Posted by Chris Voloschuk, Associate Editor, Recyling Today

Published July 23, 2025 | Updated July 24, 2025

The Association of Plastic Recyclers’ (APR’s) Recycling in Action Month in May provided thousands of Americans with insight into the industry, the group says.

In May, 36 facilities across 20 states conducted more than 150 public tours, showing how recyclables are sorted, processed and turned into new products. The Washington-based organization claims the effort drew strong participation and created immediate impact.

RELATED: Recyclers opening doors to the public through APR program

According to APR’s post-tour surveys:

• 85 percent of attendees said they came away believing recycling works better than they previously thought.
• 74 percent expressed strong confidence that what they put in the bin actually gets recycled.
• 70 percent reported they now feel more confident in their ability to recycle correctly.
• 82 percent said they are very likely to share what they learned with others.

Tour participants explored the inner workings of material recovery facilities (MRFs) or plastic reclaimers, including the advanced technologies that sort plastics and other materials, learning why “common mistakes,” such as placing bagged recyclables or food-contaminated items in the bin, can disrupt the recycling stream, along with tips to improve recycling habits at home.

“At a time when public trust in recycling is often challenged, demonstrating that the system works is central to APR’s mission,” APR President and CEO Steve Alexander says. “In 2022 alone, North American recyclers processed 5 billion pounds of plastic. That’s the equivalent of 340 truckloads of plastic kept out of landfills every single day. By showing the recycling process in action, we helped demystify how plastics are recovered and gave people a renewed sense of confidence in the system.”

Participating recyclers included the Baltimore County MRF; Casella Waste Systems; Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority in Pennsylvania;  Circular Services; Curbside Management; Eureka Recycling in Minneapolis; First Star Recycling in Omaha, Nebraska; the Kent County Department of Public Works in Grand Rapids, Michigan; KW Plastics in Troy, Alabama; Millenium Recycling in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; the Montgomery County MRF in Maryland; the North Gateway Transfer Station in Phoenix; Pellitteri Waste Systems; PureCycle Technologies Inc.; Recology; Republic Services Inc.; Rumpke Waste & Recycling; Schupan Recycling; the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County in Palm Beach, Florida; the town of LaPointe MRF and the Tri-County Recycling Facility in Wisconsin; and WM.

“At WM, we believe it’s important to show people the journey recyclables take from the bin to becoming new products,” says Brent Bell, vice president of recycling at WM. “WM is proud to work with APR, including taking communities behind the scenes at some of our facilities to advance recycling education and highlight the positive impacts of our industry’s growing investments in plastic recycling. Together, we can recycle more plastics and build a stronger, more sustainable future.”

APR says it is considering expanding the program in 2026 to include more facilities, more tours and greater outreach.