MCMINNVILLE – Each year the Tennessee Recycling Coalition honors the most dedicated and successful individuals and organizations working to advance recycling in our state. The 2018 award for Non-Profit Recycler of the Year went to Warren County industry leaders for their bi-monthly “Discard Discussions.”
Intrigued by the idea of the Tennessee Materials Marketplace, Michael Mallner of Bridgestone and Don Alexander of the Warren County Industrial Development Board jointly organized a county-level forum, hosted by the McMinnville Chamber of Commerce, where are businesses can find outlets for discarded material streams and equipment.
The goal for these “Discard Discussions” is to facilitate local recycling for materials that would otherwise be cost prohibitive due to shipping expenses or lower volumes. The Discard Discussion project is unique from other waste-disposal efforts in that it facilitates individual small-scale exchanges of unwanted materials between neighboring organizations.
This model can easily be reproduced in other communities. To organize a Discard Discussion in your community, please contact Tara Wohlgemuth.
