Black History Month

February 28, 2025

A Time to Learn, Reflect, and Celebrate

Today is the last day of Black History Month. We invite you to join us in recognizing the achievements of Black changemakers who have shaped history through their innovation in and advocacy for environmental justice and sustainability.

We celebrate the stories, legacies, and resilience of Black communities whose ingenuity and activism continues to impact the ongoing journey towards equity and inclusion. Learn about two Black leaders in sustainability, featured below, and click the articles to explore more historical and current Black trailblazers in sustainability.



George Washington Carver made groundbreaking advancements in resource conservation and agricultural productivity by applying natural sciences to soil preservation and sustainable farming practices at the end of the 19th century. (Celebrating Black Environmental Leaders who Paved the Way, Maul Foster).



Marjorie Richard founded Concerned Citizens of Narco in 1989 to address the above average rates of cancer, bacterial infection, and birth defects in her neighborhood due to high gas and oil emissions. She is an award-winning community environmental justice activist who empowers communities to stand up against environmental injustices. (10 Black Leaders in Sustainability You Should Know, Urban Green Lab).

Spotlight Resource

Explore and celebrate Black history through this resource from Google Arts & Culture: Black History and Culture


Get Involved

  • Join NERC's Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, open to State and Advisory Members, to support an inclusive and equitable sustainable materials management (SMM) industry through program and resource development, collaboration, and education. Not sure if your organization is a member? Contact Sophie Leone at sophie@nerc.org.
  • Expand Your Knowledge: Take the time to learn about the impactful figures and events that have defined Black history. Check out the online resources at the National Museum of African American History & Culture.  
  • Support and Elevate Black voices: Celebrate the leadership of Black Changemakers in all industries. 


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By Resource Recycling June 18, 2025
A recent case study from the Northeast Recycling Council offers insights on transitioning packaging materials, gleaned from a regional Coca-Cola bottler that switched from green PET to clear for several of its products. The case study, part of NERC’s Guide to Increasing Recycling Supply , explores the process experienced by Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast. The local bottler sells drinks from Coke, Keurig Dr Pepper, Fairlife milk and others in New England and upstate New York. Coca-Cola North America announced in August 2022 it was switching to clear PET packaging for its Sprite, Fresca and Mello Yello drinks. Like other beverage brands, Coca-Cola sells concentrates and syrups to its nearly 70 bottling partners in North America for manufacture, packaging and distribution, but does not own or operate most local bottling companies, according to its website. The primary objective of the switch was to improve the quality of post-consumer PET bales by reducing color contamination, which in turn would improve bottle recyclability and increase the efficiency of plastic reprocessing, the report said. The company did not publish any formal goals, but the move aimed to help increase supply of PCR suitable for use in food-grade applications, according to NERC. Although the study acknowledges that Coca-Cola’s initiative was voluntary as part of its internal sustainability strategy, the lessons learned can be useful for other companies considering making changes. Read the full article here.
By Waste Today Magazine June 9, 2025
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.
By Waste Advantage Magazine June 2, 2025
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.
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