NERC Releases New Northeast States Policy Guide to Advance Sustainable Materials Management Across the Region

Mariane Medeiros • August 6, 2026

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) is pleased to announce the release of the 2026 Northeast States Policy Guide, a new regional resource that provides a comprehensive comparison of sustainable materials management policies across eleven Northeast states. 


“The guide serves as an excellent primer for state and industry stakeholders looking to learn about the various policy frameworks enacted across the northeast and how they have been applied.” said NERC President, Michael Nork, Environmental Analyst, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.


Developed through a standardized survey of state government agencies, the guide serves as a practical reference for policymakers, municipal leaders, industry professionals, and researchers seeking to navigate and compare policies related to waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and circular economy initiatives. The publication includes both regional policy analyses and detailed state profiles covering product bans, product stewardship (including Extended Producer Responsibility), minimum post-consumer recycled content requirements, mandatory recycling laws, and disposal bans. 


“This resource provides high level insight into materials of interest that the Northeast has focused on managing for decades. For a regulatory agency, specific resources that provide clear examples of replicable or considerable policy and management strategies are useful tools--having them in one place is even more valuable.” said Shannon McDonald, Waste Diversion Division, Director at Maryland Department of the Environment.


Key Findings 

The guide aggregates state-level data across Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont to highlight core regional policy trends: 

  • Regional Policy Prevalence: Regulatory frameworks are widely established across the region, with 10 of 11 states using product stewardship programs, 10 enforcing disposal bans, and 9 maintaining mandatory recycling laws. 
  • Broadest State Coverage: Maine and Vermont regulate the widest variety of items in the region, 20 and 21, respectively, distinct material categories through state policies, followed closely by New Jersey at 19 categories. 
  • Top Regulated Materials: Electronics are the most widely addressed material (regulated by 10 states), followed by mercury thermostats (9 states), tires (8 states), followed by paint, rechargeable batteries, beverage containers, fluorescent lighting, lead-acid batteries, mercury-added products and yard waste (7 states). 
  • Funding & Mechanism Structures: Among the region’s product stewardship programs, 47% are producer-funded, 15% rely on consumer point-of-sale eco-fees, 5% combine producer and consumer fees, and 33% utilize alternative measures such as labeling, recyclability standards, or disclosure requirements. 
  • Regulatory Gaps & Emerging Opportunities: Significant policy gaps exist in rapidly growing clean-energy waste streams. Currently, only 1 state addresses electric vehicle (EV) batteries, and zero states have statewide policy programs for solar panels. 


Unfilled coverage areas present distinct opportunities for cross-state collaboration, policy alignment, and regional innovation. By presenting data in a standardized format for each state, the guide enables stakeholders to easily compare regional policy approaches, identify coverage gaps, and adapt proven regulatory models. 


"By standardizing how we measure product stewardship, PCR mandates, and disposal bans across all eleven states, this guide allows state leaders to quickly identify where their policies align with neighbors and where transferrable models already exist," said Mariane Medeiros, Director of Strategic Engagement and Sustainability Programs at NERC. "With 10 of 11 states enforcing stewardship programs and disposal bans, the region has proven its ability to manage complex products. The next frontier is applying that same collaborative momentum to rapidly growing clean-energy waste streams like solar panels and EV batteries."  


Alyssa Eiklor, Board Member and Environmental Analyst at Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, cited: “The NERC Policy Guide provides a valuable comparison of the similarities and differences in how northeastern states use policies as a tool for waste management. It also serves as a convenient short cut for linking directly to the policies.” 

 

The full 2026 Northeast States Policy Guide is available for download at: https://www.nerc.org/state-policy-guide 


About NERC 

The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC) is a multi-state nonprofit organization committed to minimizing waste, conserving natural resources, and advancing a sustainable economy through collaboration and action. NERC's eleven member states and advisory members work together to address sustainable materials management challenges and promote solutions across the Northeast region. 

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Connecticut Tire Stewardship

By Sophie Leone • July 28, 2026
Connecticut Tire Stewardship (CTS) is the nonprofit organization responsible for implementing Connecticut's Tire Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program. Working with municipal transfer stations, tire retailers, auto shops, car dealerships, and other collection partners, CTS helps ensure discarded tires are responsibly collected, recycled, and put to beneficial new uses. Approximately 3.5 million tires reach the end of their useful life in Connecticut each year. Through its statewide Roll Recycle Renew program, CTS provides residents with free tire recycling opportunities while giving municipalities a practical solution for managing scrap tires. By making responsible disposal more accessible, the program helps reduce illegal dumping, protect waterways and natural resources, and keep tires out of landfills. "Connecticut Tire Stewardship is pleased to join NERC and become part of a network of organizations working to advance sustainable materials management across the Northeast. We look forward to sharing ideas, learning from our peers, and expanding responsible tire recycling opportunities throughout Connecticut," said Jesse Schofield, Executive Director of Connecticut Tire Stewardship. NERC is excited to welcome Connecticut Tire Stewardship and support its mission as a Tire Stewardship Organization implementing Extended Producer Responsibility for tires and working toward a more sustainable circular economy. For more information on Connecticut Tire Stewardship visit.

