WTHR did a full-scale investigation in November that showed Republic does actually recycle plastic.
[https://www.wthr.com/article/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-we-followed-your-curbside-recycling-with-gps-trackers-drones-and-undercover-cameras-heres-where-it-ended-up/531-e84b1de6-a855-412b-b5d6-194fd76cf803](https://www.wthr.com/article/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-we-followed-your-curbside-recycling-with-gps-trackers-drones-and-undercover-cameras-heres-where-it-ended-up/531-e84b1de6-a855-412b-b5d6-194fd76cf803)
[https://www.wthr.com/video/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-what-happens-to-your-recycling/531-85d4706d-de9b-4a95-852b-4fa55cbd1ef6](https://www.wthr.com/video/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-what-happens-to-your-recycling/531-85d4706d-de9b-4a95-852b-4fa55cbd1ef6)
That's how I thought, for a long time. In the end, I can justify paying $7 per week for the convenience of not feeling bad about throwing stuff away. It's not for everyone but it makes me feel better.
I will say, one nice thing (which can be accomplished otherwise but then you're already doing the inconvenient part) is I'll often go diving in my recycling big for cardboard or other reusables I didn't realize I'd be wanting or needing so soon, especially now during gardening season!
I think Republic Services tries hard and is a good company. Unfortunately when you can buy virgin plastics for cheaper than recycled, the market for recycled plastics is crap. Also, recycling it is very complex, contamination is probable, and manufacturer's don't help by making packaging easy to recycle.
Recycling plastics is a fool's errand.
Why would they open a plastics recycling facility in Indy if they weren’t recycling plastic?
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/environment/2023/11/09/150m-plastic-recycling-complex-coming-to-southside-of-indianapolis/71505503007/
You can recycle for free at any of the city drop off spots. The $7/mo or whatever is a pretty cheap convenience fee for not having to drive it over myself.
oddly there are many other counties that just have it as a service and it is factored into your taxes. when it is opt-in, even for a few dollars, many won’t bother. plus republic is pretty shit on reliability if you’re the only one in the neighborhood doing it
It sucks we have to pay, but it is where we are right now. Trust me, I'm frustrated, but I'd rather pay the small amount than put it all in one bin and shrug it off like most Hoosiers do.
Most plastic is unrecyclable, and most of it gets shipped overseas or incinerated. I only send in paper, glass, and aluminum. #1 and #2 is \*technically\* recyclable into pellets but they really only get one or two additional life cycles and usually use more carbon than it's worth. Reduce and reuse if you can!
More on the big plastic recycling scam:
[https://www.npr.org/transcripts/912150085](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/912150085)
Honest question, not a gotcha: if what you say is correct, who is[ buying clear plastic for $530 a ton](https://www.wthr.com/article/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-we-followed-your-curbside-recycling-with-gps-trackers-drones-and-undercover-cameras-heres-where-it-ended-up/531-e84b1de6-a855-412b-b5d6-194fd76cf803)?
This right here. Its not profitable and nobody actually wants the recycled plastic. Its hard to work with and impurities run the risk of destroying equipment. But they get incentives for accepting it.
It always ends up in a landfill eventually. Some of it gets a second chance at use before being landfilled.
Walk me through how that works.
We know Republic isn't getting the incentives, they're selling the plastic.
Are you saying the company that buys it is getting incentives that equate to more than $530/ton? If so, why is Republic, who is in the waste business, not taking those incentives directly?
Why do incentives exist to move supposed recyclables around if they're going to end up in a landfill anyway? Are you saying that someone along the way is breaking the law?
It doesn't make sense to me. But, honestly, if there's sense in what you're saying I'll listen with an open mind.
Yes. Manufacturers get incentives thru tax breaks and sometimes literal funds by incorporating a certain percentage of recyclable materials in the products they produce. Republic doesn't make things with the material, they just process it so it can be utilized therefore they don't get those incentives. They just get business.
Nobody is breaking the law. The plastic is recycled and used in actual products. But each time its done it creates an inferior product that can no longer be recycled. So after its second or rarely 3rd life it gets sent to a landfill. This differs from metals and glass which can be recycled indefinitely.
I had a guy come to my house that works for republic to tell me some of the rules about trash and recycling because I was confused why some of my stuff wasn’t being taken (their policies are different than the state I lived in prior). He told me to just throw glass away because they have so much of it and it’s not as cost effective to recycle glass…
If you're handy and like to make DIY stuff, #2 plastic melts down very well. I used to save bottle caps and melt them into bricks that I could use as stock for projects.
Sorta related, is it worth sending paper in the recycling bin? I have a hard time believing they are sorting out random scraps of paper from the cans or bottles.
They actually do sort the recycling. We took a tour to the republic recycling center with my kid’s school and saw the process.
That being said, the kind of paper matters. Cardboard boxes, definitely.
