Category: Advocacy

Board of Directors 2021 Elections – Candidate Statements

Five members – including 3 incumbents, have submitted ballot statements to serve on the 2022 NCRA Board of Directors. There are six two-year positions to fill. Voting opens Monday, November 29, 2021, and ends Monday, December 13, 2021, at 11:59 pm.

Custom voting links will be emailed to members on November 29. If you do not receive our email but believe you should (i.e. your membership is current as of November 28, 2021), please contact the office and we will email the link again.

NCRA BOARD OF DIRECTOR CANDIDATES, 2022-2023

Bailey Hall – Member since 2019 – After 2.5 years of being submerged in the world of solid waste, I’m confident this is my forever career path. I’ve been a NCRA member since 2019, and I’d be honored to serve on the board.

As a Zero Waste Coordinator with the City of Sunnyvale, I spearhead the City’s communications on waste reduction, recycling right, and our food scraps program. I aim to inspire behavior change through flyers, presentations, student lessons, and social media posts. As an example, I coordinated and starred in YouTube videos with tens of thousands of views about how residents can make our food scraps program convenient and mess-free. I took my love of food scraps a step further by writing and co-starring in my NCRA Players 2021 debut: “Foodhemian Scrapsody”. I also debunk recycling myths and encourage zero waste practices through a regular column in our City-wide newsletter called “Talkin’ Trash”. I’m responsible for the garbage/recycling needs for Sunnyvale multi-family complexes, and now lead their transition to recycling organics.

If elected, I will bring my effective outreach experience to the Communications and Activities committees. I welcome the opportunity to support NCRA communications and connect members with courses, tours, and crucial zero waste updates. I’d love to deepen my involvement with this pioneering organization.

Devin Joseph Guilford Jackson –member since 2020

My name is Devin Jackson. I am submitting my first-time candidacy to serve on the 2022 – 2023 NCRA Board. I am a STEM teacher, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, 2021 CCC Leadership in Sustainability Award Winner, Recycle SMART “green” educator, 2018 “Bronze” CA Green Ribbon School Award Winner, certified Climate Change educator with National Geographic Explorers, NASA GLOBE Educator, NOAA Ocean Guardian educator & Vice President of a K-8 environmental education non-profit called Outside the Box 925. I have a strong connection and passion for nature, environmental sustainability, eco-literacy, water conservation, alternative energy, resource conservation, recycling, composting and other waste/landfill diversion practices, which are linked to the UN Climate Principles. I have been a member of NCRA for one year. NCRA has played an integral role in my pathway as an environmental sustainability coordinator to guide and support future Zero Waste schools and districts. I am currently the sole teacher on the NCRA committee for CA Zero Waste Schools. I am looking forward to contributing to and supporting NCRA and the school committee in new ways as my career expands with new opportunities unfolding. If you feel I would bring value to the board, then please support me to be elected to the 2022 – 2023 NCRA Board.

INCUMBENTS

David Krueger – member since 2000 – I would be honored to continue to serve for two more years on the NCRA Board. I have been a NCRA member for 20+ years and I’ve served as Treasurer and President. I am currently the Solid Waste Programs Division Manager for the City of Sunnyvale, working towards our Zero Waste goal. I have previously served on the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board and the CRRA Board of Directors. You may have seen me “performing” with the infamous NCRA Players.

If allowed to continue to serve on the Board I will strive to increase NCRA’s membership and to expand our diversity in all of it’s forms: Race, ethnicity, gender, orientation, age, geography, occupation, and opinion. Upcoming challenges in the next few years include helping our members to implement SB 1383, reducing plastic pollution, and finding the most effective mix of virtual and in-person meetings, trainings, workshops, and events. The Plastics Free California Initiative will be on the ballot November 8, 2022 and should be a major focus of NCRA advocacy. I also believe that NCRA should take the lead in the effort to save the State’s buyback centers.

One of my goals for the NCRA Board is to enhance our training and professionalism and to have a long-term plan to recruit and develop future leaders. In order to ensure continuity and stability, I suggest that NCRA consider hiring a part-time Executive Director and asking former Board members to serve as advisors.

I am dedicated to NCRA’s continued role as a cutting edge leader in the Zero Waste movement, providing our members with opportunities for education, idea-sharing, benchmarking, debate, networking, and advocacy. I humbly ask for your vote.

Tim Dewey-Mattia – member since 2011 – I’m submitting my statement for reelection to the NCRA Board.  I was first elected to the NCRA Board 6 years ago, and I kindly ask the membership for a chance to serve another term. I’m the Recycling & Public Education Manager for Napa Recycling & Waste Services. Napa Recycling is the local franchise hauler in Napa, as well as the operator of Napa’s Recycling & Composting Facility (come visit…tours are back and we’ve got cool upgrades to show off!).

