April 9, 2025

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Tennessee Recycling Coalition (TRC) has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Beverage Association of Tennessee and the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America to support the development of a new app aimed at improving recycling education and accessibility across the state.

High schools students will develop the app through a contest which kicked off with a recent event held at Soddy Daisy High School in Hamilton County. Over the next four months, students will be designing apps that promote proper recycling practices throughout Tennessee, with the winner being selected in August. The winning app will feature interactive tools such as a recycling center locator, materials acceptance guide, contamination prevention tips, educational toolkit and gamified learning experiences for users around recycling.

"This initiative empowers students to take an active role in sustainability by using technology to make recycling more accessible and effective,” said Amber Greene, executive director of the Tennessee Recycling Coalition. "By involving young minds in developing solutions, we're not only creating useful tools for Tennesseans but also fostering environmental leadership among our next generation that will benefit our state for years to come.”

The completed app will be the centerpiece of the "Recycle Right TN" campaign, which will be promoted statewide through social media, billboards and other media channels. TRC will also feature the winning student developers at its annual conference in August, where they will present the app to statewide industry leaders, educators and policymakers.

"This grant is a unique example of the beverage industry’s continued commitment to supporting sustainability efforts in the state,” said Beverage Association of TN Chairman and Vice President, TN Valley Division of Coca-Cola UNITED Darren Hodges. "Initiatives like this allow us to help improve recycling by empowering youth and providing stronger tools to families in the state who want to recycle better.”

The app will be made available to download via TRC’s website and supported by a free "Recycle Right TN" toolkit featuring customizable materials that businesses, schools and counties can adapt for their local recycling programs.

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