Ziploc, Recyclebank Aim to Offset More Than 100 Million Pounds of Waste
“Families trust Ziploc brand products as a resource to get more out of their daily lives, and we know these families, like us, are committed to doing the right thing for the environment,” noted John Peoples, director-home storage at Racine, Wis.-based SC Johnson. “From offering recyclable products to diverting other waste from landfills through increased curbside recycling, our goal is to keep waste out of landfills -- by working together, we can make a bigger impact than on our own.”
Starting in Corpus Christi at local H-E-B stores, Texas, Ziploc is sponsoring the expansion of Recyclebank's rewards-for-recycling program to enough new U.S. communities to keep around the same amount of other waste -- including glass, metals, paper and plastic -- out of landfills as the amount of potential waste, measured by weight, generated by Ziploc. The Recyclebank partnership is part of a larger Ziploc recycling program and builds on the brand’s continuing efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. These efforts include the 2009 launch of Ziploc Evolve bags, which use 25 percent less plastic than the same-size regular Ziploc bags and are partially made with wind energy; offering bag and container recyclability; producing containers that can be used multiple times; and manufacturing many products using a combination of renewable wind energy and energy from traditional sources.
“At Recyclebank, we know that incentivizing families can help inspire change, and through our partnership with Ziploc, we continue to increase our commitment to motivate and reward consumers for taking sustainable actions,” said Ian Yolles, chief sustainability officer at New York-based Recyclebank, a subsidiary of Recycle Rewards Inc. in Erie, Pa. “We know there is not always a practical solution for brands to reduce their landfill contribution and environmental impact, and it is through partnerships like this that we are able to expand our recycling programs and work towards a goal of realizing a world where nothing is wasted.”
To make it easier for families to get involved and recycle, Ziploc Sandwich, Storage and Freezer Bags can be recycled at in-store bins at about 18,000 participating retail locations that accept plastic shopping bags for recycling. The containers are made from polypropylene that’s recyclable in a limited but growing number of communities through traditional recycling programs.
Consumers whose communities don’t offer Recyclebank will still be able to receive Recyclebank rewards points when they pledge to recycle Ziploc bags and packaging by entering the code from inside specially marked packages of Sandwich and Snack Bags at www.ziploc.com/sustainability..