Founded in 1978, the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) is a non-profit organization comprised of concerned individuals and environmental, labor, and business organizations who wish to promote the recovery and reuse of materials and energy. Believing that recycling is vital to the nation's well-being, NRC encourages collection, the development of more processing venues, and the purchase and promotion of recycled materials.

Originally formed by a small group of recycling professionals to convince others that recycling provides many benefits to America's economy, NRC has since grown to 4,500 members. They participate in several different projects, including the Peer Match Program—in which NRC gives technical advice and direct assistance in recycling—and technical councils such as the Rural Recycling Council and the Minority Council. The most prominent of these councils is the Recycling Advisory Council (RAC)

The Coalition established the RAC in 1989 to build consensus on recycling issues...