--- title: "Plastics Group Extends Grocery Recycling Program to Pharmacies" id: "38254" type: "post" slug: "plastics-group-extends-grocery-recycling-program-to-pharmacies" published_at: "2017-05-25T20:53:20+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T16:19:01+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/05/25/plastics-group-extends-grocery-recycling-program-to-pharmacies/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/05/25/plastics-group-extends-grocery-recycling-program-to-pharmacies.md" excerpt: "The Association of Plastic Recyclers says it’s seeing significant success with its rigid-plastics recycling program targeted at grocery stores. Now, the association is helping grocery-store pharmacies take part in the program." taxonomy_category: - "Advocacy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Environment and Sustainability" - "plastics" - "recycling" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Plastics Group Extends Grocery Recycling Program to Pharmacies The pharmacies of the world might find recycling their plastics a little bit easier going forward. That’s thanks to a new resource by the Association of Plastic Recyclers designed to educate specific facilities on how to recycle their waste plastics. In collaboration with the American Chemistry Council, APR is working to help educate pharmacies on how to best sustainably reuse “behind-the-counter” plastics—used to store stock—without requiring extra work from pharmacists. The program is being targeted at pharmacies in grocery stores. [The guidebook (opens in a new tab)](http://www.recyclegroceryplastics.org/images/pdf/Grocery-Pharmacy.pdf) [PDF] is an extension of APR’s[plastics recycling program (opens in a new tab)](http://www.recyclegroceryplastics.org/) targeted at grocery stores. Liz Bedard, APR’s rigid-plastics recycling director, noted that the move was somewhat natural. “Pharmacies offer a unique grocery store waste reduction opportunity,”[Bedard said in a news release (opens in a new tab)](http://www.plasticsrecycling.org/news-and-media/671-may-24-2017-apr-press-release) . “Many pharmacies are making the switch from disposing of large volumes of stock bottles to setting up dedicated pharmacy stock bottle recycling collection bins.” The Recycle Grocery Rigid Plastics program, which APR launched in 2013 as the Grocery Store Recycling Program, attempts to make an economic case for recycling. [In a 2015 study released by the group (opens in a new tab)](https://www.packworld.com/article/sustainability/recycling/study-makes-case-recycling-grocery-rigid-plastics) , it claimed that recycling post-consumer plastics could prove a revenue source for grocers, raising between $100 and $200 from a 1,000-pound bale of recycled rigid plastic. Additionally, APR noted the supply in stores was significant—as much as 350 million pounds nationally. In the case of pharmacy containers, the association says a small pharmacy could make $100 in revenue per year from plastics recycling—a cost savings that is more significant when considered at scale, throughout a chain of hundreds of stores, in addition to other plastics recycling endeavors. APR has seen success making its case nationally with Recycle Grocery Rigid Plastics, with 4,500 stores and 10 national chains in 32 states taking part in the initiative,[according to its news release (opens in a new tab)](http://www.plasticsrecycling.org/news-and-media/671-may-24-2017-apr-press-release) . (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#Environment and Sustainability](https://associationsnow.com/tag/environment-and-sustainability/) [#plastics](https://associationsnow.com/tag/plastics/) [#recycling](https://associationsnow.com/tag/recycling/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/) - [PodcastSustainable Events: How Associations and DMOs Are Leading the ChargeMarch 31, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/03/31/sustainable-events-how-associations-and-dmos-are-leading-the-charge/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoNCRA: Safeguarding Cancer Surveillance: An Advocacy Response to FY26 Budget ThreatsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/ncra-safeguarding-cancer-surveillance-an-advocacy-response-to-fy26-budget-threats/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F05%2F25%2Fplastics-group-extends-grocery-recycling-program-to-pharmacies%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !