2valuable2waste

February Recycling Round-up

Steve Russell — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:16:28 +0000

With all of the interesting conversations taking place out there about recycling and greener living, we wanted to take a few minutes to share some of our favorites from the past month. Enjoy this new monthly feature and let us know what you think in the comments section – and feel free to share some of your favorite links, too.

Jason Mraz Dons Recycled Plastic Bottles for the Grammy Awards
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2010/02/15/jason-mraz-breaks-down-the-details-of-his-grammy-eco-attire/

The 2010 Olympics: Green Enough?
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-02/carbon-offsets-and-recycling-bins-green-olympics-do-not-make

From Recycling to Zoo Trips: Raising Environmentally Conscious Kids
http://www.greendaily.com/2010/02/15/5-ways-to-raise-environmental-superheroes/

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Top Five Plastic Bag Crafts

Sherri McCarthy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:07:15 +0000

There are many ways to reinvent things we regularly use by reusing plastic bags. Here are some fun ways to fill the gap between reducing and recycling, by reusing plastic bags in creative ways:

Make a bigger and more durable tote bag: Using different colored plastic bags, crochet them into a more durable and stylish bag using these easy directions.
Braid a jump-rope. All you need is nine plastic bags, scissors, a ruler and tape to make a jump-rope that can entertain kids for hours. Get started by following these easy directions and they’ll be braiding and jumping in no time.
Jazz up your closet by re-vamping your hangers with colorful plastic bags. Follow these directions to learn how to keep your clothes from slipping and sliding off hangers. Your organized closet will thank you.
Create décor for your house. Looking for a rainy day activity? Crochet plastic bags. Check out the simple step-by-step directions here.
Construct a storage basket. A lot of storage containers we already use are made out of plastic – why not reuse your plastic bags to make a new container? Find simple instructions here and turn those bags into a pretty and functional receptacle for recycling.

These are just a few creative ways to get crafty while reusing your plastic bags. Remember, all of the leftover plastic from these crafts can be recycled–just keep them all in one plastic bag, tie it up when you’re done and return it to a participating grocery store’s plastic bag recycling bin.

I’d love to hear your ideas for reusing plastic bags around the house. Please post them in the comments section.

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Working to Keep the LA River Clean

Sherri McCarthy — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:16:40 +0000

Sherri McCarthy (Manager, Western Region, American Chemistry Council) and Bruce Saito (Executive Director, LA Conservation Corps) look on as Councilman Ed P. Reyes speaks at the 1/28 River Keepers event in LA

It was an honor to stand with Los Angeles City Councilmember Ed Reyes, LA Conservation Corps executive director, Bruce Saito, and the Corps’ River Keepers Program members to announce a grant from the plastics manufacturers represented by ACC.

The contribution by the plastics industries of ACC will help to ensure that the vital LA River Keepers program will be able to continue their work of promoting recycling and keeping the LA River clean, while providing job skills, training, and work experience to an incredible group of young people you would be impressed to meet.

The LA River is challenged, as all urban waterways are, but it is an important and potentially beautiful resource for the city and its residents. I was pleased to be part of an event and a group of individuals dedicated to increasing recycling and keeping this important waterway clean.

LA River Keeper Volunteers hold the check at the 1/28 press event

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New Directory to Help Increase Plastic Recycling

Steve Russell — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:09:37 +0000

Most of our work to increase plastic recycling focuses on increasing access to opportunities, and helping people understand how they can help. But that’s not the end of it. You might not have thought much about it, but markets for recovered plastic – like any commodity – can be dynamic. Ready access to current information is one way that we can help increase stability and market growth. That’s what’s so exciting about the recently expanded online directory for plastics from Moore Recycling Associates. This Website helps facilitate the recovery of scrap plastic by linking buyers and sellers of both processed and unprocessed plastic scrap. Want to know who in your area accepts truckloads of plastic foam, film and bags, or other types of material? The new website can tell you. Have an idea for using recycled plastic and need to know where to find a particular type? That’s there too. And, it’s chock full of useful information. Of course we’re tooting our own horn here a bit – we helped support this database, along with the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers. Recycling is a large and diverse industry, so taking steps to make sure people are able to make the right connections is an important step.

