CRRA2021

Managing Director

Mike has 28 years’ experience managing recycling programs for a variety of product categories including household hazardous waste, paint, electronics, mercury containing lights and mattresses. As the Managing Director for the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), he is responsible for legislatively mandated statewide mattress collection programs in Connecticut, Rhode Island and California.

MRC update (will customize if abstract is accepted)

The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) just celebrated our 5th year anniversary in California and is happy to report expanded service to more communities, increased landfill diversion and an improving recycling rate despite the pandemic. Statewide, the program exceeded our 2020 expectations by collecting over 1.5 million mattresses and box-springs for recycling. However, it was not without challenges.  Covid-19 closed 25% of MRC’s fixed collection network in the Spring, cancelled 91 community collection events and recyclers closures required complicated and costly transportation diversions. While consumer demand for mattresses and furniture products surged, transportation resources and staffing shortages taxed the program. MRC has since established new procedures, policies and research projects to protect the organization for future disruptions. With over 80% of mattress discards now being diverted from California landfills, we are preparing the organization for a sustainable future.

West Coast Program Manager

Jeremy Jones is West Coast Program Manager for PaintCare. In a previous role at PaintCare, he recruited and set up more than 100 retail paint collection sites to coincide with the launch of Minnesota program in 2014. Prior to joining PaintCare, Jeremy worked at Hennepin County in Minneapolis, with a focus on environmental programs and legislation to address carbon emissions reduction, material management and recycling. He holds a Bachelor's degree in political science from Gustavus Adolphus College and a Master's of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Minnesota.

PaintCare (details to follow)

With the support of its program partners, PaintCare celebrated a successful 10^th year of operation as an organization and built on many successes in the year eight of the California program. As was true for many organizations, the impact of COVID-19 was abrupt and deeply felt. The volume of paint collection plummeted in March and April 2020. At the lowest point, 58% of the program’s roughly 800 year-round sites temporarily suspended participation. In a time filled with uncertainties, PaintCare consulted with stakeholders and its retail partners to chart a path forward. The summer months of 2020 were a critical time for restoring services with adaptations and accommodating pent up demand. Though COVID-19 continues to impact our lives in 2021, PaintCare aims to make its program a safe and consistent resource as people try to cope and thrive in a changed world.

Executive Director

Pending - Bob's on the east coast

Carpet & Covid: Navigating the Pandemic

Despite the challenges of Covid 19, CARE’s carpet stewardship program has taken aggressive actions to ensure the viability of the State’s carpet recycling infrastructure. This included two special Covid payments, enhanced subsidies and introduction of an early submission payout protocol to aid cashflow pressures. As a result, the recycling rate did not plummet as initially expected. Reuse efforts for tile moved forward despite delays and grant investments in infrastructure and collections continued. In addition, unanticipated increases in transportation costs and market shutdowns were managed to the degree possible.  This presentation will focus on the actions taken and their impact on our recycling rate and activities along with estimates of future recovery implications will be described.  

President

Mark is the president of Product Care Association based in Vancouver, BC, Canada.  Product Care is a non-profit industry association that operates product stewardship programs across Canada on behalf of its members and also as program manager for other stewardship organizations. 

Products and programs managed by Product Care include paint, lighting products, flammable liquids, pesticides, smoke alarms. 

PCA also operates the Washington State Mercury Containing Lamps “LightRecycle” program.  Mark became the president of Product Care Association in 2002 and is a qualified lawyer.