Welcome to the CAFA Collective: Recycled Materials Association

Photo by Robby McCullough on Unsplash

The Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) is the leading trade association representing the recycled materials industry in the United States and around the world, and it is a genuine pleasure to welcome them to the CAFA Collective.

Representing more than 1,700 companies across the U.S. and in over 40 countries, ReMA supports businesses that collect, process, and broker metals, paper, plastics, glass, electronics, rubber, and other recyclable commodities. These materials are essential inputs for industries from manufacturing and consumer goods to transportation and energy, providing “a more sustainable alternative to cutting trees, mining, drilling, or harvesting natural resources.”

In the U.S. alone, ReMA members deliver $183 billion in economic activity each year and contribute 603,000 jobs in communities nationwide. ReMA members safely and efficiently transform end-of-life products into the building blocks that power manufacturing, strengthen and secure global supply chains, and protect natural resources. 

ReMA advances its members’ interests through advocacy and government engagement, education and workforce development, safety and compliance programmes, and market development. Its mission is to promote recycling that is safe, environmentally responsible, and economically sustainable.

Why this matters

ReMA's relationship to the transition is unique as the recycled materials sector exists to displace extraction. Akin to other industries in the circular economy (based on reuse and repair) or in sustainability, recyclers are an enabler of the transition to a sustainable economy.

When a manufacturer uses recycled aluminium instead of virgin material, greenhouse gas emissions from production fall by up to 96% (IAI). For plastics, paper, glass, and steel, the reductions are consistent and material.

Industries that are decarbonising their processes (steel, cement, automotive, electronics, packaging) increasingly depend on recycled feedstocks to do so. This makes the recycled materials industry a supply chain enabler for much of what the transition requires.

ReMA members are continuously innovating to recycle more material more efficiently – working with individuals, brands and communities to help them sort and recycle more and use more recycled materials in their products.

The counterintuitive challenge for an industry like this is that the case for its sustainability role often goes unmade. ReMA has a Sustainability and ESG Toolkit for members, runs sustainability webinars, and maintains a sustainability network to help member companies articulate and develop their own approach. The work of making the industry's environmental contribution legible, to policymakers, procurement bodies, and the public, is part of what ReMA does.

Joining the CAFA Collective

As part of the CAFA Collective, ReMA gains access to the peer network, resources, and guidance that CAFA provides to membership organisations at all stages of developing their sustainability engagement with members and policymakers.

For ReMA, this is an opportunity to embed sustainability into the organisation's own operations and strategy, and how to help its members tell a more complete story about the role they play in the transition.

“Sustainability is in our DNA as recyclers. Joining CAFA is another step in the recycled materials industry’s commitment to not only providing a sustainable service and feedstock for the manufacturing industry, but to sustainably operating our facilities and our association’s activities. We’re excited to join this global network of like-minded associations,” said Natalie Betts, VP, Sustainability & Materials Systems at ReMA.

For CAFA and CAFA members, ReMA becoming a member is an opportunity to better connect and coordinate across industries rooted in the circular economy or heavily reliant on it: industries and sectors whose emissions profile is tied to embodied carbon in materials and emissions from waste will truly benefit from ReMA joining the network.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Recycled Materials Association to the CAFA Collective. As a global leader in the circular economy, ReMA's expertise in transforming end-of-life products into valuable resources aligns perfectly with our mission to harness the collective power of associations for climate action, and will be inspiring to many sectors. We are delighted to work together to drive sustainability progress across sectors by speeding up adoption of circular economy practices.” Alison Heppenstall, CEO and Founder, Climate Action for Associations

If your organisation is navigating the sustainability landscape and looking for a network and resources to support that journey, CAFA membership is free and open to all membership organisations. Join the CAFA Collective today.