<div dir="ltr"><img src="cid:ii_lixe7fo40" alt="image.png" width="196" height="75" style="margin-right: 0px;"><div>Recycling is working.  Read what Chaz Miller has to say.  Better yet, plan on attending OKRA's Annual Recycling Conference September 29, 2023 and hear what Chaz Miller has to say about recycling markets and trends..  The theme this year is "Offsetting the Recycling Objection."  For more information go to:  <a href="http://www.recycleok.org">www.recycleok.org</a>.<br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="gmail-big-article__top" style="box-sizing:inherit;border:20px solid rgb(254,186,7);padding:10px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Open Sans",Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div class="gmail-indicator-brand" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-size:1.5625rem;color:rgb(28,107,161);font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;width:678px;line-height:1.5"><a href="https://www.waste360.com/commentary" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(254,186,7);text-decoration-line:none">COMMENTARY</a><div class="gmail-sponsored-brand-container gmail-dfp-ad-hideempty gmail-hidden" style="box-sizing:inherit;overflow:hidden;margin:0px 0px 0px 20px;display:inline-block;vertical-align:top;width:0px;height:0px;padding:0px"><span class="gmail-sponsored-brand-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-size:0.75rem;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-weight:300"></span><div style="box-sizing:inherit;display:inline-block;max-height:125px;min-height:90px;vertical-align:middle"></div></div></div><div class="gmail-big-article__head gmail-row" style="box-sizing:inherit;float:left;width:678px"><div class="gmail-heading" style="box-sizing:inherit;display:inline-block;margin-top:0px;opacity:0.95;padding-right:0px;width:678px;float:left"><h1 style="box-sizing:inherit;font-size:2.5rem;margin:6px 0px 15px;line-height:57px">Where Do Our Recyclables Go?</h1><h2 class="gmail-sr-only" style="box-sizing:inherit;border:0px;height:1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0px;width:1px">Article-Where Do Our Recyclables Go?</h2></div><div class="gmail-share-icons" style="box-sizing:inherit;float:right"><a href="https://www.waste360.com/penton_modal/nojs/print/61102" class="gmail-print gmail-ctools-use-modal gmail-penton-print-popup gmail-ctools-modal-modal-popup-basic gmail-ctools-use-modal-processed" aria-label="print" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(102,102,102);text-decoration-line:none;display:inline-block;height:20px;margin-right:5px;margin-bottom:5px;float:left;text-align:center;width:20px"><span class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-print" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-family:"Font Awesome 5 Free";font-weight:900;display:inline-block;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;line-height:1;vertical-align:bottom;font-size:0.875rem"></span></a><a href="https://www.waste360.com/penton_modal/nojs/forward/61102/0" class="envelope gmail-ctools-use-modal gmail-penton-forward-popup gmail-ctools-modal-modal-popup-basic-email gmail-ctools-use-modal-processed" aria-label="envelope" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(102,102,102);text-decoration-line:none;display:inline-block;height:20px;margin-right:5px;margin-bottom:5px;float:left;text-align:center;width:20px"><span class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-envelope" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-family:"Font Awesome 5 Free";font-weight:900;display:inline-block;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;line-height:1;vertical-align:bottom;font-size:0.875rem"></span></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waste360.com%2Frecycling%2Fwhere-do-our-recyclables-go&t=Where+Do+Our+Recyclables+Go%3F" class="gmail-facebook" aria-label="facebook" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(102,102,102);text-decoration-line:none;display:inline-block;height:20px;margin-right:5px;margin-bottom:5px;float:left;text-align:center;width:20px"><span class="gmail-fab gmail-fa-facebook" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-family:"Font Awesome 5 Brands";display:inline-block;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;line-height:1;vertical-align:bottom;font-size:0.875rem"></span></a><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waste360.com%2Frecycling%2Fwhere-do-our-recyclables-go&title=Where+Do+Our+Recyclables+Go%3F&summary=I+asked+myself+this+question+as+I+was+preparing+to+speak+at+my+home+county%E2%80%99s+Recycling+Awards+ceremony.+I+wanted+to+let+our+award+winners+know+their+efforts+are+not+in+vain.+While+they+may+have+seen+or+read+stories+claiming+recycling+is+a+hoax%2C+I+knew+our+county%E2%80%99s+recyclables+are+being+turned+into+new+products.