Zed’s Beer in Marlton will be one of two county dropoff locations for recycling of used drink carriers, known as handles. The other is Farm Truck Brewing in Medford. The carriers should not be discarded in curbside recycling containers.
Burlington County has introduced a new eco-friendly way for residents to recycle plastic beer, soda and seltzer carriers.
The county Department of Solid Waste and Recycling has launched an initiative with Oregon-based plastics manufacturer PakTech and two county breweries to create dropoff locations for the used drink carriers, also known as handles.
PakTech is an industry leader in using recycled, high-density polyethylene plastic to create 100% recyclable packaging handles and automated application equipment. A full-service company that specializes in creating injection molded handles for multi-packing products, PakTech makes it easy for consumers to grab, carry, and release multiple products using a simple, minimal handle.
Starting this month, residents can bring their used drink carriers to the county Resource Recovery Complex on Burlington-Columbus Road in Florence. Carriers can also be brought to Farm Truck Brewing in Medford or Zed’s Beer in Evesham Township. Both breweries use PakTech carriers and participate in the company’s recycling program.
“Burlington County residents are very environmentally conscious and have helped us earn one of the best recycling records in the state,” said County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson said. “Collecting plastic drink carriers might seem small, but it is another way for us to keep common plastic items out of our landfill.”
PakTech carriers are widely used by breweries and major drink and food brands such Kirkland, Kraft/Heinz, Colgate-Palmolive, Pepsi and Ocean Spray. The carriers are quickly replacing older, plastic-ring holders that pose a threat to wildlife and marine life on land or waterways.
PakTech carriers are recyclable, but cannot be processed through the county’s single-stream recycling program. Unlike aluminum cans, they should not be placed in curbside recycling bins. Carriers dropped off at the Recovery Center will be processed and recycled with the county’s other plastics.
Farm Truck Brewing will deliver returned carriers to the county to recycle. Zed’s Beer washes and reuses most of the carriers returned to them, but damaged ones will be recycled. The county is hopeful additional local breweries and municipalities will consider joining the program to give residents more carrier dropoff locations.Â
“We want to encourage more local breweries to host dropoffs, and we’re also looking to do special collections at upcoming paper shredding days and other county events,” explained county Commissioner Tom Pullion, liaison to the Department of Solid Waste and Recycling. “The more dropoff locations and options we can offer, the easier it will be for residents to participate and recycle right.
“It’s an easy way for people to help protect our environment, and it’s a proven tax saver, because it reduces landfill waste and fees towns pay for trash disposal.”
The county was one of the first in the state to create a regional recycling program, and it is one of the only ones to collect from all of its towns without charging either municipalities or residents for the service.
Last year, close to 82 million pounds of recyclables were collected from the county’s 40 towns, saving those municipalities and their taxpayers almost $3.9 million from additional landfill fees.
