The large clothing brand, Anthropologie, has partnered with the largest recycling company in the United States, Waste Management, to keep plastic bags out of landfills, supporting the circular economy.
This comes after it was revealed in one article that "poly bags," or enormous, plastic bags used in the backrooms of clothing stores, are putting a damper on already in place recyclable store bags that the retailers might use. These bags are difficult to recycle because most recycling facilities find the bags too complicated to break down. As a result, most retailers "simply send them in the regular waste stream where they will end up in a landfill," as Fast Company reported.
Ultimately, the bags will stay in landfills for decades and contribute to the already compelling problem of microplastics that leak into our natural resources.
Instead of following along, Anthropologie has begun to do things differently. Fast Company reported that store associates now keep the "poly bags" and send them to the proper facilities that recycle the bags. Then, they are turned into pellets that can be used to make other products.
"It's such a streamlined solution," Candan Erenguc, the chief operating officer at Anthropologie, told Fast Company. "It was so easy to execute, but we've already managed to divert 60,000 pounds of plastic from landfills."
In diverting the bags from landfills, Anthropologie is reducing planet-harming pollution, regenerating the ecosystem, and keeping harmful microplastics out of our food supply and waterways.
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This contrasts with the 9.1 million tons of plastic waste that the global clothing industry produces annually, accounting for 14% of total plastic waste from all sectors. Out of that supply, one report found only about 9% of plastic packaging within the industry is typically recycled, meaning that Anthropologie's efforts are making significant leeway.
The chief sustainability officer for WM, Tara Hemmer, told Fast Company that many companies are eager to make the switch. Anthropologie's switch signals the potential for more change.
"Often the obstacle to bringing about change at scale isn't technological — it's logistical," Fast Company wrote. "People, as well as companies, are more likely to adopt new processes if they're simple."
Hemmer of WM is certain that wherever there are logistical issues, they are there to "help troubleshoot."
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