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Start at the Cart

This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of Resource Recycling magazine. by Cody Marshall and McKenna Morrigan How do you get people to recycle more? What does it take to reduce contamination? How much more high-value recyclable material can be captured through curbside programs? Now[...]

Furthering Equity in Recycling through Partnership and Practice

Recycling unlocks our potential to improve the planet and creates economic opportunity, but it only works when we can all make a difference. Here’s the thing: Depending on where you live, access to recycling is not equitable. For example, it’s more difficult to recycle if you live in a multifami[...]

Read Our Recycling Today Article on Material Quality

This article initially appeared in the May 2017 edition of Recycling Today. Recycling is a weight-based industry, but many top contaminants are featherweight. What does that mean for tracking and fixing contamination? By Cody Marshall and Karen Bandhauer, The Recycling Partnership Curbside recycling[...]

5 FREE Residential Recycling Tools & Resources to Download Right Now

Reduce, reuse, recycle. It’s a mantra that bears repeating and quite frankly there’s no time to waste.  As we approach America Recycles Day in November, let’s focus on that word “recycle.” There are many feelings and phrases associated with recycling. It makes me feel good when I recycle;[...]

It’s Official: Municipal Measurement Program Launched

(Falls Church, VA) On January 7, 2019, Re-TRAC Connect and The Recycling Partnership officially launched Municipal Measurement Program (MMP) to harmonize the measurement of material management programs and to provide municipalities with decision-making tools that can improve recycling program perfor[...]

Free Guide, Toolkit to Launch, Promote & Enhance Multifamily Recycling

Sign Up to Access the New Guide and Free Resources By Craig Wittig (he/him/his), Director of Community Programs Today, more than 22 million American households call multifamily properties home, which means that communities who are dedicated to improving their household recycling streams must have st[...]

Download: Top 10 Recycling Myths

The Partnership tackles the Top 10 Myths of Recycling in this informative, downloadable, free infographic. This guide serves as a catch-all to debunk some pervasive, overarching myths about recycling that apply households all across America.

By The Numbers Webinar: Unpacking the Data Behind Plastics Recycling

In October 2022, The Recycling Partnership kicked off By the Numbers, a new webinar series for industry stakeholders focused on current trends in the U.S. recycling system and a circular economy. The first webinar in this series was held on October 26 and unpacked the data behind plastics recycling[...]

Recycling in Atlanta: Increasing Access for Multifamily Housing Communities 

A first-of-its-kind multifamily recycling initiative produced results in Atlanta, Georgia, providing a roadmap for communities across the United States and continued success in Georgia.  The Do You Recycle? Challenge, designed by The Recycling Partnership, city officials and stakeholders, focused o[...]

Download Our MRF Tracking Form

This form is a tool to facilitate feedback on material quality and to create that needed dialogue between a Material Recovery Facility and its communities. Feedback on each load as a standard operating procedure will help isolate problem areas for better targeting, and track progress in fighting con[...]

Flint Mayor Neeley, City Councilman Murphy, State Rep. Neeley join with EGLE, Cascade Engineering and The Recycling Partnership to Kick Off Flint’s Historic Rollout of Over 68,000 Free Curbside Carts

Delivery of trash and recycling carts to more than 34,000 households will continue through October and is projected to increase recycled materials from 624 tons per year to 5,400 tons annually FLINT, Mich. — Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley today helped launch a new milestone achievement for recycling [...]

The Recycling Partnership Announces First-Ever U.S. Circular Economy Roadmap

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New “Bridge to Circularity” Report Calls for $500 Million by 2025 to Transform the U.S. Recycling System Report Emphasizes Need for Creating New Pathways to Recyclability, Unlocking Post-Consumer Material Supply, and Crafting Bold, Transformative Policies Supported by Cut[...]

BLOG: What Helps People Better Understand Recycling Instructions?

Know What to Throw When educating around what goes in – or doesn’t go in a recycling cart – messaging space is limited and attention spans are short. The Recycling Partnership recently set out to identify best practices for signage and mailers to help determine how to communicate the most effe[...]

7 Free Earth Day Resources to Engage Your Community or Workplace

Earth Month is almost here, and if you’re struggling to find new ways to inspire your community or workplace to celebrate and give back to our planet online, you’re not alone. The global pandemic has reshaped everything from where and how we work, to how households are producing more recycling a[...]

Effective Recycling Bin Labels Reduce Consumer Confusion About Recycling

When educating the public around what is and is not accepted for recycling, space and attention spans are limited. Evidence-based research shows which recycling bin labels are most effective at reducing confusion about recycling  The Recycling Partnership’s recently released Recycling Confidence [...]

Deep Dive into Addressing the Intention-Action Gap in Recycling

“How can we support people, how can we design tools and solutions that make it easiest for people to dig in and participate and support the great work of recycling?” — Louise Bruce, managing director of The Recycling Partnership’s Center for Sustainable Behavior & Impact Last month,[...]

Florida Case Study: Brightening up Recycling in the Sunshine State

National nonprofit The Recycling Partnership awards $1.5 million in grants, transforming recycling for five Florida communities, 450,000 households Recycling is much brighter in communities across the Sunshine State thanks to The Recycling Partnership and its partners helping Florida communities rec[...]

2017 Literature Review of Environmental Research

Once a program has successfully motivated behavior change, the question becomes, will the new behavior stick? If not, how long will it last before the program should reach out again? This is a challenging question to answer, as few programs do long-term evaluations, and ultimately, it is dependent o[...]

Colgate-Palmolive Company Accepts ‘All In On Recycling’ Challenge

Leading global consumer products company joins efforts to make recycling easier for 25 million families across the country FALLS CHURCH, VA (November 15, 2018) – Global consumer products company Colgate-Palmolive Company is joining The Recycling Partnership and PepsiCo Foundation’s recycling cha[...]

Big Bear City Rolls out New Recycling Carts

The Big Bear City Community Services District (CSD) will begin rolling out new recycling carts for households this month as it officially launches its expanded curbside recycling collection service. With this new recycling program, all households within the district will receive a new, larger recycl[...]

Download: Single Stream Carts Timeline

Implementing recycling carts can seem daunting – but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s our comprehensive timeline to walk you and your team through what needs to happen when for a successful rollout. The timeline covers both operational and educational components as well as how to utilize supp[...]

Download Our 2016 Annual Report

Our 2016 Annual Report highlights real-time benefits of the transformative organization’s work, focusing on year-on- year growth, systems solutions across the supply chain, and the multiplier effect that intelligently-deployed new infrastructure delivers. “Day to day, we’re always looking fo[...]

Michigan EGLE Request for Proposals

Grant Applications are open through March 10, 2023 MICHIGAN COMMUNITIES, DO YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR RECYCLING PROGRAM? The Recycling Partnership, through funding from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) is offering grants to communities to enhance residential curbsi[...]

Download: State of Curbside Report

The 2016 State of Curbside Report is a snapshot of the performance of curbside recycling programs in a number of key communities across the U.S. Over 400 cities were profiled to understand key recycling program attributes and to evaluate their performance in recovering household recyclables at t[...]

Social Media: Reaching Recyclers with Facebook Advertising

Have you noticed that you see more posts from certain friends or family members on Facebook? This ever-running string of content is called the news feed. If you see more content from your sister than your college roommate, that is Facebook’s algorithm in action. When you comment on and “like” [...]

Research and Insights into Recycling Behavior Inside the Home Webinar

Recycling is a complex reverse supply chain that begins in the household, but there is limited visibility into what actually happens in the home behind closed doors. While we know approximately half of all household recyclables never make it to a materials recycling facility, nobody knows exactly wh[...]

Tackling Contamination – Say What You Want

By Elizabeth Schussler, Sr Dir Social Change, Behavior and Impact Trying to fight contamination in your local recycling program? Ask specifically for what you want (or don’t want). Our research shows that much of contamination can be solved by telling residents exactly how to recycle properly. (Wa[...]

Meet Your Community’s Recycling Resolutions with These Tools & Resources

How are your new year’s resolutions coming? Regardless of where you are with cleaning out the garage, organizing those cabinets, or learning how to knit, there’s still time to help your community meet its recycling resolutions. Our free tools and resources can help you do just that: Personalize[...]

Download our Social Media Kit

Our free kit makes social media easy– whether you’re planning an annual content calendar or need a quick visual on the go. The kit includes 52 social media posts – they include both images and text, as well as tips and tricks for making the most of your campaigns.

Download Our Cart Implementation Guide

Are you exploring the idea of switching to carts? Or looking to elevate a program with “strong bones”? If you operate a local government recycling program, this guide was written for you. It draws from real world experiences and covers what you really need to know to help you plan and budget you[...]

Blog: Recycling Curriculum Grades K-3 and 4-5

Are you teaching kids Kindergarten through third grade or fourth through fifth grade a recycling curriculum and need a great activity for explaining the basics? These exercises will help your students learn why recycling is important, how much trash we put in landfills each year, what is and isn’t[...]

Niagara Bottling Joins The Recycling Partnership

Niagara Bottling, a driving force in packaging innovation joins The Recycling Partnership to help the rapidly growing nonprofit transform recycling in states, cities and communities across the country. By supporting The Recycling Partnership’s recycling solutions, Niagara Bottling along with 38 [...]

Free COVID-19 & Recycling Social Media Kit

Engage Your Residents to Recycle More, Better During the COVID-19 Pandemic Last November, we launched Volume 3 of our Recycling Social Media Kit for Communities, just in time for America Recycles Week. Since then, Coronavirus (COVID-19) has reshaped the world in which we live. Fast forward to today.[...]

Download our Texas Social Media Kit

We know you’re busy. And when it comes to communicating about recycling, we know there is much to say. The images and text in this kit, geared towards Texas communities, will help you quickly post eye-catching messages throughout the whole year with a Southern twist. Yee-haw!

By The Numbers Webinar: Transforming U.S. Recycling with EPR

The Recycling Partnership’s By The Numbers webinar series kicked off 2023 with a special webinar in partnership with Resource Recycling’s Policy Now. By The Numbers Webinar: Transforming U.S. Recycling with EPR, designed for municipal and industry stakeholders as well as policymakers, took a d[...]

Webinar: A COVID-19 Industry Update from The Recycling Partnership

On Wednesday, May 27, The Recycling Partnership hosted a follow-up webinar with industry experts to answer the important question: What are on-the-ground impacts of the COVID-19 health crisis on recycling operations and workers? The supply chain and solid waste have both been deemed essential work i[...]

The benefits of cart-based recycling

This article originally appeared in Waste Today. The Recycling Partnership is helping lobby for the adoption of recycling carts across the country. August 28, 2018 Adam Redling The success of every recycling program hinges on the quality of materials being generated. While material recovery facility[...]

