling with the package itself. He said this was the first time the glass industry was part of creating this product. So, what is in it for the wineries? Consumer loyalty, lowest cost option to reduce scope 3 emissions, reduced reliance on overseas production and fluctuation in freight markets, and 74% of Americans are interested in buying products in refillable packaging. Most of the bottle supply chain stays the same. Currently, there are 70+ Oregon wineries committed and counting.
Diane Cohen, CEO of Finger Lakes ReUse, Inc. discussed their mission and goals to reduce waste by teaching skills through reuse activities and enhancing the community economy and environment through reuse. They currently have 86 employees, diverted 2.7 millions pounds from the landfill, provided free materials for 800 households, and recirculated 772,105+ items. She said there are so many more opportunities to reuse than just transportation, including learning trades, providing jobs, etc. There should be collaboration between the waste and materials management workforce. She also mentioned that they have a partnership with CROWD (Circularity Reuse, and Zero Waste Development).
听That led to Gretchen Worth, Project Director for the Susan Christopherson Center for Community Planning, talking about deconstruction and building reuse. She said CROWD recognizes the environmental, cultural, and economic value of a circular construction economy that includes repair maintenance and adaptive reuse. CROWD shines the light on addressing enormous material streams especially in New York. Circular structure economy prefers building maintenance, preservation, and refurbishment. This is critical because construction is largest waste stream with 600 million tons landfilled annually. She pointed out that 90% of building materials can be reused or recycled. CROWD creates a lot of resources and acts as a resource for anyone in New York state interested in reusing building materials. She said they need a marketplace, so how can New York state lead by example, how can we embed this into long term thinking? New York is very well positioned to lead this movement nationally. Portland, OR, San Antonio, TX, Palo Alto, CA, and Denver, CO have also taken action. We need to look at transportation lines, where we have the most demolitions occurring, where there are large scale vacant sites that could be reuse hubs, etc. There is already a capacity in New York state and there are many companies that are working on a circular scale, but we need more. Some local heroes starting to take things into their own hands are Johnson City, NY who won a major revitalization grant. They will be reusing a high school rather than knocking it down, having recognized the environmental benefits of saving the building.
A Look at Packaging
Finally, the conference closed with a last session focused on 鈥淎 Dive into EPR for Packaging鈥�. Moderated by Alejandro P茅rez, Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs at WWF, he expressed that five states have passed EPR laws and a common thread in that is how stakeholders across various sectors were brought together to design circular products. He pointed out that OneSource Coalition brings together leaders from environmental NGOs, private companies, and association leaders together to advance national EPR, environmental justice, and local protections.
Megan Daum, Vice President of Sustainability for American Beverage Association, said they have robust goals, and they need policy with strong environmental priorities. She said they are active in Colorado with Ecocycle and came together with WWF. In Minnesota, they had a hauler and MRF at the table and it was great. There was a burst of activity in 2021 and 2022 but it was quiet until 2024; then, various stakeholder groups splintered, and no one was comprising and there was mistrust. At this point, The Recycling Partnership was able to establish trust among parties while keeping interests at heart with compromise, by learning from each other, and listening to concerns. She said it is important that we all hear from the local entities, including listening to the local governments and haulers. Once a session starts, working the way through issues is paramount. Compromise is key. We must be able to align on certain components as much as we can.
Next, Erica Nu帽ez, Head of the Plastics Initiative for The Ocean Foundation, talked how EPR hits many of the priorities that they are trying to improve, including better systems, waste reduction, and getting materials back. In the 2023-24 session, there were more than 120 broad bills on recycling, 28 EPR bills on various materials, and six to seven bills specifically on packaging, so she said they are starting to build a catalogue on what is working. Partners in legislation and in EPR are essential as is collaboration. It is important to come in on the front with your common points. Make sure you have a broad stakeholder process and engagement; if you are only talking to one party you won鈥檛 get all the information. And don鈥檛 forget the communities. We often forget that a lot of resistance we encounter is because they have been left out. If you want to be successful you must find the point where you agree and embrace diversity鈥攖hat will help start building a successful coalition. Look at having clear definitions鈥攚ho is responsible, what are the materials, who is the producer? Be clear on terminology. Build an advisory board that is transparent, include third party auditor, and set up fees that incentivizes better design that are trying to meet the metrics. Systems that are fully funded by the producer alleviate the financial burden on municipalities and set clear targets. If you are able to pair EPR with a deposit return scheme that maximizes the diversion, that would be favorable and increase your opportunity for success. Be sure to think about what the compliance piece looks like at the beginning of the process. The U.S. at the state level has embraced EPR for packaging, in Canada, most of the province have implemented it, and in Europe, EPR has been around for a while. Within the global plastics treaty, it is a specific discussion. There is a broad range of support for the national mechanisms of EPR. Right now, there is a board concept phase. Best case scenario is that there will be guidelines, which should show what successful EPR looks like and the process. She said she would be interested to see what happens to the bills that are lingering in committee and what didn鈥檛 pass because learning can be pulled from that.
