In This Issue
Upcoming Events
CURC Webinar Series 
Title: Building Support for Waste Reduction Programs
April 13, 2017
1:00-2:30pm ET
NRC/RMC Sustainable Materials Management Webinar Series 
Title: Keys to Successful Plastics Recycling
April 18, 2017
1:30-2:45pm ET
ISRI 2017 Convention & Exhibition
New Orleans, LA
April 23-27, 2017
NRC In-Person Board of Directors Meeting
April 26, 2017
11:30am-5:00pm CT
New Orleans, LA
Introduction to Zero Waste Training
April 27, 2017
9:00am-4:00pm CT
New Orleans, LA
Waste Expo 2017
May 8-11, 2017
New Orleans, LA
NRC Board of Directors Meeting
May 12, 2017
Via GoToWebinar
Virginia Recycling Association: 25th Annual Conference
May 15-17, 2017
Virginia Beach, VA
NRC/RMC Sustainable Materials Management Webinar Series 
Title: Zero Waste in New York: Challenges and Opportunities
May 16, 2017
1:30-2:45pm ET
Michigan Recycling Coalition: 35th Annual Conference & Recycling Summit
May 17-19, 2017
East Lansing, MI
New York Federation of Solid Waste & Recycling Conference and Trade Show
May 21-24, 2017
Bolton Landing, NY
Upcoming NRC In-Person Meeting
The NRC will be holding an in-person Board of Directors meeting in conjunction with the 2017 ISRI Convention & Exhibition.

Date: April 26, 2017
Time: 11:30am-5:00pm CT  
Location: Ernest Morial Convention Center. New Orleans, LA.

Member Spotlight
In this new series, NRC member updates will be featured in the eNews. Have a member update of your own to share? Email Savannah Betkowski, NRC Staff to have it featured in the next NRC eNews!
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Please Note
*Change of Address*

All communication, payables and/or receivables should be mailed to the following address ONLY:

 

National Recycling Coalition, Inc.

727 East Washington Street

Syracuse, NY 13210

2016-2017 NRC Board
Susan Attridge,
City of Buffalo

Stephen Bantillo, 
NRC Vice President, NRC Policy Committee Co-Chair, NRC Elections Committee Chair,
  Recycling Certification Institute
California

Gary Bilbro, 
NRC Vice President and NRC Fund Development Chair, 
General Manager, Key Energy LLC

Robert J. Bylone, Jr., 
NRC Recycling Markets Council and Recycling Jobs Task Force Chair,
Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center
Pennsylvania

Maggie Clarke
Maggie Clarke Environmental

Jack DeBell, 
NRC Campus Council Chair,
University of Colorado
Colorado

George Dreckmann,
City of Madison
Wisconsin

Paul England, 
NRC Vice President,
Midwest Region General Manager, Pratt Industries

MaryEllen Etienne, 
Executive Producer, ReuseConex

John Frederick,
Intermunicipal Relations Committee COG
Pennsylvania

David Juri Freeman, 
NRC Chair,  
Senior Consultant, Resource Recycling Systems
  
Bob Gedert, 
NRC President,
Affiliate Senior Consultant, Resource Recycling Systems

Marjie Griek, 
NRC Vice President and Treasurer, NRC Finance Committee Co-Chair, NRC Strategic Planning Committee Co-Chair,
Pearl Consulting
 
Carey Hamilton,
Indiana Recycling Coalition

Brent Hildebrand, 
NRC Membership Committee Chair,
Alpine Recycling and Waste  
Colorado

Doug Hill,
EcoVision Environmental 
Ontario
 
David Keeling, 
Steel Recycling Institute 
 
Gary Liss, NRC Vice President, NRC Conference Committee Chair, SMM Committee Chair, NRC Strategic Planning Committee Co-Chair,
Gary Liss & Associates 
California  

Maite Quinn,  NRC Communications Committee Co-Chair,
Sims Municipal Recycling/ Sims Metal Management
New Jersey
 
Antonio Rios,  
Puerto Rico Recycling Coalition 
Puerto Rico

Will Sagar,  
Southeast Recycling Development Council
North Carolina

Lisa Skumatz, NRC Secretary and Awards Committee Chair,
Skumatz Economic Research Associates & Econservation Institute
Colorado

Michael E. Van Brunt, NRC Finance Committee Co-Chair,
Covanta
New Jersey
   

Robin Wiener,
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
Washington, D.C.

