Alec Cooley has worked in the recycling field for over three decades, most recently as a senior advisor with the recycling and waste bin manufacturer, Busch Systems. He began his career managing recycling and waste reduction programs for Cal Poly Humboldt University in Northern California for a decade. Alec went on to work for the National Recycling Coalition as a program manager for three years before joining the national office of Keep America Beautiful as director of recycling programs in 2009. During his nine years at KAB, Alec oversaw behavior-related research initiatives, and served as the program manager for both CURC (College and University Recycling Coalition) and the RecycleMania competition (now Campus Race to Zero Waste). Since joining Busch Systems in 2018, Alec has advised the company on product design and produces a popular webinar series and other best practices content for professional recycling and waste reduction audiences.

Alec is a certified TRUE Advisor, and has previously served on the board of directors for the National Recycling Coalition, the Carolina Recycling Association and the California Resource Recovery Association. He lives near Charleston, South Carolina.