Program Goals and Objectives
The ability of small and start-up businesses to obtain financing is a critical factor in expanding end use manufacturing capacity for recycled materials and products. To address this need, the National Recycling Coalition’s National Recycling Financing Initiative (NRFI), funded primarily by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
Researched, documented, and published information on successful capital information strategies for recycling businesses.
Provided information and conducted outreach to targeted investors on successful financial deals and investment opportunities in the recycling industry.
Provided state market development officials and business development specialists with a centralized source of information and training to assist recycling businesses in obtaining financing.
Background
The NRC identified a number of challenges facing recycling enterprises in the financing arena. These challenges include:
Improving recycling companies’ business planning expertise and their familiarity with promising financing sources and strategies.
Responding to investor concerns regarding market volatility, regulatory uncertainty, new technologies, past financial track record, and lack of credit history/collateral.
Identifying and maximizing the use of nontraditional sources of capital and financing strategies such as community-based financial institutions, “angel” investors, venture capitalists, asset-based lenders, and mergers and acquisitions to fill financing “gaps” not addressed by traditional sources of debt and equity financing.
Promoting successful financial deals in the recycling industry to investors and the business community.
Increasing the utilization of government loan and grant programs to leverage more private sector investment.
Realizing the potential of investment forums and networks to assist recycling businesses in obtaining financing.
National Partners
In addition to the NRC, the following organizations supported the work of the NRFI:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
The American Plastics Council
The Northeast Recycling Council
The Materials for the Future Foundation
The Environmental Capital Network
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance
KirkWorks
How to Get More Information
While the NRFI is no longer an active NRC project, this website contains many valuable resources produced during the project, much of which is still relevant today. We also offer an order form in .pdf format which you may download and print.