In Store Recycling Is Taking a Sabbatical!!!

You read that right. It's with a certain level of discomfort that we're temporarily suspending our in-store recycling program. (Sorry!!!) As of April 1, we will no longer accept any recycling at our Middletown store until further notice.

But we have good reason!!

Our collection bins are definitely our most successful eco-initiative, with people coming in every day to drop off their hard-to-recycle waste, like food wrappers, shipping pouches and bottle corks. But it's for precisely that reason that it's become unmanageable for us, in it's current state.

Reason #1 : We're moving our printshop this year. We're actively in the process of packing up all our stuff to get ready for the move. Yet every week we have bags and bags of recycling coming in. We don't have the space to store it, nor the staff to sort it, and we'll be totally consumed with the move and unable to manage the program for at least several months. 

Reason #2 : Wishcycling has become a serious problem. Our bins are clearly labeled, but unfortunately we find all kinds of things in them that are not materials we recycle. Typically when a waste stream is contaminated, the whole batch gets trashed. So to make sure we're only sending the correct materials to our recycling partners, we manually sort through the bins every week! It takes a lot of time and is very discouraging to our team. We're trying to do the right thing by recycling hard to recycle materials, but a few wishful apples are ruining it for the whole bunch.

Reason #3 : It's a huge expense. When we started the program, the amount of materials coming in was very manageable. We had to empty the bins a couple times a year. Now, we have to empty the bins almost every week. Every time we start a new bin it costs us about $250. The program has really skyrocketed and become unsustainable for a company our size.

But fear not! We have Solutions!

We created a Recycling Guide! This guide clearly defines the items we accept (or will accept once we reinstate the program). It also tells you where to recycle those items while our program is suspended. We've also outlined a few items we don't accept and where to recycle them too.

We'll be hosting Recycling Events! Since we won't be able to take recycling on a daily basis, we will begin hosting recycling events at the store. These will be specific days & times that you can bring in the acceptable materials. We will have extra staff on hand to sort your recycling so we can avoid wishcycling & contaminating the streams. Make sure you're subscribed to our mailing list, specifically for Local Events, to stay up to date!

We're working on an even better solution. Not to jump the gun, but we have plans for a bigger, better recycling situation, and we're actively working on finding grant funds and resources to help us make it a reality. But it will be months, could be up to a year, before we are able to start accepting recycling in our stores again. 

Bear with us during this transition, and please use the Recycling Guide to continue doing all the good deeds we already know you love doing. 

Thanks for helping us save the planet, one potato chip bag at a time. And remember, small actions multiplied by many, creates global change.

Every little bit has an impact!

- Rachel