Every Bottle Back Initiative
A new recycling initiative is coming to Marquette County.
The “Every Bottle Back ” initiative is an effort to reduce the industry’s plastic footprint and keep bottles out of the environment.
“Specifically, we are talking about getting 4,450 carts out in Ishpeming, Marquette Township and Negaunee Township. The goal is to be able to give people easier access to recycle things. I think as a society we want to do the right thing, we want to recycle, but it has to be convenient,” said Derek Bajema, President of the Michigan Soft Drink Association. “This is opportunity for private industry to work alongside citizens and make it easy for folks. We think this is a great opportunity for Michigan to raise its recycling rate which is needs some work. It’s at 15%, one of the lowest in the nation and the lowest among our neighboring Great Lake States.”
The initiative is expected to yield over 8,000,000 new pounds of recyclable materials over the next 10 years.
The effort is also working to expand equitable access to recycle and to educate residents on the best recycling practices in their community.