EPA Hosting Annual Jobs Through Recycling Market Development Roundtable

The Jobs Through Recycling Market Development Roundtable, a forum for market development professionals from around the U.S. to learn about current market development challenges and opportunities, is scheduled for June 19-20 in Charleston, SC.

Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this is the fifth-annual meeting and the first to be held in South Carolina. “EPA’s JTR program has helped start several state recycling market development programs which continue to build market capacity and provide direct assistance to recycling businesses,” said Ted Campbell, manager of the SC Recycling Market Development Advisory Council.  “Our state’s recycling market development program has grown significantly as a result of JTR technical assistance and financial support.”

Topics for this year’s two-day meeting include updates on markets for construction and demolition debris, electronics recycling, and carpeting as well as looking at the challenges resulting from recent budget cuts and what financial incentives are working best across the country. The newly formed SC Business Recycling Assistance Program will be highlighted as part of the agenda to show how the state is working with industry to implement waste reduction, recycling and pollution prevention programs.

“These JTR meetings provide excellent opportunities for market development professionals to gain knowledge about recent trends and issues facing various commodities, share information about best practices and network with peers,” Campbell added.

EPA's Jobs Through Recycling (JTR) initiative puts the tools of business development—technology transfer, financing, and marketing—into the hands of recycling professionals. JTR facilitates cooperation and communication among solid waste officials, economic development organizations, and businesses involved in collecting, processing, and remanufacturing recovered materials.

Since 1994, the JTR program has offered a variety of grants to strengthen recycling market development and economic development programs. In addition, the program has developed and distributed market development information and facilitated the networking of recycling market development officials. Through information sharing, JTR continues to support an active network of state and regional contacts that develop innovative programs and provide useful information to recyclers and related businesses.

For more information about the JTR Roundtable, contact Gordon Hui at 703-308-9037 or visit the JTR Web site at http://www.epa.gov/jtr.