Biography
Kris Kaar is a senior consultant at RRS, bringing 30 years of experience in research, planning, communication and program management in solid waste and recycling programs. Due to her extensive work with the Carton Council, Kris has developed an expertise in adding new materials to existing recycling programs and expanding access to recycling for select materials.
Recent Team Projects
- Carton Council: RRS has supported this collaborative association on the way to their goal of 60% U.S. carton recycling access through data research and analysis, communications and outreach, and policy/legislative monitoring and support.
- Foodservice Packaging Institute: RRS conducts research and analysis, supports membership growth, and develops communications and outreach to advance the recovery of foodservice packaging materials.
- Minneapolis, MN: RRS conducted a study and assessment of collection options including facilitating resident focus groups, to determine if the city should implement single- or dual-stream recycling in place of its current multi-stream sort program.
Affiliations/Memberships
- Illinois Recycling Association
- Curbside Recycling Expo Conference Committee
- Lutheran Climate Action Task Force
- SWANA International Board
- SWANA Land of Lincoln Chapter
- DuPage County Solid Waste Committee
Topical Expertise
- Recycling Program Management
- Communications & Outreach
- Solid Waste/Recycling Planning
- Product Stewardship
Recent Speaking Engagements/Publications
- Natural Awakenings Chicago (Apr 2017): All Plastics Are Not Created Equal for Recycling
- Natural Awakenings Chicago (Feb 2017): Demystifying the Recycling Process
- Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania Conference (Jul 2016): Next Generation Materials
- org Blog (May 2016): One Team, Part Two: The Hauler and the MRF
- org Blog (Apr 2016): One Team, Part One: The Resident and the Recycling Coordinator
- Waste Advantage Magazine (Jan 2016): How to Add a Material to Your Recycling Program
- Recycling Association of Minnesota/SWANA Annual Conference (Oct 2015): Recycling Markets Update
- Curbside Recycling Expo (Sep 2015): Overcoming Contamination in Residential Recycling
- SWANA WasteCon (Aug 2015): Adding a New Material to Your Program
- Recycling Association of Minnesota Annual Conference (Jun 2014): Caron Recycling and Waste Reduction Initiatives in Minnesota to Help Achieve Our Paper Recycling Goals
- Indiana Recycling Coalition Annual Conference (Jun 2014): Smart Approaches to Growing Programs
Education
- Master of Arts in Geography & Environmental Studies, Northeastern Illinois University
- Bachelor of Arts in Geography & Environmental Studies, Northeastern Illinois University