Carolinas Plastics Recycling Council part of two-day recycling-focused event
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Commerce and North Carolina Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service this week partnered to host a two-day event, featuring a meeting of the S.C. Carpet Recovery Coalition on November 3 and a meeting of the Carolinas Plastics Recycling Council (CPRC) on November 4. Industries from both states were invited to attend the meetings.
Taking place in Rock Hill, S.C., the conference featured networking opportunities and panel discussions, allowing those in the carpet recovery and plastics recycling industries the chance to examine the future of their respective sectors and speak to the overall importance of sustainability.
“From both an economic and environmental standpoint, the promotion of sustainable practices and sustainable businesses is critical to our state,” said S.C. Department of Commerce Director of Recycling Market Development Chantal Fryer. “That’s why we are proud to partner with our neighbors to the north. These are important initiatives to both of our states and to the companies and citizens that operate and live within our borders.”
Established in 2011, the Carolinas Plastics Recycling Council works to raise awareness around the importance of recycling plastic bottles and to promote plastic recycling companies operating within the two states. In recent years, the CPRC launched the Your Bottle Means Jobs campaign, which aims to get more of the three billion plastic bottles discarded each year in the Carolinas back into the production cycle.
From milk, shampoo and laundry detergent containers to water, sports drink and soda bottles, plastic bottle recycling in the Carolinas accounts for more than 3,500 jobs. If each household in the two states recycled two more bottles each week, it would have an estimated $10 million economic impact, potentially creating 300 new jobs in the plastics recycling industry.
“Plastics recovery is an extremely important part of the recycling economy in the Carolinas, and the CPRC has proven to be a great way to network within the industry, share technical information and identify ways to capture more discarded plastics,” said N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service State Recycling Director Scott Mouw. “We really appreciate the coordination with our South Carolina friends in helping the CPRC be a constructive force for plastic recycling in our two states.”
Among the more than 50 companies represented at the two-day event was Sun Fibers, which operates plastics recycling facilities in both Chester and Chesterfield Counties. The company transforms discarded soda and water bottles into recycled polyester staple fibers for use in the home textiles, furniture, upholstery and automotive industries.
“The awareness and education fostered through initiatives such as Your Bottle Means Jobs is crucial to perpetuating the understanding that recycling is ‘green’ relates to both the environment and the economy. Both of our facilities are located in areas wherein our labor shed transcends the state line between South Carolina and North Carolina. It is exciting to participate in initiatives such as this and encourage the Carolinas to draw the parallel between the environment and the economy, thus providing opportunities to put more Carolinians to work,” said Sun Fibers Vice President Christopher Winters.
For additional information on the Carpet Recovery Coalition, click here. And, for additional information on the Carolinas Plastics Recycling Council, visit www.yourbottlemeansjobs.com.