Pesky Plastic

March 30, 2021

Community

Pesky Plastic

Researchers at The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) in Bentonville found in a recent study that much more work is needed to improve existing systems to recycle plastic film, including grocery and trash bags, food packaging, and wraps for agricultural products in NWA.

  • The kicker: The study, called "Plastic Film Management Insights," focused on the recycler’s operations in NWA and featured Missouri-based recycler Marck Recycling. In summary, if certain plastics are not handled properly, the film can damage material recovery facilities and enter regional watersheds. Currently, almost 90% of the film is incinerated or goes to landfills.

  • “One reason it is challenging for communities to manage plastic film is that there is very little visibility into how it is collected and handled for recycling,” said Sarah Lewis, Senior Director of Innovation for TSC.

  • "We are fortunate to be able to reduce our environmental impact by being local to the consumers of this material," said Mike Wilson, VP of Marck Recycling. "We are excited to be a part of this new study and hope the actions Marck is taking can help others in the industry.” -Talk Business & Politics

You can read the full study HERE

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