Bank Introduces Standardized Recycling Label Solution Nationwide and Provides $100,000 Grant to Bring Thousands of Standardized Labels to U.S. Schools.
As a result of the collaboration, RAA’s easy-to-understand society-wide standardized labels are starting to be displayed on trash and recycling bins at Bank of America locations across the country, making it easier for employees to recycle right and to recycle more.
Recycling has been identified as one of the most important actions society can take to help the environment, but only when it is done properly. Every day there are millions of tons of garbage thrown in recycling bins as a result of the public’s confusion from historically inconsistent and confusing labels on recycling bins. This contamination cripples the economics of recycling and prevents many companies from choosing recycled materials for use in their manufacturing. When manufacturers continue to use virgin materials, finite natural resources rapidly deplete. Additionally, without proper recycling and reuse of materials, millions of metric tons of these otherwise valuable materials are ending up in waterways, oceans and sealife every year (the equivalent of five full bags stacked for every linear foot of coastline worldwide -- each year).
Bank of America has joined RAA’s solution-driven movement, inspired by the latest statistics demonstrating that standardized labeling on recycling bins is proven to increase recycling levels between 50-100% while significantly reducing the amount of garbage that typically contaminates the recycling stream.
As a Leader for Progress in RAA’s Let’s Recycle Right! campaign, Bank of America, through the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, is also making a $100,000 grant to RAA to provide free standardized labels to K-12 U.S. schools. This donation will help RAA add to the more than 3,000 U.S. schools now using the standardized labels (including Houston, Washington DC, San Diego, Scottsdale and other school districts) in the growing movement toward helping the next generation become better recyclers.
“Managing and recycling waste is a critical environmental priority and an effort to which each of us can make a big contribution. On Earth Day, Bank of America kicked off our new Recycle Now initiative, a company-wide effort to increase recycling rates in the workplace,” said Alex Liftman, Bank of America Global Environmental Executive. “We have already introduced the RAA labels in certain markets and are seeing great results.”
The society-wide labeling solution for recycling bins is also being used by an increasing number of universities, public destinations and some of the most notable businesses and brands in the world. To date there are nearly 750,000 of RAA’s standardized labels on recycling bins throughout the U.S.
“We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with our sustainability-minded friends at Bank of America,” said Mitch Hedlund, Executive Director of RAA. “Bank of America truly understands the importance of making it easier for society to recycle properly, as global waste and the use of finite resources continues to escalate and as waste continues to plague oceans and sea life. With their expansive reach, they are a tremendous partner to help advocate this solution and its systemic impact on the environment, manufacturing and the economy. Leaders for Progress such as Bank of America, are environmental game changers because they are able to inspire change at a macro level to rapidly pollinate progress. And the fact that they are also donating standardized labels to schools further demonstrates their ongoing commitment to sustainability that will benefit our planet for generations to come.
“And we are also extremely grateful to our friends at Participant Media, Pivot and their docuseries Human Resources, for helping us establish these opportunities with their media contributions and by always finding ways to build momentum around the Let’s recycle right! movement,” added Hedlund.
About Recycle Across America
Recycle Across America (RAA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which has developed the first and only society-wide standardized labeling system for recycling bins to help eliminate the public confusion surrounding recycling and to improve the economics of closed loop manufacturing. RAA and the standardized labels have been identified as a world-changing solution by Ashoka Global Innovators for the Public and are being referred to as “one of the most important environmental fixes taking root today.” For more information about RAA’s standardized label initiative or its celebrity-led ‘Let’s Recycle Right’ campaign, visit www.recycleacrossamerica.org or contact [email protected].
for Recycle Across America
Paul Williams, (310) 569-0023
[email protected]
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Sustainable Brands Staff
Published May 5, 2015 3am EDT / 12am PDT / 8am BST / 9am CEST