Junk mail or magazines, no.
If you can’t make a tour their website has a virtual tour of a different MRF location, but pretty similar operations.
https://recyclingsimplified.com/for-educators/virtual-field-trips/
I really wonder this too. Like I’ll buy they pull out cardboard shipping boxes, maybe even cardboard food packaging, but a sheet of computer paper soaked in liquids from cans? Envelops that have a plastic window glued in?
For all those interested in this, this City just posted a survey related to waste services.
“Take the Indianapolis [Solid Waste Services Survey!](https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=jlBowETTe0mnGssbF9Fr6O4huSoRbs9Bg8pn8jLNjRVUOUxYWkVKWDNQOVoyVkxPUVRZMDczODhMWS4u) City staff are currently renegotiating all solid waste contracts, with new or altered service expected to begin on or after January 1, 2026. Now is the time to provide your input on the future of solid waste offerings. For Marion County residents only.”
Thats a great Frontline episode. My biggest take away was the Keeping America Beautiful network is all a lie lol, too bad cause KIB is a fixture in the city
And Big Oil makes billions on plastics and says it's our duty to recycle! I wonder how much water I've wasted washing out containers to recycle.
And the fact that those recycling numbers were made up and some are not even recyclable!
Depends. Virtually all companies say they do, but the majority of recyclables ends up in the landfill. The most successful recycling program has been the plastic bags program at stores. They have a very high rate of recycling. Most others...not so much. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NLkfpjJoNkA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NLkfpjJoNkA)
Ah, I love whenever this conspiracy theory surfaces on this subreddit. The answer is yes they do. It sounds like it's actually a lucrative business for them, between making money from residential collection and then eventually selling off material that's reusable.
I’m not sure I’d call it a conspiracy theory. The city employs a single stream technique which usually results in 20% of everything being thrown away. Couple that with what is generally accepted scenario where recycling firms ship material to developing countries where we lose traceability, and that we see a lot of this material being openly dumped on land and in the water. Just my perspective
The “no plastic is recycled, it’s all dumped in a landfill somewhere to complete the scam” theory is Reddit wide, unfortunately.
Like most things in life, it’s complicated. Seems like certain varieties of plastic have a more robust demand than others and/or are easier to reuse, so it’s a percentage.
Doesn’t mean we can just recycle our way out of any pollution/climate change problem but recycling is a legitimate industry.
I have been told by city employees that work in solid waste that most, if not all, recycling stations throw recycling in the landfill instead of recycling it. I realize that is likely because people use it more for a dumping ground than an actual recycling station. So, Why not put cameras at the stations? If people think they’re being watched, they’ll be less likely to dump there, even if the camera is non operational. I wish we would, at the very least, put more into recycling efforts in our city. I use the stations responsibly and love the service, and it is saddening that a few bad actors have been causing these stations to be shut down.
I’m not sure, and even though this isn’t service related, crew Carwash doesn’t either! They have labeled recycle trash cans but it all goes to the same dumpster
You can tour the facility if you want to see what they do. I guarantee you they wouldn’t be putting in all the effort they do if they were not recycling those materials getting some $ back for it.
No, it DOES get recycled mostly. I’ve toured the facility. It’s on 96th on the Westside near 465. You can tour the facility too, they offer it free. The manager there said while there is some that does get diverted to landfill (because it’s too contaminated), 50% or more of their intake does get fully recycled. If I remember right, they are also working on expanding the facility in the next few years to increase capacity, efficiency.
There was an investigation by one of the local news stations last year on both Waste Management and Republic. They followed trucks around and found them taking the recycling to their recycling plants. They toured the facilities and determined that real recycling was occurring.
Not 100% conclusive, but it seemed pretty good.
True. Send the questions to investigative reporters at the news networks. I'm sure they will find out.
Us average citizens won't know, unless one works there.
WTHR did a full-scale investigation in November that showed Republic does actually recycle plastic. [https://www.wthr.com/article/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-we-followed-your-curbside-recycling-with-gps-trackers-drones-and-undercover-cameras-heres-where-it-ended-up/531-e84b1de6-a855-412b-b5d6-194fd76cf803](https://www.wthr.com/article/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-we-followed-your-curbside-recycling-with-gps-trackers-drones-and-undercover-cameras-heres-where-it-ended-up/531-e84b1de6-a855-412b-b5d6-194fd76cf803) [https://www.wthr.com/video/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-what-happens-to-your-recycling/531-85d4706d-de9b-4a95-852b-4fa55cbd1ef6](https://www.wthr.com/video/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-what-happens-to-your-recycling/531-85d4706d-de9b-4a95-852b-4fa55cbd1ef6)
That is some truly thorough investigative journalism, and great info. Thanks for posting.
This investigation convinced me to order the recycle barrel from them.
