Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp. (RIRRC) announced a new agreement with Recycle Across America (RAA) that enables RIRRC, a quasi-public agency, to also offer standardized labels to private businesses and institutions— including private schools—at no cost, for those who participate in the state’s recycling program.

Earlier this year, Rhode Island became the first state to adopt Recycle Across America’s simple standardized recycling labels. As part of the same agreement, every state agency and municipality also became eligible for free labels. 

The new announcement is an expansion of that program.

According to RIRRC, this is the first time RAA has permitted a public entity to be the direct provider of their labels to the private sector.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with RIRRC,” Mitch Hedlund, Executive Director and Founder of RAA, said in a statement.  “They really understand the fact that if the public is confused at the recycling bin, the entire system of recycling and the ability to reuse the materials in manufacturing is negatively impacted.   I’m in awe of their determination to fix the issue in a pragmatic and macro way for the greater good of their communities, for the environment and for the overall economics and efficacy of recycling and closed loop manufacturing. 

Expanding the offer of free standardized labels beyond public schools and out to businesses and institutions supplements RIRRC’s long-standing programs to help anyone start or improve recycling through free waste assessments and educational assistance. 

“RI Resource Recovery is excited to provide free standardized recycling bin labels to any group in RI—public or private—that wants them,” Krystal Noiseux, RIRRC’s education and outreach manager said in a statement. “This expanded availability brings us one step closer to the day when everyone in Rhode Island sees the same, basic, consistent message on recycling bins at home, at school, at the park, at the mall, and at work.” 

To date, 196 schools in 26 school districts have received nearly 16,000 free labels, with Westerly and West Greenwich being the first to complete label placement throughout all district schools. Resource Recovery has created an informational label placement guide to assist schools with the process, and hopes to see labels affixed on school bins, from Woonsocket to Westerly, by then end of the year. 

More than one million RAA standardized labels are displayed on bins throughout the nation. The Rhode Island  labels mimic the look of RAA’s standard mixed recycling labels, but feature those items recyclable in RI’s program.