In 2010, SERDC completed a two year study entitled Mapping Demand for Recycled Feedstock in the Southeast.  Funded in part by a grant from EPA Region 4, SERDC determined that over 200 key Southeastern manufacturers look to recycled feedstock to develop new consumer goods.  When communities invest in local recycling collection programs, they're supporting regional manufacturers who depend on recycled plastic, glass, metal, and paper to make new consumer goods.  The report finds that these manufacturers collectively support more than 47,525 employees and see a sales volume impact of more than $29.4 billion.  This report will be updated annually.

For a Web-based summary of the regional impacts, click here.   

Good jobs and clear ways to support local manufacturing - it's a message that decision makers are eager to understand.  SERDC is busy connecting with associations and meetings representing our decision makers.  Recycling has long been understood as a smart use of resources and as part of responsible solid waste management.  SERDC wants to be sure that community officials also understand that recycling is also about material development.  By recycling, we're creating the feedstock needed to make new consumer goods.   

Recent and pending meetings and presentations include: 

• Alabama:  Voting Rights Trail Sustainability Workshop, Alabama Recycling Coalition Conference
• Georgia:  Atlanta Green Initiatives Conference, Georgia Recycling Coalition Conference
• North Carolina:  North Carolina League of Municipalities, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners staff, Carolina Recycling Association Conference
• South Carolina:  South Carolina  Environmental Excellence, South Carolina  Legislative Day, South Carolina  Recycling Industry Group together with the South Carolina  Recycling Market Development Advisory Council, South Carolina  State Senate Members, Carolina Recycling Association Conference
• Tennessee:  Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Tennessee Solid Waste Disposal Control Board, Tennessee Recycling Coalition Conference, Tennessee Annual Solid Waste Conference
• Virginia:  Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority
• Southeast:  EPA Region 4 States Meeting, The Conference of Southern County Associations
• National:  Resource Recycling Conference 2010.

Ongoing discussions are underway with:

• The League of Municipalities in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Alabama
• County Commissioner Associations and in North Carolina and Alabama
• National Conference of State Legislatures.

To make the most impact from these meetings, SERDC is boosting outreach to recycling officials surrounding the meetings.  By sharing economics of recycling talking points and information, SERDC hopes to build off the momentum of the meetings, establish itself as the go-to authority for recycling industry information, and provide information sharing opportunities and continue to boost material recovery efforts in the Southeast region. 

SERDC has a commitment to providing current information.  That's why we've invested in an interactive, web-based map to highlight the findings of the 2010 Mapping Demand for Recycled Feedstock in the Southeast report.    Funded in part by a grant from the Alabama Department Economic and Community Affairs, this living document is an essential part of SERDC's ongoing dialog with elected officials and regional decision makers.   

SERDC's website continues to grow and provide additional resources, serving as a clearinghouse of other regional information as well.  In addition to state and regional factsheets on the demand for recycled feed stocks, program managers and elected decision makers continue to look to the site for regional economic information as well as links to a compendium of state materials exchanges and market directories.

To view SERDC's interactive map highlighting regional demand for recycled materials, click here. 

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