The Foodservice Packaging Institute was founded in 1933, the Foodservice Packaging Institute is the trade association for the foodservice packaging industry in North America. FPI promotes the value and benefits of foodservice packaging and serves as the industry’s leading authority to educate and influence stakeholders. Members include raw material and machinery suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and purchasers of foodservice packaging. For more information or to follow us on social media, visit www.FPI.org

The Foam Recycling Coalition was formed under the Foodservice Packaging Institute in 2014 to support increased recycling of foodservice packaging made from foam polystyrene. FRC shares general information on foam recycling, provides technical resources and offers funding assistance to programs ready to start or strengthen post-consumer foam recycling. Members include stakeholders from throughout the foodservice packaging value chain. Grant applications are currently open for 2021 and the deadline is May 28^th. Learn more at www.recyclefoam.org

Members of the Illinois Recycling Association enjoy the benefit of spotlighting their Business, Government, Educational Institution or Non-Profit entity in a future Newsletter. If you would like to be featured, please send an email to info@illinoisrecycles.org.

Several companies in Illinois have different approaches to recycling foam plastic. This will be an opportunity to learn more about them and what may or may not be recyclable and if they have a solution for this single-use non-curbside collected material.

We are cooking up a few informative concepts for this summer and our annual conference scheduled for August 31. Please stay turned! Remember, you can always let us know what topics you are interested in hearing us pursue. Join a committee or email us.

Only the names of 2021 members of the Illinois Recycling Foundation appear in the Member Directory on the IRF website. Please join now to add your name.

The Illinois Recycling Foundation recognizes that we have members with different needs. We want to do more to address their concerns with targeted meetings on specific topics. Please consider joining one of these committees today to be part of discussion. Email us at info@illinoisrecycles.org with your committee interest.

We also welcome members to join our Communications Committee, Conference Committee, Events Committee and Grants Committee. Full committee descriptions are available here.

We must bid a fond farewell to Dr. BK Sharma, a generous board member that has been with the University of Illinois for many years. He is a Senior Research Engineer in the Applied Research on Industrial Environmental Systems Program (ARIES) Group of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. As such, he has been involved in Fuel Processing Technology and various waste treatment technologies. We have valued his expertise and wish him well in his new position with the USDA in Philadelphia.

This leaves a seat on the Board open and subject to election in August. If you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors, we are recruiting, as at least one other member has chosen not to run again to enjoy their retirement at little more fully. As always, we welcome all members to become involved with our committees and share your successes with us as we may share them in this newsletter or in our social media outreach!

Thank you for your membership and involvement. We look forward to an in-person tour and networking event over the summer!

The State Board of Education adopted a new Part titled K-12 Recycling Grant Program (23 IAC 267; 44 Ill Reg 18275) effective 4/27/21, implementing a provision of Public Act 101-10. The PA and this rulemaking establish a program that provides school districts, laboratory schools, special education cooperatives, charter schools, area career and technical education centers and programs operated by regional offices of education or intermediate service centers grants of up to $5,000 toward implementation or improvement of a recycling program. The State Superintendent will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) when funding for the program is available. The RFP will include information on available funding and application procedures. Applications will be evaluated on a point system based on need, plan quality, and sustainability.

The Illinois Recycling Foundation website frequently contains job postings submitted by IRF members.

Take a look! https://illinoisrecycles.org/jobs/

If you are a member and have jobs available, please send the postings to info@illinoisrecycles.org. The posting(s) will appear on our website and in our social media.

Illinois start-up Natural Fiber Welding says making clothes, shoes and furniture from plants is the future. Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) is using new techniques and natural fibers to create durable and sustainable materials that can be used in everything from handbags, clothing, and footwear to car interiors.NFW uses plants to create sustainable materials and yarns such as plant leather. Its aim is to move the materials industry away from petroleum-derived products and a single-use approach.To learn more, click here.

Snack giant Mars Wrigley has announced a two-year partnership with Danimer Scientific to advance home-compostable packaging. Mars Wrigley said it will soon introduce Skittles candy packaged in Danimer’s Nodax polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) material in US stores. Skittles are made here in Illinois, making this an especially sweet development. Click for more info!

Recently the IRF President was a guest on the Mike Nowak Show and spoke about recycling contamination, Extended Producer Responsibility, and the recent formation of the Foundation as separate from IRA. As a Chicago resident and reycling activist, Mike spoke about the new City of Chicago's curbside recycling contract with IRF member, LRS. To hear the recorded podcast, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6ZvRJi2cX4&t=64s

Abt Electronics is well known in Northern Illinois for their reasonable pricing on appliances and electronics. The company recently made national news with their recycling efforts: https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/abt-electronics-recycling-center/

The Federal Trade Commission has finally published a report on the need for manufacturers to increase the repairability of the products they produce. This applies to vehicles, cell phones, appliances, and more. https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/7/22424363/ftc-repair-restrictions-report-nixing-the-fix-smartphones-automakers

How involving financial institutions can help fast-track the development of a recycling and circular economy marketplace and, in turn, unlock opportunities for new investment. There are already a number of actors proving the investability of circular plastics models in emerging markets, who are referenced where possible in the hopes of spurring more financial institutions into action. Click for more info.