NRRA Newsletter - Full of Scrap

Full of Scrap Newsletter- February 24, 2021

Your source for recycling & waste reduction news in the Northeast (and beyond).

View as Webpage (use this link to share with friends!)

Did You Know?

"Glass can be recycled and re-manufactured an infinite amount of times and never wear out. Recycling just one glass jar saves enough electricity to light an 11 watt CFL bulb for 20 hours." (Recycle Across America, 2020)

NRRA's 2021 Annual Recycling Conference!

*Registration is NOT yet Open but will be soon!

May 10th & May 11th

8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

It's a new year, and NRRA's newly designed conference will be held virtually over two mornings: Monday, May 10th and Tuesday, May 11th from 8:00 am-noon. We are inviting solid waste and recycling operators and supervisors, department of public works staff, town administrators, select board members, recycling committee members, school teachers, school administrators and students, and residents interested in recycling and waste reduction to join us.

There is something for everyone at this annual event. Be sure to join our conference mailing list to receive updates!

Our conference theme, "Recycling with Results", will explore how the material you put in the recycling bin travels from your home to the recycling center, then to the mill and what new products are made from it! Our agenda of planned workshops is posted on our website, with more details to come!

These workshops are being offered for free to our existing municipal members and associate members. Yet-to-be-members will pay one price of $75 (for both days). Dr. Ben Locwin, a healthcare executive and international COVID-19 advisor living in Portsmouth, NH, will be one of our speakers. The conference will count toward NHDES continuing education credits for each hour attended (live) and certificates of attendance will be awarded.

Sponsors Wanted!

The Northeast Resource Recovery Association’s Annual Conference is successful because of the dedication, commitment and generosity of the businesses and organizations that participate as sponsors. Sponsorship ensures high visibility and recognition among attendees and allows NRRA to offer this virtual conference for free for NRRA members. Check out our Sponsorship Opportunities to see how you can support this year's event!

NRRA is Hiring & Expanding our Member Services Team

NRRA is expanding our Member Services team by moving all our educational programs under the Member Services Department. Bonnie Bethune will continue to serve as NRRA's Member Services Manager. Heather Herring has moved from her role as Education Manager to become a Member Services Representative. In that role, Heather will support our members with cooperative marketing and purchasing and technical assistance while continuing her prior focus on NRRA's educational programs, including coordinating Member Operations Marketing meetings and educating students through our School Recycling Club.

In addition, we are hiring a new Member Services Representative to work with Bonnie and Heather to support our members with cooperative marketing and purchasing, education, and technical assistance in the areas of waste reduction and recycling. Know someone who may be interested in this position? Please help us find the right candidate by sharing the below position announcement and job description, plus our Facebook post, widely.

NRRA's March, 2021 MOM Meeting

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

9:00AM - 10:30AM

NRRA members, join us for our MOM meeting in March, which will feature a special presentation with Marc Morgan, Lebanon, NH's Solid Waste Manager, who will be discussing Lebanon's new Food Waste Drop-Off Program!

This meeting will be held virtually and is open to all NRRA Municipal Members- please bring a fellow recycler! Attendance at MOM meetings count as 1.5 hours of continuing professional development credit for the NH DES Solid Waste Operator Certification.

Please RSVP in advance for the 3/10/2021 MOM meeting.

RSVP

NH Solid Waste Legislation Update - 2021 Session

On Monday, March 1 at 1:00 PM, the NH Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a public hearing regarding SB 146. This bill proposes omnibus legislation relative to the environment. Two sections may be of particular interest to NRRA members: Part II establishes a statewide solid waste disposal reduction goal. Part III prohibits incineration of PFAS in NH, prohibits certain packaging containing PFAS, and establishes a plastics advisory council.

NRRA members are encouraged to review the full bill text and contact Reagan Bissonnette, NRRA Executive Director, at (603) 736-4401 x116 or rbissonnette@nrrarecycles.org with any comments or questions. Reagan plans to testify to educate the Committee regarding the bill’s relevance to NRRA’s NH members, but not to express support or opposition to the bill.

Breaking down computers one gaylord at a time with URT

At NRRA’s February 10th Member Operations Marketing (MOM) meeting, Rick Norton, Market Area Manager from Universal Recycling Technologies, gave a thorough presentation on how they process electronic and universal waste at their Dover, NH facility. NRRA has a long-standing relationship with URT as a solid vendor with a fantastic reputation in the field. They have an 80,000 square foot facility that accepts 4-6 truckloads a day of material and has 40 employees.

Information Sheet: Textile Recycling

Recycling clothing can be a challenge for communities. However, if you are currently not recycling textiles, please consider offering this important recycling opportunity for your residents.

Collect clean & dry clothing, belts and shoes. Items must be bagged and not picked over. Note: If your facility has a swap shop, do not collect clothing, belts and shoes in the swap shop but encourage residents to place in a designated and secure clothing bin. For resources on textile recycling vendors, check out our Textile Recycling Information Sheet.

Our Website has a wealth of useful and practical information and resources. One such resource is our Information Sheets. Each "sheet" provides information about various equipment vendors and recyclable items.

View Our Library of Information Sheets

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Increasing Waste Diversion - Beyond Recycling

This NH Dept. of Environmental Services sponsored virtual workshop will cover waste diversion and why its important, how communities can calculate their waste diversion rates, and specific strategies and examples of how New Hampshire municipalities can reduce their waste. Reagan Bissonnette & Bonnie Bethune will present.

Learn More and Register

Friday, April 9, 2021, 8:45 AM to 12:30 PM - EBC Eighth Annual New England "Talking Trash" Conference

NRRA is partnering with EBC, SWANA, MassRecycle, ecomaine, and NWRA to present the eighth annual Talking Trash conference, which will focus and reflect on the changing landscape of solid waste industry operations in New England. NRRA Executive Director Reagan Bissonnette is one of the conference co-chairs and will participate in a panel discussion with other industry leaders.

Learn More

NRRA Summer Webinar Recording Spotlight: Using Processed Glass Aggregate in Road Infrastructure Projects

Did you know that you can use crushed glass in road and infrastructure projects in the place of virgin aggregate such as gravel? For communities with limited options for recycling glass in a cost effective manner, reusing glass locally can be a great alternative.

Join Reagan Bissonnette, Executive Director of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association, and Madeleine DiIonno, a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy and NRRA volunteer, to learn more in this recorded webinar. Attendees will learn about NRRA’s experience producing PGA, the differing state regulations governing PGA production and use in New England, and specific examples of how PGA has been used successfully in municipal and other projects, including in roads, sidewalks, and building foundations.