NH Recycles helps communities and organizations strengthen recycling and solid waste management through cooperative marketing, technical assistance, education, training, and industry connections.
We offer two types of membership:
Municipal Membership is for municipalities and solid waste districts that can take advantage of NH Recycles' cooperative marketing and municipal services.
Associate Membership is for businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, trade associations, vendors, haulers, individuals, and other organizations that want to participate in and support the NH Recycles network.
Our mission is to strengthen recycling through economically and environmentally sound solutions—and our membership programs are how we put that mission into practice.
Your Community Doesn't Have to Navigate Recycling Alone
Managing recycling and solid waste is complicated.
Markets change. Transportation costs fluctuate. Vendors have different requirements. Material quality affects pricing. And when something goes wrong with a load, someone needs to advocate for your community.
That’s where NH Recycles comes in.
Through our cooperative model, municipal members gain access to recycling markets, experienced staff, trusted vendors, technical expertise, education, and the collective negotiating power of communities across New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
Our goal is simple:
Help members manage materials effectively, control costs, protect recycling revenue, and make informed decisions.
Cooperative Marketing: Strength in Numbers
One of the biggest benefits of Municipal Membership is access to NH Recycles' Cooperative Marketing program.
Instead of every municipality navigating recycling markets and negotiating with vendors on its own, NH Recycles brings together the collective volume and experience of participating communities.
That gives individual municipalities something they may not have on their own: Leverage.
We Negotiate for Our Members
NH Recycles works directly with recycling vendors and end markets to negotiate pricing, transportation, terms, and services on behalf of participating municipal members.
Because we represent communities collectively, we can often negotiate more favorable pricing or terms than an individual municipality could obtain on its own.
We don't simply accept the first option available.
Our staff maintains relationships with multiple reputable vendors, compares available outlets, evaluates commodity pricing and transportation costs, and works to find the best overall value for our members.
Your Bottom Line Matters to Us
NH Recycles is a cooperative-model nonprofit. We don't have shareholders - we have members.
That distinction matters.
Our goal is to help members get the best overall financial and operational value from the materials they manage. Depending on the material and market, that may mean:
Maximizing recycling revenue
Reducing transportation costs
Negotiating better vendor pricing or terms
Finding lower-cost outlets
Avoiding disposal costs by diverting material from the waste stream
Identifying operational changes that improve a community's bottom line
The highest commodity price isn't always the best deal. NH Recycles considers commodity value, transportation costs, material quality, vendor reliability, market requirements, operational needs, and avoided disposal costs to help identify the best overall value for the member.
Our success is measured by how well we serve our members—not by generating returns for shareholders.
More Than a Marketing Transaction
NH Recycles provides far more than simply arranging a load.
Our cooperative marketing services include market knowledge, logistics coordination, vendor communication, troubleshooting, advocacy, and technical support before, during, and after a transaction.
Recycling transactions don't always go according to plan.
A load may be downgraded. Contamination or a scale ticket may be questioned. A price may not match expectations. Equipment may be damaged. A vendor may change specifications or stop accepting a material.
You don't have to work through those problems alone.
NH Recycles works directly with members and vendors to:
Advocate for members when questions or disputes arise
Resolve pricing, grading, contamination, and quality issues
Negotiate with vendors on member concerns
Identify alternative markets when conditions change
Coordinate transportation and logistics
Help facilities improve material quality and maximize value
Stay ahead of changing specifications and market requirements
Often, our staff is working through market and vendor issues before members ever need to worry about them!
One Call Connects You to Markets Across the Waste Stream
NH Recycles helps municipal members manage a wide range of materials, including:
Cardboard & Paper
OCC/cardboard, mixed paper, newspaper, office paper, and other fiber grades.
Containers
Aluminum cans, steel cans, plastics, single-stream, dual-stream, and other container programs.
Glass
Processed glass aggregate and clean glass bottles and jars.
Metals & Special Materials
Scrap metal, automotive batteries, electronics, tires, propane tanks, bulbs, ballasts, and other special materials.
Waste & Diversion Programs
Construction and demolition debris, household hazardous waste, municipal solid waste, and other diversion opportunities.
Have a material you're not sure what to do with?
Call us. Finding solutions is part of what membership is for.
Market Knowledge You Can Use
Recycling markets change constantly, and those changes directly affect what communities pay—or earn—for the materials they manage.
NH Recycles closely tracks recycling markets and provides municipal members with a proprietary Monthly Market Update that is available only through the member section of our website.
The update brings together current market pricing and industry information to help operators understand what is happening in the recycling markets and why.
That context can help members explain questions such as:
Why did the value of a material increase or decrease?
Why does a material that once generated revenue now have a cost?
Why are transportation costs affecting pricing?
Why are markets accepting some materials but not others?
Why are contamination and material quality so important?
What broader market conditions are affecting the town’s recycling program?
Having access to that information helps operators better understand the market conditions behind their recycling program—and gives them the knowledge they need to answer questions from select boards, town administrators, residents, and other local officials.
