Recyclers Across the Country Will Open Their Doors to the Public This May

The Association of Plastic Recyclers launches the inaugural Recycling in Action program to let people see first-hand how plastic recycling works

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) is pleased to announce the first-ever Recycling in Action month, a new initiative to increase visibility into the plastic recycling process in the U.S. and its myriad economic and environmental benefits.

During the month of May, material recovery facilities (MRFs) and plastic recycling facilities across the U.S. will open their doors for tours and information sessions to showcase what happens after recyclables are picked up from the curb.

“Recycling is an inter-connected, multi-step process that begins in millions of households when recyclables are tossed into the bin,” said APR President and CEO Steve Alexander. “APR created Recycling in Action to connect the crucial efforts people make at home to the creation of new products made from recycled materials.”

Making packaging from recycled content reduces the need for virgin plastic made from petroleum and requires significantly less energy than producing new plastic from raw materials, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and conserving resources. Recycling is also an economic engine in North America—responsible for 680,000 jobs across the U.S.

This strong combination of both economic and environmental benefits is why it is critical for states and Congress to adopt policies to improve recycling. Stronger recycling for plastics and other materials will create jobs, reduce pollution, and strengthen America’s manufacturing capacity. These tours will help demonstrate how recycling works every day and why it’s vital to invest in more and improved recycling across the country.

Events and tours are currently scheduled in the following locations, with more anticipated:

• Troy, AL
• Little Rock, AR
• Phoenix, AZ
• Surprise, AZ
• Vernon, CA
• Palm Beach, FL
• Forsyth, GA
• Charlestown, MA
• Grand Rapids, MI
• Minneapolis, MN
• Raleigh, NC
• Las Vegas, NV
• Brooklyn, NY
• Cincinnati, OH
• Columbus, OH
• Sioux Falls, SD
• Nashville, TN
• Austin, TX
• Houston, TX
• Plano, TX
• San Antonio, TX
• Seattle, WA
• Germantown, WI

For an up-to-date list of participating facilities, visit RecyclingInAction.org.

The Recycling in Action experience will allow people to see how recyclers separate materials using state-of-art technology, understand why certain materials contaminate the sorting process, learn more about how recycling works in their community, and what they can do to support and grow recycling.

“There’s been a lot of misinformation about what happens to plastic recyclables after they’re placed in the bin,” Alexander said. “The truth is that, thanks to households and businesses recycling, the equivalent of 340 18-wheeler truckloads of plastic is kept out of landfills every single day.¹ By letting people see recycling in their own communities, we hope to maintain trust in the system and inspire even greater participation.”

Learn more about Recycling in Action online HERE.

Founded over 30 years ago by mechanical recyclers, the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) is an international non-profit and the only North American organization focused exclusively on improving recycling for plastics. APR’s tools and resources help companies design packaging that can be recycled, support innovations that overcome existing recycling challenges, and encourage stable and reliable markets for post-consumer recycled content. Visit plasticsrecycling.org for more information.

¹ Source: https://www.circularityinaction.com/2022plasticrecyclingdata/ and assumes 40K lbs. max weight for truckload of plastic

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