The state Senate gave final approval to a bill creating the committee, which will assess Tennessee鈥檚 recycling marketplace and recommend ways to recruit business, expand the marketplace and educate the public. It will issue annual reports, with the first report due by Dec. 31. The Tennessee General Assembly may request additional reports from the council.
The council will have 18 voting members, including representatives from private industry, the legislature, state departments, local waste officials, a conservation organization and recycling associations and companies. It will sunset on June 30, 2030, unless extended by the state legislature.
The Office of Cooperative Marketing for Recyclables within Tennessee鈥檚 Department of Environment and Conservation will create an 鈥渋nteractive information clearinghouse and marketing service鈥� using voluntary information collected from recycling programs and private businesses. Its duties also include maintaining directories of regional recycling programs and buyers and an inventory of the quantities, qualities and locations of recyclables throughout the state.