Rockwood Sustainable Solutions Helps Tennessee Industry Navigate Complex Waste Requirements for Material Separation

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As Tennessee's waste task force considers ways to increase recycling and support the use of waste materials as beneficial end products, one company is leading the movement to make recycling easier for industrial manufacturers. Rockwood Sustainable Solutions takes material separation, sorting, and recycling tasks off their hands.

Rockwood has emerged as an expert navigator for manufacturers adapting to multifaceted waste and recycling compliance guidelines. While Rockwood offers a range of services, the Lebanon, Tenn., recycler shines when industrial customers need to sort plastics, scrap metal, wood, cardboard, and other industrial materials to reduce landfill tipping fees and meet compliance demands.

Recently, state lawmakers suggested that changes could be coming to the Jackson Law, which allows cities and counties to approve landfills. Limited landfill availability and regulatory uncertainty are creating a perfect storm for industry when combined with stricter expectations for material diversion.

Heavy manufacturing and automotive sectors face a unique challenge because of their mixed materials. Rockwood enables manufacturers to consolidate materials onto a single trailer, then handles the complex downstream labor of de-boxing, separating, grinding, and baling materials to prepare them for larger commodity markets. This can include managing unused obsolete parts and property cleanup.

"What we see in industry and manufacturing companies is a desire to hit net zero in their overall waste to landfill, but their efforts fall short because of the need to single-source recycle every material. We are innovating recycling by creating end-use applications," said Rockwood President Lincoln Young. "Through the efforts of our Vice President of Sustainability Charlie Young, we have begun to focus more specifically on end-market development for all waste materials, especially wood, plastic, and common industrial manufacturing discards."

Rockwood has expanded its processing capabilities with the acquisition of a dedicated off-site sorting warehouse. The newly acquired warehouse allows Rockwood to operate as a comprehensive, one-stop shop for industrial operations that want to meet and exceed their recycling goals.

One recent success story: a Tier 1 automotive supplier chose Rockwood to redesign its waste management program. By consolidating mixed materials and allowing Rockwood to manage the sorting, processing, and commodity marketing, the manufacturer reduced waste management costs by 55% while increasing its recycling rate to more than 90%.

The project demonstrates how manufacturers can significantly reduce disposal costs without investing in expensive on-site sorting infrastructure. By partnering with Rockwood, the customer transformed what was once a costly waste stream into a highly efficient recycling program.

Rockwood manages a diverse array of materials, including ferrous and non-ferrous metals that most customers would not have enough of to fill their own trailer for resale. This mitigates two of the largest cost inflation drivers for local manufacturers: labor and transportation. The program marks the beginning of a larger movement to continue developing sustainability infrastructure across Tennessee.

Rockwood President Lincoln Young is available for interviews on what is coming for Tennessee's waste economy, including innovations that work and how local communities can be part of the movement. Schedule an interview today.

About Rockwood Sustainable Solutions

Rockwood is a premier C&D recycler specializing in high-yield material recovery and innovative job-site solutions. By creating end markets for wood, drywall, and shingles, Rockwood helps the construction industry achieve record-breaking sustainability metrics. To learn more, visit rockwoodrecycling.com.

SOURCE Rockwood Sustainable Solutions