NAPCOR Launches Educational Campaign For Plastics

WORLD WASTES STAFF

Portland, Ore. - Even community recycling coordinators can run out of ideas every now and then.

To help, the National Association for Plastic Container Recovery (NAPCOR) has introduced an educational Service Bureau for recycling coordinators nationwide. Unveiled at the National Recycling Coalition's conference, the NAPCOR Service Bureau is a series of tools to help educate residents about proper polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic recycling.

"We've spent the last year conducting extensive research on what communities need to make PET plastic recycling even more successful," said Luke Schmidt, president of NAPCOR. "The resounding answer: resident education. Recycling coordinators want comprehensive educational tools that target specific needs. The most important issues for communities recycling PET plastic containers are quality, proper separation and identification and flattening."

The organization has launched a communications campaign with brochures, radio spots and newspaper advertisements. Three service bureau slogans are "Look out for #1"; "The Three Rs: Remove, Rinse, Recycle"; and "Flat's Where It's At." Print ads feature runway models posing in fashions made from recycled PET plastic. A 60-second black-and-white television advertisement features a spot-colored PET bottle that refuses to be trashed and ends up as a successfully recycled PET pillow.

In addition, NAPCOR has introduced its #1 Recycling Community Challenge to increase PET plastics recycling nationwide.

The challenge offers communities the tools to educate residents about the benefits of properly recycling PET plastic as well as an incentive to increase recycling, Schmidt said.

Twenty communities nationwide will be recognized for successful PET plastics recycling efforts. Guidelines for the challenge will be based on the quality of the recyclables collected and the percentage of increased materials as well as the size of the program. Four communities will be chosen as NAPCOR recycling communities of the year.

The service bureau and the community challenge program are NAPCOR's most comprehensive and aggressive educational endeavors to date, according to the organization.