Realcycle Restores Recycling Confidence in New Orleans

Realcycle is making its mission to restore confidence for New Orleans residents about recycling and is working to keep the city clean.

Ben Bagwell, Realcycle founder, started the recycling initiative back last year as a group with one goal, to bring recycling back to New Orleans. Living in New Orleans for almost 30 years, Bagwell has said that he has seen trash pile up around his beloved city, forming huge deposits of waste.

“It really made me think about how we handle our waste,” Bagwill stated.

Bagwell uses Realcycle as a renaissance for the recycling industry in New Orleans, attempting to be transparent and show people a new, promising perspective on waste.

“It’s a culture of respecting the earth, respecting each other and through that, because we really are the earth, then we get to connect with the earth and each other,” Bagwill said.

With his organization, Bagwell spreads messages and education regarding recycling to residents and helps connect them with resources for recycling their materials. Realcycle now works with 12 companies, a school, and five different festivals. Of its partners, Hilton Hotels, Whole Foods, and Jazz Fest are Realcycle’s biggest contributors. Bagwell is vying to be the next sustainability coordinator for next year’s Jazz Fest.

“We have the vision, the passion, and the mission,” Bagwill stated. “I just want to make New Orleans the beautiful place we all know is possible. We think this is the catalyst to that.”

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