I got my start in Zero Waste 25 years ago – first with the Middlebury College recycling program, and then for non-profit recycling organizations in San Francisco. I’ve been at Napa Recycling for 16 years and work on all aspects of program development, implementation and outreach…plus I’ve talked about earthquakes, chickens & fires at Recycling Update.

As NCRA board member and co-chair of the Outreach & Activities Committee, I’ve helped coordinate events, organize facility tours, & fundraise for Recycling Update. I believe NCRA can and should be a leader in the hot topics of the day, including increasing organics diversion with the SB 1383 rollout, advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in the industry, and supporting critical Zero Waste legislation and policy.

NCRA and our members are Zero Waste pioneers, and I am honored to help carry that forward. We are a collaborative, passionate, and down-to-earth bunch, and I’d be pleased to continue to serve on the Board.

Susan Blachman – member since 2011 – I am running for re-election to the NCRA board in order to help NCRA continue to support our members, further promote zero food waste, the end of plastic and generally serve this great organization.

I have been co-chairing the Zero Food Waste Committee:

  • 2014 helped establish NCRA’s Zero Food Waste Committee

  • Contributed to Commercial Food Waste Reduction in Alameda County report

  • 2018 helped organize the second Zero Food Waste Forum.

  • 2019-present helped organize Zero Food Waste Webinars focused on SB1383

Recordings found on NCRA website; each attended by about 100 people

  • Coordinate with CRRA Edible Food Recovery Technical Council (EFR TC)

If re-elected, I will continue to support NCRA’s zero food waste educational programming and will continue to coordinate our educational and outreach efforts with CRRA’s EFR TC, including compiling local jurisdiction SB1383 resources for anyone (not just CRRA members).

Other NCRA activities:

  • Rep NCRA in multi-stakeholder effort to get Berkeley Unified School District to eliminate single use food ware

  • Participate in NCRA DEI committee, ZWAC’s Clean Seas Coalition and NCRA social media committee

  • Co-Secretary

Thank you for allowing me to serve on the NCRA board; I would be honored if you would vote for me.

# # #

5 Stars: Clean Seas Lobbying Coalition & NCRA 2021

By Doug Brooms, Board Member & Co-Chair Zero Waste Advocacy Committee

In the NCRA eNews October edition, it was reported that Governor Newsom had passed 13 of 14 Bills which NCRA supported. This had been a greater number of NCRA supported Bills passed than in any prior Legislative Session, dating back to 2013. This had been remarkable, given the pale imposed by Covid-19.

Of these 13 Bills, 7 had been presented as a package of Circular Economy Bills, and “wrangled” through the Legislature under the auspices of EcoConsult and the Clean Seas Lobbying Coalition (CSLC).

2021 is the second year that NCRA has been a subscribing member of the CSLC, along with ten other notable state and national environmental advocacy organizations. CSLC is a sponsor of two Bills, AB 962 and AB 1276.

EcoConsult is one of a small cadre of environmental lobby firms, and far out numbered and out spent by industry lobbyists who represent businesses more committed to preserving the status quo. Genevieve Abedon has been our voice at the table in Sacramento, “waste deep in sausage making”, in negotiating with industry advocates towards reaching Bill language compromises. Every two weeks via Zoom, she kept CSLC members engaged and apprised on usually confidential deliberations with stakeholders to remove or avert oppositions. CSLC members also contributed to shaping state Bills language, based upon their ongoing experiences with newly minted pertinent city and county ordinances.

Perhaps as testament to the Coalition’s strategy effectiveness, each of the following first four numbered Bills had ultimately “sailed” through the Assembly and Senate Floors without any “NO” votes, and the subsequent 3 Bills with relatively minor oppositions. The below numbers in parentheses are Senate and Assembly Floor Votes, AYES and NOES respectively, not including the Abstentions (No Vote Recorded).

AB 818  Premoistened Nonwoven Disposable Wipes. (39-0, 76-0)

Provides standardized labeling for single-use wet wipes to clearly identify what products are NOT safe to flush.

AB 881  Plastic Waste: Diversion: Recycling: Export. (37-0, 78-0)

Prohibits mixed plastic exports from being counted as “recycled” towards state waste reduction and recycling metrics.

AB 962  Reusable Beverage Containers. (38-0, 77-0)

Allows returnable glass beverage bottles to be cleaned and refilled, versus being crushed to count as recycled.

