Bulk Handling Systems (BHS)

Sophie Leone • December 18, 2023

We are pleased to welcome Bulk Handling Systems as a new Sustaining Advisory Member to Northeast Recycling Council

Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, Bulk Handling Systems (BHS) designs, manufactures and installs processing systems that extract recyclables from the waste stream. BHS is a worldwide leader in the innovative design, engineering, manufacturing and installation of sorting systems and components for the solid waste, recycling, waste-to-energy, and construction and demolition industries.


The company’s areas of expertise include the following:

  • Municipal Solid Waste: BHS developed the first Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) recovery system in the U.S. to keep 70% of waste out of the landfill, capturing 90%-99% of high value commodities like PET plastics — on the first pass.
  • Single Stream Recycling: BHS manufactures sorting equipment designed to automatically separate commingled single stream recyclables into valuable commodities.
  • Plastics Recycling: The company’s front-end systems are a vital step in purifying post-consumer recycled PET (rPET) for a variety of uses including bottle-grade flake, pellets, bottle preforms, extruded sheet and thermoform packaging. In addition, these systems recover other recyclables including metals, aluminum & other plastics.
  • Compost and Organics: “Our in-line Tri-Disc screens have successfully refined wood products and green-waste for decades,” the company states. “As our customers dig deeper into the waste stream, we are leading the way with our screening, air separation, anaerobic digestion, and compost solutions.”


Subsidiaries wholly owned by BHS include Nihot (Amsterdam), NRT (Nashville, TN) and Zero Waste Energy (Lafayette, CA). BHS is also the home of Max-AI® technology, a breakthrough artificial intelligence that identifies materials, makes intelligent decisions and directs equipment such as robotic sorters.


“As we look toward the future, we see waste management companies, recyclers, and municipalities around the world facing changing material streams, unprecedented diversion expectations and a new drive toward creating energy from waste,” the company states. “BHS continues to set the pace by developing innovative solutions to these challenges, ensuring our customers will lead the industry now and in the future.”


Regional Sales Manager Todd Rubendall said, “BHS is delighted to become a member of NERC! In addition to enhancing our company presence in the Northeast and exhibiting our full range of capabilities, we are excited to learn from, and collaborate with fellow industry leaders and forward thinkers throughout the region. We look forward to the opportunity to play a key role in achieving the collective aspirations relating to environmental sustainability and a circular economy.”


NERC welcomes BHS to its roster of Sustaining Advisory Members. We look forward to learning more about the company’s efforts to add quantifiable improvements to the recycling process and collaborating to improve the process even more.


For more information about Bulk Handling Systems click here

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Apparel Impact

By Sophie Leone • February 12, 2026
Established in 2015, Apparel Impact has been working within their community to reduce textile waste, fight clothing insecurity, create jobs, and ensure those in the community in need of clothing never go without. This family and veteran owned company is built on the foundation of disruption for good. The Apparel Impact team has been working to make real changes in an industry that has remained the same for many decades. They continuously push for transparency, accountability, and working solutions in the field. Today Apparel Impact works with over 1,800 partners and locations, including schools, towns, nonprofits, national brands, and small businesses across six states. Apparel Impact is also working to bring textile sorting and grading capacity back to the Northeast, while launching upcycling brands aimed at scaling textile reuse across the region. For Apparel Impact, it is all about “changing the way people think about clothing, proving a for-profit company can still put people and communities first, and making sure what we collect helps someone’s life, not a landfill.” Their impact and reach continue to grow every year. “Textile recovery only works at scale. It takes leadership, accountability, and real collaboration across states and sectors. We joined NERC because we believe in building infrastructure that actually changes outcomes, not just talking about it. We’re proud to stand with the NERC and others in the Northeast who are ready to move the industry forward.” NERC is excited to welcome Apparel Impact to our growing group of textile focused members. We look forward to amplifying their voice and helping to expand textile recovery in any way we can. For more information on Apparel Impact visit.

Sensoneo

By Sophie Leone • February 12, 2026
For more than a decade, Sensoneo has been driving innovation across the waste and recycling industry worldwide. Headquartered in Europe and active in more than 80 countries, the company has recently expanded into the United States by opening its Boston office. From the outset, its mission has been clear: to help cities, businesses, and governments address two of the sector’s most pressing challenges—operational efficiency and data transparency. Sensoneo brings proven, large-scale experience, operating nationwide end-to-end IT platforms for deposit return systems (bottle bill programs) in nine countries and supporting Extended Producer Responsibility programs with robust data management, reporting, and compliance tools. Its smart waste solutions power the world’s largest deployment of sensor-based waste-monitoring technology, enabling municipalities and facilities to optimize collection operations. “With the launch of our U.S. subsidiary, we are excited to expand collaboration with organizations advancing sustainable materials management and stronger recycling systems,” said Martin Nestepny, CEO of Sensoneo USA. “As a global technology partner, Sensoneo supports PROs, recyclers, and policymakers with actionable data to enhance program performance, ensure regulatory compliance, and deliver measurable environmental outcomes - priorities that closely align with NERC’s mission.” NERC is pleased to welcome Sensoneo to its growing membership and looks forward to supporting the company’s work to improve performance and drive greater effectiveness across the waste and recycling industry. For more information on Sensoneo visit.

Planet Aid

By Sophie Leone • January 20, 2026
Planet Aid is a nonprofit established in 1997 to divert clothes and shoes from the U.S. waste stream and fundraise for community development programs around the world. With thousands of donation bins and centers across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, Planet Aid’s mission is to inspire positive change by making it easy for donors, partners and communities to take small steps that add up to a big impact. Over three decades, Planet Aid has collected more than two billion pounds of clothes and shoes for reuse. These donations have helped Planet Aid raise more than $100 million to fund community-led projects in the U.S., Africa, Asia, and Latin America. With headquarters just outside Baltimore, MD, Planet Aid serves thousands of communities in 14 states, including New York, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and more. For those without a yellow collection bin or white donation center nearby, they've developed a donation through mail option. By partnering with Give Back Box, you can pack up and mail your donation items directly to their thrift store. This inclusive approach allows them to reach more communities, diverting even more waste that may have gone to a landfill or incinerator. “Planet Aid is excited to join NERC, an organization that shares our goals of minimizing waste, conserving natural resources, and advancing a sustainable economy,” said Uli Stosch, Planet Aid’s Chief Officer of Strategic Development. “We looking forward to collaborating with NERC’s members to help U.S. communities in the Northeast minimize textile waste while maximizing reuse to limit the negative impacts of fast fashion.” NERC is excited to welcome Planet Aid into our growing group of nonprofit members. We look forward to helping share the excellent work they are doing in the NE and around the world. For more information on Planet Aid visit.