“Empty, clean and dry.”

That’s the message Republic Services wants to get out to its customers through a national campaign it kicked off this month. The idea is to encourage consumers to change the way they think about recycling.

In response to an evolving industry, Republic has experienced the demand for better, quality recycled materials and wants to maximize what can actually be used for new materials. As the largest recycler in Benton County, and the second-largest waste-hauling company in the country, Republic is focusing on educating consumers on how to properly discard and sort materials.