
ProjectsCurrentSimplifying Environmentally Preferable Purchasing by Public Sector Agencies Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC) EPPnet (Environmentally Preferable Purchasing) Listserv Marketing On-Farm Compost for Sustainability & Economic Viability Rural and Small Town Organics Management Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse Simplifying Environmentally Preferable Purchasing by Public Sector Agencies NERC has received funding from the Roy A. Hunt Foundation to develop model environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) specifications for three common products that purchasers find challenging to buy “in green.” The project also includes forming a working group of EPP experts to develop the model specifications, and promoting the specifications and EPP. For more information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director & Project Manager. Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC) The Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC) was launched in 2010 by the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER) and the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC). The ERCC is a forum for coordination and information exchange among the state/local agencies that are implementing electronics recycling laws and all impacted stakeholders. Both government and non-government entities are invited to join. For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein, NERC Executive Director, or visitERCC. EPPnet (Environmentally Preferable Purchasing) Listserv EPPnet is a listserv that NERC offers that links federal, state, and local environmental officials, and private procurement specialists charged with purchasing green products and services and developing policies for the procurement of these products. EPPnet is intended to provide subscribers with quick access to information, such as: availability of product specifications, vendors of particular products, pricing information, and strategies to achieve recycled product procurement goals and federal procurement policies. Please note: Private vendors are precluded from joining the listserv. EPPnet is a Yahoo! Group, and membership must be approved. To join the listserv go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPPnet/ and click on “Join this Group!” You will be required to log into a Yahoo! Account. If you do not have one, you can set one up at that time, or sign in with Facebook or Google. You will be taken to a join form. In the “Comment to Owner” box, please be sure to describe your interest in EPPnet and your role in your organization. Your application must be approved by the NERC moderator. Once you are approved, you will receive a welcome message from Yahoo! Groups with detailed instructions on how to use the listserv. An alternative way of joining is to email Athena Lee Bradley, letting her know of your interest in EPPnet, and your role in your organization. If you have any questions about EPPnet or the application process, please contact Lynn Rubinstein. Marketing On-Farm Compost for Sustainability & Economic Viability Through a 4-year grant from the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program, NERC is providing technical assistance and support to farmers to enhance the marketing of compost in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. NERC and project team members are providing the tools to help farmers:
A number of resources have been developed and posted on NERC’sCompost Marketing web page. Resources include:
For additional information contact Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager. Rural and Small Town Organics Management NERC received a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Services Solid Waste Management Grant to work with rural and small towns and solid waste districts in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont to implement best management practices for organics and disaster debris. Through the project NERC will:
For more information contact Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager. Introduction to the Reuse Marketplace Webinar Recording The Reuse Marketplace is a free multi-state materials exchange to find, sell, trade, or give away reusable and surplus items that would otherwise be disposed as trash. Businesses, institutions, governments, and non-profit organizations in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont are eligible to become members and can then post listings of available items. Members may also post detailed wanted listings, specifying the type(s) of items they need. Anyone can browse and access the posted items. The Reuse Marketplace replaced the individual state business materials exchanges in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont; and added three additional states (Delaware, New Jersey, and New York) to allow for material flow across state borders. The Marketplace includes more than 30 categories of items ranging from agricultural to textiles, as well as more than 60 subcategories. The site is intended to help members find new homes for their unwanted items, reduce trash and save money on trash disposal, and reduce their carbon footprint. The Reuse Marketplace is supported by states and private businesses, and is administered by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. Reuse Marketplace Sponsors For additional information, contact Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director and Project Manager. The State Electronics Challenge (SEC) is a free program that encourages state, regional, tribal, and local governments, including schools and other public entities, to demonstrate environmental sustainability and reduce costs by “greening” the management of their office equipment. Partners are state and local government agencies, tribal governments, any school, college or university, and other public entities that sign up to participate in the program. Currently, the SEC has 105 Partners in 36 states representing more than 148,000 employees. For a list of current Partners, see the website. Partners reap many benefits:
How does the program work? The SEC provides strategies, tools and support that assist Partners in:
To support Partner efforts, the State Electronics Challenge provides:
Visit the website at www.StateElectronicsChallenge.net for more information. A fact sheet is available here. Support for the State Electronics Challenge is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and sponsorship by Samsung Electronics, Panasonic, the ISRI R2/RIOS program, and the Consumer Electronics Association. Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse NERC provides administration and staff support to the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH). TPCH was formed by the Source Reduction Council of CONEG in 1992 to promote the Model Toxics in Packaging Legislation. The Model Legislation was developed in an effort to reduce the amount of heavy metals in packaging and packaging components that are sold or distributed throughout the United States. Specifically, the Model Legislation was designed to phase out the use and presence of mercury, lead, cadmium and hexavalent chromium in packaging in states that enact the legislation. To date, 19 U.S. states have adopted the Model Legislation. Nine of these states are members of the TPCH, including: California, Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington. For more information, contact Patricia Dillon. |
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