2025-2035 Solid Waste Management Plan

2015-2020 Review

It has been over 30 years since the SWMA (Solid Waste Management Act) set a 25% waste reduction and diversion goal. This goal arose from concerns about adequacy, the need for environmentally sound landfills, and the need to ensure the State’s future disposal needs are met. The State Legislature authorized the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) to study solid waste and make recommendations to TDEC for a new approach to solid waste and materials management. The 2025 Plan preparers incorporated these recommendations into Objective 1 of the 2025 Plan.

In October 2015, TDEC initiated a push to establish a new solid waste goal. The Office of Policy and Planning (OPP) and the Division of Solid Waste Management (DSWM) created a work group to refine recommendations further and prepare suitable language for stakeholders to establish a new goal. Solid waste professionals from counties across the State of Tennessee comprised the work group. This effort ultimately ended because the collected data did not meet a trustworthy standard and lacked data integrity due to inconsistencies.

At that time, TDEC sought to improve data collection and management, as well as associated review procedures, and to initiate the development of formal guidance on data management for the Regions. As TDEC can confirm, local government data is accurate; sound measurement and metrics can ensure the reasonableness of goals that keep momentum without jeopardizing local government budgets or staffing.

In 2018, DSWM (now the Division of Land Protection – Waste Management Branch, or DLP) and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Practices (OPSP) worked to ensure that recycling was included in all State contract procurements. This effort was not entirely successful, but it did get the Department of General Services (DGS) to include recycling contract best practices in its template guidance. While DGS does not require recycled-based procurement, they strongly encourage it. DGS embedded the best practices document into the procurement contract guide handbook to aid the State’s offices in sustainable procurement.

TDEC prepared language for the qualitative portion of a new goal after consulting affected stakeholders in calendar year 2022. TDEC delayed quantitative goal language until data collection improves across the Regions, the ability to crosswalk legacy data into new data structure formats is in place, staff is trained in improved data review, and stakeholder consensus is achieved on what constitutes reasonable progress in establishing a new goal. Some additional recommendations include revising the primary key policy, using industry codes (SIC and NAICS), and improving overall year-over-year consistency.

The Regions submit their Annual Progress Reports (APRs) electronically. Work group recommendations include incorporating data into the electronic reporting system to better align with statutory requirements, but they still need refinement to provide continuity with historic data. TDEC will use data-based management technologies to access online reporting programs. The effort will prioritize data continuity between legacy and future data acquisition in 2022 by clearly defining data fields and creating a data plan. The data plan will project future data needs and incorporate them into the data structure to minimize future impact.

2015-2020 Accomplishments

• Yearly Annual Progress Report stakeholder meetings.
• Annual review of 95 counties’ Annual Progress Reports.
• Updated Annual Progress Reporting tool.
• Top Five County Stakeholder meetings.
• New waste reduction or recycling goal review.
• Data management, data gaps, and data collection review for data integrity.
• Initiated a data management team to construct better data tools to improve data integrity.
• Prepared and launched a new “Local Solid Waste Management Reporting and Planning Guide”.
• Convened a solid waste director stakeholder working group for APR data collection improvement.
• Supported Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County’s waste characterization study. The study serves as a template for future characterization studies to build apples-to-apples comparisons.
• Conducted several surveys to gauge stakeholder receptiveness to different goal styles or types.
• Initiated the collection of material origin reporting from Class III landfills and Recovered Materials Processing Facilities (RMPF).
• Reviewed demonstration project for waste “autoclaving” and anaerobic digestion.
• Prepared a county-by-county 4-tier qualitative solid waste management system review.
• Prepared a list of State-level agency recycling improvements.
• Worked with DGS to include recycling best practices for agencies to use in future contract procurements. DGS has included this practice guidance in its RFP/Contracting template.

2015-2020 Review

Studies have found that most people will recycle when collection options are available. The core of Objective 2 seeks to make recycling convenient and available, thereby increasing participation. These efforts increase economies of scale, making recycling less costly and maximizing revenue through greater efficiency and volume. Availability and accessibility are only possible if drop-off locations offer both recycling and disposal options, a practice known as “pairing.” This strategy has been a core component of many technical and financial programs in the first half of the plan's implementation. To lead by example, TDEC surveyed the containers at Tennessee State Parks. Most of those containers were isolated garbage cans for disposal, without recycling. The purchase and rollout of Bear-Saver containers, which enabled recycling and disposal, not only improved access to recycling and disposal but also reduced the need to clean up trash from animal incursions, according to park staff. This added benefit reduces maintenance time, keeps the parks looking clean, and provides a branded look in support of the Tennessee State Parks’ “Go Green with Us” program.

During the initial implementation period of the 2025 Plan, eight counties still relied on 104 unmanned county collection containers, or “green boxes,” to manage waste. TDEC offered convenience center grants, prioritizing these counties, to provide higher levels of service to the communities. Unfortunately, the convenience center grants did not provide sufficient incentive or regulatory push for the counties to replace all the “green boxes” with manned sites. Additional resources, in the form of education and outreach efforts, will be coupled with convenience center grants in the future to help reduce or replace these counties’ reliance on green boxes with better waste collection methods.

