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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[...]

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[...]

Catalyzing Recycling System Change in Kalamazoo, Michigan – Impact Story

Kalamazoo runs an opt-in, every-other-week curbside recycling program with 96-gallon carts. In 2022, the city partnered with The Recycling Partnership, national leaders in transforming local recycling systems, with grant funding from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (M[...]

Scaling System Solutions for Action and Impact in the U.S. and Beyond

A “Do-ers” Reflection on Stockholm+50 & the United Nations Ocean Conference  by Keefe Harrison (she/her/hers) , CEO, The Recycling Partnership There is a palpable sense of urgency for environmental action. And it’s not just that we can feel it, we can see it.   The next generati[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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 [...]

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) [...]

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[...]

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,[...]

$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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

Blog: Improving Recycling in Minnesota

Multifamily Recycling Success: How Minnesota Is Making a Difference From college dorms to apartment buildings, multifamily properties often pose unique challenges when it comes to recycling efforts. But four Minnesota communities are proving that education and outreach can have a significant impact [...]

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[...]

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. [...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

Critics are wrong about Connecticut’s recycling reform. Here’s the truth

This year, elected officials, community leaders, and advocates have thoughtfully considered extended producer responsibility legislation to enhance recycling in Connecticut. Known as EPR, the policy has churned a rousing debate around its merits and true impact.    As the conversation continues, [...]

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[...]

Improving the Quality of Recyclables in Orange County – Case Study

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[...]

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 [...]

Op-ed: The Intersection of Profit and Purpose

The following op-ed was penned by Partnership CEO Keefe Harrison and published by The Philanthropy Journal on December 18, 2017. Read the original piece here. While society has historically relied on government and nonprofits to create solutions for our largest challenges like hunger, social injusti[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

Fifth Round of MRF Grants Spur Modernization, Impacting Millions Nationwide

A critical component to creating a circular system, one where used packaging can be made into recycled material again and again, is a healthy and efficient materials recovery facility (MRF) system. The Recycling Partnership’s Paying It Forward report estimates the U.S. needs to invest $3 billion t[...]

The Power of Bringing People Together

This August, many of us at The Recycling Partnership were able to do something that hasn’t been done since 2019 – attend the Resource Recycling Conference (RRC) in person. RRC is the only national event that is dedicated to enhancing municipal recycling and The Partnership is proud to have worke[...]

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[...]

Setting the Record Straight on EPR Policy

Blog Post By: Michael Washburn, Ph.D., Senior Policy Advisor  I’m used to wearing many hats in the recycling policy space. Recycler. Constituent. Policy wonk.  Let’s wear the third hat for a minute and focus on a policy that is making news. I’m referring to extended producer responsibility, [...]

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[...]

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.[...]

On-the-ground Engagement at the Upcoming Plastic Pollution Treaty INC-1

On November 26, hundreds of stakeholders from across the globe will travel to Uruguay, to kick off the first of five sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. This marks the beginning of formal U.N. memb[...]

Small Town Residential Recycling Improvements Aid Big Changes for Environment

What do piles of bulky waste in residential Ohio, the shore towns in Atlantic County, New Jersey, and billboards in Indiana have in common? They’re all part of The Recycling Partnership’s work to enhance recycling in small and rural communities across the United States. Recycling should be possi[...]

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[...]

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?

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 [...]

Opening Doors to Multifamily Recycling in Houston – Case Study

Houston’s recycling system already reaches single-family homes citywide, with curbside collection and drop-off sites. But until now, recycling access for multifamily residents has been limited to just a handful of properties, even as multifamily housing continues to grow. Through a grant providing[...]

Film and Flexibles Packaging: The Path Forward

Recycling is unique. It is a complex, interwoven system where all parts of the value chain need to work for recycling to work. Each piece of the equation is important and cannot be overlooked.  When evaluating the recyclability and ultimately circularity of various packaging, it is important to ack[...]

The Truth on Recycling 

by Keefe Harrison (she/her/hers) , CEO, The Recycling Partnership Frustrated that recycling isn’t fixing the world’s waste problem? Here’s the truth: as it’s built now, it never will.  If we think we can just keep making and buying whatever we want without any planning for what happens wh[...]

Small-Town America’s Part in Boosting U.S. Recycling Rates

At The Recycling Partnership, we believe recycling should be possible for all communities, no matter the size or geographic location. And we know it will take all of us—including small-town and rural America—to truly transform the U.S. recycling system and activate a circular economy. However, a[...]

Blog: There’s no time to be timid

Greetings from Abu Dhabi. As the 2019 World Ocean Summit wraps up, and I prepare to head home, I’ve settled on my mantra for the year: There’s no time to be timid. Warming waters. Acidification. Marine debris. The ocean is the pulse of our planet and it needs our help.  We know that climate ch[...]

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[...]

What Business Wants

This article originally appeared in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Companies want to be seen as doing good for their community and the world. Charities can help — and benefit. By Megan O’Neil Keefe Harrison aspired to a life as a field biologist. In her late teens and 20s, she tagged sea turtles[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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.