+&source=Waste360" class="gmail-linkedin" aria-label="linkedin" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(102,102,102);text-decoration-line:none;display:inline-block;height:20px;margin-right:5px;margin-bottom:5px;float:left;text-align:center;width:20px"><span class="gmail-fab gmail-fa-linkedin" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-family:"Font Awesome 5 Brands";display:inline-block;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;line-height:1;vertical-align:bottom;font-size:0.875rem"></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waste360.com%2Frecycling%2Fwhere-do-our-recyclables-go&text=Where+Do+Our+Recyclables+Go%3F" class="gmail-twitter" aria-label="twitter" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(102,102,102);text-decoration-line:none;display:inline-block;height:20px;margin-right:5px;margin-bottom:5px;float:left;text-align:center;width:20px"><span class="gmail-fab gmail-fa-twitter" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-family:"Font Awesome 5 Brands";display:inline-block;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;line-height:1;vertical-align:bottom;font-size:0.875rem"></span></a><a class="gmail-pinterest" aria-label="pinterest" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(102,102,102);display:inline-block;height:20px;margin-right:5px;margin-bottom:5px;float:left;text-align:center;width:20px"><span class="gmail-fab gmail-fa-pinterest" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-family:"Font Awesome 5 Brands";display:inline-block;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;line-height:1;vertical-align:bottom;font-size:0.875rem"></span></a></div></div><div class="gmail-big-article__image" style="box-sizing:inherit;text-align:center;clear:both"><span class="gmail-text-to-image" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-size:0.625rem;background-color:rgba(64,71,93,0.5);color:rgb(255,255,255);line-height:22px;padding:0px 11px">Alice Mutasa / Alamy Stock Photo</span><img class="gmail-medium gmail-first-node-img gmail-js-imgpxr" src="https://www.waste360.com/sites/waste360.com/files/styles/article_featured_standard/public/recycling14feat.png?itok=p7gDdIyz" width="770" height="400" alt="recycling bales" title="recycling bales" style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto; vertical-align: middle;"></div><div style="box-sizing:inherit"><div class="gmail-field gmail-field-name-field-penton-content-summary gmail-field-type-text-long gmail-field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);line-height:29px;font-weight:700;margin-top:15px;font-size:1.25rem">I asked myself this question as I was preparing to speak at my home county’s Recycling Awards ceremony. I wanted to let our award winners know their efforts are not in vain. While they may have seen or read stories claiming recycling is a hoax, I knew our county’s recyclables are being turned into new products.</div></div><p class="gmail-author-and-date" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-size:1rem;line-height:24px;color:rgb(88,87,87);margin-top:5px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><a href="https://www.waste360.com/author/Chaz-Miller" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(63,135,8);text-decoration-line:none">Chaz Miller</a></span> | Jun 08, 2023</p></div><div class="gmail-article-embed" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:20px 0px;clear:both;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Open Sans",Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:16px"></div><div class="gmail-article-content-wrap" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Open Sans",Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div class="gmail-article-content" style="box-sizing:inherit;display:inline-block;padding-right:0px;width:738px"><div class="gmail-article-banner gmail-dfp-ad-hideempty" style="box-sizing:inherit;display:inline-block;float:right;margin:16px auto 0px 38px;width:300px"><div style="box-sizing:inherit"><div class="gmail-dfp-tags" id="gmail-ab5vj7xy3v000000ab5vj7xy3v000000ab5vj7xy" style="box-sizing:inherit"><div id="gmail-google_ads_iframe_/2441/waste360.home/article/recycling_11__container__" style="box-sizing:inherit;border:0pt none"></div></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">I asked myself this question as I was preparing to speak at my home county’s Recycling Awards ceremony. I wanted to let our award winners know their efforts are not in vain. While they may have seen or read stories claiming recycling is a hoax, I knew our county’s recyclables are being turned into new products.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">I decided to start off with a series of before and after pictures. Before was pictures of the different materials we put in our curbside bins: aluminum and steel cans, corrugated boxes, PET bottles, etc. After was the products they are recycled into. </span></p><div class="gmail-dfp-ad-hideempty gmail-native_inline gmail-hidden gmail-n_hidden" style="box-sizing:inherit;overflow:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px"></div><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:0px 0px 1.5em;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Some new products are easy to show. Our aluminum cans are turned back into cans. Our steel cans are made back into cans or other steel products. Our boxes are turned into linerboard and corrugated medium and then used to make new boxes. Our mixed paper is used to make recycled paperboard for cereal boxes and other products.