Last week, the city of Erie released its recycling guidelines for the coming year. The lead of the story read: “Recycling rules are ever-changing, that’s why it’s important to know what you can leave out at the curb — and what you can’t.”
This sums up the problem with plastics recycling to a tee. The story outlined complex rules about separating materials by shape, type, and a litany of do’s and don’ts that frankly make recycling more confusing and frustrating than it needs to be.
The waste collection industry’s approach to recycling is outdated and increasingly out of reach, as we see fewer and fewer communities even continuing curbside recycling — last year, Lawrence Park eliminated its curbside recycling altogether.
Right now, the only plastics Erie’s recycling collector will accept for recycling are bottles with a neck and a screw cap. Which means almost two-thirds of the plastic Erie households generate in their homes are not accepted for recycling. Everything from food containers, cup lids, tubs, meat trays, egg cartons, pill bottles, and straws, to bottle caps and drink pouches — all must go in the trash to be dumped in the Lake View Landfill.
More:Breaking the mold: In-depth look at how Erie-based IRG wants to change plastic recycling’s future
The reality is that technology exists today so that virtually all our post-use plastics can have a second life.
For example, one of Erie’s largest plastic packaging manufacturers, the Plastek Group, uses polypropylene in its products. This is a highly recyclable and highly sought-after material. Yet, Erie’s recycling collector stopped accepting polypropylene for recycling several years ago after it determined it contributed less to their bottom line than landfilling.
In the coming months Erie will be hearing about newBin: a startup we at International Recycling Group founded here in Erie to refocus the priority of collection of plastics from landfilling to recycling. We started a crowdfunding effort on the Startengine platform in October, and our plan is to use the funds raised to begin a first-of-its kind alternative curbside collection service in Erie this summer.
We created newBin to collect more material to feed our plastics recycling facility that is being planned for Erie’s east side than was likely to be collected by the traditional waste companies.
With the support of our local businesses and local investors, we know that the service will not only cost less but can be provided completely free of charge to Erie households; even taking taxpayers off the hook for that part of the recycling we collect.
Right now, our team is partnering with the plastics engineering department at Penn State Behrend to support new sustainable solutions that promise to expand applications of post-use plastics, not contract them. But we need to create an infrastructure that supports collecting more plastics for recycling, not less.
newBin will never make billions from collecting waste like the traditional curbside collectors. But that’s not what drives us. Our goal is preventing more plastic from leaking into the environment by ensuring it is handled with care. And, in conjunction with the new Erie sorting plant, to make a reasonable return on investment.
Beginning this summer, you will be seeing pop-up collection tents and neighborhood cleanups with a goal to focus the city’s attention on the importance of recycling and how easy it is to move the needle when priorities are aligned. And we’re bring mindfulness to the challenge.
Last month, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency finalized America’s first national recycling strategy to support the agency’s goal of achieving a 50% recycling rate by the end of the decade. Right now, less than 9% of all plastics that enter the municipal solid waste stream are recycled — this sad statistic is getting worse as municipal recycling programs are being cut as waste haulers push further into cheaper landfill solutions.
We can do better. There is nothing stopping us other than our will to work together.
To learn more about newBin, go to newbin.com.
If you would like to join the #RecyclingRevolution — connect today with Ashley Heilmann at ashleyh@internationalrecycling.com.
Mitch Hecht is the founder and chairman of International Recycling Group.
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