New Recycling Kiosk at ShopRite Lets Customers Recycle Flexible-Film Plastic Packaging for Pet Food, Snacks, Garden Products and More
ShopRite and TerraCycle Launch Recycling Program for Flexible-Film Plastic Packaging; Pilot Program Rolls Out at Five ShopRite Stores
TRENTON, New Jersey (June 5, 2024) – Just in time for World Environment Day, ShopRite and its store brands Paperbird and Bowl & Basket are collaborating with P&G, Purina, Campbell’s Snacks and TerraCycle to launch a recycling program for flexible-film plastic packaging.
The kiosks offer customers a place to drop off all brands of otherwise hard-to-recycle flexible-film packaging and keep waste out of landfills. The colorful kiosks are located outside five ShopRite stores and contain instructions for sorting the flexible-film. ShopRite customers are encouraged to drop off their flexible-film waste – everything from empty potato chip bags to potting soil packages – at dedicated recycling kiosks at the following store locations:
● Brookdale ShopRite: 1409 Broad St., Bloomfield, NJ 07003
● ShopRite of Newark: 206 Springfield Ave., Newark, NJ 07103
● ShopRite of Greater Morristown: 178 E. Hanover Ave., Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927
● ShopRite of Livingston: 483 S. Livingston Ave., Livingston, NJ 07039
● ShopRite of Stirling: 1153 Valley Rd., Stirling, NJ 07980
The following items are accepted through the new recycling kiosks:
● Home, pet and garden packaging:
○ Fertilizer and soil bags
○ Pet food and treat packaging
○ Laundry and dish detergent pouches
● Flexible snack packaging:
○ Chip and snack bags
○ Candy wrappers
○ Food and drink squeeze pouches
● Plastic wrap and shopping bags:
○ Plastic shopping bags
○ Bread bags
○ Plastic film/wrap
“We are pleased to work with TerraCycle, the leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials,” said Karen Meleta, Chief Communications Officer for Wakefern Food Corp., the logistics and merchandising arm for ShopRite stores. “For more than four decades, ShopRite has supported and advanced a wide range of recycling and waste-reduction initiatives to make a meaningful difference in the communities served by ShopRite stores. The new ShopRite flexible plastics recycling kiosk created by TerraCycle in collaboration with brand partners is a continuation of that commitment to community and sustainability.”
“Most flexible plastic, including snack wrappers, chip bags and food packaging, end up in the trash, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of New Jersey-based Terracycle. “The ShopRite Flexible Packaging Recycling Kiosks provide residents of Morris and Essex counties more access to recycling these hard-to-recycle single-use plastics, and we hope to see many shoppers take advantage of these free recycling kiosks.”
ShopRite stores have a longstanding recycling program for plastic bags but stores were seeing other forms of flexible-film in the plastic bag bins. The new recycling kiosks now allow customers to properly sort the material and return it for recycling. TerraCycle will clean and recycle the flexible-film into raw formats that manufacturers use to make new products. Paper-based wrappers, food waste, pet food, pet accessories, canvas totes, food storage containers, glass containers, bottles and other rigid plastics will not be accepted at the kiosks.
TerraCycle will track usage of the kiosks and report results to ShopRite and Wakefern to measure the success of the program to determine next steps on expansion.
To search for the nearest participating ShopRite location or to learn more about the ShopRite Flexible Packaging Recycling Kiosk program, visit https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/shoprite-flexible-packaging-recycling-kiosk.
About ShopRite
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, NJ, and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With nearly 280 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves millions of customers each week. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Since the program began in 1999, ShopRite Partners In Caring has donated nearly $62 million to food banks that support more than 2,200 worthy charities. As a title sponsor of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, ShopRite has donated $40 million to local organizations, hospitals and community groups. For more information, please visit www.shoprite.com.
About TerraCycle
TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Across 21 countries, TerraCycle is on a mission to rethink waste and develop practical solutions for today’s complex waste challenges. The company engages an expansive multi-stakeholder community across a wide range of accessible programs, from Fortune 500 companies to schools and individuals. To learn more about TerraCycle and join them on their journey to move the world from a linear economy to a circular one, please visit www.terracycle.com.
