New Practice May Explain Why the Amount of Recycling Material Collected in Wisconsin Dropped in the Past Decade

Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 -- 8:01 AM

(Wisconsin Radio Network) A new recycling practice may explain why the amount of collected materials dropped by nearly 7,000 tons between 2013 and 2022 in Wisconsin.

According to the Wisconsin Radio Network, Wisconsin Policy Forum Senior Research Associate Tyler Brynes says it’s called “lightweighting”. Companies have shifted to using less materials to package their products, which leads to less waste in the system.

Brynes says a plastic water bottle today weights nearly 40% less than one from 10 years ago.

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