Welcome, ReMA

At the end of its 2024 convention and exhibition in mid-April, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) debuted its new identity: the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA).

The change has been years in the making and continues the work the association did in partnership with Maslansky + Partners, a language strategy firm based in New York City, to communicate using a vocabulary that better resonates with policymakers, stakeholders and the general public than the terms the industry has traditionally used. (Read more about the association’s rebranding here.)

With the help of Maslansky + Partners, the association created a lexicon playbook, “A common language for the recycled materials industry,” to direct its members’ efforts to clearly communicate what the industry does and the impacts it has, focusing less on internal processes and inputs and more on outcomes, such as the benefits the industry has on everyday life; outputs, or the specification recycled materials it produces; and its essential role in the supply chain, where recyclables replace natural resources. Not only is this language designed to increase recognition of recycled materials’ necessity in the supply chain, but it also helps correct misperceptions about the industry and takes control of its story.

"What you say is as important as how you say it, and approaching a topic in a way that encourages discussion is likely to get better results.”

“If we each tell our story in a different way, we risk undermining each other,” the playbook reads. “But if we all consistently tell the same story and pull in the same direction as an industry, we amplify our message.”

By using simple language that stakeholders outside the industry can understand, the association says it will clearly communicate who the recycled materials industry is, what it does, why it matters and where it’s headed, and that simplicity needed to extend to its name as well.

These changes are intended to get ReMA a place at the negotiating table. That extends to a new policy position the association has taken on bottle bills, which was discussed during the Government Relations Committee meeting April 15 before this year’s convention officially began. While ISRI previously was against such legislation, the association understands this position left zero room for discussion. Its new position, however, offers qualified support for bottle bill legislation and gives ReMA and its members a place to start negotiating from when working with legislators and policymakers.

What you say is as important as how you say it, and approaching a topic in a way that encourages discussion is likely to get better results.