Nebraska Recycling Council - September Newsletter

September 2023

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Less Than 3 weeks Until the Conference!

NRC members and supporters,

Don’t forget to register for our 2023 Annual Fall Conference! Whether you’re interested in legislation and statewide access, overcoming recycling barriers, organics, or hard to recycle material, we have something for you. Our keynote speaker, Rachel Bookman, will share how you can use plainspoken, positive, and personal language to communicate the value of recycled materials to the public. We’re also looking forward to announcing our award winners and networking at the cocktail hour.

If you’re already registered, thank you! We’re excited to see you. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments leading up to the event.

See you then,

Executive Director

Statewide Annual Recycling Survey Results

By: Maddie Ferber

Those of you joining us this September 19th for our annual fall conference will get the chance to hear Executive Director Haley Nolde present on one of NRC’s foundational projects - the statewide annual survey on the state of recycling in Nebraska.

Each year, NRC administers this survey to over 500 incorporated communities in Nebraska, attempting to build a comprehensive map of recycling in the state. Questions range from whether the community has recycling to issues like haulers, contamination, and even perceived community enthusiasm for the service. Beyond our everyday use of this information to support Nebraskan communities, our survey has been used to help inform legislators, nationwide organizations, and other states looking to survey their own communities.

To learn more about the results of this survey, join us September 19th for our annual fall conference, or you can always check out our ArcGIS Storymap.

2023 Resource Recycling Conference Recap

By Allison Majerus

Last month Program Directors Allison Majerus and Maddie Ferber along with Executive Director Haley Nolde and NRC Board President Danielle Easdale attended the 2023 Resource Recycling Conference in Orlando, Florida. This was a great professional development opportunity for our NRC team members and a valuable time together to learn from nationally-recognized figures in the recycling industry, network with other like-minded individuals, and discuss current issues like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), plastics recycling, and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB).

"I really enjoyed the "What's the Prognosis for Recycling Markets" session. As a new program director, I still have lots to learn about the recycling industry and this session helped me get a better baseline understanding of the relationship between markets, the different commonly recycled materials, and the way the markets impact the recycling industry overall." -Maddie Ferber

"I particularly enjoyed listening to the panel discussion "Navigating Complexities in Racial and Social Equity" on how different municipalities provide recycling resources and services to their diverse communities across the country." -Allison Majerus

My favorite session was "The Economic and Climate Benefits of Local Recycling Programs. This session was particularly interesting because it relates to what we communicate to the public. Recycling is one of the easiest ways to protect the good life of Nebraska." -Haley Nolde

Thanks to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy for their grant funding so we could attend this conference. We appreciate your support!

Compost Corner: Calling all Composters- don’t miss out on a learning and networking opportunity!

By Carina Olivetti

Are you interested in:

joining the Nebraska Compost Council (NECC)
learning more about soil health and biochar
available conservation opportunities in Nebraska?

If any of these topics peak your interest, then don’t forget to register for the Nebraska Recycling Council’s Fall Conference on September 19, 2023. If you are only interested in joining the Nebraska Compost Council or are a member already, and do not want to attend the conference, then feel free to just come to the NECC bi-monthly meeting. The meeting is from 8:30-9:30 AM, before the fall conference begins. We will be discussing current events and what types of compost activities would foster higher participation and increased membership for our state chapter. Regardless of level of participation in these events, please stop by the NECC vendor table and say hello. The meeting and the conference will be held at The Graduate, 141 N 9th St, Lincoln, NE.

President of the Nebraska Compost Council, CEO of Flatwater Carbon, and biochar expert Nash Leef, will present his knowledge and experiences with biochar and soil health in the All About Carbon breakout session of the conference starting at 2 PM. Following this presentation, Nebraska NRCS Outreach Coordinator Brach Johnson will present on available conservation opportunities in Nebraska. There will be time for open discussion and questions at the end of the All About Carbon breakout session.

The NRC Fall Conference agenda is full of awesome presentations and vendor booths relating to and showcasing a variety of recycling topics in Nebraska. Come join us for a fun day of learning and networking at The Graduate!