We were recently asked at a trade show how to find recycling in red states for your event. In California, recycling is mandatory. It’s mandatory for residential areas; it’s mandatory for commercial facilities; it’s also now mandatory for events of over 2000 guests. Only six states mandate recycling and those include Colorado, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon and Maine on top of the Golden State. That said, just because a state may not mandate it, that doesn’t mean that recycling (and composting) in your state does not exist. In fact, every state boasts some kind of material reclamation facility and as technology advances and funding for infrastructure takes effect, access to these services are increasing, regardless of the political climate of your state.
To be sure, global scrap metal recycling was valued at approximately USD 307.5 Billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 318.85 Billion in 2025. $75.5 Million of that was in the United States market alone. The Recycled Glass Market size was valued at USD $3.62 billion globally in 2024 and is projected to reach from USD $3.85 billion in 2025. So there is motivation beyond environmental stewardship here. Recycling is profitable. Particularly for scrap metal, electronics, cardboard, paper, and certain types of plastics, recycling is big business and manufacturers are becoming more innovative and savvy on ways to repurpose plastic into new goods.
Moreover, the Build Back Better bill earmarked significant allocations for recycling infrastructure and waste management. So living in a so-called “red state” is no excuse. Options truly do abound for your events.
But how do you find these options? First off, WM and Republic, two of the largest waste management companies in the country, both offer recycling. Because it’s easy to get lost in the ether when calling either company and neither has a dedicated event department or line, here is a nice hack: call the main headquarters to find the right person.
For a Ted Talk PopUP CleanUP serviced in Atlanta that wanted composting and recycling, it took several days of being lobbied through automated phone systems and stuck in infinite holding patterns until I finally caved and called WM’s main headquarters in Houston (713-512-6200). The customer service operator took my information and within ten minutes I received a call from their local event recycling expert who informed me that while WM doesn’t have a dedicated MRF in Atlanta, they partner with a private company. Some private haulers offer recycling for both materials and organics, as well, but this requires a lot more legwork which is why you might want to hire a cleaning company (clears throat) who has already done all that work for you.
The Recycled Materials Association (REMA), based in Washington D.C., represents over 1700 recycling companies and offers a membership directory. The US Composting Council out of Raleigh, North Carolina, is the organics equivalent, bringing together manufacturers, suppliers, and customers, and offering tools and resources for those interested.
Earth911‘s website allows you to type in the material you want to recycle (clothes, electronics, aluminum cans, etc) and your zip code and it will spit out a list of everywhere in your vicinity you can find a facility. TerraCycle is the equivalent for harder to recycle items such as inflatables, lanyards, batteries, etc. They even offer a TerraWaste box where you can ship your materials back to them to sort, repurpose, recycle and dispose.
MakeSoil offers a world wide directory of composting communities and Green Paper Products has their own compost-finder built into their website so that once you are finished using their biodegradable food wares, you will then know where to compost them afterward. Litterless offers a similar search by state function.
Putting on a large-scale event can require many moving plates spinning at once. If you want recycling and composting on top of trash separation and waste management at your event, consider hiring PopUP CleanUP to be your one-stop-shop.
