Along with The Recycling Partnership & Closed Loop Partners, America’s leading beverage companies will invest in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to increase the collection, recycling and processing of recyclable plastic bottles as the first region of investment under the Every Bottle Back initiative. Launched in October by the American Beverage Association (ABA), Every Bottle Back is a coalition of Coca-Cola, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo with the World Wildlife Fund, Closed Loop Partners and The Recycling Partnership. The goal is to support the circular plastics economy by reinforcing the value of 100 percent  recyclable plastic bottles and caps and ensuring they don’t end up as waste in oceans, rivers or landfills.

Nationally, the Every Bottle Back initiative will measure industry progress in reducing the use of new plastic, invest in key regions to improve the quality and availability of recycled plastic, launch a public awareness campaign to educate consumers and leverage packaging to remind consumers that bottles are 100% recyclable. The effort includes partnering with local government and community leaders to help educate consumers on how to recycle better and decrease recycling contamination. “Our plastic bottles are made to be remade, and we are excited to work alongside communities in Dallas-Fort Worth to bolster recycling and demonstrate how innovative solutions can make a real difference for future generations,” said Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of ABA. 

At the Balcones Material Recovery Facility, Every Bottle Back will invest $2 million to upgrade the facility, including state-of-the-art technology, such as optical sorters, machinery with artificial intelligence and robotic arms that separate recyclable plastics, along with new belt configurations to improve the processing of more recyclable materials. 

Approximately 50,000 residents will benefit from expanded recycling access in multifamily housing complexes in the Dallas Metroplex as a result of upgraded recycling collection vehicles, on-site and in-unit educational signage and outreach, new containers, in-unit bins and totes for recycling. New services will be more convenient, with recycling pick-ups available at residents’ front door.

Keefe Harrison, chief executive officer of The Recycling Partnership, says, “Our efforts as part of the Every Bottle Back initiative in Texas will increase access to recycling and educate citizens about what is and isn’t recyclable.”

The North Central Texas Council of Governments public service campaign, Know What to Throw, will educate residents across 230 communities about how to decrease contamination of valuable recyclable materials like PET bottles and aluminum cans. Cart-to-cart outreach and educational materials on how to recycle and cut down on contamination of recyclable materials will be available to residents in more than 232,000 homes in Fort Worth.

For a more information, visit Tinyurl.com/EveryBottleBack and EveryBottleBack.org.

To hear discussions from experts and thought leaders on Plastic Pollution, visit HealthyLivingHealthyPlanetRadio.com to listen to November Plastic Pollution podcasts.