Other Objective 2 efforts during the first half of implementation focused on a “Hub and Spoke” approach to recycling collection and processing. The hub-and-spoke approach increased operational economies of scale and reduced the cost per ton collected and managed. The two flagship programs continued to grow even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The West Tennessee Recycling Hub is located outside the city of Henderson in Chester County, and the Marshall County Recycling Hub is in Lewisburg, both of which provide services to support neighboring counties and municipalities. Hub-and-spoke efforts further allow specialization in collection for the spoke governments and in processing for the hub county. This specialization helps keep local costs down. This program supports several plan objectives in a significant manner. Strategies under this objective identify resources and partnerships to help local governments expand access to curbside collection. TDEC focused on partnering with national organizations such as the Recycling Partnership and Southeast Recycling Development Council (SERDC), leveraging their networks to provide additional resources to assist the top five most populous counties. These organizations provided technical assistance and matching grants to expand recycling among their residents significantly. The Urban Green Lab (UGL) grant for education and outreach promoted the transfer of industry expertise in commercial and industrial recycling. Support for the state’s hub-and-spoke program in rural areas and assistance to the top five most populous counties during the next half of implementation will continue. Both programs offer the greatest return in terms of recycling capacity and access to higher-level recycling systems. Also, the continued efforts to pair recycling and disposal collection and to build upon the Industry/Commercial/Institutional (ICI) recycling network will continue.

2015-2020 Accomplishments

• Defined state’s hub-and-spoke program, provided technical assistance and training to hub directors on facility design, data management, outreach and education, safety, and contracting with other local governments.
• Established grant plan, implemented consistent application across grant programs, established consistent grant cycles, and conducted workshops at solicitation and project management conferences to launch awarded projects.
• Launched grant application in the new Grants Management System.
• Partnered with Giles County to eliminate significant convenience center deficiencies and opened two new convenience centers that provided recycling access as a spoke and supported the Marshall County Hub.
• Hosted two Top 5 County Initiative Summits designed to aid the networking of larger counties and better address challenges such as education and outreach to citizens unique to large urban populations.
• Distributed to hub-and-spoke programs durable signage that improved recycling collection communication and reduced contamination.
• Launched education and outreach with assistance from the SERDC #RecycleRight campaign designed to reduce contamination.
• Explored the possibility of using cell phone applications to communicate recycling options better. Several top 5 counties moved forward with the project.
• Bear-Saver containers and indoor containers that provided paired access to recycling and disposal options were put in place at State Parks under a Memorandum of Understanding.
• Proactively added an RFID requirement for carts purchased under grants.
• Successfully updated the statute that disincentivized waste reduction under the Recycling Rebate. Balanced the formula to be more equitable and useful.
• Built a partnership with the Recycling Partnership and their network to increase the effectiveness of the curbside recycling grant and to provide hub operators strategies to communicate with their constituents effectively.
• Partnered with the UGL to work with industries in the Nashville Area to provide monthly sustainability meetings that shared successes and built networking opportunities.
• Worked with WestRock, City of Knoxville, and Knox County to discuss processing barriers in the county that might aid in increased capacity.
• DSWM and OPSP aligned the “Green Star Partnership” with the Materials Marketplace (MMP).
• Worked with DGS to include recycling best practices for agencies to use in future contract procurements. DGS has included this practice guidance in its RFP/Contracting template.
• Worked with DSWM Permitting Section to improve the Permit by Rule/Recycler Registration for problem wastes such as electronics and tires as RMPF(s).
• Initiated the Tennessee Training Academy partnership to improve professional integrated solid waste management systems.
• Provided 40 Hour HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) training to Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility (HHWCF) operators.
• Reviewed HHWCF operations and funding to address shortcomings.
• Initiated the sustainably designed Tennessee School Laboratory Rehabilitation Program (TSLRP), the successor to the School Chemical Cleanout Campaign, a dormant federal program.
• Initiated the Household Hazardous Waste Temporary Structure (HHWTS) infrastructure program, providing year-round household hazardous waste (HHW) collection options.

2015-2020 Review

As described in Objective 2, increasing the size and efficiency of Tennessee’s recycling hub-and-spoke program remains a priority and an active strategy for TDEC. Early in the 2025 Plan implementation, the Department developed a general guide and best-practices tool to serve as a handbook for identified hub counties and their respective spokes. TDEC awarded grants that increased recycling processing throughput capacity. Also, TDEC provided these hubs with technical support, including hub-processing training, budget management, contract negotiations, problem-solving, and financial assistance for purchasing and distributing recycling carts. The goal of this technical assistance was to improve business operations and general efficiency. TDEC also worked with private-sector material recovery facilities, such as WestRock in Chattanooga and Knoxville, to expand their commercial hub operations in higher-density urban areas and fill the gap in far eastern Tennessee at the closure of a regional material recovery facility.

