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NRC News and Events
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Recap: NRC Members Learn More at Conferences
by Marialyce Pedersen, NRC Board of Directors
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The successful 2021 Resource Recycling conference, held virtually August 3-4, attracted more than 500 attendees. Recordings of the conference sessions were provided to registered attendees after the conference adjourned. The NRC-organized panel, Recycling's Role in National Infrastructure, introduced the recently launched "Recycling Is Infrastructure Too" (RIIT) campaign, which makes the case that reuse, recycling and composting systems sit at the foundation of sustainable infrastructure enhancement, and should be integrated into major infrastructure legislation now underway in Congress. NRC President Bob Gedert and former NRC President and board member Gary Liss, along with Billy Johnson, Chief Lobbyist for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and Brenda Platt, Director at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, all spoke on the panel, which was moderated by NRC Board Member (and Recycling Coordinator for Lake County, Ill.) Pete Adrian.
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Social & Environmental Justice Scholarships Available
National Recycling Coalition's Murray J. Fox Scholarship Applications are Due 10/1/2021. Students with a passion for social and environmental justice principles and an interest in a career in the US’s $236-billion-dollar recycling industry[1] are urged to apply by Oct. 1st for a 2021 Murray J. Fox Scholarship of $2000. It is anticipated that three scholarships will be awarded. Funds are provided to assist with education expenses, along with membership in the National Recycling Coalition, plus admission to the National Recycling Congress, November 3-4.
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Easy-to-complete applications, found here, are due October 1, 2021. Students must provide 250-500 words describing their interest. Recipients will be announced at the NRC's Virtual Congress on November 3rd.
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The Murray J. Fox Scholarship Fund was created in 1994 to honor one of the founding members of the National Recycling Coalition, the country’s oldest recycling advocacy organization. The endowment allows the organization to continue Fox’s legacy of fostering future leaders, and more than $135,000 has been awarded to dozens of students to date. A tribute to Fox is posted at the NRC Campus Council's web page.
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Examples of advancing social and environmental justice aspects of the recycling industry include COVID safety for custodians, climate action, methods to promote diversity within the recycling industry, etc.
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Early Bird Rate Extended to October 1st!
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Early Bird Extended To October 1 - Don’t Delay - Register Today!
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Learn the latest trends on managing challenging materials, be part of critical policy and legislative discussions, and meet up with others in the field who are working on reduction, reuse, recycling and zero waste efforts at two upcoming NRC conferences: 2021 [Virtual] National Recycling Congress and 2021 National Zero Waste Conference. You do not want to miss these!
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Grab Your Sponsorship Spot Now!
Join the growing list choosing to reach their key audiences through sponsorship of NRC’s upcoming events. You can even package a sponsorship by combining sponsorships with NYSAR³’s state conference, the National Recycling Congress and the National Zero Waste Conference. Don’t delay, reach out to Alec Cooley at [email protected] to secure your spot and get the most exposure over the coming months for your sponsorship dollar.
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Engaging, Interactive and Fun!
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We all miss the days of safely gathering in-person, but NRC is striving to bring a lot of the same opportunities to connect with your colleagues and customers in our informative and engaging conference sessions, along with fun ways to feel tied to other recycling practitioners across the country in creative, unique ways. Take a scavenger hunt through the Exhibit Hall, have a fireside chat with an expert, or meet friends old and new in the gameroom. You can even take a breather with us to recharge for the next session or enjoy some recycling magic. Help us get the fun started by sharing up to five “vintage” NRC photos to [email protected] to be added to a virtual photo album (please tell us what year, what city and who is in the photo if possible).
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Don't Neglect Your SRO Benefits
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NRC’s affiliated State Recycling Organizations (SRO’s) will receive two (2) free registrations to the Congress; while non-affiliated RO’s will receive one (1) free registration. Contact [email protected] today to get your official representatives registered (request must come from the SRO contact with NRC).
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NRC Board of Directors Nominations Due 10/8 @ 5pm (pst)
Interested in nominating a candidate or submitting your own nomination information for the National Recycling Coalition 2021 Board Elections? Board service is a great way to give back to the recycling industry and a fantastic resume builder. Elections will take place at this year’s Resource Recycling Conference scheduled for November 3-4th, 2021. Nominations opened on September 10th, and will close on October 8th, 2021 at 5pm Pacific Time.
