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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2024
SWALCO (Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, IL)
LAKE FOREST, Ill., September 16, 2024 – Hefty® brand is pleased to offer the Hefty ReNew™ program to nine communities and five townships in Lake County, Illinois, in partnership with Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS) and Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) in October. Hefty ReNew™ is a program that makes it easy to collect hard-to-recycle plastics and offers residents a convenient way to divert more plastic waste from landfills.
The program’s Hefty® Renew® orange bags are used in homes to collect and contain hard-to-recycle plastics such as chip bags, foam egg cartons, plastic pet food bags, plastic grocery bags, bubble wrap, foam cups, plastic utensils and other flexible film and packaging. The program is intended to complement, not replace, current recycling efforts, so it’s important to continue to follow the usual guidelines for other recyclables collected by LRS.
How does it work? Simply fill the orange bag with accepted items and when the bag is full, tie it up tightly and put it directly in your recycling bin or cart alongside your loose recyclables. That’s it. The orange bag makes it easy – accepted items are printed directly on the bag. The orange color is essential for recycling processors to identify the materials you collected, so they go to the right place (and not the landfill).
The recycling center separates the orange bags from other materials and sends them to facilities that bring new life to hard-to-recycle plastics by converting them into useful products, including building and construction materials and lumber. Learn more about the end markets for materials collected through the Hefty ReNew™ program at HeftyReNew.com.
Starting in October, the program will be offered in nine municipalities in Lake County, including Bannockburn, Deerfield, Gurnee, Highland Park, Highwood, Lake Villa, Lincolnshire, North Chicago and Riverwoods; and the unincorporated areas of five townships including, Avon Township, Moraine Township, Shields Township, Warren Township and West Deerfield Township.
The Hefty® ReNew® orange bags will be available through local retailers starting in October, Until then, residents in participating areas can request a free Hefty ReNew™ starter kit on HeftyReNew.com and start collecting materials for recycling now.
Residents will be able to purchase additional Hefty® ReNew® orange bags at their local Jewel-Osco, Menards, Sunset Foods or Ace Hardware starting in October. For additional online options, visit HeftyReNew.com.
“It’s exciting to introduce the Hefty ReNew™ program to Lake County,” said Carlee Bilello, Senior Marketing Director for the Hefty ReNew™ program at Reynolds Consumer Products. “Providing more people with the opportunity to divert waste from landfills and improve their community is our mission, and we’re able to bring it here with our partnerships with LRS and SWALCO.”
"At LRS, our mission is to provide innovative waste diversion and recycling solutions that make a tangible difference in the communities we serve," said Joshua Connell, VP Government Affairs and co-founder at LRS. "Partnering with Hefty ReNew™ allows us to offer Lake County residents a convenient way to recycle materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. We're proud to support this initiative and look forward to seeing the positive environmental impact it will bring to the area."
“For the past 16 years, SWALCO has been working on finding a better way to collect and manage hard-to-recycle plastics,” said Walter Willis, SWALCO’s Executive Director. “Hefty’s ReNew™ program provides a comprehensive and convenient way to engage our residents and take our recycling program to the next level.”
Developed in collaboration with Dow and other program supporters, the Hefty ReNew™ program began in 2018 and has continued to expand, diverting over 2,800 tons of hard-to-recycle plastics from landfills across Georgia, Idaho, Nebraska, Tennessee, Arizona and Ohio. The Hefty ReNew™ program was known as Hefty® EnergyBag® prior to 2023. To learn more about the program and end markets for materials collected through the program, see HeftyReNew.com.
About Reynolds Consumer Products
Reynolds Consumer Products (REYN: Nasdaq), headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, is a leading provider of household products that simplify daily life so you can enjoy what matters most. Our Reynolds® and Hefty® brand products help make mealtime easier with preparation, cooking, cleanup, and storage solutions. For more information, visit ReynoldsConsumerProducts.com and HeftyReNew.com.
About LRS
LRS is among the nation's leading independent waste diversion, recycling and portable services providers. Since 2013, LRS has specialized in delivering an exceptional customer experience for millions of residential and commercial customers across eight states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas, Arkansas. Diversified and growing, LRS also offers affordable roll-off container services, C&D recycling and portable restroom rentals. LRS owns and operates more than 70 facilities and thrives on the passion of nearly 2,300 full-time employees. LRS has earned numerous accolades for its success, including being named in Crain’s Chicago Business’ Fast 50, NABR’s Best and Brightest lists across the Midwest, and receiving the NWRA Facility of the Year award for its newest MRF, The Exchange. The company provides safe, innovative, sustainability-driven services to clean and beautify the cities, neighborhoods, and communities it serves. To learn more visit www.LRSrecycles.com.
About SWALCO
The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, Ill. (SWALCO) is a municipal joint action agency that is responsible for developing and implementing a regional solid waste management plan for its 43 municipal members including the County of Lake and Naval Station Great Lakes. Formed in 1991, SWALCO represents approximately 85 percent of the county’s population. Its mission is to implement a regional solid waste management plan; facilitate an efficient, reliable and environmentally sound waste disposal system; advise and assist its members regarding solid waste management issues; educate the public regarding implications of solid waste management options; and identify, evaluate and disseminate information regarding techniques to reduce, reuse and recycle the amount of solid waste generated. For more information, visit www.swalco.org.
Hefty® ReNew™ Media Contact:
HeftyReNewPress@ReynoldsBrands.com
LRS Media Contact:
lrs@spoolmarketing.com
SWALCO Media Contact:
WWillis@swalco.org
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