NRC Provides COVID-19 Support to Regional Recycling Centers

NRC held a virtual round table talk on April 30th for rural Nebraska recycling centers to strategize and inform on current issues and best practices related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Nationally, residential waste is up 30%, while commercial recycling is down. Many smaller communities have suspended services, though the majority of Materials Recovery Facilities and mills remain open.

Six recycling centers joined in from David City, Neligh, Dodge, Broken Bow, Holdrege, and Kearney. Locally, some communities have suspended recycling services, primarily due to concerns for older or immunocompromised staff members. Some recycling centers have responded by only accepting recycling from commercial businesses. Kearney and Broken Bow operate as normal, with increased safety protocol and communication to residents.

As the state begins to open up, the communities these recycling centers serve are planning on communicating dates to re-open and to educate residents on ways to continue to keep our waste professionals safe.

For communities:

• Recycle Right. You have a role in protecting our recycling center staff and communities by staying educated on ways to recycle right. Clean recyclable materials well and separate lids if your provider requires it. By calling your recycling provider and staying educated, staff will not have to overly handle materials.
• Continue to Recycle. Cardboard and paper are a critical resource for household hygienic products such as toilet paper and paper towels. Understand that clean material creates future products, maintains jobs, and reduces environmental impact!
• Do Not Recycle if Sick. If you or a member of your household is sick, bag those items with your regular waste service.

How NRC is Helping:

• Community Education: NRC can provide customized materials signage, promotion, and strategies in communicating to residents on ways to recycle right.
• Consultation on materials collection, timeline for implementation, and required equipment.
• End Markets and Brokers: connecting recycling centers to end markets and brokers to move materials at improved rates. NRC membership offers a steeply reduced subscription to recyclingmarkets.net for recycling centers to track market trends.

Connect with us! Has your community reduced or suspended recycling? What questions do you have?