Overview
Beyond 34 can achieve its ultimate goal of increasing the national recycling rate only if communities around the country take action. Having a robust online shelf of resources is critical to enabling communities to independently apply the Beyond 34 model. That’s why we created this site, which houses tools, templates, case studies, and resources from Beyond 34, other leading organizations, and thought leaders in the recycling and waste management space.
If you’re someone with a stake in ensuring a sustainable future, this site is designed to help you navigate the pathway to optimizing your recycling system.
Mission
As part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s commitment to accelerating the shift to a circular economy, Beyond 34’s mission is to enable communities, cities, and businesses to create a more sustainable future through the development of closed-loop recycling and recovery systems that divert valuable resources from landfills.
The Beyond 34 initiative aims to:
- Demonstrate processes for improving recycling, recovery, and reuse rates in selected U.S. regions;
- Provide a scalable blueprint that illustrates how companies and communities can successfully recover materials to keep them flowing in continuous, profitable, and sustainable loops that can be replicated in other places;
- Develop strategic partnerships across the value chain that help shift the U.S. towards a more circular economy, and;
- Raise awareness of the barriers and opportunities of transitioning to the circular economy in the U.S., and share learnings so others can better address challenges for materials recovery.
The Beyond 34 Model
The Beyond 34 model has three phases:
- 1Engage and activate local stakeholders across the recycling value chain.
- 2Provide communities with an analysis of their local recycling systems to identify areas of high impact to advance diversion, sustainability, and economic growth for the region.
- 3Mobilize resources toward implementation of high-impact interventions identified in Phases 1 and 2.
Hear From Our Local Partners
“Orlando is committed to reducing our environmental impact and as a result, we have a goal to become a zero-waste community by 2040. We’re making significant strides toward that commitment by providing our residents and businesses with the tools and strategies necessary to divert more waste from our landfills, including offering weekly recycling collection, quarterly e-waste drives, free backyard composters to residents, and a commercial food waste collection program that is diverting millions of pounds of organic waste per year.”
Orlando Mayor
Buddy Dyer
“For more than 25 years, Cincinnati residents have diverted more than 350,000 tons of material from the waste stream. This diversion is due to our significant recycling efforts including every other week collection of recyclables, data initiatives via the RFID technology in city-issued bins, and engaging residents on recycling non-traditional materials such as textiles, e-waste, and housewares. Beyond 34 will help our city identify the highest impact projects to build on our existing recycling efforts and get closer to our zero waste goal.”
Cincinnati Mayor
John Cranley
“We know our ambitious goals for a circular economy here in Austin can’t be reached alone. We need the support of our nonprofit partners, businesses who share our values, and other cities that can pass along their own wisdom – we’re all ears and we want to learn. That’s why we jumped at the chance to be a part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s exciting work in the Beyond 34 initiative.”
Austin Mayor
Steve Adler
Take Action
There are many ways to engage with and support Beyond 34 goals. Join us in taking action to improve national recycling and recovery systems.
Take Action