COMMUNITY MATERIALS MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT
Access reliable information and resources about how to overcome the barriers to a successful, sustainable recycling program.⭐ denotes a Nebraska Recycling Council publication
Select the Categories
- All Categories
- Accessibility
- Analysis and Decision-making Tools
- C&D
- Commercial Recycling by Sector
- Compost
- Funding Mechanisms
- Green Teams
- Haulers & Collection
- Hazardous Waste & Toxic Materials
- Hub & Spoke
- Landfills
- Materials & Markets
- Measurement
- MRFs
- Planning and Public Policy
- Recycling in Schools
- Reuse
- Rural Recycling
- Special Events
- Sustainability & Resilience
- Zero Waste
Select the Tags
- All Tags
- accessibility
- agriculture
- alt text
- anaerobic digestion
- analysis
- assessment
- audio description
- bans
- behavior change
- benefits
- best practices
- beverage containers
- bid specs
- bulky wastes
- business
- C&D
- captions
- cardboard
- carts
- case studies
- CDC
- certification
- charter
- circular economy
- climate
- codes
- collection
- communications
- community engagement
- community organizing
- compost
- compost industry
- construction
- containers
- contamination
- contractor
- contracts
- conversion factors
- cost analysis
- curbside
- current affairs
- data management
- deposit
- design
- digital accessibility
- disability
- disposal fees
- diversion
- documents
- DOTs
- drop-off
- dual stream
- economics
- electronics
- energy
- EPA
- EPR
- equipment
- exclusive franchise
- fact sheets
- FCA
- flyers
- food share
- food waste
- form
- franchise zones
- funding
- furniture
- GHG
- glass
- glossary
- grants
- grocery
- guidance
- guide
- guidelines
- hardware
- haulers
- hazardous waste
- holiday
- home
- hospitality
- hub and spoke
- infrastructure
- instructions
- jobs
- landfill
- landfill gas
- legislation
- licensing
- loans
- lumber
- markets
- materials
- materials exchange
- mattresses
- measurement
- microplastics
- milk cartons
- model
- MRFs
- MSW
- multi-family
- municipal
- nebraska
- needles
- ordinances
- organics
- organized collection
- packaging
- paint
- paper
- PAYT
- permitting
- persistent herbicides
- PFAs
- planning
- plastic bags
- plastics
- pollution
- polystyrene
- presentations
- processing
- proclamation
- product stewardship
- public policy
- purchasing
- rates
- rating system
- recyclables
- recycled content
- recycling
- reduction
- regional
- regulations
- report
- requirements
- resource management
- resources
- restaurant
- retail
- reuse
- RFPs
- rigid plastics
- roads
- rural
- safety
- schools
- shared hauling
- signage
- single stream
- single-use plastics
- social marketing
- social media
- soil
- solid waste management
- sports venues
- spreadsheet
- standards
- state
- supply chain
- survey
- sustainability
- system
- template
- text
- The Recycling Partnership
- toxics
- vegetation
- waste assessment
- waste characterization
- waste reduction
- website
- worksheet
- zero waste
Ten Reasons to Wash More Dishes
Reasons why we should ditch disposable dishes.
Tennessee Hub and Spoke Grant Manual
An example from the State of Tennessee on policy for projects intended to increase or improve infrastructure for Hub and Spoke Recycling projects and partnerships.
Textile derived microfiber release: Investigating the current evidence base
Textiles-derived microfibre pollution encompasses all fibres less than 5mm in size, which are formed and shed during the processing, production, use and disposal of textiles. Their presence has been recorded in both terrestrial and aquatic environments as a proportion of airborne dust and waterborne microplastics, and additionally as a hazard in textile manufacture. However, many of these observations in the environment to date have been incidental, and studies of their formation and shedding have been biased toward synthetic fibres. The effect in terms of quantitative environmental impact metrics such as ecotoxicity has not been determined, so although it is possible to estimate the volume of microfibres produced, it is not currently possible to quantify the true effect they may have.
The Benefits of Organized Collection
Fact sheet on organized collection from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
The Community Zero Waste Roadmap
Eco-Cycle Solutions guidebook. A high-level overview of key infrastructure, policies, and programs for pursuing a zero waste goal.
