Zero Waste USA Announces The Recycle Cornucopia Program

Ruth Abbe, President of Zero Waste USA has just announced “Civic and environmental organizations, small businesses, local agencies and local officials will be able to obtain free technical assistance on waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and composting policies and programs from the Recycling Cornucopia Program of Zero Waste USA”. Neil Seldman, former director of the Waste to Wealth Initiative of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance brings 48 years of experience to Zero Waste USA.

Neil will direct the Recycling Cornucopia Program, which complements Zero Waste USA’s other programs: the Compostable Organics Out of Landfills Now (COOL Now) Program and the Zero Waste Training and Certification Program. Seldman also co-chairs Zero Waste USA’s Save the Albatross Coalition with Captain Charles Moore of the Agalita Marine Research Foundation.

Neil Seldman enthusiastically shared “The Recycling Cornucopia Program will be able to annually serve 12 communities on the precipice of a break-through moving their communities toward Zero Waste.” Seldman continued “In addition to assisting specific locales, the Recycling Cornucopia Program will also offer support to national and international Zero Waste organizations including Zero Waste International Alliance, Zero Waste Europe, Global Anti Incineration Alliance, and numerous local US Zero Waste organizations.

If a community or organization would like to be considered for the program, they should carefully review the website and then contact Neil Seldman at [email protected]. Please provide contact name, the organization name and location. Briefly describe the Zero Waste challenge you are facing - such as: a proposed incinerator; closing an existing incinerator a proposed landfill; poor recycling, reuse and composting programs; how to access federal infrastructure investment funding; or developing a Zero Waste Plan and Implementation Schedule.

The following communities have been selected for the 2023 Recycling Cornucopia:

State - Jurisdiction - Objectives

MD - Montgomery County - Close the Dickerson Incinerator

MI - Detroit - Prepare Zero Waste Plan, work with city to implement plan

MN - Minneapolis - Close the HERC incinerator

NY - Warren County - Direct marketing of materials to regional mills to earn mill prices and not pay processing fees to save rural counties money.

Central Appalachia - Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky - Implementing Zero Waste businesses and programs throughout the region

Zero Waste USA is a national nonprofit formed in 1996 - as GrassRoots Recycling Network, to inspire communities to embrace and achieve Zero Waste. Zero Waste USA is a National Affiliate of the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA). Both groups and their affiliates work to drive systemic change towards Zero Waste using environmental and social justice principles.

Zero Waste USA is the host the 3rd annual National Zero Waste Conference, a popular two-day virtual educational and networking event. Zero Waste Business is the focus on Wednesday, November 30 and Zero Waste Communities on Thursday, December 1, 2022. All interested parties are welcome to attend – managers, employees, municipal staff, elected officials, community advocates, job seekers and students of any age. Discounts are available for advocates and students. For more information please visit the conference website.