December 2018
E-newsletter highlighting grant deadlines, upcoming workshops and available resources for municipal recycling and solid waste leaders.
Education and Outreach Resources and Tool kits
Keep America Beautiful/Coca-Cola Public Spaces Recycling Bin Grant Program
In its 12th year, the initiative is designed to increase access to recycling in community public spaces across America. The grant application will be available online through Dec. 30 (11:59 p.m. EST), 2018 . Link to information and applications .

Eligible recipients for the 2018 Public Spaces Recycling Bin Grant Program include municipal and government agencies, colleges and universities, civic organizations, and local nonprofit groups. Keep America Beautiful will award the grants in mid-January 2019 and make arrangements with suppliers to deliver recycling bins directly to the recipients in the first quarter of 2019.
New Plastic Recycling Resources

RecycleYourPlastics.org provides general information on different types of plastics, terms and tools regarding plastics terminology and reports and data. Also includes resources for consumers.

This site also includes a link to the new Buy Recycled Products Directory. The Directory is directed at consumers, organizations, businesses and municipalities interested in reducing their carbon footprint by buying products with recycled-content. 
We all know the mantra: Recycle plastic film. Not curbside. Return to retail.

Retailers play a critical role in the plastic film recycling chain. Yet those recycling bins can sometimes be hard to find at your local grocery store—or they don’t have good signage that lets folks know what can be recycled. So how do you get retailers to support your plastic film recycling efforts?
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) sat down with Marilyn Cruz-Aponte, Dep. Director, East Hartford DPW and CT WRAP Champion, to find out how they got their local Shop Rite stores to educate their customers about plastic film recycling. ACC also met CT WRAP retail partner, Price Chopper/Market 32 to find out why WRAP is important to them. You can see clips from the interviews below—there are some great tips for engaging with retailers!



Short case study - Princeton, NJ merchants and partners

How-to Guide for Retailers - share with your partners.

ACC has also developed a tool that lets you customize WRAP posters and tip cards. Check out the links to these resources below:

Let’s Get Personal
You asked for more customization when it comes to WRAP outreach materials. That’s why we’ve created an online tool that will allow you to add your logo and contact information, and modify the plastic film images on the poster and tip card. Check it out here.
NEW Recycling Partnership Toolkit

For America Recycles Day, the Recycling Partnership shared a new online quiz   to correct some common misunderstandings about what is acceptable in our recycling bins - you can share this on Facebook, etc. to promote recycling. The Recycling Partnership also unveiled their new Social Media Kit, volume 2.

Grab & Go Recycling Matters Social Media Kit includes sample posts and pointers for your program. When you sign up, you'll get:

  • A Year’s Worth of Social Conten 52 brand new posts with text and images for multiple platforms
  • Insights into Facebook’s News Feed & Tips on Facebook Ads, including best management practices on how to use your social media funds wisely 
  • A Guide to Community Engagement How - and when - to respond to comments online
CT DEEP Webinar

Share with your local haulers and collectors!

Recycling Tools and Resources to Educate CT Residents
What's IN, What's OUT
Monday, December 17, 2018
3:00 - 4:00pm EST


Please join us and learn about plastic bag programs and initiatives at the state and county level, including how Alameda County operates and enforces their program, what the benefits would be for an EPR structured plastic bag law and an update from the newly formed CT Reusable Bag Alliance.

Presenter:
Sherill Baldwin, CT DEEP

Who Should Attend?
 •Recycling/Sustainability coordinators; DPW/Sustainability Directors
 •CT environmental leaders & activists
 •Members of recycling/solid waste/sustainability commissions/committees
 •CT Environmental Educators, teachers and school representatives
Statewide Success

The Connecticut WRAP Campaign report (released this summer) found an increase in consumer awareness of recycling plastic bags and wraps at drop-off locations instead of the curbside bin. Moreover, there was an increase in the volume and variety of material collected with no identified increase in contamination.
iWARM Widget 4 uCool Communicators
Check out this nifty calculator from the U.S. EPA that helps individuals see how recycling plastic bags saves energy.
Be On the Lookout

DEEP will be sending a letter by postal service to your municipal elected officials to provide an assessment of municipal compliance to CT’s 2016 Comprehensive Materials Management Strategy based on 2016, 2017, and 2018 data collected from municipalities. This will provide an update to the letter sent to municipal officials in August 2017.  

For more information on CMMS, please visit CT DEEP’s CMMS webpage .
What's IN? What's OUT?
Recent Questions from CT residents
Bubble Mailers, Bubble Padded Envelopes - IN or OUT?

OUT.  Mailers and envelopes padded with plastic bubbles are both OUT of CT's mixed recycling. They should not be put with other recyclables curbside or at the transfer station. 

However, these envelopes can be reused many times!
Poly Bubble Mailers, padded envelopes that are lined with plastic, can be reused and are acceptable in the WRAP plastic film recycling program.  Look for participating retailers who will accept your plastic bags, and other film such as poly bubble mailers.
Kraft Lined Bubble Mailers, or lined with any type of paper can be reused many times and after its useful life should be put in the trash.
Can I use the approved blue “recycle” bags when collecting disposing of my recyclable trash?

The resident who asked this question, also shared the photo of Ultrasac's product, Blue Recycling Bags.  As you can see from the photo, these are bags you can purchase and state it "Complies with Recycling Laws".  The Great Value Recycling Bags also are promoted to be used for recyclables - and notification of the product came from a CT MRF operator.

Just to confirm, these are NO. NO plastic bags regardless of advertising, greenwashing or biodegradability are acceptable in CT's mixed recycling program. 
CT In the News

New Haven exhibition turns trash into art (New Haven Register, November 29)
Play a part to slow climate change (The Day, November 26)
Five years in, CT’s paint recycling seeing steady growth (Hartford Business Journal, November 20)
Recycling costs are rising fast. This is why. (Hartford Courant, November 12)
Thompson Farm Gets $244k REAP Grant for Digester (Hartford Courant, November 6)
NECCOG Talks Future of Recycling (Hartford Courant, November 6)
Stamford mayor’s veto of leaf law unusual (Stamford Advocate, November 5)
     Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, December 4, 2018 - 2:00pm - 3:30pm EST  Plastic Bag Programs & Initiatives: State and County Efforts webinar. Speakers: Walter Willis (Lake County, Illinois), Meri Soll (Alameda County, California) and Daphne Dixon (Connecticut). Registration.   Hosted by CT DEEP.

Monday, December 17, 2018 - 3:00pm - 4:00pm  Recycling Tools & Resources to Educate CT Residents, What's IN? What's OUT? webinar. Presenter: Sherill Baldwin. Registration.   Hosted by CT DEEP.

Save Date: Tuesday, February 19, 2019 - 8:00am - 4:00pm 2019 Connecticut Recycling Conference , The Aqua Turf Club, Plantsville, CT.  More information .  Hosted by the Connecticut Recyclers Coalition.
Have an idea or topic for future municipal recycling webinar? Let us know what you and your colleagues would like to learn more about. Contact Sherill Baldwin .
CT DEEP | Source Reduction & Recycling Group | 860-424-4193 | www.ct.gov/deep/recycle