The Composting Industry Status Report
A 2019 Power Point presentation by USCC
The Costs and Benefits of Minnesota K-12 School Waste Management Programs
A study that examined practices, costs, and economic realities of recycling in Minnesota schools and recommendations based on analysis.
The Disaster Debris Recovery Tool – Materials Management for Debris Planning and Emergency Response
EPA webinar on disaster debris recovery
The Economic Impact of the Scrap Recycling Industry in the United States – Nebraska
ISRI report on economic impacts of recycling in Nebraska
The Environmental Hazards Inherent in the Composting of Plastic-Coated Paper Products
A white paper on the negative consequences of allowing plastic-coated paper products in compost facilities. Eco-cycle and Woods End Laboratories
The Future of Waste: Certification and Curriculum with Washington Green Schools
Over 460 schools are involved with this program in Washington. It provides: resources and support for teachers allowing schools to achieve sustainability goals, step-by-step guidance and support to certify in Waste & Recycling, online resources, classroom curriculum, and school and community-wide recognition.
The Lafayette Experience – Single-Stream Recycling & PAYT Trash Rates
PAYT case study on Layfayette, Colorado
The Madison Sustainability Plan: Fostering Environmental, Economic and Social Resilience
An adjunct to the City's Comprehensive Plan covering environment, economic prosperity, and social/community initiatives.
The Nebraska Recycling Council Glossary of Waste & Recycling Terms
Glossary of terms used in the solid waste, recycling, and compost industries
The Recycling Bin’s Dirty Dozen
Flyer showing materials to keep out of the recycling bin
The Recycling Partnership Residential Curbside Recycling Cart Grant
Grants to municipalities for curbside recycling carts
The Recycling Playbook
Walmart's supplier guide for suppliers
The Reuse Movement Toolkit – A Step by Step Guide to Organizing a Community-Based Reuse Network
MaryEllen Etienne's step by step guide on how to start a reuse network and continually improve it
The Reuse Primer- Information and Insights To Enlighten Your Reuse Journey
MaryEllen Etienne's follow up to the Toolkit. Reuse in the materials management hierarchy, definititions, benefits, challenges, opportunities and industry drivers.
The Ripple Glass Field Guide to Recycling
How to: partner with Ripple Glass, collect glass, store glass, ship glass, grow your program
The Secret to Managing a Successful Mandatory Recycling Ordinance
Webinar recording on YouTube from Emerge Knowledge
The State of Organics Recycling in the U.S.
Nationwide Biocycle survey of composting facilities BioCycle.net
The State of Restaurant Sustainability 2018 Edition
Research on restaurant sustainability efforts by the National Restaurant Assn.
The State Solid and Hazardous Waste Plan – Moving Washington Beyond Waste and Toxics
Department of Ecology State of Washington updated solid and hazardous waste plan
The SWEEP Standard for Local Government and Materials Management Industry Comment Draft November 8, 2019
The Solid Waste Environmental Excellence Performance Standard (SWEEP) evaluates the environmental, economic and social aspects of providing materials management services with Local Government jurisdictions, whether they are provided by government or private entities.
The True Cost of Recycling: How California Communities are Financing and Siting Recycling Infrastructure
Jurisdictions and solid waste agencies need to balance their rate setting to cover the costs of services, encourage diversion, comply with requirements and promote revenue reliability. This document is a series of case studies and lessons learned from municipalities. Institute for Local Government
The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Mandatory Recycling Ordinance
Webinar recording on YouTube from Emerge Knowledge
Think Twice! Don’t Put These in Your Recycle Bin! They harm workers and damage equipment.
Writable flyer on items not to put in a recyling bin.
Throwing Away the Future: How Companies Still Have it Wrong on Plastic Pollution “Solutions”
Greenpeace recommendations on plastics use
Tips for Contractors – Moving towards Zero Waste & Cost Savings – A Roadmap for Builders & Contractors for Construction & Demolition Projects
Strategies and resources for assessing and understanding opportunities for waste minimization and recycling at building sites
Tips for Reusing & Recycling Bulky Wastes – Disposal Template
A writable pdf template for identifying local programs for reuse, recycling, and disposal
Tips for Reusing & Recycling Bulky Wastes – Recycling Template
A writable pdf template for identifying local programs for reuse, recycling, and disposal