What NERC does

Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC) is a multi-state 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1987 by the Council of State Governments and headquartered in Brattleboro, Vermont. It serves as the regional coordinator for sustainable materials management across 11 Northeastern states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont), bridging informational gaps between state environmental agencies, municipalities, recyclers, processors, brand owners, and trade associations. NERC delivers an integrated portfolio of educational and convening programs: the annual Rethink Resource Use Conference (193 attendees in 2024, moving to Princeton, NJ in October 2026), free public webinars (700+ participants across 15 events, 96% satisfaction), instructor-led professional development courses developed with Resource Recycling and RRS, quarterly MRF Commodity Values market data reports, and six substantive committees plus three workgroups that convene 137 individuals from 69 organizations. Specialized programs include the Emerging Professionals Program, the Sustainable Materials Career Program with ReMA and UMass Lowell, the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse, and the Vermont Statewide E-Cycles Program.

NERC's business model is membership-funded, with approximately half of revenue derived from state member agency dues and tiered advisory member dues ($625 for non-profits, governments, and academics; $750-$6,725 for corporations based on revenue size), with a 10% discount offered for 3-year commitments. The remaining revenue comes from event registration and sponsorships (Presenting $1,000, Gold $750, Supporting $500), professional development course fees ($295-$450), and contract services including interest on financial assets and reimbursed expenses. NERC distributes through a 9,000+ subscriber newsletter, social channels (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), free public webinars, the annual conference, and state-specific resource pages. The organization operates with a lean team of four staff and recently adopted a Chemical Recycling Policy Position (May 2025) and launched an Organics Management Committee (2025), signaling continued programmatic expansion across material verticals and adjacent states.

Name

NERC

Legal name

Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.

Website

https://nerc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) is a multi-state 501(c)(3) non-profit that convenes 11 state environmental agencies and nearly 100 advisory organizations across the Northeast to advance sustainable materials management through education, conferences, market data, and committee collaboration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Materials Management Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Sustainable materials management
• Recycling education programs
• Multi-state environmental coordination
• Professional development courses
• Membership-based nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brattleboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: State and advisory member dues make up approximately half of NERC's revenue. State members pay dues representing their respective state agencies. Advisory members pay tiered dues based on organizational type and annual revenue (ranging from $625 for non-profits to $6,725 for large corporations).
2. Event Registration and Sponsorships: Revenue from Rethink Resource Use Annual Conference registration fees and sponsorships. Conference attracts 193+ attendees with sponsorship tiers including Presenting ($1,000), Gold ($750), and Supporting ($500). Webinar sponsorships also generate revenue.
3. Professional Development Courses: Revenue from instructor-led professional development courses including 'Foundations of Sustainable Materials and Recycling' and 'Sustainable Materials and Recycling Policy' developed in partnership with Resource Recycling and RRS. Courses are priced at $295-$435 for members and $365-$450 for non-members.
4. Contract Services and Other Sources: Remaining funds derived from interest on financial assets, reimbursed expenses, and other miscellaneous contract services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NERC is a multi-state 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that advances sustainable materials management across 11 Northeast U.S. states by delivering educational programs, professional development courses, an annual conference, public webinars, career development initiatives, electronics recycling coordination, and quarterly market data reports. Its offerings are delivered through in-person events, virtual sessions, member-exclusive committees and workgroups, and online resources that connect state environmental agencies, recyclers, processors, brand owners, and municipalities. Revenue is generated primarily through tiered membership dues, conference and course registration fees, and event sponsorships.

