NRRA Staff & Members Featured as "Guardians of the Garbage"

June 22, 2022
Sonny Ouellette, Jimmy Gooden & Bonnie Bethune share their insights at Guardians of the Garbage.

A panel of solid waste operators with 20 years or more of continued service, including NRRA Senior Member Services Representative Bonnie Bethune, shared their insights at "Guardians of the Garbage - A 20+ Year Legacy."  At this workshop hosted by the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Solid Waste Operator Training (SWOT) Program, panelists provided insights on how the world of solid waste has changed in NH, where they see it going, and how the next generation can make the best decisions in moving forward. 

The panelists included Bonnie Bethune, Senior Member Services Representative for NRRA, as well as staff from four NRRA member communities: 

  • Sonny Ouellette, Transfer Station Supervisor, Rumney NH 
  • Jimmy Gooden, Transfer Station Supervisor, Whitefield NH 
  • Duncan Watson, Assistant Director Public Works, City of Keene NH
  • Steve Doumas, Former Recycling Center Manager (retired), Merrimack NH 

Rick Belanger from Ponderosa Disposal and Bill Howard from Waste Management also participated as panelists.  During the three hour event, the solid waste experts answered a wide array of questions, discussing topics including construction and demolition debris, Pay As You Throw, extended producer responsibility, difficult to manage materials, resident education including NRRA's Recycle Right campaign, infrastructure, lithium battery fires, how the State of NH can best increase waste diversion, security cameras, and much more.  

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