Strategies within this objective direct TDEC to build partnerships and support organizations that collect and process recyclable materials. To this end, TDEC, early in the 2025 Plan implementation, partnered with the University of Tennessee’s County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), the Tennessee chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), the Tennessee Solid Waste Director’s Association (TSWDA), the Tennessee Recycling Coalition (TRC), and the SERDC to form the Tennessee Training Academy (TTA). This effort provided 53 scholarships and industry-specific training to more than 80 solid waste professionals over a three-year period. The training improved the quality of solid waste professionals statewide. The TTA provided training opportunities that most county solid waste professionals could not otherwise access because of out-of-pocket costs. These professionals applied the knowledge they gained and passed on the benefits to their colleagues and staff.

Another important accomplishment during the initial implementation is the establishment of the new Tennessee Materials Marketplace, or MMP. The initiative aims to build a self-sustaining marketplace in which one entity’s waste products serve as another’s source materials.  As of 2021, the MMP had 257 registered users and logged 83 unique transactions since 2017, with a total of 5,000 tons of materials valued at over $500,000 exchanged. Further supporting this effort, TDEC and its contractors held eight unique presentations, workshops, and site visits. The project's success shows that users in over 569 locations worldwide are searching for materials, underscoring the axiom that markets know no borders. The most popular materials include pails and totes for food, varnish, phosphorus acid, wood waste as a soil additive, and white super sacks. The second half of the 2025 Plan's implementation continues to use hub-and-spoke approaches and promotes the virtual materials marketplace. The early successes are expected to continue into the second half of the 2025 Plan implementation.

2015-2020 Accomplishments

• Contracted with the USBCSD (United States Business Council for Sustainable Development) to develop, deploy, and make sustainable Tennessee MMP.
• Established a formal hub-and-spoke program that built greater economies of scale and fulfilled the role of the former NGO known as the Recycling Market Cooperative of Tennessee (RMCT) and the responsibilities of the Office of Cooperative Marketing.
• Provided annual training to hub operators and biannual training to spoke participating communities to improve performance, increase efficiency, and provide strategies for growth.
• Met with WestRock in Chattanooga and Knoxville to explore increasing capacity in their market to promote the increase of residential curbside recycling in those cities.
• MMP increased users to 252 on its materials marketplace site. Transacted 83 unique transactions of 5,000 tons since 2017 valued at over $510,000. Visits to the site from all over the world.
• Contracted with the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to look at applications for waste glass.
• The DWR approved the use of TDA (tire chips) as a suitable medium for Subsurface Sewerage Disposal Systems (SSD).
• TDEC worked with TDOT to understand the benefits of using tire-derived materials in projects. TDOT has allowed Ground Tire Rubber in TDOT specifications.
• Surveyed states nationally to determine their usage of tires for alternate daily cover.

2015-2020 Review

A significant amount of organic material comes from overproduction of food waste, leading to discards. Over-production can take the form of out-of-date food packages or unserved food at banqueting facilities. These materials sent to landfills potentially increase environmental impacts, community concerns, and perceptions, and consume valuable landfill airspace.

The first half of the 2025 plan implementation period saw grants targeting this waste, providing financial and technical assistance to organizations such as the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, Green Turnip of Nashville, and university food pantries. These organic management grants further benefited established and prospective composters in the state.

TDEC initiated an awareness program at the Nashville Farmer’s Market with a screening of the documentary “Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story.” This event led to a major roundtable discussion that examined the broader picture of food waste in Tennessee.

TDEC adopted a new composting rule based on the US Composting Council’s model. The rule relaxed barrier regulations that experts deemed unnecessary and improved oversight quality, resulting in increased composting. This effort also included training developed by TDEC for composting operation operators.

The Tennessee State Parks (TSP) hospitality system also benefited from the technical and financial assistance generated by this objective. Several parks started composting so TDEC could lead by example and benefited from organic management grants when the state’s organic stakeholders solicited them.

As organics make up a significant fraction of the total waste generated, TDEC will continue to revisit Objective 4 in the second half of implementation, building upon the organic management technical resources cultivated in the first half.

2015-2020 Accomplishments

• Hosted a roundtable discussion to engage local agencies, private businesses, industries, educational institutions, and non-profits on food waste reduction.
• Updated and expanded composting grant requirements to a broader organics management grant.
• Hosted a public food waste reduction event in Nashville at the Farmer’s Market, featuring the documentary “Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story” along with many exhibitors that promoted food waste diversion.
• TDEC launched a new website for organics management.
• Conducted composting workshops for local governments and Tennessee State Park staff.
• Promulgated improved composting regulations.
• Initiated the Get Food Smart Program and website.
• Improved food donation liability protections.
• Expanded the number of composting operations in Tennessee.
• Initiated, expanded, or supported food pantries at multiple institutions of higher learning.
• Provided technical and financial assistance to local governments, state agencies, and private composters; responded to general composting or organics management questions.

