State Takes up Recycling to offset Landfill Crisis
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State Takes up Recycling to offset Landfill Crisis
By Shane Gilreath
SCN Contributing Editor
[email protected]
State legislators are taking steps to adress what they’ve said is a growing problem, one that has directly impacted Scott County over the course of the last year – Tennessee is running out of room for its trash. With landfill capacity diminishing, says lawmakers, officials are looking to recycling as part of the solution.
A new bill sponsored by State Sen. Shane Reeves and Rep. Chris Todd, the Chair of the House Argriculature and Natural Resources Committee who killed HB2202, which would have eliminated Roberta II, aims to strengthen the state’s recycling economy without adding new regulations. The legislation would establish an Office of Cooperative Marketing for Recyclables within the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), designed to connect businesses that generate recyclable materials with companies that can reuse them, an idea that has long been championed by opponents of Roberta II locally, with many examples being presented by citizens from both Scott and McCreary Counties at various local meetings.
Supporters of proposed legislation say one of the biggest challenges for the state is not collection but coordination. Businesses often struggle to find consistent buyers for recyclable materials, while manufacturers report difficulty sourcing those same. The proposed office under TDEC would act as a central hub, tracking available recyclables, maintaining directories of buyers, and providing market pricing information.
The bill also creates a Recycling Market Development and Diversion Advisory Council made up of industry leaders, local officials, and environmental advocates. The group would study Tennessee’s recycling system and recommend improvements, including new technologies and regional partnerships.
In the proposal, lawmakers emphasized the law would focus on market-based solutions, treating recyclables as commodities to encourage investment and participation. With the state’s position that many Tennessee landfills are nearing capacity, supporters of such legislation argue that the measure is a practical step toward easing waste management pressures, boosting economic development, and positioning Tennessee as a competitor in the recycling marketplace.
