Tennessee Lawmakers Create Recycling Marketplace Council to Address Landfill Crisis
Tennessee creates new advisory council and state office to match recycling programs with buyers as landfill space becomes increasingly scarce statewide.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — Tennessee lawmakers have approved legislation creating a new advisory council and revamped state office designed to connect recycling programs with businesses seeking recycled materials, as the state deals with dwindling landfill capacity.
The Tennessee Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a bill establishing the 18-member council, which will assess the state’s recycling marketplace and recommend strategies to recruit businesses, expand markets, and educate the public. The legislation also revamps the Office of Cooperative Marketing for Recyclables within the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
Council Structure and Timeline
The new advisory council will include voting members from private industry, the legislature, state departments, local waste officials, a conservation organization, and recycling associations and companies. The council will sunset on June 30, 2030, unless the state legislature extends its mandate.
The council must issue its first annual report by December 31, with additional reports potentially requested by the Tennessee General Assembly. The body will serve as a matchmaking service between recycling programs and private companies seeking to purchase recycled materials.
Information Clearinghouse Creation
The Office of Cooperative Marketing for Recyclables will establish an “interactive information clearinghouse and marketing service” using voluntary data collected from recycling programs and private businesses. The office’s responsibilities include maintaining directories of regional recycling programs and buyers, as well as creating an inventory tracking quantities, qualities, and locations of recyclables throughout Tennessee.
The revamped office aims to address growing concerns about limited space in Tennessee’s landfills by facilitating connections between waste generators and potential buyers of recycled materials.
Regulatory Limitations
Amendments added during the legislative process specify that neither the council nor the office will expand the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s regulatory authority. The legislation explicitly prohibits the department from using these new entities to impose additional reporting requirements, fees, or mandates on businesses or recycling programs.
The House amendments, which received Senate approval Wednesday, were designed to address concerns about potential regulatory overreach while maintaining the programs’ market-facilitation focus. The legislation positions the state as a facilitator rather than a regulator in Tennessee’s recycling marketplace.
