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Lawmakers push bill aiming to solve Tennessee’s recycling problems to 2026 

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tennesseelookout.com – Cassandra Stephenson – 2025-02-27 05:00:00

Lawmakers push bill aiming to solve Tennessee’s recycling problems to 2026 

by Cassandra Stephenson, Tennessee Lookout
February 27, 2025

Tennessee lawmakers across the political spectrum echoed the same idea in a Wednesday committee meeting: Tennessee has a trash problem, and something must be done.

What that “something” should be is a topic of debate. 

But a coalition of lawmakers, manufacturing companies and recycling groups are pushing for Tennessee to be the first Republican-led state to adopt a system that transfers the financial responsibility for recycling to producers instead of local governments.

The “Extended Producer Responsibility” (EPR) model is already in use in multiple European countries and Canada, and six states have approved EPR packaging laws. Companies that produce packaging products would pay fees into a producer responsibility organization that uses the funds for the collection, sorting and processing of recyclable packaging products.

EPR can come in many variations, but the general idea has won support from the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council and caught the attention of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance – which includes Nestle, Mars, Unilever and Danone – also supports the bill and EPR programs in general.

While battles loom over landfills, Middle Tennessee hurtles toward a trash crisis 

It will take at least another year for the model to reach the Tennessee General Assembly for consideration. Sen. Heidi Campbell, a Nashville Democrat and sponsor of the “Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act,” requested that the bill be deferred until January 2026 for more stakeholder engagement.

Campbell said the request stemmed from a “productive” conversation with the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, which has been one of the strongest opponents to EPR in Tennessee.

“We have a serious landfill crisis in Tennessee,” Campbell said during a Senate Government Operations Committee meeting Wednesday. “Tennesseans don’t want more landfills, and we need immediate action to address this challenge. Meanwhile, companies are actively seeking access to materials currently being buried in those landfills. They’re asking us to pass this legislation so they can put those materials to use.”

Campbell said the bill would keep nearly 1 million tons of recyclable products out of Tennessee landfills each year. As it is currently written, it would require Montgomery, Williamson, Rutherford, Hamilton, Knox, Davidson and Shelby counties to operate under a producer responsibility organization, but allows all counties with populations under 200,000 to choose whether they want to opt in.

“I recognize — I think we all do — that we have an issue” with waste, said Sen. Paul Rose, a Covington Republican. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

All told, the bill has backing from more than 12 companies in Tennessee (with combined revenue totaling $200 billion) and the state’s aluminum industry, which could use more recycled aluminum to reduce dependence on importing new metal, Campbell said.

But the bill appears to be a ways away from consensus — skepticism in committees has centered on producers passing costs down to consumers and ceding some decision making to the system’s private board.

Sen. Paul Rose, a West Tennessee Republican, wasn’t sold on the idea.

“I recognize — I think we all do — that we have an issue … but I have issues with the bill as it was written,” Rose said Wednesday. “We do need to address this, and hopefully we can come up with a solution that everyone can get their head wrapped around, and their pocketbooks, because it’s going to cost money for sure.”

Manufacturers, waste association weigh in

The Tennessee Waste to Jobs Coalition pitched the EPR structure as a way to bolster manufacturing businesses in the state, divert usable materials from landfills that are quickly approaching capacity and take pressure off of beleaguered local governments.

The group presented the idea alongside the Recycling Partnership and representatives from businesses that said they could use far more recycled materials than the state currently produces.

Donna Kopecky, the vice president of sustainability at Kaiser Aluminum, said she supports the effort to increase aluminum can recycling rates.

The company employs 164 workers at its plant in Jackson, Tennessee, and about 80 salaried employees at its corporate headquarters in Franklin. 

The U.S. can only produce about a third of the primary (“new”) aluminum supply needed to meet domestic demand, so companies must turn to Canada and other sources for the rest, she said. Recycled aluminum takes less energy to source and the metal can be infinitely recycled.

Bipartisan Tennessee bill would bring recycling to all homes, paid for by private business

Kaiser Aluminum averaged 50% recycled content in its packaging products in 2024, and could use more recycled aluminum, if the supply and cost is right. Demand for the metal is rising, she said.

“We need to capture more aluminum for recycling across the state, and this can be done by implementing recycling policy at the state level to help dramatically increase aluminum recovery and recovery of other valuable packaging materials in the state,” when paired with investment in recycling infrastructure and technology and consumer education, Kopecky said.

Florim USA, based in Clarksville, is the largest single-site producer of porcelain tile in the United States, Sustainability Manager Don Haynes said. One of the company’s goals is being green, and they are seeking out recycled glass to use in place of sand. The tile industry could use every glass bottle in the state and still have to buy more, Haynes said in a video presented to lawmakers.

“I’m not an expert on EPR, I’m not an expert on recycling, but I am an expert on using the glass,” Haynes said. “We would like the glass.”

Katie Raverty-Evans, vice president of chapter relations of the National Waste and Recycling Association, was not as enthusiastic about the EPR model.

