Is it REALLY recycled?

Plastic waste has gotten a bad rap and for good reason.  Plastic recycling programs have been in the crosshairs lately, with criticism that only 9% of plastic waste is ever recycled.  “Plastic waste” refers to a vast array of products – everything from computer housings and lawn furniture to diapers and medical devices.  About 40% of “plastic waste” is actually plastic packaging (think shampoo bottles, yogurt tubs, peanut butter jars, detergent jugs, bags and pouches).  And thankfully, a lot of that plastic packaging is readily recyclable here in Massachusetts.

That’s the good news.  The bad news is that even with recycling programs in place, we still send thousands of tons of plastic bottles, jars and jugs – not to mention plastic bags and wrap – to landfills and incinerators in Massachusetts every year.  And that’s a real shame, especially since there are companies across the U.S. that want to buy old plastic bottles and yogurt containers to make new products like carpet, fleece clothing, soda bottles, milk crates, trash bags and more.  A new report from Closed Loop Partners confirms that the demand for recycled plastic (aka post-consumer resin or PCR)  far outstrips what U.S. recycling programs are collecting.  The report points out that only 18% of plastic packaging is being recycled; the rest is getting tossed in our collective trash bins – at home, school and work.  It’s time to double down on recycling ALL the plastic containers and bags we can.

What does all this have to do with plastic bags and wrap?  There’s also a growing demand for recycled plastic film from companies like Trex, Novolex and EFS Plastics, that purchase it from supermarkets and big box retailers and turn it into a manufacturing feedstock to make new products.  Why retailers?  Retailers generate a lot of pallet wrap and shrink wrap that comes with product deliveries.  Instead of trashing it, they bale it (compress into large cubes) and sell to plastic recyclers.  The bags and wrap collected from the public in the front-of-store bins are combined with the back-of-house plastic film. By recycling, instead of trashing this plastic, they’re saving money and putting waste plastic back into circulation, making it a win-win for everyone.

In 2020, Trex recycled 12.6 million pounds of post-consumer bags and wrap from their New England retail partners.  This material goes to their Winchester, VA facility where it is processed, mixed with reclaimed wood, and made into composite lumber and decking. Chances are, your local supermarket sends their plastic film to Trex, but you can check here to find out.