Gimme 5 - Take Back Recycling

WHAT IS GIMME 5?

Since 2009, Preserve has worked with partners like Whole Foods Market, Stonyfield, Plum Organics, and Berry Plastics to provide access to #5 recycling for instances in which communities don’t offer it, or where the items in question are too small for curbside collection. Preserve’s Gimme 5 program has recycled over 1.2 million pounds of #5 plastic.

Even in areas with access to #5 recycling, single-use cutlery presents a recycling challenge. Due to its small size, cutlery items can literally fall through the cracks of municipal recycling facilities. By recycling cutlery through our Gimme 5 program, we are able to ensure that it gets a second life.

In 2020, due to pandemic-related challenges and for other efficiency reasons, Preserve and partners discontinued the retail-based Gimme 5 recycling program. Gimme 5 now lives on as a service for our food service and corporate partners with a focus on situations that allow us to handle recycling efficiently and at larger scale.


HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?

The type of recycling solution that Preserve recommends depends on the size of the operation:

  • Small operations are best suited to a mail-in program with Preserve, sending cutlery back to Preserve’s sorting facilities.
  • Medium-sized operations may be able to work with local haulers to offer a dedicated stream of #5 plastic. Just because a municipality doesn’t take #5s doesn’t mean that a local waste management contractor isn’t interested in a reliable clean stream of #5s. Preserve is happy to offer consultations and connections. As well, Preserve is currently working with Boston area universities, sorters and haulers to develop a #5 consolidation and collection system. Although this is still in the works, other Boston area operations may be able to take part.
  • Large operations with their own distribution network may be able participate in Gimme 5 by using their backhaul system. Based on volume estimates, Preserve can quote a hauling program.

There is no fee to participate in Gimme 5, but there is the cost to ship products to our recycling partners.

We invite you to reach out to info@preserve.eco to plan a time to discuss with our team the recycling of your Preserve products – both our cutlery and reusable products that have served their useful life.