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Often, we find state public policy is being driven by legislators who have never seen a recycling operation. They commonly view recycling as merely a lofty environmental conservation movement, not as an actual industry that provides both valuable economic and environmental benefits.

Winning legislative battles often turns on how many ReMA members are willing to turn out and engage with their legislators.  ReMA members who are able to get legislators to their yards for a facility tour frequently report making converts.  After touring a yard, legislators repeatedly say they simply “did not know” what ReMA members do. 

A few years ago, ReMA embarked on an effort to assist ReMA chapters in their efforts to educate state policymakers about the industry.  As you can imagine, reaching thousands of legislators from across all 50 states is a herculean task that many doubted could be done effectively. Moreover, the conventional wisdom was that it is virtually impossible to get every legislator to visit a yard.  That said, never underestimate the resourcefulness of the scrap recycling industry.  If we can’t get state legislators to visit a recycling yard, then ReMA members will bring the recycling yard to the legislators.

In a spectacular encore move this year at the August 2014 National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Legislative Summit, ReMA chapters once again brought the world of recycling to state legislators at their largest and most substantive state policy meeting of the year. The annual Summit provides an opportunity for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing issues facing states today. And, it provides legislators access to hundreds of industry and other interest groups who exhibit at this event. To bring a scrap yard to the legislators gathered in Minneapolis, ISRI’s chapters collectively sponsored the Exhibit Hall lunch. This sponsorship provided ReMA members with the opportunity to create multiple real-life displays showcasing the numerous recycling industry processes.  The ReMA theme for its educational exhibit was “Recycling is Much Bigger than the Bin.”

From all appearances, it appeared that ISRI’s sponsorship of the lunch was a success. The goal of the lunch sponsorship was to have legislators leave NCSL with no doubt that recycling is much bigger than the bin and ReMA is the organization that represents the recycling industry. If the enormous banner in the hall didn't catch their attention, then the stacked crushed cars, baled non-ferrous materials, huge material handler, Genesis shear, park bench from recycled rubber, Volvo simulator, and other displays did.  Members of the ReMA Northwest Chapter came through big for ISRI. Without their participation, there is no way the lunch would have been the success that it was this year. The visible displays brought the world of recycling to the legislators in a way they had never seen before and certainly in a fashion that could never be conveyed in literature alone.

State legislators were both interested and delighted in the interactive displays and conversations with recyclers on-site.  Among the highlights included commercial size bales of non-ferrous, plastic and two stacked crushed cars.  Legislators and attendees got up close and personal with some huge industry equipment on display such as a Sennebogen handler and Genesis shears and touched crumb rubber manufactured from old tires and plastic flakes for new production from recycled plastic.  Two popular contests drew hundreds of entries as attendees tried to guess the number of crushed cans in a brick and the number of tires from a tabletop display of baled wire was formed.  And similar to the interest generated last year on electronics recycling, the table-top centerpieces jars full of electronics shred once again sparked numerous conversations on the ultimate disposition of everyday electronics.

Suffice it to say, the exhibit hall showcase designed by the team of ReMA chapters and ReMA National was seen by the crowd as a significant success. Several comments from attendees suggested how this large-scale “super-sized” demonstration really helped them envision how much material our industry handles in comparison to the visual of the curbside bin they always associated with recycling.   According to Adam Dumes, 1^st Vice President, ReMA Ohio Valley Chapter, “This conference put state issues on center stage.  I think all of us that were there accomplished our goal of connecting with legislators, policy advisors, and aides from all over the country.”

This collaborative effort materialized with logistical support from ReMA National and the on-site participation of numerous ReMA member companies who sponsored the life-size exhibits. Nearly 40 industry volunteers participated in the event.   ReMA wishes to extend a special thanks to the following ReMA member companies for taking the time and effort to bring in exhibit displays: Alter Metal Recycling, Champlin Tire Recycling, Genesis, Granutech Saturn Systems, Hilex Poly, Industrial Netting, Integrated Recycling Technologies, Inc. (IRT), Lindner, Mahantango, New Ulm Steel and Recycling, Pioneer Industries, Road Machinery Supplies, Col, Star Plastics, and Volvo.  ISRI also wishes to extend special thanks to the 2014 NCSL Exhibit Hall Lunch planning committee members: Bruce Blue, Chip Koplin, Josh Lunberg, Mike Potash, Bret Robinson, and Eva Shine, and all the volunteers from the NW Chapter who participated and made this event a success.