Behavior Change is at the Heart of Everything We Do

By: Elizabeth Schussler, Senior Director of Social Change, Behavior, and Impact At The Recycling Partnership, behavior change is at the heart of everything we do because people and the planet are at our core. A focus on recycling behavior and the impacts of behavior are ingrained in our DNA and our[...]

Marquette Township Rolls out New Single-Sort Recycling Program

April 19, 2021 Marquette, MI– Marquette Township will begin rolling out new recycling carts for residents next week as it officially launches its “single-stream” collection service. With this new recycling program, sorting recyclable items is no longer necessary; instead, residents will be abl[...]

Coastal Community Recycling Grant

We are not currently accepting applications for this grant program. Marine debris is a global crisis for our waterways and oceans and an imminent concern for communities and industries. By 2050, it is estimated that there will be more marine debris than fish in our ocean and 80 percent of marine deb[...]

The Recycling Partnership Supports Recycling Markets by Curbing Contamination

China’s recent ban on the import of scrap materials and the resulting downturn in markets for some recyclables reinforces the importance of improving the quality of what is collected in residential recycling programs and ultimately sold into the open marketplace. One of the pillars of The Recycl[...]

World Environment Day Demands Action for Our Planet

World Environment Day turns 50 this year. It’s an annual moment in time to raise awareness, get loud, and demand action for our planet. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) spearheads these efforts, encouraging and fostering a forum to do more together.    Follow 2023’s theme, and [...]

Benefits of Cart-Based Recycling Programs

Need help explaining the benefits? Download this infographic. Cost Savings Cart-based service results in lower worker’s compensation claims and insurance premiums and better route efficiencies, which translates to less fuel, maintenance and overhead. Plus, with more recovery comes less disposal a[...]

Gwinnett County to Expand and Improve Residential Curbside Recycling

National Nonprofit The Recycling Partnership Has Awarded Gwinnett County a $100,000 Grant to Deliver 8,400 Recycling Carts and Provide Recycling Education to Nearly 200,000 Households in Unincorporated Gwinnett  GWINNETT Co., Ga. (June 14, 2021) – Households in unincorporated Gwinnett County now [...]

Blog: Studying the Recyclability of Pizza Boxes

PizzaBoxRecycling.com launch fueled by new studies and new messaging resources One of the heated debates we hear in recycling is whether or not pizza boxes are recyclable. A new study by corrugated pizza box manufacturers, processors, and discussions with paper mills found that grease and residual c[...]

Case Study: Columbia, SC

Project Type: Cart Rollout Total HH Served: 40,000 Projected New Tons/Year: 6,563 Year: 2015 In just 13 days, the City of Columbia, SC delivered 96-gal. recycling carts to each of its 40,000 households to replace their existing 18-gal. bins. Within the first three months of cart collection, Columbi[...]

Your Guide to Planning a More Sustainable Holiday Meal

Whichever holiday you celebrate, this year’s festivities are likely to look different from years past. While you may not have the larger family and friend gatherings we’ve become accustomed to, you can still practice sustainability when it comes to holiday meals. Here’s what to know and do to [...]

“Rolling into Success” in Waste Today

This article was originally published in the March 2017 edition of Waste Today. In the world of cart-based recycling, collective planning, partnership and real-time feedback keep things on the right path. By Jason Hale and Cody Marshall Aug. 16, 2016, 10:05 a.m. Central Daylight Time: “We have a p[...]

Blog: A Corporate Perspective Turned Inside Out

Featuring Sarah Dearman and Steph Kersten-Johnston We’ve recently welcomed two new staff members who have joined us from the corporate world: Sarah Dearman, formerly Sustainable Packaging Program Director at Coca-Cola North America, is now our new VP of New Ventures; Steph Kersten-Johnston, forme[...]

Additional MRF Modernization Grants Signal System Progress for Polypropylene

With a new round of infrastructure grants underway, the work of The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition highlights an increasing number of recycling facilities investing in sorting and processing polypropylene, demonstrating the expanding commitment to this valuable material.[...]

Joint Industry Statement: We Stand by Polypropylene

The following is a joint statement attributed to Steve Alexander, President, and CEO, The Association of Plastic Recyclers; Ron Gonen, CEO, Closed Loop Partners; Nina Goodrich, Executive Director, GreenBlue; And Keefe Harrison, CEO, The Recycling Partnership: (February 28, 2020) — With the [...]

$1.2 Million in Grants Awarded to Spur Advancement of Polypropylene Recycling

Five more grants bring total Polypropylene Recycling Coalition awards to nearly $9 million, impacting 28 million people  The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition (Coalition) continues its steadfast approach to grantmaking and improving the recovery of polypropylene across the[...]

Investing in Multifamily Communities Pays Dividends 

Known for its theme parks and tourism, Orlando, Florida is making a name for itself in another way: Recycling. A forward-thinking community with a deep-rooted commitment to environmental equity, Orlando strives to become a “zero waste” community by 2040. Adequate, efficient, and equitable recycl[...]

Earth Day 2023: A Call to Invest In Our Planet

Investing in Our Planet Takes All of Us. On Earth Day and Every Day, We Can Start by Building a Better Recycling System. Earth Day’s 2023 theme – Invest In Our Planet is centered around engaging more than 1 billion people, all levels of government, organizations and companies that participate in[...]

MRFshed Report

How likely is it that neighboring communities using the same MRF are talking to their residents about recyclable materials in the same way? As this new report prepared by The Recycling Partnership highlights, not very likely. What are the chances that a community will have easy-to-find recycling i[...]

Downloadable Report: Start at the Cart

To make truly informed decisions about improving a municipal program, local leaders would be wise to systematically analyze what is (and isn’t) ending up in recycling receptacles at the individual household level. Case studies from three cities help illustrate the method.

Annual Report 2017

Check out what we’ve been up to this past year. Highlights of our 2017 Annual Report include: a breakdown of our three biggest city projects, updated metrics, and an impressive, ever-expanding list of our awesome funders who want to create healthier communities across the country through improved [...]

Navigating the Recycling System

For packaging to be recycled successfully, we must consider how it flows through each of the five elements of the recycling system: manufacturing, reprocessing, sorting, collecting and engaging consumers. This table will help you assess the recyclability of a product and its ability to create relia[...]

Partnership Powers Progress: June Impact Report 2019

  Check out our June 2019 Impact Report and learn about the $73 million in value we have delivered to transform recycling for good. See how we are working together with communities, our funding partners, and the industry to drive change coast to coast and create a stronger economy, healthier p[...]

The Recycling Partnership Teams Up With City of Chicago to Improve Recycling

This summer and through the fall, The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit that applies corporate partner funding to improve curbside recycling systems in cities and town across the country, will be working with Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) to improve recycling in th[...]

Blog: Accelerate Recycling through Policy and Partnership

By Keefe Harrison, CEO Partnership is part of our name for a reason. From the start, The Recycling Partnership has believed that public-private partnerships are critical to our mission—and to our mutual success in building a resilient and responsive recycling system.  This approach is at the hear[...]

Addressing the Challenge of Film and Flexible Packaging Data

Film and flexible packaging is unlike other packaging when it comes to recycling. For starters, it’s not a single packaging type – the term encompasses a wide range of packaging, from polyethylene (PE) air pillows protecting e-commerce goods to heavy-duty dog food bags, to salty snack bags with [...]

Overcoming Recycling Challenges through Coalitions

When a package or material does not meet the criteria for recyclability (see page 23, Pathway to Circularity), companies are encouraged to take action. Coalitions can address the recycling challenges of today and consider solutions for the challenges of tomorrow. The Partnership currently leads thre[...]

Portland Rolls Out New Recycling Carts

This press release was originally released by The City of Portland, ME on Aug. 3, 2018. The City of Portland rolled out its new 65 and 96 gallon recycling carts this morning during a press conference. The City will begin distributing new recycling carts with wheels and lids to all residents during t[...]

Resource Recycling Op-ed: Where it’s At

The following op-ed was penned by The Recycling Partnership’s VP of Industry Collaboration Dylan de Thomas and was originally published by Resource Recycling. Read the original article here. For a long time, the story of recycling has been purported to be simple – you just have to do X and i[...]

Make 2021 the Year You Resolve to Recycle More, Better

2020 may have become the year many Americans “resolved” to stayed home, but it taught us the value of recycling as a valuable and essential public service and allowed us to confront the daily reality of how valuable recycling is to critical supply chains providing cardboard for online order ship[...]

Resolve To Recycle More, Better in the New Year

Tired of the same old new year’s resolutions? You know, the ones you abandon before February? Why not resolve to recycle more where you work, live, learn, buy, and play? It’s not only a simple resolution, it’s one that benefits the environment, creates jobs, reduces litter, and benefits future[...]

Driving Packaging Strategies with Plastic IQ

As U.S. companies seek to reduce waste, meet sustainability goals, and stay competitive, many are committing to ambitious packaging strategies designed to end plastic waste. But not all companies have data-driven resources to define these strategies. Plastic IQ is a free, digital strategy-building t[...]

Harmonized Recycling

by Jill Martin, Recycling Today Simplified communication decreases contamination and confusion among residents while increasing the capture rate for curbside recyclables. Imagine trying to take a train, subway or bus system across a city where the signage, names and colors of the routes are inconsis[...]

Polypropylene Recycling Grants for MRFs

The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition provides grants to Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) across the United States to improve and increase sortation of polypropylene and support targeted consumer education efforts. Polypropylene, sometimes referred to as No. 5 plastic, [...]

Blog: Start at the Cart™: Key Concepts for Influencing Behavior

Recycling is many things. It is both a noun and a verb. To a waste professional it may be the collection and diversion of tons of marketable materials. To community members, recycling is an easy way to waste less and to contribute to the greater good. When asked about recyclables, however, most mist[...]

How can we create more equitable recycling outreach?

According to the latest U.S. Census data, we are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse as a nation. In turn, this means that our recycling outreach programs need to become more inclusive and accessible as well.   At the 2023 Resource Recycling Conference in Orlando, Florida, we introduced [...]

Regional Recycling Impact Workshop

The Recycling Partnership and NERC present the 2019 Regional Recycling Impact Workshop Harness the power of your program through tools for fighting contamination, education and outreach, and harmonizing your message to create a stronger recycling system throughout the 11-state region.   The North[...]

Case Study: Personalized Recycling Education to Reduce Contamination

Custom mailers continued to drive contamination downward for 6 months after intervention This pilot project involved installing cameras on recycling trucks to identify contamination from carts. The cameras were programmed to send images, with a geo-tag of the street address, for AI analys[...]