The ‘Go H20!’ challenge makes the LA Daily News

Sherri McCarthy — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:14:20 +0000

The Los Angeles Daily News posted an op-ed by Assemblymember Isadore Hall, III about our work with LA’s BEST and the Go H2O Challenge. It’s a great partnership and we echo Assemblymember Hall’s kudos for the work done by LA’s BEST, the parents, kids, and staff to make recycling a big deal in the community. Check it out here!

Celebrating the ‘Go H20!’ challenge with Assemblyman Isadore Hall Assemblyman Hall presents a student with a prize for...
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Hilex Poly Expands

Steve Russell — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:15:49 +0000

Thousands of shredded and cleaned plastic bags pieces get ready to be recycled into new bags at the Hilex Poly plant.

Hilex Poly, operator of the world’s largest plastic bag recycling facility, recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the plant’s expansion. Twenty-one jobs were added to the North Vernon, IN economy. In this day and age, that’s big news. Since Hilex Poly’s Bag-2-Bag® program began, the company has placed 30,000 recycling bins in grocery stores across the country, increasing recycling options for consumers and providing an increasing stream of raw materials for its factory.

Now consumers can return and recycle household packaging items such as plastic overwrap for towels, tissues and bottles, newspaper bags, and dry cleaning bags in addition to plastic shopping bags. What a fantastic way to start the year – reminding folks that plastics are too valuable to waste!

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Recycling Resolutions

Sherri McCarthy — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:09:47 +0000

I came across this interesting article in the OC Register recently. It highlights the importance of how each of us can individually reduce the amount of waste we produce just by recycling. More and more communities, especially in California, are making great strides to help their residents recycle. But ultimately, it’s up to each one of us to decide to make the conscious effort to sort our household recyclables, take back plastic bags to grocery stores for recycling, or even hold on to things like plastic bottles until we come across a recycling bin. Small, easy behavioral changes can have a huge impact. So join me in committing to recycle more and waste less this year.

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A Holiday ‘How To’ Guide for Plastic Reuse and Recycling

Ryan Kenny — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:30:58 +0000

We all know that it’s especially hard to recycle and reduce waste during the holidays. Between gift wrap, toy packaging and decorations, the trashcans in my neighborhood are usually filled to the max this time of year. This year, our friends over at the Plastics Make it PossibleSM campaign this refresher about recycling that will be especially helpful during the holidays. I hope these will help you and your family stay focused on recycling throughout the season!

1. Get smart. Find out which plastics are accepted for recycling in your community. Today, more than 80 percent of U.S. households have access to a recycling program, and the vast majority of the collect plastic bottles. A bottle is any container with a neck or opening that’s smaller than its base. Include the following wherever plastic bottles are recycled:

Milk jugs
Beverage bottles (e.g., water, soft drinks, juice and beer)
Bottles from shampoo, toiletries, laundry detergent and other
household cleaners
Salad dressing, cooking oil and condiment bottles
Food jars, such as peanut butter and mayonnaise

2. Remove and rinse. Before tossing bottles in the recycle bin, remove the caps. Be sure to rinse bottles that previously contained food. (Empty beverage bottles can go straight into the bin.) Unless your community specifically asks for them, bottle caps should be placed in the garbage, not the recycle bin. Similarly, bags should be clean and empty. Do not include plastic food wrap or bags that have food residue.

