With the bill filing deadline for the 2026 legislative session looming at the end of the month, the Solid 91²Ö¿â Task Force plans to draft a bill creating a waste diversion council that would assist Tennessee counties with finding ways to keep recyclable waste out of the state’s quickly-filling landfills and educate consumers about what they can recycle and where.
Tennessee businesses have told lawmakers in previous meetings that they are willing to purchase more recycled aluminum and glass if Tennessee can collect, process and produce sufficient quantities of recycled material to make it worthwhile. Right now, the state’s recycling rate is too low.
This comes as the Tennessee 91²Ö¿â to Jobs Act returns to the legislature for consideration. The act — introduced in 2025 by Sen. Heidi Campbell and Rep. Bob Freeman, both Nashville Democrats — would establish an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model for packaging in Tennessee.