Sarasota County, Florida is awarded Recycling Program of the Year

During the August 2 Program of the Year Awards Winner Announcement Webinar, hosted by Resource Recycling, The Recycling Partnership was thrilled to join to co-host and announce Sarasota County, Florida as the recipient of the 2023 Recycling Program of the Year—Large Community. Read on to learn mor[...]

Press Release: Alpek Polyester joins The Recycling Partnership

Media Contact: Rey Perez rey.perez@edelman.com (312) 240-2826 Charlotte, NC, July 24, 2019 – Alpek Polyester announces that it has joined The Recycling Partnership as an active member in support of the organization’s goals of increasing residential recycling rates and the need for increased [...]

Unilever Brand Love Beauty and Planet Joins The Recycling Partnership

Love Beauty and Planet, a new Unilever beauty brand, joins The Recycling Partnership to help transform a U.S. city’s recycling system – making it easier for residents to recycle, and recycle well, while measurably reducing greenhouse gas emissions and landfill waste. Packed in 100% recycled bo[...]

PRESS RELEASE: Holland Awarded Grants for Recycling Program

Holland, Mich. – The City announced it has been awarded two grants to transform its curbside recycling program. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and The Recycling Partnership awarded Holland grants totaling $418,832 for the purchase of 96-gallon curbside recycling [...]

Press Release: City of Kenosha Rolls out New Automated Recycling Program

(KENOSHA, Wisc.) – The City of Kenosha has begun rolling out new trash and recycling carts for residents as it moves to an automated “single-stream” collection service city-wide, beginning the week of August 24, 2020. An early roll-out began in mid-July in some City neighborhoods. The new s[...]

Press Release: Increasing Material Capture in Denver

Making Denver One of the Greatest Recycling Cities in the U.S. How to make a great recycling city even better? That was the question Denver Public Works took on this year with The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit organization that applies corporate partner funding to improve the recyclin[...]

Unlocking System Change through PET Recycling  

By: Adam Gendell, Circular Ventures Director   Plastic packaging circularity may seem like a daunting endeavor, but it’s possible. Just take an in-depth look at PET packaging, which is an example of how we can build on successes to support an effective plastic recycling system.    Polyethylene[...]

Your Complete Guide to Green Holiday Gifting

When it comes to opening gifts, does it seem like each holiday you can’t find the living room because of the piles of gift wrap, tissue paper, and gift boxes? Although your holiday will probably look different this year, the same question remains: does it go in the recycling or the trash? Our su[...]

The Recycling Partnership Responds to Comments on Recyclability Framework 

Widespread feedback signals importance of Framework and need for transparent, cohesive guidelines  FALLS CHURCH, Va. (Dec. 14, 2021) – The Recycling Partnership today published responses to public comments on its Pathway to Circularity Recyclability Framework. A-first-of-its-kind opportunity for [...]

Case Study: Portland, ME

Project Type: Cart Rollout Total Households Served: 22,131 Projected New Tons/Year: 1,313 Year: 2017 Already a community of strong recyclers with a robust pay-as-you-throw system in place, Portland rolled out of 25,000 carts with the help of a grant, technical assistance, and educational resources [...]

Blog: Our future depends on our actions. So, what are we wasting for?

By The Recycling Partnership Team We live on a planet that is well known for having finite resources (and yes, some renewable ones, many of which we’re depleting at a rate that surpasses the rate of replacement).  If we keep buying things that are made out of these finite and depleting resources,[...]

Hale: “You’re Not in it Alone, So Why Go it Alone?”

This article, written by The Recycling Partnership’s former VP of Communications and recycling legend Jason Hale, was originally published by Sustainable Brands. A Circular Economy: You’re Not in It Alone, So Why Go It Alone? This is the second in a three-part series from The Recycling [...]

The Recycling Partnership Releases Strategy for Improving U.S. Recycling

On America Recycles Day the nation’s leading recycling NGO issues 5-Point Plan to give Americans a better recycling system. Washington, D.C., Nov. 15, 2022 – The Recycling Partnership, a mission-driven NGO committed to advancing a circular economy by building a better recycling system, is a[...]

Looking Back and Looking Forward – Keefe Harrison, CEO

Did you catch Cody Marshall on the evening news? He was in Lynn, Massachusetts, helping the city with a cart tagging exercise when Boston station WBZ TV caught up with them. Cart tagging is our proven approach to help communities reduce their contamination levels and we were happy to have the med[...]

Heineken USA Blog: A Win For Recycling

This article originally appeared on Heineken USA’s blog on Aug. 2, 2017.  To the great people of Europe: thanks for sharing! Teams from the top soccer leagues in the world touched down in the U.S. this summer for the fifth installment of the International Champions Cup and the competition was[...]

Press Release: The Buckeye State Investing In a Sustainable Recycling System

Collaboration awards nearly $211,000 to six Ohio communities to improve recycling COLUMBUS, OH (May 14, 2019) – The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), solid waste management districts (SWMDs), material recovery facilities (MRFs), haulers, Ohio communities and The Recycling Partnershi[...]

First-Ever Can Capture RFP Announced for MRFs in Southeastern U.S.

The Recycling Partnership Joins CMI as Grant Program Partner to Evaluate Proposals and Provide Technical Assistance for Projects that Target Missorted or Lost Cans at Recycling Centers in the Southeast FALLS CHURCH, Va (JAN. 26, 2021) – The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and The Recycling P[...]

Your Guide to Green Holiday Gifting

Does it seem like each holiday you can’t find the living room because of the piles of gift wrap, tissue paper, and gift boxes? But how much of that makes it into the recycling bin, or worse, the landfill?” Our seasonal gifting advice will ensure your days are merry and your holidays green. Wh[...]

Your Complete Guide to Green Holiday Gifting

When it comes to opening gifts, does it seem like each holiday you can’t find the living room because of the piles of gift wrap, tissue paper, and gift boxes? Although your holiday will probably look different this year, the same question remains: does it go in the recycling or the trash? Our su[...]

Our Top 10 Holiday Recycling Tips

Every holiday season, Americans unknowingly wreak havoc on their local recycling facilities by placing the wrong items in their blue carts. Although their intentions are good (recycling is a clear way to mitigate climate change), the cost of dealing with those misplaced items is alarming and can qui[...]

WWF Champions Sustainable Materials Management

This press release was originally published by the World Wildlife Fund on June 12, 2017. World Wildlife Fund Convenes Organizations to Enable A Global Market For Sustainable Materials Management World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today announced the Cascading Materials Vision, a platform that seeks to enabl[...]

PRESS RELEASE: Feet on the Street Campaign Aims to Improve Recycling

Lafayette, LA – Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) and The Recycling Partnership are working together to reduce waste and improve curbside recycling in the city of Lafayette. The “Feet on the Street” campaign will educate residents on the importance of recycling correctly and what should [...]

Jason Hale: “How We’re Fixing a Broken System”

This article, written by The Recycling Partnership’s former VP of Communications and recycling legend Jason Hale, was originally published by Sustainable Brands. The Recycling Partnership: How We’re Fixing a Broken System This is the third in a three-part series from The Recycling Partn[...]

Blog: Plastic IQ – Advancing Company Decision-Making on Plastics

By Ben Dixon, Partner, SYSTEMIQ & Keefe Harrison, CEO, The Recycling Partnership The challenge of plastic waste is too big to ignore and too difficult to solve alone. Good work to collectively reduce the use of virgin plastic and build recycling solutions for more types of plastics is underway. [...]

Earth Day Is Virtually Here – Ways to Celebrate & Engage Residents Online

“Even the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” So they say. Back in February, we shared ideas to inspire your planning for the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. Nearly two months later, our world has changed as a result of a global pandemic, but now, more than ever, Americans view recycl[...]

Spring Cleaning While Safe at Home – What to Know Before You Start

Spring cleaning is one way many people are staying busy while staying safe at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only is it productive, but it’s one of the many activities best completed alone or with your family. Before you usher those old dusty knickknacks to the curb, here are a few things [...]

Big City Modernization in Baltimore

The Partnership’s unique model of bringing communities and funding partners together, creates meaningful opportunities to drive large scale change in big cities. Prior to the fall of 2021, Baltimore, Maryland, residents lacked a consistent solution for recycling access, making it difficult for the[...]

MRF Survey: Acceptable Materials Worksheet

This survey serves to ensure that local programs and MRFs remain on the same page regarding acceptable and problematic materials. Use this document to identify and address issues, inform front line staff, and create materials to educate residents. It is recommended that the local program representat[...]

Residential Curbside Recycling Cart Grant

Residential Curbside Recycling Cart Grant  Through The Recycling Partnership’s Residential Curbside Recycling Cart Grant, communities are provided grant funding, technical assistance, as well as the design of education and outreach materials to help advance recycling and improve recycling access [...]

The 2017 Costs of Contamination MRF Working Group Survey

In mid-2017, The Recycling Partnership surveyed its MRF Working Group to identify top contaminants and their impact at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) level. In gathering data using a matrix [Appendix 1], the surveyed group members provided detail on Labor; Facility Down Time; Disposal; Equipm[...]

How to Address the Intention-Action Gap in Recycling

The Recycling Partnership’s Center for Sustainable Behavior & Impact’s new Knowledge Report presents four themes for accelerating recycling best practices Recycling is a complex, reverse supply chain—and its success depends on the small, everyday actions of hundreds of millions of people. [...]

Drop-off Recycling Program Grant

Through The Recycling Partnership’s Residential Drop-Off Recycling Grant Program, communities are provided grant funding, technical assistance, as well as the design of education and outreach materials to help advance recycling and improve drop-off recycling access and capacity for U.S. residents.[...]

Video: Together, transforming recycling for good.

Here, we present the stats on the current state of recycling in America, and show you why there’s more work to be done. Join us as we work to transform recycling for good across the nation. We can accomplish more together through partnership.

The Recycling Partnership Reports Impact to Date on Aluminum Recycling

Recycling Initiative Drives Capture of 4.1 Million New Pounds of Aluminum Annually   WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 4, 2023) – The Recycling Partnership reported today on the impact of its Aluminum Recycling Initiative (Initiative). Under the Initiative five grants have been issued for the continued a[...]

Testing for Quality: Piloting BMPs Across MA webinar

In 2016, several Massachusetts communities piloted a program to improve quality in the recycling stream. Representatives of Lowell, West Springfield, Republic Services, MassDEP, and The Recycling Partnership talk tactics and initial results from the field, as well as early best management practices [...]

ExxonMobil Joins The Recycling Partnership with $1.5 Million Commitment

Global leader ExxonMobil is the first energy company to join The Recycling Partnership, a rapidly growing national nonprofit that leverages corporate investment to transform recycling for good in hundreds of communities across the country. Through support and collaboration, ExxonMobil, along with 34[...]

What if Every Family in America Could Recycle?

