Technological watch
Dallas-Fort Worth to receive nearly $3 million from Every Bottle Back initiative to boost recycling
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex will be the first region to receive financial support from the Every Bottle Back initiative to increase the collection of 100% recyclable plastic bottles. The by the American Beverage Association (ABA) and includes the participation of the Coca-Cola Co., Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo in collaboration with environmental and sustainability leaders World Wildlife Fund, Closed Loop Partners and the Recycling Partnership.
Every Bottle Back will invest nearly $3 million in collection, recycling and processing systems in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to help reduce the use of new plastic by increasing the quantity of plastic bottles that are reclaimed, recycled and remade into new bottles. The investment also benefits related infrastructure, material recovery facilities (MRFs) and educational outreach programs targeting consumers.
“Our plastic bottles are made to be remade, and we are excited to work alongside communities in Dallas-Fort Worth to bolster recycling and demonstrate how innovative solutions can make a real difference for future generations,” said Katherine Lugar, ABA President and CEO. “This is an important step for our industry and builds on our ongoing commitment to create a more circular economy, where our 100% recyclable bottles are never wasted but are remade as intended.”
Partners in the region include the Balcones MRF, which will receive a $2 million investment from Every Bottle Back to implement state-of-the-art technology, including optical sorters, smart machinery, robotic arms that separate recyclable plastics and new conveyor belt configurations to improve the processing of recyclable materials. The investment will also support capacity expansion.
Other areas of investment include expanded access to recycling at multi-family housing complexes, where approximately 50,000 residents will benefit from the initiative. Upgraded recycling collection vehicles; on-site and in-unit educational signage and outreach; and new containers, in-unit bins and totes for recycling also contribute to the initiative’s objective.
Other partners in the regional initiative include the city of Fort Worth, where cart-to-cart outreach and best-in-class educational materials on how to recycle and cut down on contamination of recyclable materials will be available to residents in more than 232,000 homes.
The investments are expected to yield three million pounds of newly recovered PET plastic annually. “This important effort will help ensure that modern recycling infrastructure exists to support curbside recycling in the Dallas-Fort Worth community,” said Carol McGarah of the Texas Beverage Association. “I’m very grateful to our local partners across the region for inviting us to help expand and improve recycling opportunities available to Texas families.”
Ron Gonen, CEO of Closed Loop Partners, commented that “with support from the Coca-Cola Co., Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo, we will have the resources to make game-changing investments to optimize recycling in Dallas-Fort Worth. Our work with the Balcones material recovery facility promises to serve as a model for the effectiveness of industry collaboration in modernizing recycling infrastructure, driving a reduction in the use of virgin plastic and building a more circular economy.”
Image: Bits and Splits/Adobe Stock
Every Bottle Back will invest nearly $3 million in collection, recycling and processing systems in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to help reduce the use of new plastic by increasing the quantity of plastic bottles that are reclaimed, recycled and remade into new bottles. The investment also benefits related infrastructure, material recovery facilities (MRFs) and educational outreach programs targeting consumers.
“Our plastic bottles are made to be remade, and we are excited to work alongside communities in Dallas-Fort Worth to bolster recycling and demonstrate how innovative solutions can make a real difference for future generations,” said Katherine Lugar, ABA President and CEO. “This is an important step for our industry and builds on our ongoing commitment to create a more circular economy, where our 100% recyclable bottles are never wasted but are remade as intended.”
Partners in the region include the Balcones MRF, which will receive a $2 million investment from Every Bottle Back to implement state-of-the-art technology, including optical sorters, smart machinery, robotic arms that separate recyclable plastics and new conveyor belt configurations to improve the processing of recyclable materials. The investment will also support capacity expansion.
Other areas of investment include expanded access to recycling at multi-family housing complexes, where approximately 50,000 residents will benefit from the initiative. Upgraded recycling collection vehicles; on-site and in-unit educational signage and outreach; and new containers, in-unit bins and totes for recycling also contribute to the initiative’s objective.
Other partners in the regional initiative include the city of Fort Worth, where cart-to-cart outreach and best-in-class educational materials on how to recycle and cut down on contamination of recyclable materials will be available to residents in more than 232,000 homes.
The investments are expected to yield three million pounds of newly recovered PET plastic annually. “This important effort will help ensure that modern recycling infrastructure exists to support curbside recycling in the Dallas-Fort Worth community,” said Carol McGarah of the Texas Beverage Association. “I’m very grateful to our local partners across the region for inviting us to help expand and improve recycling opportunities available to Texas families.”
Ron Gonen, CEO of Closed Loop Partners, commented that “with support from the Coca-Cola Co., Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo, we will have the resources to make game-changing investments to optimize recycling in Dallas-Fort Worth. Our work with the Balcones material recovery facility promises to serve as a model for the effectiveness of industry collaboration in modernizing recycling infrastructure, driving a reduction in the use of virgin plastic and building a more circular economy.”
Image: Bits and Splits/Adobe Stock
This project has been co-funded with the support of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union [LIFE17 ENV/ES/000438] Life programme
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