CEC welcomes STAR as a new member organization

STAR’s mission is to advance recycling through partnerships, education, and advocacy for the benefit of Texas.

STAR’s mission targets economic growth, job creation, and resource conservation. STAR builds upon and supports end markets by coordinating stakeholders to find common ground through information sharing and partnerships that get recyclable materials to their market. It is through STAR’s data-driven advocacy that they are shaping and defining the future of materials management by facilitating discussion that leads to action.  STAR’s membership and partners represent a variety of sectors from the industry, public and private sectors, municipalities, academia, and nonprofits. Their diverse network allows them to be the resource for all things recycling in Texas.

STAR’s many initiatives and programs encompass all levels of recycling and reach out to municipalities, businesses, and individuals statewide. These programs include–

• Annual Texas Recycling Summit, the only conference dedicated entirely to recycling and waste diversion efforts in Texas, bringing together over 230 industry professionals, 35 exhibitors, and speakers from across the nation for professional development, expertise, and networking. The 2019 Summit will be held September 9-11 at the El Tropicano Hotel on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.

• The Study on the Economic Impacts of Recycling (SEIR), The Study, completed in 2017, sought to not only assess current recycling efforts, but also identify methods to increase recycling, as well as funding methods to increase recycling and associated job creation and infrastructure needs that will result from a more robust materials recovery industry in Texas. According to the Study, approximately 9.2 million tons of municipal solid waste designated material were recycled in Texas in 2015. The Study also found that the recycling of municipal solid waste creates economic benefits for the Texas economy, with more than 17,000 person years of direct, indirect, and induced employment supported during 2015. The overall impact of recycling MSW on the Texas economy exceeded $3.3 billion. Learn more and read the full report here.
• Texas Recycling Data Initiative (TRDI), in partnership with TxSWANA and other stakeholder groups, was the first-ever statewide effort to capture and quantify recycling activities takes place;
• Master Composter, wherein STAR serves as the statewide administrator, is a community-based program of citizen education and volunteer development with backyard composting as its main focus. The Texas Compost Council Summit & Training is an annual workshop for industrial composters,and is the premier educational and networking event for industrial composters in Texas
• Regional and Topical working groups and councils, wherein STAR members can join to partake in projects and activities in their regions or niches  and work together to provide education, professional development, networking and advocacy for the public, commercial, and private sectors.
• STAR’s ongoing Educational Webinar Series, with topics such as product stewardship, sustainable materials management, international commodity markets, rural recycling programs, food waste diversion, and more.

In 2016, STAR was awarded “Outstanding Recycling Organization,” presented by the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) at the Resource Recycling Conference in New Orleans, where they were honored and recognized for their achievements in the recycling industry.