Beginning the first weekend of September the state of Rhode Island will start offering a collection and recycling program for plastic grocery bags statewide. The program will be the first in the nation to offer it. The program is free for both consumers and the markets that display the collection barrels.
The project was developed by the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp. The agency is working with the Rhode Island Food Dealers Association, which endorsed the program and will help promote participation.
“Here in Rhode Island we have adopted the best business practice -- cooperation,” said Sherry A. Mulhearn, executive director of RIRRC. “When we approached the Rhode Island Food Dealers Association and asked them to work with us on finding a solution to the burgeoning plastic bag problem, they very enthusiastically consented to help. By working with each other, we arrived at a viable solution that doesn’t hurt the business community or the consumer, and helps create jobs in the plastics collection and recycling industry. There are no drawbacks, and we all win.”
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The program is being called ReStore. In the program, blue ReStore barrels are located inside grocery stores around the state. Consumers can recycle all types of plastic film, including plastic newspaper sleeves, dry cleaner bags, and produce baggies. Markets will be able to commingle pallet plastic wrappings with the consumer bags and save additional disposal costs.
The collected material will be trucked from the markets to the Packaging and More, Inc. facility in Central Falls, then on to RIRRC’s Materials Recycling Facility in Johnston where they will be baled and sold to Trex Company, a plastic film remanufacturer.