2015-2020 Review

This objective achieved some success in the first half of the implementation period. As noted in the Objective 4 update, organics management saw significant growth in new approaches and technologies. This growth came from projects that expanded the long-held position to create more access. This occurred through regulatory relaxation and the exploration of new approaches (such as aiding the food-insecure by encouraging food establishments to distribute their perfectly safe, unused, or unserved food beneficially), including anaerobic fermentation, gasification, and biodiesel production.

In 2019, the General Assembly passed Public Chapter 181, which specifies that gasification facilities and pyrolysis facilities are not solid waste facilities or incinerators. Further, the post-use polymers and recoverable feedstocks are also not solid waste. However, gasification and pyrolysis facilities remain subject to other applicable environmental, health, and safety requirements, thereby supporting this objective. In East Tennessee, TDEC has provided technical assistance to promising chemical recycling operations. These types of facilities are important to the State’s integrated solid waste management system, helping to address changes in the global commodity market and providing local market options for collectors of plastic recyclables.

TDEC increased year-round access to HHW collection in rural counties pre-pandemic through a pilot program that developed, funded, and distributed six temporary HHW collection and storage buildings. The State HHW contractor provides these operations with milk runs at a reduced cost, while improving collection opportunities for citizens.

The second-half implementation will continue to see TDEC working with organizations such as the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Department of Economic and Community Development, and local governments as new technologies emerge and require evaluation. Tire solutions remain on the table to explore new ways to address that potentially problematic waste.

2015-2020 Accomplishments

• Worked with hub operators to identify and procure new technologies that improve hub efficiency, including optical sortation and robotic equipment.
• Prepared hub-and-spoke program handbook resource for hub operators.
• Provided resources to hub operators on best practices for the use of contracts, memoranda of understanding, and service agreements.
• Reviewed a demonstration project for “autoclaving” technology in Sequatchie County.
• The 111th General Assembly passed Public Chapter 181, which specifies that gasification facilities and pyrolysis facilities are not solid waste facilities or incinerators, and that post-use polymers are not solid waste but recoverable feedstocks. This supports the establishment of chemical recycling efforts.
• Initiated and rolled out a pilot program of HHWTS buildings in Chester, Giles, Loudon, McMinn, Blount, and Grainger counties that allow for year-round collection of household hazardous wastes.
• Partnered with SERDC for recycling market development, system review to reduce contamination, and general technical assistance.

2015-2020 Review

The State needs to aid local governments in developing an Education and Outreach plan. The State and the Regions must reach the public and inspire behavior change regarding what to recycle, how to recycle, and why recycling is important. Objective 6 is the plan’s mechanism to achieve this goal. During the initial half of implementation, TDEC provided many significant services, including developing key partnerships, providing financial and technical assistance, and improving the technical knowledge of local government solid waste professionals.

TDEC initiated key partnerships with the UGL. Initially, this took the form of a demonstration at an Objective 4 event. However, TDEC recognized UGL’s unique position and partnered with it to develop and deliver environmental training for teachers on topics such as composting, recycling, and waste reduction. UGL prepared a curriculum aligned with the Department of Education’s requirements and then taught teachers how to deliver it.

UGL did not stop there. Under another TDEC grant, UGL brought industry leaders together for networking events. These events allowed leaders to share the challenges they face and to showcase their accomplishments. The networking events allowed companies like Kroger to share their experiences with peer companies in the area.

Another key partnership that grew in the first half of implementation was the Tennessee Training Academy (TTA). This partnership, forged through a Memorandum of Understanding between TDEC and key agencies, including the Tennessee Chapter of SWANA, TSWDA, TRC, SERDC, and CTAS, provided industry- and sector-specific training. This training provided an opportunity for solid waste professionals to prepare for certifications that enhance subject-matter knowledge and program performance.

TDEC also improved communication with those interested in the State’s HHW Mobile Events. Direct notification to citizens who expressed interest increased utilization of the collection program. Another example of improved communication included the development of standard recycling messaging. SERDC developed a #RecycleRight campaign and provided local governments and the State with webspace and standard graphics. This important approach to recycling helps people move across the state and see standardized messaging.

The second half of the implementation will continue to require education and outreach initiatives. The #RecycleRight Campaign will continue and further integrate into the messaging of the Southeastern US EPA Region 4. Much of the messaging will focus on eliminating contamination, a global problem that affects local governments' revenue.