What if every family in America could recycle? What would change? Our newest video, told by our funders, tackles these big questions and shows how we’re transforming recycling for good through partnership.

Video: Chicago Bulls Activation

Check out The Partnership’s activation event with the Chicago Bulls as part of the citywide “It’s All You” recycling campaign! The event included booths throughout the arena, a t-shirt toss from the court at halftime, and encouraged residents to take the pledge.

Chicago Recycling Video: Know Your Day

Know your day! This promotional video, created by The Partnership, was part of Chicago’s “It’s All You” recycling campaign to increase participation for residential curbside recycling in the city.

Video: The Recycling Partnership at Shedd Aquarium

As part of the “It’s All You” citywide recycling campaign, Partnership staff hosted an activation event at the Shedd Aquarium’s “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea” exhibit in September 2017. See Chicago residents talk about why they recycle and be inspired to take the pledge at itsallyo[...]

Watch: “Recycling – Video Games”

Part of The Partnership’s “It’s All You” campaign for the City of Chicago, this video shows adults and kids alike how everyday recycling can make a big impact – like saving the world.

National Sword: What is it and how will it impact my program?

This webinar, hosted by The Recycling Partnership’s VP of Industry Collaboration and resident National Sword expert Dylan de Thomas, gives a critical update on what China’s scrap ban and customs enforcement actions are and where it came from. It also covers the potential impact on markets, M[...]

Watch: Hidden Camera Video in Chicago

We’re on a mission to show Chicago residents how good it feels to recycle! Check out what happens when our hidden camera catches someone in the act.

Webinar: Fighting Contamination in MA

This is the third and final installment of The Partnership’s 2016 Massachusetts webinar series on contamination. After nearly a year of planning, piloting, testing and refining a targeted approach to fight contamination, MassDEP and The Recycling Partnership share the findings and what they mean f[...]

EPA Webinar: Turning Up the Quality

This webinar, hosted by the US EPA, features the joint efforts between The Recycling Partnership and state of Massachusetts in 2016 as we piloted a new program to fight contamination in communities across the state. Hear the outcomes, share in the stories, and walk away with tangible tools – ready[...]

Quality Inspector & Driver Protocols for Contamination

Contamination in residential curbside recycling is causing problems across the recycling system. This training video, featuring The Partnership’s own Cody Marshall, teaches recycling quality inspectors and collection crews how they can help fight contamination.

Material Myth Busting with MA MRFs webinar

“Material Myth Busting with Massachusetts MRFs” (say that five times fast) was designed as a resource for MA recycling professionals to hear how The Recycling Partnership is helping communities across the state fight contamination. The webinar features representatives from two MRFs, the state, a[...]

Top 7 Myths About Transitioning to Carts

Partnership staff Karen Bandhauer and Cody Marshall tackle the top seven myths of single-stream curbside recycling with carts on this small, interactive webinar. By limiting the webinar to only 15 participants, The Partnership created an online space for recycling professionals to talk with Partners[...]

Recycling Partnership: Curbside Data and Measurement

The Recycling Partnership’s Vice President of Technical Assistance Cody Marshall outlines the different types of data local recycling programs should track and measure to enhance their collection strategy. The two-minute clip provides an overview of what kind of data local governments should captu[...]

MORE Myth Busting With MRFs Part 2

Due to the success of the “Improving Quality and Reducing Curbside Contamination” holiday webinar (insert link to that resource here), Keefe Harrison and Karen Bandhauer of CVP (now The Recycling Partnership) join industry leaders for a second myth-buster style webinar to discuss the intersectio[...]

Improving Quality Reducing Curbside Contamination Part 1

In this holiday-inspired webinar, Curbside Value Partnership (now The Recycling Partnership) representatives Keefe Harrison and Karen Bandhauer join industry professionals for a fun, engaging discussion on contamination in residential recycling and what material-specific issues arise during the holi[...]

Between Two Carts – Dylan de Thomas at RRC 2016

The Recycling Partnership’s Cody Marshall interviews Dylan de Thomas, former Editorial Director of Resource Recycling and current VP of Industry Collaboration at The Partnership. At Resource Recycling, de Thomas ran the organization’s annual conference and initiated a collaboration with The Part[...]

Between Two Elevators – Megan Daum at RRC 2016

The Recycling Partnership’s Cody Marshall sits down with Megan Daum, Vice President of Sustainability for the Can Manufacturer’s Institute and former Board Chair for The Recycling Partnership. The video is part of The Partnership’s “Between” series, where we chat with serious industry prof[...]

Beside a Water Bubbler – Nina Goodrich at RRC 2016

The Recycling Partnership’s Cody Marshall sits down with Nina Goodrich of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), an industry-leading voice on packaging sustainability with a membership that encompasses the entire supply chain. The video is part of The Partnership’s “Between” series, wher[...]

Between Two Bathrooms – Rick Penner at RRC 2016

The Recycling Partnership’s Cody Marshall sits down with Rick Penner of Re-Trac, a web-based waste management software that helps communities better track their recycling data. The video is part of The Partnership’s “Between” series, where we chat with serious industry professionals about ve[...]

Teaming Up with Atlanta to Improve Recycling

The Recycling Partnership Teams Up with The City of Atlanta to Improve Recycling The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit that applies corporate partner funding to improve curbside recycling systems in cities and towns across the country, is working with the City of Atlanta’s Office of Resi[...]

PepsiCo Joins The Recycling Partnership

National nonprofit The Recycling Partnership is pleased to announce its newest funding partner, the global food and beverage leader, PepsiCo. The organizations have agreed to collaborate on an ambitious cross-sector approach to increasing recycling rates across America. PepsiCo’s collaborat[...]

Case Study: Garland, TX

Project Type: Cart Rollout Total Households Served: 10,000 Projected New Tons/Year: 1,980 Year: 2018 In 2017, we galloped into the Lone Star State to help Garland, TX complete their cart rollout. Our first TX community put 10,000 more carts on the ground, effectively giving all 240,000 Garland res[...]

Video: Keefe Harrison at Ocean Week 2017

Hear Partnership CEO Keefe Harrison give a quick overview of her participation in Capitol Hill’s Ocean Week live from the steps of the Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.!

Grants Available to Attend 2022 Resource Recycling Conference

The Recycling Partnership, in association with Resource Recycling, Inc,. is excited to announce applications are live for the 2022 Steve Thompson Memorial Grant Program. For the first time since 2019, the Resource Recycling Conference will be in-person in Austin, TX from August 15-17, 2022. The gran[...]

Film and Flexibles Recycling Coalition Grant Advances Film Recovery

System solutions for film recovery and recycling are desperately needed to help address the full scale of the plastic waste crisis and save millions of tons of plastic materials from landfills. The Recycling Partnership’s Film and Flexibles Recycling Coalition is on the cutting edge of this wo[...]

Holland Rolls Out New Single-Sort Recycling Program

Holland, MI – The City rolled out new recycling carts for residents over the last two weeks and is ready to officially launch its “single-stream” collection service next week. With this new recycling program, bagging recyclable items is no longer necessary; instead, residents will be able to p[...]

Ishpeming Township Rolls out New Single-Sort Recycling Program

(Ishpeming Township, Mi) – Ishpeming Township will begin rolling out new recycling carts for residents next week as it officially launches its “single-stream” collection service. With this new recycling program, sorting recyclable items is no longer necessary; instead, residents will be able t[...]

SOCRRA Rolls Out New, Larger Bins, Mixed Recycling

BIRMINGHAM/BEVERLY HILLS — The rumors have been floating around for some time now, and finally the Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority is ready to roll out new mixed recycling collection. In the Eagle’s coverage area, Birmingham and Beverly Hills are served by SOCRRA for recy[...]

Partnership Aims to Educate Residents on Proper Recycling

CINCINNATI – May 20, 2021 – Rumpke Waste and Recycling is once again teaming up with Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District, The Recycling Partnership, the Ohio EPA to make sure everyone’s recycling efforts count in the City of Cincinnati. Beginning the week of May 24 and running t[...]

Feet on the Street Begins September 13 in Norcross

The City of Norcross and The Recycling Partnership launch citywide cart-tagging campaign to dramatically improve curbside residential recycling, part of a $15,000 grant NORCROSS (GWINNETT COUNTY), GA (SEPTEMBER 10, 2021) – On Monday, September 13, 2021, the City of Norcross will begin checkin[...]

Nashville Receives Investment to Support Increased Recycling Collection

The Recycling Partnership, American Beverage, and the Beverage Association of Tennessee invest in education for enhanced recycling collection, expected to generate millions of new pounds of recyclable material   WASHINGTON D.C. – The City of Nashville on January 11 announced the launch of enhanc[...]

Hacking Recycling: Ideas to Boost Your Program

Chances are, you’ve heard of the concept of a “life hack.” The term, made popular online over the last decade, describes simple strategies and techniques that a person can use to manage time and daily activities in a more efficient way. It might now be time for materials recovery stakeholders [...]

Mayor Brown Launches “Let’s Do This Together!”

BUFFALO – Today, Mayor Byron W. Brown announced that the City of Buffalo, in partnership with The Recycling Partnership, will sponsor a Multi-Unit Apartment Building Recycling Initiative called “Let’s Do This Together!”. The six-month pilot initiative aims to initially increase recycling col[...]

The Department of Public Works Launches Multi-Family Toolkit Campaign

First-ever dedicated materials to explain requirements, highlight best practices for capturing recyclables. The District’s ambitious zero waste goal of achieving 80% waste diversion by 2032 will be reached by residents and businesses city-wide recycling more, and better. To support the fast-g[...]

Recycling Detectives’ Coming to Washtenaw County Neighborhoods Starting TODAY as Washtenaw Regional Resource Management Authority Launches Major New Campaign to Improve Curbside Residential Recycling

Nationally Acclaimed Feet on the Street House-to-House Effort To Begin Monday, June 21, Helped By $118,605 Grant From Michigan EGLE & The Recycling Partnership Washtenaw County, MI — Washtenaw Regional Resource Management Authority (WRRMA) is teaming with the Michigan Department of Environm[...]

We’re All In

originally appeared in Recycling Today /  by DeAnne Toto The Recycling Partnership and the PepsiCo Foundation partner to help fund investments in recycling infrastructure and education. What happens when a national nonprofit dedicated to improving recycling partners with the philanthropic arm of a[...]

Drop-Off Recycling Contamination Reduction Kit

We know that many communities utilize drop-off sites for dual- and single-stream recycling programs where curbside collection isn’t always available. These locations are important for community participation and play a huge role in the volume and quality of the local recycling stream. We also[...]

How to Use the GHG Calculator

by Tricia Tiedt What are we wasting for? See how much greenhouse gas (GHG) equivalents you could be saving with our newest interactive online tool. By inputting your community’s households, collection data, and participation rate, the GHG Calculator estimates the tonnage of recyclables and related[...]

