Alliance for Mission-Based Recycling

We are a coalition founded by four of the original pioneers of mission-driven, community-based nonprofit recycling in the U.S. Together we are guiding new recycling policies and infrastructure investments to rebuild credible, transparent recycling systems that serve as a bridge toward a circular economy and just, resilient local communities.

View Our Video – Chasing Arrows: The Truth About Recycling

 

Our Purpose & Unique Role

AMBR has the technical expertise, industry credibility, and mission-driven values to be the definitive voice for reclaiming our national recycling system. Our goal is to create the bridge from a throw-away society that recycles to a truly circular economy. We aim to mitigate climate change and protect ecosystems and human health.

As recycling operators, AMBR members collect and sort tons of recyclables each month, offering us a close view of the linear consumption model. From our vantage point of dealing with piles of recyclables, we can propose and implement systemic solutions.

From the pile, we can look “upstream” at how products could be redesigned to be more resource-efficient, made from recycled content and recovered more easily. We can also look “downstream” at how systems and infrastructure could better recover and remanufacture materials into new products.

Recycling Operators
Glass Bottles

We are not in a recycling crisis- we are in a packaging crisis.

Our Work

We provide model policies, tools and other resources to rebuild credible, transparent and just recycling systems.

Government Building

Strengthen State and National Policy

Our positions, talking points, and recommendations on model policies that chart the course to fundamentally revamp our resource management system to create a closed-loop economy.

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Crushed Plastic Bottles

Reduce Plastic Consumption and Improve Plastics Recycling

We cannot recycle our way out of our global plastics problem. Recycling does have an important role to play in reducing plastic pollution and fossil fuel consumption. We can accelerate circular recycling while investing in waste reduction and reuse.

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Stack of crushed cardboard for recycling

Raise Standards for Recycling Operations

There is a right and a wrong way to run recycling programs. We help develop and amplify model operations standards, contracting language, labor best practices and other tools to accelerate higher environmental and social standards in recycling operations.

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