Product overview

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) is a multi-state 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering an integrated portfolio of educational programs, professional development courses, industry conferences, and collaborative committee structures focused on sustainable materials management and recycling in the Northeast U.S. The organization does not offer a software product or technology platform; rather, its offerings consist of in-person and virtual learning experiences (the Rethink Resource Use Conference, professional development courses, webinars), career and workforce development programs (Emerging Professionals Program, Sustainable Materials Career Program), coordination clearinghouses (Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse, Vermont E-Cycles Program), market intelligence reports (MRF Commodity Values Reports), and member-exclusive committees and working groups. These offerings work together to advance NERC's mission of minimizing waste and conserving natural resources through facilitated collaboration and action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rethink Resource Use Conference Three-day annual conference convening leaders, innovators, and practitioners in sustainable materials management, featuring keynote presentations, expert sessions, facility tours, networking, and the Emerging Professionals program. October 5-7, 2026 in Princeton, NJ.
• Foundations of Sustainable Materials and Recycling Course Live, instructor-led professional development course providing foundational knowledge of recycling history, market dynamics, and circular-economy principles, delivered with real-time discussions and interactive exercises.
• Sustainable Materials and Recycling Policy Course Live, instructor-led course examining U.S. recycling policies and frameworks, key policy drivers, and how regulations shape recycling initiatives, delivered with RRS experts including Jim Frey, Resa Dimino, and Garth Hickle.
• Professional Development Webinars and Forums Free educational webinars and forums addressing critical sustainability and market development topics, including textile recycling, organics management, battery lifecycle, AI in waste streams, bio-medical plastics recycling, and material reuse.
• Emerging Professionals Program Program connecting early-career professionals in sustainable materials management with seasoned industry professionals through mentorship, networking, and discounted conference access.
• Sustainable Materials Career Program (SMCP) Program that introduces college students to career pathways in sustainable materials management and recycling through career exploration events, professional development opportunities, and industry exposure, in partnership with ReMA and UMass Lowell.
• Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC) Forum for coordination and information exchange among state and local agencies implementing electronics recycling laws and all impacted stakeholders, administered with the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER).
• Vermont E-Cycles Program Free statewide drop-off and recycling program for computers, monitors, televisions, printers, and computer peripherals from Vermont households and eligible organizations.
• Northeast MRF Commodity Values Reports Quarterly market data reports tracking fluctuations in the value of commodities processed by Materials Recovery Facilities in the region, expanding to represent 12 states including Virginia and 19 MRFs.
• Committee and Work Group Programs Member-exclusive collaborative programs comprising six substantive committees (Bottle Bill, Glass Markets, Regional Recycling Markets, Organics Management, CIRCLE, Textiles Management) and three workgroups (Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Material Reuse, Demand and Supply Side Policy), engaging 137 individuals from 69 organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of survey participants reported webinars and forums to be valuable
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Recycled Materials Association (ReMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReMA is the Innovative Partner supporting NERC's Sustainable Materials Career Program. ReMA provides Recycling Jobs Day materials and connects students to career ambassadors in the recycling industry. This partnership addresses the talent gap in sustainable materials management by exposing students to career pathways.
• UMass LowellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMass Lowell serves as the Academic Partner for NERC's Sustainable Materials Career Program. The university collaboration helps expose students to careers in sustainable materials management and provides academic credibility to the program.
• Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM) at SUNY ESFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NERC to execute the first three-day Rethink Resource Use Conference with 193 attendees. The collaboration brought together academic and industry expertise for the annual event.
• Institute for Sustainability Engagement at Syracuse UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with NERC on the Rethink Resource Use Conference 2024, contributing sustainability engagement expertise to the regional event.
• Resource RecyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNERC developed professional development courses in partnership with Resource Recycling, leveraging their industry expertise to deliver 'Foundations of Sustainable Materials and Recycling' and 'Sustainable Materials and Recycling Policy' courses.
• Resource Recycling Systems (RRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRRS co-developed NERC's professional development courses. RRS experts including Jim Frey (Co-Founder), Resa Dimino (Co-CEO), and Garth Hickle (Managing Director) serve as course instructors.
• National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNERC administers the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC) managed by NCER. Also jointly administers the Vermont Statewide E-Cycles Program providing free electronics recycling drop-off statewide.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Recycling Council of Ontario / Recycling Council of British Columbia: Provincial recycling councils in Canada (e.g., RCO, RCBC) operate as regional nonprofit associations focused on sustainable materials management, structurally parallel to NERC but for Canadian provinces. They pursue similar membership, advocacy, and educational missions and overlap with NERC's U.S./Canada webinar audience.

Broad incumbents

• Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI): ISRI is the national trade association representing the scrap recycling industry, including processors and brokers that overlap with NERC's advisory membership base. It runs a large annual convention and serves as a broader-incumbent counterpart to NERC's regional trade-association role.
• Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA): SWANA is the largest North American trade association for solid waste and recycling professionals, running an annual conference (WASTECON) and industry certifications. NERC partners with SWANA-adjacent organizations and competes for similar advisory members and conference sponsorships, making SWANA the most comparable broad incumbent.

Direct peers

• National Recycling Coalition: The National Recycling Coalition is a national nonprofit advocating for recycling-based manufacturers and convening industry stakeholders, paralleling NERC's role but at the national rather than regional level. It serves overlapping advisory member types (processors, brand owners, municipalities) and runs comparable educational events and policy advocacy.
• Product Stewardship Institute: PSI is a nonprofit that works with state and local governments to develop and implement producer responsibility and product stewardship programs. It directly parallels NERC's policy-coordination role across state agencies and is a comparable convener for EPR-adjacent advisory members in the Northeast.
• The Recycling Partnership: The Recycling Partnership is a national nonprofit focused on improving recycling systems through funding, technical assistance, and data — operating in many of the same 11 Northeast states as NERC. It targets similar stakeholder segments (MRFs, municipalities, brand owners) and competes for advisory memberships and corporate sponsorship dollars.

Others

• Resource Recycling, Inc. Resource Recycling publishes industry-leading periodicals (Resource Recycling magazine) and is NERC's co-development partner for professional development courses. They are a content/media peer rather than direct competitor, but compete for attention from the same professional audience for paid educational products.

Emerging players

• Container Recycling Institute: CRI is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing beverage container recycling, overlapping with NERC's Bottle Bill and Glass Markets committees. It serves a narrower scope but competes for similar advocacy mindshare among state environmental agencies.
• Closed Loop Partners: Closed Loop Partners is a circular economy-focused investment firm and incubator building recycling and reuse infrastructure. While primarily investor-driven, it interacts with the same corporate advisory member set as NERC and increasingly shapes the policy landscape NERC influences.
• U.S. Composting Council: USCC is a national trade and advocacy organization for the organics recycling/composting industry. NERC's 2025 launch of an Organics Management Committee signals overlap with USCC's mission and could create partnership or competitive dynamics for organics-focused advisory members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NERecycling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northeast-recycling-council-inc--nerc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/northeastrecycling
• Facebookfacebook.com/20

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NERC