2026 Annual Report
JULY 1, 2025 - JUNE 30, 2026
Eleven states united in a mission to minimize waste, conserve natural resources, and advance a sustainable economy through facilitated collaboration and action.
Table of Contents
This past year showcased the true power of regional collaboration. From setting attendance records at our Rethink Resource Use Conference to launching groundbreaking workforce and policy initiatives with regional partners, NERC continues to sharpen its focus on actionable solutions. I am deeply proud of our board, staff, and state members for driving measurable progress across the Northeast and laying the groundwork for a truly resilient, circular economy.
Michael Nork
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
NERC President
Our Impact
92%
of survey participants reported
webinars and forums to be valuable
Over 1900 unique individuals participating across 15 educational webinars and forums
114
individuals participated on NERC Committees, 71 on two or more
representing 54 state and advisory member organizations
98%
of RRU Conference attendees reported
all sessions to be valuable
100% reported the Conference to be very informative and engaging
Mobilizing Regional Action for a Circular Economy
Reflecting on Progress, Building the Future
Dear NERC Members, Partners, and Friends,
The NERC community accomplished an extraordinary amount together this past year. From launching innovative resources to expanding foundational programs, our goal remains steadfast: to provide tangible value for anyone seeking to learn, collaborate, and innovate. While our core ecosystem is anchored by our dedicated members and partners, our collective impact regularly reaches far beyond regional borders.
In FY2026, NERC more than doubled the number of individuals participating in our webinars and industry forums, all while maintaining the high satisfaction ratings our community expects. Crucially, our network’s strength is powered by active engagement: 114 individuals served across our focused committees and workgroups, representing 54 state and advisory member organizations—with over half contributing to more than one committee.
Our momentum was on full display at the 2025 Rethink Resource Use Conference in Boston, MA. It was a record-setting success with 200 attendees, 98% of whom reported the conference as highly valuable. Furthermore, in partnership with Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) and Resource Recycling, we launched two professional development courses. Across five offerings, 89 industry professionals participated—and 96% noted they would recommend the course to colleagues. These courses provide vital content, actionable local insights, and interactive discussions that directly support professionals in their day-to-day roles.
Our research and published resources this year provided critical insights into state policy alignment and regional circular supply chains:
- Northeast Policy Guide: Provides a standardized, 11-state comparison of SMM policies—from EPR and PCR mandates to disposal bans—helping state leaders adopt proven regulatory models and address emerging clean-energy waste streams like solar panels and EV batteries.
- Flow of Glass Report: Maps consumer glass generation, collection, and end markets across the region, serving as a practical roadmap to eliminate processing redundancies and supply high-quality cullet for packaging, fiberglass, and low-carbon construction.
- Post-Consumer Demand Hub: Centralizes procurement tools and APR guidance to help public and private buyers navigate domestic PCR markets for paper, plastics, and aluminum, backed by life-cycle data, EPP specifications, and our EPPnet network.
- Northeast Sustainable Materials Career Program: A pilot workforce initiative with the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) and six university partners (including MIT, Yale, and UMass Lowell) offering college students free foundational training, facility tours, and pathways into circular economy careers.
NERC’s ultimate strength lies in its core infrastructure—fleshed out by our eleven state representatives committed to collaboration and innovation to conserve natural resources, minimize waste, and advance a sustainable economy. Powered by a diverse and dynamic team that regularly collaborates beyond the Northeast, we ensure fresh insights and best practices enrich all of our collective work.
Thank you for your partnership, your passion, and your continued commitment to transforming the circular economy across our region.
Warmly,
Megan Schulz-Fontes
Executive Director, Northeast Recycling Council
Overview
NERC believes in a world in which waste is minimized and natural resources are conserved. NERC works directly with state, regional, and local agencies, the private sector, trade associations, and others to help address sustainability challenges and achieve environmental goals for the Northeast region of the U.S. NERC accomplishes this by fostering a platform for collaboration across states and industry sectors and producing educational programs and resources to support advancing sustainable materials management programs and operations.
state and advisory member collaborations & COmmittees
rethink resource use annual conference
Programs and Resources
Educational Webinars and Forums
NERC held 15 webinars and forums with over 1900 unique attendees. Of the attendees, over 850 participated in multiple events. Additionally, an estimated 826 individuals visited our
webinar and
material
reuse forum libraries, where recordings and presentations are accessible. Across all survey respondents, 92% reported events to be valuable.