Rachel Setzke, Senior Policy and Research Associate for Eco-Cycle, talked about EPR in Colorado. She said that there are counties and cities that are doing great, but overall, statewide the recycling rate is 15% due to lack of recycling access. The problem is it needs to be solved with systemic change. They brought partners to idea of EPR, to expand that recycling. She said their EPR bill will expand and guarantee access to 100% of Coloradans, increase 60% recycling rate for packaging, shift responsibility to tax/rate payers to producers, and incentivize better packaging. Working towards EPR for years, they have educated legislators, public, media, etc. The bill was in session for one year before signed into law in June 2022. One staff person oversees the program and created an advisory board representing communities, environmental groups, etc. When the bill passed, the PRO was not formed yet, so in the first year a lot of groundwork happened. The PRO has done a massive study with a lot of engagement and tons of stakeholder engagement. CAA has said many times they are working to harmonize EPR across the states. It will benefit you to watch what happens in the bigger states because it will probably expand. As people started paying attention, there are several working groups that have come together nationally, so let鈥檚 address these issues. A coalition can continue to reach out to NGOs, businesses, and upstream to talk about certain items. You also need to know what various positions your members bring to the table. We could have stakeholders address issues outside of the capital. She emphasized EPR is not an end all, but a conclusion that was reached because they had a PFAS bill going on at the same time. EPR is one tool in the toolbox. Currently, they are working on a EPR for Batteries bill from January to May when Colorado is in legislative session.
Finally, Lucy Mullany, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Eureka Recycling, spoke about their role in EPR. Based in the twin cities, Eureka Recycling holds two largest contracts in Minnesota鈥攖heir focus is to demonstrate that recycling works. She said their view from the pile is that there is an increasing unsustainable costs to recycling, especially with regards to packaging and lack of stability and transparency in markets. She said they entered EPR with those things in mind. The goals were to see: 1) a systemic shift to reduction, reuse, and repackaging design, 2) a stronger definition for recycling, 3) sustainable recycling specific to Minnesota鈥攁nd they kept those things in mind when they entered the advocacy battle. In May 2024, they celebrated the passage of the bill. The agency just closed the applications for the advisory board which will be appointed by January 2025 and will be meeting in the first quarter; there will also be needs assessment that will need to be finalized by end of 2025. She pointed out that they are watching what is happening in other states because it will impact the decisions made in Minnesota. For example, statewide recyclability lists, mass balance, etc. How is recycling going to be measured? She said that Eureka Recycling is unique in that they wear a number of different hats and can come to the table as a hauler, but they also lead the Minnesota Waste Coalition. The counties were instrumental in getting the bill passed. However, there was a massive fight between advocates, haulers, the counties, and the producers. She said because legislation is messy, your bill sponsor is important and how they engage. There are always a small group of people working day in and out to move legislation and you need one that is communicative and brings in different perspectives鈥攊t should go hand in hand with a coalition. Currently, they are waiting for the Federal level for updates to the Green Guidelines. She stated that they could be working to defend the bill and will be watching for added exemptions or weakening of the bill. They are working on an EPR law that includes truth in labeling and deposit return systems, as well as a broad electronics EPR bill that includes batteries.
Wrapping up the conference, Josh Kelly gave closing remarks and thanked the speakers, the Center for Sustainable Materials Management, caterers, sponsors, welcomed new members, and said he hoped attendees had been inspired and challenged. The conference covered was packed with learning opportunities, and he was grateful to other states for giving their points of view. He also gave compliments to NERC staff who put the event together, and said despite staff changes over the past year, he thought they did exceptional work in putting together the conference.
At the end of the conference, attendees had the opportunities to go on local tours of:
- OCRRA Amboy Compost Site
- Smurfit Westrock facility
听Ultimately, the Northeast Recycling Council鈥檚 Fall Conference stepped it up this year by presenting attendees with expert speakers, sponsors, partners, and a great and important venue. It was a fantastic, informative event and we are looking forward to the next one!听
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