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NRRA's Recycling Conference highlights new, engaging, and current recycling and solid waste management topics and practices that help transfer stations, recycling centers, and municipalities manage their recycling facilities in environmentally and economically sound ways. The conference is a unique opportunity for hundreds of solid waste operators, volunteers, and residents to participate in workshops and meet experts in recycling, composting, municipal solid waste, and more. This year's conference is focused on specific recyclables, such as batteries, mattresses, used oil, plastics, and glass, while also taking a 30,000-foot-view...

The most recent NRRA Member Operations & Marketing meeting included a special presentation about the upcoming lithium-ion battery ban, presented by Tara Albert, the Solid Waste Operator Training & Certification Coordinator with the NHDES Waste Management Division. The ban goes into effect on July 1, 2025 and applies to everyone: residents, visitors, haulers, transfer stations, landfills, and waste-to-energy incinerators. Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries that, when damaged, can cause catastrophic fires and explosions, while expelling toxic gasses. The chemical reaction is called, "thermal runaway." It is a chain...

The New Hampshire Solid Waste Working Group (SWWG) held its most recent meeting on Friday, March 28th. Two presenters joined the meeting to speak about mattress recycling opportunities in NH: Trevor Mance, Senior Business Development Manager for Casella Waste Systems and Rodney Clara, VP of Sales & Business Development for Tough Stuff Recycling. Mattress recycling is of interest to the committee because currently, most mattresses in NH are thrown away rather than recycled at end of life. They are difficult to manage, hard to transport, and take up valuable space in landfills - in addition to causing operational problems in both...

On Wednesday, March 14th over 50 people gathered in person and even more online to celebrate NRRA's Senior Member Services Representative, Bonnie Bethune, who is retiring in early April after nearly 22 years at NRRA and a lifetime in the recycling industry. According to Bonnie, it all began April 22, 1970: an Earth Day, where 11 year old Bonnie did her first road cleanup with her family on the roadside in Chester, NH. As Bonnie said, she was lucky enough to have two careers. The first outside, working at the Wilton and New Boston Recycling Centers; the second in the office at NRRA. Bonnie has accomplished and contributed so much...

In late January, NRRA's executive director, Reagan Bissonnette, was able to participate in Kendal at Hanover's “Are Plastics Forever?” week. Reagan presented "The State of Recycling in New Hampshire and the Northeast." An active group of residents at Kendal, a retirement community, created the nonprofit SSAFE - Senior Stewards Acting for the Climate. The Kendal at Hanover's chapter includes a plastics group, which planned the week of education. Throughout the week of January 27th, residents and staff explored the impact of plastics on our planet and discovered ways to create a more sustainable future. Events included a screening of...

Have you ever heard of Congressionally Directed Spending and wondered to yourself, "what is that and how can I ask for some for my town?" We sure have! Thanks to a February 2025 webinar through Senator Shaheen's office, however, we now have answers and are ready to share! What is Congressionally Directed Spending? Let's start with the basics. Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) are essentially short-term grants for community development projects. They are also sometimes referred to as "earmarks" or "community project funding." Only certain federal accounts are open for congressional directed spending requests, and only...

Each year, NRRA tracks bills regarding solid waste and recycling throughout the legislative session on our Policy & Legislation page. As a matter of policy, NRRA does not take a position on any proposed legislation. However, we do occasionally provide testimony reflecting NRRA’s experience supporting municipalities with their recycling and waste reduction efforts in NH as it relates to a bill. Recently, NRRA's executive director, Reagan Bissonnette, joined Representative Karen Ebel, in providing context for HB 451, which would establish a paint recycling program. HB 451 is supported by the NH Solid Waste Working Group (SWWG). The...

This year, there are several bills working their way through the New Hampshire legislature that have to do with solid waste and recycling (we are following them on our Policy & Legislation page!) And though NRRA does not take a position for or against any legislation, we do occasionally provides testimony about proposed legislation to educate elected officials about how that legislation might impact NRRA Member communities. Last week, NRRA's executive director, Reagan Bissonnette, testified in front of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee regarding HB355, which would extend the end of the term of the NH Solid Waste...

Recycling markets - they go up, they go down - driven by economic, environmental, local, and global factors. But how did the markets do this year? Let's take a look! At NRRA’s Annual Meeting in November 2024, Brian Patnoe, NRRA Member Services Director, shared several graphs to demonstrate trends in market pricing for paper and cardboard, plastics, and metals over the past year, with some comparisons going back as far as a decade. A picture is worth a thousand words, and these pricing charts show that despite some recent dips in market pricing, overall recycling commodity markets are either similar to or higher than a year ago. Some...

WELCOME STEVE BEAN, NRRA'S NEW MUNICIPAL RECYCLING ADVISOR!!! Steve has worked in the recycling field for over a decade, building in-depth experience with cooperative marketing and technical assistance in recycling and waste reduction. Steve starting his working career as a helicopter mechanic in the Marines serving both stateside and Okinawa Japan. He then worked 19 years in a paper mill serving in many capacities. Prior to joining the NRRA, Steve worked at the Littleton Transfer Station since 2014. He worked his way to Lead Attendant in 2017 and then became manager in February of 2021. He was awarded the NRRA Rookie of the Year in...