Memphis is emerging as a growing example of how local organizations, corporations, and community leaders can work together to build a more sustainable and resilient economy through circular business practices. Across the city and the broader Mid-South region, initiatives focused on recycling, workforce development, waste reduction, and reverse logistics are helping transform traditional views of waste into long-term economic opportunity.

Memphis Strengthens Circular Economy Leadership

The circular economy model centers on extending the life cycle of materials through reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling rather than relying on traditional disposal systems. In Memphis, several local organizations have spent years building the infrastructure and partnerships necessary to make that vision increasingly practical and scalable.

Clean Memphis has played a leading role in coordinating sustainability efforts across the region. Through the Circular Economy Task Force and the Circular Mid-South initiative, the organization has worked to align local sustainability goals, educate communities, and encourage zero-waste policies.

FedEx Cares has partnered with Clean Memphis for years, particularly supporting initiatives focused on reducing food waste in public schools and improving community sustainability programs.

Workforce Development Drives Local Impact

The Binghampton Development Corporation (BDC) has also become a major contributor to Memphis’ circular economy movement through innovative recycling programs focused on items such as streetlights and mattresses.

These projects have helped create employment and workforce development opportunities for more than 180 individuals while simultaneously diverting difficult-to-recycle materials from landfills.

FedEx Cares supports BDC through in-kind shipping and logistical assistance that helps expand workforce training efforts tied to recycling and materials recovery programs involving mattresses, tires, and other hard-to-process products.

Leaders involved in these initiatives increasingly view sustainability and workforce development as interconnected priorities, particularly in communities seeking long-term economic stability and job creation.

FedEx St. Jude Championship Demonstrated Large-Scale Waste Diversion

One of the most visible examples of Memphis’ circular economy collaboration occurred during the FedEx St. Jude Championship, where local volunteers from Clean Memphis and The Compost Fairy coordinated large-scale waste recovery efforts.

The initiative successfully rescued approximately 2.75 tons of surplus food, composted 3.75 tons of organic waste, and sorted thousands of recyclable materials throughout the event.

The project highlighted how coordinated logistics, community engagement, and sustainability planning can significantly reduce waste generated during major public events while creating reusable resource streams.

Circular Supply Chains Gain Momentum Across the Mid-South

In April 2026, businesses, startups, nonprofits, and industry leaders gathered at an event hosted by GAME Change and the Circular Supply Chain Coalition (CSCC) to explore opportunities for expanding circular economy practices across the Mid-South region.

Participants focused on strategies to keep materials in circulation longer through product take-back programs, reverse logistics systems, repair operations, and remanufacturing processes.

A tour of a local return center demonstrated how major manufacturers are already implementing circular principles through systems designed to recover, refurbish, and reuse products that would otherwise enter waste streams.

Workforce development remained a central theme throughout the discussions, with many leaders emphasizing that circular economy projects can provide meaningful employment opportunities while strengthening local economic resilience.

Logistics Emerging as Critical Circular Economy Infrastructure

FedEx and Pyxera Global have been working together since 2021 to support the development of the Circular Supply Chain Coalition. Their efforts have included pilot e-waste recycling programs in Tennessee alongside organizations such as Terra’s Done with It and the American Battery Technology Company.

Recent research published by Pyxera Global highlighted the increasingly important role logistics companies play in supporting the transition toward more circular economic systems.

Transportation, reverse logistics, shipping infrastructure, and supply chain coordination are becoming essential tools for businesses seeking to reduce waste while improving operational sustainability.

Through FedEx Cares, the company continues supporting circular economy initiatives through philanthropic investments, shipping assistance, and supply chain expertise designed to help community organizations and startups expand sustainable operations.

As circular economy initiatives continue growing across the United States, Memphis is positioning itself as a regional model for how collaboration between corporations, nonprofits, and local communities can create both environmental and economic benefits.