May 2023

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Clothing Swap Results!

Lincoln's first city wide clothing swap was a huge success! Attendees brought 1000+ pieces and swapped or purchased almost 700 articles of clothing ♻️ NRC couldn't have pulled off such a fun event without our volunteers, Lincoln Goodwill, Maddie Graham aka The Frugal Fox, and of course Lincoln Earth Day and Nebraska Innovation Campus.

Thanks everyone who came out!! Can’t wait for the next one!

two women smiling and holding clothes on hangers

a woman giving clothing to another woman with her hands full of clothing

2022 Annual Report Launch!

It's official! The NRC 2022 Annual Report is complete and ready for members and supporters to check out! We are doing great work and are so thankful for the support from our grant funders, members, and Board of Directors.

Welcome Carina and Madeline

We are excited to announce that we have hired two new Program Directors,

Carina Olivetti and Madeline Ferber!

Maddie Ferber joined NRC in April 2023. She is based in Omaha and has a background in community organizing and education. She is focused on connecting rural and urban Nebraskans on environmental issues and making recycling more accessible for our rural communities. In her spare time, Maddie loves being outside in the garden growing food and flowers for pollinators, and spending time with her family and pets.

Carina Olivetti joined the Nebraska Recycling Council at the end of April 2023. She graduated from University of Nebraska-Lincoln with an Environmental Studies degree in 2021. Gardening, recycling, and composting practices from early childhood have been fundamental to her environmental stewardship. Her past work experiences include health food stores, horticulture positions, habitat monitoring, and solid waste management. Food waste diversion, composting, circular design, land use, habitat loss, and biodiversity conservation are her main topics of interest. She is excited for the opportunity to grow with the Nebraska Recycling Council and help foster environmental stewardship throughout the state. She enjoys nature hikes, gardening, biking, tennis, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Save the Date: Sept 19 Fall Conference

Our 2023 Annual Fall Conference will be held in Lincoln on September 19th. We're excited for excellent speakers, sessions, awards, vendors, and lots of networking at the cocktail hour!

Spring Gardening Waste

Have you started spring gardening? Below are some tips and tricks on how to make your outdoor space beautiful with a low environmental impact!

Repurpose material

Upcycling in the garden

Choose native plants and support pollinators

Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Tips, Help & How-To

Importance of Pollinators by UNL Backyard Farmer

Avoid harsh pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers

Using Diatomaceous Earth - What Is It & How to Use it

Biochar

All About Compost

Conserve water as best you can

Waterwise landscapes NSA Publication

For more information on attracting pollinators, conserving water, healthy soils, or weeding, visit the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum publications webpage.

Looking to get involved with a community garden this summer? Reach out to your local city officials to volunteer at an existing garden or to start a program! City of Lincoln residents can contact Community Crops.

Central Community College:

Leader in Sustainability Efforts

In March, NRC was given the opportunity to visit our member, Central Community College, at the Hastings campus for a sustainability assessment. We found significant efforts being made by the environmental sustainability office. Furthermore, the collaboration between departments on campus set an amazing example of success in sustainability efforts. These continual partnerships have set up the environmental sustainability office to meet many goals of their Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP). One example is the vegetable garden which is a collaborative effort between the environmental and culinary departments. Another example is the food service provider, Chartwells, which helps compost food waste.

The Environmental Sustainability Office improves education and training on campus. This includes an Introduction to Sustainability course for students but also involves fun events like scrap paper valentine crafting or making reusable bags out of recycled t-shirts. Hastings campus is powered by wind, solar, and geothermal energy. Electronics and other academic materials are reused past their end life and then recycled or diverted from the landfill whenever possible. In the last year, Hastings campus recycled 39,300 pounds of material and composted 350 pounds of food waste.

Hastings campus screams innovation when you see the beehives made with organic materials and a 3D printer. Additionally, dual recycling and trash bins are placed strategically throughout campus as an easily accessible method of waste distribution. CCC advances their efforts through STaRS reporting and continuing education for staff and students. This school is an excellent example of involving students, faculty and staff in sustainability efforts. We love to see our members succeed!