Celebrate America Recycles Day 2017 with the La Porte County Solid Waste District!

la-porte-solid-waste-district-logoBring in plastic bags for recycling and get a reusable bag for free at one of three upcoming America Recycles Day events in November! The La Porte County Solid Waste District has once again teamed up with Al’s Supermarkets to promote all forms of recycling available in our county through these in-store events. We have also added the Wanatah Town Hall and La Crosse Public Library into our annual event. Not only will residents be able to swap those pesky plastic bags – a major source of litter in our communities – for a bag they can reuse time and time again, but they can also learn what they can recycle every day at Al’s stores in Michigan City and La Porte, as well as other drop off recycling locations. All events will be held from 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Join the Solid Waste District at the specified location on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, Nov. 14 – Al’s East, 702 E. Lincolnway, La Porte
  • Wednesday, Nov. 15 – Al’s Karwick, 1002 N. Karwick Road, Michigan City
  • Thursday, Nov. 16 – Al’s Franklin, 3535 Franklin St., Michigan City
  • Friday, Nov. 17- La Crosse Public Library, 307 East Main Street, La Crosse
  • Saturday, Nov. 18- Wanatah Town Hall, 104 N. Main Street, Wanatah

Thanks to Al's, Tradebe, and Republic Services, the District’s curbside recycling contractor, for donating reusable bags for these events. We’ll hand out one reusable bag for every 50 plastic bags brought in, up to a total of three reusable bags per person.

“Last year we collected 14,198 plastic bags for recycling, and this year we hope to get even more,” said Sacha Gee-Burns, District education and public outreach coordinator. “The convenience of plastic bags comes with a price to wildlife and the cleanliness of our streets when not disposed of properly, so we hope these events provide an incentive for change.”

Each year, Americans use 100 billion plastic bags. That figures out to about 313 per person, so a family of four might go through about 1,250 single-use plastic bags per year. The amount collected would have been used by about 45 residents over one year. That might be enough people to fill one apartment building.

We bring plastic bags home from pretty much anywhere we shop for food, clothes and other items, our newspapers are often wrapped in them, and we even buy more to simply throw away! They may be convenient, but when only one county -- ours -- can go through more than 34 MILLION of them in a year, it's time to start thinking about ways to reduce the amount of waste we create.

The amount of bags collected for recycling this year was less than last year, but that's actually a good thing! We've been educating on the proper way to recycle plastic bags -- at the store -- for a year now, and many participants said they've been doing just that! Plus, those who have gotten reusable bags are using them, reducing the number of plastic bags they are bringing in even more. This year we are also collecting the bags as part of a Challenge that we have signed up for with Trex. We need to collect 500 lbs of plastic bags and similar films in order to win a bench that we will then place out within our community. The challenge runs from this November until April of 2018.

We gave out about 250 reusable bags to residents in exchange for these plastic bags during our events. When you make the switch to reusable bags for shopping, you not only reduce waste, you reduce the amount of litter that ends up in our communities. Let's keep reducing, reusing and recycling!

During this event we will also be collecting used batteries as well as used inkjet/ toner cartridges.

For more information on recycling in La Porte County, visit the District’s website at solidwastedistrict.com or call (219) 326-0014.

America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day and coast-to-coast community-driven awareness campaign dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. It has been held on – and in the weeks leading into – Nov. 15 since 1997.

“America Recycles Day provides a key moment in time to regain momentum for recycling in America, and to help make recycling a daily social norm across the country,” said Brenda Pulley, senior vice president, recycling, Keep America Beautiful. “Get involved by conducting an America Recycles Day event in your hometown. Take the “I Will Recycle” Pledge and invite your friends, family and neighbors to do the same. Let’s get people recycling every day – at home, at work and on the go!”

In 2016, the District’s plastic bag swap events were among 2,000 America Recycles Day events nationwide, engaging more than 2 million estimated participants nationwide. More than 200,000 people have taken the “I Will Recycle” Pledge online and in paper form at ARD events, joining a growing movement of caring citizens committed to increase the recycling rate in America and to learn how to recycle right.

America Recycles Day is made possible through the generous support of American Chemistry Council, CyclePoint from Source America; Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Pilot Corporation of America (Pilot Pen).