Melissa Young, 
NRC Communications Committee Co-Chair,
Syracuse University 
New York
eNews Staff
NRC eNews Editor

Savannah Betkowski
NRC eNews Editor

Yue Shi (Sharon)
April 2017
2017 Resource Recycling Conference
For the first time, NRC is proud to be organizing an educational track and other activities to enhance the premier North American recycling conference as a partner in the 7 th Annual  Resource Recycling Conference, produced by Resource Recycling Inc. and supported by the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM)This year this prestigious conference will be held  August 27-30  in  Minneapolis.

In addition to the traditional functions of NRC Board meetings and Member's Meeting, NRC is organizing the following:
Recycling Markets Town Hall
Showcases resources that can help state and local programs expand markets for recovered materials to strengthen local markets. State recycling organization leaders will meet with markets development organizations working throughout the reuse, recycling, and composting supply chain to establish relationships, dialogue, and business opportunities.

National Policy Session
"Recycling Policies in the new Administration"
Minnesota Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobachar and Representative Keith Ellison are invited to highlight trade policies and bringing recycling manufacturing jobs home to the U.S.

Awards Ceremony at Opening Reception
Recognizes outstanding programs, individuals, communities, and businesses that are leading the charge for recycling, organics, and waste reduction.  The award winners, summarized on the NRC website, provide examples of successful models and stretch goals for NRC members.   

Murray J. Fox Scholarship Ceremony
Introduction of students who received Scholarships to attend Conference summarized on the NRC  website, provide examples of successful models and stretch goals for NRC members.    

Welcome Reception
Reach your key customers by hosting a  casual Welcome Reception at local restaurant near Conference Hotel on Sunday night, August 27.
Who Will You Reach With Your Message?
Approximately 600 attendees who represent a broad spectrum of key stakeholders, including federal, regional, state and local governments, recycling organizations and other nonprofits, trade and industry groups and progressive businesses.

With your support we have the opportunity to organize and enhance the activities at this conference and serve the needs of the recycling industry.

To learn more about sponsorship levels and sponsorship details,  click here .

For more information contact: 
Savannah Betkowski
t 202-618-2107  savannah@nrcrecycles.org
March 2017 President's Message
By Bob Gedert

US Congressional Representative Keith Ellison (MN) introduced H.R. 1034 '' Zero Waste Development and Expansion Act of 2017'" in mid-February.  This new bill, if adopted, will "authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants for municipal solid waste prevention, reuse, and recycling program development, and for other purposes." This bill offers a new federal grant program, funded initially at $100 million for the first five years, to support the redevelopment of the American recycling infrastructure.  

Several NRC Board members were instrumental in revising and supporting the final version of this bill before its introduction to the US Congress, including various definitions as well as the inclusion of remanufacturing as an eligible grant activity.
The National Recycling Coalition (NRC) supports and endorses the '' Zero Waste Development and Expansion Act of 2017''.  The NRC believes that in conjunction with source reduction, reuse, and composting; the recycling of valuable materials is essential to a sustainable environmental, energy, and economic future. 
The " Zero Waste Development and Expansion Act of 2017 " will help communicate the following American environmental values:
  • Recycling is a value-added activity to our communities, states, and country that creates green, well-paying jobs boosting a domestic economy committed to sustainability.
  • Materials recovery (primary vs tertiary recycling) is the preferred management option for all residential, commercial, and industrial discards.
  • Recycling is resource management, not waste management.
  • Recycling is not disposal.
  • Thermal combustion is not recycling.
  • Recycling programs must be designed to minimize contamination in consideration of the needs of upstream users.
  • Recyclables are substitutes for virgin materials.
The National Recycling Coalition supports the ambitions and programs proposed in the " Zero Waste Development and Expansion Act of 2017 " as it creates domestic jobs through the rebuilding of the American recycling infrastructure. The bill also is designed to increase community knowledge of effective waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and composting.
It is critical at this juncture of the American economy that we create a strategic shift away from the costly strategy of waste management toward a holistic resource management system that strives to use less materials overall, reduce toxins, recover more used materials, create new jobs, and foster economic development.
We believe that recycling is a shared responsibility which requires citizen engagement. The grants program established in this legislation will provide critical investment in infrastructure and technologies. This will help achieve the goal of a more sustainable America for our future.
The NRC Board of Directors thanks Congressman Keith Ellison for his leadership in introducing and sponsoring the ''Zero Waste Development and Expansion Act of 2017'' and we look forward to working to achieve that vision of a sustainable recycling future. 
Together, We Are Recycling!
Sincerely yours,

Bob Gedert
NRC President

Behind the scenes: A Reuse Advocate's role in Zero Waste policy
By MaryEllen Etienne

Reuse is well known as the "second R" in the reduce-reuse-recycle mantra used by environmental leaders across the globe. Perhaps the term conjures up that reusable bag sitting in your car trunk - but reuse is much more than this. It is a complex and critical component of true Zero Waste.

