As the United States begins to emerge into a new reality caused by COVID-19, many cities and states across the country are finding that not only has demand for recycling increased among residents who stayed home, but they also have a renewed interest in recycling correctly.  This presents a unique opportunity for Broken Arrow to engage with residents and implement a new modern curbside recycling system that will ensure millions of recyclable materials are collected instead of being landfilled.

A new initiative unveiled by city officials and sustainability leaders with the support of America’s leading beverage companies will do just that.  Foreign import restrictions and pressures during the pandemic have forced communities to find the most cost-effective strategies for collecting and processing recyclable goods while working to ensure the safety of collection workers. 

Here in the Sooner State, we are fortunate to have scenic mountains, prairies and forests, and active communities, where residents are eager to do their part to preserve the beauty of Oklahoma.

But residents of Broken Arrow do not have access to curbside recycling, and that means valuable recyclables – like our industry’s 100% recyclable plastic bottles – end up in landfills instead of being collected and remade into new bottles.

These challenges are why upgrading Broken Arrow’s recycling infrastructure is a valuable endeavor that promises to aid our economy by reducing landfill and waste collection costs, protect our environment by keeping valuable plastics in the supply chain to be remade, and improve the safety for sanitation professionals.

That’s why the Oklahoma Beverage Association partnered with the Every Bottle Back initiative to modernize Broken Arrow’s curbside recycling system and provide informative resources to residents looking to increase recycling and reduce contamination.

The initiative is led by the American Beverage Association, alongside America’s leading beverage companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo as well as environmental and sustainability leaders at The Recycling Partnership, Closed Loop Partners and World Wildlife Fund. 

We are excited to work alongside these fantastic partners to create a more circular economy. 

As part of this breakthrough national initiative, Broken Arrow will receive an investment of $390,500 to increase the number of recycling carts for more than 35,000 households in the area.

We’ll be able to increase load capacity, reduce recyclables sent to landfills, and generate 124 million new pounds of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) over 10 years. We’ll also be able to work with reclaimers in Oklahoma to solidify a strategic supply chain that will reduce the need for new plastic.

These new resources also will help reduce sanitation worker injuries sustained during bin or bag collection. Of course, new equipment is only one part of the equation. That’s why area residents will also receive recycling information to make confident decisions about what does and does not belong a recycling cart.

Locally tailored solutions allow Every Bottle Back to deliver tangible results and demonstrate the power of cross-industry, public-private partnerships that can serve as a model for the entire country.

At the Oklahoma Beverage Association, we are proud to lead the charge, and we hope others will be inspired by our efforts to prevent more of our valuable 100% recyclable bottles from winding up across our plains, hills and lakes.

Now more than ever, we thank Broken Arrow for participating in curbside recycling, and we look forward to working with all of our neighbors to protect the environment for future generations.