3. Reuse, reuse, reuse! From wrapping to ribbons, boxes to packing peanuts, gather and save gift wrap and packing materials for next year! And don’t forget bags — there are many helpful ways to reuse plastic bags,

Wet umbrella cover – keep other items in your bag dry when your umbrella is wet
Suitcase savers – wrap shoes before packing them with clean clothes
Hand protectors – place them over your hands to handle messes indoors and out
Kitchen clean-up – place them under the cutting board for quick scrap removal
Trash can liners – use them in bathrooms and other household waste baskets
Doggie duty – bring them on dog walks to collect and dispose of pet waste

4. Bring bags back. Most large grocery stores and some retailers (e.g., Wal-Mart) offer plastic bag drop-off programs that allow consumers to return their used bags and product wraps to be recycled. These bins are usually located at the front entrance or near checkout areas. Almost all kinds of clean plastic bags are accepted for recycling in these programs, including:

Grocery bags
Retail bags (remove hard plastic or string handles)
Plastic newspaper bags
Dry cleaning bags (remove paper and hangers)
Bread bags (with crumbs shaken out)

You can also include plastic wraps from products such as paper towels, bathroom tissue, napkins, diapers and cases of soda wherever plastic bags are collected for recycling.

5. Pitch in beyond the kitchen. While many recyclable bottles come from the kitchen, don’t forget to check the bathrooms and laundry room for shampoo and detergent bottles.

6. Practice patience. On the road this holiday season and can’t find a recycle bin? Don’t throw your empty bottles in the trash–temporarily store them in a purse or briefcase, or simply leave them in the car until arriving home to place in a recycle bin. And don’t forget to temporarily put the cap back on your bottle to prevent leakage until you can properly recycle it.

7. Don’t throw out the leftovers. Saving your lidded plastic food containers and plastic to-go containers from take-out could provide a free and easy way for holiday party guests to carry home leftovers. Plus, they can keep these items and reuse them again.

8. Check for containers. In addition to bottles, roughly one-third of communities are collecting and recycling plastic containers, such as yogurt cups, tubs, trays and lids. If you’re only recycling bottles, check to see if your community is one of the many areas that has recently added food containers to its list of collectibles.

9. When in doubt, leave it out. Keep in mind that mixing the wrong types of materials (even other plastics) can lower the quality of the recycled material. So unless your community specifically asks for plastics other than bottles, please put only bottles into the recycling bin. Keep these items out of the recycle bin unless you community specifically accepts them:

No plastic bags or wraps (take them to your grocery store, if
accepted)
No automotive, pesticide or solvent bottles
No lids or spray pumps
No toys
No trays, tubs or containers (unless your community accepts them;
more and more communities are recycling these types of containers
in addition to bottles, so it’s worth checking.)

10. Adopt a second life mindset. Do you ever wonder where your recyclables go? Keep in mind that today’s water bottle could be tomorrow’s little black dress or carpeting or backyard deck.
For more information, check out http://www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/

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Celebrating the ‘Go H20!’ challenge with Assemblyman Isadore Hall

Sherri McCarthy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:02:47 +0000

Assemblyman Hall presents a student with a prize for correctly answering a trivia question. Hall was on hand to congratulate the students for their participation in the ‘Go H20!’ challenge. I recently had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with the students of the 109th and 112th Street schools in Los Angeles to celebrate the completion of the Go H20! Challenge (you can read about when we launched the challenge here.) We were joined by Assemblyman Isadore Hall, who represents the 52nd district of California. Assemblyman Hall came to congratulate the students for completing the Go H2O! Challenge and encourage them to continue to spread the word about recycling and healthy eating habits. Although it was the last day before winter break, the students were enthusiastic, engaged, and excited to share their newfound knowledge about recycling and plastics. One group of students even wrote a song – complete with hand motions – about the types of materials that can be recycled. Assemblyman Hall tested the student’s knowledge by playing a trivia game with them. The lucky student who answered correctly walked away with a crisp $100 bill from the Assemblyman! By the end of the afternoon, it was clear the students were well-versed on the importance of recycling and drinking more water. It was a great way to close out 2009.
You can see the students singing about reducing, reusing and recycling here.

