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by Hadley Barndollar, New Hampshire Bulletin
A Department of Environmental Services official told an audience this week he expects the next few years will be a “watershed time” for solid waste work in New Hampshire.
Speaking during the Northeast Resource Recovery Association’s annual conference on Tuesday, Mike Wimsatt, Waste Management Division director at DES, said his agency is on its way to becoming better resourced and more equipped to tackle an issue that’s gained much attention across the state in recent years.
Wimsatt spoke during a panel discussion alongside other members of the state’s Solid Waste Working Group , including Chair Rep. Karen Ebel and Steve Poggi, director of disposal operations at Waste Management, a leading service provider. The statutory committee was formed in 2021 and issued its initial report last fall .
“Unless you’ve been living under a trash can,”...Read more
#2 HDPE Natural Bale Picture from BCEP in Pittsfield NH
Polystyrene Ingot (brick) from Gilford NH Solid Waste Center
Plastic Film Bale Picture from Littleton NH Transfer Station
Mini- Aluminum Can Bale from Harding Metals in Northwood NH
Try your hand at guessing, then scroll down to find the answers! Guess the market value of a horizontal #2 HDPE Natural Bale Guess the number of bags to make the Expanded Polystyrene (#6 EPS) Ingot Guess the weight of the vertical Film Bale Guess the number of Aluminum Cans in a mini-bale
READY FOR...Read more
View the full video message below or on YouTube .
Recycling and waste management industry attendees gathered at the conference’s new location, the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH. The new location was chosen in part for the Center’s focus on reducing their environmental impact through innovative solutions, including integrated recycling programs, energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems, food waste composting, and local food sourcing. The new space buzzed with connections as attendees, speakers, and exhibitors networked between the 22 workshops and two keynote presentations over two days.
For over forty years, NRRA’s annual Recycling Conference & Expo has been a premier conference focused exclusively on municipal recycling and waste reduction in the Northeast, pulling in some of the biggest names in recycling and...Read more
NRRA is excited to introduce NRRA member communities to the Community Facilities Loan and Grant program available through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development. This program provides matching grants up to $50,000 to eligible communities based on population and median household income. Grants can be used for a wide variety of essential community needs, including solid waste infrastructure. NRRA staff recently met with Jon-Michael Muise, Area Director of Rural Development at USDA, to learn about this program, and Jon will be a guest speaker at NRRA's January 12, 2022 MOM meeting.
USDA Rural Development is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Through its programs, Rural Development helps rural Americans through three types of programs: (1) guaranteed loan products; (2) direct lending; and (3) grant programs. Rural Development's Community Facility Program serves populations of 20,000 people...Read more
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Epsom, NH – For over forty years, recycling nonprofit Northeast Resource Recovery Association’s (NRRA) Recycling Conference & Expo has been the premier annual event focused exclusively on municipal recycling and waste reduction in the Northeast. This year, the conference will be held for the first time at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH on Monday, May 22 and Tuesday, May 23, 2023. This year’s theme, “ Recycling Tools of the Trade ” emphasizes the tools and skills necessary to build thriving municipal recycling and waste reduction programs in our communities. New England has the highest cost for trash disposal in the US, making waste diversion a financial and environmental imperative.
Each year, hundreds of attendees join from across the recycling and waste management industry, including...Read more
NRRA Executive Director, Reagan Bissonnette, recently shared about participating in the Leadership New Hampshire Environment & Sustainability program day:
My presentation at the Leadership NH Environment and Sustainability program day was a blast! It was held at the Seashell Ocean Pavilion at Hampton Beach State Park. I've never been there, and we were in a second story room with lots of windows overlooking the ocean. After Steve Poggi from Waste Management provided a national perspective on how we handle our waste, I spoke about trash, recycling, and food waste in NH and why it matters. I kept my remarks to 15 minutes, which left 30 minutes for a lively Q&A. I emphasized the following three takeaways in my talk :(1) Nearly 1/4 of all our municipal solid waste (trash from households, businesses, schools) by weight disposed nationwide is food waste. A shocking number even to me now!...Read more
Member Services Manager, Brian Patnoe, recently shared his thoughts on the modern day Rs and it's more than recycling:
Many of us grew up with the “Three Rs”. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Nice and simple. But like most things in life, it's expanded over time. We need to start looking at things differently.
Since I twisted my knee badly right before Earth Day , I could not help with our town’s roadside cleanup, so instead I decided to bring the Earth Day sentiment home. I looked around my house to see what changes I could make to become even more environmentally friendly. That's right, even with over 20 years in this industry, even I can still do better - just like we all can.
I started by thinking about and looking at 6 fundamental options: Can I REDUCE my waste, can I REUSE...Read more
This year for Earth Day, NRRA Executive Director, Reagan Bissonnette, was interviewed on responsible recycling. In the spirit of recycling, we wanted to share the interview with you as well. You can find more responsible recycling answers in our Recycle Right pages!
While recycling has become commonplace for most households in the United States, many people still have a very casual attitude toward it. What’s your point of view on the importance of individuals playing their part to recycle?One person can make a difference when it comes to recycling. Each piece you recycle - no matter how small - adds up. Take, for example, a single aluminum can - recycling just one can save enough energy to run a 14 watt CFL bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours, or a...Read more