The quality of curbside recyclables and their management options

THE QUALITY OF CURBSIDE RECYCLABLES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT OPTIONS

Dr Adam Read – Practice DirectorWaste Management & Resource Efficiency, AEA

AWMA 201219th – 22nd JuneSan Antonio, Texas

A world leadingenergy and climatechange consultancy

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An Overview …. In 20 minutes …..

+ Personal Welcome

+ Introduction to the topic

+ What is quality?

+ Who is responsible?

+ What are the issues?

+ How to measure the extent of the problem?

+ How to overcome these issues?

+ Lessons from the UK

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A personal welcome

+ Adam Read

- Practice Director @ AEA for Waste Management- 18 years of operational expertise in recycling service

design, roll-out and monitoring- Staff of > 75 consultants (UK and US)

+ Role on the project

- Project Director+ Acknowledgements

- Dr Nia Owen: lead author & MRF and recyclate quality specialist- AEA for their support in allowing me to be here today

My sponsor ….

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Our US sponsors

+ We are here exhibiting with ERG

- we acquired them in 2010+ Come and see us on Booth #118

- ERG and AEA Technology Group+ Franklin Associates (ERG division)

- extensive experience in all aspects of solid waste management (over 30 years of practice)- integrated solid waste master plans- full life cycle analyses of solid waste- waste stream evaluations for local,

regional, state, and national agencies

Introduction

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The Context

+ Landfill disposal cost is increasing each year- Landfill tax alone is increasing by £8 per tonne- Currently £64/ tonne

+ Recycling targets set by Devolved Administrations in the UK- England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland

- as well as EU targets

- Theme = maximise capture of recyclables from MSW

+ Focus has been predominantly on quantity:- 70% target for Scotland by 2020- 70% target for Wales by 2025- EU Waste Framework Directive requires 50% recycling 2025 AND 75%

reduction on 1995 levels of BMW going to landfill by 2020

+ These are driving local authorities to introduce recycling services….. Usually heavy materials included!

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Security of markets is key …

+ Increasing tonnage collected and lack of UK [processing capacity

+ UK is heavily reliant on the export market – particularly China

+ BUT Chinese market is expected to decline in a few years- They are producing their own recyclate

from middle classes in China

+ Producing quality recyclate will be key to securing long term markets

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Paper

Plastic

Export of poor quality materials…

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What is Quality?

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What do we mean by Quality...

+ Material that meets a defined standard

+ Materials in a form that an end market (reprocessor) is prepared to accept, at a price that is more advantageous then alternative material sources

+ Materials that an end market accepts but whose processing costs do not exceed the income from the material

+ Focus in the UK has traditionally been on quantity rather than quality!!- BUT under current economic conditions Quality materials will always sell!- This is now a growing concern for local authorities….

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What do we mean by Quality...

+ This doesn’t mean that we always have to produce this…

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What do we mean by Quality...

+ Or this…..

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What do we mean by Quality...

+ Sometimes this is fine ….

+ The market ultimately decides what its prepared to accept!

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15Good quality?

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Bad Quality?

Bad quality?

17Poor quality?

Who is responsible?

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The Quality Supply Chain

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Householder

Collection Crew

MRF

Reprocessor

Local Authority

Quality Supply Chain

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Householder

Collection Crew

MRF

Reprocessor

Local Authority

Quality Supply Chain

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Householder

Collection Crew

MRF

Reprocessor

Local Authority

Quality Supply Chain

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Householder

Collection Crew

MRF

Reprocessor

Local Authority

Quality …

+ Consistently delivering materials to the marketplace that are

- effectively separated to meet customer requirements- compliant with national regulations and policies….- at a cost that is acceptable

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MRFs can perform miracles!

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Time is money!

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MRFs often blamed for poor quality….

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+ BUT

“Rubbish in = Rubbish out”+ MRFs are part of a manufacturing process

- From collection to reprocessor and back into consumption!

ALL ARE RESPONSIBLEHouseholder Collection Crew

What are the issues?

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Impacts on quality

+ Non Target Materials (NTMs)- Materials not accepted by MRF

+ Residues- Wastes that find their way into the recycling stream (by accident)

+ Weather- Changes composition of material streams- Wet paper is not as acceptable as dry!

