Beach recycling program continues year-round

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) commended Keep California Beautiful (KCB) and the California Coastal Commission for the work they did to clean beaches and oceans as part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Clean Up Day. To support the effort, ACC contributed collection bags.

One year ago, ACC entered into a successful partnership with KCB and California State Parks to increase the recycling of plastics, particularly on California beaches. Under the “Plastics. Too Valuable to Waste. Recycle” campaign, new recycle bins are in place in various beach locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, Monterey and Santa Cruz.

“Plastic should not end up as litter on our beaches,” said ACC president and CEO Cal Dooley. “Our partnership and program works in concert with efforts like the International Coastal Clean Up to increase recycling and protect our environment for the future of California.”

ACC’s efforts extend beyond the beach. ACC has worked with the California Legislature to pass a law requiring management programs in plastics facilities to reduce the accidental release of plastic pellets. In addition, ACC is working to promote the recycling of plastic bags, including a comprehensive website with information on plastic bag recycling, www.PlasticBagRecycling.org.

“Plastics are too valuable to waste,” Dooley said. “If we all work together, we can make great progress. We can reduce litter and we can increase recycling.”

More than 80 percent of United States households have access to a recycling program, be it curbside collection or community drop-off centers. Yet in most areas, the demand for recycled plastics exceeds the available supply. While there are approximately 2,100 certified recycling centers in California, many people still treat plastics as trash instead of a valuable material that is readily recyclable.