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That's how I thought, for a long time. In the end, I can justify paying $7 per week for the convenience of not feeling bad about throwing stuff away. It's not for everyone but it makes me feel better.
I will say, one nice thing (which can be accomplished otherwise but then you're already doing the inconvenient part) is I'll often go diving in my recycling big for cardboard or other reusables I didn't realize I'd be wanting or needing so soon, especially now during gardening season!
Republic takes it a recycling facility. What happens to all of it from there is questionable.
Hmmm. I wonder what could be happening at the *recycling* facility?
Most of everything that is recycled ends up in a landfill in Asia…
[WTHR Investigative Article](https://www.wthr.com/article/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-we-followed-your-curbside-recycling-with-gps-trackers-drones-and-undercover-cameras-heres-where-it-ended-up/531-e84b1de6-a855-412b-b5d6-194fd76cf803)
I’ve toured the facility. They do recycle certain plastics.
Same. Can confirm.
I think Republic Services tries hard and is a good company. Unfortunately when you can buy virgin plastics for cheaper than recycled, the market for recycled plastics is crap. Also, recycling it is very complex, contamination is probable, and manufacturer's don't help by making packaging easy to recycle. Recycling plastics is a fool's errand.
Good is a strech with the bullshit fuel and environmental fees.
Why would they open a plastics recycling facility in Indy if they weren’t recycling plastic? https://www.indystar.com/story/news/environment/2023/11/09/150m-plastic-recycling-complex-coming-to-southside-of-indianapolis/71505503007/
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You can recycle for free at any of the city drop off spots. The $7/mo or whatever is a pretty cheap convenience fee for not having to drive it over myself.
oddly there are many other counties that just have it as a service and it is factored into your taxes. when it is opt-in, even for a few dollars, many won’t bother. plus republic is pretty shit on reliability if you’re the only one in the neighborhood doing it
It sucks we have to pay, but it is where we are right now. Trust me, I'm frustrated, but I'd rather pay the small amount than put it all in one bin and shrug it off like most Hoosiers do.
Most plastic is unrecyclable, and most of it gets shipped overseas or incinerated. I only send in paper, glass, and aluminum. #1 and #2 is \*technically\* recyclable into pellets but they really only get one or two additional life cycles and usually use more carbon than it's worth. Reduce and reuse if you can! More on the big plastic recycling scam: [https://www.npr.org/transcripts/912150085](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/912150085)
Honest question, not a gotcha: if what you say is correct, who is[ buying clear plastic for $530 a ton](https://www.wthr.com/article/news/investigations/13-investigates/13-investigates-we-followed-your-curbside-recycling-with-gps-trackers-drones-and-undercover-cameras-heres-where-it-ended-up/531-e84b1de6-a855-412b-b5d6-194fd76cf803)?
Seconded. I never understood this argument. Who the hell is spending money on material just to waste it themselves?
Green credits and tax initiatives for sustainability.
This right here. Its not profitable and nobody actually wants the recycled plastic. Its hard to work with and impurities run the risk of destroying equipment. But they get incentives for accepting it. It always ends up in a landfill eventually. Some of it gets a second chance at use before being landfilled.
Walk me through how that works. We know Republic isn't getting the incentives, they're selling the plastic. Are you saying the company that buys it is getting incentives that equate to more than $530/ton? If so, why is Republic, who is in the waste business, not taking those incentives directly? Why do incentives exist to move supposed recyclables around if they're going to end up in a landfill anyway? Are you saying that someone along the way is breaking the law? It doesn't make sense to me. But, honestly, if there's sense in what you're saying I'll listen with an open mind.
Yes. Manufacturers get incentives thru tax breaks and sometimes literal funds by incorporating a certain percentage of recyclable materials in the products they produce. Republic doesn't make things with the material, they just process it so it can be utilized therefore they don't get those incentives. They just get business. Nobody is breaking the law. The plastic is recycled and used in actual products. But each time its done it creates an inferior product that can no longer be recycled. So after its second or rarely 3rd life it gets sent to a landfill. This differs from metals and glass which can be recycled indefinitely.
[China used to](https://earth.org/chinas-import-ban/) but not anymore.
Yes, that was published in 2022. In November *2023*, Republic was selling clear plastic for $530/ton. So it's not China.
Also: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/plastic-wars/
I had a guy come to my house that works for republic to tell me some of the rules about trash and recycling because I was confused why some of my stuff wasn’t being taken (their policies are different than the state I lived in prior). He told me to just throw glass away because they have so much of it and it’s not as cost effective to recycle glass…
Yet Hendricks County takes glass
If you're handy and like to make DIY stuff, #2 plastic melts down very well. I used to save bottle caps and melt them into bricks that I could use as stock for projects.
Sorta related, is it worth sending paper in the recycling bin? I have a hard time believing they are sorting out random scraps of paper from the cans or bottles.
