Texan by Nature and Texans for Clean Water teamed up with El Paso Sam’s Club to launch a 6-month PET thermoform recycling pilot project with the goal of incentivizing thermoform recycling at the community level.
The project seeks to collect 110,000 lbs of #1 PET plastics between July 6, 2022 to January 2023. PET thermoforms are CLEAR PLASTIC clamshells (used for bakery items, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, and other fruits and produce), trays, tubs, clear egg cartons, lids, and cups. These are often marked with the #1 PET symbol.
As Texas’ population continues to grow, conservation programs, industry involvement, and community education and participation in conservation are critical to the future of Texas’ natural resources. Litter like PET poses threats to our over 190,000 miles of waterways, wildlife, city infrastructure, health of communities, and funding that could be spent elsewhere. In 10 U.S. states that have deposit/return policies that provide 5-10 cents for containers returned for recycling, studies have shown 50% less litter on roadways and 30% less litter in waterways.
The pilot will provide 670,000 El Paso residents with a monetary incentive to recycle PET thermoforms. Participants will receive 10 cents back for every clear, #1 PET plastic package they recycle. The money can be donated to a local charity or claimed through Venmo.
Please visit https://texanbynature.org/projects/pet/ for more information.
