Recycling Association of Minnesota

What Recycling Association of Minnesota does

The Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade association founded in 1989 and headquartered in Fridley, Minnesota, that provides recycling education, policy advocacy, and convening services to public and private sector stakeholders across the state. Its core offerings include the annual Rain Barrel & Compost Bin Sale (45-gallon rain barrels and 17 cu. ft. compost bins made from 100% recycled plastic, priced $50-$100), specialized programs for hard-to-recycle materials (agricultural film plastic, boat wrap, holiday light strings, cartons, plastic bags/film via the 'It's In The Bag' initiative), and educational resources (the Recycling Outreach Guide for Minnesota, REC Toolbox, Kids Page, and curated videos). The organization coordinates the Recycling Education Committee (REC), a quarterly stakeholder forum with 65+ participating counties and a steering committee that includes Dem-Con, WM, Eureka Recycling, MPCA, and several counties.

RAM does not develop proprietary technology; its operational backbone is a WordPress website, an e-commerce storefront, email newsletters, and social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X). Revenue is generated through three streams: annual membership dues across nine tiers ranging from $50 (K-12 schools and students) to $600 (large businesses with 100+ employees), unrestricted and program-restricted donations from individuals and corporate benefactors (notably CHS Inc.), and modest direct-to-consumer product sales fulfilled through local government pickup sites across at least 11 Minnesota counties. Government and industry grants (e.g., the 2019 Scott County Recycling Infrastructure and Outreach Grants Program with American Chemistry Council matching funds) supplement program work. Membership benefits include a newsletter, conference discounts, and directory access. The organization employs 1-10 staff, led by Executive Director Michael Bennett (appointed spring 2025), and is governed by a 15-19 member Board of Directors. RAM's 2024 legislative advocacy contributed to passage of Minnesota's Packaging Waste & Cost Reduction Act and Boat Wrap Product Stewardship Program, expanding its influence over state-level producer responsibility policy.

Name

Recycling Association of Minnesota

Legal name

Recycling Association of Minnesota

Website

https://recycleminnesota.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Recycling Association of Minnesota is a 1989-founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade association that delivers recycling education, policy advocacy, and convening services to Minnesota counties, businesses, schools, and residents through membership dues, donations, and niche recycling programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recycling Education and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621), Waste Collection (56211)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Curbside MSW Collection (BPALAAAA), Residential Subscription / Backdoor Collection (EUAIAAAB), Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs (EUAIAIAA)

Keywords

• Recycling education programs
• Waste reduction advocacy
• Nonprofit association services
• Sustainability event management
• Recycling industry training

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Ripley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: RAM accepts monetary donations from supporters and benefactors to fund public education initiatives and operational activities. Donations provide flexibility to deliver recycling education to schools, civic groups, and communities.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from businesses (large, medium, small), government/university, nonprofits, individuals, K-12 schools, retirees, and students. Membership includes newsletter access, conference discounts, and membership directory access.
3. Product Sales (Rain Barrels & Compost Bins): RAM sells rain barrels and compost bins made from 100% recycled materials through an online storefront with pickup at local government partner sites. Prices range from $50-$100 depending on location subsidies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

RAM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association that delivers recycling education, advocacy, and niche recycling programs in Minnesota. Its core offerings include tiered memberships, statewide standardized recycling messaging through the Recycling Education Committee (REC), an annual rain barrel and compost bin sale at subsidized prices via county partner pickup locations, niche recycling programs for hard-to-recycle materials (agricultural plastics, boat wrap, plastic bags/film, cartons, holiday lights), and the RAM/SWANA annual conference.

Product overview

The Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1989 that provides leadership, advocacy, and education to encourage responsible resource use through recycling. RAM operates as a program and resource organization rather than a technology company, offering a portfolio of educational initiatives and recycling programs including the annual Rain Barrel & Compost Bin Sale, the REC Toolbox containing outreach guides and calendars, the Agricultural Plastic and Boat Wrap Recycling program, the 'It's In The Bag' plastic bag recycling initiative, Carton Recycling Program, Recycle Your Holidays light recycling, and various educational videos and materials. The organization does not develop software products, APIs, or AI-powered technology offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rain Barrel & Compost Bin Sale Annual seasonal retail program selling 45-gallon rain barrels and 17 cu. ft. compost bins (both made from 100% recycled plastic) at subsidized prices to Minnesota residents through pickup at partner county and city locations.
• RAM Membership Program Tiered annual subscription membership program for Minnesota businesses, government/university, nonprofits, and individuals, providing newsletter access, conference discounts, membership directory listing, and industry advocacy.
• RAM/SWANA Annual Conference Annual in-person conference co-hosted with SWANA, featuring educational sessions, certifications, and networking for recycling and solid waste professionals in the Midwest.
• Agricultural Plastic and Boat Wrap Recycling Program Specialty recycling initiative that coordinates collection and processing of agricultural film plastics (silage bags, bunker cover, grain bags, greenhouse film) and boat wrap through partnerships across solid waste, recycling, agricultural, and manufacturing sectors in Minnesota.
• It's In The Bag Plastic Bag and Film Recycling Program Plastic bag and film recycling program that combines public education with collection/processing partnerships (Dem-Con Companies, American Chemistry Council) under grant funding from the Scott County Recycling Infrastructure and Outreach Grants Program.
• Carton Recycling Program Partnership-based program with the Carton Council to expand carton recycling availability in Minnesota by working with material recovery facilities, fiber mills, and local programs on collection, market development, and educational outreach.
• Recycle Your Holidays Light Recycling Program Year-round and seasonal drop-off program for recycling non-working holiday light strings, with more than 40 participating collection locations across Minnesota.
• RAM Charitable Donations Solicitation of charitable monetary donations from supporters and corporate benefactors to fund RAM's public recycling education, programs, and operations in Minnesota.

