Republic Services Polymer Center Honored as Industry's 2023 Sustainability Game Changer

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Jul 25, 2024, 09:04 ET

National Waste and Recycling Association recognizes first-of-its-kind facility for innovations in plastics circularity

PHOENIX, July 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) has been honored with the National Waste & Recycling Association's (NWRA) 2023 Sustainability Game Changer Award for its Polymer Center, celebrating the facility's innovative approach to plastics circularity. The Polymer Center in Las Vegas is the first in a national network under development to enable greater circularity for rigid plastics and support sustainable packaging, helping customers achieve their sustainability goals.

rPET flake produced by the Las Vegas Polymer Center.

Bales of plastic ready for processing at the Las Vegas Polymer Center

Color-sorted plastic being baled at the Las Vegas Polymer Center.

"Through the Polymer Center, we're transforming the plastics value chain, from curbside collection to consumer packaging and back again," said Pete Keller, vice president of recycling and sustainability. "Our goal is to enable true bottle-to-bottle circularity and help consumer packaged goods companies meet their recycled content goals. We're grateful to NWRA for recognizing the Polymer Center as 2023's Sustainability Game Changer."

Republic Services' Polymer Center processes sorted and baled plastics from recycling facilities, further separating plastics by type and color to produce hot-washed recycled PET flake and color-sorted olefins. Republic also launched the Blue Polymers joint venture to further process olefins from Polymer Centers and create custom drop-in solutions for packaging manufacturers.

"Game changer means the narrative has shifted," said NWRA President and CEO Michael E. Hoffman. "Republic Services Polymer Center's strategy has changed the circular economy narrative and demonstrated market-based circular solutions are viable."

The company's second Polymer Center is under development in Indianapolis, where it will be co-located with a Blue Polymers facility. Construction is expected to be complete later this year. Additional sites are planned to create a regional hub-and-spoke network for nationwide coverage.

About Republic Services
Republic Services, Inc. is a leader in the environmental services industry. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides customers with the most complete set of products and services, including recycling, solid waste, special waste, hazardous waste and field services. Republic's industry-leading commitments to advance circularity and support decarbonization are helping deliver on its vision to partner with customers to create a more sustainable world. For more information, please visit RepublicServices.com.

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SOURCE Republic Services, Inc.