Connecticut launches statewide campaign to increase plastic film recycling
(l-r) Tim Phelan, President of CT Retail Merchants Assn.; CT State Sen. Ted Kennedy; CT State Rep. Mike Demicco; Margaret Gorman, Manager, ACC State Affairs Northeast Office
On Tuesday, the Wrap Recycling Action Program (WRAP), in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environment Protection (DEEP) kicked off a statewide awareness campaign to increase the recycling of plastic wraps, bags and film packaging (collectively known as plastic film).
A recent statewide survey showed why this CT WRAP campaign is so important: Data showed that nearly half of CT residents didn’t know that many flexible plastic items, such as wraps and bags, should be taken to grocery or retail stores for proper recycling—and should not be placed in curbside bins.
Plastic film is collected for recycling at grocery locations in almost all communities across the U.S., and a lack of awareness could contribute to this material being recycled incorrectly or not recycled at all.
(l-r) CT DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee; Sherill Baldwin, Program Coordinator/Analyst, CT DEEP
The good news is the WRAP CT campaign has a lot of support.
Connecticut State Senator Ted Kennedy, State Representative Mike Demicco, DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee, and scores of WRAP Champions and recycling coordinators from all over the state attended Tuesday’s launch event.
WRAP, which is an initiative of ACC’s Flexible Film Recycling Group, has partnered with cities and counties in Wisconsin, Washington, and North Carolina to run successful consumer awareness campaigns.
Tuesday’s launch marks the WRAP’s first statewide campaign.
Examples of plastic film that can be recycled at retail drop-off locations.
Earlier WRAP campaigns in WI, WA and NC surveyed residents at the beginning and end of their campaigns, and all cases demonstrated an increase in public awareness of plastic film recycling.
These campaigns also demonstrated 25%-125% increases in plastic film recycling with little-to-no increase in contamination (read more about the WI campaign results and WA campaign results).
Between WRAP’s prior successes and the high attendance at the CT launch event, all signs point to a successful campaign in CT.