2015-2020 Accomplishments

• Partnered and participated in an environmental literacy work group to support K-12 curriculum development that increases the environmental knowledge of young people in Tennessee.
• Partnered with multiple civic organizations and Nashville Davidson County in an education and outreach event at the Farmer’s Market promoting food waste reduction.
• Partnered and shared multiple location viewings of the food documentary “Just Eat It”.
• Launched the TTA to provide increased training opportunities for solid waste and recycling professionals in materials management concepts.
• Hosted multiple SWANA certification curriculum-based training courses on Recycling Systems, Integrated Solid Waste Management Systems, Composting, HHW/CESQG, and Transfer Stations.
• DSWM hosted SUIT, LOCT, HZWIT, and Geology Roundtable discussions.
• Initiated HHW collection awareness campaign using electronic mail and newsletter delivery that increased participation and lowered cost per pound expenses at mobile collection events.
• Prepared multiple handout cards that promoted HHW green chemistry alternatives, used oil management, composting, and many other sustainable practices.
• Launched a website that addresses new organics management, public and commercial composting, mulch, food waste reduction alternatives, and Get Food Smart, and provides many additional resources to the public.
• Partnered with the UGL to produce a sustainability curriculum for K-12 that meets the Department of Education’s scholastic pedagogy requirements and to train teachers in its use.
• Partnered with UGL to host networking sustainability meetings to showcase industry and commercial companies' recycling and sustainability efforts.
• Offered technical and financial assistance to stakeholders on topics of materials management.
• Partnered with the SERDC, leveraging an existing grant to develop, train, and implement the #RecycleRight campaign across Tennessee.
• Instituted and awarded grant project management workshops designed to launch and complete awarded grant project scopes successfully.
• Continued to promote, host, and provide qualified HAZWOPER classes for professionals and TDEC staff applicable to solid waste operations.
• Partnered with Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Government, the Greater Nashville Regional Council, and other northern Middle Tennessee Counties to promote a cooperative materials management approach to their solid waste systems.
• Hosted the internationally attended Measurement Matters Summit in Chattanooga, in partnership with the US EPA, US EPA Region 4 state program managers, the SERDC, and local governments, to promote and work toward improved measurement of solid waste and commodity materials.
• Assisted the Air and Waste Management Association of West Tennessee in launching its first annual web conference in partnership with SERDC.
• Provided technical and financial assistance to stakeholders.

2015-2020 Review

This objective uses three strategies to protect Tennessee from potentially harmful environmental impacts associated with solid waste disposal. The State’s focus on monitoring municipal solid waste disposal at landfills, unpermitted disposal sites (tire and trash dumps), and unmanned county collection systems remains a means of determining compliance with collection and disposal requirements.  The strategies used are detailed in the next few paragraphs.

The first half of the implementation period featured the promulgation of updated, improved composting rules. These rule changes will eliminate barriers that prohibit new composters from entering the marketplace. They further align TDEC’s regulatory efforts with true environmental concerns. In parallel, the management of generators' speculative accumulation of materials such as tires and computers is also under review.

DSWM (now DLP) annually receives information through the Annual Engineering Report that helps determine the remaining life of landfills. This information aids local governments in their solid waste planning. Further, the Division also collects solid waste and origin data for disposal and for recyclables. Again, this data is crucial for local governments’ ability to plan for future equipment purchases and facility expansions.

The last strategy dictates the need to address illegal disposal of waste and materials. DWSM (DLP) previously addressed unpermitted tire-disposal sites and used Solid Waste Management Fund (SWMF) funding to clean up several of them. This further applied to unpermitted disposal sites and to abandoned permitted landfills (orphaned landfill facilities). DSWM (DLP) manages such orphaned landfill facilities by directing monitoring, investigations, and assessments, and by implementing corrective actions to abate potential ongoing and future environmental impacts. Based on unfunded liabilities of approximately $2.4 million associated with old, abandoned landfills, DSWM (DLP) worked with the TDEC Commissioner’s office, Fiscal Services Division, Finance and Administration, as well as the Legislature to determine options that are available to assist in addressing this funding issue.

Items that will continue into the remaining 5 years of this plan include continued monitoring of solid waste facilities for remaining life, the origin of solid waste entering the facilities, material recovery facilities (MRFs), and the supplier source county or state. The Division will continue to collect information on unpermitted tire disposal and trash locations from the Regions in the Annual Progress Report.

2015-2020 Accomplishments

• Increased direct HHW collection services to residents of Tennessee.
• Increased available options to CESQG and initiated TSLRP.
• Continued the monitoring of and response to unpermitted disposal sites.
• Continued the monitoring of the Class I landfills remaining life and origin of waste.
• Added the monitoring of Class III landfills and (RMPF(s)).
• Provided technical and financial resources to expand and upgrade convenience centers.
• Converted the majority of files from paper to digital copies for improved access, reduced storage, and reduced waste at the source.
• Improved annual landfill reporting to include a more comprehensive annual engineering report, increasing the accuracy and usability of the data collected.
• Updated and clarified policy and guidance documents.
• Compared and reconciled landfill-reported tonnage and surcharge payments.
• Updated the new permit rule exemption language for RMPF.
• Reviewed the waste reduction rule, specifically the goal, for improvement possibilities.
• Provided technical and financial assistance to publicly owned landfills designated as Old Closed Landfills.
• Completed second tire removal project from the Nolichucky River.
• Continued to offer technical and financial assistance to local governments and coordinate efforts with the Department of Transportation on unpermitted tire disposal sites.

