March 2020
E-newsletter highlighting grant deadlines, upcoming workshops and available resources for municipal recycling and solid waste leaders.


Many workplaces and communities are preparing for potential impacts related to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Though information about the virus is still evolving, recommendations for preventing its spread remain similar to what is already prescribed for influenza.

Control and Prevention for Solid Waste Management Workers and Employers

At this time, no special precautions to protect waste workers from COVID-19 are recommended when handling municipal solid waste. Continue to use those precautions already in place to protect workers from the hazards they encounter during their routine job tasks.

Medical waste suspected or known to be contaminated with COVID-19 should be handled like other regulated medical waste. (COVID-19 is not a Category A infectious substance.) Use approved engineering and administrative controls, safe work practices, and PPE to prevent worker exposure to medical waste, including sharps and other items that can cause injuries or exposures to infectious materials.



COVID-19 is a recordable illness, per OSHA. And it is being called a recognized workplace hazard, which is important to know for your employee communications.

Full guidance document here.



The National Waste & Recycling Association’s (NWRA) Healthcare Waste Institute (HWI) published its latest document, COVID-2019 FAQs , to address safe handling of waste during this COVID-19 outbreak .

The document aims to provide answers and guidance to commonly asked questions from NWRA member companies that do not routinely collect or process regulated medical waste .

Notably, waste from homes where a patient has tested positive for COVID-19 can be managed as they would for the flu. No special precautions are necessary.
NERC updated 'MRF Blended Value Report'

NERC has published the third in a series of quarterly reports on the blended value of 1 ton of materials marketed at material recovery facilities (MRFs) in the organization’s 11-state region.
“Blended Commodity Values in the Northeast – February 2020 " covers the period from October through December 2019. An additional MRF participated in the survey, bringing the number of participating MRFs from around the region to 15, NERC says. The new addition is the first privately owned MRF to share data that is incorporated into the report.
Organics Recycling Webinar Series
Hosted by DEEP
Collecting Food Scraps for Composting
and/or Anaerobic Digestion
 
Monday, March 16, 2020
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
 

Presenters:
 
Caren Harder, CT DEEP
Scott Gustafson, Professional Sports Catering
John Ferguson, Quantum BioPower
Chris Field, WeCare Denali (formerly Harvest New England)

  Who should attend?
 
·    Businesses that work in food industry including restaurants, food manufacturers
·    Businesses with large cafeterias
·    Solid waste and recycling coordinators
·    Green Team members from schools, businesses and other organizations
·    Sustainability coordinators
·    Students; university food service staff
·    Zero waste activists
 
Interesting Tools/Case Studies
Fr om EPA Region 1 WasteWise

Where Does It Go? Story Map for Organic Waste , February 2020 NRRA newsletter
A map of organic waste facilities in NH, VT and MA. 
From NRRA YIMBY Grant and with the help of the Antioch University Spatial Analysis Lab. View Map.

No Time to Waste: An Analysis of the Material Generated, Discarded and Recovered at South Carolina’s Public Schools , February 2020
This case study was designed to provide a characterization of the solid waste generated throughout one day at six public schools in South Carolina. South Carolina has about 760,000 students and 50,000 teachers in more than 1,200 schools that generate substantial amounts of waste. The vast majority of this waste could be prevented, recycled or composted. Case Study report .

Circular Claims Fall Flat: Comprehensive U.S. Survey of Plastics Recyclability , 2/18/2020
A comprehensive survey of plastic product waste collection, sortation and reprocessing in the United States (U.S.) was performed to determine the legitimacy of “recyclable” claims and labels on consumer plastic products. The survey is based on current conditions in October 2019 to January 2020 and U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Green Guides requirements for product claims and labeling. View results of survey.

Tips to Prevent Food Waste from the Salad Bar , 2/24/2020 blog MA RecyclingWorks
Archived Municipal Recycling Coordinators E-News and Webinars

Missed the last newsletter on product stewardship or a recent webinar? Look for archived webinars and e-newsletters on the CT DEEP webpage.
What's IN? What's OUT?
Recent Questions from CT residents & Added to RecycleCT Wizard
CT In the News
MARCH
Food Scrap Recycling (The Greenwich Sentinel, March 10)
Fixes Sought to Boost Recycling (New Haven Independent, March 5)
ConnPIRG in support of state Styrofoam ban (The Daily Campus, March 5)
Spring Repair Café on April 19, Old Saybrook (Middletown Patch, March 2)

FEBRUARY
Recycling Glass to Change in Danbury Area (Newtown Patch, February 28)
Improving Waste Management (WSHU, February 25)
Group seeks to start composting program for Stamford (Stamford Advocate, February 24)
Students raise concerns about composting efficacy (Yale Daily News, February 19)
 Upcoming Events: 

March 12, 2020 - 12pm EST - What's the Bag Deal? Dealing with Film, Wrap and Bags in Your Recycling Stream webinar. For more information. Hosted by The Recycling Partnership.

March 16, 2020  - 2:00pm -  Collecting food scraps for composting and/or anaerobic digestion webinar. For more information . Hosted by CT DEEP.   

TO BE RESCHEDULED: March 18, 2020  - 7:00pm -  What's IN, What's OUT  recycling presentation. Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield. Hosted by Sustainable Fairfield Task Force.

March 19, 2020  - 1:30pm -  Rethinking Recycling webinar. For more information . Hosted by NERC.

 POSTPONED TILL FALL: March 23, 2020  -  CT Compost Conference . CCSU, New Britain, CT.  For more information . Hosted by a coalition of CT NOFA, CT ARCD and other compost enthusiasts.

CANCELLED: March 24, 2020 - 9:30-11:30 . Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. For more information, including webinar link . Hosted by DEEP.

CANCELLED - MAY BE RESCHEDULED: March 29, 2020  - 11:00am - 4:00pm -  Zero Waste Faire & Sustainable Living Expo . Wilton High School Field House, Wilton.  For more information.

TO BE RESCHEDULED: March 30, 2020  - 6:30pm -  What's IN, What's OUT  recycling presentation. Lucy Robbins Welles Library, Newington. Hosted by Newington DPW.

March 31, 2020 - 1:00pm - 2:15pm - Best Management Practices for Community Composting webinar. For more information . Hosted by Composting Association of Vermont.   

April 1, 2020  - 2:30-5:30pm EST Evaluating Consumer Food Waste Reduction Interventions webinar option. For more information . Hosted by The Ohio State University.

April 21-22, 2020  -  NERC's Spring '20 Conference . Rocky Hill.  For more information . Hosted by the Northeast Recycling Council.

April 28-29, 2020  -  Community Based Social Marketing . Bridgeport. For more information . Hosted by the Long Island Sound Study.   
May 18 & 19, 2020  -  NRRA Recycling Conference & Expo . Manchester, New Hampshire. For more information . Hosted by the Northeast Resource Recovery Association.
Have an idea or topic for future municipal recycling webinar? Let us know what you and your colleagues would like to learn more about. Contact Sherill Baldwin.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request an accommodation contact us at (860) 418-5910 or deep.accommodations@ct.gov.
CT DEEP | Source Reduction & Recycling Group | 860-424-4193 | www.ct.gov/deep/recycle