The association represents about 70% of the private sector in the waste and recycling industry, and member businesses employ about 25,000 Tennesseans with a combined payroll of $1.4 billion, she said.

While she said the discussion of an EPR structure is “commendable,” the association has concerns — namely, the package fees they view as “unfair penalization of producers, especially … smaller, mid-sized companies.” 

“Our point of view is, let’s take a step back and look at it,” Raverty-Evans said. “Nobody (in the U.S.) really has implemented the program yet. It’s all in assessments, it’s all in planning. And why push something so quickly … without seeing how it plays out within the other states?”

Tennessee will now have a year to grapple with the bill’s particulars and observe other states’ approaches. 

Sen. Ed Jackson, a Jackson Republican and the chair of the State Government Operations Committee, said Tennessee needs to address its solid waste issue.

“I hope over this time before the next session that we can work something out that will really be productive and get the job done,” he said.

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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.

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TNKidKit aims to prepare parents in the event their child goes missing

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18 hours ago

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February 26, 2025

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www.wkrn.com – Kori Johnson – 2025-02-26 18:59:00

SUMMARY: In Nashville, a Sumner County family has endured the heartbreak of their 15-year-old son, Sebastian Rogers, going missing on February 26, 2024. In response, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has introduced a tool for parents called TN KidKit, which aids in emergencies involving missing children. This app allows parents to input essential details about their child, such as height and eye color, which is crucial for issuing an AMBER Alert. Parents can update information and photos regularly, ensuring law enforcement has the latest data during a crisis. TBI officials suggest periodic reminders to keep the kit current.

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Hemp industry fears slate of restrictive bills could gut industry

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2 days ago

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February 25, 2025

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tennesseelookout.com – Sam Stockard – 2025-02-25 05:00:00

Hemp industry fears slate of restrictive bills could gut industry

by Sam Stockard, Tennessee Lookout
February 25, 2025

Crossville businesswoman Maggie Clark believes a bevy of bills in the Tennessee legislature restricting hemp-related products will take the industry away from people who built it and give it to a “conglomerate.”

A grower, manufacturer and retailer of hemp products, Clark says her business, Cann-I-Help, and small stores across Tennessee will suffer, even after complying with federal and state laws for six years.

“I feel like they’re gonna take what I worked my ass off, blood, sweat and tears, from the ground up, boot-straps business, small business, woman-owned, woman-operated, and they’re gonna take that away from me and give it to somebody … who’s been operating federally illegally for the last 25 freaking years,” Clark says.

Numerous bills that will handcuff the industry are to be taken up this year, including one that would shift regulation of hemp and cannabinoid products to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission from the Department of Agriculture.

Under that measure, businesses would need $750,000 in assets to back their operations, according to Clark, who says she started her business with only $4,000.

“I built this business from the ground up with nothing, and now they’re gonna take that away from me?” Clark says.

The hemp industry has exploded since products were legalized in 2019, bringing in an estimated $280 million to $560 million in yearly sales, according to industry data.

Tennessee hemp industry gets legal reprieve from product ban until summer

House Bill 1376, which is sponsored by House Majority Leader Willam Lamberth of Portland and Republican Sen. Richard Briggs of Knoxville, would stop convenience stores from selling hemp and cannabidiol products and direct those exclusively to vape shops and liquor stores, which would be allowed to sell beverages containing low levels of THC, the main psychoactive compound from the cannabis plant.

Lamberth contends his legislation is necessary to make sure customers know they are buying potentially “dangerous” products.

“They’re clearly powerful intoxicants, and they’re THC-derived,” Lamberth says. 

Hemp is distinguished from marijuana in that it contains a compound called delta-9 THC. Cannabis with a concentration of less than 0.3% delta-9 THC is defined as legal hemp in Tennessee – and federally. Cannabis with concentrations greater than .3% is classified as marijuana and is illegal to grow, sell or possess in Tennessee.

Hemp flowers also contain THCA, a nonintoxicating acid that has not been outlawed in Tennessee. When heated or smoked, the THCA in the plant converts into delta-9 THC – an illegal substance in Tennessee in greater than trace amounts.

Other bills would tax and regulate hemp-related businesses, remove two hemp items, THCA and THCP from the list of approved hemp-derived cannabinoids and further crack down on any business that sells a hemp-related product to anyone under 21.

Clark, who is opposed to legalizing marijuana, says the looming changes will drive customers back into the “black market,” at the expense of store owners and hemp farmers and manufacturers, who developed their businesses with the state’s help.

Tennessee hemp industry makes last-minute legal bid to halt rules banning popular products

The Tennessee Fuel and Convenience Association also opposes Lamberth’s bill, saying retailers have experience selling “age-sensitive” products such as beer and cigarettes, in addition to hemp and CBD products.

“It’s troubling that the proposed legislation would exclude convenience and grocery stores, while favoring liquor stores, bars and restaurants,” the association said in a statement.

