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In This Issue
Upcoming Events
I Can Fix That! - Repair of Small Electronic Devices Webinar
January 19
1:30-2:45pm EST
Register Here
Plastics Recycling 2016
Feb 1 - 3
New Orleans, LA
More Info 
Health and Safety Issues with Electronic Scrap Webinar
February 16
1:30-2:45pm EST
Register Here
South Carolina Environmental Conference
March 14 - 15
Myrtle Beach, SC
More Info
Ceiling Tile Recycling Webinar
March 15
1:30-2:45pm EST
Register Here
Carolina Recycling Association Conference
March 21 - 24
Wilmington, NC
More Info
Please Note

All communication, payables and/or receivables should be mailed to the following address ONLY:

 

National Recycling Coalition, Inc.

1220 L Street NW, Suite 100-155

Washington DC 20005

2014-2015 NRC Board
Stephen Bantillo, NRC Vice President and Policy Committee Co-Chair
Recycling Certification Institute
California

Gary Bilbro, NRC Vice President, Fund Development Chair and Recycling Jobs Task Force Co-Chair 
SMART Recycling, Inc.
North Carolina

Robert J. Bylone, Jr.
Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center
Pennsylvania  

Jeffrey Cooper
AECC Group
New York

Jack DeBell, NRC Campus Council Chair
University of Colorado
Colorado

George Dreckmann, NRC At-Large Executive Committee Member
City of Madison
Wisconsin

MaryEllen Etienne
Reuse Institute
Ohio    

John Frederick, NRC Liaison to National Standards Certification Board
Intermunicipal Relations Committee COG
Pennsylvania

David Juri Freeman 
City and County of Denver
Colorado
 

Bob Gedert, NRC President 
City of Austin 
Texas  
 
Marjie Griek, NRC Executive Vice President/CEO and Membership Chair
Colorado

Brent Hildebrand 
Alpine Recycling and Waste
Colorado

Doug Hill 
EcoVision Environmental
Ontario

Mark Lichtenstein
State University of New York- College of Environmental Science and Forestry
New York

Gary Liss, NRC Secretary and SMM Summit Co-Chair 
Gary Liss & Associates
California  
 
Fran McPoland,
NRC At-Large Executive Committee Member and Policy Committee Co-Chair
Paper Recycling Coalition & 100% Recycled Paperboard Alliance
Washington, D.C.  

Michelle Minstrell Committee Member, Board Development Chair, and Conference Co-Chair
Virginia  
 
Maite Quinn
Sims Municipal Recycling/ Sims Metal Management
New Jersey

Julie L Rhodes, Chair of the Board, NRC Treasurer, NRC Finance Co-Chair, and SMM Summit Co-Chair 
Julie L. Rhodes Consulting
Indiana

Antonio Rios 
Puerto Rico Recycling Coalition
Puerto Rico
 
 
Will Sagar, NRC At-Large Executive Committee Member and Business Development Co-Chair
Southeast Recycling Development Council
North Carolina  

Lisa Skumatz, NRC Awards Chair
Skumatz Economic Research Associates & Econservation Institute
Colorado

Michael E. Van Brunt 
Covanta
New Jersey  
 
Robin Wiener, NRC Recycling Jobs Task Force Co-Chair
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
Washington, D.C.

Melissa Young 
Syracuse University Center for Sustainable Community Solutions
New York
Other NRC Leaders
Cliff Case Ex-officio, Honorary Board Member
Carter, Ledyard & Milburn, LLP
New York
 
Murray Fox, Ex-officio, Honorary Board Member 
i-ROC
Massachusetts

Terry Guerin, NRC Murray J. Fox Fund Co-Chair 
Guerin & Guerin, Inc.
Indiana

Meg Morris, NRC Murray J. Fox Fund Co-Chair 
Covanta
Massachusetts

Michele Nestor, Ex-officio ROC Chair 
Nestor Resources, Inc.
Pennsylvania
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eNews Staff
NRC eNews Editor

Laura Flagg
President's Report
Dear NRC Members,

As the newly elected NRC President, I am honored to fill the role at such a historic time in the National Recycling Coalition's history. The NRC has emerged in recent years as a strong organization serving recyclers as the national advocate for recycling.

