Dive Brief:
- The Recycling Partnership is working with the EPA to analyze 400 curbside recycling programs nationwide. The work will focus mainly on EPA regions 3, 4, and 5, but also include other parts of the country with a particular focus on large cities.
- The nonprofit will record information on 39 categories of recyclable materials. It will also be looking at collection frequencies, tonnages, funding mechanisms, service providers, and other details.
- Work is already in progress and the early results are expected in September. Final analysis will be released in October with the goal of better understanding gaps in curbside recycling infrastructure.
Dive Insight:
The Recycling Partnership has been on a roll lately, adding new members and announcing a number of new projects. The nonprofit now has more than 20 sponsors — ranging from Dow Chemical to Coca-Cola — and big expansion plans. Their work throughout the country has yielded good results and the national collaboration with EPA is an interesting step.
"The potential for positive impact cannot be overstated, and our collaboration with The Recycling Partnership is shaping up to be fruitful indeed," said Alan Farmer, EPA Region 4 division director, in a press release.
Recent surveys have shown that a majority of U.S. residents support recycling, but the infrastructure isn't fully up to speed in some cities. This year The Recycling Partnership announced new programs in Santa Fe, NM and Michigan's Emmet County. The nonprofit has also teamed up with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for a targeted campaign to reduce recycling contamination through education.
