Connecticut launches new campaign to boost plastics recycling

ALBANY (Scrap Monster): The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has launched a new initiative to boost recycling of LDPE film plastics, linear low density polyethylene and medium and high density polyethylene. The campaign, launched by Robert Klee, DEEP Commissioner, aims to educate residents to take back their plastic bags and wraps to participating stores for recycling. The campaign is being assisted by Flexible Film Recycling Group (FFRG) under the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

According to Robert Klee, residents must ensure that plastic grocery bags and filmy wrappings are returned to grocery or retail stores for proper recycling. He urged residents to not put these materials in curbside bins for municipal pickup. Although they are 100% recyclable, these could cause damage to municipal recycling equipment. Further, it makes recycling more difficult, time consuming and expensive. Incidentally, over 175 grocery and retail stores in the State accept plastic bags and wraps. Across the country, nearly 18,000 such stores accept these materials for recycling.

FFRG noted that consumer awareness remains alarmingly low, with regards to recycling options available for plastic grocery bags and filmy plastics. There is a misconception that only plastic grocery bags are qualified to be dropped in bins. In fact, grocery bags account for only one-fourth of all recyclable plastic film. Most of these materials are either burned, added into trash or added into curbside recycling along with other materials. Addition of plastic film could clog the mixed recycling stream, FFRG added.

As part of the campaign, DEEP informed residents that grocers and retailers in the State would accept plastic bags such as grocery bags, newspaper bags, produce bags, bread bags, dry cleaning bags, and zipper bags for recycling. The accepted items also include plastic wraps from water bottle cases, diapers, bathroom tissue, and paper towels, as well as bubble wrap and shipping pillows. The residents are required to place clean and dry plastic bags and wraps in recycling bins placed in front of stores. The collected bags and wraps will be recycled into new products such as new grocery bags, benches and decking.

The campaign is part of Wrap Recycling Action Program (WRAP), a public-private partnership with the goal of increasing the volume of plastic wraps and bags recycled, through public education and sharing tools and best practices. It aims to collect post-use plastic wraps and bags through store drop-off programs, thereby reducing the amount of film that is erroneously placed in curbside bins. WRAP seeks to educate consumers about the many types of everyday packaging that can be recycled at stores. WRAP partners include US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR).

The collection of plastic film has grown by nearly 80% since 2005. As per 2014 estimates, a total of 1.17 billion pounds of postconsumer film was recovered in 2014. The recycling rate stood low at 17%. According to DEEP, there is still scope for significant improvement in recycling rates of plastic film. The recently launched campaign will help to boost plastic film recycling rates, it noted. Incidentally, DEEP plans to reduce waste by as much as 60% by 2024.