July 2021 Newsletter
Having trouble viewing this email? View as Webpage
Nebraska Recycling Council Board of Directors Midyear Reflection, 2021
It is hard to believe that we are halfway through 2021. Thankfully the worst of the global pandemic seems to be behind us in Nebraska. With so much going on and life beginning to return to the way it was, this is a great time to reflect on some of the accomplishments and challenges of the Nebraska Recycling Council and its board of directors for the first half of the year.

Like many other businesses, government agencies, schools and non-profits, the board was able to effectively meet remotely every month and welcomed one new board member to the team: Willa DiCostanzo with the City of Lincoln. Financials were consistently reviewed and approved, and thanks to the diligent efforts of our Director, Heather Creevan, the NRC was able to have its critical PPP/SBA loans forgiven, getting the year off on a sound financial footing.

Staff gave great project presentations on various NRC sponsored initiatives including the hub & spoke recycling model. The results of other projects such as CHaRM events in Lincoln and Valley were reviewed and the participants congratulated. Pertinent recycling related legislation was thoughtfully discussed. NRC staff and board of directors attended a legislative breakfast, meeting key legislators and highlighting the NRC’s work.

One of the key roles of the board is to review the progress of the NRC on meeting the goals established in the five-year strategic plan. The board is pleased with the progress made and is deeply appreciative of the work the staff has completed over the last year, keeping the organization moving in the right direction.

The NRC board is looking forward to its first in person meeting in July of 2021. A significant component of this meeting will be to conduct a mid-year strategic plan review and discuss planning for the fall conference. We are truly pleased with NRC’s accomplishments during these challenging times and eagerly look forward to even more effective programs, outreach, and training to improve and expand recycling in Nebraska.
Let's Talk About Recycling and Accessibility with Hillary Scanlon and Gloria Eddins Thursday July 8th Noon to 1 PM. Nebraska Recycling Council logo. Waste Nothing. Pictured are Hillary with her dog and Gloria in her wheelchair.
Let's Talk About Recycling and Accessibility
FREE Webinar
Thursday, July 8th
Noon-1PM CST

The Nebraska Recycling Council will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, July 8 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST on accessibility and recycling. This webinar will feature two panelists, Hillary Scanlon, Founder and CEO of STILSOLUTIONS in Toronto, Canada, and Gloria Eddins, the ADA Coordinator for the State of Nebraska. According to the CDC, 25.6% of adults in the United States live with a disability. In Nebraska, 22.2% of adults live with a disability. We will hear from two women with physical disabilities on what their experience as a citizen has been with recycling, to name and address the barriers to making recycling accessible, and discuss recommendations and solutions for increasing access to recycling for people with disabilities. This is an important topic for the recycling industry to consider, and we are excited to welcome Hillary and Gloria into conversation next month!
Meet the Keynote:
Gary Cuneen, Seven Generations Ahead
“THINKING SEVEN GENERATIONS AHEAD: A PORTFOLIO OF STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING WASTE AND ADVANCING COMPOSTING”
Be an Early Bird - Get a Discount & Treat!
Don't forget, early bird conference registration is happening NOW with a special treat for the first 25 registrants to use during our networking sessions! Get a $15 discount (on top of the 10% discount if you're a member) now through August 16th.
Nominate a Recycling Champion
Do you know of a stellar organization that pushes recycling to the next level? Psst...it's ok if it's you and you'd like some bragging rights!. At our conference in October, NRC will present awards to member organizations in the categories of Commonwealth, End Market, Green Team, Advocacy, and Waste Diversion.
Member Spotlight: ReUnite
This is part of a series of interviews with NRC members. The purpose is to provide insights into materials management programs and best practices of member municipalities, businesses, and service providers.
The principle, “Think global, act local,” encourages people to think about the global ramifications of their actions while making an effort to improve things locally. This principle is the mindset behind ReUnite’s mission to stand against the Global Waste Crisis. After deep research into the local recycling industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, founders Tyler Jacobson and Jacob Orellana concluded that the most impactful way for us all to make a difference was to support our community in reducing, reusing, and recycling more. So to make recycling services and resources more accessible, simple, and educational, the idea for ReUnite was born.

We spoke with Tyler Jacobson of ReUnite to get an inside look at the goals and growth of the company.
Registration deadline for the Compost Operations Training Course is July 29th. Register now!
Join us August 2-6 in Lincoln
Seats are filling up fast!
Scholarships are available!
Webinars & Events
Growing the Upcycled Food Economy
Free Webinar | Wed, July 14th | 12pm | REGISTER

Free Webinar | Tues, July 20th | 10am | REGISTER

August 4-5, 2021 | REGISTER
Articles of Interest
The Scottsbluff public works department staff and the rest of the city’s dedicated employees are changing the game for recycling and waste collection and enthusiastically employing digital recycling tools to help their residents and the environment.

Standardized recycling bins and fewer — but larger — recycling sites made a difference, city officials say.

Recycling of construction waste has gained traction in recent years as the magnitude of the environmental impact of arbitrary and improper disposal of construction waste is being realized.

RC&D worked within a Nebraska Environmental Trust grant awarded to Nebraska Recycling Council for this collection.

Several sites in Nebraska will accept empty, properly rinsed pesticide containers which will then be recycled into various items.

Newton said he hopes the increased traffic at the bunker is an indicator that the community would support other community recycling sites for cardboard or paper.

These projects are located in communities traditionally underserved by federal research and development (R&D) funding so that all parts of the country are central to efforts to solve the climate crisis and meet President Biden’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The site opened on June 14th at 151 N 72nd St.
Recently Added to NRC's Community Toolkit
Tidbit of the Month
The Myth of the Chasing Arrows
The arrows with numbers that you find on your soda bottle (usually a No. 1 plastic made with PET, or polyethylene terephthalate), your yogurt tub (often a No. 5 made with polypropylene), and other everyday products are part of the Resin Identification Code (RIC) system that was created by and for the plastics industry in 1988. Each number signifies a different category of plastics – of which there are seven in total – and this system was designed to tell recycling facilities what type of resin can be found in any given object. As it turns out, they were never a guarantee that the item in question would be recycled.

“Resin Identification Codes are not ‘recycle codes,’” ASTM International, the organization that administers the RIC system, writes on its website. “The use of a Resin Identification Code on a manufactured plastic article does not imply that the article is recycled or that there are systems in place to effectively process the article for reclamation or re-use.”
Thank You to These Sponsors
Did a friend forward this to you?
Find out where to recycle everything!
Apply for a recycling equipment grant
Nebraska Recycling Council | 402-436-2384 | www.NRCNE.org