Pottstown has been chosen as the starting ground for the nation’s first flexible plastic recycling pilot program, writes Evan Brandt for the WRAL.com.
The program aims to tackle the type of plastic that has not been recyclable until now. This includes items such as shrink wrap, shopping bags, and drink pouches, among many others.
The Montgomery County town was chosen by J.P. Mascaro and Sons in large part due to it having lids on its recycling bins and its closeness to the company’s recycling sorting facility in Exeter Township. Mascaro has also been selected by a research collaborative sponsored by the industry giants such as Procter & Gamble, Target, and The Dow Chemical Company.
Now the “Materials Recovery for the Future“ collaborative has awarded Mascaro a $2.6 million grant to install sophisticated optical sorting equipment at its facility to allow recycling of flexible plastic.
According to Frank Sau, director of communications for Mascaro, Pottstown was chosen by the company because it met all requirements for the program.
“It will be the only community in the country where we can tell people, just throw those things in loose, we’ll do the rest,” he said.
Read more about the pilot program at the WRAL.com by clicking here.