2015-2020 Review

Stakeholders identified that ensuring the solvency of solid waste management and recycling efforts for state and local governments is paramount to successful plan implementation. Objective 8 is based on this foundational need. To be solvent, TDEC must identify sound and sustainable funding sources that do not jeopardize plan implementation. The current funding for SWMA projects comes from the disposal of solid waste in landfills, with a $ 0.90-per-ton surcharge. The Solid Waste Regulatory Program (SWRP) also receives $0.35 per ton disposed of to fund regulatory activities. Also, the Department of Revenue deposits a predisposal management fee of $0.25 for each new tire sold at retail into the SWMF. These revenue sources are unlikely to be sufficient to cover future implementation costs. As waste diversion from landfills improves, disposal-derived funding may not keep pace with need and may decline significantly due to new technologies, increased demand for secondary materials in the supply chain, and evolving waste composition. Likewise, if new technologies arise that make tires less preferred, tire funding amounts may fall accordingly.

To address these revenue concerns, the 2025 Plan identifies three strategies. These strategies include: 1) consider increased tipping fee surcharges on the disposal of solid waste, 2) raise revenue for waste reduction, recycling, and integrated solid waste management from new sources, and 3) support the development of sustainable funding strategies for local programs. The initial two strategies and accompanying tactics focus on reviewing and considering new ways to generate revenue to support program needs. The last strategy and its tactics direct TDEC to track program costs and revenues on a full-cost accounting basis, develop and present information to help local governments minimize costs and increase revenues, and work with local governments to identify potential cost savings by increasing waste reduction and diversion efforts.

A working group comprising OPP and the DSWM (DLP) initiated a review of Objective 8 topics to make recommendations. During the first half of 2025 Plan implementation, the working group considered proposing a new surcharge on construction and demolition (C&D) landfill disposal to fund future C&D diversion efforts. The goal of this surcharge would be to incentivize a shift away from landfilling C&D materials toward recycling them. Also, TDEC considered increasing the $1.25-per-ton landfill tipping fee surcharge to $2.00 per ton to better align with several surrounding state surcharges. The internal working group determined the Department did not need fee adjustments at the time. The group redirected its focus to explore mechanisms to ensure that the Department reallocates as much of the surcharge revenue as possible to communities, with the goal of improving their recycling, composting, and waste-reduction programs.

Objective 8 is key to implementing all objectives in the plan; it supports access to recycling, education and outreach, and environmentally sound disposal. These funds support improvements to the state's integrated solid waste systems, provide education and outreach to local governments, aid in cleaning up unpermitted tire disposal sites, and address critical environmental issues posed by orphaned landfills.

The DSWM (DLP) is working closely with TDEC Executive Leadership, Fiscal Services Division, Finance and Administration, and the Legislature to address approximately $2.4 million in unfunded liabilities associated with old, abandoned landfills across the state.

2015-2020 Accomplishments

• Created a TDEC departmental working group between DSWM (DLP) and OPP to review the funding of solid waste and material management programs.
• Continued to collect local government program costs and revenues to track funding trends.
• Provided technical assistance to stakeholders regarding commodity markets influenced by China Green Fence, National Sword, and Blue-Sky enforcement policies.
• Implemented transition to new grants management system by Smart Simple.
• TDEC completed a LEAN project on grant processes, improving and streamlining the system.
• Made presentations to program stakeholders on the topic of grants and increasing local government budget sustainability.

2020-2025 Review

Current efforts focus on data improvement and refinement. It is difficult to consider a new goal when current data quality cannot cleanly support it. The legacy data needed for use has been inaccessible due to system architecture, data integrity issues, or a lack of appropriate data tools. A quote by Peter Drucker underscores the central precept that what gets measured gets managed, a key objective. The cornerstone of management and progress measurement is clean, usable, and democratized data. Having historical legacy data aligned with current and future data will unlock positive outcomes for Objective 1's strategies. As the Department organizes and verifies the data, the process may improve its usability for a new division initiative known as Recycle Bin. This application module will be integrated into the Division’s Waste Bin data management system within the Department’s Oracle APEX enterprise system. Legacy data will backfill the Recycle Bin system and the future data viewer. The availability will lead policymakers to better, fact-based decision-making.

Staff is also working on fillable forms on the Department’s TDEC Forms site. This initiative will align legacy and future data to maintain continuity across years. The initial target for these initiatives was January 2024. These two tools improved the collection methodology, storage, and use of data.

