Indiana Alliance Makes Recycling Fun With Game Show Format

Recycling doesn't have to feel like homework, and one Indiana group just proved it with trash cans and trivia.

The Plastic Reduction Alliance of Northwest Indiana hosted a game show style event in Portage this week, quizzing local experts on what can and can't be recycled. The twist? Even the pros got stumped by how differently neighboring counties handle the same items.

Black plastic clamshells work in LaPorte County but not Porter or Lake counties. Red Solo cups? Only recyclable in LaPorte. The reason comes down to which processing facility each county uses and what technology their sorting machines have.

"For the longest time, I thought any plastics I take into my home, I just take to the plastics recycling facility and they're dealt with properly," said Valparaiso University chemistry Professor Julie Peller. She's now part of the alliance working to clear up the confusion.

The event revealed surprising updates that even longtime recyclers missed. Water bottle caps should now stay on (they prevent spills during sorting), reversing 25 years of instructions to remove them. Manufacturers changed bottle designs based on how people actually behave.

Sacha Gee-Burns from LaPorte County Recycling shared a welcoming message for anyone willing to learn. "We don't check to see where you're from. We're just happy you're recycling," she said about their county drop-off bins.

The Ripple Effect

Two Valparaiso High School students are already putting their new knowledge to work. Moira Kuka and Naia Nikitaras are leading environmental efforts in their school cafeteria, teaching fellow students to empty liquids before recycling.

"If somebody dumps a full aluminum can in there, it just ruins it for everybody," Nikitaras explained. The contamination problem affects entire batches of recyclables.

The alliance also shared creative solutions beyond the bin. Grocery stores accept plastic bags for recycling into synthetic lumber. The Valparaiso Noon Kiwanis Club collects bottle caps to be made into benches. Mohawk turns bottles and cups into carpeting.

Porter County's Keri Marrs-Barron offered a crowd favorite tip for peanut butter jars that resist rinsing. "Dogs love peanut butter, so they'll lick your jar for you," she said.

The experts emphasized that recycling right matters, but reducing consumption matters more. Still, making recycling accessible and even fun helps communities take that important first step toward cutting waste.

Residents left the event with clear answers, county specific guidance, and proof that environmental education works better with a little entertainment mixed in.