EBC Welcomes New Member: Northeast Recycling Council (NERC)

By Environmental Business Council of New England • July 23, 2026
Please join the Environmental Business Council of New England (EBC) in welcoming Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) as a new member of the organization. “NERC is a non-profit organization that conducts research, hands-on projects, training, and outreach on issues associated with source reduction, recycling, composting, environ­mentally preferable purchasing, and decreasing the toxicity of the solid waste stream. Eleven states united for environmentally sustainable materials management. We provide webinars, conferences, networking, blogs, and regional collaboration to drive the recycling economy. Special programs include: Government Recycling Demand Champions, State Electronics Challenge, Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse, and the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse. “ EBC members include businesses and nonprofits specializing in environmental and energy technology, services, and products. They range from one-person entrepreneurial ventures and nonprofit organizations to established corporations with thousands of employees. Explore the EBC Member Directory for a complete listing of member organizations. To learn more about Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) including their discipline and services provided, please follow the link . Read on EBCNE .

US thrift boom could keep more textiles from landfills as Gen Z drives resale

By James Nanzo | The Cool Down • July 16, 2026
Americans looking to stretch their budgets are increasingly turning to thrift stores, and that shift could pay off in ways that go beyond cheaper fashion, as Retail Dive detailed . Growing interest in resale could also cut textile waste by keeping clothing in use longer before it ends up in the trash. What's happening? At a Northeast Recycling Council webinar, panelists described thrift stores as an important checkpoint before clothing becomes waste, according to Retail Dive. As secondhand shopping becomes more common, more garments have a chance to be reused, resold, repaired, or otherwise redirected instead of being thrown away. Giana Manganaro Cronin, associate director of retail for More Than Words, said high prices, tariff worries, and broader economic uncertainty have made more consumers willing to thrift, as Retail Dive reported. Young consumers are a big part of that momentum. Cronin said roughly 64% of Gen Z shoppers check resale avenues before purchasing something new, according to Retail Dive. Meanwhile, Uli Stosch, chief officer of strategic development for Planet Aid, pointed to a ThredUp report cited by Retail Dive that estimated 14% growth in the U.S. secondhand apparel market in 2024 and a rise to $74 billion by 2029. Why does it matter? For budget-conscious households, secondhand shopping can mean major savings on basics such as jeans, jackets, and kids clothes along with the chance to find rare or high-value items at steep discounts. A big challenge with textile waste is that clothing is hard to sort and recycle. Katarina Goodge, a materials research engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, said recyclers often do not have the details they need to handle garments correctly, per Retail Dive. "We need to know the fiber content to know how to recycle that garment," Goodge explained at the summit, according to the outlet. The reach of secondhand clothing goes well beyond local thrift racks. Retail Dive reported that more than 1.5 billion people globally depend on secondhand clothing, and that a study from Full Cycle Resource revealed Guatemala imported 290 million pounds in 2023, reusing more than 91% of it. Even so, Stosch said many stores sell only about 10-50% of what they receive, with some of the remainder compressed for export under the "mixed rags" label, according to Retail Dive. Keeping clothes in circulation longer can reduce strain on landfills and lower demand for resource-intensive new production. Still, the clothes that don't make it aren't easy to deal with. Stosch said workers in countries such as Pakistan and Malaysia often sort clothing by hand, according to Retail Dive. What's being done? Possible solutions are coming from both researchers and policymakers. Goodge said that handheld near-infrared tools used with artificial intelligence or machine learning could speed up fiber identification, which may eventually make textile recycling more practical at scale, per Retail Dive. States are also stepping in, Retail Dive noted. In Massachusetts, textile disposal bans have already drawn more attention to clothing that cannot be resold. Stosch said receiving clean but slightly damaged clothing is workable for thrift stores, according to Retail Dive. The outlet reported that California is putting its textile extended producer responsibility law into effect, a move expected to expand donation, repair, and recycling options. Goodge concluded that repair has "huge potential" to cut into the problem, as Retail Dive reported . Read article on yahoolife.