(402) 436-2384
[email protected]
Newsletter Signup

Here’s Looking at You, New Year

Published January 05, 2021
Getting through 2020 has required us to change direction and become flexible in ways that we had not imagined before. Nebraska Recycling Council (NRC) is looking forward to going into 2021 with the adaptability and resilience of 2020, and the vision to be the authority in sustainable materials management in Nebraska–for a future where all materials and resources are reserved for their highest and best use and landfills are the last resort.

In November 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled an ambitious National Recycling Goal to increase the U.S. recycling rate to 50% by 2030. For decades, state recycling organizations around the country have been working on the same objectives outlined in the EPA’s draft national recycling strategy. Now, our collective commitments and actions will be unified for a common goal to guide investments and commitments across the entire recycling system. The EPA outlined three key objectives in the National Recycling Strategy, including: reducing contamination, making our recycling processing systems more efficient, and strengthening the economic markets for recycled materials. NRC embraces the EPA’s National Recycling Goal, its objectives, and the strategies to get to a 50% recycling rate by 2030.

In addition to aligning our work with the National Recycling Strategy, NRC’s focus for 2021 includes:

  • Expand recycling opportunities for agricultural plastics
  • Develop regional glass recycling programs
  • Provide statewide electronics recycling collection events
  • Advance the compost industry in Nebraska
  • Facilitate recycling market development
  • Invest in rural and regional recycling systems

Also, NRC will continue to offer education, networking opportunities, technical assistance, community and business assistance, advocacy, and the recycling equipment grant program. We look forward to working with you and hopefully being able to meet in person sometime in 2021 as we fulfill our mission to maximize the economic and environmental benefits of resource recovery in Nebraska. Our intention is providing assistance and resources to protect Nebraska’s good life for future generations.

Best wishes for the New Year,

Heather Creevan
Executive Director