Chapters Lead with Advocacy, Education and Events!

1.   ADVOCATING: The Colorado Composting Council has been busy this winter/spring with a “truth in labeling” bill aimed at regulating compostable labeling to decrease contamination. A COCC leader, Clinton Sander, is representing the industry on the state’s advisory council for its Extended Producer Responsibility program which is in data gathering/planning stages now. The Ohio Organics Council (OHOC) has been working on arranging a meeting with federal representative on the Compost Act; MD-DC worked hard on a successful (albeit amended) bill to increase the footprint on which on-farm composting can happen Maryland; and the Florida Composting Council has launched out the gate with visits to the Florida Statehouse!

 

2. LEADING: The Iowa Composting Council elected its new board: Jennifer Trent - Chapter Director, John Foster - Chairperson; Abe Sandquist - Vice-Chairperson, Karmin McShane - Secretary, and directors Ken Miller, Jeff Phillips, Jeff Bradley and David Wittry.

• The Nebraska Chapter elected leaders in March: Nash Leef: City of Lincoln (President); Suzanne Gates, (Vice President and NRC Board Liaison) Jean Waters: Independent Consultant (Secretary); NRC staff (Treasurer and Staff Support)

3. EDUCATING: Mark your Calendar for the Midwest Composting School training event on June 20 - 22, 2023 in Ames, IA. Visit www.aep.iastate.edu/compost for more information.

• The North Carolina Composting Council played a major role in the Carolina Recycling Conference by supplying speakers/sessions and providing a facility tour. Conference goers visited the Wilmington Composting Company site lead by Riley Alber, the co-owner. Attendees saw a property that is in planning for the future home of the WCC Type 3 facility.
• NJCC is gearing up for their annual Organic Waste Management Summit. They are seeking speakers-apply here!
• Exploring the World of Biochar: Both the MNCC and NJCC held webinars on biochar during the past quarter! This technology is growing in interest for composters. See their websites to find out more about their past webinars.
• Organics is on the menu at the Michigan Recycling and Organics Conference because of the Michigan Organics Council. See more here.

 4. EVENTS AND GRANT WRITING: The OHOC is waiting to hear – cross your fingers! – about a grant they worked on in Q1 to fund five live events hosted in Ohio, to showcase exemplary compost locations. Leaders Tim Steckel, Mary Wicks and Angel Arroyo-Rodriguez worked on the application.