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[...]

Op-ed: “Global Solutions, Local Scale”

Global Solutions, Local Scale: Recycling Efforts Show Promising Path for Climate Action This op-ed written by Partnership CEO Keefe Harrison was originally published by CityFix on Aug. 10, 2017.  Now that cities can no longer rely on the U.S. federal government to take serious action on the global [...]

Massachusetts Tackles Contamination with Partnership

This article was originally published by Waste360 on May 23, 2017. Massachusetts Takes A Lead from The Recycling Partnership to Stem Contamination Most residents believed they understood the rules, as surveys showed. But when DEP tested that theory it saw a huge gap between people’s perception of [...]

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[...]

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 Recycling Partnership Announces Results of Annual Board Election

FALLS CHURCH, VA (July 20, 2021) – The newly-elected Board Directors of The Recycling Partnership bring unmatched sustainability and industry knowledge, and business expertise to help lead The Partnership’s work to transform the U.S. recycling system and activate a circular economy for packaging[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

$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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

Blog: Improving Recycling in Minnesota

Multifamily Recycling Success: How Minnesota Is Making a Difference From college dorms to apartment buildings, multifamily properties often pose unique challenges when it comes to recycling efforts. But four Minnesota communities are proving that education and outreach can have a significant impact [...]

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[...]

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. [...]

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[...]

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[...]

Op-ed: The Intersection of Profit and Purpose

The following op-ed was penned by Partnership CEO Keefe Harrison and published by The Philanthropy Journal on December 18, 2017. Read the original piece here. While society has historically relied on government and nonprofits to create solutions for our largest challenges like hunger, social injusti[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

Fifth Round of MRF Grants Spur Modernization, Impacting Millions Nationwide

A critical component to creating a circular system, one where used packaging can be made into recycled material again and again, is a healthy and efficient materials recovery facility (MRF) system. The Recycling Partnership’s Paying It Forward report estimates the U.S. needs to invest $3 billion t[...]

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[...]

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: 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[...]

What Business Wants

This article originally appeared in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Companies want to be seen as doing good for their community and the world. Charities can help — and benefit. By Megan O’Neil Keefe Harrison aspired to a life as a field biologist. In her late teens and 20s, she tagged sea turtles[...]

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[...]

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.

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[...]

Op-ed: “Global Solutions, Local Scale”

Global Solutions, Local Scale: Recycling Efforts Show Promising Path for Climate Action This op-ed written by Partnership CEO Keefe Harrison was originally published by CityFix on Aug. 10, 2017.  Now that cities can no longer rely on the U.S. federal government to take serious action on the global [...]

Massachusetts Tackles Contamination with Partnership

This article was originally published by Waste360 on May 23, 2017. Massachusetts Takes A Lead from The Recycling Partnership to Stem Contamination Most residents believed they understood the rules, as surveys showed. But when DEP tested that theory it saw a huge gap between people’s perception of [...]

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 Recycling Partnership Announces Results of Annual Board Election

FALLS CHURCH, VA (July 20, 2021) – The newly-elected Board Directors of The Recycling Partnership bring unmatched sustainability and industry knowledge, and business expertise to help lead The Partnership’s work to transform the U.S. recycling system and activate a circular economy for packaging[...]

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[...]

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[...]

Scaling System Solutions for Action and Impact in the U.S. and Beyond

A “Do-ers” Reflection on Stockholm+50 & the United Nations Ocean Conference  by Keefe Harrison (she/her/hers) , CEO, The Recycling Partnership There is a palpable sense of urgency for environmental action. And it’s not just that we can feel it, we can see it.   The next generati[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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 [...]

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) [...]

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[...]

Improving the Quality of Recyclables in Orange County – Case Study

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[...]

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 [...]

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[...]

Fifth Round of MRF Grants Spur Modernization, Impacting Millions Nationwide

A critical component to creating a circular system, one where used packaging can be made into recycled material again and again, is a healthy and efficient materials recovery facility (MRF) system. The Recycling Partnership’s Paying It Forward report estimates the U.S. needs to invest $3 billion t[...]

Small Town Residential Recycling Improvements Aid Big Changes for Environment

What do piles of bulky waste in residential Ohio, the shore towns in Atlantic County, New Jersey, and billboards in Indiana have in common? They’re all part of The Recycling Partnership’s work to enhance recycling in small and rural communities across the United States. Recycling should be possi[...]

The Truth on Recycling 

by Keefe Harrison (she/her/hers) , CEO, The Recycling Partnership Frustrated that recycling isn’t fixing the world’s waste problem? Here’s the truth: as it’s built now, it never will.  If we think we can just keep making and buying whatever we want without any planning for what happens wh[...]

Blog: There’s no time to be timid

Greetings from Abu Dhabi. As the 2019 World Ocean Summit wraps up, and I prepare to head home, I’ve settled on my mantra for the year: There’s no time to be timid. Warming waters. Acidification. Marine debris. The ocean is the pulse of our planet and it needs our help.  We know that climate ch[...]

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: 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[...]