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Lifting Recycling As The Standard Since 1990
ROY Award Winners
The Tennessee Recycling Coalition is pleased to announce the 2022 Recycler of the Year Awards. TRC’s Recycler of the Year awards recognize individuals, organizations, and businesses, in the State of Tennessee that have demonstrated a commitment and outstanding achievement to waste prevention and recycling. Lincoln Young, President of Tennessee Recycling Coalition, announced the Annual Recycler of the Year award during a ceremony at Park Vista in Gatlinburg, TN. Each year TRC honors the most dedicated and successful individuals and organizations working to advance recycling in our State. The ceremony is a highlight of three days of learning and networking organized by the Tennessee Recycling Coalition and TN Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The TN Recycling Coalition commends the applicants for their contributions, and we congratulate the winners in each category.
Business Recycler of the Year: Jackalope Brewing Company
Jackalope Brewing Company has been committed to environmental practices since it opened, over a decade ago. With each aspect of our business, they look at how the company can take a sustainable approach. The brewhouse is designed to conserve water that comes from the Cumberland River. The water is filtered through carbon and particle filters to create brewing water. The water that runs through our heat exchange to cool the wort (wort =unfermented beer) at the end of a brew is then piped into the hot liquor tank and becomes the water in the next batch’s brew. In 2018, Jackalope installed a grain silo for our base malt that saves the company 7,000 two-row barley bags from entering the waste stream each year. Jackalope reuses the grain bags from the malt as waste bags for Pick-Up for a Pint, a litter clean-up with Turnip Green Creative Reuse, and Metro Public Works around Wedgewood-Houston Neighborhood on the third Sunday of every month. When it comes to packaging, Jackalope uses cans instead of bottles. This decision was based on two factors: the quality of our beer and the environmental implications. In 2013, Jackalope became the first microbrewery in Nashville to can its beer, starting with Thunder Ann American Pale Ale. The building Jackalope is located at is home to 2 dozens of solar panels, which collect energy from the sun and send it to the local
electrical grid for use.
Government Recycler of the Year: Wayne County Solid Waste
Wayne County Solid Waste is in southern middle TN. With a population of under 17,000 people, the Wayne County recycling program started with glass and cardboard recycling and continues to grow every year. The recycling facility is in Waynesboro, TN, and offers fifteen mobile and permitted convenience centers for residential use. Curbside recycling is available weekly for the residents in the city limits and Wayne County also coordinates with the Adopt a Highway program in the county to sort and process recyclable items from roadside cleanups. Recycling diverts materials from a landfill and increases revenue for the county. The residential curbside collection is brought to the recycling center and sorted by hand with employees from the solid waste department. The employees work hard to sort materials by grade ensuring there is no contamination. Education and outreach are especially important to Wayne County Solid Waste. The staff speaks about their recycling program at various events including community meetings, schools, and events.
Nonprofit Recycler of the Year: Turnip Green Creative Reuse
Turnip Green Creative Reuse (TGCR) diverts materials from the landfill and redirects materials into the hands of artists, teachers, students, and other creative community members. Turnip Green lives this mission through four areas of service: Creative reuse, Green Galleries, Education, and open studio. Turnip Green joined Southwest Airlines’ Repurpose with a Purpose initiative and transformed over 3,200 airline seat covers (over 100,000 pounds) in a year. Through the S.E.A.T. (Sustainability, Education, Arts, and Transformation) Project, Turnip Green was able to divert fifty tons of material, distribute education kits, teach dozens of community classes, exhibit student work to millions of airport goers, provide material at no cost to local artists, and connect with organizations across the country that are using sustainable reuse material. Since the start, Turnip Green has diverted over one million pounds of materials from the landfill and reconnected those materials to community members in need through our material donation and pay- what-you-can afford shopping center.
TN Top Leader Award- Laura Howard
Ms. Howard is the current Operations Manager for Sevier Solid Waste, Inc. In this role, she oversees the Construction and Demolition Landfill, a Class one Landfill, a recycling operation, and MSW composting facility. The MSW compost facility is the largest in North America and processes over four hundred tons per day. In her tenure at SSWI, she has improved our operations tremendously through launching zero-waste programs, grant-writing, and leading by example. Over the years, Ms. Howard has written and received over six million dollars in grants to help with the recycling and composting efforts at Sevier Solid Waste and statewide efforts. She also initiated the Zero-Waste-to-Landfill program, which allows industries, like Starbucks, Mars, and Wrigley’s, to divert organic waste from landfills by
composting. Her contribution to recycling and composting in Sevier County has kept over 550,000 tons of waste out of landfills. The landfill-bound material has resulted in 450,000 tons of MSW composted and 70,000 tons of organics recycled during her time at Sevier Solid Waste.
Tom Hattle Memorial Award: Marty Tuberville
Marty Tuberville started to work as Hickman County Solid Waste Director in 2004. Mr.Tuberville started the Hickman County Recycling program as soon as he was hired. In 2008, the Hickman County Recycling center was built and is now 8000 sq. ft. Hickman County became a Hub for Lewis County, Perry County, the City of Dickson, to process recycling. Hickman County Solid Waste also partners the Elephant sanctuary to process recyclables to help the company with diversion rates. Since 2004, Marty has worked to add more county convenience centers in Hickman County to make residential drop off easier. He is an active TN Solid Waste Director Association member since 2004 and a
TRC member since 2008.