Businesses Invited to Participate in Environmental Project

The Northeast Recycling Council, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Business Resource Center, is seeking companies in New Hampshire to participate in a pilot project promoting environmentally-friendly purchasing practices by New Hampshire companies.

NERC in partnership with the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, the Maine State Planning Office and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has developed an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing pilot program, which encourages northern New England companies to purchase products that have less adverse impacts on the environment while improving overall community and employee health and safety. Through a peer-to-peer initiative, companies with an existing EPP program will assist businesses in developing an EPP program by offering peer-to-peer collaboration, as needed.

“The purchasing practices of the business sector directly impact the environment and public health,” said Project Advisor James Robb of the NHBRC. “By participating in an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program and by using more environmentally friendly products, businesses can decrease the toxicity and overall amount of their solid waste stream, as well as improve their energy efficiency. For example, a company could use recycled plastic lumber for a construction project, or a company could require a vendor to take back, or minimize the packaging materials used in the delivery of products, thereby reducing the company’s solid waste disposal.

“Through the Northeast Recycling Council’s unique, peer-based Environmentally Preferable Purchasing initiative, mentor businesses will share how their existing EPP programs can also help participant businesses realize the economic benefits of being more environmentally responsible.”

NERC is currently seeking a New Hampshire company with an existing EPP program to serve as a “mentor business” for this innovative peer-to-peer EPP project; and also, a New Hampshire company interested in developing an EPP program and located in a municipality with fewer than 10,000 people is invited to become a “participant business” in this project.

For additional information or to participate in the peer-to-peer EPP project either as a “mentor business” or a “participant business,” please contact the Project Advisor, James Robb of the Business Resource Center, by calling 271-2591, or by email, jrobb@dred.state.nh.us.