Cyclist launches bike trek to raise awareness for proper recycling

Sept. 23, Let’s recycle RIght!, Rhode Island Resource Recovery’s public education campaign, concludes the way it began with a call for proper recycling. Rhode Islander and cyclist Maggie Sheerin, is set to journey across the state on her seven-day “RIde to Recycle RIght.” Along the way, she will visit businesses, institutions and municipal locations that have joined Resource Recovery’s commitment to decrease confusion at the recycling bin.

Back in 2016, Rhode Island adopted a bin-labeling solution from Minneapolis-based Recycle Across America, a national nonprofit dedicated to standardizing recycling education in the United States. To date, more than 85,000 labels are in place at more than 350 locations across the state. The standardized labels, along with Resource Recovery’s coordinated public education efforts, are aimed at reducing the amount of trash winding up in the mixed recycling—a challenge the state has been facing in recent years.

“While the recycling industry is facing challenges on a national level, Rhode Island continues to have positive stories to share,” says Krystal Noiseux, education and outreach manager for Rhode Island Resource Recovery. “We are inspired by Maggie’s passion for our recycling program and her commitment to its success. We wish her a safe and memorable ride across our beautiful state.”

While Sheerin will log 350 miles during her trip, this isn’t her first multistop ride. In 2017, she biked from Rhode Island to San Francisco to raise awareness for Recycle Across America’s mission. Her 10-week voyage was chronicled on the nonprofit’s blog. You can catch up on her coast-to-coast trip at www.recycleacrossamerica.org/post/maggies-manifestation.    

“We first met Maggie as she was preparing for her cross-country journey in 2017,” says Mitch Hedlund, founder of Recycle Across America. “Now, fast forward two years later, and here she is getting ready to bike across Rhode Island, where she’ll see the standardized labels displayed on many bins from town to town. It’s a full-circle story!”

You can find more information on the “RIde to Recycle RIght,” including an itinerary, at http://bit.ly/MaggiesRide.