NH Recycles handles the bidding and marketing of participating members’ materials, while keeping members informed about the market conditions driving pricing and market changes.
Technical Assistance Comes With Membership
Sometimes you don't need a vendor.
You just need someone knowledgeable to call.
NH Recycles staff work with municipal solid waste facilities every day and understand the realities of operating transfer stations and recycling centers, particularly in small and rural communities.
Members can contact us for help with:
- Facility operations and efficiency - Recycling and waste diversion - Equipment and infrastructure - Material storage and handling - Contamination reduction - Recycling markets - Vendor questions - Resident education - Signage and traffic flow - NHDES reporting - Grant opportunities - NH the Beautiful programs - And the unexpected questions that come with running a solid waste facility!
Technical assistance may happen by phone or email, through a site visit, or by connecting you with another community that has solved a similar problem.
Cooperative Purchasing
Municipal members can also take advantage of cooperative purchasing opportunities for select recycling equipment and supplies.
Current offerings include:
Storage containers and trailers
Baling wire and strapping
By purchasing cooperatively, members can benefit from pricing and terms negotiated on behalf of participating communities.
Education & Operator Training
Municipal members have access to training and educational opportunities throughout the year.
These may include:
Member Operations & Marketing Meetings
Bus tours
Roundtables
Workshops
Safety training
Technical training
NH Recycles Annual Meeting
Annual Recycling Conference
Opportunities to earn NHDES continuing education credits
These events are designed around the practical issues municipal operators and officials deal with every day.
Recycling Education
Need help communicating with residents?
NH Recycles can help communities explain recycling programs clearly and consistently.
We can also help communities develop messaging tailored to their facility and local recycling program.
Data & Reporting
Municipal members receive an Annual Activity Report summarizing cooperative marketing and purchasing transactions.
That information can help communities complete the NHDES Annual Facility Report and understand their recycling activity over the course of the year.
Members also receive a customized Environmental Impact Report showing the environmental benefits associated with materials recycled through NH Recycles.
A Network of People Who Understand Your Work
Municipal Membership also connects operators and local officials with peers throughout New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and beyond.
Members can:
Participate in municipal member discussions
Attend operator meetings and roundtables
Ask questions of other communities
Share successful approaches
Learn from facilities facing similar challenges
Build relationships with vendors and industry professionals
You don't have to reinvent the wheel every time a new issue comes up.
What Does Municipal Membership Cost?
Municipal Membership is available to municipalities and solid waste districts.
Annual dues are:
$0.09 per capita
Minimum: $200
Maximum: $2,000
Municipal members also have voting privileges at NH Recycles annual and special membership meetings.
For many communities, the financial value created through cooperative marketing, vendor negotiation, technical assistance, education, and staff support can far exceed the cost of annual membership.
Questions about whether Municipal Membership makes sense for your community?
Contact us. We're happy to talk through your current program, materials, and needs.
Associate Membership
Not a Municipality? You Can Still Be Part of NH Recycles.
Associate Membership is available to businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, trade associations, vendors, haulers, individuals, and other organizations that are not eligible for Municipal Membership but want to connect with and support NH Recycles.
Associate Membership provides opportunities to engage with the recycling and solid waste community, participate in NH Recycles programs and events, and support our work strengthening recycling throughout the region.
Associate Member Benefits
Associate members receive:
Discounts on registration for the NH Recycles Annual Recycling Conference (pictured), Annual Meeting, workshops, and other paid events
Subscription to the Full of Scrap newsletter
Free classified postings on the NH Recycles website and in Full of Scrap
Opportunities to connect with municipal solid waste operators, recycling professionals, vendors, and others throughout the NH Recycles network
Opportunities to participate in NH Recycles programs and events
The opportunity to support NH Recycles' nonprofit mission and our work serving communities throughout New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts
Membership for Businesses & Organizations
If you participate in NH Recycles through your work, we encourage the business or organization itself to become the Associate Member.
Organizational membership allows colleagues throughout the organization to participate in NH Recycles programs and member opportunities while building an ongoing relationship between the organization and NH Recycles.
Associate members already include businesses, recycling and waste companies, service providers, nonprofits, government agencies, and other organizations involved in recycling and solid waste management.
Annual Associate Membership Dues
Businesses, Government Agencies & Trade Associations: $250 Nonprofit Organizations: $150
If you work for an organization that would benefit from membership, we encourage the organization itself to become an Associate Member, allowing colleagues across the organization to participate in NH Recycles programs and member opportunities.
Individual Membership: $75
Individual membership is also available for people who would like to support and participate in NH Recycles independently rather than through an employer or organization.
NH Recycles was built on the idea that communities can accomplish more by working together.
Today, that cooperative approach helps members access markets, negotiate with vendors, solve operational challenges, share knowledge, and build stronger recycling programs.
Whether you're a municipality looking for hands-on support or an organization looking to connect with New England's recycling community, there is a place for you at NH Recycles.
