Ask your legislators to support TWTJ.
What do I say?
The following script should take just 2 minutes to read through on the phone, or could be adapted for an email.
Introduce yourself.
Summarize the key points of the bill.
Ask for their vote.
Thank them for their time.
Not sure how to contact your legislators?
No worries—we’ve got you covered!
Part 1: Introduce yourself.
“Hello, my name is <your name>.
I have lived in <your city or neighborhood> for <number of years>.”
Part 2: Summarize key points of the bill.
Tennessee has a major packaging waste problem adding to our landfill crisis. We recycle only 12% of all potentially recyclable packaging, and send the rest to our landfills - which are rapidly running out of space.
The major barrier to expanding recycling in Tennessee - is funding.
The Tennessee Waste To Jobs Act creates a sustainable funding mechanism that provides the needed investment to expand recycling to 100% of Tennessee residents, increase recycling rates, and prevent valuable packaging from ending up in our landfills.
Taxpayers and municipalities will no longer fund recycling - it will be funded by the producers who make the packaging. TWTJ incentivizes companies to minimize their overall packaging volume, and makes recycling truly circular, by encouraging producers to use recycled materials in their packaging, and make sure their packaging can be recycled.
TWTJ will bring thousands of new jobs and economic development into Tennessee by investing into the existing recycling infrastructure to collect, process and recycle more recyclables.
TWTJ will convert 900,000 tons of packaging waste per year currently landfilled into a valuable commodity that Tennessee businesses need - turning our trash into cash.
3. Ask for their vote.
“Please vote for the Tennessee Waste To Jobs Act - Senate Bill 0269, House Bill 0600.”
4. Thank them for their time.
“Thank you for your time, I appreciate all you do for our state.”