Boston receives special recycling carts for Earth Day

Rehrig Pacific, a supply chain solutions provider based in Los Angeles, has rolled out new recycling carts made from ocean-bound plastic in Boston on April 22, which is Earth Day.

The announcement is part of the company’s push to roll out 10,000 recycling carts over the next few years. The recycled plastic incorporated into the carts is equivalent to 61 miles of 2-liter bottles stretched end to end, or more than twice the distance of the Boston Marathon, says Rehrig Pacific.

The OceanCore cart is made from a blend of 40 percent postconsumer recycled material, 10 percent of which is recycled ocean-bound plastic found in and near lakes, beaches and waterways on the way to the ocean.

"As mayor of a coastal city that cherishes its surrounding waterways, Boston is proud to be on the forefront of this technology," says Mayor Kim Janey. "By distributing recycling carts composed of reusable ocean-bound plastics, we're taking another step in our pursuit to become a zero-waste city and to ensure Boston is healthy and sustainable for future generations." 

The cart is the result of Rehrig Pacific's investment in solving two specific technical challenges: difficulty recycling ocean-bound plastic and manufacturing issues caused by structural and aesthetic limitations of the recycled material. Rehrig says it has invested in an advanced engineering process that allows this type of material to be recycled. The company also has developed a process that allows it to encapsulate the recycled material within an outer skin of virgin plastic, without sacrificing strength or appearance. 

The OceanCore cart is part of a series of sustainability developments from Rehrig Pacific. Last year, the company launched the Envirocore cart, which uses 40 percent recycled curbside bulky rigid plastics, like laundry hampers and large toys. Rehrig Pacific also has partnered with several beverage companies to develop recycling solutions for the caps and labels on plastic bottles.