Preparing for Earth Day 2020: Happy 50th Anniversary

Earth Day is April 22 but the date isn’t just a day, it’s a movement, marking the beginning of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Earth Day 2020 will mark 50 years of Earth Day — a movement that has mobilized more than 1 billion people across 190+ countries. The Recycling Partnersh[...]

Earth Day 2024: Let’s Turn Belief into Action

By Keefe Harrison Happy Earth Day! As we celebrate this special day, we want to hear YOUR story. What’s your experience with recycling? What do you need to feel fully engaged in the process?

Film & Flexible Recycling Grants

The Recycling Partnership’s Film & Flexibles Recycling Coalition provides grants to materials recovery facilities (MRFs), reclaimers, recycling drop-off centers, and end-markets across the United States that sort, clean, sell, and/or reclaim film and flexibles derived from U.S. residential[...]

Expediting Circularity through U.S. Plastics Pact

Plastic pollution is a global crisis. To confront this emergency in the U.S., industry leaders recognized that individual action would not be enough; transformative, systemwide change is required to establish a path toward a circular economy for plastic. Founded as a solutions-driven consortium by T[...]

PET Recycling Grants for MRFs and Processors

The Recycling Partnership’s PET Recycling Coalition, which brings together a robust group of stakeholders to drive improvements that transform the PET recycling landscape, provides grants to materials recovery facilities (MRFs), PET reclaimers, and other entities that sort, sell, and/or reclaim PE[...]

Article: Setting Up A Systems Solution

This article, co-written by The Recycling Partnership’s VP of Industry Collaboration Dylan de Thomas and Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Senior Manager Trina Matta, was originally published in Resource Recycling on June 29, 2017. Late last year, The Recycling Partnership and Sustainabl[...]

Empowering People to Recycle Right

If every home in the U.S. had convenient access to recycling, more than half of recyclable material would still be lost. Why? Because most Americans are confused about what and how to recycle. No recycling system performs at a high level without winning the hearts and minds of consumers to use it pr[...]

Blog: Catalyzing System Change – Recycling Inclusion Fund

By Jessica Levine A mentor once asked me, “What is your wildest dream?” I told her I wanted to be a catalyst for change. I discovered my passion for environment and sustainability during my senior year of high school. Very quickly, I began to immerse myself in academic studies related to the fie[...]

Webinar: COVID-19 and its Effects on Recycling

On Tuesday, March 31, The Recycling Partnership hosted a webinar for cities, states and industry partners to provide timely and comprehensive information about the state of the recycling and solid waste industry during the times of COVID-19. We heard from the leading voices at our most trusted indus[...]

Scaling Statewide Transformation in Michigan

The state of Michigan established the goal of increasing statewide recycling from 14% in 2019 to 45% by 2030. To reach this target, the state increased funding for recycling support, leading to a multiyear collaboration between the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) [...]

Closing the Equity Gap through the Recycling Inclusion Fund

Our research shows that recycling services disadvantage certain streets, neighborhoods, and housing types along socioeconomic lines. Nearly 40 million U.S. residents lack the same level of access to recycling as they have to garbage service. That access gap is even larger for residents of multifamil[...]

Improving MRF Infrastructure to Increase Can Capture

Aluminum cans are among the most widely accepted packages for recycling. Within the packaging industry, they have leading recycled content rates and are consistently among the most valuable materials by weight in the recycling stream. However, according to Can Manufacturers Institute research, up to[...]

Improving the Quality of Recyclables in Orange County

When it comes to capturing the different materials that enter the U.S. residential recycling system, it is as important for residents to know what cannot be recycled as it is to know what can be recycled. Excessive contamination can cause a host of problems once the material is collected. The curbsi[...]

Creating Clarity on the Pathway to Circularity

Navigating the recycling system has historically been challenging, in part because there are no widely accepted recyclability standards. Our Pathway to Circularity for Packaging, another example of collaboration to solve a complex challenge, was created to wash away the gray and bring necessary clar[...]

Expanding Equitable Recycling Access in Orlando

When it comes to recycling access, multifamily communities are among the most underserved in the U.S. Members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community are approximately twice as likely to live in multifamily housing as non-BIPOC community members. That’s why The Partnership [...]

All In On Recycling, Iowa City Celebrates Early Grant Success

Iowa City is on a roll. Thanks in part to a $106,000 grant from The Recycling Partnership, the community rolled out new, larger recycling carts to residents in December 2018. But the story only begins there. Iowa City has seen promising increases in recycling so far, with recycling tonnage increasin[...]

Can Recycling Bounce Back?

This article originally appeared on CityLab.com. NICOLE JAVORSKY Times have been hard for U.S. recycling since China tightened its contamination standards, and local programs are trying to adjust. “This facility is our version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” That’s how Eileen Ka[...]

Why the business world should be far more involved with community recycling

RP Siegel / originally appeared in Greenbiz.com The materials collection and processing supply chain necessary to support a shift to the circular economy is only as strong as its weakest link. That means businesses planning for that transition must forge stronger links with the municipal and commun[...]

Recycling Carts Coming to 95,000 Homes

The Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA) today joined officials from Henrico, Hanover and Goochland counties, and national partners to celebrate the first deliveries of new recycling carts to 95,000 households. The 95-gallon carts are being delivered to all single-family homes in Henr[...]

Start at the Cart

This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of Resource Recycling magazine. by Cody Marshall and McKenna Morrigan How do you get people to recycle more? What does it take to reduce contamination? How much more high-value recyclable material can be captured through curbside programs? Now[...]

It’s Official: Municipal Measurement Program Launched

(Falls Church, VA) On January 7, 2019, Re-TRAC Connect and The Recycling Partnership officially launched Municipal Measurement Program (MMP) to harmonize the measurement of material management programs and to provide municipalities with decision-making tools that can improve recycling program perfor[...]

Free Guide, Toolkit to Launch, Promote & Enhance Multifamily Recycling

Sign Up to Access the New Guide and Free Resources By Craig Wittig (he/him/his), Director of Community Programs Today, more than 22 million American households call multifamily properties home, which means that communities who are dedicated to improving their household recycling streams must have st[...]

By The Numbers Webinar: Unpacking the Data Behind Plastics Recycling

In October 2022, The Recycling Partnership kicked off By the Numbers, a new webinar series for industry stakeholders focused on current trends in the U.S. recycling system and a circular economy. The first webinar in this series was held on October 26 and unpacked the data behind plastics recycling[...]

Flint Mayor Neeley, City Councilman Murphy, State Rep. Neeley join with EGLE, Cascade Engineering and The Recycling Partnership to Kick Off Flint’s Historic Rollout of Over 68,000 Free Curbside Carts

Delivery of trash and recycling carts to more than 34,000 households will continue through October and is projected to increase recycled materials from 624 tons per year to 5,400 tons annually FLINT, Mich. — Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley today helped launch a new milestone achievement for recycling [...]

The Recycling Partnership Announces First-Ever U.S. Circular Economy Roadmap

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New “Bridge to Circularity” Report Calls for $500 Million by 2025 to Transform the U.S. Recycling System Report Emphasizes Need for Creating New Pathways to Recyclability, Unlocking Post-Consumer Material Supply, and Crafting Bold, Transformative Policies Supported by Cut[...]

7 Free Earth Day Resources to Engage Your Community or Workplace

Earth Month is almost here, and if you’re struggling to find new ways to inspire your community or workplace to celebrate and give back to our planet online, you’re not alone. The global pandemic has reshaped everything from where and how we work, to how households are producing more recycling a[...]

Florida Case Study: Brightening up Recycling in the Sunshine State

National nonprofit The Recycling Partnership awards $1.5 million in grants, transforming recycling for five Florida communities, 450,000 households Recycling is much brighter in communities across the Sunshine State thanks to The Recycling Partnership and its partners helping Florida communities rec[...]

Colgate-Palmolive Company Accepts ‘All In On Recycling’ Challenge

Leading global consumer products company joins efforts to make recycling easier for 25 million families across the country FALLS CHURCH, VA (November 15, 2018) – Global consumer products company Colgate-Palmolive Company is joining The Recycling Partnership and PepsiCo Foundation’s recycling cha[...]

Big Bear City Rolls out New Recycling Carts

The Big Bear City Community Services District (CSD) will begin rolling out new recycling carts for households this month as it officially launches its expanded curbside recycling collection service. With this new recycling program, all households within the district will receive a new, larger recycl[...]

Download Our 2016 Annual Report

Our 2016 Annual Report highlights real-time benefits of the transformative organization’s work, focusing on year-on- year growth, systems solutions across the supply chain, and the multiplier effect that intelligently-deployed new infrastructure delivers. “Day to day, we’re always looking fo[...]

Michigan EGLE Request for Proposals

Grant Applications are open through March 10, 2023 MICHIGAN COMMUNITIES, DO YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR RECYCLING PROGRAM? The Recycling Partnership, through funding from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) is offering grants to communities to enhance residential curbsi[...]

Social Media: Reaching Recyclers with Facebook Advertising

Have you noticed that you see more posts from certain friends or family members on Facebook? This ever-running string of content is called the news feed. If you see more content from your sister than your college roommate, that is Facebook’s algorithm in action. When you comment on and “like” [...]

Research and Insights into Recycling Behavior Inside the Home Webinar

Recycling is a complex reverse supply chain that begins in the household, but there is limited visibility into what actually happens in the home behind closed doors. While we know approximately half of all household recyclables never make it to a materials recycling facility, nobody knows exactly wh[...]

Niagara Bottling Joins The Recycling Partnership

Niagara Bottling, a driving force in packaging innovation joins The Recycling Partnership to help the rapidly growing nonprofit transform recycling in states, cities and communities across the country. By supporting The Recycling Partnership’s recycling solutions, Niagara Bottling along with 38 [...]

Free COVID-19 & Recycling Social Media Kit

Engage Your Residents to Recycle More, Better During the COVID-19 Pandemic Last November, we launched Volume 3 of our Recycling Social Media Kit for Communities, just in time for America Recycles Week. Since then, Coronavirus (COVID-19) has reshaped the world in which we live. Fast forward to today.[...]

By The Numbers Webinar: Transforming U.S. Recycling with EPR

The Recycling Partnership’s By The Numbers webinar series kicked off 2023 with a special webinar in partnership with Resource Recycling’s Policy Now. By The Numbers Webinar: Transforming U.S. Recycling with EPR, designed for municipal and industry stakeholders as well as policymakers, took a d[...]

Webinar: A COVID-19 Industry Update from The Recycling Partnership

On Wednesday, May 27, The Recycling Partnership hosted a follow-up webinar with industry experts to answer the important question: What are on-the-ground impacts of the COVID-19 health crisis on recycling operations and workers? The supply chain and solid waste have both been deemed essential work i[...]

