Latest News
Caps on bottles have been a point of confusion in the recycling industry. Should caps be left on containers, thrown in the trash, or separated out? Are caps considered contamination? NRRA’s member service team would like to clear up some of these questions for members, and help you determine what the best protocol is for your facility. Caps are typically made of polypropylene, or number five plastic. Bottles and jugs are most often made of number one PET (i.e., plastic water bottles, salad dressing containers, mouthwash containers, etc.) or number 2 HDPE (i.e., milk jugs, bleach containers, etc.) plastic, being a different plastic than that of a cap. Pros and Cons In the past, caps had been known to jam baling equipment, cause lower bale weight, and present a safety hazard. This was mainly due to air captured in bottles with a tight seal. Leaving caps on had led to...Read more
The NRRA Board of Trustees and staff would like to recognize and thank Duncan Watson for his service to the Board. Duncan recently resigned from the Board of Trustees after serving on the Board for nearly 24 years. For a number of those years, he held the offices of President and Vice President.
Duncan currently serves as the Assistant Director of Public Works for the City of Keene, NH. He has been with the Department of Public Works since 1992. Duncan runs the Solid Waste Division which features the largest municipally operated materials recovery facility in the State of New Hampshire processing upwards of 8,000 tons of recyclables per year, a 30,000 ton per year Transfer Station, an award winning Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, and an organics composting operation. During his tenure in the Solid Waste Division, the City of Keene was named the best Municipal Recycling...Read more
The Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) is pleased to announce the release of our 2020 Annual Report . The compact, flip-book format of the report makes it easy to share the value of recycling and NRRA membership with municipal staff, elected officials, and residents. The report includes the following features:
Summary of notable achievements and member services, including our Environmental Impact Report , with links to our website Revenue and Expenses breakdown for Fiscal Year 2020 Tonnages by Commodity infographic (pictured below) Special thank you to our members, vendors and donors View our 2020 Annual ReportWe would like to thank Rosanne Breault, Graphic Design Artist, for creating this beautifully designed and interactive flipbook for our 2020 Annual Report.Read more
Safely managing used lithium batteries has become a significant challenge for the waste industry. The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) and the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA), in partnership with the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA), recently held a free two-part webinar series on this important topic that explained how lithium-ion batteries are used and how to safely manage them.
Lithium-Ion Batteries GenerallyLithium-ion batteries, often called rechargeable batteries, have been dominating the battery market in most recent years. With their versatility, convenience, and small, lightweight design these batteries are becoming common in tools that have not been traditionally battery operated. Examples include chainsaws, vacuums, leaf blowers, etc. Lithium-ion batteries have a lifetime spanning roughly 8 to 10 years. The Lithium-ion battery market was valued at 37.4 billion dollars in 2018, speaking to the popularity of this battery type.
Most common lithium-ion battery cells are...Read more
HDPE stands for High Density Polyethylene. Natural HDPE plastic is commonly used for milk jugs and other translucent containers, such as water and beverage bottles or shampoo containers.
Left to Right: Baled HDPE Natural (Note: Some NRRA vendors do not accept cardboard headers); Loose HDPE Natural; Baled HDPE Natural
The price of HDPE natural has been reaching record highs, more than doubling over a period of 12 months. The recycling of this commodity has been proving to be a lucrative program for many local communities. In the year of 2020 alone, $62,245 ($72,585 so far in 2021) was returned to NRRA communities for the sale of their HDPE natural. This equates to the diversion of 67 tons of HDPE Natural from landfilling and incineration. Great job NRRA communities!
The NRRA Board of Trustees and staff would like to recognize and thank David E. Hartman for his years of service to the Board. Dave recently resigned from the Board of Trustees after serving on the Board for 13 years.
When Dave joined the Board in 2008, he was a Selectman in the Town of Warner, NH. He served in that role from 2005 to 2016 and loved it. Prior to that, Dave led the effort to recycle in Warner. He chaired the town’s Recycling Committee over 20 years ago, which brought to the Town Meeting a warrant article declaring, “Recycling in Warner shall be mandatory.” It passed overwhelmingly by voice vote! He continues to champion the cause of recycling whenever there’s an opportunity, and he brought that enthusiasm to the NRRA Board.
NRRA staff reflect on Dave's contributions to NRRA.
Dave Hartman brought a dedicated...Read more
As the current NH legislative session nears an end, NRRA has prepared a summary of legislation relevant to solid waste and recycling, including many recent updates. The bills address establishing a solid waste working group on solid waste management planning, updating compost regulations, establishing a statewide solid waste disposal reduction goal, and prohibiting the siting of a landfill near a state park. The summary also includes a summary and recent updates regarding the proposed Casella landfill in Dalton, NH.
HB 413 : An Act establishing a solid waste working group on solid waste management planning, relative to compost, and establishing a statewide solid waste disposal reduction goal.
Summary: This bill (1) establishes a solid waste working group on solid waste management planning; (2) requires the department of environmental services to make certain rules regarding compost; and (3) establishes a statewide solid waste disposal...Read more
NRRA municipal members gathered virtually on June 9 th for a great MOM meeting during the heat wave. In addition to discussing current markets and member services updates, attendees got a special presentation on Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) events and catch basin cleanings from Brett Rogers, Disposal Manager at Environmental Projects, Inc. (EPI), an NRRA vendor.
Bonnie Bethune, Members Services Manager, reviewed the good news for many recyclables in this bull market. In 2020, mills were overstocked with material. Now that the economy has opened again in 2021, no manufacturer wants to be caught without enough inventory. Manufacturers are hungry to purchase recyclables to make into new products. That is great news for increased revenue for our members.
The Member Services Team continues to call operators to review the last 18 months of activity with NRRA. We ask about the highlights and challenges of each town. We will...Read more
What does it mean to tell your local Public Works story? Marilee LaFond, Director of Technology Transfer Center at UNH gathered a panel of speakers to explore storytelling at their latest virtual discussion on May 19, 2021.
Why does storytelling in Public Works matter? In the past, Public Works have done their work quietly and hoped that the public was satisfied with the results. Resident’s expectations have changed today, and they want more communication about local projects. Public Works need to explain what they do and why it is important. They need to show residents that Public Works is making progress and not “just standing around looking into a hole.” Scott Kinmond, Director of Public Works in Alton, NH, said that he needs to “answer questions about dust from gravel roads to residents new to NH every year.” He reassures residents that, “the road gets graded four times a...Read more
The Salisbury/Sharon CT Transfer Station, managed by Brian Bartram, Transfer Station Manager and NRRA Board of Trustees member, recently launched a food scrap composting pilot program on the 1 st of May. This program will now allow up to 120 households in Salisbury/Sharon to sign up for the food scrap composting pilot, with 115 households currently signed up. This pilot program will be for a length of 5 months.
These food scraps will be brought to Curbside Compost in Ridgefield, CT and turned into compost. This includes hard to compost items such as meat and dairy; and don’t forget your napkins, paper towels, and newspaper (these are great to make the compost, compost)! Residents simply collect their scraps in a compostable bag and bring them to the brown totes at the Salisbury/Sharon transfer station.
The Head of the Salisbury Transfer Station Advisory Committee, Barbara Bettigole, and Brian Bartram...Read more