The Northeast Recycling Conference wrapped up on Thursday, October 14, with a focus on real-world example and hands on-experiences that the speakers shared. The keynote for the last part of the conference was moderated by Megan Pryor, Environmental Specialist for the聽Maine Department of Environmental Protection, who introduced Adam Minter, Journalist and author, focusing on Recycling Repaired: Travels in the Circular Economy We Already Have.
He began by talking about recycling and visiting China in 2000 where he saw giant piles of Christmas tree lights being disposed of. Intrigued, he asked how are these lights recycled in China? He discovered that there are recycling factory for these tree lights where they would be thrown into a shredder and come out as goop. Workers would them 鈥減an鈥� for the valuable material on a conveyor with water. In 2011, the U.S.-China scrap partnership was at its peak and demand was huge because China was manufacturing everything as well as its own infrastructure. However, after that year, a decline began鈥擟hinas鈥� working population started dropping, the working age dropped as did wage growth. Chinese economic growth slowed down. People started feeling slowdown before restrictions were announced. Demand had already fallen even before China鈥檚 National Sword rule. There was an increase in supply even though the biggest suppliers no longer wanted it. So, what do you do next? He explained that things shifted. Old monitors were sent to markets to be remade to new reused monitors to emerging markets who appreciated the lower cost access. It was economically and environmentally sound. In the 2000s, circuit boards went to waste dumping zones. They were picked apart for the different components, are worth a few dollars because there is a huge market for them. Currently, China cleaned up this process and developed more sophisticated recycling processes in order to do it properly. Resale, reuse and repair鈥攕econdhand markets are hot locations right now especially with the supply chain problems. Everyone needs semi-conductors, and they are experts in getting them from other sources.
He pointed out that clothing is almost the exact same thing as electronics. It is full of people who know better than you do what is in it. They can look at something and know it will sell, it needs to be exported, sent to rag making operation or sent to a disposal facility鈥攐nly 1/3 of the clothing actually sells at secondhand stores. If doesn鈥檛 sell in thrift, most will sell into Houston or Mississauga, ON where there are giant sorting operations, and they sort for various markets around the world. This is the stop before it gets exported. There is no dumping; they are paying for the good stuff they can sell to retailers and other wholesalers. Biggest exporter of clothes into Africa is China.
Next Pryor introduced Mitra Gruwell, Owner of聽Discard Upcycling, who spoke about the聽Viking Textile Maker Hub.Created out of the pandemic, she explained that the business, industrial sewing and remanufacturing, is a combination of a maker space, a service center, a gig work hub and educational and workshops. Many places needed skilled people but there are no training hubs. So, Discard Upcycling collaborated with not only funding from private partners, but also partnerships with Viking, Oregon Aero, DEQ, Business Oregon, WM, Lane County, Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments, and Lane Workplace Partnership. In the first year, Discard Upcycling developed a lot of programs in the first year and added more in second year. ISC donated by Aero provided 48 hours of instruction focused on delivering work-ready skills and industrial sewing. They offer repair and maintenance classes 鈥� 1 陆 hour intro classes on fixing/maintaining sewing machines, vacuums, furniture, clothing; upcycling 鈥� apprenticeships/mentorships, workshops and classes. They also offer Community Plug-n-Play Gig Work, which includes alterations, classroom space, and small batch manufacturing (for local business). She said this is the developing field and it is exciting for the youth. She hopes this will continue to spark interest and hope they take it on and move it forward. They do a lot of community outreach, including education, event participation, sector strategy work, engage with textile manufacturers, board participation, sustainability commission, and waste diversion. She is also looking to set up model/hubs elsewhere.
Finally, Peter Mui, Founder of Fixit Clinic聽closed out the morning sessions by talking about the right to reuse and repair. What do we do when our technology breaks? Most people throw it away or try to donate in hopes that it will get reused. Fix It Clinic鈥檚 goal to is coach people to fix their own electronics at home. Everyone in the Fix It Clinic community helps everyone out. When the pandemic hit, the company turned to virtual offerings but that turned out to be a positive move since now they can service the whole world, rather than just one area. The way it works is you use their global server to upload a picture of the item and the problem, a fixt it ticket is created, and you get connected with repair people who are familiar with the item. If one person cannot help to fix it, users can get guidance from others around the world for specific components. Through meetings online, users can be walk person through the repair process. Fixit Clinic can now offer shared public property and community assets. They now work through a blending of online offerings and virtual offerings as we come out of pandemic. He also stresses that the company develops programs with high school students offering repair services. 6th graders have learned how to fix distance learning technologies and they have showed them how to fix printers in school. They also hold online events for universities for coming circular economy. Fixit Clinic鈥檚 goal is to empower people to fix their own stuff rather than throw it away. He said that IT also affects every commercial sector as well, especially heavy equipment with a combination and mechanics and software, includes armed forces are impacted with various onboard systems and these are the next sectors the company is looking to grow.