The benefits of cart-based recycling

This article originally appeared in Waste Today. The Recycling Partnership is helping lobby for the adoption of recycling carts across the country. August 28, 2018 Adam Redling The success of every recycling program hinges on the quality of materials being generated. While material recovery facility[...]

Behavior Change is at the Heart of Everything We Do

By: Elizabeth Schussler, Senior Director of Social Change, Behavior, and Impact At The Recycling Partnership, behavior change is at the heart of everything we do because people and the planet are at our core. A focus on recycling behavior and the impacts of behavior are ingrained in our DNA and our[...]

Marquette Township Rolls out New Single-Sort Recycling Program

April 19, 2021 Marquette, MI– Marquette Township will begin rolling out new recycling carts for residents next week as it officially launches its “single-stream” collection service. With this new recycling program, sorting recyclable items is no longer necessary; instead, residents will be abl[...]

Coastal Community Recycling Grant

We are not currently accepting applications for this grant program. Marine debris is a global crisis for our waterways and oceans and an imminent concern for communities and industries. By 2050, it is estimated that there will be more marine debris than fish in our ocean and 80 percent of marine deb[...]

The Recycling Partnership Supports Recycling Markets by Curbing Contamination

China’s recent ban on the import of scrap materials and the resulting downturn in markets for some recyclables reinforces the importance of improving the quality of what is collected in residential recycling programs and ultimately sold into the open marketplace. One of the pillars of The Recycl[...]

World Environment Day Demands Action for Our Planet

World Environment Day turns 50 this year. It’s an annual moment in time to raise awareness, get loud, and demand action for our planet. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) spearheads these efforts, encouraging and fostering a forum to do more together.    Follow 2023’s theme, and [...]

Gwinnett County to Expand and Improve Residential Curbside Recycling

National Nonprofit The Recycling Partnership Has Awarded Gwinnett County a $100,000 Grant to Deliver 8,400 Recycling Carts and Provide Recycling Education to Nearly 200,000 Households in Unincorporated Gwinnett  GWINNETT Co., Ga. (June 14, 2021) – Households in unincorporated Gwinnett County now [...]

Blog: Studying the Recyclability of Pizza Boxes

PizzaBoxRecycling.com launch fueled by new studies and new messaging resources One of the heated debates we hear in recycling is whether or not pizza boxes are recyclable. A new study by corrugated pizza box manufacturers, processors, and discussions with paper mills found that grease and residual c[...]

Joint Industry Statement: We Stand by Polypropylene

The following is a joint statement attributed to Steve Alexander, President, and CEO, The Association of Plastic Recyclers; Ron Gonen, CEO, Closed Loop Partners; Nina Goodrich, Executive Director, GreenBlue; And Keefe Harrison, CEO, The Recycling Partnership: (February 28, 2020) — With the [...]

$1.2 Million in Grants Awarded to Spur Advancement of Polypropylene Recycling

Five more grants bring total Polypropylene Recycling Coalition awards to nearly $9 million, impacting 28 million people  The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition (Coalition) continues its steadfast approach to grantmaking and improving the recovery of polypropylene across the[...]

Investing in Multifamily Communities Pays Dividends 

Known for its theme parks and tourism, Orlando, Florida is making a name for itself in another way: Recycling. A forward-thinking community with a deep-rooted commitment to environmental equity, Orlando strives to become a “zero waste” community by 2040. Adequate, efficient, and equitable recycl[...]

Annual Report 2017

Check out what we’ve been up to this past year. Highlights of our 2017 Annual Report include: a breakdown of our three biggest city projects, updated metrics, and an impressive, ever-expanding list of our awesome funders who want to create healthier communities across the country through improved [...]

Partnership Powers Progress: June Impact Report 2019

  Check out our June 2019 Impact Report and learn about the $73 million in value we have delivered to transform recycling for good. See how we are working together with communities, our funding partners, and the industry to drive change coast to coast and create a stronger economy, healthier p[...]

The Recycling Partnership Teams Up With City of Chicago to Improve Recycling

This summer and through the fall, The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit that applies corporate partner funding to improve curbside recycling systems in cities and town across the country, will be working with Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) to improve recycling in th[...]

Blog: Accelerate Recycling through Policy and Partnership

By Keefe Harrison, CEO Partnership is part of our name for a reason. From the start, The Recycling Partnership has believed that public-private partnerships are critical to our mission—and to our mutual success in building a resilient and responsive recycling system.  This approach is at the hear[...]

Portland Rolls Out New Recycling Carts

This press release was originally released by The City of Portland, ME on Aug. 3, 2018. The City of Portland rolled out its new 65 and 96 gallon recycling carts this morning during a press conference. The City will begin distributing new recycling carts with wheels and lids to all residents during t[...]

Resource Recycling Op-ed: Where it’s At

The following op-ed was penned by The Recycling Partnership’s VP of Industry Collaboration Dylan de Thomas and was originally published by Resource Recycling. Read the original article here. For a long time, the story of recycling has been purported to be simple – you just have to do X and i[...]

Resolve To Recycle More, Better in the New Year

Tired of the same old new year’s resolutions? You know, the ones you abandon before February? Why not resolve to recycle more where you work, live, learn, buy, and play? It’s not only a simple resolution, it’s one that benefits the environment, creates jobs, reduces litter, and benefits future[...]

Harmonized Recycling

by Jill Martin, Recycling Today Simplified communication decreases contamination and confusion among residents while increasing the capture rate for curbside recyclables. Imagine trying to take a train, subway or bus system across a city where the signage, names and colors of the routes are inconsis[...]

Blog: Start at the Cart™: Key Concepts for Influencing Behavior

Recycling is many things. It is both a noun and a verb. To a waste professional it may be the collection and diversion of tons of marketable materials. To community members, recycling is an easy way to waste less and to contribute to the greater good. When asked about recyclables, however, most mist[...]

Regional Recycling Impact Workshop

The Recycling Partnership and NERC present the 2019 Regional Recycling Impact Workshop Harness the power of your program through tools for fighting contamination, education and outreach, and harmonizing your message to create a stronger recycling system throughout the 11-state region.   The North[...]

Press Release: Alpek Polyester joins The Recycling Partnership

Media Contact: Rey Perez rey.perez@edelman.com (312) 240-2826 Charlotte, NC, July 24, 2019 – Alpek Polyester announces that it has joined The Recycling Partnership as an active member in support of the organization’s goals of increasing residential recycling rates and the need for increased [...]

Unilever Brand Love Beauty and Planet Joins The Recycling Partnership

Love Beauty and Planet, a new Unilever beauty brand, joins The Recycling Partnership to help transform a U.S. city’s recycling system – making it easier for residents to recycle, and recycle well, while measurably reducing greenhouse gas emissions and landfill waste. Packed in 100% recycled bo[...]

PRESS RELEASE: Holland Awarded Grants for Recycling Program

Holland, Mich. – The City announced it has been awarded two grants to transform its curbside recycling program. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and The Recycling Partnership awarded Holland grants totaling $418,832 for the purchase of 96-gallon curbside recycling [...]

Press Release: City of Kenosha Rolls out New Automated Recycling Program

(KENOSHA, Wisc.) – The City of Kenosha has begun rolling out new trash and recycling carts for residents as it moves to an automated “single-stream” collection service city-wide, beginning the week of August 24, 2020. An early roll-out began in mid-July in some City neighborhoods. The new s[...]

Press Release: Increasing Material Capture in Denver

Making Denver One of the Greatest Recycling Cities in the U.S. How to make a great recycling city even better? That was the question Denver Public Works took on this year with The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit organization that applies corporate partner funding to improve the recyclin[...]

Unlocking System Change through PET Recycling  

By: Adam Gendell, Circular Ventures Director   Plastic packaging circularity may seem like a daunting endeavor, but it’s possible. Just take an in-depth look at PET packaging, which is an example of how we can build on successes to support an effective plastic recycling system.    Polyethylene[...]

The Recycling Partnership Responds to Comments on Recyclability Framework 

Widespread feedback signals importance of Framework and need for transparent, cohesive guidelines  FALLS CHURCH, Va. (Dec. 14, 2021) – The Recycling Partnership today published responses to public comments on its Pathway to Circularity Recyclability Framework. A-first-of-its-kind opportunity for [...]

Blog: Our future depends on our actions. So, what are we wasting for?

By The Recycling Partnership Team We live on a planet that is well known for having finite resources (and yes, some renewable ones, many of which we’re depleting at a rate that surpasses the rate of replacement).  If we keep buying things that are made out of these finite and depleting resources,[...]

The Recycling Partnership Releases Strategy for Improving U.S. Recycling

On America Recycles Day the nation’s leading recycling NGO issues 5-Point Plan to give Americans a better recycling system. Washington, D.C., Nov. 15, 2022 – The Recycling Partnership, a mission-driven NGO committed to advancing a circular economy by building a better recycling system, is a[...]

Heineken USA Blog: A Win For Recycling

This article originally appeared on Heineken USA’s blog on Aug. 2, 2017.  To the great people of Europe: thanks for sharing! Teams from the top soccer leagues in the world touched down in the U.S. this summer for the fifth installment of the International Champions Cup and the competition was[...]

Press Release: The Buckeye State Investing In a Sustainable Recycling System

Collaboration awards nearly $211,000 to six Ohio communities to improve recycling COLUMBUS, OH (May 14, 2019) – The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), solid waste management districts (SWMDs), material recovery facilities (MRFs), haulers, Ohio communities and The Recycling Partnershi[...]

First-Ever Can Capture RFP Announced for MRFs in Southeastern U.S.

The Recycling Partnership Joins CMI as Grant Program Partner to Evaluate Proposals and Provide Technical Assistance for Projects that Target Missorted or Lost Cans at Recycling Centers in the Southeast FALLS CHURCH, Va (JAN. 26, 2021) – The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and The Recycling P[...]

Our Top 10 Holiday Recycling Tips

Every holiday season, Americans unknowingly wreak havoc on their local recycling facilities by placing the wrong items in their blue carts. Although their intentions are good (recycling is a clear way to mitigate climate change), the cost of dealing with those misplaced items is alarming and can qui[...]

WWF Champions Sustainable Materials Management

This press release was originally published by the World Wildlife Fund on June 12, 2017. World Wildlife Fund Convenes Organizations to Enable A Global Market For Sustainable Materials Management World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today announced the Cascading Materials Vision, a platform that seeks to enabl[...]

PRESS RELEASE: Feet on the Street Campaign Aims to Improve Recycling

Lafayette, LA – Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) and The Recycling Partnership are working together to reduce waste and improve curbside recycling in the city of Lafayette. The “Feet on the Street” campaign will educate residents on the importance of recycling correctly and what should [...]

