On this episode of The Waste World Podcast, Gage Edwards is joined by Katherine Huded, Executive Director of Material Systems at The Recycling Partnership, to discuss one of the toughest challenges in recycling today: film and flexible packaging.
The podcast covers the Partnership’s recent $4.25 million grant to FCC Environmental Services’ MRF in Houston, the largest single grant the organization has awarded to date. This investment will fund equipment upgrades, including optical sorters, to capture more film and flexible packaging, reduce contamination, and produce higher-quality bales for end markets. The project is designed not just to improve recycling in Houston, but also to generate critical learnings for scaling FFP recycling across the country.
Katherine also explains the CalFFlex initiative, a blueprint for residential film and flexible recycling being developed in response to California’s new regulations. With EPR policies now in effect in multiple states, the Partnership is leveraging years of pilot projects and data to help inform program plans and ensure compliance pathways are achievable.
The episode also covers how stronger resident education, better system design, and improved processing capacity are all necessary to increase participation and capture more materials. Huded outlines the five key elements of a strong recycling system: product design, access, participation, processing, and viable end markets. She also emphasizes the importance of balancing supply and demand, ensuring that as more materials are collected, there are sustainable markets ready to put them back into circulation as new products.
To learn more about The Recycling Partnership’s initiatives, visit recyclingpartnership.org. And don’t forget to subscribe to The Waste World Podcast for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of recycling, waste, and sustainability.