Quantifiable outcome

• Minnesota collected 1,995,534 tons of recyclable materials in 2018, ranking among top recyclers nationally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Recycling PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020RAM provides access to The Recycling Partnership's Recycling Education Toolkit which features label resources for cities and counties, plus free recycling images. The toolkit is designed for use within cities and counties that have not already developed these tools.
• Dem-Con CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019RAM assembled a strong partnership with Dem-Con Companies for the 'Snag Those Bags' plastic bag and film recycling project. Dem-Con serves as a key processing partner for collected plastic film materials, and RAM group visited the Fox River Fiber plant in DePere, WI to understand carton processing markets.
• Revolution PlasticminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019RAM featured Revolution Plastic video on packing bins as part of agricultural plastic recycling education efforts.
• Recycling Education Committee (REC) MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2016REC is a stakeholder group meeting quarterly since June 2016 with representatives from haulers, cities, counties, state agencies, and regional organizations. Steering committee includes: Anoka County, Dem-Con Companies, Creekside Soils/City of Hutchinson, WM, Waste Wise, Dakota County, Eureka Recycling, Sustainable Synergy Solutions, Blue Earth County, and MPCA.
• Carton CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014RAM partnered with the Carton Council, a national organization of carton manufacturers, to increase carton recycling opportunities throughout Minnesota. The partnership included training sessions, webinars, market development connecting fiber mills with MRFs, and educational outreach to expand recycling of cartons (considered a 'hard to recycle' item) to over 50% of US households including Minnesota residents.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northeast Recycling Council (NERC): Regional recycling council serving U.S. Northeast states, structurally similar to RAM as a multi-state recycling education, advocacy, and stakeholder coordination nonprofit. Closest functional analog operating in a different U.S. region.
• Product Stewardship Institute: National nonprofit focused on producer responsibility and product stewardship policy. Comparable to RAM's advocacy around Minnesota's 2024 Packaging Waste & Cost Reduction Act and Boat Wrap Product Stewardship Program.
• Carton Council: National industry association of carton manufacturers that is a core RAM partner expanding carton recycling access. Operates a similar nonprofit-style advocacy and education model focused on a specific material stream.
• The Recycling Partnership: National nonprofit that funds and supports residential recycling programs and provides the Recycling Education Toolkit that RAM distributes. Directly comparable mission around standardizing recycling education messaging and funding local programs.
• Iowa Recycling Association: Iowa-based nonprofit recycling membership and advocacy organization with similar programmatic focus on education, member events, and stakeholder coordination at a smaller Midwest state level.

Broad incumbents

• CalRecycle: California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery — a state-level agency analogous to RAM's convening role in Minnesota but operated as a state government body with significantly larger scale and budget.
• Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA): National trade association for the solid waste and recycling industry that co-hosts RAM's flagship annual conference. Directly comparable as a membership-based recycling/solid waste advocacy and education organization, though operating at national scope.
• Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI): Largest U.S. trade association representing the scrap recycling industry. Overlaps with RAM's stakeholder convening role but serves the broader recycling supply chain rather than consumer-facing education.

Emerging players

• Container Recycling Institute: National nonprofit focused on beverage container recycling research and advocacy. Comparable nonprofit model with education, policy advocacy, and material-specific focus overlapping with RAM's hard-to-recycle material programs.

Regional players

• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources — Recycling Programs: Wisconsin state government program overseeing recycling and solid waste. Adjacent geographic peer with similar mission of state-level recycling education, grants, and program coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/recycleMN
• Facebookfacebook.com/RecyclingAssociationMinnesota
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recycling-association-of-minnesota
• Instagraminstagram.com/recyclemn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Recycling Association of Minnesota