2020-2025 Accomplishments

• The Department provided several potential goal approaches to stakeholders, but there was no real movement towards goal adoption.
• My TDEC Forms and Recycle Bin projects were initiated to improve the collection, storage, and usage of program data.
• Eliminated historically contracted data collection and management services for more control and integration with the Department's enterprise systems.
• Initiated multiple efforts to parse, clean, and harmonize data for improved usage.
• Compiled research and prepared qualitative and quantitative goal approach considerations supporting the plan’s tactics.
• Some effort has been made to develop data dictionaries for program data systems moving forward.

2020-2025 Review

In 2021, Tennessee State Parks implemented recycling upgrades at all 56 State Parks. These improvements to the recycling program are part of the broader Go Green with Us initiative, which promotes the integration of sustainable practices into park management and operations. The overall goal of the upgrades is to create a recycling program with a uniform appearance across all Tennessee State Parks to better inform visitors of their waste-disposal options.

Through a partnership with the Division of Solid Waste Management’s Materials Management Program, the Office of Policy and Sustainable Practices, and Tennessee State Parks, we cannot only divert waste from landfills but also increase awareness of the importance of recycling among state park visitors. The project completed upgrades in three separate phases. The first phase, as previously noted, implemented Bear Saver recycling receptacles at all exterior locations. The second phase is to implement Recycle Away interior recycling receptacles for all park buildings and venues. The third phase is currently underway and will add educational signage for guests about the Go Green with Us program, recycling, and ways they can reduce their footprint while visiting the park. These recycling upgrades will enable us to meet our visitors' needs and uphold our responsibility to protect Tennessee's public lands and natural resources.

2020-2025 Accomplishments

• Developed a map that allows citizens to find the locations of all operating, permitted convenience centers, transfer stations, and solid waste processors in the state of Tennessee.
• Resumed grant awards after a three-to four-year gap;
  • Twelve Recycling Equipment Grants
  • Ten Used Automotive Fluid Recycling Grants
  • Nine Recycling Rebates
  • Eight Convenience Center Grants
  • Two Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility Grants
  • Special Project, Solid Waste Plans
  • Special Project, Waste Characterization Study
• Active efforts through grant prioritization to replace and eliminate the reliance on unmanned county collection systems a.k.a. “Green Boxes”.
• Partnered with the Recycle Partnership and SERDC to develop a website called Recycle Right TN, with statewide standards for a common suite of materials for recycling to create uniformity and simplify the process for residents.
• Successful and viable integration of the Tennessee Materials Marketplace into the private sector for ongoing operation and management by Rheaply LLC.
• Developed webpage resources to promote proper electronic recycling.
• Compilation of an R2 Certified Recyclers list that includes facility name, location, materials accepted, services, and whether they offer drop off services.
• Continued provision of HHW Mobile Collection events.

2020-2025 Review

The West Tennessee Recycling Hub, located outside the city of Henderson in Chester County, successfully managed ongoing partnerships with 25 colleges, 14 cities and counties, and over 250 businesses. The program processed 7,000 tons of material, most of which was cardboard and paper. This volume is significantly higher than the 300-ton yearly average at the outset of the initial partnership in 2012. There are 50 manufacturers in Tennessee that utilize post-consumer materials as their primary feedstock for their products. Notably, Domtar, a manufacturer of corrugated cardboard, has recently retooled its entire operation near Knoxville to process entirely recycled material.

The Tennessee Materials Marketplace (TMM), launched in 2017, has directly facilitated the recycling and repurposing of over 15 million pounds of material. The TMM was only part of a national system that included materials marketplaces in Austin, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; Ohio; Iowa; and Canada. The TMM, due to a handful of very large recurring transactions, accounted for over 75% of the total materials recycled from 2017 to 2022. Rheaply LLC, a private start-up in reverse logistics, purchased the entire national materials marketplace from the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development in mid-2021. This transition aligns with the initial vision of a private organization that manages and operates an efficient, effective materials exchange.

2020-2025 Accomplishments

• Rheaply LLC has successfully assumed ownership and management of the Tennessee Materials Marketplace from the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development, ensuring long-term viability and improvement.
• Actively facilitated Tennessee projects involving recycling or reusing materials from Tennessee’s Green Star Partnership industries.

2020-2025 Review

In late 2020, OSP (Office of Sustainable Practices) began discussions with representatives in Florida who later hosted their first Florida Food Waste Prevention Week in 2021. OSP began planning Tennessee’s first week-long event in June 2021.  That planning culminated in Tennessee’s first Food Waste Awareness Week hosted in conjunction with Florida, Oregon, and a few other states and large cities during the week of April 4 – April 9, 2022. OSP’s Sustainable Workplace program provides resources for employees and businesses, educating them on sustainable practices, whether in the workplace or while working from home. One resource the program provides is a guide to create your own organic collection program for your office.

