Photo courtesy of Preserve.
WALTHAM, Mass.- Most municipal recycling center throughout the country reject what are know as #5 polypropylene plastics - such as yogurt and other dairy containers - which then end up in landfills due to their low rate of recyclability. In an effort to curb this mounting waste, Preserve, a producer of 100 percent recycled household products, has partnered with Stonyfield Farm, Organic Valley, and Whole Foods Market in launching the Preserve Gimme 5 recycling program. “This program will save thousands of pounds of #5 plastics from being sent to landfills. We are thrilled to join this program and to empower our customers to increase their recycling efforts,” said Jeremiah McElwee, senior Whole Body coordinator for Whole Foods Market. Mr. McElwee added, “We welcome this partnership and thanks to a very successful pilot program at one of our Virginia stores, we know that it will be popular with our shoppers in other locations as well.” The goal of the program now is to provide shoppers with more select Whole Foods locations where they can drop off plastic yogurt containers and other #5 polypropylene plastics such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, margarine, and hummus containers. The Gimme 5 recycling bins will also accept any other #5 type plastics such as medicine bottles, food storage, and take-out containers. The number five should be plainly marked on the bottoms of the containers. In addition, Brita water pitcher filters will also be accepted in the bins. Preserve provides instructions on its website on how to dry and submit these filters. The company will take the plastics that it receives and recycle them into the products that it manufactures. “By choosing Preserve plastics versus virgin plastic in the form of things like toothbrushes or razors, we all benefit from a sizable reduction in greenhouse gases because less energy and resources are expended in making the products,” said Eric Hudson, Preserve founder and chief executive officer.