Espousing the benefits of reuse
It is clear that source reduction and recycling will only get us so far. We can't achieve Zero Waste without reuse. 

We don't have to look much further than Toyota to see the vital 'part' reuse plays in corporate Zero Waste efforts. In the late 1990's Toyota began replacing cardboard gaylords and wooden pallets with durable, reusable shipping containers to ship parts to dealerships. In the early 2000's they began using these containers to ship parts from Japan to North America, then to distribution centers. Currently more than 65,000 reusable shipping containers carry 109 million parts annually through a network of 1850 dealers, 150 suppliers and 22 distribution centers. Toyota's reuse efforts have saved 308 million pounds of wood, 185 millions pounds of cardboard and 445 million dollars in packaging costs since 2002.

In the nonprofit world, we can look to the Scrap Exchange to see how reuse is promoting creativity, environmental awareness and community development. Scrap Exchange is a national model creative reuse center in Durham, North Carolina. By collecting materials from local businesses and residents and selling reclaimed materials, the organization has created 32 jobs and diverts nearly 150 tons annually. With the recent purchase of over 105,000 square feet of commercial space they are poised to create the country's first "Reuse Arts District" and national center to support reuse initiatives

All this great work aside, it is important to note that reuse continues to be overshadowed by the "third R", recycling. This is where reuse advocates come into play.

Spotlight Zero Waste News
Zero Waste Training at ISRI Convention
April 27, 2017 in New Orleans, LA 
 
The Introduction To Zero Waste training class from Zero Waste USA will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2017 in New Orleans (9 am-4 pm). This is the first time that this training has been offered at the ISRI Convention. This lively, interactive class will be taught by nationally renowned Zero Waste expert Gary Liss. Learn about why thousands of businesses have already achieved Zero Waste and why communities throughout the country are adopting Zero Waste goals, policies and plans.  Hear about leading Zero Waste Businesses and Communities. Certificates of Completion are provided to attendees who pass the test. Go to Zero Waste USA for resourcestestimonials about past trainings and to register ($125). Lodging at Convention Hotel is still available. 
 
For more information contact Gary Liss 
Waste infrastructure earns C+ in 2017 ASCE report card
Bring Recycling Jobs Home!

The American Society of Civil Engineers found "There is a need to change the way we think of how solid waste is generated, managed, and potentially used as a resource. Americans need to recognize that what is routinely discarded may in fact be a reusable resource." According to the report ... the lack of improvement on recycling rates is a problem, based on the EPA's latest national diversion rate of 34.6%. "We've leveled off, we've plateaued. We need some more innovation," said Shelia Montgomery-Mills, from ASCE.

...Gary Liss, vice president of Zero Waste USA, said that...the report could go a step further by connecting these ideas to President Trump's calls for new infrastructure funding. "Recycling is the epitome of what the current administration is calling for in terms of bringing jobs home from overseas and leveraging private investment in public service infrastructure," he said. Liss sees China's move toward a more closed loop resource recovery system as a sign that demand for U.S. material exports could decrease. Domestic manufacturing must expand to be ready for a future where a large majority of the country's recovered materials no longer get shipped overseas. He pointed to the Zero Waste Development and Expansion Act, recently re-introduced to Congress, as a potential way to invest in this type of infrastructure growth. Liss said this shift, coupled with  contract terms that follow past EPA guidance, could help get recycling out of its current stasis. "Recycling doesn't need to be free like a lot of systems have set it up to be. Recycling just needs to be less cost than wasting," said Liss.

 
Leash the Lid
The Save the Albatross Coalition

The Save the Albatross Coalition, a campaign of non-profit Zero Waste USA, strives to prevent plastic discards from leading to the death of more than 200,000 Laysan Albatross chicks each year in the Midway Atoll and areas in the Pacific Ocean like the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

California AB 319 (Stone) is a bill that has just been introduced that requires all single use plastic beverage containers sold in California to have bottle caps tethered to the bottle or the bottle designed such that the caps are not separable from the bottle. Unleased bottle caps litter our communities and coast and contribute to the increasing plastic pollution problem in inland and ocean waters.

A recent report by the World Economic Forum and Ellen MacArthur Foundation found that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (by mass), if plastic litter reaching the world's oceans is unabated.   Bottle caps are part of this massive discharge of plastics from land-based sources. Bottle caps and lids are the #3 item found on California beaches during Coastal Cleanup Day. 


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