Aseptic containers (most commonly "Tetra Pak" brand) are recyclable in big cities like Seattle and Vancouver, but our local recycling agency Sanitary Service Company (SSC) says it is currently cost prohibitive to ship this material from Whatcom County to places where they can be recycled. For a community like Bellingham and Whatcom County that is so committed to the environment, this is very disappointing!

We all know that reducing our use of disposable containers should be our primary goal, but there are many cases where aseptic containers are necessary. Despite the fact that they are difficult to recycle, they have other environmental and health benefits because they do not require refrigeration (thus saving on electricity and other GHG emissions) and can provide fresher and more nutritious food and beverages than other methods of food transportation.

We call on Sanitary Service Company to re-evaluate their policies and try to find a way to cost-effectively collect Tetra Paks in Whatcom County and transport them where they can be recycled. 

If it's not possible for SSC to change their policy alone, we call on local governments (particularly Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham) to explore the possibility of subsidizing SSC's collection of aseptic containers.

Finally, we call on Ridwell, a separate recycling company that specializes collecting difficult-to-recycle items that SSC doesn't take, to consider adding aseptic containers to their pickup options in Whatcom County. This situation is exactly why Ridwell was originally created: one family in Seattle began collecting batteries and styrofoam on behalf of their neighbors and seeking out the places where those items could be recycled, when their local recycling company wouldn't pick up those items. Tetrapaks are exactly the same situation for those of us who live in Whatcom County!

Thank you for supporting this petition, and for doing your part to prevent waste and protect our environment in the Pacific Northwest.