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ACC Expands Commitment to AOP

Tim Shestek — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:44:16 +0000

Far left, American Chemistry Council’s Sherri McCarthy, Manager, Western Region State Affairs, and Long Beach City Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske look on as State Senator Alan Lowenthal delivers remarks during a press event announcing the expanded partnership between Aquarium of the Pacific and the American Chemistry Council.

Two years ago, ACC partnered with the Aquarium of the Pacific (AOP) in creating a Watershed Exhibit to show aquarium-goers how seemingly harmless litter makes its way from the land to the sea and the damage it can do. Sadly, much of that litter is recyclable and should be in a recycling bin, not on the ground or in our oceans.

This fall, we’re expanding the partnership by providing AOP with recycling bins to be placed at key areas around the facility, providing folks more places to recycle their plastic bottles. We’re proud of our work with the AOP, and we look forward to additional opportunities to work with them in the future.

Do you have a story about recycling in your community and what you did to improve upon what was in place before? We’re always looking for new ideas to make plastics recycling more convenient and effective.

Visitors to AOP will now get to use these bins to recycle their waste.

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Get Your Recycle On: America Recycles Day

Steve Russell — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:06:15 +0000

According to the America Recycles Day Website, November 15th is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and to buy recycled products. The purpose of America Recycles Day is to promote the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling and encourage more people to join the movement to protect the environment for future generations. Today you can join the millions of Americans who have pledged to increase their recycling habits and to buy products made with recycled materials.

Can You Recycle in Your Community?
Recycling varies by community so check to see if plastic recycling is available in your area. See my previous blog post or visit Earth 911 and enter your zip code to learn more.

Interested in Getting Involved?
Take the pledge and find out what’s going on in your state and in your community.

Quick facts about plastic recycling and how it benefits your community:
In 2008, the recycling of plastic bottles reached a record high of 2.4 billion pounds nationwide.
In 2007, the recycling of plastic bags and product wraps grew to 830 million pounds across the U.S., marking an increase of 27% in just two years.
A growing number of communities are recycling other types of plastic containers, such as tubs, trays and lids. Currently, about two-thirds of California’s communities and one-third of the nations’ largest cities recycle rigid plastic containers in addition to bottles, and that number continues to rise. More than 325 million pounds of these materials were recycled in 2007.

What will my Recycled Plastic Become?
Recycled plastics go on to become a number of second generation products. For example, recycled plastic bottles can become: carpeting, fleece jackets, detergent bottles and lumber for outdoor decking. Plastic bags can be made into loads of products, including new bags, backyard decks, fencing, railing, park benches, picnic tables, and shopping carts.

For even more interesting end use recycled products follow this link:

We all want to make the Earth a little greener. America’s plastic makers are committed to recycling. Please take a moment to tell us about what is working in your community.

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Lessons in Recycling

Sherri McCarthy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:32:02 +0000

As my little boy grows up, I will teach him all sorts of healthy habits: from eating healthy foods and drinking plenty of water to taking responsibility for his own actions and handling plastics appropriately. One of the ways I plan to do so is by teaching him about recycling.

He’s too young now to grasp the concept and prefers to play with plastic bottles rather than put them in a bin for recycling, but we’re working on it (we’re also working on learning to call me “mama” instead of “Bob” but that’s a story for a different kind of blog). There are several ways to help engage your own children in recycling. Here are a few ideas:

Together, look up your city or county’s public works department Website and determine what items you can place in your recycling bin for collection.
Take turns making one child the recycling coordinator for a week and allow them to determine what items can be placed in the recycling bin.
Have a contest to determine which child collects more recyclables during his/her week.
Put your child in charge of locating the plastic bag recycling bin at the grocery store (CA law mandates all large grocery outlets have recycling bins) and then bring back your plastic bags for recycling. You can even recycle the plastic wraps that cover bathroom tissue, paper towel rolls, etc.
While on the road, play a “spotting” game by having your kids look for recycling bins in public locations.

Small, easy to implement activities can help create healthy recycling habits that benefit all of us in the end. And who knows, you may even find yourself more apt to recycle when you know there are little eyes scrutinizing your bins.

