Industry and government collaboration key to addressing recycling challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about major changes to daily life across the United States. For many, homes and apartments are now serving double and triple duty not only as family residences but as workspaces, classrooms and childcare centers. This new normal has created new challenges for many recycling systems — specifically showing how outdated recycling infrastructure and reduced community recycling budgets are struggling to handle the increased share of recyclables generated in the home as people spend more time there. Yet with the right combination of education, investment and collaboration, we can transform the recycling system in the United States. Together, we can modernize infrastructure so it keeps valuable materials in manufacturing supply chains to be remade into new products as part of a circular economy.

We at the American Beverage Association, Closed Loop Partners, and The Recycling Partnership believe that now more than ever, local governments, businesses and nonprofits alike must work together to find solutions that enhance recycling systems and make them as effective, safe and sustainably-funded as possible. Building a better system without waste in the U.S. and a stronger, more resilient circular economy is possible through collaborative, cross-industry partnerships that are financially sustainable and have strong environmental outcomes.

To read the full version of this article, visit Waste360.