Blog: Plastic IQ – Advancing Company Decision-Making on Plastics

By Ben Dixon, Partner, SYSTEMIQ & Keefe Harrison, CEO, The Recycling Partnership The challenge of plastic waste is too big to ignore and too difficult to solve alone. Good work to collectively reduce the use of virgin plastic and build recycling solutions for more types of plastics is underway. [...]

The 2017 Costs of Contamination MRF Working Group Survey

In mid-2017, The Recycling Partnership surveyed its MRF Working Group to identify top contaminants and their impact at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) level. In gathering data using a matrix [Appendix 1], the surveyed group members provided detail on Labor; Facility Down Time; Disposal; Equipm[...]

How to Address the Intention-Action Gap in Recycling

The Recycling Partnership’s Center for Sustainable Behavior & Impact’s new Knowledge Report presents four themes for accelerating recycling best practices Recycling is a complex, reverse supply chain—and its success depends on the small, everyday actions of hundreds of millions of people. [...]

Drop-off Recycling Program Grant

Through The Recycling Partnership’s Residential Drop-Off Recycling Grant Program, communities are provided grant funding, technical assistance, as well as the design of education and outreach materials to help advance recycling and improve drop-off recycling access and capacity for U.S. residents.[...]

The Recycling Partnership Reports Impact to Date on Aluminum Recycling

Recycling Initiative Drives Capture of 4.1 Million New Pounds of Aluminum Annually   WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 4, 2023) – The Recycling Partnership reported today on the impact of its Aluminum Recycling Initiative (Initiative). Under the Initiative five grants have been issued for the continued a[...]

ExxonMobil Joins The Recycling Partnership with $1.5 Million Commitment

Global leader ExxonMobil is the first energy company to join The Recycling Partnership, a rapidly growing national nonprofit that leverages corporate investment to transform recycling for good in hundreds of communities across the country. Through support and collaboration, ExxonMobil, along with 34[...]

What if Every Family in America Could Recycle?

What if every family in America could recycle? What would change? Our newest video, told by our funders, tackles these big questions and shows how we’re transforming recycling for good through partnership.

Chicago Recycling Video: Know Your Day

Know your day! This promotional video, created by The Partnership, was part of Chicago’s “It’s All You” recycling campaign to increase participation for residential curbside recycling in the city.

Video: The Recycling Partnership at Shedd Aquarium

As part of the “It’s All You” citywide recycling campaign, Partnership staff hosted an activation event at the Shedd Aquarium’s “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea” exhibit in September 2017. See Chicago residents talk about why they recycle and be inspired to take the pledge at itsallyo[...]

Watch: “Recycling – Video Games”

Part of The Partnership’s “It’s All You” campaign for the City of Chicago, this video shows adults and kids alike how everyday recycling can make a big impact – like saving the world.

Between Two Carts – Dylan de Thomas at RRC 2016

The Recycling Partnership’s Cody Marshall interviews Dylan de Thomas, former Editorial Director of Resource Recycling and current VP of Industry Collaboration at The Partnership. At Resource Recycling, de Thomas ran the organization’s annual conference and initiated a collaboration with The Part[...]

Between Two Elevators – Megan Daum at RRC 2016

The Recycling Partnership’s Cody Marshall sits down with Megan Daum, Vice President of Sustainability for the Can Manufacturer’s Institute and former Board Chair for The Recycling Partnership. The video is part of The Partnership’s “Between” series, where we chat with serious industry prof[...]

Beside a Water Bubbler – Nina Goodrich at RRC 2016

The Recycling Partnership’s Cody Marshall sits down with Nina Goodrich of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), an industry-leading voice on packaging sustainability with a membership that encompasses the entire supply chain. The video is part of The Partnership’s “Between” series, wher[...]

Between Two Bathrooms – Rick Penner at RRC 2016

The Recycling Partnership’s Cody Marshall sits down with Rick Penner of Re-Trac, a web-based waste management software that helps communities better track their recycling data. The video is part of The Partnership’s “Between” series, where we chat with serious industry professionals about ve[...]

Teaming Up with Atlanta to Improve Recycling

The Recycling Partnership Teams Up with The City of Atlanta to Improve Recycling The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit that applies corporate partner funding to improve curbside recycling systems in cities and towns across the country, is working with the City of Atlanta’s Office of Resi[...]

PepsiCo Joins The Recycling Partnership

National nonprofit The Recycling Partnership is pleased to announce its newest funding partner, the global food and beverage leader, PepsiCo. The organizations have agreed to collaborate on an ambitious cross-sector approach to increasing recycling rates across America. PepsiCo’s collaborat[...]

Video: Keefe Harrison at Ocean Week 2017

Hear Partnership CEO Keefe Harrison give a quick overview of her participation in Capitol Hill’s Ocean Week live from the steps of the Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.!

Grants Available to Attend 2022 Resource Recycling Conference

The Recycling Partnership, in association with Resource Recycling, Inc,. is excited to announce applications are live for the 2022 Steve Thompson Memorial Grant Program. For the first time since 2019, the Resource Recycling Conference will be in-person in Austin, TX from August 15-17, 2022. The gran[...]

Holland Rolls Out New Single-Sort Recycling Program

Holland, MI – The City rolled out new recycling carts for residents over the last two weeks and is ready to officially launch its “single-stream” collection service next week. With this new recycling program, bagging recyclable items is no longer necessary; instead, residents will be able to p[...]

Ishpeming Township Rolls out New Single-Sort Recycling Program

(Ishpeming Township, Mi) – Ishpeming Township will begin rolling out new recycling carts for residents next week as it officially launches its “single-stream” collection service. With this new recycling program, sorting recyclable items is no longer necessary; instead, residents will be able t[...]

SOCRRA Rolls Out New, Larger Bins, Mixed Recycling

BIRMINGHAM/BEVERLY HILLS — The rumors have been floating around for some time now, and finally the Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority is ready to roll out new mixed recycling collection. In the Eagle’s coverage area, Birmingham and Beverly Hills are served by SOCRRA for recy[...]

Partnership Aims to Educate Residents on Proper Recycling

CINCINNATI – May 20, 2021 – Rumpke Waste and Recycling is once again teaming up with Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District, The Recycling Partnership, the Ohio EPA to make sure everyone’s recycling efforts count in the City of Cincinnati. Beginning the week of May 24 and running t[...]

Feet on the Street Begins September 13 in Norcross

The City of Norcross and The Recycling Partnership launch citywide cart-tagging campaign to dramatically improve curbside residential recycling, part of a $15,000 grant NORCROSS (GWINNETT COUNTY), GA (SEPTEMBER 10, 2021) – On Monday, September 13, 2021, the City of Norcross will begin checkin[...]

Nashville Receives Investment to Support Increased Recycling Collection

The Recycling Partnership, American Beverage, and the Beverage Association of Tennessee invest in education for enhanced recycling collection, expected to generate millions of new pounds of recyclable material   WASHINGTON D.C. – The City of Nashville on January 11 announced the launch of enhanc[...]

Mayor Brown Launches “Let’s Do This Together!”

BUFFALO – Today, Mayor Byron W. Brown announced that the City of Buffalo, in partnership with The Recycling Partnership, will sponsor a Multi-Unit Apartment Building Recycling Initiative called “Let’s Do This Together!”. The six-month pilot initiative aims to initially increase recycling col[...]

The Department of Public Works Launches Multi-Family Toolkit Campaign

First-ever dedicated materials to explain requirements, highlight best practices for capturing recyclables. The District’s ambitious zero waste goal of achieving 80% waste diversion by 2032 will be reached by residents and businesses city-wide recycling more, and better. To support the fast-g[...]

Recycling Detectives’ Coming to Washtenaw County Neighborhoods Starting TODAY as Washtenaw Regional Resource Management Authority Launches Major New Campaign to Improve Curbside Residential Recycling

Nationally Acclaimed Feet on the Street House-to-House Effort To Begin Monday, June 21, Helped By $118,605 Grant From Michigan EGLE & The Recycling Partnership Washtenaw County, MI — Washtenaw Regional Resource Management Authority (WRRMA) is teaming with the Michigan Department of Environm[...]

We’re All In

originally appeared in Recycling Today /  by DeAnne Toto The Recycling Partnership and the PepsiCo Foundation partner to help fund investments in recycling infrastructure and education. What happens when a national nonprofit dedicated to improving recycling partners with the philanthropic arm of a[...]

Earth Day 2024: Let’s Turn Belief into Action

By Keefe Harrison Happy Earth Day! As we celebrate this special day, we want to hear YOUR story. What’s your experience with recycling? What do you need to feel fully engaged in the process?

Webinar: COVID-19 and its Effects on Recycling

On Tuesday, March 31, The Recycling Partnership hosted a webinar for cities, states and industry partners to provide timely and comprehensive information about the state of the recycling and solid waste industry during the times of COVID-19. We heard from the leading voices at our most trusted indus[...]

Can Recycling Bounce Back?

This article originally appeared on CityLab.com. NICOLE JAVORSKY Times have been hard for U.S. recycling since China tightened its contamination standards, and local programs are trying to adjust. “This facility is our version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” That’s how Eileen Ka[...]

Why the business world should be far more involved with community recycling

RP Siegel / originally appeared in Greenbiz.com The materials collection and processing supply chain necessary to support a shift to the circular economy is only as strong as its weakest link. That means businesses planning for that transition must forge stronger links with the municipal and commun[...]

Recycling Carts Coming to 95,000 Homes

The Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA) today joined officials from Henrico, Hanover and Goochland counties, and national partners to celebrate the first deliveries of new recycling carts to 95,000 households. The 95-gallon carts are being delivered to all single-family homes in Henr[...]

Furthering Equity in Recycling through Partnership and Practice

Recycling unlocks our potential to improve the planet and creates economic opportunity, but it only works when we can all make a difference. Here’s the thing: Depending on where you live, access to recycling is not equitable. For example, it’s more difficult to recycle if you live in a multifami[...]

Read Our Recycling Today Article on Material Quality

This article initially appeared in the May 2017 edition of Recycling Today. Recycling is a weight-based industry, but many top contaminants are featherweight. What does that mean for tracking and fixing contamination? By Cody Marshall and Karen Bandhauer, The Recycling Partnership Curbside recycling[...]

5 FREE Residential Recycling Tools & Resources to Download Right Now

Reduce, reuse, recycle. It’s a mantra that bears repeating and quite frankly there’s no time to waste.  As we approach America Recycles Day in November, let’s focus on that word “recycle.” There are many feelings and phrases associated with recycling. It makes me feel good when I recycle;[...]

BLOG: What Helps People Better Understand Recycling Instructions?

