NRRA: A Resource for Local & National News
NRRA is a leading resource for recycling and solid waste diversion education and information across the Northeast.
2023 Articles and other media appearances featuring NRRA input or interviews:
JULY
What happens to the glass containers you think you're recycling. Recycling advocates say they hope more attention to the state of glass recycling will help create more options. “Everyone talks about plastics but it seems like almost no one knows that most glass is not getting recycled,” said Reagan Bissonnette, executive director of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association, a nonprofit that helps connect communities with companies that purchase recycled glass, paper, plastic and metal. “It’s a real shame because it can get recycled,” she said. (WBUR Boston)
How one NH company saves 10 million pounds of textiles from heading to landfills. The state is also on its way to finding out what exactly is taking up the most room in its landfills. Reagan Bissonnette, executive director of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association, said New Hampshire doesn’t have any concrete data on how much textile waste is being landfilled or incinerated. But the Department of Environmental Services will soon embark on a waste characterization study – a breakdown of what’s being thrown away. (New Hampshire Bulletin)
Hopkinton-Webster transfer station agreement to be revised. According to a report from the Northeast Resource Recovery Association, the Hopkinton-Webster transfer station produces a higher volume of waste compared to similarly populated communities. (Concord Monitor)
JUNE
NH's first ban on food waste becomes law in win for composting. The law emerged in the wake of what became a statewide conversation about trash. “It’s a great start, and I’m really glad that we have this,” said Reagan Bissonnette, executive director of Northeast Resource Recovery Association. But Bissonnette predicts there will be challenges ahead when it comes to implementing the law. “It’s really hard for systems to be put into place where there’s not going to be contamination of other sorts of material along with that food waste,” she said. That includes plastic packaging or disposable cutlery that might get tossed in the compost at the larger institutions like a hospital or university. (Boston Globe)
MAY
'Front and center' issue: What progress has the state's Solid Waste Working Group made? 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. (New Hampshire Bulletin; reprinted in the Concord Monitor, Seacoast Online, and Hollis Brookline News Online)
Expert advice on how to get single-use plastic out of your life. According to the Northeast Resource Recovery Association, the average American household produces 1.5 lbs. of plastic per day. But there are ways to minimize that, like switching to reusable water bottles, opting for reusable cutlery and containers when getting take-out, and buying groceries without plastic packaging. (WCAX Vermont)
Bill establishing committee to study out-of-state waste headed to governor's desk. During the Northeast Resource Recovery Association’s annual conference on Tuesday, Director of Disposal Operations Steve Poggi said because of diminished waste capacity in Connecticut and Massachusetts, “there’s a lot of material that’s getting on trains to New York, Ohio, Alabama, Indiana. We’re getting requests to take more out-of-state waste. There’s a need south of the border.” (New Hampshire Bulletin)
APRIL
Celebrating Earth Month 2023. EarthShare is home to a network of nearly 500 environmental nonprofits across the U.S. and around the world. Many of our organizations are local, serving communities just like yours to help create a sustainable future for everyone. We asked a few of our nonprofit partners to introduce themselves so you can get to know them and the work they do. (EarthShare)
MARCH
In these NH communities, you pay for how much trash you send to the landfill. Thirty-nine New Hampshire municipalities are currently participating in some sort of “pay as you throw” system (PAYT), according to the Northeast Resource Recovery Association, and many have reported a decrease in their total disposal while simultaneously seeing recycling rates rise. Instead of a flat waste fee on tax bills, in these programs, people are responsible for the waste they create. (New Hampshire Bulletin)
FEBRUARY
Reagan Bissonnette: Safety of transfer station workers comes first. As the executive director of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association, a recycling nonprofit whose membership includes 85% of the communities in New Hampshire, I am compelled to advocate for the safety of a group of dedicated municipal staff who sometimes find there is little they can do to advocate for themselves. (Union Leader)
Don't forget about the safety of transfer station workers during extreme weather. We need to respect the health and safety of all our residents and workers during extreme weather events in New Hampshire, especially as they increase in frequency. This means remembering to include the health and safety of our solid waste facility operators as well. (New Hampshire Bulletin)
NHPR evening newscast for Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. "Our operators are a hardy bunch used to working outdoors year round, so when they express concerns, we know it's serious." says Reagan Bissonnette, executive director of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association. (NHPR)
Opinion: Don't forget our solid waste operators. Reagan Bissonnette of Concord is the executive director of Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA). As dangerously cold winds continued to blow across New Hampshire over the weekend, transfer station staff braced for temperatures far below zero with a wind chill. (Concord Monitor)
JANUARY
Report targets 'advanced recycling' as PR myth. Advanced recycling could be one way to address the grow ing volume of plastic waste, said Reagan Bissonnette, executive director of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association. However, she said reducing the amount of plastic manufactured in the first place is the best approach. (NH Business Review)