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Current Member Spotlight

University of Massachusetts Lowell & Viably

We are pleased to welcome University of Massachusetts Lowell and Viably as new Supporting Advisory Member to Northeast Recycling Council

University of Massachusetts Lowell

The latest addition to NERC’s roster of Advisory Members from the world of academia is University of Massachusetts Lowell. Its Office of Sustainability, first opened in January 2015, “provides the UMass Lowell community with essential and centralized support services which integrate, communicate, and promote sustainable opportunities that contribute to the pursuit of carbon neutrality.” The Office’s accomplishments are several:

  • In 2021, UMass Lowell maintained its high ranking in Sierra magazine’s 15th annual Cool Schools ranking of North America’s greenest colleges and universities.
  • In 2020, UMass Lowell was named “Innovator of the Year” at the Casella Sustainability Leadership Awards for the new and creative ways that the university sustains resources and diverts waste destined for landfills.
  • In 2019, UMass Lowell was rated in the top schools for sustainability out of over 2,000 that The Princeton Review considered.
  • Also in 2019, UMass Lowell was recognized as a top performer for its campus sustainability program in the AASHE’s 2019 Sustainable Campus Index.

In fact, UMass Lowell's initial sustainability efforts began in 1989 with the launch of a recycling program. The University’s well-developed Recycling & Waste Diversion programs reduce solid waste and increase recycling efforts across all corners of campus. The programs’ notable successes include:

UMass Lowell uses a self-service request system called CAMIS to process and review specialized recycling work orders in a timely and efficient manner. Participants can access the system for:

  •  Pickup/disposal of electronics, furniture, toner and ink cartridges, light bulbs, computer accessories, small appliances, and other miscellaneous items
  • Recycle or Shred Bin Replacements
  • Other Environmental Health & Safety Requests

Another exciting development in the University’s sustainability efforts is its Innovation Hub, a co-working space offering work and laboratory space and access to office resources in the short term, rather than long-term, expensive business leases. Earlier in 2023, the Hub launched its inaugural Clean Green Challenge, a pitch contest for entrepreneurs and startups from across the region focused on sustainability. A UMass Lowell research team placed third out of five teams with a plan to develop technology that will help recycle battery materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt more efficiently.

Assoc. Prof. of Management Scott Latham, who emceed the event, said, “You hear a lot about artificial intelligence, but by 2025, climate technology investments by corporations will be between $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion, while AI will be only $1 trillion. You can’t overstate how important this cluster is going to be for the commonwealth, and we’re playing a big role here at UMass Lowell.”

Assoc. Vice Chancellor Arlene Parquette added, “We’ve always had a thriving community of startup companies and innovators, but we’re really pivoting now and focusing our efforts on sustainability.”

NERC looks forward to fruitful collaborations with UMass Lowell, not only in its pivot to a sustainability focus at the Hub, but in the further development of sustainability-focused programs throughout the campus and beyond.

 

Viably

Formerly known as Komptech Americas and recently rebranded as Viably, the Colorado-based company’s President describes the rationale for the name change in these terms:

“For over a decade, Komptech Americas has been a leading supplier of industrial waste and recycling equipment,” Brandon Lapsys explains. “And while you can count on our team to continue as the master distributor of Komptech technologies across North America, we’re expanding our capabilities, partnerships, and equipment lineup under the new brand name of Viably.

“We chose the name Viably because that’s how we approach everything we do. From parts and service to rental and pre-owned machine sales, there’s a lot we can do to help you increase efficiency, drive throughput, and produce the highest quality end products.”

NERC’s new Advisory Member anticipates a dramatic increase in its capabilities for distributing waste and recycling equipment, as Lapsys points out:

  • We will soon introduce the new Komptech Lacero high-speed grinder, engineered for tough wood and green waste applications.
  • We fully support Stationary Plant System integration, from design through installation and after sales support.
  • Viably is a distributor of the full line of Turbo Separator food waste depackagers manufactured by Scott Equipment Company. These industry-proven systems separate up to 99% of organics from institutional and consumer packaging.
  • We also distribute GypStream drywall recycling systems from Scott Equipment Company, which separates 99% pure gypsum from drywall paper backing.
  • Viably is the North American Master Distributor of Harp Renewables Waterless Biodigesters, a range of aerobic recycling systems that reduce food waste volume by an average of 70% in 24 hours, producing a nutrient-rich, premium output that can be used as a soil enhancer, biomass fuel, or anaerobic digestion feedstock.

On its website, Viably differentiates among the solutions it offers according to waste stream:

  • Its C&D waste processing solutions enable the diversion of more materials from landfills and transform them into profitable resources and revenue streams with economic and environmental benefits.
  • Its Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) technologies recover value through efficient sizing, screening, and separating materials to maximize production efficiency, lower operation and labor costs, and increase diversion rates.
  • Viably enables its partners to efficiently process green waste, food waste, and other organics to produce quality mulch, compost, and soil amendment products.

“We align cutting-edge waste shredding, windrow turning, screening, separating, depackaging, and biodigestion technologies with your specific production needs,” the company states. “This potent combination ensures that Viably solutions optimize your operational efficiencies and escalate your profitability.”

“Our work is not pretty,” the company continues. “Today, and every day, we tear into the waste of the world in search of more sustainable solutions. Because the path to a healthier planet requires innovation. Right here. Right now.”

For more information about Viably, please visit their website at https://thinkviably.com. Or contact the Viably team directly at hello@thinkviably.com.

NERC is pleased to welcome Viably to its team of Advisory Members. We look forward to collaborations that will improve the performance of waste and recycling technologies.