Know What to Throw When educating around what goes in – or doesn’t go in a recycling cart – messaging space is limited and attention spans are short. The Recycling Partnership recently set out to identify best practices for signage and mailers to help determine how to communicate the most effe[...]

Effective Recycling Bin Labels Reduce Consumer Confusion About Recycling

When educating the public around what is and is not accepted for recycling, space and attention spans are limited. Evidence-based research shows which recycling bin labels are most effective at reducing confusion about recycling  The Recycling Partnership’s recently released Recycling Confidence [...]

Florida Case Study: Brightening up Recycling in the Sunshine State

National nonprofit The Recycling Partnership awards $1.5 million in grants, transforming recycling for five Florida communities, 450,000 households Recycling is much brighter in communities across the Sunshine State thanks to The Recycling Partnership and its partners helping Florida communities rec[...]

Tackling Contamination – Say What You Want

By Elizabeth Schussler, Sr Dir Social Change, Behavior and Impact Trying to fight contamination in your local recycling program? Ask specifically for what you want (or don’t want). Our research shows that much of contamination can be solved by telling residents exactly how to recycle properly. (Wa[...]

Blog: Recycling Curriculum Grades K-3 and 4-5

Are you teaching kids Kindergarten through third grade or fourth through fifth grade a recycling curriculum and need a great activity for explaining the basics? These exercises will help your students learn why recycling is important, how much trash we put in landfills each year, what is and isn’t[...]

Case Study: Columbia, SC

Project Type: Cart Rollout Total HH Served: 40,000 Projected New Tons/Year: 6,563 Year: 2015 In just 13 days, the City of Columbia, SC delivered 96-gal. recycling carts to each of its 40,000 households to replace their existing 18-gal. bins. Within the first three months of cart collection, Columbi[...]

Your Guide to Planning a More Sustainable Holiday Meal

Whichever holiday you celebrate, this year’s festivities are likely to look different from years past. While you may not have the larger family and friend gatherings we’ve become accustomed to, you can still practice sustainability when it comes to holiday meals. Here’s what to know and do to [...]

“Rolling into Success” in Waste Today

This article was originally published in the March 2017 edition of Waste Today. In the world of cart-based recycling, collective planning, partnership and real-time feedback keep things on the right path. By Jason Hale and Cody Marshall Aug. 16, 2016, 10:05 a.m. Central Daylight Time: “We have a p[...]

Blog: A Corporate Perspective Turned Inside Out

Featuring Sarah Dearman and Steph Kersten-Johnston We’ve recently welcomed two new staff members who have joined us from the corporate world: Sarah Dearman, formerly Sustainable Packaging Program Director at Coca-Cola North America, is now our new VP of New Ventures; Steph Kersten-Johnston, forme[...]

Investing in Multifamily Communities Pays Dividends 

Known for its theme parks and tourism, Orlando, Florida is making a name for itself in another way: Recycling. A forward-thinking community with a deep-rooted commitment to environmental equity, Orlando strives to become a “zero waste” community by 2040. Adequate, efficient, and equitable recycl[...]

Addressing the Challenge of Film and Flexible Packaging Data

Film and flexible packaging is unlike other packaging when it comes to recycling. For starters, it’s not a single packaging type – the term encompasses a wide range of packaging, from polyethylene (PE) air pillows protecting e-commerce goods to heavy-duty dog food bags, to salty snack bags with [...]

Overcoming Recycling Challenges through Coalitions

When a package or material does not meet the criteria for recyclability (see page 23, Pathway to Circularity), companies are encouraged to take action. Coalitions can address the recycling challenges of today and consider solutions for the challenges of tomorrow. The Partnership currently leads thre[...]

Make 2021 the Year You Resolve to Recycle More, Better

2020 may have become the year many Americans “resolved” to stayed home, but it taught us the value of recycling as a valuable and essential public service and allowed us to confront the daily reality of how valuable recycling is to critical supply chains providing cardboard for online order ship[...]

Resolve To Recycle More, Better in the New Year

Tired of the same old new year’s resolutions? You know, the ones you abandon before February? Why not resolve to recycle more where you work, live, learn, buy, and play? It’s not only a simple resolution, it’s one that benefits the environment, creates jobs, reduces litter, and benefits future[...]

Driving Packaging Strategies with Plastic IQ

As U.S. companies seek to reduce waste, meet sustainability goals, and stay competitive, many are committing to ambitious packaging strategies designed to end plastic waste. But not all companies have data-driven resources to define these strategies. Plastic IQ is a free, digital strategy-building t[...]

Your Complete Guide to Green Holiday Gifting

When it comes to opening gifts, does it seem like each holiday you can’t find the living room because of the piles of gift wrap, tissue paper, and gift boxes? Although your holiday will probably look different this year, the same question remains: does it go in the recycling or the trash? Our su[...]

Case Study: Portland, ME

Project Type: Cart Rollout Total Households Served: 22,131 Projected New Tons/Year: 1,313 Year: 2017 Already a community of strong recyclers with a robust pay-as-you-throw system in place, Portland rolled out of 25,000 carts with the help of a grant, technical assistance, and educational resources [...]

Hale: “You’re Not in it Alone, So Why Go it Alone?”

This article, written by The Recycling Partnership’s former VP of Communications and recycling legend Jason Hale, was originally published by Sustainable Brands. A Circular Economy: You’re Not in It Alone, So Why Go It Alone? This is the second in a three-part series from The Recycling [...]

Looking Back and Looking Forward – Keefe Harrison, CEO

Did you catch Cody Marshall on the evening news? He was in Lynn, Massachusetts, helping the city with a cart tagging exercise when Boston station WBZ TV caught up with them. Cart tagging is our proven approach to help communities reduce their contamination levels and we were happy to have the med[...]

Your Complete Guide to Green Holiday Gifting

When it comes to opening gifts, does it seem like each holiday you can’t find the living room because of the piles of gift wrap, tissue paper, and gift boxes? Although your holiday will probably look different this year, the same question remains: does it go in the recycling or the trash? Our su[...]

Jason Hale: “How We’re Fixing a Broken System”

This article, written by The Recycling Partnership’s former VP of Communications and recycling legend Jason Hale, was originally published by Sustainable Brands. The Recycling Partnership: How We’re Fixing a Broken System This is the third in a three-part series from The Recycling Partn[...]

Big City Modernization in Baltimore

The Partnership’s unique model of bringing communities and funding partners together, creates meaningful opportunities to drive large scale change in big cities. Prior to the fall of 2021, Baltimore, Maryland, residents lacked a consistent solution for recycling access, making it difficult for the[...]

Video: Together, transforming recycling for good.

Here, we present the stats on the current state of recycling in America, and show you why there’s more work to be done. Join us as we work to transform recycling for good across the nation. We can accomplish more together through partnership.

Video: Chicago Bulls Activation

Check out The Partnership’s activation event with the Chicago Bulls as part of the citywide “It’s All You” recycling campaign! The event included booths throughout the arena, a t-shirt toss from the court at halftime, and encouraged residents to take the pledge.

Watch: Hidden Camera Video in Chicago

We’re on a mission to show Chicago residents how good it feels to recycle! Check out what happens when our hidden camera catches someone in the act.

Case Study: Garland, TX

Project Type: Cart Rollout Total Households Served: 10,000 Projected New Tons/Year: 1,980 Year: 2018 In 2017, we galloped into the Lone Star State to help Garland, TX complete their cart rollout. Our first TX community put 10,000 more carts on the ground, effectively giving all 240,000 Garland res[...]

Hacking Recycling: Ideas to Boost Your Program

Chances are, you’ve heard of the concept of a “life hack.” The term, made popular online over the last decade, describes simple strategies and techniques that a person can use to manage time and daily activities in a more efficient way. It might now be time for materials recovery stakeholders [...]

Expediting Circularity through U.S. Plastics Pact

Plastic pollution is a global crisis. To confront this emergency in the U.S., industry leaders recognized that individual action would not be enough; transformative, systemwide change is required to establish a path toward a circular economy for plastic. Founded as a solutions-driven consortium by T[...]

Article: Setting Up A Systems Solution

This article, co-written by The Recycling Partnership’s VP of Industry Collaboration Dylan de Thomas and Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Senior Manager Trina Matta, was originally published in Resource Recycling on June 29, 2017. Late last year, The Recycling Partnership and Sustainabl[...]

Empowering People to Recycle Right

If every home in the U.S. had convenient access to recycling, more than half of recyclable material would still be lost. Why? Because most Americans are confused about what and how to recycle. No recycling system performs at a high level without winning the hearts and minds of consumers to use it pr[...]

Blog: Catalyzing System Change – Recycling Inclusion Fund

By Jessica Levine A mentor once asked me, “What is your wildest dream?” I told her I wanted to be a catalyst for change. I discovered my passion for environment and sustainability during my senior year of high school. Very quickly, I began to immerse myself in academic studies related to the fie[...]

Scaling Statewide Transformation in Michigan

The state of Michigan established the goal of increasing statewide recycling from 14% in 2019 to 45% by 2030. To reach this target, the state increased funding for recycling support, leading to a multiyear collaboration between the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) [...]

Closing the Equity Gap through the Recycling Inclusion Fund

Our research shows that recycling services disadvantage certain streets, neighborhoods, and housing types along socioeconomic lines. Nearly 40 million U.S. residents lack the same level of access to recycling as they have to garbage service. That access gap is even larger for residents of multifamil[...]

Improving MRF Infrastructure to Increase Can Capture

Aluminum cans are among the most widely accepted packages for recycling. Within the packaging industry, they have leading recycled content rates and are consistently among the most valuable materials by weight in the recycling stream. However, according to Can Manufacturers Institute research, up to[...]

Improving the Quality of Recyclables in Orange County

When it comes to capturing the different materials that enter the U.S. residential recycling system, it is as important for residents to know what cannot be recycled as it is to know what can be recycled. Excessive contamination can cause a host of problems once the material is collected. The curbsi[...]

Creating Clarity on the Pathway to Circularity

Navigating the recycling system has historically been challenging, in part because there are no widely accepted recyclability standards. Our Pathway to Circularity for Packaging, another example of collaboration to solve a complex challenge, was created to wash away the gray and bring necessary clar[...]

Expanding Equitable Recycling Access in Orlando

When it comes to recycling access, multifamily communities are among the most underserved in the U.S. Members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community are approximately twice as likely to live in multifamily housing as non-BIPOC community members. That’s why The Partnership [...]

All In On Recycling, Iowa City Celebrates Early Grant Success

Iowa City is on a roll. Thanks in part to a $106,000 grant from The Recycling Partnership, the community rolled out new, larger recycling carts to residents in December 2018. But the story only begins there. Iowa City has seen promising increases in recycling so far, with recycling tonnage increasin[...]