NH Recycles has been honored with the Environmental Leadership Award for Outstanding Program from the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC). The award recognizes NH Recycles’ proactive and timely efforts to expand composting education and food waste diversion across New Hampshire.
NH Recycles work was particularly impactful ahead of New Hampshire's first food waste disposal ban, which went into effect February 1, 2025. Ahead of the ban, NH Recycles developed several key programs including the state’s only Composting & Food Waste Diversion Map, an accessible online tool that makes it easier for residents and transfer stations to find locations for diverting food waste, thereby reducing reliance on landfills.
To further educate transfer station operators, residents, and businesses, NH Recycles hosted a Composting Bus Tour, created a Composting & Food Waste Diversion Toolkit, and partnered with NHDES and the Maine Composting School on a 2-day Composting Workshop Series. This multi-pronged approach provided hands-on education and practical resources for communities to adopt composting programs more easily.
Crucially, NH Recycles lead the authoring of the Wasted Food brief for New Hampshire’s Food and Agriculture Strategic Plan, which created a foundational roadmap for statewide food waste reduction efforts, joining forces with other leaders in composting, food rescue, and waste diversion. This work, along with the Composting Map, was later leveraged at the NH Food System Statewide Gathering, demonstrating how NH Recycles' initiatives build lasting knowledge and resources that drive tangible action toward a more sustainable and circular economy.
The NH Recycles team accepted the award in person at the NERC Rethink Resource Use Conference in Boston, MA on October 7th. The award was presented to NH Recycles Executive Director Reagan Bissonnette by NERC Board President Mike Nork. Reagan offered particular thanks to the NH Recycles staff that headed up the composting and food waste diversion work: Education and Grants Manager Andrea Folsom and Member Services Director Brian Patnoe.
NH Recycles Executive Director Reagan Bissonnette accepts the Environmental Leadership Award for Outstanding Program from NERC's Board President Mike Nork.
NH Recycles Member Services Director Brian Patnoe and Education & Grants Manager Andrea Folsom look on and listen to the presentation for NH Recycles' award.
All four of NERC's Environmental Leadership Award winners for Outstanding Program - NH Recycles; Outstanding Organization - Boston Children's Hospital; Outstanding Community - City of Medford, MA; and Outstanding Leader - Paige Wilson.
Brian, Reagan, Steve, and Andrea were all VERY excited to accept the Outstanding Program award on behalf of NH Recycles!