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A Chance to Educate about Healthy Habits

Sherri McCarthy — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:06:29 +0000

As the mom of a 10 month old little boy, I strive to model behavior I want him to emulate, including trying to drink enough water throughout the day. That’s why I’m pleased with the beginning of an exciting new partnership between ACC and LA’s BEST. Celebrating with about 5,000 children and families at the LA’s BEST Annual Family Health Fair in Carson, CA, we recently launched the Go H20! Challenge. The program will challenge students to make a habit of using reusable plastic bottles and drinking more water instead of sugary drinks. Kids at 91 LA’s BEST sites will receive a reusable water bottle that they can use throughout the day. Each day, the LA’s BEST coaches will talk to them about the health benefits of choosing water or the environmental benefits of reducing, reusing and recycling more plastics.

LA’s BEST is an impressive nonprofit organization that has been providing after school enrichment programs to thousands of students in the city of Los Angeles since 1988. We decided to partner with LA’s BEST so we could work together to positively impact the health of kids by teaching them about smart habits and the importance of recycling. Learning to reduce, reuse and recycle is a way that all of us, regardless of age, can make a difference for the environment.

ACC’s Partnership with LA’s BEST: Educating Our Kids about Healthy Habits AND a Healthy Environment The following is a guest post from Catherine Stringer, Vice...
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ACC’s Partnership with LA’s BEST: Educating Our Kids about Healthy Habits AND a Healthy Environment

plastics — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:29:06 +0000

The following is a guest post from Catherine Stringer, Vice President, Development & Public Affairs for LA’s BEST.

Two LA's BEST Participants show off their new water bottles.

Every afternoon at LA’s BEST, we give thousands of kids a safe and supervised place to learn and play. Like all educators, we hope that during their time with us we’ll be able to teach them lessons that will stay with them for life. That’s why we are so excited about our new partnership with ACC and the Go H20! Challenge, which asks our kids to choose water (out of a reusable, recyclable bottle) over sugary drinks like soda. A large part of our efforts revolve around teaching kids how to be healthy in all aspects of their lives. Working with ACC gives us an opportunity to emphasize the importance of healthy habits for people and the earth, like drinking more water and recycling more plastics. We want them to know that the choices they make—both big and small— can all add up to a healthier self and community.

The “Three Rs” (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) are an important and effective concept for kids to learn. The Go H20! challenge not only helps teach our kids about recycling, reducing, and reusing but also gives them a chance to take ownership of their recycling habits and promote the importance of the environment among family and friends.

As a nonprofit organization in today’s economy, we have to be vigilant with our resources. At times, this can make providing engaging programs a challenge, which is why we’re grateful to bring the Go H20! Challenge into our classrooms. We’re excited to teach our kids how to have fun, stay healthy and recycle!

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Coastal Clean Up Day Spreads the Word about Recycling

plastics — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:23:06 +0000

The following is a post from Laura Ohman, California State Parks educator.

Laura Ohman, California State Parks educator, prepares for the Coastal Clean Up Event in San Diego.

I’m a college student studying for my BA in Outdoor Recreation, a children’s outdoor educator for California State Parks, and a former nature interpreter for the federal government, and yet none of those experiences warmed my heart in comparison to what I witnessed at Carlsbad State Beach last weekend. Nearly 200 Sempra Energy employees, from the mailroom clerk to the VPs of the company, combed the shores of South Carlsbad State Beach in search of litter. This beach cleanup effort occurred during San Diego County’s “Coastal Clean Up Day.”

During our clean up on San Diego area State Beaches, more than 1,000 lbs of trash was removed. A large percentage of the rubbish collected was recyclable material that included plastic bags, bottles and containers. All of the recyclable plastics and other recyclable materials retrieved that day have been removed from the litter stream and are now on their way to becoming useful new products.

