More than 600 attendees participated in a recent webinar designed to educate communities about best practices for developing and implementing flexible film recycling programs. The webinar, Let’s WRAP: Best Practices to Boost Polyethylene (PE) Plastic Film Recycling in Your Community, was part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Sustainable Materials Management series. Shari Jackson of the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) Flexible Film Recycling Group (FFRG) led the discussion. Becky Curtis from the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works joined Jackson to offer practical guidance to help communities increase recovery rates of PE film, the category of recycling that includes many types of product wraps, bags and commercial stretch film.
Released in June, EPA’s Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures 2013 shows that the national PE film recycling rate has more than tripled from 5% (2003) to 17% in just 10 years. “We’re excited to see plastic film recycling continue to grow in communities across the country, said Shari Jackson, director of ACC’s FFRG. “The high level of engagement in our recent webinar suggests that interest and participation in film recycling will continue to climb. FFRG’s tools are designed to make it easy for communities and consumers to join in.”
Eight new municipalities and one state signed up to participate in the WRAP program during the first 24 hours after the webinar concluded. Plastic film is one of the fastest growing areas of recycling with collection surging by 11% in 2013 to 1.14 billion pounds, according to The 2013 National Postconsumer Plastic Bag & Film Recycling Report. Communities, NGOs and states can join the effort by becoming WRAP Champions or Partners and brand owners, recyclers, and film processors should join ACC’s Flexible Film Recycling Group (FFRG). FFRG’s goal is to double film recycling to over 2 billion pounds by 2020.
For more information, visit www.americanchemistry.com.