Tennessee's Pollution Prevention (P2) Program provides educational resources related to pollution prevention to Tennessee's manufacturers. Pollution prevention is defined as any practice that prevents, reduces, or eliminates pollution at its source. You are receiving this newsletter as part of Tennessee's environmental-regulated community. 

In this issue:

Join manufacturers, technical experts, and state partners for two days of practical learning and collaboration. Attendees will walk away ready to:

- Identify key waste‑reduction and materials‑reuse opportunities for your facility.

- Connect with Tennessee’s technical assistance network for hands‑on sustainability support.

- Apply energy‑saving strategies from the Better Buildings/Better Plants program.

- Explore innovations like AI‑enabled critical materials recovery and advanced manufacturing technologies.

- Help shape future industry and DOE priorities through facilitated “hot topics” discussions and Q&A sessions.

- Tour ORNL’s MDF, GRID‑C, and NTRC facilities for real‑world insight into emerging technologies.

Networking breaks, discussions, and an optional evening meetups round out the experience. Come to learn, and stay to share your expertise.

Check out the workshop agenda for more details! 

The P2 program is offering a workshop specifically geared toward food and beverage manufacturers! This FREE workshop will take place in conjunction with the Tennessee Sustainability Conference.

Attendees will walk away knowing:

- how to submeter activities to pinpoint costs

- new tools to research toxic chemical substitutions

- tips for wastewater compliance

- and more!

Networking breaks and discussions round out the experience.

When registering for the conference, NOTE THE DROP-DOWN MENU and choose your activities. The Advancing Sustainability in Food and Beverage Manufacturing Workshop will be FREE at the bottom of the menu. Attendance at the conference is not required to attend the workshop.

📅August 26, 2026

Attendees will end the webinar knowing steps needed to host facility and community engagement events. Topics and speakers include:

- Zero Waste Day - Kelsey Davis, TDEC

- Lessons Learned from Hosting a Community Recycling Event - Steve Westerfield, Toyota-Boshoku

- Out of the Box Engagement Ideas for Manufacturers - Tennessee Environmental Council

📅 Check out the P2 Resources website for more information and registration on all of our webinars and workshops, including recordings of previous webinars.

XSYS, formally known as MacDermid Graphics Solutions, was welcomed into the partnership in November 2025. This Morristown-based chemical company manufacturers rubber plates for printing companies. 

LG Electronics, located in Clarksville, manufacturers most models and lines of LG washing machines and dryers sold in the United States. LG  was welcomed into the partnership in April 2026.

Hutchinson Sealing Systems is manufactures sealing systems for several major automotive companies. Located in Church Hill, this facility was welcomed into the partnership in May 2026.

Clayton Appalachia produces manufactured homes in their Andersonville facility. This location was welcomed into the partnership in May 2026, making it the SIXTH Clayton facility to join. 

The Tennessee Green Star Partnership recognizes manufacturers who demonstrate exemplary environmental leadership through their sustainability efforts and community engagement. If you think this describes your facility, visit our website to learn more and apply.

We are pleased to shine the spotlight on an award-winning organization, and winner of TVA’s “Environmental Stewardship Partner Award of 2026”.  TDEC has worked with Tennessee Environmental Council for decades in our shared vision of a more sustainable Tennessee, and we eager to introduce our Green Star Partners to TEC.

Here’s a message from TEC’s CEO, Jeffrey Barrie:

We here at Tennessee Environmental Council (TEC) are excited to further engage with Tennessee's manufacturing community. We have numerous opportunities for you coming up this year to be involved in our community Recycling Roundups (winner of 2024 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award), happening in municipalities spanning the state, as well as Tennessee Tree Day, which inspires thousands of Tennesseans to plant native trees all across the state every March. 

We have numerous employee engagement and lunch-and-learn opportunities to get your teams involved in our sustainability efforts. It’s a great way to create a service-based experience with your team that comes with many benefits for your company as well as Tennessee’s environment and communities. We can even help beautify your corporate campus with one of our native pollinator gardens! We offer native seed packets for employees and their families to create pollinator habitats at home with our Generate Some Buzz campaign”

If you are interested in hosting one of our eco-events at your facility in the coming year, hosting a lunch & learn for your employees, or working with one of our field volunteer projects, take a moment to fill out our online “group volunteer form” on our website: tectn.org/getinvolved, or email TEC’s Development Coordinator, Charles White, at charles@tectn.org

Save the Date for August 19th through the 21st 2026 at the Park Vista hotel in beautiful Gatlinburg, TN. This is Tennessee's premiere gathering for sustainable industry and recycling vendors. Registeration and agenda are now available on the conference website.

This series will showcase the latest topics, technologies, and trends to help your organization accelerate efforts to save money, reduce waste, and enhance energy performance.

Topics this season include: Plug and process loads, AI and new technologies, Energy storage, Workforce development, Industrial load flexibility, and more!