Murfreesboro, TN - On Friday, November 7, 2025, the Tennessee Environmental Council (TEC) will bring its 2025 Annual Policy and Practice Forum to Middle Tennessee State University, inviting the public to join a full day of dialogue on solid waste solutions. This event will create a major conversation on one of Tennessee’s most pressing environmental challenges.
It is co-hosted by MTSU’s Center for Supply Chain Management and Sustainability, will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the James Union Building. Tickets include lunch and reserved parking, with early bird pricing available through October 31.
The Environmental Council’s CEO Jeffrey Barrie isn’t sugarcoating the issue. “Tennessee ranks 48th in the nation for recycling, and our landfills are reaching capacity. We need everyone at the table to help solve these problems.”
That table will be full. The forum kicks off with a keynote from state Sen. Shane Reeves, followed by a community conversation with Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland and residents about the Middle Point Landfill. Attendees will also view the Environmental Council’s short documentary Waste To Wages, and hear from industry leaders at Kaiser Aluminum and Florim Tile.
Jake Morabito will present a model Extended Producer Responsibility resolution, and a panel will explore the Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act, now before the General Assembly. After lunch, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will preview its 2035 Solid Waste Plan, and the day will close with a forward-looking panel on the state’s waste future.
Richard Tarpey, director of MTSU’s supply chain center, says the forum aligns perfectly with the university’s mission. “We’re honored to host this event. It connects academic insight with real-world environmental policy and practice.”
Founded in 1970, the Tennessee Environmental Council continues to champion recycling, watershed protection, tree planting, and climate balance across the state. Their message is clear: Tennessee’s trash problem won’t fix itself—but with collaboration, innovation, and community engagement, solutions are within reach.
