Photo courtesy of ReMA
Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth was recognized July 18 as the 2025 winner of the Recycling Impact Award presented by the Kentucky-based National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) in partnership with the Washington-based Recycled Materials Association (ReMA).
The award is presented annually to a lieutenant governor or second-in-command in state government who has demonstrated a commitment to resource conservation, sustainability, reuse and recycling.
"Going to work with my father as a young boy are some of my favorite childhood memories, and I watched firsthand as he built his recycling business into a major producer of locomotives, rail cars and railroad supplies," Ainsworth says. "That unique perspective taught me the important role the recycling industry plays in our economy and job creation, and I am proud to promote programs that will allow it to grow and expand well into the future."
According to the NLGA, Ainsworth has demonstrated long-standing support for the recycled materials industry throughout his public service—both during his time in the Alabama House of Representatives and in his current role as lieutenant governor.
His father, Billy Ainsworth, founded Steel Processing Services Inc. in 1983, a company rooted in recycling that later became Progress Rail, a company in rail and manufacturing. As chairman of the Alabama Small Business Commission, he has championed progrowth policies supporting small businesses and workforce development. Under his leadership, Alabama launched one of the nation’s first workforce pathway diplomas, expanded career-tech dual enrollment and encouraged initiatives that support industrial expansion and redevelopment. These efforts address labor shortages and strengthen Alabama’s economy across key sectors, including recycling, NLGA says.
"The recycled materials industry is an integral part of the American economy and essential to securing the supply chain," ReMA President Robin Wiener says. "Lt. Gov. Ainsworth deeply understands the importance of our industry. This understanding started when he was young, with his father who founded Steel Processing Services Inc., and continues today in his role as chairman of the Alabama Small Business Commission, where he has promoted pro-growth policies that empower both new and established businesses.
"We are proud to honor his dedication to recycled materials, workforce development and small business with the 2025 Recycling Impact award."