Ywiss & Tiio, the SRMT environmental cartoon characters explain how back in the day people would rely on reusing items, making items last through the times. 2022 wasn’t the exception, and we started the STOP & SWAP event where people donated unwanted used items and others took what they found valuable for free. Mostly books, lamps, and clothing. use the image for decorative purposes.
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe on Repair and Reuse
July 6, 2023
Last year in Akwesasne, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Solid Waste Program diverted 1176.4 lbs. of reused items from the trash during reuse/fix events. The most reused item was clothing. The most commonly repaired item was lamps. We recognize the SRMT community made this reuse event a reality. People in Tribal lands are familiar with the reuse concept.
Another 2022 outcome was the very first FIX-IT CAFÉ. People brought broken items so the repair coaches could fix them for free. A few lamps were fixed and they also did small soldering repairs. Thanks to Les Benedict the 2nd from the Akwesasne community for starting the repairs. We admit to being inspired after attending the 2022 NYSAR3 Reuse Summit.
This year we are continuing the second STOP & SWAP and FIX-IT CAFÉ one-day event. Local Akwesasne volunteers will repair clothing & household items. A bicycle shop from out of town will repair bikes. Syracuse University Center for Sustainable Community Solutions is joining to explain furniture repairs and will do outreach & education. The support from other institutions and towns is valued. The SRMT MSW Program was the first to organize a reuse/repair event here in the North Country of NY. We want to let small towns know that they can do it as well.
The SRMT Recycling and Waste Reduction Handbook reminds people to only buy what they need. Shopping smart and greener by investing in durable & reusable products. How to take proper care of shoes and clothing and repair them to extend use. For us, it’s about the well-being of the land and community.
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The Brattleboro, Vermont-based Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) has adopted a policy position on chemical recycling that was developed by a subcommittee of its Chemical Recycling Committee. NERC, whose members are drawn from 11 northeastern states, says the purpose of the policy statement is to articulate guiding principles for environmentally responsible chemical recycling of plastics, which it notes also is referred to as molecular or advanced recycling. NERC's Chemical Recycling Committee was established to better understand these processes and their environmental impacts to make informed policy decisions. In line with its mission of moving toward a more circular and sustainable economy, NERC says mechanical recycling currently is the preferred method of plastic waste processing, as it creates fewer environmental impacts than other currently available chemical recycling processes. View the full article here.
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) published its Chemical Recycling Policy Position on May 30, 2025. The purpose of the policy statement is to articulate guiding principles for environmentally responsible chemical recycling of plastics. NERC supports the conservation of natural resources, waste minimization, and recognizes the role of recycling in reaching these goals. Plastic is a prevalent material for packaging and other products due to its material properties. Producing virgin plastic from fossil fuels is an extractive process with negative environmental and social impacts. Therefore, NERC supports reduction, reuse, and recycling processes that displace virgin production in plastics where environmentally preferable. You can view the policy statement here: https://www.nerc.org/chemical-recycling . View the full article here.
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) published its Chemical Recycling Policy Position on May 30, 2025. The purpose of the policy statement is to articulate guiding principles for environmentally responsible chemical recycling of plastics. NERC supports the conservation of natural resources, waste minimization, and recognizes the role of recycling in reaching these goals. Plastic is a prevalent material for packaging and other products due to its material properties. Producing virgin plastic from fossil fuels is an extractive process with negative environmental and social impacts. Therefore, NERC supports reduction, reuse, and recycling processes that displace virgin production in plastics where environmentally preferable. You can view the policy statement here: https://www.nerc.org/chemical-recycling . The Policy Position was developed by the Subcommittee of the NERC Chemical Recycling Committee. Participants on the Subcommittee included Committee Chair Tom Metzner, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP); Claudine Ellyin, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP); John Fay, Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA); Anthony Fontana, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Retired ; Michael Fowler, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP); Timothy Kerr, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Left MDE ; Shannon McDonald, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE); Chaz Miller, Ex-Officio, NERC Board; Elizabeth Moore, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP); Marc Moran, Pennsylvania Department Of Environmental Protection; Michael Nork, New Hampshire Department Of Environmental Services; Megan Schulz-Fontes, Northeast Recycling Council (NERC); and Richard Watson, Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA). NERC created the Chemical Recycling Committee in 2022 with the goal of sharing information on new technologies called “chemical recycling.” The Committee shares information on the efficacy, cost, and impacts of these new technologies. Our Policy is the result of those efforts. The Committee is open to NERC state members and several advisory member organizations whose participation has been approved by the state members serving on the committee. NERC has published several other policy positions including the Post-Consumer Recycled Content Policy (2019) and Product Stewardship and Producer Responsibility Policy (2018), which can be found among others on NERC’s website: https://www.nerc.org/policy-positions-and-statements . For more information, contact Megan Schulz-Fontes, Executive Director, at megan@nerc.org .