2020-2025 Accomplishments

• Continued to grow and expand Get Food Smart Tennessee.
• Through Get Food Smart Tennessee, we developed many resources for individuals, businesses, and organizations, worked with organizations to host webinars, and launched Tennessee’s first Food Waste Awareness Week.
• Hosted first Food Waste Awareness Week in April 2022 in conjunction with other states across the country.
• Coordinated annual statewide food drive with 44 drop-off locations collecting over 17,700 pounds of donations each year.
• Hosted Zero Waste Day on October 27, 2023, in partnership with the Tennessee Environmental Council and Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County’s Zero Waste Program.
• Added food scraps as a category to the Tennessee Materials Marketplace.
• Published list of compost operations within Tennessee to expand resources for collection, processing, and end-use of organic material from residents.
• Updated the Tennessee Liability of Free Food Distributors Law.
• Created and published “Understanding Food Donor Liability Protections” infographic.

2020-2025 Review

The Objective 5 Team is currently working on developing resources to add to the Objective 5 webpage. The resources will provide information to businesses and local governments considering new technologies. The resources will include links to relevant policies that could affect the implementation of new technologies, contact information for technical assistance, and examples of new technologies that industries currently implement both statewide and nationwide.

2020-2025 Accomplishments

• Initiated review of regulations, the Solid Waste Disposal Act, and other policies that contain language and references to the development and implementation of new technology.
• Continued identifying developers of new technological approaches to recycling and contacting those operators.

2020-2025 Review

TDEC offered Campus Food Pantry grants in fiscal years 2020-2022 supporting Tennessee Higher Education Institutions' establishment of on-campus food pantries. One requirement for receiving grant funding was to ensure that a portion of the pantry's food came from a recaptured food source. Three schools took part in this initiative: Roan State Community College and the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) in Elizabethton and Jacksboro. Since the first year of this program, the Campus Food Pantry initiative has served 5,239 students and diverted 51,687 pounds of food from municipal solid waste landfills.

2020-2025 Accomplishments

• The Tennessee School Laboratory Rehabilitation Program, or TSLRP, resumed after a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Updated, revised, and published for distribution, the Role of the Regional Municipal Solid Waste Board in Tennessee: A Handbook for Members, 2nd Edition, is a document to aid regional board governance.
• Developed a complementary MS PowerPoint presentation resource to augment the publication, “Role of the Regional Municipal Solid Waste Board in Tennessee, a Handbook for Members.”
• “Mini” grants offered by the Office of Sustainable Practices;
• Continued and expanded the Tennessee Green Star Partnership (TGSP).
• Developed and promoted the Tennessee Sustainable Spirits (TNSS) voluntary recognition program that seeks to reduce operational impacts for wineries, breweries, and distilleries.
• Continued with Get Food Smart Tennessee, an initiative to reduce food waste throughout the state.
• Promoted a full week to engage the public with educational opportunities, statewide food drives, and regional events promoting food waste awareness.

2020-2025 Review

Several counties have permanent household hazardous waste (HHW) collection sites for their residents. Additionally, the Department, through grant offerings, has strategically placed six temporary HHW containers (HHWTFs) across the state to provide year-round HHW disposal opportunities for all Tennessee residents. TDEC has also established temporary collection sites following large-scale natural disasters in hard-hit areas of the state. After floodwater damaged 573 homes in Humphreys County in August of 2021 and a tornado damaged more than 700 structures in December of 2023, impacted residents at both locations could drop off their HHW materials for a two-week period without waiting for a mobile event as they rebuilt what nature had destroyed. Prescription drug takeback boxes provide a place where citizens can safely dispose of unused prescription drugs. These permanent boxes prevent prescription and over-the-counter medications from reaching children and entering waterways.

2020-2025 Accomplishments

• Established a new e-scrap recycler requirement to submit a Recovered Materials Processing Facility Notification.
• Approximately 54 mobile Household Hazardous Waste events are scheduled and serviced each year.
• Continued to monitor and improve the Class I (MSW) landfill development, usage, and remaining permitted capacity in Tennessee.
• The Department developed new rules and clarified definitions to promote the safe and environmentally sound disposal of solid waste in Tennessee.
• Added ArcGIS maps to the state website, providing locations of solid waste infrastructure and facilities.

2020-2025 Review

Local governments fund municipal solid waste management primarily through local appropriations, with the majority coming from property taxes, local option sales taxes, and various tipping fees. Since the implementation of the 2025 Plan began, local funding sources have remained consistent, even though the allocation amounts have increased significantly.

The sustainability of funding for local governments is currently tied to their ability to allocate sufficient shares of property tax and local sales tax revenues. As costs for local solid waste management rise, the next decade may require alternative revenue sources to sustain program operations. At each budget cycle, officials must allocate funding for both required and discretionary projects and programs. Most counties account for solid waste revenues and expenditures in “Special Revenue Fund” accounts. These accounts restrict the use of solid waste management activities and provide some capacity for longer-range expenditure planning. While appropriations for solid waste operations appear to keep pace with rising expenditures, long-range infrastructure planning may need additional focus.

2020-2025 Accomplishments

• No projects or accomplishments reported for this period.