We have a landfill crisis in Tennessee.
There’s a business-led solution called TN Waste to Jobs Act.
The Tennessee Waste To Jobs Act (TWTJ) is state legislation that establishes an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for packaging materials in Tennessee. TWTJ specifically requires producers of goods to pay fees that fund recycling and composting of packaging—money that would otherwise come from taxpayers—with the goal of increasing recycling rates, creating thousands of new, local jobs and generating millions in revenue for Tennessee.
Tennessee is currently burying tons of valuable materials in landfills
with a million tons of recyclable packaging—worth an estimated $150 million to $300 million annually—being wasted each year. The state only recycles about 12% of its waste, ranking 48th in the nation.
Meanwhile, industries like aluminum manufacturers and porcelain tile producers are desperate for a stable, domestic supply of post-consumer materials like recycled aluminum and glass to meet their production demands, reduce imports, lower manufacturing costs, and decrease emissions. (Watch below)
The Tennessee Waste To Jobs Act is the solution that will establish these markets and get these recycled materials to the industry and generate millions of dollars toward recycling infrastructure and education—at no cost to the taxpayer. This legislation creates thousands of jobs, helps solve the landfill crisis, reduces reliance on foreign materials, and protects local jobs and industries by establishing reliable markets for the valuable waste currently being thrown into landfills.
TWTJ will bring the funding our state needs for improving recycling infrastructure.
What is EPR?
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy that shifts the financial and/or physical responsibility for the end-of-life management of products, like packaging, from local governments and taxpayers to the producers (manufacturers or brand owners) who put those products on the market. EPR aims to incentivize producers to design products that are easier to recycle, reuse, or compost, thereby reducing overall waste.
This kind of automation represents the future with EPR created by Tennessee Waste To Jobs - the ability to process 250,000 tons of multiple streams of packaging waste every year, reducing contamination rates, saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, and supplying Tennessee companies with the recycled materials they need.