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Over 185 presenters and attendees from New England and beyond participated in the Northeast Resource Recovery Association's (NRRA) virtual "Recycling with Results" Conference on May 10-11, 2021. The conference featured six key topics currently faced by the municipal solid waste and recycling industry.
On Day One , attendees learned about " Engaging Residents with Municipal Recycling " from three speakers who have successfully educated and engaged their residents about municipal recycling programs. Meghan Theriault, P.E., Director of Public Works, Town of Gilford, NH, shared her community's use of social media and their website to engage residents. Steve Bullek, Public Works Director, Town of Lee, NH & NRRA Board Member, provided examples of how his community shares transparent revenue and cost information with residents. Michelle Goetsch, CEO, Betterbin and Marc Morgan, Solid Waste Manager, Lebanon, NH, discussed how Lebanon is using the Betterbin app to provide recycling and composting...Read more
The following article is by Colin Staub, reporter at Resource Recycling. This article was first published by Resource Recycling and is available on the Resource Recycling website . To learn more about NRRA's new program for 3-7 plastics, contact Bonnie Bethune . Check out the recordings and presentations from NRRA's "Recycling with Results" conference .
The mixed-plastics processing sector is seeing supply challenges from product labeling changes and could be significantly disrupted by chemical recycling initiatives, according to one plastics processor.
During a recent virtual event held by the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA), Eadaoin Quinn, director of business development and procurement at EFS-plastics, described factors impacting the mixed-plastics industry.
EFS-plastics is a reclaimer with locations in Hazleton, Pa. and Listowel, Ontario that processes mixed-plastic bales and is a significant player in the North American reclamation landscape.
Supply...Read more
By Colin Staub, reporter at Resource Recycling. This article was first published by Resource Recycling and is available on the Resource Recycling website . Check out the recordings and presentations from NRRA's "Recycling with Results" conference .
During a recent virtual panel, the Northeast Resource Recovery Association reported that many recycling facilities are operating at 100% again, after pandemic disruptions. Additionally, a disease expert offered current guidance on preventing spread in facilities.
NRRA, a nonprofit organization that helps municipalities market their recyclables in the Northeast U.S., held its annual recycling conference as a virtual event last week. During a session titled “Recycling Safely During COVID-19,” two speakers discussed the ongoing impact the pandemic has had on the recycling sector, as well as how far the industry has come in terms of adjusting to pandemic realities.
Bonnie Bethune, member services manager for NRRA,...Read more
The New Hampshire Legislature has begun its 2021 session, and NRRA has prepared a list of bills related to solid waste and recycling. NRRA will periodically provide updates regarding these bills and encourages members to testify on bills relevant to their work. NRRA may testify for some bills to educate lawmakers, but NRRA does not take a position on proposed legislation. Last updated May 12, 2021.
Legislative ProcessState Senators and State Representatives first file what are known as Legislative Service Requests (“LSRs”). An LSR is a simple proposal for a bill submitted by a member of the incoming Legislature that is later drafted into a detailed bill. Then bills are assigned to committees in the House or Senate, depending on which chamber the bill originated in. Next, bills are scheduled for hearings, where members of the public may testify in support or opposition to bills remotely or in...Read more
On Wednesday, April 21, the Governor and Executive Council confirmed the nomination of Steven Bullek to serve on the New Hampshire Waste Management Council. Steve is the Public Works Director for the Town of Lee, NH and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA), a nonprofit that enables communities to manage their own recycling programs and reduce their waste. The NRRA Board submitted Steve’s name as one of three possible nominees after the Governor declined to bring NRRA’s first choice, NRRA Executive Director Reagan Bissonnette, to the Executive Council for a vote.
The Waste Management Council is responsible for consulting with and advising the Director of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Waste Management Division with respect to policy, programs, goals...Read more
It was 1998 when Mary Jane (MJ) first approached NRRA about the possibility of volunteering. I remember taking that initial phone call. MJ had contacted the RSVP program, run by the Friends Program, to inquire about a volunteer opportunity. Kay Croak, then Executive Director of RSVP, referred MJ to NRRA. At the time, MJ was actually too young to officially sign up as an RSVP volunteer, but Kay was familiar with our organization and told MJ to contact us.
As many of you know, it can be difficult to find volunteers – particularly good ones who want to volunteer regularly. We were absolutely thrilled that MJ wanted to come...Read more
In coordination with Earth Week, NRRA is happy to announce a pilot composting program. Keene, NH volunteer residents, who registered to take a turn at composting, can pick up their Green Cones at the Keene Recycling Center. Volunteers were asked to sign up for either a Green Cone Solar Digester or a Subpod to compost their food scraps as part of the Keene Backyard Compost Pilot Program. The Green Cone is an in-ground digester that breaks down food scraps and doesn't require turning the material to work. A Subpod is an in-ground composting system that uses composting worms to break down food scraps.
These volunteers will help NRRA and the City of Keene collect data on backyard composting and decide which system would work better for local residents. This is a great way to keep “weight out of your waste.” For more information about Municipal Solid Waste and Composting...Read more
Spring is here and 45 NRRA members gathered virtually on April 15 th as part of the Members Operations Marketing (MOM) meeting to talk about reopening Swap Shops at recycling centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. David Witham, Director of Risk Management at Primex, was NRRA’s guest speaker. Primex is the public entity risk pool for NH’s Public Sector, which includes recycling facilities. Their largest area of coverage includes worker’s compensation. Property and liability (slips and falls) are the most common suit. There have been over 1000 claims associated with COVID-19 in the last year. Primex relies on guidance from COVID-19 experts to shape their policies, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), State of NH, and NH Public Health/NH Homeland Security.
David assured members that reoccupying workspaces and increasing occupancy will happen gradually. Most recycling programs continued through 2020 and NH is slowly...Read more
The NRRA Board of Trustees and staff would like to recognize and thank Mike Faller for his years of service to the Board. Mike recently resigned from the Board of Trustees after serving on the Board for nine years, including as Vice President. Mike joined the Board in 2012.
Mike is the Public Works Director for the Town of Meredith, NH where he is responsible for four departments – Highway, Solid Waste, Buildings and Grounds, and Cemetery. He currently has a staff of 25 employees and oversees budget of nearly four million dollars. Mike was also an active member in the NH/VT Solid Waste District serving most of his time on the Executive Board for the project. He was instrumental in closing the ash landfill and negotiating haul contracts with Wheelabrator. He also learned about the incinerator operations located in Claremont NH. Mike also worked closely with Mike...Read more
NRRA congratulates three member communities for successfully passing warrant articles at recent town meetings to improve their recycling programs. Our member services team was pleased to provide technical assistance to support these efforts.
The Town of Bristol, NH set up a Sustainability Committee to gather information for the Selectboard to see if it was possible to bring back recycling to their transfer station. Jan Metcalf of the Sustainability Committee said that Bristol stopped single-stream recycling in 2018 due to increased costs. They currently recycle glass, aluminum cans (funds go to a charity), scrap metal, and construction debris. Everything else goes to the Wheelabrator incinerator in Penacook. They are pleased to announce that Warrant Article 18 for $85,000 to purchase a used horizontal baler, skid steer for loading material, construction of a building to house the baler, and storage trailer for cardboard passed at their March 13 th...Read more