Plastics Recycling Update Magazine: Ohio capital pushes for increased plastic bag recycling

Ohio capital pushes for increased plastic bag recycling

By Editorial Staff, Plastics Recycling Update

September 23, 2015

Bucking the national trend to ban single-use plastic bags, Columbus, Ohio will instead launch a revamped grocery store-based recycling program while encouraging reusable bag usage.

The plan, first reported by Columbus Business First, will call on grocery stores and retailers in Columbus to voluntarily collect plastic bags from shoppers. Ohio's capital city had considered banning or taxing plastic bags, but leaders decided an effort centered on recycling made more sense.

"We will try this method first and see if we can increase the amount of reusable bags used by customers and decrease the amount of single-use bags," Erin Miller, the city's environmental steward, told Columbus Business First, which is an area business publication.

Miller told Plastics Recycling Update some grocery stores already offer in-store recycling of plastic bags, but "not all retail outlets and grocery stores have infrastructure for bag recycling." A document sent out to potential participants in the pilot program suggests 10 to 20 small- and medium-sized grocery or retail stores will be targeted to join while at least one large store will be tapped to offer recycling options.

All costs will be covered by the city and "several interested organizations," the letter states.

The letter, which was provided to Plastics Recycling Update by Miller, shows support from a broad range of local and national groups, including Kroger, the American Progressive Bag Alliance and the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra Club. It also stipulates the program, if successful, could be introduced throughout central Ohio.

As part of the pilot program, Columbus will encourage participating stores to cut down on plastic bag usage and encourage alternatives, such as reusable bags.

With the city's curbside recycling processor, Rumpke, unable to accept plastic bags, the City is hoping the approach will keep plastic films out of the landfill.

"Providing convenient and easy ways to recycle more single-use plastic bags and other film plastics can only improve the quality of communities," the letter states.

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