May is Recycling in Action Month
May is “Recycling in Action” Month, a national open-house initiative designed to give the public a first-hand look at how recycling really works and why participation matters. The program was launched in 2025 by the Association of Plastic Recyclers to help increase public confidence in the recycling process through education and transparency.
Recycling in Action provides residents, policymakers, students, and community leaders with the opportunity to tour recycling facilities, meet industry professionals, and see recyclable materials being sorted and processed into valuable new commodities. By opening their doors to the public, participating facilities help demonstrate that recycling is real, impactful, and an essential part of building a more sustainable future.
This year, two organizations in Florida are participating in the Recycling in Action initiative: WM South Florida Recycling Facility and the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County. Their participation highlights Florida’s continued leadership in recycling education and public engagement.
Programs like Recycling in Action are important because they help connect the public to the recycling system and reinforce the role everyone plays in reducing waste, conserving resources, and supporting a circular economy. Seeing the process in person often answers common questions about what can and cannot be recycled and helps encourage better recycling habits at home and at work.
To learn more about Recycling in Action and participating facilities across the country, visit Association of Plastic Recyclers – Recycling in Action
Want to see a material recovery facility in action, here is a video from WM about their new South Florida Recycling Facility.
Smart Recycling Technology Deploys to 42,000 Miami-Dade Households
Miami-Dade County, FL – American Beverage today announced a new effort to strengthen recycling in Miami-Dade County by deploying advanced technology and educational materials to boost participation in recycling and reduce contamination of recyclables. The initiative is supported by a $504,000 grant from the beverage industry’s Every Bottle Back® initiative, in collaboration with The Recycling Partnership.
Miami-Dade County currently provides curbside recycling to nearly 365,000 households, but like many large systems, faces challenges with low participation and high contamination, which can spoil recyclable materials. This new project will leverage smart camera technology across 42,000 households to better understand recycling behavior, identify contamination and deliver tailored education to residents about how to best recycle.
“We’re proud to partner with Miami-Dade County to bring innovative solutions to one of the biggest challenges facing recycling systems today,” said Elizabeth DeWitt, president and CEO of the Florida Beverage Association. “By combining technology with targeted education, this project will help ensure more bottles and cans are properly recycled and remade into new ones, rather than ending up in landfills.”
Over the next decade, the project is expected to keep an estimated 1.2 million pounds of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and more than 400,000 pounds of aluminum out of the environment and landfills. Collecting more recyclable material supports the beverage industry’s efforts to reduce the use of new plastic and increase the use of recycled content in packaging.
The Miami-Dade County project builds on Every Bottle Back®’s other recycling investments in Florida in Jacksonville and Pensacola, that together will reach more than 839,000 residents. Collectively, these three investments are projected to keep more than 6 million additional pounds of plastic out of landfills and the environment over the next decade.
This project represents another step forward for Every Bottle Back®—an initiative of The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo—that launched in 2019. In total, investments across nearly 70 communities are estimated to yield 730 million new pounds of recycled PET and more than 47 million more pounds of recycled aluminum over the next decade.
About American Beverage’s Every Bottle Back® initiative
The Every Bottle Back® initiative is an integrated and comprehensive initiative by The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo, alongside sustainability leaders Closed Loop Partners, The Recycling Partnership and World Wildlife Fund, designed to improve plastics circularity. These efforts support individual sustainability commitments undertaken by The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo.
Learn more about Every Bottle Back® at www.EveryBottleBack.org.
FRPF Executive Director Presents at Florida Chamber Conference
Keyna Cory, Executive Director of the Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation, recently had the honor of presenting “The Power of Partnerships: Turning Waste Into Opportunity” at the Florida Chamber Leadership Conference on Safety, Health & Sustainability.
The session highlighted how innovative partnerships between businesses and nonprofit organizations can help divert valuable materials from landfills while also creating local jobs and supporting workforce development across Florida.
The presentation featured successful collaboration case studies involving Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Goodwill Industries, WM, and The Breakers Palm Beach. These examples demonstrated practical and scalable sustainability strategies that not only reduce waste but also create meaningful community impact.
The session reinforced the importance of collaboration in advancing recycling, sustainability, and circular economy initiatives throughout Florida.
Board Update:
Thank You Lisa Gilliard …
The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation would like to extend its sincere appreciation and gratitude to Lisa Gilliard as she retires from Publix Super Markets after more than three decades of service and leadership in sustainability and recycling.
Lisa has been a longtime member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and one of the organization’s most active and passionate supporters. Throughout her career, she has been a champion for recycling, environmental stewardship, and sustainability initiatives both within Publix and throughout Florida. (Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation)
Since 2007, Lisa helped lead Publix’s sustainability efforts by supporting internal environmental initiatives, advancing recycling programs, and engaging customers and communities through education and outreach efforts. Under her leadership, Publix became widely recognized for its recycling and sustainability accomplishments, including being named the Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation’s 2022 “Best Overall Recycling Champion.” (Publix Super Markets)
Lisa also played an important role in the growth and success of the Foundation. She served on the Board during a period of tremendous expansion and increased statewide engagement, helping advance the Foundation’s mission of educating policymakers, business leaders, and the public about the benefits of recycling. (Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation)
Whether participating in educational workshops, supporting Florida Recycles Day activities, hosting recycling tours, or lending her expertise to important policy discussions, Lisa consistently brought enthusiasm, collaboration, and a genuine commitment to making Florida a leader in sustainability and recycling.
Her leadership, friendship, and dedication will certainly be missed, but her impact on recycling in Florida will continue for years to come.
On behalf of the Foundation and its members, we thank Lisa for her years of service and wish her the very best in her retirement and future adventures.
Welcome to the Board
David Lazarus, Senior Manager of Sustainability Projects, Publix Super Markets, Inc. Joins the FRPF Board of Directors
Dave is a 26-year Publix veteran focused on finding ways to reduce the company’s environmental footprint without sacrificing shareholder value. His background in industrial engineering and experience in PMO management and strategy planning across Publix’s business units helps Dave bring a unique blend of technical expertise and strategic vision to his role. Key accomplishments include the expansion of Publix’s recyclability program and the integration of How2Recycle instructions on packaging as well as a pilot program for organic waste diversion from retail stores. Dave lives in Tampa, FL with his girlfriend and their spicy cat, Elliott.
Member news …
Coke Florida CEO discusses new cans, tariffs
WM and Orange County
Orange County, Florida, OKs paper, clear plastic to-go cup recycling – Recycling Today
Advancements in WM’s processing capabilities have enabled the expansion
Upcoming events:
July 31 – Join us at The Breakers Palm Beach for Preserving What Matters, an exclusive sustainability program featuring the renowned Sustainability Team from The Breakers. Attendees will learn about the resort’s innovative environmental initiatives, sustainability practices, and commitment to stewardship and conservation.
Lunch will be provided. Additional details and registration information will be announced soon. Seating is limited.
August 3 – Recycling Champion Award Nominations Open
September 4 – Recycling Champion Award Nominations Close
November 12 – Florida Recycles Day – location to be announced soon
