Although nearly all plastic is technically recyclable, the actual percentage of plastic that does get recycled in the United States is shamefully low. To combat this problem, trash bag brand Hefty has started a new program that will help over 1.3 million households direct difficult-to-recycle items away from landfills.
The Hefty ReNew Program is being offered to all employees of ALPS Inspection and Cincinnati Test Systems, Packaging World reported.
Employees who take advantage of the program will now be able to recycle many types of items that would have normally had to go into the trash, including candy wrappers, foam egg cartons, plastic grocery bags, bubble wrap, foam peanuts, empty fast food containers, and plastic utensils.
"Through this program, we are providing our employees with the tools they need to make a positive impact on the environment. This initiative is another step in our journey toward sustainability, and we are excited to see the difference our collective efforts will make," said Jill Shearer, general manager of ALPS Inspection.
According to a report released recently by Greenpeace USA, plastic recycling in our country is a "failed concept." U.S. households produced 51 million tons of plastic trash in 2021, but only 2.4 million of it was recycled, the report said. The percentage of plastic materials recycled in the U.S. declined from 9.5% in 2014 to around 5% in 2021.
When plastic is not recycled, it mostly ends up in landfills, where it remains basically forever. A large amount also ends up in the ocean. There, it contributes to countless deaths of marine animals, as well as other nasty environmental consequences.
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That's why new approaches to plastic recycling, like the Hefty program, are so crucial right now. Since the production of new plastic is unfortunately expected to increase even further in the coming years, we desperately need ways to deal with this pervasive problem.
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