The 2019 NYSAR³  Fall Recycling Conference will be Nov. 4-6 at the Otesaga in Cooperstown. NYSAR³  offers a premier conference with a technical program that is timely and relevant to the recycling community; along with the networking time and vendor show.  Vendors, the conference is an excellent opportunity to connect with 200 materials management professionals - public and private sector decision-makers from across New York State to market your products and services. Click for the Vendor Application.

With the passing of the 2019-20 budget, New York State gained two new environmental laws related to materials management! Read More about the new laws, one that targets large generators of food scraps and the other bans single-use plastic carryout bags.

Extended Producer Responsibility programs provide dedicated, non-taxpayer funding to sustainably support recovery and recycling. In the case of PPP, (paper and packaged products) which makes up a substantial percentage of the municipal solid waste stream, there is an enormous opportunity for increased recycling.  Read More about how PPP can potentially provide much-needed relief to taxpayers.

In April, the NYSDEC, in partnership with the statewide recycling education and outreach subcommittee, launched a new webpage for the Recycle Right NY Campaign. Read More about this statewide effort to educate New York residents about contamination in household recycling bins. 

The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning along with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper and Citizens Campaign for the Environment held a workshop on reducing food waste and single use plastics at restaurants and special events in March.  Panelists included a local restaurant owner; reps from the Buffalo Zoo (where plastic bags and straws were recently eliminated); and the Borderland Festival, which focuses on waste reduction during their two-day music event. Feedback was positive, with attendees requesting additional events on these issues geared toward businesses. A senior from a local high school kicked off the event by sharing his thoughts on why this issue is important to his generation. Read More about events in Erie County, as well as a summary of event results.

HELPSY, formerly a sustainable fashion e-commerce website, recently became a clothing collection, recycling, and upcycling company. In March, it became the first clothing collection company to earn B Corp status in the United States. Read More about the innovative textile company.

In 2010, the State developed and implemented Beyond Waste ,  its  current Solid Waste Management Plan,  to guide materials management through 2020. As 2020 approaches, DEC launched an ambitious agenda of statewide stakeholder meetings to seek input from all sectors on ideas on where to focus for the future. DEC hosted these meetings with facilitated discussions designed to identify key materials management issues and a framework for a new plan addressing those issues for the next decade. This is a collaborative effort in planning for maximum disposal diversion, addressing recycling challenges, optimizing organics potential, supporting our state's solid waste management facility infrastructure, and ultimately protecting New York's natural resources. There were 14 meetings held across the state concluding in March 2019. If you missed one near you, comments and questions are welcome: NYSSolidWastePlan or  planning@dec.ny.gov.

Are you interested in receiving recycling and sustainability news, updates, and related events in NYS?  Or maybe you're interested in receiving solid waste regulatory updates, funding opportunities, and solid waste related events?  Sign up for the DEC Delivers  Solid Waste and Recycling listserv.

 

If there is a public event or workshop related to recycling (organics, textiles, electronics, traditional recyclables, etc.) you'd like the greater community to know about, please email Kristine Ellsworth at kristine.ellsworth@dec.ny.gov and she can include it in upcoming DEC Delivers publications.

"Managing Food Waste in New York: OPPORTUNITIES, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES, AND BEST PRACTICES" is a one-day forum at the Rochester Institute of Technology on June 4.  It is sponsored by the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute.  Read More about the no-cost event geared for organizations and individuals concerned about food waste generation and its impacts.