Reclaiming Our National Recycling System

In 2019, Eco-Cycle, along with Eureka Recycling, Recycle Ann Arbor, and the Ecology Center of Berkeley, came together to form the Alliance of Mission-Based Recyclers (AMBR). We are a coalition founded by four of the original pioneers of mission-driven, community-based nonprofit recycling in the US.

Our Purpose & Unique Role

AMBR came together because we recognized we collectively have the unique 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 where recycling plays a key role. 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.

We provide model policies, tools, and other resources to debunk false solutions such as waste-to-energy and “chemical recycling,” and to rebuild credible, transparent, and just recycling systems.

Visit AMBR’s website to see the latest from the alliance.