AB 1200  Plant-based Food Packaging & Cookware: Hazardous Chemicals. (36-0, 60-0)

Prohibits the sale of paper-based food packaging containing PFAS, and prohibits deceptive advertising to avoid disclosure of such toxic chemicals in cookware.

AB 1201  Plastic Products Labeling: Compostability and Biodegradability. (32-2, 79-0)

Prohibits any plastic products containing PFAS from being deceptively labeled as compostable or biodegradable.

AB 1276  Single-use Foodware Accessories and Condiments. (28-10, 58-15)

Provides that single-use foodware and condiments may be given to takeout customers ONLY upon request.

SB 343  Environmental Advertising: Recycling Symbol. (29-7, 50-3)

Will disallow manufacturers from imprinting the “chasing arrows” recycling symbol on plastic items that aren’t actually recyclable.

From my perspective, NCRA’s teaming with CSLC and EcoConsult has been a welcomed relationship. There had been only one instance in which NCRA support had not aligned with AB 1454. Thus, leaving the grunt work to the experts has allowed me more time to attend to CalRecycle’s Priority Bills and to pursue other proposals. Based upon my observations and evaluation, I would rate EcoConsult 5 Stars. Having a proven champion for the environment, for a relatively modest investment, helps to level the playing field in achieving pro-sustainability legislative outcomes.

# # #

 

 

 

 

Climate Change Solutions for the Future, 10/21

Watch the Recording!

ZWAC talks with soil experts for climate change solutions

Contact NCRA to learn more about ZWAC and get involved https://ncrarecycles.org/about/contact/

ZWAC Show and Recordings

Under construction… Being updated… Content accurate

Upcoming Meeting: Second Tuesdays of most months at 5:30pm via Zoom. Call in at 5pm for sharing. All are invited to attend. RSVP

(List date and time and topic if known. Place graphic here when ready.)

The NCRA Zero Waste Advocacy Committee has been hosting a monthly “ZWAC Show”, featuring a recycling or sustainability topic of contemporary interest and a brief reading about a Recycling Pioneer from the Recycling Archives. Check here for the schedule.

September 13  – What Happened in the Room?

During the 2021 Legislative session, ZWAC had hosted three monthly discussions about the Bottle Bill, however the leading Bills faltered, and a last ditch effort to rescue CRV bottle deposit redemption centers failed.

Jeff Donlevy of the Statewide Commission on Recycling Markets and Curbside Recycling  and Business Development Manager at Recycling Industries, Inc, had been “in the room” throughout, and discussed the who, what and why, and what portends for next year.

Recycling Archives: Gerry Gillespie, a founding member of Zero Waste International Alliance, discussed how he played a key role in the first governmental adoption of a Zero Waste program in Australia.

August 10 – Advocacy for the Disenfranchised

Attorney Cynthia Chandler, featured in the documentary Belly of the Beast recounted her fight against State of California law and policy that began with Nazi-era eugenics that lead to our state prisons sterilizing women, mostly women of color, without their consent.

Nancy Gorrell, long time Berkeley activist, spoke about how she helped catalyze the reconfiguring of a holiday celebrating Christopher Columbus to one celebrating indigenous peoples.

Recycling Archives: Nancy went on to also discuss Berkeley’s landmark Styrofoam ban, and her zero waste artwork

July 13 –  Combating Plastics Pollution & Resource Recovery Businesses

Sumona Majumdar, general legal counsel to Earth Island Institute, discussed their newest lawsuit against plastic product makers like Coca-Cola, and how it differs from other anti-plastic campaigns which target misleading advertising about recyclability in plastic.

Panel Discussion Resource Recovery Businesses:

Neil Seldman of the Washington DC based Institute for Local Self-Reliance discussed his many years of research into the benefits of local resource recovery.

Three founder/owners of Bay Area resource recovery businesses each discussed their experiences, why and how they started their businesses, their market niches, how they impact zero waste and create jobs at the same time:

Stephanie Regni, Fillgood in Berkeley. https://www.fillgood.co/

Nikki Kozlowski, Wisdom Supply. https://www.wisdomsupplyco.com/

Will Bakx, Sonoma Compost. http://www.sonomacompost.com/

June 8, 2021
Three Ways that Zero Waste Can Save the Planet

Attorney Lori Mendez of the Save the Albatross Coalition discussed ongoing battles against plastic pollution.

Brenda Platt of the Institute for Local Self Reliance and directs ILSR’s Communities for Compost project, discussed advances in composting, soil policy, and carbon sequestration.

Monica Wilson, Policy and Research Coordinator of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, spoke about the continuing global problem of garbage incineration.