Professional Development Courses
During FY26, we hosted five training courses: three cohorts of Foundations of Sustainable Materials and Recycling and two cohorts of Sustainable Materials and Recycling Policy, featuring two distinct expert instructors per course. These courses were developed in partnership with Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) and Resource Recycling. Explore courses.
Engagement
89 unique professionals participated, with 9 completing both courses.
Participant Satisfaction
96% of survey respondents would recommend the courses to others, and 90% agreed or strongly agreed that the material directly supports their professional roles.
Key Takeaways
Attendees highlighted instructor expertise, rich content, interactive discussions, and valuable peer networking as the primary highlights.
“The most valuable part of this course was getting to hear what people from different organizations experience in both their lives and in their organization. Getting to hear my peers' experiences spreads education and gives me ideas on how to improve my states initiatives.”
-May 2026 Foundations Course Attendee
“I enjoyed this course and highly recommend it to anyone interested in recycling policy. Thank you to Garth for sharing your wealth of knowledge and challenging the class with insightful questions along the way to keep our wheels turning. I came away with a deeper understanding of how recycling policy has evolved, why it looks the way it does today, and new ideas for the future”
-May 2026 Policy Course Attendee.
Northeast Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) Commodity Values Reports
Four quarterly Northeast MRF Commodity Values Reports were released to map fluctuations in the value of commodities processed by the region’s MRFs: Q2 2025, Q3 2025, Q4 2025 and Q1 2026.
Participating MRFs participating span all eleven NERC states and Virginia.
The educational tool is valuable for promoting improved residential recycling and participation and provides useful data for recyclers, MRFs, municipalities, and state agencies.
Northeast Policy Guide
The Northeast States Policy Guide serves as a comprehensive reference for understanding the current landscape of solid waste and recycling-related policies across eleven Northeast states. Its purpose is to provide state agencies, policymakers, municipal staff, industry partners, nonprofits, and other stakeholders with a clear and consistent overview of each state’s regulatory framework, program structure, and policy priorities related to waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and circular economy initiatives.
Northeast Flow of Glass Report
To better understand regional glass flows, NERC’s Glass Committee developed the Northeast Flow of Glass Report, which examines the tonnage of consumer glass container sales, as well as the quantity of containers recycled and processed into new products by manufacturers.
Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) Material Demand Hub
The PCR Material Demand Hub highlights programs and resources that organizations can leverage through their purchasing power to strengthen domestic markets for recyclable materials. By prioritizing post-consumer recycled content, participants can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with virgin material production and manufacturing, while also decreasing pollution and material waste.
Northeast Sustainable Materials Career Program
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) Sustainable Materials Career Program (SMCP) introduces college students to career pathways in sustainable materials management (SMM) and recycling, a rapidly growing field that plays a key role in climate action and the circular economy. Through career exploration events and professional development opportunities, students gain industry exposure, build foundational knowledge, and develop a clearer path from the classroom to a career. This program is supported by Program Partner, Recycled Materials Association (ReMA).
Rethink Resource Use Conference 2025
“As an emerging professional in this field, it is very valuable to hear about the paths that other states and organizations have taken. I have a newfound sense of the role that public-private partnerships plays and I met some very well networked people, and it was a major contribution to meet so many experts from across the region.”
-2025 Conference Attendee
NERC's 2025 Rethink Resource Use Conference took place October 6-8 in Boston, Massachusetts, bringing together 198 attendees from across the U.S. and internationally.
Of survey participants, 98% reported valuable sessions, and 100% reported the event was engaging and informative.
This year’s program featured keynote speaker David Allaway, Senior policy Analyst at Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Over two and a half days, participants engaged with expert speakers covering a wide range of topics, including extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, life sciences, MRF operations, food waste, and more.
You can view Conference presentations, speaker biographies, the attendee list, and photo albums here.
