How Rumpke is able to recycle plastics previously unable to be recycled - WKRC TV Cincinnati

How Rumpke is able to recycle plastics previously unable to be recycled | WKRC

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) - Rumpke announced its customers can now recycle items that previously had to be thrown away, including things like foam egg cartons or candy wrappers.

Rumpke Corporate Communications Manager Molly Yeager says the average American creates about five pounds of trash a day.

"I don't think many people realize how much trash they produce on a daily basis because they don't carry it all with you. You do some at home, some at work, some at school, some while you're out eating at a restaurant. You don't realize how much trash you might produce on a daily basis," Yeager said.

Rumpke and Hefty are launching a new program in the Tri-State in which many items that couldn't be recycled can get a second life. Yeager says it's all because of a little orange bag.

She says you'll need to put those hard-to-recycle things in there and then toss the filled bag in your recycling bin.

Yeager says the bag is strong enough to make it through the compaction process in the back of the Rumpke trucks.

Once it gets to the recycling facility, the orange bag will just be pulled off the line and sent to an end user who will recycle it.

Local 12 pointed out previous news reporting which showed items promised to be recycled ending up getting burnt or sent to another country.

Local 12 followed up by asking how people can know that this is being recycled.

"We've vetted this program. We've visited the end users. We know what this is going to become. And that's something we do with all of our items that we think are acceptable items list. We don't put something on our acceptable items list for recycling unless we can guarantee that it can be recycled," Yeager said.

Yeager says construction material is the most common end use.

She says they can also be used for plastic cinderblocks, artificial lumber and more.

You will need to buy the bags.

Yeager says if you don't use the bag, Rumpke has no way to sort the items and you'll just end up causing more trouble for the recycling facility if you just throw the hard to recycle items in with the regular recycling.

Click here to learn more about the items now being accepted.