ModeratorSherill Baldwin, Environmental Analyst III for聽Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, introduced the last two presenters of the day, Diane Cohen, Executive Director,聽Fingerlakes ReUse and Nancy Meyer, CEO/Executive Director,聽Community Forklift.
Cohen explaining how reuse can become a key component of environmental justice, which is defined as DEI 鈥� diversity, equity and inclusion or JEDI 鈥� justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Reuse impacts three major areas of environmental justice: 1) waste/materials management/end of pipe, 2) extraction/production/consumption, and 3) labor in above to spaces and in the act of reuse itself. Fingerlakes Reuse operates two reuse centers open daily. Programs include community reuse centers, job training, computer refurbishing, free materials for people in need, deconstruction and salvage services, Ithaca Fixers Collective offers free repair. Typical elements found in electronics are gold, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, nickel, tantalum, cobalt, aluminum, tin, zinc, and neodymium. She stressed we need to invest in reuse infrastructure, which can include: warehouse and retail outlets, convenient drop-off locations, pickup, deconstruction and repair services, workforce development, collaborations and investing in people. How is reuse infrastructure understood through an environmental justice lens? Through a diverse workforce and clientele, equitable hiring and employment practices, and inclusive decision-making. So, she points out that by opening a community reuse center, it helps to reduce waste, focus on people, not profits, keep resources local, offer quality jobs pay fair wages, value safety, respect and resourcefulness, promote repair and maintenance, preserve and teach useful skills or community resilience, contribute to workforce development of high-demand industries like technology and construction (especially for vulnerable populations), and helps to stay diverse, equitable and inclusive.
Meyer then talked about聽Economic, Environmental & Social Justice Opportunities in Reused Materials. Community Forklift鈥檚 goal is to demonstrate the potential for community-based revitalization based on capturing the value of used 鈥榖uilding materials鈥� (interior fixtures and the building itself) and redistributing them by making the materials available at a low cost, or free to community members, organizations and public agencies. She stressed that reuse extends the life of a product by using it more than once with little or no processing (same or new function), repairing it so it can continue to be used longer, sharing or renting it, selling it, or donating it. Benefits of reuse include protecting the environment, reducing overall waste, reducing landfill costs, saving money, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and it helps to create a circular economy. However, there are challenges, including that it is labor intensive, space intensive, a new industry, and it is not sufficiently institutionalized in public waste management processes. Meyer pointed out that there is a huge opportunity for these reuse enterprises to exist and be created in these communities, especially with regards to capturing salvage and surplus building materials from various sources within the waste stream. Once captured they can be diverted for reuse in Reuse Centers. They are significant sources for community-based entities such as reuse/warehouse stores, community development group, and small businesses to use for redistribution to community members, small business and nonprofits through below market sales and donations. Reuse centers can serve as an anchor to attracting other green enterprises including those using waste as a basis for services and production. She stressed that reuse matters because it improves poor housing stock by providing products for basic health and safety needs as well as living wage entry level jobs for low skill workers, continuous job opportunities, and act as a catalyst for local efforts to address environmental stresses (including air and water pollution, waste management and storm water issues).
Overall, NERC put on another great event with informative issues and great speakers over the course of three afternoons. All of the presentations will be available on NERC鈥檚 website next week along with more information about these issues, upcoming webinars and additional events, and more. Be sure to check it out!
For more information, visit .
See Day 1 wrap-up at /day-1-of-northeast-recycling-councils-virtual-fall-conference-covers-environmental-justice-recycling-policies-and-compostable-packaging/.
See Day 2 wrap-up at /day-2-of-nercs-fall-conference-talks-new-jerseys-environmental-justice-law-communities-and-solar-panel-recycling/