{"id":411,"date":"2022-12-02T11:49:44","date_gmt":"2022-12-02T16:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sudbury.ma.us\/transferstation\/?p=411"},"modified":"2022-12-02T11:49:44","modified_gmt":"2022-12-02T16:49:44","slug":"the-truth-about-plastics-recycling","status":"public-archive","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sudbury.ma.us\/transferstation\/2022\/12\/02\/the-truth-about-plastics-recycling\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth About Plastics Recycling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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The Truth About Plastics Recycling<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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We need to talk. <\/p>\n

We know you’ve seen the headlines that plastic recycling is a “dead end” or, even worse, “a dumpster fire,” and we know you’ve got questions. This month, we are setting the record straight. Plastics recycling is real and is happening in Massachusetts.<\/strong> News stories that say otherwise aren\u2019t telling the whole story and don\u2019t reflect the reality of recycling in our state.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Recycling in Massachusetts<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Massachusetts is home to nine Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) where more than 638,000 tons<\/strong> of plastic containers, paper, bottles, and cans go for sorting every year. (See map<\/a> below for locations, or check out our Where Does It Go page<\/a> to see where your municipality’s recyclables go.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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At a MRF (pronounced \u201cmurph\u201d), mixed recyclables travel through a sophisticated maze of manual and mechanical sorting processes. Once the paper, cardboard, metals, and plastic are separated, they\u2019re compressed into 1,000-pound bales and sold to recycling companies to be made into new products and packaging. Watch<\/a> this Instagram story for a tour of the process.<\/a><\/p>\n

Massachusetts\u2019 first MRF was built in Springfield in 1991 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Recently retrofitted to improve its sorting efficiency, the Springfield MRF (SMRF) uses near-infrared (NIR) technology to identify different plastic resin types and then sorts those resin types into distinct bales. In fiscal year 2022, the SMRF sent 1,752 tons of plastic bottles, jars, jugs and tubs to plastics recyclers, including Unifi<\/a> and KW Plastics<\/a>. Plastics recyclers wash, grind and pelletize the plastic into post-consumer resin (PCR) which is sold to the packaging, housewares, textiles, automotive, and agricultural products industries to make new products.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Take a tour<\/a><\/u><\/span> of the Springfield MRF if you’d like to learn more! <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Tipping floor and examples of plastic bales at the Springfield MRF.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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How Do We Know the MRFs Are Really Recycling?<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) regulates the activities of MRFs and our enforcement staff conduct regular inspections. MRFs are obligated to report annually to MassDEP (under penalty of perjury) the tons of material they recycled, and, upon request, where the material was sent for recycling. When our inspectors visit, they look at the outbound commodities (paper, plastic, metal, glass) and inspect the \u201cresidue\u201d to ensure that it consists of things that are not<\/u> recyclable.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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What’s residue?<\/strong>
\nThe residue pile is what is sorted out of the recycling because it doesn\u2019t belong there in the first place. In the residue pile, you\u2019ll find things like plastic bags, garden hoses, small appliances, t-shirts, shoes, diapers, and small (or large) plastic materials that people chuck in the bin \u201cjust in case.\u201d A small portion of recyclable material does end up in the residue. It\u2019s usually the result of mis-sorting or due to contamination, but the MRFs must comply with Massachusetts waste bans<\/a> which prohibit the disposal of recyclables. Not only is dumping waste ban items against the law, it also costs an average $100 per ton to send it to landfill or to incinerate it. Learn more about the waste bans here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Don’t Believe the Naysayers<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Here\u2019s where \u201conly 5% of plastics are being recycled\u201d comes from:  If all the plastic products produced in the world \u2013 from car bumpers and medical devices to appliances and polyester clothing (see image below) \u2013 are lumped together and compared to the plastic that is recycled from residential and commercial recycling programs, you get a recycling rate of 5% or 9% depending on the data source. <\/p>\n

We argue this number is misleading, because it gives the impression that all of that stuff is designed to be recycled and is meant to be recycled \u2013 it isn\u2019t. The only plastics that are recyclable in our residential and commercial recycling programs are rigid plastic containers and packaging.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Source: The Recycling Partnership \u2013 By The Numbers Webinar: Unpacking the Data Behind Plastics Recycling<\/a><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Where We Agree<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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We agree that our world is full of plastic and that there\u2019s way too much of it. We need to produce and use less, especially the kind we can\u2019t recycle and for which there are better alternatives (like Styrofoam). We agree that a lot of perfectly good plastic bottles, jars, jugs, and tubs are not recycled. We also agree that recycling rates need to improve (and we truly hope that these reports don\u2019t result in even less recycling)! There are too many areas across the country that do not have equitable access to recycling (40 million U.S. households don\u2019t have a recycling option). We agree that recycling is not a panacea for our waste problem, but it IS a valuable tool in the toolkit and should not be dismissed or disparaged. We agree that everything that CAN be recycled, SHOULD be recycled.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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So What’s Next?<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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We need to do better at recycling ALL of the rigid plastic food, beverage and household products containers we can. The plastics recycling industry not only wants these containers<\/a> and has the capacity to recycle them, but experts say a shortage of recycled plastics<\/a> will prevent major consumer brands from meeting their sustainable packaging goals and complying with new laws. <\/p>\n

At the same time, we need to support efforts to design packaging for recycling<\/a>. Because there\u2019s still lots of plastic packages on our grocery store shelves that aren\u2019t recyclable. And that\u2019s got to change. The most powerful thing you can do is speak out. Email the company whose product you love, but whose package you can\u2019t recycle and ask them to change it. Now more than ever, consumer brands are listening<\/a> to their customers\u2019 demands for sustainable products and packaging.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Recycle Smart!<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Use Recycle Smart\u2019s Smart Recycling Guide<\/a> and the Recyclopedia to make sure you\u2019re putting the right stuff in your recycling bin. These tools were created by MassDEP and MRF operators to help reduce confusion and \u201cwish-cycling,\u201d and to ensure our efforts to separate trash from recycling aren\u2019t made in vain.<\/p>\n

Please don\u2019t let the headlines fool you. Recycling is happening in MA!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\ud83d\udcda<\/a> What We’re Reading<\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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