Residents of several Treasure Valley cities will have one less option next year to dispose of some plastics.
Hefty, the company that runs the Hefty ReNew Program, announced that it will end the program in June 2027 across all of the communities in which it operates. The program lets people put plastics that are not recyclable through local recycling programs into special, orange Hefty bags and into recycling carts to allow for processing elsewhere. Residents in Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Meridian, and unincorporated Ada County have had the option to participate in the curbside recycling option, according to a page on the company’s website that appears to have since had that information removed on Monday. Hefty is part of Reynolds Consumer Products, which makes products like plastic wraps and aluminum foil.
While resident participation in the program remained strong, the infrastructure to recycle the materials “has not developed at the pace or scale anticipated,” the company said in a statement on its website.
In a news release from the City of Boise, Boise Public Works Director Steve Burgos said, “It’s disappointing to see the Orange Bag program come to an end after keeping approximately 2,000 tons of plastic out of our local landfill since 2018. It is even more critical now that we remain mindful of what we are buying and how much waste we are creating, as we work toward a resilient future.”
What comes next?
Residents of each participating area are encouraged to continue participating in the program through June 2027, the company said on its website.
At that point, customers can reach out to Hefty to request return and refund instructions for any purchased orange bags.
Ongoing questions can be submitted through the company’s contact page.
Talia Miller, a spokesperson for the City of Boise, said via email that the city doesn’t intend to implement any alternative programs, “but remains open to exploring new diversion options that make sense for our community.”
“In the meantime, we encourage residents to reduce plastic waste where possible and choose reusable alternatives whenever they can,” Miller said.