WASHINGTON—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has launched a new project, “Beyond 34: Recycling and Recovery for a New Economy,” designed to provide a model for communities, cities and businesses to improve their recycling and recovery rates.
Beyond 34 will help those entities achieve their circular economy and sustainability goals, the foundation said in a Nov. 16 news release.
Establishing a true circular economy, with all products, components and materials designed and manufactured for reuse, remanufacturing and recycling, has the potential to be the biggest economic revolution in 250 years, the foundation said in its release.
Initial funding for the project came from the Walmart Foundation, Target, Republic Services and Walgreens, in collaboration with Resource Recycling Systems, the foundation said. State and local chambers of commerce, city officials and other civic stakeholders participated in the project's creation, it said.
The project will be phased in starting in January 2017, in a U.S. city-region project leaders identify as one that demonstrates a high degree of readiness for recycling and reuse system development, according to the foundation.
The U.S. currently ranks 18th in recycling among the 35 member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with $11.2 billion in recyclable materials sent to U.S. landfills annually, the foundation noted.
“Shifting to the circular economy could unlock an estimated $4.5 trillion in additional economic growth by 2030,” the foundation said.