NERC's 2023 Fall Conference - A Resourceful Future for Sustainable Materials Management

September 12, 2023

The Northeast Recycling Council’s (NERC) 2023 Fall Conference—A Resourceful Future for Sustainable Materials Management—offers attendees a multitude of opportunities for engaging in critical discussions with colleagues and promote circular economy practices while hearing from noteworthy speakers, panelists, and exhibiters. The Conference topics include Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Recycling Market Development, Recycling Media Literacy, Recycling and Composting in Environmental Justice (EJ) Communities, and Policies to Support Organics Programs. The one-and-a-half-day Conference will be held in-person on November 1-2 at the Hotel Providence in Providence, Rhode Island. 

Brett Smiley, Mayor of Providence will kick off the Conference with welcoming remarks and the keynote address, Incentives for Eco-design in Extended Producer Responsibility Programs, will be given by Reid Lifset, a Research Scholar and Resident Fellow in Industrial Ecology from Yale University. Following the opening remarks, four presenters will provide updates on existing packaging EPR laws in four states: Darla Arians, EPR Program Lead at Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; Jessica Nadeau, Environmental Specialist at Maine Department of Environmental Protection; Karen Kayfetz, Branch Chief, Product Stewardship Branch, of CalRecycle; and Rachel Perlman, a Consultant at Resource Recycling Systems. The following session will discuss EPR for Hard to Recycle Materials, specifically focusing on used electronics, batteries, and household hazardous waste. Naomi Manahan, a Senior Operations Program Manager from Reverse Logistics Group, will cover Illinois & South Carolina's Electronic Stewardship Legislation, and staff from the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment will detail DC's Battery Producer Responsibility Law. Wrapping up the EPR discussion, Josh Kelly, Solid Waste Program Manager at Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources, will describe the Household Hazardous Waste EPR Program. 

The second half of the day will feature three presenters on the New Approaches to Recycling Market Development session. Kate Walker, Executive Director of SUNY Center for Sustainable Materials Management, will speak about Partnerships for Zero Waste Projects in New York State. Sean Sylver, Recycle Planner at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, will speak about using a Diverse Stakeholder Recycling Market Development Workgroup for State Planning. Ross Bergman, GreenBlue Institute's Director of Recycled Material Standard, will present on Attributes of Recycled Content Certificates for New Revenue Streams and More Resilient Markets. 

Concluding the first day will be a four-person panel on Media Literacy as It Pertains to Recycling. Gretchen Carey, Sustainability Manager of New England Region, Republic Services, and President of Mass Recycle, will lead a discussion on Creating and Sharing the Story. Dan Green, CEO of Helpsy, will speak about Increasing Awareness and Dispelling Myths About Textile Recycling. A Communication Strategies and Key Messaging discussion will be offered by Oregon Metro’s Program Manager, Jill Hrycyk. Finally, JoAnn Gemenden, Executive Director of New Jersey Clean Communities, will lead a conversation on using a Digital Platform for Increasing Recycling Rates.   

Day Two will begin with a presentation on Scaling New Recycling & Composting Programs in Environmental Justice Communities by Chris Gaynor, Climate Justice Specialist with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management; and Amelia Rose, the Executive Director of Groundwork Rhode Island. The final topic, Policies and Regulations to Encourage Organics Programs, will be discussed by a panel of professionals. The Center for Ecotechnology’s Heather Billings will focus on Assessing Food Waste Policies. The topic of Pivoting Organics Diversion Messaging to a Rodent Control Measure will be covered by Michael Orr, Recycling Director of the City of Cambridge Massachusetts Department of Public Works. The third panelist, Shannon McDonald, Natural Resource Planner at Maryland Department of the Environment will cover Creating Sustainable and Equitable Programs. 

The Conference Agenda provides greater details about the sessions and schedule.

At the Conference, NERC will also premiere the Emerging Professionals Program, designed to foster the growth and development of new talent in the field of sustainable materials management. The Program gives organizations the opportunity to sponsor their newest employees or interns to attend the conference at a reduced rate, network with colleagues, and hear from and make connections with industry experts and seasoned professionals. 

We would like to thank the Conference sponsors. They include Recycle Coach, Networking Reception sponsor; The Association of Plastic Recyclers and Republic Services, Silver Sponsors; and Carton Council, the Environmental Research & Education Foundation, and PaintCare, Bronze Sponsors. Finally, our Supporting Sponsors are American Recycler, Recycling Today, Resource Recycling, and WasteAdvantage magazine. 

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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.