Latest News
What does it mean to tell your local Public Works story? Marilee LaFond, Director of Technology Transfer Center at UNH gathered a panel of speakers to explore storytelling at their latest virtual discussion on May 19, 2021.
Why does storytelling in Public Works matter? In the past, Public Works have done their work quietly and hoped that the public was satisfied with the results. Resident’s expectations have changed today, and they want more communication about local projects. Public Works need to explain what they do and why it is important. They need to show residents that Public Works is making progress and not “just standing around looking into a hole.” Scott Kinmond, Director of Public Works in Alton, NH, said that he needs to “answer questions about dust from gravel roads to residents new to NH every year.” He reassures residents that, “the road gets graded four times a...Read more
The Salisbury/Sharon CT Transfer Station, managed by Brian Bartram, Transfer Station Manager and NRRA Board of Trustees member, recently launched a food scrap composting pilot program on the 1 st of May. This program will now allow up to 120 households in Salisbury/Sharon to sign up for the food scrap composting pilot, with 115 households currently signed up. This pilot program will be for a length of 5 months.
These food scraps will be brought to Curbside Compost in Ridgefield, CT and turned into compost. This includes hard to compost items such as meat and dairy; and don’t forget your napkins, paper towels, and newspaper (these are great to make the compost, compost)! Residents simply collect their scraps in a compostable bag and bring them to the brown totes at the Salisbury/Sharon transfer station.
The Head of the Salisbury Transfer Station Advisory Committee, Barbara Bettigole, and Brian Bartram...Read more
Over 185 presenters and attendees from New England and beyond participated in the Northeast Resource Recovery Association's (NRRA) virtual "Recycling with Results" Conference on May 10-11, 2021. The conference featured six key topics currently faced by the municipal solid waste and recycling industry.
On Day One , attendees learned about " Engaging Residents with Municipal Recycling " from three speakers who have successfully educated and engaged their residents about municipal recycling programs. Meghan Theriault, P.E., Director of Public Works, Town of Gilford, NH, shared her community's use of social media and their website to engage residents. Steve Bullek, Public Works Director, Town of Lee, NH & NRRA Board Member, provided examples of how his community shares transparent revenue and cost information with residents. Michelle Goetsch, CEO, Betterbin and Marc Morgan, Solid Waste Manager, Lebanon, NH, discussed how Lebanon is using the Betterbin app to provide recycling and composting...Read more
The following article is by Colin Staub, reporter at Resource Recycling. This article was first published by Resource Recycling and is available on the Resource Recycling website . To learn more about NRRA's new program for 3-7 plastics, contact Bonnie Bethune . Check out the recordings and presentations from NRRA's "Recycling with Results" conference .
The mixed-plastics processing sector is seeing supply challenges from product labeling changes and could be significantly disrupted by chemical recycling initiatives, according to one plastics processor.
During a recent virtual event held by the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA), Eadaoin Quinn, director of business development and procurement at EFS-plastics, described factors impacting the mixed-plastics industry.
EFS-plastics is a reclaimer with locations in Hazleton, Pa. and Listowel, Ontario that processes mixed-plastic bales and is a significant player in the North American reclamation landscape.
Supply...Read more
By Colin Staub, reporter at Resource Recycling. This article was first published by Resource Recycling and is available on the Resource Recycling website . Check out the recordings and presentations from NRRA's "Recycling with Results" conference .
During a recent virtual panel, the Northeast Resource Recovery Association reported that many recycling facilities are operating at 100% again, after pandemic disruptions. Additionally, a disease expert offered current guidance on preventing spread in facilities.
NRRA, a nonprofit organization that helps municipalities market their recyclables in the Northeast U.S., held its annual recycling conference as a virtual event last week. During a session titled “Recycling Safely During COVID-19,” two speakers discussed the ongoing impact the pandemic has had on the recycling sector, as well as how far the industry has come in terms of adjusting to pandemic realities.
Bonnie Bethune, member services manager for NRRA,...Read more
The New Hampshire Legislature has begun its 2021 session, and NRRA has prepared a list of bills related to solid waste and recycling. NRRA will periodically provide updates regarding these bills and encourages members to testify on bills relevant to their work. NRRA may testify for some bills to educate lawmakers, but NRRA does not take a position on proposed legislation. Last updated May 12, 2021.
Legislative ProcessState Senators and State Representatives first file what are known as Legislative Service Requests (“LSRs”). An LSR is a simple proposal for a bill submitted by a member of the incoming Legislature that is later drafted into a detailed bill. Then bills are assigned to committees in the House or Senate, depending on which chamber the bill originated in. Next, bills are scheduled for hearings, where members of the public may testify in support or opposition to bills remotely or in...Read more
On Wednesday, April 21, the Governor and Executive Council confirmed the nomination of Steven Bullek to serve on the New Hampshire Waste Management Council. Steve is the Public Works Director for the Town of Lee, NH and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA), a nonprofit that enables communities to manage their own recycling programs and reduce their waste. The NRRA Board submitted Steve’s name as one of three possible nominees after the Governor declined to bring NRRA’s first choice, NRRA Executive Director Reagan Bissonnette, to the Executive Council for a vote.
The Waste Management Council is responsible for consulting with and advising the Director of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Waste Management Division with respect to policy, programs, goals...Read more
It was 1998 when Mary Jane (MJ) first approached NRRA about the possibility of volunteering. I remember taking that initial phone call. MJ had contacted the RSVP program, run by the Friends Program, to inquire about a volunteer opportunity. Kay Croak, then Executive Director of RSVP, referred MJ to NRRA. At the time, MJ was actually too young to officially sign up as an RSVP volunteer, but Kay was familiar with our organization and told MJ to contact us.
As many of you know, it can be difficult to find volunteers – particularly good ones who want to volunteer regularly. We were absolutely thrilled that MJ wanted to come...Read more
In coordination with Earth Week, NRRA is happy to announce a pilot composting program. Keene, NH volunteer residents, who registered to take a turn at composting, can pick up their Green Cones at the Keene Recycling Center. Volunteers were asked to sign up for either a Green Cone Solar Digester or a Subpod to compost their food scraps as part of the Keene Backyard Compost Pilot Program. The Green Cone is an in-ground digester that breaks down food scraps and doesn't require turning the material to work. A Subpod is an in-ground composting system that uses composting worms to break down food scraps.
These volunteers will help NRRA and the City of Keene collect data on backyard composting and decide which system would work better for local residents. This is a great way to keep “weight out of your waste.” For more information about Municipal Solid Waste and Composting...Read more
Spring is here and 45 NRRA members gathered virtually on April 15 th as part of the Members Operations Marketing (MOM) meeting to talk about reopening Swap Shops at recycling centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. David Witham, Director of Risk Management at Primex, was NRRA’s guest speaker. Primex is the public entity risk pool for NH’s Public Sector, which includes recycling facilities. Their largest area of coverage includes worker’s compensation. Property and liability (slips and falls) are the most common suit. There have been over 1000 claims associated with COVID-19 in the last year. Primex relies on guidance from COVID-19 experts to shape their policies, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), State of NH, and NH Public Health/NH Homeland Security.
David assured members that reoccupying workspaces and increasing occupancy will happen gradually. Most recycling programs continued through 2020 and NH is slowly...Read more