WasteCap Nebraska

History of WasteCap

INFORM

WasteCap Nebraska got its start in 1992 with the creation of the Industrialized Nebraskans for Organized Recycling Management (INFORM) by a small group of Lincoln businesses. They intended to level the playing field for businesses regarding recycling services with regard to cost for service, payment for commodities, and the level of service received. INFORM worked with the City of Lincoln and NSRA to develop a cooperative program and sent an RFP for fiber recycling services, leading to Midland Recycling locating in Lincoln and eventually to Dennis Paper Sales leaving the market.

INFORM member-businesses provided voluntary donations to take part in the master agreement formed by INFORM and Midland Recycling as well as Dennis Paper Sales.

WasteCap of Lincoln

Between 1992 and 1994, the City of Lincoln provided seed money to create an administrative/educational arm to INFORM. The City and INFORM forged a partnership with the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce (LCOC), which created WasteCap of Lincoln as a program of the LCOC. WasteCap of Lincoln worked with local businesses to train voluntary waste assessors and to help businesses get started on their recycling programs. Businesses that started recycling programs were automatically added to the INFORM member list.

Over time, WasteCap added additional Master Agreements, including one with Retrofit Recycling (formerly Light Cycle) for discounts on recycling services for various materials including fluorescent lighting, batteries, ballasts and later, electronic waste.

WasteCap Nebraska

From 2004–2005, there were many discussions related to WasteCap’s expansion and how that would impact the organizations relationship with its parent organization, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. WasteCap had a desire to have more organizational autonomy and to separate from the Chamber, releasing any specific local/Lincoln ties. The Chamber also expressed that WasteCap’s statewide activities may infringe on other local Chambers’ activities. The two entities agreed it was best to start a separate, spin-off organization. On March 1, 2006, WasteCap formally separated from the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, becoming its own separate non-profit corporation. In 2006, WasteCap became its own 501 (c) 6 organization.