Being Mindful in Recycling: Keeping Yogurt Cups and Electronics Separate

Preserve, continues to explore new possibilities in recycling while sustaining safe practices for their consumers and the planet.

Since its founding, Preserve has served as an end market for recycled material, creating solutions that safely bring material back into market for continued use.”

— Ron Gonen

WALTHAM, MA, UNITED STATES, February 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In the last few months, concerns about flame retardant in black plastics recycling have been on the rise.

Although the estimated exposure was reported incorrectly and the corrected

research shows levels are well below what’s safe, it’s important to understand what’s being done to reduce contamination in the recycling stream to ensure recycled materials’ safety. Part of this is ensuring proper sortation of different materials, ensuring that foodservice packaging like yogurt cups are not recycled alongside electronics. Another key part is the testing of recycled material to ensure products made from them are safe.

There are major needs to reduce plastic waste and safeguard both human health, and the ecosystem. With plastics production expected to triple by 2050, solutions for plastics circularity must be sought out.

Plastics also create solutions. They are used every day to make our lives easier. If cars, where humans arguably have their greatest environmental impact, were still made mostly of steel instead of lighter weight plastics for many parts, the impact of car emissions environmentally would be much greater during vehicle lifespans. Plastics are also a strong material per weight and cost. They effectively support our food’s journey throughout the supply chain, keeping food fresh and safe until it’s eaten. Today, transportation and wasted food are two of the biggest areas in which US consumers impact our mother earth, and plastics help to reduce our impact in both categories. But we need to find better ways to recycle this valuable material.

Preserve, with a mission to reverse harm caused by the industrial age, has created examples of what is possible with these plastics. Founded in 1996, Preserve has been making products from recycled plastics, including toothbrushes, razors, and dishware.

Preserve additionally makes single-use cutlery from 100% recycled materials. And it is no mistake that it is black and flame-retardant free. The eventually all-black cutlery enables the recycler and manufacturer to recycle items of multiple colors.

Given recycled plastics’ utility, Preserve is taking steps to reuse them safely. In 2025, Preserve will work with GreenScreen, a leader in chemical hazard assessments, to certify their recycled products are meeting stringent standards for materials safety.

Taking the idea of recycling in a whole new direction, Preserve has received a grant from Barclays and the Unreasonable group to work with a partner to make products from materials created from captured CO2 converted to protein. This protein, in powder form, is converted to a polymer, and Preserve is working on manufacturing these polymers into products. The goal – make products that are carbon negative, home compost and harmlessly biodegrade into water and hydrogen … not microplastics.

Ron Gonen, Founder & CEO at Closed Loop Partners, a firm at the forefront of building a circular economy and an early investor in Preserve states “Since its founding, Preserve has served as an end market for recycled material, creating solutions that safely bring material back into market for continued use. We are proud to support Preserve as they continue to develop pathways that keep valuable plastics in continued circulation at their highest quality. The circular economy is accelerating in the U.S., with recycling playing a key role––generating $5 billion in revenue and supporting over 600,000 jobs. Alongside other solutions including reuse and material innovations, recycling has seen much progress over the years, integrating new technologies to produce high quality recyclables to meet an increasing demand for recycled material. As more investment goes into upgrading circular infrastructure and solutions, it is crucial to ensure the quality and safety of recycled materials and strengthen the end markets that safely pull material back into supply chains for continued use.”

Making products from recycled materials reduces environmental impact; certifying these products from both a climate footprint as well as a health and safety standpoint, helps recyclers feel good about the steps they are taking to reduce their environmental footprint.