State and Advisory Membership
NERC is an eleven state member organization. In addition to our state members, we have nearly 100 advisory member organizations that represent recycling organizations, collectors and haulers, material recovery facilities, processors, brand owners, industry trade associations, and much more. You can view a complete member directory.
All members are eligible to participate on committees, receive discounts to courses and the annual Rethink Resource Use Conference, access exclusive monthly regional recycling market updates produced by Chaz Miller, Ex Officio Director, NERC, and much more.
Committees and work groups foster valuable connections, ideas, and resource development. The work accomplished during FY2026 is described below. Committee members included 114 individuals representing 54 organizations, 71 of which participate on two or more committees.
Environmental Leadership Awards
NERC recognizes leaders in environmental sustainability every year. In its ninth awards ceremony in fall 2025, NERC honored five organizations for their dedication to NERC’s mission and outstanding leadership in our industry. Visit awardee page.
Outstanding Leader: Paige A. Wilson
Paige started to discover her career path during her master’s research at Plymouth State University, where she studied food waste composting regulations in northern New England. During that same time, she worked as a Solid Waste Planner at the Lakes Region Planning Commission, where she continued to unearth her passion for sustainability, waste reduction and diversion, grassroots work, and municipal solid waste management.
Outstanding Innovator: Dr. Isabella Angelelli
A pediatrician at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Dr. Angelelli is a national leader in sustainable healthcare. She co-founded Clinicians for Climate Action at UPMC, a grassroots network of over 500 clinicians committed to integrating sustainability into clinical practice.
Outstanding Organization: Boston Children’s Hospital
The BCH Green Labs program has emerged as a leader in recycling and waste diversion, thanks to the dedication and ingenuity of its members. Through initiatives such as the lab plastics recycling program, a “second life” reuse effort for research ice packs, and an internal E-Waste swap shop, the program is reshaping how labs think about sustainability.
Outstanding Community: City of Medford, Massachusetts
Through a multi-year collaborative process that began with a Mayor-appointed citizen Solid Waste Task Force and engaged elected officials, residents, businesses, service providers, non-profit organizations, and a reputable university, the City of Medford redesigned—and is now implementing—a municipal collection system that is reducing waste in support of its climate, community, and environmental goals.
Outstanding Program: NH Recycles
NH Recycles is the nation's oldest and largest cooperative-model recycling nonprofit, partnering with communities to strengthen recycling through economic and environmentally sound solutions. They provide cooperative marketing, education, and technical assistance to their municipal members.
Financials
JULY 1, 2025 - JUNE 30, 2026
Expenses
The majority of NERC funds are spent on programming, which includes planning and execution of webinars and forums, resource development, outreach, state and advisory member services, and support for members and non-members.
Revenues
State and advisory member dues make up more than half of NERC’s revenue. Remaining funds to support NERC programs and operations are derived from event registration and sponsorships, as well as contract services and other sources such as interest on financial assets or reimbursed expenses.
Board of Directors
NERC's Board is comprised of a state agency representative from each of the 11 states NERC represents. Our Ex-Officio board members are non-voting members who provide expert council to NERC.
Executive Committee
- President: Michael Nork, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
- Vice President: Jeff Bednar, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Treasurer: Richard Watson, Delaware Solid Waste Authority
Ex-Officio (Non-Voting)
- Resa Dimino, Resource Recycling Systems
- Chip Foley, Consultant
- Jennifer Heaton-Jones, Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority
- Chaz Miller, Maryland Recycling Network
Directors
- Chris Nelson, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
- Brian Beneski, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
- Bradley Baker, Maryland Department of the Environment
- John Fischer, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
- Erin Jensen, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Jared Rhodes, Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation
- Alyssa Eiklor, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Megan
Schulz-Fontes
Executive Director
Mariane
Medeiros
Director, Strategic Engagement & Sustainability Programs
Sophie
Leone
Senior Manager, Learning and Development
Daniel
Addoquaye
Policy Research and Communications Intern
Advisory Members
Our members make up a large, diverse community that believes in a world in which waste is minimized and natural resources are conserved. Members are key to shaping NERC’s events and priorities for discussion, training, and projects. Visit our Member Directory.
Committee and Workgroup Representation
NERC State and Advisory Members Represented on NERC's Committees
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