Coastal Clean Up Day – like many other similar types of beach clean-ups, educational programs, and festivals – is part of our California State Parks Anti-Litter Youth Education Program. This program is funded by Keep California Beautiful (KCB) and the American Chemistry Council, which has kindly provided hundreds of recycling bins and educational signage on State Park beaches all over Central and Southern California. This program, funded and supported by the plastics industry, teaches kids in San Diego-area schools about the value of recycling and protecting the environment. This important educational curriculum reached more than 6,000 children and adults in 2009 and begins its 2nd year with hopes of bigger numbers in 2010.

In addition to educational programs that will hopefully prevent litter, placing recycling bins on our beaches and organizing cleanups, we are always open to new ideas of how to keep our coastline clean. We encourage you to follow in our footsteps and attempt to make a difference. What measures are you taking in your local area to promote recycling, cleaner communities, and a brighter future for the next generation?

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Recycling with the Angels

Ryan Kenny — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:45:55 +0000

After a week-long effort partnering with local organizations to encourage families to recycle (and receive tickets to the Los Angeles Angels game!), everything come to fruition this weekend. Our partners were fantastic! They included: Fiesta Angels, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Anaheim YMCA, Orange County Children’s Therapeutic ARTS Center, and Latino Health Access. We all agreed that recycling and keeping our neighborhoods clean is a community effort.

Today was spent passing out educational materials, talking recycling, and anticipating a great game. It was simple and rewarding. The smiles on the children’s faces were priceless.

Anaheim YMCA raffled off a bike and we all had a great time encouraging people to recycle. Today was more than just a day at the ballpark; it was the beginning of a standing commitment in Anaheim to recycle and keep California clean and beautiful.

ACC is always looking for ideas to increase awareness and to make it easier for communities to recycle. What do you think would work best in your community?

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Recycling Results: An Angels Game

Ryan Kenny — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:34:40 +0000

: Senator Correa joins ACC to increase recycling

Yesterday, I took part in an event with Latino Health Access, the Anaheim YMCA, California State Senator Lou Correa and many others to help promote recycling in Orange County. In exchange for a 33-gallon bag of recyclables, families received four tickets to an Angels game. Since many of these families did not have the means to regularly attend baseball games, it was heartening to see the excited faces of those who were about to go. In fact, two women gave their collective eight tickets to a family because none of the children had ever been to an Angels game.

Working together, we collected hundreds of pounds of recyclable materials, increased understanding about recycling in the community, and provided children and families with tickets to an Angels game.

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We Ask Sacramento: “Got Your Bags?”

Tim Shestek — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:29:50 +0000

Dianna Poggetto, American River Parkway Foundation; Salim Bana, Hilex Poly; Margo Reid Brown, CIWMB, Christine Flowers-Ewing, Keep California Beautiful; Council Member Steve Cohn, City of Sacramento; Darrell Costello, Roplast; Alta Tura, Sacramento Area Creeks Foundation; Tim Shestek, American Chemistry Council

Yesterday at a Savemart Supermarket in Sacramento, ACC kicked off the second of four launch events as a partner in the “Got Your Bags?” campaign. As a part of our second launch event, partners gathered to celebrate the Sacramento leg of the event with Sacramento City Councilmember Steve Cohn.

At this event we distributed nearly 200 plastic bag holders to supermarket shoppers, making it easier for consumers to store all of their plastic bags in one place for reuse or until they can bring them back to the store for recycling.

In addition to our other campaign partners, we were also joined by Salim Bana of HilexPoly, one of the largest closed-loop plastic bag recycling companies in the United States. Located in North Vernon, Indiana, HilexPoly takes plastic bags, melts them down and turns them into new recycled bags!

We are looking forward to kicking off the campaign in Los Angeles and San Diego with our Southern California partner, Albertsons grocery stores, in late 2009.

