Recycling Works Newsletter Spring 2023
RBAC's quarterly newsletter discusses current topics of interest to recycling businesses, including information on financing opportunities, commodity markets and new technologies.
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New Staff Announcement
RBAC is pleased to announce that Marc Boettger has joined the state's recycling office in April 2023 as a Recycling Business Development Specialist. Marc provides assistance to North Carolina recycling companies and manages grant programs for recycling businesses. Before joining RBAC Marc was an Economic Development Specialist with Triangle J Council of Governments. Marc can be reached at marc.boettger@deq.nc.gov.
Updated Emails for All RBAC Staff
DEQ has updated our emails to end in @deq.nc.gov!
For the next few years, emails sent to our old email address ending in @ncdenr.gov will be forwarded to the new addresses ending in @deq.nc.gov, but we encourage you to go ahead and update our email addresses in your contact lists now to avoid any issues down the road.
New NC WasteTrader Site
Visit the new NC WasteTrader website at wastetrader.deq.nc.gov. NC WasteTrader is a free online exchange service to market reusable or recyclable commodities. Businesses, industries, recycling companies, waste haulers, local governments, institutions and other commercial generators of waste commodities can visit NC WasteTrader to list available and wanted materials, and search for potential new feedstocks.
2023 Grant Awards
Recycling Business Development Grants
RBAC is awarding $442,500 to ten North Carolina recycling companies through the 2023 Recycling Business Development Grant program. The grants are projected to create 135 jobs and generate an investment of more than $1.66 million in recycling infrastructure improvements. For more information and a list of grantees, read the press release.
Food Waste Reduction Grants
The Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (DEACS) is awarding funding to 11 organizations through the first Food Waste Reduction grant opportunity to develop North Carolina’s food waste diversion infrastructure. Seven businesses and four local governments received a total of $393,264 and are projected to divert 20,292 tons of food waste from landfills. For more information and a list of grantees, read the press release.
PET Grants to NC Companies
The Recycling Partnership's PET Recycling Coalition has awarded $950,000 in grants to improve PET recycling and circularity. Five grants were given to various businesses, including Republic Services and Direct Pack Recycling in North Carolina. Republic Services plans to use the grant to install an optical sorter in their Conover, NC facility, enabling the capture of an additional 300,000 pounds of PET bottles and thermoforms annually. California-based Direct Pack Recycling, who is also a recipient of a 2023 RBAC grant award aims to build a reclamation facility in Rockingham, NC, designed to recycle higher volumes of PET thermoforms. These grants will contribute to increasing PET capture and enhancing recycling infrastructure in North Carolina.
Circular Economy Council
Leaders of the recycling and materials management industry gathered in Raleigh on April 27th and June 6th for the first and second meetings of North Carolina’s Circular Economy Council. The mission of the group convened by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is to provide guidance on how North Carolina can create a more resilient materials management system, strengthen the economy and protect the environment. Members of the Council include leaders from across the industry who will collaborate on innovative solutions, such as business and infrastructure development.
Powerhouse Recycling Announces North Carolina's First Dedicated Solar Recycling Line
This fall, Powerhouse Recycling plans to open the state’s first dedicated solar panel recycling line in Salisbury, NC. Investments in the specialized machinery will allow for 98-100% pure recovery of solar panel commodities; recovering the silicon, metals, glass, plastics, and aluminum. The company plans to have multiple locations around the country by the end of 2024, with facilities in North Carolina and Georgia operational this year.
EPA Offers Clarification on Lithium-Ion Battery Waste and Disposal
The EPA’s Lithium Battery Recycling Regulatory Status and Frequently Asked Questions memorandum clarifies that most lithium-ion batteries are considered hazardous waste at the end of their life. These batteries can be managed under streamlined hazardous waste management standards for universal waste until they are recycled or disposed of. The EPA emphasizes the importance of recycling lithium-ion batteries to protect the environment and communities. The clarification aims to provide regulatory certainty, ensuring safe and compliant battery recycling in the circular economy.