Industry alliance focuses on accelerating recycling

By Jerry Powell, Resource Recycling

With a goal of boosting the recovery level for packaging and printed material by 20 percentage points in three years, an important group of packaging companies and organizations reports that a number of projects are being designed.

Organized under the Action to Accelerate Recycling banner, the alliance is likely to tie up with an existing organization, such as AMERIPEN or the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, in order to get its work completed. Leaders in the AAR group will meet next week to discuss how the work should be funded and where it should be hosted. Alliance members are looking at ways to boost the recovery of recyclables that are consumed on premise, such as at restaurants. Other projects are focused on ways to optimize MRF operations, include recyclability in package design, improve recovery through curbside collection, test ways that reverse-vending machines can increase recycling and launch an awareness and advertising campaign that transforms recycling into a social movement.

An important update on this effort will take place at the Resource Recycling Conference, to be held in Austin, Texas this August 28-89.

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