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ACC and the League of California Cities

Ryan Kenny — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:33:45 +0000

I had the pleasure of visiting the League of California Cities Conference this week in San Jose. We had a booth in the exhibition hall where we talked to countless city representatives about their desire to improve upon and expand their recycling programs. We were joined by Christine-Flowers Ewing of Keep California Beautiful, who was there to help promote the “Got Your Bags?” awareness campaign. “Got Your Bags?” is a public outreach and educational program aimed at increasing recycling of plastic bags in California as well as shoppers’ use of reusable bags. You can learn more about “Got Your Bags?” here: http://keepcaliforniabeautiful.com/pdf/GotYourBags.pdf.

After a busy few days in San Jose, one thing was abundantly clear: people want to recycle more. One easy way to recycle more of the plastics you use is to make sure you know all of the plastics that can be recycled in your area. It’s always best to check with your municipality to see what they recycle. Most municipalities post a list of recyclable items on their websites.

Virtually all curbside programs recycle plastic bottles, and grocery stores throughout the State collect plastic bags and wraps. Here is a quick list of all of the things that you can recycle with your plastic bottles and plastic bags (http://www.plasticsinfo.org/s_plasticsinfo/sec_level4_wrap.asp?CID=524&DID=8809).

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Public-Private Partnerships Provide Alternatives for our State

Sherri McCarthy — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:46:16 +0000

The City of Woodland, the American Chemistry Council, Keep California Beautiful, PG&E and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation recently partnered to increase access to recycling in city parks across Woodland. At a press conference unveiling the event in September, Mayor Skip Davies stated, “These recycling bins will create teachable moments for both youth and adults as Woodland continues its efforts toward sustainability.”

The partnership has placed 13 permanent recycle bins in parks like the Community & Senior Center Park and Ferns Park. Eleven more will be added to city parks in the coming months. To reach the goal of 40 permanent bins across the city, the partnership is offering Woodland businesses the opportunity to participate by purchasing and sponsoring bins in other parks such as Crawford Park, Freeman Park and Woodside Park.

Our efforts in Woodland highlight a particularly effective public-private partnership involving my organization, American Chemistry Council (ACC). Together with Keep California Beautiful and California State Parks, we recognized a need for more opportunities to recycle at locations away from home. Through this initiative ACC has placed more than 500 recycling bins on California’s beaches and parks and we’ve conducted educational advertising to increase recycling awareness among consumers.

Our partnership promotes the recycling of plastics and helps educate Californians about the importance of recycling through the “Plastics. Too Valuable To Waste. Recycle^SM” campaign.

In this tough economic climate, where our state’s social and environmental priorities have to compete with economic challenges, this partnership model works. We need to continue to figure out how to do more with less and how to use creative solutions to provide our citizens the services they need and expect. We encourage more government, business and non-profit entities to try the public-private partnership approach.

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Bags are Among Recyclable Plastics

Tim Shestek — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:49:57 +0000

Despite having one of the most progressive laws in the country, many Californians are unaware that they can recycle their plastic shopping bags (along with all sorts of product wraps) at large grocery stores throughout the State.

That’s right. The plastic grocery bags that you may have used today, or if you’re like me, have pilled up in your cupboard, can easily be recycled at most major grocery stores. California was the first state in the nation to require plastic bag collection bins in major grocery stores, and other states are now following our lead. Recyclers use these bags to make products like durable wood-plastic composite lumber, playground equipment and new plastic bags.

You might be interested to know that in addition to your plastic bags, you can also recycle what’s called “plastic film and wraps,” a category that includes your produce bags, dry cleaning bags, newspaper bags, bread bags, and a host of other plastic bag-like material. You can check out the following consumers recycling guide here.

So the next time you head out to the local grocery store, just remember to take your bags with you and drop them in the bin! It’s an easy way to help the environment.

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ACC’s Commitment to Recycling

Steve Russell — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:59:32 +0000

Why are America’s plastics producers so committed to recycling? The answer is simple: because plastics are too valuable to waste. And, doing right by the environment is also a good thing for business—the recycling industry is a growing part of the economy in California and across the United States, and these businesses rely on used plastics as a vital raw material.

