WRP History
Waste Reduction Partners is a unique technical assistance program which engages the expertise of retired and volunteer engineers to serve businesses and institutions in North Carolina. Waste Reduction Partners was established in 1992 through the visionary collaboration of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Land of Sky Regional Council, and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The program, previously known as the Waste Reduction and Technology Transfer (WRATT), was formed to assist Western North Carolina businesses, industries, institutions, and governmental entities to improve efficiencies, reduce waste, utilize natural resources more efficiently, and improve economic competitiveness with free-of-charge services.
In 2000, the Land of Sky Regional Council and North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources formed a special partnership to help staff and provide support funding to the program. By cost effectively producing tangible environmental and economic benefits for North Carolina clients, WRP steadily increased its funding base through grants and technical service contracts.
Today, WRP is a key field assistance arm of the North Carolina Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach. The volunteer staffing has grown to over 40 engineers and scientists statewide. The technical services of WRP have remained premised on showing client businesses and institutions how to improve their environmental performance while reducing utility and operating costs. Since 2000, WRP has worked with 2,806 clients to save more than $140 million, cut wastes by over 267,000 tons and reduce energy consumption by over 1.1 million megawatt hours.