A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE LEADERS OF NRC AND RONA

Leaders of the Recycling Organizations of North America (RONA) and the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) have announced plans to move forward with formal cooperative efforts. Both have agreed that collaboration is essential if recycling is to move forward in North America. Leaders of the two organizations met on August 15 prior to the Resource Recycling Conference in Indianapolis, and followed that meeting with a public forum the next day to discuss these next steps and other ideas with current and potential members.

Beyond the collaborative approach, the organizations hope to better understand each other, determine steps to move this industry/movement forward, find common ground, identify needs, respond to feedback and requests from ROs. The groups also hope to foster and enhance formal cooperation among the state, provincial and regional recycling organizations and other local, state, national and international organizations.

"We want to create an organization that is continental in scope, that is all-inclusive and yet culturally, geographically and demographically diverse" the two groups concluded. To this end, NRC and RONA have committed to creating a steering committee made up of members of both boards and a Recycling Organization representative. This Steering Committee will be tasked with defining how to complement each other's efforts, define roles and responsibilities, determine structure, and fulfill effective member services.

Issues that will be ironed out by the steering committee include the future of an annual recycling conference, and deciding how each will continue to honor individual contracts and programs. RONA has existing relationships with sponsors of discount programs such as with Rubbermaid, it has advanced work with RONA U on designing new bins for on-campus use and developing best practices and creating zero waste principles for campuses. Additionally, RONA is currently engaged in a contractual grant relationship with the U.S Department of Labor and with colleges throughout North America to create standards for certification for the recycling industry. NRC's scholarship program and affiliated state organization agreements are obligations pushing programs forward. NRC also intends to continue its monthly webinar series and the NRC E-News.

Mark Lichtenstein, President of NRC, is confident that the cooperative agreement will bring positive results and foster a collaborative, rather than competitive, environment. "This plan maps out a strategy that will assure a complementary, rather than redundant, relationship between RONA and NRC, enabling us to once again move recycling forward."

Marjorie Griek, Chair of RONA, echoed that sentiment. "We sense a real synergism coming from this partnership that will enhance the stature of sustainable resource management across North America."

For more information:

Mark Lichtenstein, President, NRC, [email protected], (315) 591-8561

Marjorie Griek, President, RONA, [email protected], (720) 839-9531