Recycling Done Right

Published in the Hellbender Press, July, 2007

Hamblen County demonstrated its commitment to recycling during recent budget discussions. The 15-year-old program has evolved into a profitable industry and helped municipal leaders meet state-mandated goals many counties have not been able to reach. Collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and local government created a situation in which recycling is often more profitable than disposal. So successful is their strategy that even in the face of budgetary shortfalls, county and city officials declared they have no intention of cutting recycling out of the budget. This spring, faced with lagging sales-tax revenue, Morristown officials considered the idea as one of over a dozen options presented; however, according to recently elected Morristown Mayor Sami Barile, “We’re not going to let that happen. We’ve worked too long and hard to get to where we’re at just to drop it. We found a way to keep recycling in the budget.”
As Executive Director of Hamblen County’s Keep America Beautiful (KAB) program for over ten years, Barile played a key role in the evolution of Morristown’s recycling business and culture. During that time, Hamblen KAB won several state and national awards, jump started local recycling and expanded it to include household hazardous waste collection. In 1991 Barile worked with county and city officials and the area’s business and industry to begin one of the first countywide, full-service rural recycling programs in the nation. The program is the only countywide curbside recycling program in Tennessee.
Barile is not alone in her enthusiasm for recycling. County Mayor David Purkey said of the countywide program, “Our curbside recycling program is doing well. Hamblen County has no intention of making budget cuts in recycling. Our recycling program has enabled us to achieve the goal of 25 percent reduction in landfill usage set by the state.”
Public participation in solid-waste reduction solutions has increased over time. lead by Hamblen KAB and its partners. The county’s recycling culture has rewarded businesses like the Goodwill Industries Material Recovery Facility with a steady stream of salable refuse. Jack Horner, Regional Vice President of Sales and Recycling at the Russellville facility, said participation in curbside recycling is good but could use improvement. “I think it will continue to improve with time because of education. Nowadays, schools teach the kids about it. I remember when recycling seemed like a new fad years ago. That’s no longer the case. Kids today are more prepared, and they will grow into adults that, as a result of education, send less waste to landfills,” Horner said.
Horner said private participation has steadily increased, yet in his experience, the most impressive increase has occurred in industrial and commercial recycling. “We now have 55 to 60 industrial and commercial customers in the surrounding area, many of which have expanded what they are recycling over time because the numbers add up. Balancing the budget is always important to any business. With landfill fees costing as much as $28 per ton, added to the hauling fees for transporting it, many businesses have begun to look hard at ways to reduce the amount of trash taken to landfills. One easy way is to send it to us.”
Many of Horner’s customers not only send him their recyclable waste but also purchase recycled materials such as cardboard for shipping packages. Some materials have multiple markets, such as newsprint, which goes to paper mills for recycling back into fresh newsprint or gets shredded for blow-in cellulose insulation. Plastic soda bottles are sold to an acrylic carpet manufacturer. Old, damaged books are shredded and remade into book covers. Horner knows how to wheel and deal trash. Whatever comes his way, he finds someone interested in purchasing it. His facility accepts recyclable waste from not just Hamblen County, but surrounding counties. Horner said anyone at all is welcome to drop off recyclable waste during business hours (M-F 8am-4:30pm), and he will find it a good home.
A myriad of Hamblen County businesses practice some or all of the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. Antique shops, plastics recyclers, used-car dealerships, thrift stores, salvage yards, almost every commercial street in Morristown seems to have some type of business that contributes to solid waste reduction.
Counties in Tennessee unable to reach the state-mandated 25-percent landfill-waste-reduction goal need to take a look at Hamblen County to find out what they are doing right. A number of contributing factors culminated in a successful balance. Great attitudes fuel initiative, and great leaders in the spotlight and behind the scenes create enduring success. Hamblen County’s successful strategy also included not giving up in tough times. With the recent election of Morristown Mayor Sami Barile, Hamblen County proved its commitment to sustainable commerce.