Trane Technologies' Tiffany Waymer Drives Circularity Through Scrap

As a materials engineer, she works to turn waste into value and put circular design into practice.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Tiffany Waymer, a materials engineer at Trane Technologies, works to turn circular design into measurable climate impact. She sees value in materials that most people would consider waste, and her work focuses on reclaiming and recycling scrap metals to reduce energy-intensive virgin material use. Waymer's approach to problem-solving emphasizes understanding existing constraints and using what's already available rather than defaulting to new solutions.

Why it matters

Waymer's work highlights how companies can drive sustainability and circularity from within, working with the materials and resources they already have access to. Her focus on closed-loop recycling and reclaiming value from scrap demonstrates how engineering talent can be leveraged to reduce environmental impact and make progress on ambitious climate goals like the Gigaton Challenge.

The details

As a trained metallurgist, Waymer works across Trane Technologies' teams and facilities to solve complex manufacturing and sustainability challenges. This includes analyzing scrap metals to determine how much can be reclaimed and reused. Waymer's approach is centered on using existing materials to solve problems better, rather than defaulting to new solutions. One of her key projects is a closed-loop aluminum recycling pilot, which has expanded to include other metals like copper and steel.

  • The aluminum recycling pilot launched in 2022.
  • Waymer stepped back from her career for a time to prioritize her family, before relaunching her career at Trane Technologies in a role that recognized her prior experience.

The players

Tiffany Waymer

A materials engineer at Trane Technologies who works to turn circular design into measurable climate impact.

Trane Technologies

An American industrial company that manufactures heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and services.

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What they’re saying

“No, I don't go around blowing things up. Though back in my day, as my son would say, I did start out in a test lab doing grad research on decoys for heat-seeking missiles for the Navy.”

— Tiffany Waymer, Materials Engineer (digitalmedianet.com)

“I don't think about materials as fixed. I think about the problem and how we can use existing materials to solve it better.”

— Tiffany Waymer, Materials Engineer (digitalmedianet.com)

“We're not in this world by ourselves. You can do this sustainable thing over in a corner, but what kind of impact is that?”

— Tiffany Waymer, Materials Engineer (digitalmedianet.com)

What’s next

Trane Technologies plans to continue expanding its closed-loop recycling efforts to include more materials and manufacturing sites.

The takeaway

Tiffany Waymer's work at Trane Technologies demonstrates how engineering talent can be leveraged to drive sustainability and circularity from within a company, by focusing on reclaiming value from existing materials and resources rather than defaulting to new solutions.