How the Hefty ReNew^™ Program Works

The Hefty ReNew Program complements existing curbside and drop-off programs by collecting hard-to-recycle plastics and diverting them from landfills and the natural environment. 

Items accepted for collection by the Program are printed on the orange bags and listed on the accepted items page.  All collected items must be empty, clean, and dry. 

The Program does not impact the items your local recycling facility accepts, including plastics. Please check with your current recycler and follow their list of materials accepted for recycling.

Joining the Program is optional, but it’s a simple way to help with your current recycling efforts. Being part of the Program is just one of many ways you can help reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills in your community.

1. Check to see if your community participates. 
2. Purchase a box of Hefty® ReNew® Orange Bags at your local store or online. 
3. Fill with any accepted, hard-to-recycle plastics you may have in your household and wish to discard. 
4. Tie the bag tightly and put it in your curbside recycling bin or take it to an approved drop-off location. 

You can see what goes in the bag by viewing the list of accepted items. 

Remember: this program is completely voluntary. And be sure to continue your existing recycling routine. The Hefty ReNew Program complements your existing recycling program—it doesn’t replace it.

You only pay for the cost of purchasing the Hefty ReNew Orange Bags. 

Buying the orange bags from a local retailer helps support the program's costs, including manufacturing the bags, transportation, and the costs incurred by the recycling and conversion facilities. Hefty® is also making significant investments to educate consumers and build program infrastructure.

The specially designed Hefty ReNew Orange Bags are required for a few reasons: 

• They keep all the loose, hard-to-recycle plastics separate from the other materials you recycle. 
• The bag is tough enough to survive transportation and separation by the local recycling facilities.
• The bright orange color helps recycling centers easily identify, separate, and send the materials they can’t process. This way, the hard-to-recycle plastics won’t mix with metal, glass, paper, or other recycling streams.
• The bag must be plastic for the Program to work. If it’s made of any other material, it will contaminate the plastics inside. 

The orange bag is made with 20% recycled materials and becomes a resource along with its contents.

The collected plastics can be turned into new products like building materials and plastic lumber. They may also be used instead of coal in cement manufacturing. Our third-party life cycle assessments have shown that these uses are better for the environment than sending hard-to-recycle plastics to landfills. The Program is also continually researching innovative, forward-thinking ways to reuse hard-to-recycle plastics as new plastic recycling technology emerges. 

Source: Sustainable Solutions Corporation and S&C, Hefty ReNew™ Program Life Cycle Assessment 2022