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Powering the science of sustainable resource management

Our world faces a growing challenge to address how people create, use, and discard the materials that make our lives. With more than 30 years of experience, EREF is the proven source for unbiased, scientific reports and analysis on sustainable materials management.

Advancing a sustainable economy

Instead of a linear economy—which moves raw materials through manufacturing, distribution, and consumption to create waste—we imagine a circular economy that keeps materials moving through reuse, repair, redistribution, and recycling to preserve natural resources and minimize climate-altering emissions.

How we advance circularity

Our impact is driven by our core research pillars

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GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

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EMERGING CONTAMINANTS

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ADVANCING MATERIALS REUSE & RECYCLING

active projects
scholars funded in 2024
funded in research & scholarships since 1992

Featured report

2024 Analysis of MSW Landfill Tipping Fees

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Our Most Popular Resources

Guides & Reports

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News

September 24, 2025

Environmental Research & Education Foundation Awards 23 Scholarships to Graduate Students Advancing Waste and Sustainability Research

Raleigh, NC (September 24, 2025) – The Board of Directors of the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) is proud to announce the award of 23 scholarships…

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July 21, 2025

Are EPR Policies Working? New EREF Report Says We Can’t Be Sure

RALEIGH, NC – July 2025: The Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) has released a comprehensive literature review on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), providing the waste…

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Events

Science Session: Elevated Temperatures and Landfill Fires – What’s the Difference?

Landfills that exhibit elevated waste temperatures behave differently from landfills with typical waste temperatures, regardless of whether the elevated temperatures originate from a fire or…

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Global Waste Management Symposium (GWMS) 2026

The Tenth Global Waste Management Symposium (GWMS) will be held February 22 – 25, 2026 at the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas in…

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