I first start with a thank you to both Mark Lichtenstein and Jeff Cooper for their incredible contributions to the NRC over the past six years. Without a doubt, NRC owes much thanks to you both and a few other key visionary and hard-working leaders. I offer gratitude and thanks to your time, talent, and sacrifice to help build up the NRC as a national voice of recycling. Your dedication and time helped restore and rebuild the NRC.

My theme as NRC President will be "Building Partnerships through Inclusion".

Regarding Partnerships; the NRC Board of Directors has historically built partnerships with sister organizations that support the mission of the NRC. I wish to continue that direction, strengthening existing relationships and building new partnerships. On Friday December 11th, several Board members met with EPA Region 2 in NYC, and continued to expand on the relationship begun by Mark Lichtenstein and others over the past couple of years. I pledge to expand and grow relationships with other appropriate national organizations, building on current connections and furthering collaboration to leverage their knowledge and influence to further the mission of the NRC.

Regarding Inclusion; the NRC members are who we serve, and I desire our focus in 2016 to produce deliverables that aide in the local efforts to promote and support recycling. The needs of the State Recycling Organizations will be a high focus of my attention. The recent ROC Steering Committee letter to the NRC Board of Directors was discussed extensively at the December 10th Board of Directors meeting, and is a great starting point for inclusion of our ROC membership base. Several concrete actions were discussed by the Board, with a positive spirit of seeking the best means to serve our membership. I desire to meet with ROC representatives and define a partnership path that serves the NRC membership.

The strategic focus of the NRC Board of Directors will be to serve its membership through rapid responsiveness to national recycling issues, and create a foundation of services that support local recycling programs. As members of the National Recycling Coalition, I ask for you to send me your suggestions and thoughts: Robert.Gedert@gmail.com.

National Recycling Coalition: We Are Recycling!

Sincerely yours,

Bob Gedert
President
NRC Board Meets in Brooklyn, NY
The National Recycling Coalition Board met on December 10, 2015 at the Sims Municipal Recycling, Sunset Park MRF Facility in Brooklyn, NY. New officers for the 2015-16 year were elected at this meeting (see story below). Additionally, on December 11th, several Board members met with EPA Region 2 in NYC, and continued to expand on the relationship begun by Mark Lichtenstein.

 
Donate to NRC!
As 2015 draws to a close, please consider making a year-end financial gift to the National Recycling Coalition. Your generous donation enables the NRC to focus its efforts on the promotion and enhancement of recycling in the US. An investment in us is an investment in the future of our country's economy and environmental well-being.

Our work is important and reaches every sector of the recycling industry across the country. We are the voice for you, our membership. We provide you, our members, with the tools and resources you need to convey the important benefits that recycling provides to our economy and environment. We need your support to continue our very important work - beyond your membership dues. Your investment ensures our success for years to come.

As you consider maximizing your year-end tax-deductions through a donation to the NRC, we offer several ways to make a payment. Your gift can be made online as either a one-time gift, or as a monthly recurring donation. Or you can make a donation by check. Please note that all 2015 gifts must be postmarked by 12:00 am on December 31st for inclusion in the 2015 Annual Campaign.

Thank you for supporting the National Recycling Coalition. Happy Holidays!
10 Ways to be More Sustainable This Holiday Season
1. Practice sustainable habits when serving your Holiday feast! Buy only what you need, buy food with minimal packaging, compost any food scraps, and be sure to serve food on reusable dishes.

2. Buy local! The impact of shipping goods contributes to environmental harm, so buying gifts from craft fairs and farmers markets not only supports local artisans, but also helps the environment.

3. Give an experience! Instead of giving a material gift, give an experience such as concert tickets, cooking classes, fitness classes, sports events, or a museum membership.
 
4. When purchasing gifts don't forget to bring reusable bags on holiday shopping excursions, and when wrapping gifts use newspaper, old maps or reusable textiles.
 
5. When purchasing gifts, give some thought to what will happen to that item when it is used up. Can it be recycled? Can it be reused?
 
6. Want that unique gift idea? Give a gift that will be around for years. Give the gift of a tree. By planting a tree for your neighbor, friend or relative, you will be showing how much you care for them and for our environment.
 
