Our Team
30+ Years at the Forefront of Solid Waste Research
Katherine Shayne, founder, received her Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Georgia, where she also earned her B.S. in Environmental Engineering. Katherine worked in environmental sustainability focused on global materials management and marine plastic litter for the Jambeck Research Group and UGA New Materials Institute. She has a passion for bridging science and technology with business and mitigation strategies in communities, especially in terms of waste management and new materials.
Dr. Jenna Jambeck, founder, is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor in Environmental Engineering at the University of Georgia, Head of the Circularity Informatics Lab, Lead of the Center for Circular Materials Management in the New Materials Institute, a National Geographic Fellow, and co-Lead of Sea to Source Expedition: Ganges. She has over 24 years of experience in Solid waste Management and 19 years of experience working directly in Marine Litter/Plastic Pollution.
Meet the TeamOur Community
Friends of the Greenway
CIRT is a corporate member of
Friends of the Greenway, an Athens, GA local non-profit organization that supports and partners with the Oconee River Greenway Commission and Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services to engage diverse and community-minded citizens to utilize the Athens Greenway and actively support its maintenance, safety, and growth. This is accomplished through innovative programming, strategic partnerships, and community stewardship. Friends of the Greenway independently raises the essential private funding to support these initiatives and the strategic priorities of the Oconee River Greenway Commission. In addition, Jennifer Davidson sits on the Friends of the Greenway Board.
Our Community
1% for the Planet
As a business member of
1% for the Planet, CIRT has pledged to give 1% of gross sales to an environmental cause that is verified by 1% for the Planet. CIRT’s donation is also certified by 1% for the Planet.
Our Community
Protect Our Winters
CIRT is a corporate member of
Protect Our Winters, a climate advocacy organization based out of Boulder, Colorado. Protect Our Winters is a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies that protect our world today and for future generations.
Our Community
Keep Athens Clarke County Beautiful
CIRT has an ongoing partnership with
Keep Athens Clarke County Beautiful (KACCB). KACCB is a nonprofit 501c3 organization offering community support and education regarding issues that affect the health and appearance of our environment. The mission of KACCB is to educate and empower citizens and businesses with the resources to take action as environmental stewards of litter prevention, waste reduction, and beautification. KACCB is a local affiliate of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Keep Georgia Beautiful program and the national Keep America Beautiful program.
Our Community
Rivers Alive
Each year, CIRT employees participate as a group in the
Athens Rivers Alive cleanup. Rivers Alive is part of a continuing statewide campaign to clean and preserve over 70,000 miles of Georgia’s rivers and streams. The effort is part of Rivers Alive, a joint program of the Environmental Protection Division Outreach Education Programs and the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation. The annual Georgia Waterway Cleanup is the largest single volunteer effort to beautify Georgia’s water resources. Volunteers in Athens join an estimated 25,000