Recycling Archives: Brenda Platt

May 11, 2021
Action Items for a Revamped Bottle Bill

At the 4/13 meeting, there had been a strong consensus that ZWAC and NCRA should try to promote legislation to help CRV Bottle deposit redemption centers. However there was no bill in the current legislative session to achieve this. Discussed were essential features and strategies for a revised Bottle Bill, which would need a huge social media and community outreach component to succeed.

Recycling Archives: Delyn Kies, inspirational story of how she spearheaded environmental legislation in Oregon in the 1990s.

April 13, 2021
Should the Bottle Bill be Fixed or Scrapped and Why

Susan Collins, President of the Container Recycling Institute, and Richard Valle, Alameda County Supervisor and President of Tri-CED, each provided answers, insights and perspectives on pertinent Bill proposals.

Adolfo Ramirez, owner of BC Recycling Inc, with several buyback facilities serving the most disadvantaged populations in Visalia, described the shortcomings of the current and proposed Bottle Bill legislation.

Dr. Dan Knapp, President of Urban Ore Inc, discussed the sociology of recycling and why personal contact with redemption centers is such an important part of zero waste that cannot be served only by machines.

Recycling Archives: Susan Kinsella, Director of the Recycling Archives, read passages from the early transformative years the youthful Dr. Knapp.

# # #

 

Plastic Free July – What Actions Are You Taking?

Plastic Free July 2021 …
WHAT ACTIONS ARE YOU TAKING…
… to foster sustainable behavior change?
By Bonnie Betts, NCRA Social Media Coordinator

For folks passionate about Zero Waste, recycling and protecting Earth’s delicate ecosystems, Plastic Free July (PFJ) is a time to rally and learn about the movement to break free from plastic. We get to show our network that living without plastic can be done!

The initiative originated in Australia back in 2011, spearheaded by the Plastic Free Foundation. The vision of PFJ is to see a world free of plastic waste. Despite the turmoil and uncertainties of the pandemic, July of 2020 had an estimated 326 million people across the globe who took part in the challenge from 177 countries. Overall, PFJ participants have reduced their household waste by almost 5% per year, and 8.5 out of 10 people have permanently changed their behavior.

The PFJ challenge uses elements of Nudge Theory by Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein, and Community-Based Social Marketing by Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr (CBSM) to intentionally encourage sustainable behavior change. Both are based in social psychology and draw from the idea that sustainable behavior change is most effective when it involves direct contact with people, in their community. Most importantly, this method encourages that the desirable action (i.e. stop using plastic) be met positively, rather than discouraging harmful actions.

The point to having a PFJ challenge is to positively change people’s relationship with plastic in order to make more sustainable choices and ultimately stop the reliance on plastic all together. Here is a quick snap-shot of the social psychology elements at play:

Social Norming – Exemplifying the desired behavior for others to adopt:

This could look like shopping with reusable bags, bringing reusable utensils, containers when dining out, refusing straws and single-use to-go items, refilling your water bottle…

Restaurant owners can display a blurb – on their window, website or ads the percentage of customers who opt out of single-use to-go items (utensils, napkins, straws, etc.).

Social Diffusion – Quickly scale the desired behavior throughout your personal sphere:

Whatever the action is, utilize strength in numbers to get the message out. At the community level – This could look like having neighborhood green teams, compost-food scrap collection collective, Zero Waste champions at work or, local Zero Waste business collectives. Individuals can utilize social media to build awareness and share actions to their immediate networks.

Prompts – Visual or auditory reminders closest to the desired behavior:

In the community we see this most often with visually appealing receptacle signage. Restaurants can include prompts on their ordering menu to forgo single-use to-go items.

Incentives – Reward positive behavior, include promotions, gamify the challenges:

Business initiatives could strategically promote deals that encourage multiple sustainable actions like recycling + composting instead only recycling. Work teams and friends can take part in friendly competitions. Business, and community organizations can offer raffle prizes.

Convenience – Make doing the right thing easier, or the unsustainable action less convenient:

We have seen this with centralized receptacle stations. Green events can make reusables more appealing. Municipalities like the City of Berkeley, include single-use to-go item fees.

When it comes to fostering sustainable behavior change it is important to understand the underlying psychology that perpetuates our decisions.

What actions do I want people to take? What are the barriers? How can I overcome those barriers? These are important questions to ask.

Looking for Plastic Free July Challenge Resources?

Fillgood.co, based in Berkeley, has a great weekly step-by-step challenge and other great examples of what individuals can do in the home and community.

Also, the Berkeley Ecology Center has free stellar resources and events available throughout the month.

# # #