The Polypropylene Recycling Coalition demonstrates the benefits to the entire recycling system that can result from efforts to solve material- specific recycling challenges. Polypropylene is an important packaging material increasingly used for various food and nonfood products; it is estimated to be the third most prominent plastic in the residential recycling stream. Formed in July 2020, the Coalition’s goals are to increase curbside access for polypropylene, ensure recyclers can sort for polypropylene, and maintain robust end markets for recycled polypropylene. In just under two years, the Coalition made more than $6 million in grants for sorting equipment at MRFs and consumer education programs in communities. These funds will positively impact nearly 18 million Americans and improve curbside polypropylene recycling access for nearly 7% of U.S. households. The MRF grants not only support recovery of polypropylene, but they also improve the processing of all material types, thereby reducing material sent to landfills.
Case Study—Rumpke: Rumpke Waste & Recycling operates MRFs in Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, locations where The Partnership also conducts curbside grant programs. By combining MRF grants with Partnership programs in both cities, recycling access and education improved for nearly 1 million households, recovering more than 1 million new pounds of polypropylene per year.
“As Ohio’s recycling leader, our company processes more than 1 billion pounds of recyclables annually, and our customers have a desire to recycle even more. This Coalition grant will aid us in our efforts to responsibly grow recycling within our service footprint while providing end users with a clean stream of material for their products.”
– Jeff Snyder, Director of Recycling, Rumpke
See more stories of how The Recycling Partnership is solving with materials recovery facilities in the 2022 Impact Report.