The Hefty® EnergyBag® is a program designed to recover non-recyclable plastics (plastics which cannot currently be mechanically recycled).
The Hefty® EnergyBag® program's goal is to achieve positive long-term environmental and economic advantages, including alternative energy resources and fewer tons of plastics ending up in landfills. The Hefty® EnergyBag® initiative launched in Omaha, Nebraska in September 2016, in Louisville, Nebraska in 2018 and has now expanded to other cities across the country.
WHERE CAN I GET THE ORANGE HEFTY® ENERGYBAGS®?
You can purchase them at the following participating local retailers, located in the trash bag aisle:
- HyVee
- Bakers
- Menards
- Papillion Sanitation (contact them directly)
- Target
- The Home Depot
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE HEFTY® ENERGYBAGS® AFTER THEY ARE COLLECTED?
After your local waste hauler picks up your tied orange bags along with your regular curbside recycling, the orange bags are then sent to Firstar Fiber Corporation where they are separated, baled, and sent to an energy recovery facility, where plastics are converted into other energy sources.
When the Hefty® EnergyBag® program piloted in Omaha, a small quantity of material was sent to a cement kiln in Kansas City where it was used as a coal replacement, as this option burns hotter and cleaner than coal. However, this process was only considered a secondary market. According to Firstar Fiber, the primary end market of this material now goes to pyrolysis facilities around the country.
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical treatment in which plastic material is exposed to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, and goes through chemical and physical separation into different molecules. This process converts the plastic material into new products like transportation fuels, naphtha, and wax.
According to Firstar Fiber, material from the Hefty® EnergyBag® has also been used to make other products such as plastic lumbers like fence posts, railroad ties, and ceiling board. Firstar is currently pursuing options to operate a local facility to produce plastic lumber.
To learn more about this program consult the Hefty web site.