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Food and yard waste are easy, too. Our yard waste is composted in-county and turned into a soil conditioner. Our food waste goes to a composting facility in a neighboring county where it is also turned into a soil conditioner. </span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="font-size:1rem;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase">GLASS is more challenging. Curbside glass is not color sorted. Nonetheless, we are somewhat unique in that ours goes to a glass recycling company that has the equipment to optically sort some of the broken glass for resale to glass bottle companies. The rest goes to different aggregate uSES. </span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Plastics are the hardest to explain because the different resins and products in our bins results in a slew of different markets. Two are easy enough. PET containers can go into fiber uses such as new carpets or into new bottles. Ours go to whomever pays the most. Natural HDPE milk and water jugs are prized by consumer products companies because they are not dyed. Their recycled pellets can be dyed and used for detergent, shampoo, and other packages. Natural’s versatility currently makes it the most valuable recyclable in your bin.</span></p><div class="gmail-article-banner gmail-dfp-ad-hideempty gmail-hidden" style="box-sizing:inherit;overflow:hidden;width:300px;margin:16px auto 0px 38px;display:inline-block;float:right;height:0px;padding:0px"><div style="box-sizing:inherit"><div class="gmail-dfp-tags" style="box-sizing:inherit"></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">However, those dyes cannot be removed when the packages are recycled. As a result, our colored HDPE goes into construction-related products, often pipe. After all, who cares about the color of an underground pipe? PP yoghurt tubs and similar packages also go into construction uses, including paint pails.         </span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">My message was simple. Recycling is working. It’s not perfect and it never will be. Markets for our recyclables reflect the uncertainty of this economy. But thanks to our awardees efforts we are getting more recyclables from hard to recycle places such as muti-family housing and businesses. They are making a difference.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Showing what our recyclables are turned into isn’t a new idea. Recently I saw an article in the Raleigh, NC, newspaper answering a reader’s question </span><a href="https://amp-newsobserver-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.newsobserver.com/news/local/article271363852.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(5,99,193)">“Is Recycling Worth It”</a><span style="box-sizing:inherit">. The response looked at a number of local markets showing that recycling works. It is a good, incisive piece of reporting. I’ve seen similar pieces in other newspapers over the years.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Showing the success of our recycling efforts is especially important given the onslaught of negative media portrayals of plastic recycling. The anti-plastic lobby is particularly vocal on this point. They see recycling as a threat to their “end plastic now” agenda. So, they relentlessly attack the very idea of recycling plastic. That their false story undermines all recycling doesn’t seem to bother them.   </span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">If they are right and plastic recycling is a hoax, why did more than 2700 people attend the </span><a href="https://www.plasticsrecycling.com/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(5,99,193)">Plastic Recycling Conference</a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> this March in Maryland? I moderated the markets panel for that show. Our room sat about 200 people. We didn’t have enough seats. People had to stand. Dozens were willing to stand for over an hour in order to learn more about markets. The exhibit hall had 225 exhibitors. Buyers and sellers had a great opportunity to get together. Either the building was full of extremely deluded people or plastic recycling is a real business.</span></p><div class="gmail-article-banner gmail-dfp-ad-hideempty" style="box-sizing:inherit;display:inline-block;float:right;margin:16px auto 0px 38px;width:300px"><div style="box-sizing:inherit"><div class="gmail-dfp-tags" id="gmail-qcps8m5s2ol00000qcps8m5s2ol00000qcps8m5s" style="box-sizing:inherit"><div id="gmail-google_ads_iframe_/2441/waste360.home/article/recycling_13__container__" style="box-sizing:inherit;border:0pt none"></div></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Plastic recycling is the new kid on the block, just as plastics are the new material on the block. Collection, processing and recycling technology have improved over the years just as they did for other materials. It is suffering growing pains, but plastic recycling is a reality. So are paper, metals and glass recycling.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:1.5em 0px 0px;padding:0px;font-size:1rem;line-height:29px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">The message that recycling works resonates with people. Lower greenhouse gas emissions, a cleaner environment and more jobs are important. They are also somewhat abstract. Knowing that recycling is working by using aluminum cans or cereal boxes or carpet or plastic lumber or any of the thousands and thousands of products made from the materials in your recycling bin, is an immediate and substantive proof that recycling works. This is where your recyclables go. Back to you.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-comments-wrapper" id="gmail-comments-61102" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:30px 0px;clear:both;display:table;width:738px"><div class="gmail-comments" style="box-sizing:inherit;float:left;margin:0px"><br></div></div></div></div></div></div>