Video showcases jobs created by plastics recycling

A new Your Bottle Means Jobs (YBMJ) video from the Carolinas Plastics Recycling Council and the Washington-based Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR) illustrates the economic impact of plastics recycling in the Carolinas as China tightens the types of recycled materials it will accept for import.

The video, titled “Real People, Real Jobs, Recycle,” highlights those working in the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastics recycling industry in the Carolinas, focusing on the North Carolina recycling supply chain. Featuring employees of North Carolina companies such as ReCommunity (which was headquartered in Charlotte before being acquired by Republic Services), Plastic Revolutions, Crumpler Plastic Pipe and Burt’s Bees, the video shows how recycling positively affects the environment and the economy.

“North Carolina’s local industries import recycled bottles from abroad and other states to meet their demands,” says YBMJ Campaign Leader Blair Pollock. “When households recycle just two more bottles a week, they need to know that they are helping support Carolina jobs. In fact, a recent poll found that 66 percent of people ages 18-34 would be more likely to recycle if they knew what happened to their recycling after it hits the recycling bin.”

He adds, “This video demonstrates the recycling process in a fresh, innovative way.”

As China bans imports of plastics, U.S. recycling capacity will become increasingly vital, and the 3,500 plastics recycling industry jobs in North and South Carolina are necessary for recycling all types of plastics, especially HDPE, the APR says in a news release about the video. “The ripple effect of when a household recycles milk jugs, detergent, household cleaners or shampoo plastic bottles is evident with the video’s demonstration of those working in the robust Carolinas plastics recycling industry,” the association adds.

The campaign’s call to action is that if every household in the Carolinas recycled two more bottles a week, it would create 300 local jobs in the economy. The video is another resource to add to the current YBMJ toolkit. A recent YBMJ marketing campaign in the Raleigh Triangle area had considerable regional impact and yielded a 2 percent increase in bottles recycled during a three-month period compared with the prior year.

“The future success and growth of the plastics recycling industry depends on two things: increased supply of material to process and increased demand,” says Steve Alexander, president of APR. “Many HDPE applications today can use more recycled content, so any effort to increase supply is critical. This program highlights a natural, easy-to-implement activity for any household that will have a tremendously positive impact on the most pressing need for the recycling community.”

Matt Kopak, sustainable business and innovation manager, Burt’s Bees, Durham, North Carolina, says, “Recycling creates jobs in North Carolina and provides recycled plastic for our packaging. This helps to reduce our environmental impact by extending the useful life of our material inputs.”

View the video at https://vimeo.com/channels/yourbottlemeansjobs or at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxgG3-0jpAI.