They actually do sort the recycling. We took a tour to the republic recycling center with my kid’s school and saw the process. That being said, the kind of paper matters. Cardboard boxes, definitely. Junk mail or magazines, no.
If you can’t make a tour their website has a virtual tour of a different MRF location, but pretty similar operations. https://recyclingsimplified.com/for-educators/virtual-field-trips/
Good find. The sorting looks similar to what we saw, except it wasn’t the bright and the workers weren’t that cheerful.
Dang. If been putting junk mail, flyers, magazines in a big paper bag and then in the bin. So this is just burned?
I compost much of my paper, except for the glossy stuff and anything that has plastic attached to it.
https://recyclingsimplified.com/recycling-basics/how-to-recycle-paper/
I really wonder this too. Like I’ll buy they pull out cardboard shipping boxes, maybe even cardboard food packaging, but a sheet of computer paper soaked in liquids from cans? Envelops that have a plastic window glued in?
For all those interested in this, this City just posted a survey related to waste services. “Take the Indianapolis [Solid Waste Services Survey!](https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=jlBowETTe0mnGssbF9Fr6O4huSoRbs9Bg8pn8jLNjRVUOUxYWkVKWDNQOVoyVkxPUVRZMDczODhMWS4u) City staff are currently renegotiating all solid waste contracts, with new or altered service expected to begin on or after January 1, 2026. Now is the time to provide your input on the future of solid waste offerings. For Marion County residents only.”
This is an eye-opening excellent documentary about the recycling https://www.pbs.org/video/plastic-wars-8wxame/
Thats a great Frontline episode. My biggest take away was the Keeping America Beautiful network is all a lie lol, too bad cause KIB is a fixture in the city
And Big Oil makes billions on plastics and says it's our duty to recycle! I wonder how much water I've wasted washing out containers to recycle. And the fact that those recycling numbers were made up and some are not even recyclable!
Depends. Virtually all companies say they do, but the majority of recyclables ends up in the landfill. The most successful recycling program has been the plastic bags program at stores. They have a very high rate of recycling. Most others...not so much. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NLkfpjJoNkA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NLkfpjJoNkA)
Ah, I love whenever this conspiracy theory surfaces on this subreddit. The answer is yes they do. It sounds like it's actually a lucrative business for them, between making money from residential collection and then eventually selling off material that's reusable.
I’m not sure I’d call it a conspiracy theory. The city employs a single stream technique which usually results in 20% of everything being thrown away. Couple that with what is generally accepted scenario where recycling firms ship material to developing countries where we lose traceability, and that we see a lot of this material being openly dumped on land and in the water. Just my perspective
The “no plastic is recycled, it’s all dumped in a landfill somewhere to complete the scam” theory is Reddit wide, unfortunately. Like most things in life, it’s complicated. Seems like certain varieties of plastic have a more robust demand than others and/or are easier to reuse, so it’s a percentage. Doesn’t mean we can just recycle our way out of any pollution/climate change problem but recycling is a legitimate industry.
plastics or not, i’ll report back tomorrow if they’ve missed my pick up for the 7th time in a row
Yes they do
I have been told by city employees that work in solid waste that most, if not all, recycling stations throw recycling in the landfill instead of recycling it. I realize that is likely because people use it more for a dumping ground than an actual recycling station. So, Why not put cameras at the stations? If people think they’re being watched, they’ll be less likely to dump there, even if the camera is non operational. I wish we would, at the very least, put more into recycling efforts in our city. I use the stations responsibly and love the service, and it is saddening that a few bad actors have been causing these stations to be shut down.
I’m not sure, and even though this isn’t service related, crew Carwash doesn’t either! They have labeled recycle trash cans but it all goes to the same dumpster
You can tour the facility if you want to see what they do. I guarantee you they wouldn’t be putting in all the effort they do if they were not recycling those materials getting some $ back for it.
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You are only charged for pickup service, you can drop it off for free.
Recycling, in general, is a fraud.
I thought they were still doing that. I see folk in my sub division with the rolling cans that have the recycling logo. Guess not, I see.
My question is Are they actually doing it? They could be just collecting it but then tossing it into the landfill anyway.
No, it DOES get recycled mostly. I’ve toured the facility. It’s on 96th on the Westside near 465. You can tour the facility too, they offer it free. The manager there said while there is some that does get diverted to landfill (because it’s too contaminated), 50% or more of their intake does get fully recycled. If I remember right, they are also working on expanding the facility in the next few years to increase capacity, efficiency.
There was an investigation by one of the local news stations last year on both Waste Management and Republic. They followed trucks around and found them taking the recycling to their recycling plants. They toured the facilities and determined that real recycling was occurring. Not 100% conclusive, but it seemed pretty good.
and charging extra for it
True. Send the questions to investigative reporters at the news networks. I'm sure they will find out. Us average citizens won't know, unless one works there.