7. Celebrating Christmas? Don't forget to recycle your tree! Many cities offer curbside Christmas tree recycling-check with your city or town's sanitation department to see if this is available to you.
 
8. Make a resolution to recycle more! Start building your recycling pile with used newspapers, magazines and junk mail, and make an effort to recycle hard-to-recycle items such as batteries and old electronics.
 
9. Buying online is easy and you can avoid those long lines! Buy your gifts using smile.amazon.com and select the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) as your Charity of choice. This is free to you and will help so many.
 
10. Give a gift to our planet. Make a donation to the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) by going to www.nrcrecycles.org and hit the green "Donate" button.
New NRC Board of Director Officers
Congratulations to the new NRC Officers for the 2015-16 year! Officers were elected at the December 10, 2015 NRC Board meeting at Sims Municipal Recycling Facility in Brooklyn, NY.




Chair of the Board and Treasurer: Julie L Rhodes




President: Bob Gedert



Executive Vice President and CEO: Marjie Griek



Additional Vice President: Gary Bilbro



Additional Vice President: Stephen Bantillo




Secretary: Gary Liss



At-large Executive Committee Member: George Dreckmann



At-large Executive Committee Member: Fran McPoland



At-large Executive Committee Member: Will Sagar

Current NRC Affiliates
Thanks to our affiliated recycling associations for their continued membership and support! We look forward to another successful year of promoting Sustainable Materials Management in North America together!
  • Alabama Recycling Coalition
  • California Resource Recovery Association

  • Carolina Recycling Association
  • Colorado Association for Recycling

  • Georgia Recycling Coalition

  • Illinois Recycling Association

  • Indiana Recycling Coalition
  • Iowa Recycling Association 
  • Maryland Recycling Network

  • Michigan Recycling Coalition 
  • Missouri Recycling Association

  • Recycling Association of Minnesota
  • New Mexico Recycling Coalition

  • New York Association for Reduction, Reuse & Recycling

  • Association of New Jersey Recyclers
  • Association of Ohio Recyclers
  • Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania

  • Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center
  • Coalicion de Reciclaje De Puerto Rico

  • State of Texas Alliance for Recycling

  • Virginia Recycling Association  

  • Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin   

Benefits of affiliation include automatic membership and voting privileges in NRC elections for all members of the state recycling organization, free webinar hosting, and more!  

 

Contact info@nrcrecycles.org for details.   

Overview of Food Recovery Summit in Charleston, SC
By Gary A. Bilbro, VP NRC Board & President SMART Recycling U.S., LLC
I recently attended the Food Recovery Summit in Charleston, SC. This event was hosted by the EPA, SERDC, SC DHEC and NC DENR along with BioCycle. This summit was highlighted by sessions devoted to the very important issue of wasted food. It is estimated that we waste over $161 billion pounds of food discards annually in this country. Assistant Administrator to the EPA, Mr. Mathy Stanislaus said that food waste is the largest stream of materials going into our landfills accounting for 21% of the American waste stream.

Two tours started the summit, one to the Charleston County Compost Facility at Bees Ferry Landfill. This tour was hosted by Harvey Gibson, Compost Manager. His enlightening presentation showed why all municipal governments should be composting. They have proven with the correct planning and political will this is a sustainable way of diverting waste material from their landfill, thus extending the life of the landfill. Composting also creates a marketable compost product that will benefit many in the community. The Charleston County Compost Facility was voted best municipal composter for 2014 by the U.S. Composting Council.

The other very interesting tour was to the LowCountry Food Bank (LFB) in North Charleston. The LFB is an affiliate of Feed America and services nearly 300 partner agencies throughout the region. Their primary focus is to arrange and receive large scale donations, then package and distribute to shelters, churches, soup kitchens and even school programs. During the tour attendees helped bag sweet potatoes and cucumbers rejected from a local grocer. Retail partners are the largest contributors of food products which represents almost half of the 22 million pounds of food handled annually. Food that cannot be recovered is sent to the Bees Ferry Compost facility. This is a great example of how a mostly volunteer organization can help their citizens in need receive edible food while keeping it out of landfills.

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