Amazon, International Paper and Starbucks help to fund recycling initiatives

Photo: Dreamstime

The Recycling Partnership, the Falls Church, Virginia-based nonprofit that leverages corporate investment to support recycling, has announced that Amazon, International Paper and Starbucks Coffee Co. have joined on as new funding partners. By supporting The Recycling Partnership, these brands, along with 34 other companies including Coca-Cola, Target, Pepsico and P&G, are helping create more circular economy jobs, more material recovery and stronger more equitable communities, the nonprofit says.

“Amazon, International Paper and Starbucks Coffee Co. have stepped up to the plate by dedicating dollars to create healthier communities through recycling,” says Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership.

“We are empowered by the growing list of companies and communities that trust The Recycling Partnership to deliver swift, measurable change,” she continues. “They understand that collaboration is essential for building stronger solutions to environmental and community concerns, including recycling.”   

Support from partners such as Amazon, International Paper and Starbucks shows that leading companies across and within industries want to invest in recycling solutions that create positive environmental, economic and social change, The Recycling Partnership says.

The nonprofit’s goal is to double the current recycling rate in the U.S. and capture 22 million more tons of recyclables per year, avoiding 50 million metric tons of greenhouse gas annually and saving $250 million in contamination costs annually.

“At Starbucks we understand the power of working together to achieve complex sustainability goals,” says Rebecca Zimmer, global director of environment. “We are proud to join The Recycling Partnership in order to leverage their capability of creating change at the community level in support of the development of a city by city infrastructure that will make recycling a reality, everywhere.”

“As one of the world’s leading producers of renewable, fiber-based packaging, pulp and paper, we are committed to strengthening our people and the communities where we live and work, using all resources responsibly and efficiently and ensuring our businesses are safe, successful and sustainable for generations to come,” says Aimee Gregg, general manager recycling at International Paper.  “Working with organizations like The Recycling Partnership, help us meet these commitments.”

Trent Huntington, sustainability manager at Amazon, says, “We’ve spent over 10 years at Amazon on innovations like Frustration-Free Packaging that help us eliminate waste, ensure products arrive intact, are easy to open and are 100 percent recyclable.

“We’re excited to work with The Recycling Partnership to improve recycling efforts in communities across the nation—a step that is good for customers, good for business and good for the environment,” he adds.

Companies that are making sustainability part of their corporate goals are the future of American business, Harrison says.

From Portland, Maine to Chicago, Illinois to Santa Fe, New Mexico, The Recycling Partnership says it has already affected a quarter of the U.S. population through its recycling solutions.

“There is an equation for sustainable recycling success and the Partnership is making it happen,” Harrison says. “The more support we receive from leading companies and organizations, the more people we can impact. The more people we impact, the healthier our economy and planet will be in the future.”