NERC announces Environmental Sustainability Leadership Awards winners

The Brattleboro, Vermont-based Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) has announced winners of its inaugural Environmental Sustainability Leadership Awards at its 30^th Anniversary Celebration Nov. 13, 2017, in Amherst, Massachusetts.

NERC says award recipients’ work is consistent with the organization’s mission to promote sustainable materials management by “supporting traditional and innovative solid waste best practices, focusing on waste prevention, toxics reduction, reuse, recycling and organics recovery.”

“The quality of the nominees and the importance of the work they have accomplished is remarkable,” says NERC Board President Robert Isner, who also serves as the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s director for the Waste Engineering and Enforcement Division.

Several awards were presented under the Environmental Sustainability Leadership Awards.

The Involvement in NERC Award recognizes a person who has made a substantial contribution to furthering NERC’s mission. George MacDonald of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection earned this award.

Having served for 22 years, MacDonald was one of the longest-serving NERC board members.

NERC Vice President Rick Watson of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority says, “During his tenure, George demonstrated a true commitment to the organization. He was an inspiration to NERC staff and many others around the region, not only for his dedication to NERC, but also as a leader in advancing materials management.” 

The Greatest Impact from Collaboration with NERC Award recognizes an organization or individual that has helped drive measurable change as a result of partnering with NERC. Resource Recycling Magazine was honored with this award. 

Lynn Rubinstein, NERC executive director, says, “Resource Recycling Magazine and its topic-specific publications have provided significant support to NERC by regularly helping to promote our events, webinars and project outcomes. Thanks to this support, NERC’s initiatives have garnered national recognition and engagement, and improved collaborative opportunities for the organization and its members.”

In the category of NERC Environmental Sustainability Leadership, NERC recognized three award winners. Each achieved significant environmental results through waste diversion efforts in the Northeast, says the organization.

In the private sector, Cox Enterprises was recognized for its national Zero Waste to Landfill program.

“Cox locations in the NERC member states have implemented comprehensive waste diversion programs, led public engagement campaigns, and participated actively in environmental cleanups. The result is that their facilities have achieved an average 50 percent waste diversion rate,” says NERC Vice President Kaley Laleker, who also is with the Maryland Department of the Environment.

In the category of Young Professional, Alex Williams of Blue Earth Compost, Hartford, Connecticut, took the top honor.

Isner says, “Blue Earth is a food scrap collection company based in Hartford, Connecticut. Alex and his family have grown this business from a small collection program of 20 homes to close to 150 homes and 35 businesses. Alex has done every job in the business from accounting to food scrap collection, and with the growth of the business has been able to create three jobs for his community.”

In the Public Sector category, Molly Ettenborough, recycling and sustainability manager for Newburyport, Massachusetts, earned the award. Ettenborough was recognized for her leadership on zero waste initiatives, the Newburyport Organics Pilot and the Recycle IQ program.

In addition to the Environmental Sustainability Leadership Award winners, NERC recognized the following organizations and individuals for their work:

• Chittenden Solid Waste District in Vermont for leadership in food waste reduction strategies and programming;
• Casella Recycling for its recycling sustainability program and efforts to make glass recycling viable;
• Organix Solutions for its efforts to promote curbside collection of organics; and
• Alisha Raby Cefalo, city of Lynn, Massachusetts, for her leadership in implementing the Recycling IQ program in the city of Lynn.

NERC also acknowledged the work and contributions of:

• Samsung;
• The Carton Council;
• Ray Dube, Sustainability Manager, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Northern New England;
• Keurig Green Mountain;
• Stephen Greene, Lowell Folk Festival, Massachusetts;
• NRRA School CLUB, New Hampshire; and
• Dominick Cingari, Grade A Shop Rite, Connecticut.

NERC is a multistate nonprofit organization that conducts research, projects, training and outreach on issues associated with source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and environmentally preferable purchasing.