Rob Ikard, president of the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association, is taking a similar stance, because the bill removes grocery stores from hemp product sales as well.

“It will have a financial impact for sure,” Ikard says. 

Hemp-infused seltzers are big sellers in grocery stores, taking the place of beer among younger customers, and they would be shipped over to liquor stores under this measure.

Lawmakers passed a bill two years ago setting up new guidelines on hemp products and were sued. The lawsuit remains in court.

The Department of Agriculture was prepared to force removal of items from store shelves last Dec. 25, but a Nashville judge ruled the sale of hemp products would remain legal until at least June.

Alex Little, a Nashville attorney who represents hemp growers, says the state will “kill” portions of the industry if not careful. 

“There are some bills out there that will … result in thousands of jobs lost and millions of dollars of tax revenue off the table,” Little says.

For instance, if Lamberth’s bill maintains a TCHA prohibition, Little predicts a 50% reduction in sales and the loss of thousands of jobs.

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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.

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Cash for Clout database: Who’s funding Tennessee’s politics?

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3 days ago

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February 24, 2025

By

tennesseelookout.com – Adam Friedman – 2025-02-24 05:01:00

Cash for Clout database: Who’s funding Tennessee’s politics?

by Adam Friedman, Tennessee Lookout
February 24, 2025

This database was first published in July 24, 2023. It has since been updated multiple times. The last update came on Feb. 24, 2025.

Every year millions of dollars flow to Nashville, flooding the halls of Tennessee’s state capitol as a small number of deep-pocketed groups attempt to influence lawmakers.

The money comes in many streams through different legal channels, all aiming to influence regulations, push for tax breaks and secure government contracts, often to further private interests instead of the public. The Tennessee Lookout, relying on publicly filed lobbying and campaign finance reports, created a tool to search Tennessee’s top political spenders and recipients.

This page allows users to discover who’s spending the most cash to influence lawmakers and different ways groups spend money to gain influence.

Through the search bars below:

Explore every person and organization that has given a specific state politician at least $2,500Look at politicians and organizations spending money independently to elect their chosen candidatesSearch all the organizations that have spent money lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Nashville

Cash for Clout is an ongoing series examining the influence of money on Tennessee politics. Other articles in the series include:

Tennessee’s million-dollar clubPolitics Working & the Economy Tennessee’s largest companies secure sales tax exemptions for everything from jet fuel to waterConnecting the dots between Tennessee’s home builders and bill to deregulate construction on wetlandsThe $27.1 million clash between education reform and public school advocatesWhat happens when a cash-poor billionaire wants a new sports stadium? Lobbying.AT&T, the broadband conundrum and a $204 million tax exemptionTimely donations to Gov. Lee spark rise of Tennessee charter operator with dubious ties 

All the information in this article comes from the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance and relies on self-reporting by companies and individuals. If you want to contest any data in this story, email afriedman@tennesseelookout.com.

Have a tip on how money is influencing decisions at the Tennessee Capitol? Send an email to afriedman@tennesseelookout.com. For encrypting messaging, text 615-249-8509 on Signal, or call the same number.

Methodology:

The underlying data for this story comes from a lobbying report database and a campaign finance report database maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance. To create the top donor list, the Lookout combined spending from three categories — lobbying, campaign donations and independent expenditures.

The Bureau provides lobbying expenditures in ranges. For example, when the report said $10,000 to $25,000, the Lookout used $17,500 for the amount spent. When the report said less than $10,000, $1,000 was used.

For campaign donations, the Lookout has tracked contributions to every candidate and political action committee connected to a candidate since 2009.

Contributions to candidates and their PACs were combined when reporting how much they raised. We eliminated all donations from elected officials to their party PACs (Tennessee Legislative Campaign Committee and Tennessee Tomorrow PAC) because often those donations were reimbursements for campaign expenses.

Independent expenditures were also reported as part of the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance campaign database under expenditures. We used a similar method for donations to compile a complete spending list.

Since 2010, several companies, associations, and families have used multiple political action committees, changed their company names, or purchased other companies with political activity in Tennessee. The Lookout combined all the names it could find for a single company, family, or association. All of a past company’s campaign finance and lobbying data were combined under the new company’s name for mergers.

The data behind this story is also available to download

The completely unedited campaign finance database broken into folders, which contains over 2 million rows of data includes donations to lawmakers, lawmakers PAC and donations to any PAC that has operated in Tennessee (from Jan. 16, 2010, to Jan. 15, 2025).

An edited form of campaign finance data, this data mirrors the data in the “Search the campaign funders of Tennessee’s state politicians” flourish chart.

The Lookout’s lobbying expenditures data (from Jan. 1, 2010, to June 30, 2024) with merged name is available for download.

Data on independent expenditures (from Jan. 16. 2010 to Jan. 15, 2025). (58.1 MB)

Click here for the link to the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance campaign contribution and expenses website.

Click here for the link to the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance lobbying website.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.

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