Nebraska Recycling Council

Our Executive Director attended the 2024 Resource Recycling Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, over the past week. This event gathered hundreds of recycling program managers, advocates, and other subject matter experts to exchange their insights and achievements from across the nation. The sessions covered a variety of topics, such as extended producer responsibility systems, residential food scrap collection, media engagement, contamination issues, textiles, education, end-market development, and more. #RRC2024

Last week we launched our “Recycling Access for Citizens with Disabilities” Guide! After three years of research and discussions with the disability community, this document will be a super helpful guide for municipalities, organizations, and businesses who want to improve their recycling program so that it is more accessible to citizens with disabilities. It outlines actions, steps and resources to make their recycling program and resources more accessible to people with disabilities. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gCrwRdiW

Calling all composters! Scholarship applications are now open to attend the USCC 2025 Conference. https://lnkd.in/ghuFBmGw

NRC Member Hillside Solutions was featured in this recent Waste Dive article: "Omaha, Nebraska-based Hillside Solutions, a private hauler with 15 trash and recycling trucks, moved away from paper-based sequencing and routing in 2018. Result: Residential route efficiency spiked 122% from 2019 to 2023, and reduced go-backs now save the company approximately $850,000 per year." Nice work Hillside team!

A big thanks to the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum for inviting us to join them on their podcast. Executive Director Kimberly Carroll Steward and Program Director Carina Olivetti answered some burning recycling questions, talked about the waste hierarchy, reducing waste in the garden and more!

Congratulations to Prairieland Dairy for winning our 2024 End Market of the Year! This award is presented to a local, regional, or international member organization that utilizes recycled commodities from Nebraska recycling generators, processors, collectors and haulers for the manufacture of new goods. Prairieland Dairy’s work in diverting food waste and organic materials from the landfill has been inspiring and commendable! They've made a huge impact in the Lincoln area, by taking food waste from schools and waste haulers in their community area, opening access to composting for those who can't do it at home. https://lnkd.in/gu_YKMZ5 #ecoawards #recyclingprofessionals # #WasteReduction #RecyclingIndustry #EcoChampions #SustainabilityLeaders #EnvironmentalAwards #WasteDiversion

Congratulations to the Upper Loup Natural Resource District, our 2024 Commonwealth award winner! The Commonwealth Award recognizes a business, organization, or individual that gives its time, talent, and treasure to the community in which it operates to improve the natural environment or health, welfare, and common good for all stakeholders through better materials management. Since 2010 this NRD has made massive strides with their Upper Loup recycling program, and we're continually impressed with their dedication to their community and the growth their program has seen. https://lnkd.in/ggN5ejCc #ecoawards #recyclingprofessionals # #WasteReduction #RecyclingIndustry #EcoChampions #SustainabilityLeaders #EnvironmentalAwards #WasteDiversion

Congratulations to Keep Nebraska Beautiful for winning our 2024 Waste Diversion Project of the Year Award for their Materials Exchange Program! This award is presented to an?organization for a project, product, or service that demonstrates exemplary, innovative, and measurable waste reduction, eliminates or replaces hard-to-recycle materials, and/or creates a closed loop system for recycling or reuse. The Materials Exchange program, run by KNB, offers community members the ability to offer up unwanted items to a wide network for free. The program not only keeps these materials out of landfill, but also gives community members to snag gently used items for free, rather than needing to purchase something new. https://lnkd.in/gmP4HBis #ecoawards #recyclingprofessionals # #WasteReduction #RecyclingIndustry #EcoChampions #SustainabilityLeaders #EnvironmentalAwards #WasteDiversion

Congratulations to Senator Jana Hughes for winning our 2024 Advocacy Champion Award! This award recognizes an individual, municipality, organization, or elected official for significant achievements in advancing resource recovery in Nebraska by working to challenge and change policies, systems, or practices. Senator Hughes has been a strong supporter of the legislative goals of NRC, supporting not only the LR 163 Legislative Study on increasing recycling, but also advocating for Extended Producer Responsibility legislation for batteries. We are excited to continue working with Senator Hughes during the upcoming legislative session. https://lnkd.in/gmF72ThX #ecoawards #recyclingprofessionals # #WasteReduction #RecyclingIndustry #EcoChampions #SustainabilityLeaders #EnvironmentalAwards #WasteDiversion

Congratulations to our member Crossroads Mission for winning our 2024 Green Team of the Year! This award recognizes a highly-organized, mature green team with the capacity to sustain itself and engage other employees. Crossroads Mission's expansive work in waste diversion and community engagement have been an inspiration, and worthy of celebration. They offer recycling for a wide variety of less easily recycled materials, such as books, clothing, and organics. https://lnkd.in/gBh55RTn #ecoawards #recyclingprofessionals # #WasteReduction #RecyclingIndustry #EcoChampions #SustainabilityLeaders #EnvironmentalAwards #WasteDiversion