Each year, grocery stores in the United States generate as much as 300 million pounds of rigid plastics in their operations. This material, found in bakery, deli & seafood, and pharmacy departments, is not typically accepted in most single stream or dual-stream recycling programs but can be recovered and recycled as a separate stream. Recycling Today recently reported on the additional resources for rigid plastic recycling made available by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR).

Since 2013, the APR has supported the expansion of retail grocery rigid plastics recycling by providing resources and hands-on guidance through their Recycle Grocery Plastics website. The recently updated website includes photos, case studies, market information, and a ‘how-to’ guide targeted at grocery operations and corporate sustainability professionals. These resources address the environmental and economic benefits of developing a recycling program for rigid plastics, offer practical guidance for implementing a program, and include an interactive worksheet to estimate total financial impact from reductions in trash hauling expenses and potential recycling revenue.

RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts (RecyclingWorks) has worked with supermarkets across the state to identify opportunities to reduce waste and implement recycling and food recovery programs. Our supermarket sector page includes case studies and guidance on how to manage common materials generated. To learn more about our no-cost assistance, call our hotline: (888) 254-5525 or email us at info@recyclingworksma.com.