Page 14 - July-Aug 2021 Vol 39 No 2

STATEWIDE By Lisa Hood Skinner
Solid Waste and Recycling Industry:

During and After COVID

A global pandemic. A stunned subcontractors. Eight of the ten polled carts are missed. City properties change
economy. Political change in the form members offer recycling in some form (annexation, businesses change hands,
of a new presidential administration or the other, with materials accepted in homeowners change) and employees
and shifting powers in the Senate. a wide range of single stream, plastics, change with the third party.”
Unprecedented numbers of employees aluminum, tin, cardboard, steel, Sharon Smith, Assistant Director of
working from home. newspaper, mixed paper and glass. Metro Nashville Public Works, said a
When the global pandemic took its toll Of those cities that offer recycling, big challenge is in “educating residents
on a variety of industries and services in challenges facing the program vary. on how to recycle right. Many people
2020 and early 2021, the solid waste and For example, “confusion” and “cost” are wishcycle!”
recycling markets nationwide also were two worrisome elements. Eric Sines, Informing the Upcoming Business
forced to deal with constant change over Public Works Director of the City
the last 14 or so months. of Collegedale, said his department Generation: Public Education Efforts
An article earlier this year in Waste frequently must be on guard to ensure Underway
Today Magazine profiled a panel of that citizens do not dump regular In fact, that public education element
waste experts representing various garbage at the recycle drop-off site. plays a large part in outreach efforts
organizations ranging from the National Additionally, he said they “are using man across the state, with a solid example
Waste and Recycling Association hours every week to haul the recycled being the West Tennessee Recycling Hub
(NWRA) to the Solid Waste Association materials 30 miles to the buyer to not in Henderson. Amber Greene, the Hub’s
of North America (SWANA). (TCAPWA even cover the cost to haul it.” coordinator and Keep Chester County
annually joins with SWANA to hold our The City of Sevierville’s Solid Waste Beautiful Executive Director, said that
fall conference, which is this November Supervisor Marian Bracknell also agreed while the Hub currently partners with
in Memphis). the hauling distance cost was a sore 12 municipalities throughout the region,
In that magazine article, Darrell point, while Michael J. Adams, Director serving over 350,000 households and
Smith, NWRA president/CEO, said the of Public Works for the City of Bartlett processing approximately 6,000 tons
waste and recycling industry responded pointed out problems “with the cost of of recyclables per year, its educational
quickly to challenges brought on by the disposing our materials.” Richard Mills of outreach is considered to be one of
pandemic, working with federal, state Piperton PWD said “costs are rising and the top environmental education and
and local governments to ensure waste volume is low.” outreach programs in the state. That
and recycling collection could continue. The “Human Element”: A Key Success program consists of more than 25
He said while many Americans working environmental directives that students
from home caused residential collection Factor and residents can choose to include in
to rise (and commercial collection to In almost every scenario, the their educational experience.
decline), “our service-based sector is “human element” played a big part in The Hub also is the only recycling
more resilient than many other sectors the success or perceived failure of the facility in the state to have its own
in the broader economy. One bright spot recycling efforts. Loretta Hopper, Public Education and Observation Classroom.
over the last year has been the recovery Works Director for the Town of Signal The classroom currently consists of a
of recycling commodity pricing.” Mountain, said having an attendant at large observation window overlooking
the recycling center “is extremely helpful operations of the materials recovery
TPW Magazine’s Informal Poll/Pulse in keeping the recycling center clean, facility (MRF). Ten interactive
Check (and in) directing people to the correct environmental learning stations also
TPW Magazine took an informal container, which keeps loads from being follow STEM learning objectives, such as
mid-year “waste and recycling pulse contaminated.” a landfill model, live worm composting
check” of interested TCAPWA municipal Joe Nunes, Neighborhood Services bin, recycling games, litter prevention
members, asking core industry questions Manager of the City of Germantown, puzzles, and recycled metal sculptures
and receiving a variety of responses echoed part of Hopper’s concern on made by students. A mobile version
on how we’re handling and weathering costs and the challenge of more clearly of the classroom and the Hub mascot,
recycling/solid waste volatility here in communicating “acceptable materials Binny the Recycling Bin, also are utilized
Tennessee. to reduce contamination.” Alcoa Public during school and community events
We learned that for the majority of Works and Engineering’s Shane Snoderly throughout the region.
our polled members, the city or town’s said since their recycling is handled The Hub’s education coordinator
sanitation staff is tasked with garbage by a third party on behalf of the city, partners with the community to give
collection, with larger cities using communication is a challenge “when students positive environmental

14 TPW July/August 2021