Businesses in the recycling industry rely on each of us to make sure our used plastic bottles, bags and other containers make it into the recycling bin. By doing our part, each of us helps to give these valuable materials a second life as carpeting, fleece jackets, durable backyard decks, home building products, and new bottles and bags.

What types of plastic can be recycled? Well, the types of plastics that are collected curbside can vary by community, so it’s always a good idea to check with your local municipality. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Almost ALL curbside programs collect plastic bottles, a category that includes:

Milk jugs
Water, soft drink, juice, and beer bottles
Bottles from shampoo, toiletries, laundry detergent and other household cleaners
Salad dressing, cooking oil, and condiment bottles
Food jars, such as peanut butter and mayonnaise

In addition, 66% of California’s communities collect other plastic containers, such as:

Food containers for yogurt, butter, cottage cheese, deli purchases or washed salad greens

And a few cities, such as Los Angeles, collect plastic foodservice items such as:

Takeout containers, disposable plates and cups, meat trays, and egg cartons

Perhaps one of the fastest growing areas of plastics recycling is plastic bags and product wraps.

Plastic bags and product wraps – a category that includes plastic shopping bags, dry cleaning bags, news paper bags and wraps from bread, paper towels, bathroom tissue, diapers, and cases of beverages – can be recycled at major grocery stores and pharmacies throughout the State of California. Read more here.

So that covers what you can recycle at home and at the grocery store. To help increase away-from-home recycling in California, ACC has forged a number of great partnerships throughout the State that have resulted in the placement and maintenance of hundreds of seasonal and permanent recycling bins at rest stops, beaches and parks around the state.

Look for our recycling bins throughout California and, if you send us a photo of your local bins, we’ll post it here!

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“Got Your Bags?” Launches in San Jose

Tim Shestek — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 20:05:05 +0000

Yesterday at a Lucky Supermarket in San Jose, ACC helped launch the “Got Your Bags?” campaign, a partnership between Keep California Beautiful, Save Mart supermarkets, the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) and others to encourage Californians to reduce, reuse and recycle their carry-out shopping bags. Joining the launch were San Jose City Councilmembers Ash Kalra and Kansen Chu.

“Got Your Bags?” partners include: Chris Peck, CIWMB; Council Member Ash Kalra, City of San Jose; Christine Flowers-Ewing, Keep California Beautiful; Kansen Chu, City of San Jose; Alicia Rockwell, Savemart Supermarkets; Tim Shestek, American Chemistry Council.

California state law (AB 2449) requires grocery stores and pharmacies with more than 10,000 square feet of retail space to provide bins for the collection and recycling of plastic shopping bags. Yet research shows that consumer awareness remains low, and shoppers often forget to bring their bags back to the store. The same holds true for reusable bags. Creating and implementing public education campaigns like this will help reduce waste, litter and marine debris.

Next time you visit the grocery store, don’t forget to bring back your plastic bags for recycling. In the meantime, you can reuse them around the house as to carry lunches or store small items . Remember, plastics are too valuable to waste!

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Launching This Blog

Steve Russell — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:57:00 +0000

Today, we’re launching a blog that will bring you news and insights from representatives of the plastics industry and others who care about how we use, recycle and otherwise handle plastics we use every day. Why now? Our goal is to encourage a constructive conversation about plastics, California, and recycling – about how, working together, we can keep recyclable plastics out of landfills, and from littering our oceans, waterways, and landscape.

California is one of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse states. It’s also one of the largest, with a GDP larger than most of the world’s countries. So keeping California clean and beautiful is a big job that requires everyone to do their part. That’s why ACC and our partners are working together to increase opportunities for “away from home” recycling – on beaches, in parks and campgrounds, and at rest areas across the state.

We’re very proud of the public-private partnerships we’ve launched to date and of the growing volume of recyclable plastics that are being directed into the recycling stream, and away from our highways and waterways. We’re committed to achieving even more, and we believe the best way to make that happen is to engage the state’s best minds. This is where you come in…we look forward to your ideas.

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