Plastic Film Recycling
Community Initiative with SC Johnson
Plastic Film Recycling - Community Initiative
The Borough of Red Bank Environmental Commission in partnership with S.C. Johnson & Sons. Under a pilot agreement entered with S.C. Johnson & Sons in June 2021, Red Bank became the fourth New Jersey municipality to team up with the consumer products giant to recycle film packaging. (The others are Bradley Beach, Loch Arbour and Matawan.)
The program has been successful, despite its quiet launch during the covid pandemic. In 2022, residents put 4,300 pounds of plastic film curbside for recycling under the program. That’s 4,300 pounds that didn’t go into landfills.
Plastic Film Recycling - Next Level
The plastic, picked up by a Red Bank DPU employee over the course of a six-hour run – rather than the private trash hauler contracted to collect other recycling and garbage – is stored at the public works yard on Chestnut Street.
From there, it goes to Mazza Recycling Services in Tinton Falls, where it is combined with plastic film picked up in Bradley Beach and Matawan, two other pilot municipalities that have gone on to continue with their own programs. Mazza holds the plastic until a buyer is found.
The recycled and reclaimed plastic film is bundled and sold and made into various second life products. Plastic film can be used to make composite lumber for making decks, benches, and playground sets. Plastic film can also be reprocessed into small pellets, which can be made into new bags, pallets, containers, crates, pipe, and SC Johnson Windex bottles.
Plastic Film Recycling - Why does it matter?
Energy conservation
Recycling actually consumes less energy than producing new, virgin polymers.
Reducing demand for raw materials
Plastic recycling reduces the need to extract new, raw materials from the earth as it reuses the stuff that’s already processed and protects natural resources. This can help reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. It also prevents adding more rubbish to landfills.
Reduced fossil fuel consumption
Plastic production uses a lot of oil. Although recycling also uses fossil fuels, it’s significantly less than the amount used when creating new plastics.
CO2 emission reduction
Reduced oil consumption also means reduced emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases that are produced whilst new plastics are being made. Additionally, recycling reduces pollution that is caused by burning waste.
Reduced landfill use
If more plastics are being recycled, it means less are ending up in landfills. Another benefit is that fewer plastics in landfills means less emission of common landfill gases, like carbon dioxide and methane. Both of these gases cause environmental damage.
Red Bank Plastic Film Recycling News Stories
Plastic Film Recycling Reference materials