CRA27thAnnualConferenceandTradeshowPlas%cFilmandBagRecyclingSuccessStories

March28,2017

MecklenburgCountyWRAPStory

Contributors:ShariJackson,DirectorWRAP&FilmRecycling-AmericanChemistryCouncilLaureAeHall,EnvironmentalandProjectManager-MecklenburgCountyRyanJohnson,SeniorEnvironmentalSpecialist-MecklenburgCounty

MECKLENBURG WRAP CAMPAIGN: KEY GOALS & STRATEGIES

ItisesJmatedthatthefilmpercentageintheresiduefromtheMaterialRecoveryFacility(MRF)ismorethan17%

ShutdownstoremoveplasJcfilmfromequipmentmaylastupwardoftwohours

Greatestchallenges:lowpublicawareness&commercialaccess

Most people don’t know …. •  Plastic bags and film can be recycled

•  Plastic bags and film are generally not accepted in curbside recycling

•  How to recycle commercial film- Limited access exists for small to medium-sized businesses.

Goal: Double film recycling to 2B lbs. by 2020

National Public Outreach & Education Initiative Focus Areas:

Common suite of materials

Educate on why & how

Measure impact & improve

results

Share & expand best practices

State & Local Gov’t Outreach

Recyclers, APR

Retail Collection – 18,000 drop-off

locations Public- Private

Partnerships

Brands, SPC – How2Recycle Label

APR DesignTM Guide for Plastics

Recyclability – PE Films

Education & Collaboration = Success

How wrap works

Campaign Results Executive Summary  ü  125% increase in plastic bags/film

collected at pilot stores - significantly more “beyond the bag” material

ü  75% reduction in bags from targeted (tagged) routes

ü  Positive, measurable impact on customer knowledge

ü  Collaboration needed for effective messaging impact

•  Varied commercial collection opportunities

currently underway

Vancouver, WA Case Study Addressing Plastic Film in Curbside Carts

WRAP SUCCESSES & PROGRESS

Full report is available at www.plasticfilmrecycling.org

BIGGESTMESSAGINGIMPACTü Cart Tag

ü Well labeled store recycling bin ü Bill insert

WASHINGTON & OREGON •  Committed state and retailer partners •  Engaging local government & other stakeholders •  Program planning underway for early 2017 launch/Identifying regional

synergies

NORTH CAROLINA

WISCONSIN

In various phases of implementing or continuing public outreach campaigns and commercial film recycling projects in:

•  CONNECTICUT

WRAP SUCCESSES & PROGRESS

US EPA

•  ACC and SPC partnership agreement imminent

WRAPcampaigncollateral WRAPcampaign MunicipalPartnerRetailPartner

OtherPartners

Billinsert x

Carttag x

RetailPoster x x x

DigitalRetailPoster x x x

Tip-card x x x x

Bookmark x x x

Infographics x x x

Grocerybagstuffer x

WRAPcommunicaHonstacHcs WRAPcampaign MunicipalPartnerRetailPartner

OtherPartners

Facebookposts x x x x

Tweets x x x x

NextDoorposts x x

LeAertoretailers x

emailnewsleAerupdates x

PosJnginfoonWebsite x x x

NewsleAercopyforneighborhoodlistservs x

WRAP Communications Toolbox

FREE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES:

Roadmap for localities (coming soon!)

Steps: 1.  Understand Local Needs &

Opportunities 2.  Seek out Partners 3.  Support the Business of

Recycling 4.  Create a Project Plan 5.  Launch your Campaign 6.  Promote Your Success &

Continue to Educate Provides links to tools, resources, and case studies.

WRAPinNorthCarolina!

LaureAeHall,EnvironmentalandProjectManagerWasteReducJonProgramsMecklenburgCountySolidWaste

North Carolina Film Recycling Access

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

Pre-campaign Consumer Survey in Mecklenburg County… –  One half of Mecklenburg County residents are aware that

certain plastic items should be brought to grocery or retail stores to ensure proper recycling.

–  Few residents are aware of the many types of plastic wraps

and bags that can be recycled. The Mecklenburg County WRAP campaign aims to change this.