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Basic requirements for board members:
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- Must be at least 18 years old
- Must have been an NRC Member for at least one year OR be a designated representative of a state Recycling Organization that has been a member of NRC for at least one year.
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Welcome to Our Newest Affiliate: MassRecycle!
The NRC is pleased to welcome MassRecycle as a new member! Founded in 1989, MassRecycle is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the only recycling organization operating in Massachusetts. It brings together representatives from all 351 municipalities in the state, the recycling industry, green organizations, and individuals passionate about recycling to help foster the state’s recycling system.
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The organization is run by a team of 5 volunteers, with Gretchen Carey at the helm since 2018. The leadership team and its members help MassRecycle accomplish a myriad of activities including; developing a podcast, an annual conference, and the Annual MassRecycle Awards. As part of its broader goals to improve the materials management systems of Massachusetts, MassRecycle also runs the Massachusetts Product Stewardship Council. MassPSC is a committee of MassRecycle and advocates for EPR policies in the state.
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Community Foam Recycling Rising
Churches Caring for Creation (CC4C), a mission-based environmental organization in Norman, Oklahoma, currently operates two “Styro-Stations” located at local churches in Norman and are open to the public for dropping off foam recycling. Materials accepted at the drop-off locations include foam cups, plates, clamshell take-out containers, meat trays, egg cartons, as well as coolers. CC4C received a $23,000 grant from the Foodservice Packaging Institute’s Foam Recycling Coalition (FRC) to add a foam densifier to its current operations. With this new equipment, CC4C can expand its operations from two drop offs to providing collection events for an additional five neighboring towns, providing access to foam recycling to approximately 90,000 more households. CC4C is the 20th grant recipient to receive FRC funding since 2015. Over 4 million additional residents in the U.S. and Canada can recycle foam as a result of FRC grants. Visit www.RecycleFoam.org to learn about foam recycling, read about previous recipients, or apply for a grant.
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Nation's Second Packaging EPR Bill Signed Into Law
Gov. Kate Brown signed SB 582 into law on Friday, making Oregon the second state to pass an extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for packaging. Maine's governor signed the first EPR law in July.
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Under the law, most producers will need to become a member of a producer responsibility organization (PRO). The PRO will need to submit an EPR plan to Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) by March 31, 2024, and begin implementing the plan by July 1, 2025. Local governments will be able to use producer funding for improvements such as recycling facility upgrades, increased collection services, certain transportation needs and contamination reduction programs, according to the bill.
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Container Manufacturers Agree Deposit Laws Work
A joint statement was released by industry leaders this week. The glass, metal and plastic PET container industries agree that deposit systems lead to higher recycling rates, as well as better quality, higher value material enabling circularity. We support efficient, effective deposit systems and are eager to work with lawmakers on how to design and implement such well-designed systems with the principles below.
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CURC Annual Workshop: Community Connections
CURC’s annual workshop will focus on what connections we can cultivate for a just and zero waste future.
This program will be a series of presentations on different ways we can collaborate with colleagues, our campus population and community organizations.
In this workshop, we will focus on four different themes:
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- Connecting our waste programs with the needs and experiences of our campuses’ BIPOC and marginalized communities
- Connecting with our city/local government on waste reduction and diversion
- Connecting with community groups working on the health and Environmental Justice impacts of waste
- Connect with our regional colleagues for mutual sharing of strategies and resources
We are very excited to take this time to embrace the idea of regional “meet-ups” around the country! The last hour of the workshop will involve breakout sessions by region to discuss opportunities for collaboration.”
Regional breakouts currently being offered are:
New England - Margaret Bounds - [email protected]
Mid-Atlantic - Leana Houser - [email protected]
Southeast - Jennifer Maxwell - [email protected]
Midwest (Ohio to Iowa) - Leah Ceperley - [email protected]
Please email the regional contact listed to sign up at no additional cost and to share suggestions for additional topics to discuss.
If you don’t see your region listed below and want to host the informal Zoom meeting, email [email protected].
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