Read this blog, make some money

A new video is out to help encourage grocery stores around the country to bale and recycle their rigid plastics — a practice the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers said could add thousands of dollars in added revenue each year.

“There is great value in grocery store plastics,” said Liz Bedard, director of the APR Rigid Plastics Recycling Program, in a statement.

The new video, Baling Rigid Plastics for the Greatest Value, highlights APR's Grocery Store Recycling Project and features representatives of Publix Super Markets talking about the benefits of diverting rigid plastics such as deli containers, frosting buckets, floral buckets and even pharmacy bottles. These containers are made from high density polyethylene and polypropylene.

Plastics recycler KW Plastics Recycling of Troy, Ala., also is featured in the video.

“The smart answer is baling. Just 100 stores could easily result in more than $100,000 in new revenue. A new study shows that grocery store chains with 100 stores can generate 200 tons of valuable rigid plastics in a year's time,” according to the video.

That compares with a disposal cost of $50,000 and a break-even scenario using single stream recycling. Stacking the containers and sending them off for recycling also is a money maker, but baling provides more revenue, the video states.

“With over 1,100 stores, Publix recycles tons of rigid plastics very week,” said Kim Brunson, manager of recycling and solid waste for the company in a statement. “Baling has become a part of Publix's best management practices and is simply the right thing to do.”

More information about recycling grocery rigid plastics is available at www.recyclegroceryplastics.org. The site includes an economic overview regarding grocery rigid plastics recycling. 

“Baling the material adds good economic value, and we want to make it easy for grocers to see how they can enhance the value of the material by baling it,” Bedard said in her statement.

APR produced the video in collaboration with Publix and the American Chemistry Council.