MECKLENBURG WRAP CAMPAIGN: KEY GOALS & STRATEGIES

Goals: •  Increase awareness among targeted consumers of

opportunities to recycle plastic film •  Reduce plastic film contamination at area MRFs

Strategies: •  Engage stakeholders and interested parties to deliver

messaging to consumers

•  Deliver messaging directly to consumers

•  Leverage media to deliver messaging to consumers

•  NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

•  MECKLENBURG COUNTY SOLID WASTE •  APR (ASSOCIATION OF PLASTICS RECYCLERS) •  SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING COALITION (SPC) •  TREX •  MRF/RECOMMUNITY •  RETAILERS •  UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT

CHARLOTTE •  KEEP MECKLENBURG BEAUTIFUL (KMB) •  CAROLINAS RECYCLING ASSOCIATION (CRA) •  SEALED AIR CORPORATION •  LOCAL/MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS •  CMS SCHOOLS

Currentpartners&stakeholders

Film Recycling Events, Social Media, Partners Communications

TVadverJsingBillboardadverJsing

WaterBilladverJsing

EventPoster

BusadverJsing

•  40% REDUCTION IN FILM PLASTICS TO THE MRF

•  2016 OUTSTANDING INNOVATION IN PLASTICS RECYCLING AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL

Program Results

NEXT STEPS •  MAYOR’S VIDEO •  RETAILER WEBINAR •  SOCIAL MEDIA AND PROMOTION •  IN-STORE PROMOTION

WRAPCOMMERCIALEFFORTSMECKLENBURGCOUNTYRyanJohnson,Sr.EnvironmentalSpecialist–MecklenburgCounty

WRAP COMMERCIAL EFFORTS MECKLENBURG COUNTY Goals:

1) Gain an understanding of the film recycling landscape in Mecklenburg County

•  How is film recycling being handled/recycled in Mecklenburg County?

2) Identify producers of plastic film in Mecklenburg County •  What types of businesses are producing film (industry type, size, locations)? •  How much plastic film is being generated at these locations? •  What services are needed? Is a certain business sector underserved by the

local recycling market?

3) Identify area haulers/brokers/processors of plastic film waste. •  What types of film do they accept? •  What parameters exists?

•  Quantity limits; contamination threshold; Preferred form: Baled vs Gaylord; Transportation capabilities?

4) Connect the area film generators with area film recyclers.

OUTREACH METHODOLOGY • Direct outreach/Cold Calling to businesses fitting the “major producers” profile generated by

Moore Recycling •  Targeted entities (initial):

•  Distribution Centers/Warehouses •  Large Retailers •  Malls •  Car Dealers •  Furniture Stores •  Hospitals •  Universities

• Direct outreach and identification of plastic film recyclers/handlers •  Cold call; leveraging local contacts; NC Recycling Markets Database; industry recommendations •  Recorded hauler preferences and capabilities in a database for future reference

• BusinessWise •  Email Marketing Service •  Sent emails to target businesses advertising WRAP and offering assistance with recycling film. •  Two separate emails sent to over 4,000 businesses fitting the target profile

•  Utilization of SIC codes to create target distribution list

SAMPLE OUTREACH

LETTER:

Area Film recyclers prefer large quantities of film •  A Tractor-Trailer load of baled material every-other-week (or more) is the

“sweet spot”.

Findings - Most large generators of film are already recycling

Film Recyclers prefer for the material to be baled •  A hauler might accept loose film (bagged or in gaylords) as part of the overall

composition of recyclables collected from a business. In most cases, the film collection would be an auxiliary service as part of the contract for a ‘target’ material, such as cardboard.

Local Film recycling market dominated by a small number of haulers/recyclers

A need exists to service businesses producing small to mid-sized quantities of film plastics •  1 – 2 bales a week of film (or less)

Markets exists for both clear and colored plastic film. •  Most film generated is LDPE or LLDPE

CONTINUED WORK /UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

• How do you economically provide film recycling services to smaller generators?

• Is it possible to group mid-sized film generators together to generate the necessary volume of film to make the economics work (for a plastic film recycler)?

• A business park collection? • Drop-Off point?

TEAM MEMBERS

• Sandi Childs: Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR)

• Stacy Smith: NC Department of Environmental Quality

• Jan Foster: Waste Reduction Partners

• Ryan Johnson: Mecklenburg County Solid Waste

SHARI JACKSON, WRAP PROGRAM DIRECTOR, ACC SHARI_JACKSON@AMERICANCHEMISTRY.COM LAURETTE HALL, MECKLENBURG COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM MANAGER LAURETTE.HALL@MECKLENBURGCOUNTYNC.GOV RYAN JOHNSON, MECKLENBURG COUNTY SR. ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST RYAN.JOHNSON@MECKLENBURGCOUNTYNC.GOV

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