Bonnie Bethune Featured in Resource Recycling Magazine's "Women in Circularity"
We are excited to announce that NRRA's Senior Member Services Representative, Bonnie Bethune, is the latest woman to be acknowledged and interviewed for Resource Recycling Magazine's "Women in Circularity!"
Bonnie has 40+ years of experience in the recycling and solid waste management field. Here is an excerpt from the article, written by MaryEllen Etienne:
Reflecting on your career, you have driven many changes within the recycling industry. How did your career evolve along with the industry’s advancements?
In the late 1970s at the University of New Hampshire, my work study job was at the Durham Recycling Center where I discovered my passion for recycling. The manager took me aside one day and said that I should help municipalities with recycling as that is where the greatest need was. I took that advice completely to heart. After college, I managed the Wilton New Hampshire Solid Waste District facility which housed a municipal incinerator and two balers. It was a steep learning curve from solid waste management theory to hands-on experience. From there, I moved to New Boston, another small New Hampshire municipality, to raise my three daughters. I was recruited to manage the landfill, assist in the landfill closure and design of the recycling facility that is still performing very well 40 years later. When NRRA approached me to work on member services in 2003, I was ready to broaden my reach and assist others in their efforts to recycle more and waste less. As the industry evolved, solid waste management rules and regulations and recycling standards became more stringent and demanded a more advanced depth of knowledge and continuing education for myself and for recycling facility operators.
The delivery of technical assistance is key to NRRA’s work. How does knowledge transfer help your members and advance the industry?
Technical assistance is my strong suit and having a deep experience in the field has helped immensely in relating to our members, particularly operators who run municipal recycling facilities. The response I give to NRRA members who often “apologize” for asking so many questions is that, “The questions you ask help me to help other members with the same questions.” Over time, inquiries have evolved from, “Where can I recycle my glass,” to, “How do I safely manage lithium batteries?” Or “Are solar panels recyclable?” Or “How do I help the public understand the importance of proper separation of recyclables?” As a result, I have a wealth of resources I freely share with others.
The recycling industry has experienced significant shifts over recent years. What recent trend has had the most impact and why?
When I first started at NRRA, we communicated with our members via phone, email or in-person. In more recent years, the shift to multiple means of information sharing has had a significant impact. At NRRA, the past few years have been jam-packed with conferences, bus tours to member and vendor facilities, toolkits on managing common items at recycling facilities, conversations via phone and text, in-person and virtually-attended meetings and social media posts. A common request for information starts with “I saw this on your website, can you give me more information?” An invaluable connection is made and the discussion evolves from there.