What happens to your recycling?

Closing the (recycling) loop

What happens to the items you recycle?

If you think about it, placing an item in your recycling cart isn’t the end of the recycling loop; it’s really the beginning of the process. And for nearly 90% of all plastic materials that are recycled with City of Grand Rapids single stream carts, that loop involves a local plastics recycling company Bata Plastics, the nation’s only Silver Level L.E.E.D. certified plastic recycling facility.

Here’s how it works:

1. 1 Once your recycled items are collected by the City of Grand Rapids they’re taken to the Kent County Recycling Center where they are sorted.
2. 2 Next, the recycled items are sold to companies like Bata which grinds all the plastic materials into a useable state for manufacturers, many of which are local.
3. 3 Bata then sells the plastic material so they can be made into new products.
4. 4 Many of the products are made in the Midwest and offered at local stores, and eventually end up in your home.

So, in a way, by participating in the “recycling loop” you are helping to not only provide a cleaner environment, but also to help sustain local businesses.