+ Behaviour- People choose to present NTMs- People choose not to keep things dry- People aren’t aware of what goes where

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Reasons for Contamination

+ Limited range of materials collected in recycling scheme

+ Poor communications (confusion @ the kerb)

+ Language barriers (don’t understand the messages)

+ Lack of support for elderly / disabled (scheme fails)

+ Lack of facilities for flats (all in 1 bin!)

+ Poor service provision (can’t expect a poor design to deliver)

+ Lack of understanding by collection crew (collect anything)

+ Lack of enforcement @ the kerbside (no feedback to residents)

+ No monitoring (no data…. no idea!)

Reported levels of NTMs

+ Ceredigion – 12.7%

+ LB Wandsworth – 8.2%

+ Northumberland County – 30%

+ Lichfield DC – 16.2%

+ Commonly reported NTMs:

- Food contaminated materials- Plastic bags- Glass- Tetrapak- Wet paper

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How to measure the extent of the problem

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How do we measure it...

+ Two ways of measuring input quality:

- Composition analysis of loads collected @ kerbside- % of bins set out containing NTMs

+ Quality measured using one of these

- but the results are markedly different

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How do we measure it...

+ Composition analysis - % by weight of NTMs:

- doesn’t tell you if this is caused by a small number of people grossly misusing the scheme- or a large number of people getting it a bit wrong...

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How do we measure it...

+ % of bins set out will provide information on the spread of any NTM issues

- But only top of bins can be seen when monitoring...- No idea how much / how significant the problem is!

+ Need to use both measures…. and with some frequency…..35

How do we overcome the issues?

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Scheme Design

+ Container Type:- Open bins / boxes can be compromised via

littering from passers by- Lids can be used to minimise this

+ Provision of free recycling bags but not residual bags- Encourages misuse of the recycling system- Think carefully about ‘unexpected consequences’

+ Use of transparent containers- Enables NTMs to be easily identified- South Holland District council switched from a box

to transparent bag and reported a decline in NTMs

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Scheme Design

+ Border effects:- Impact of neighbouring authorities scheme- Friends and relatives are recycling yoghurt pots ‘so I can to!’

+ Residual waste collection frequency:- Switch to fortnightly residual waste collection…- Misuse of recycling system – needs careful monitoring & feedback

+ Range of materials collected:- Central Bedfordshire added plastic packaging, foil and waxed cartons

to kerbside scheme and NTMs decreased from 7.8% to 1.4%- Stratford upon Avon Council added plastic packaging and foil @

kerbside and NTMs decreased from 4.5% to 1.9%

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Operations

+ Crew training works!- Recognition of TMs & NTMs- Effective engaging with householders

+ Great Yarmouth- Decreased NTMs from 12.5% to 6.9%

+ East Hampshire- Decreased NTMs from 8.8% to 5%

+ LB Lewisham- Decreased NTMs from 22% to 13%

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Communications

+ Range of approaches available:

- Door to door / Leafleting / Roadshows/ Radio advertising etc.

+ Durham County Council’s ‘Kerb-it’ campaign:

- Adverts / leaflets/ roadshows/ door to door- NTMs decreased from 11.5% to 5.8% in areas of high

student population+ Kingston upon Thames

- Recycling advisors visited persistent offenders- NTMs decreased from 9.8% to 6.8%.

+ Craigavon Borough Council

- Introduced AWC but NTMs in recycling collections increased significantly (local confusion)

- Bin inspectors visited offenders- NTMs decreased from 17% to 8.5%

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What’s most effective?

+ Increase range of materials collected by the kerbside scheme- BUT can the MRF accept them...

+ Crew training – recognition of NTMs- Work on crews in turn and publish results to

encourage others of the benefits- Need to have a parallel strong policy on ‘lids

down’ and contaminated bins left etc..

+ Communications- Will underpin any new scheme initiative – new

materials, change of days etc..- Must be focused on areas with specific problems- Must provide positive feedback on

improvements!41

Conclusions

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Conclusions+ Monitoring quality @ all stages in the collection and

treatment system is vital

+ Sending rubbish to a reprocessor only costs you money!

+ Good data on contamination ‘pockets’ or specific materials will allow targeted communications campaigns

- more effective than blanket campaigns!+ Work with your contractors (crew engagement is key)

+ Think about your residents (they don’t want to contaminate)

- Help them adjust- Help them understand

+ Keep challenging your collection system – every little helps!

Lessons for the US

+ Curbside recycling has its limits

+ International commodity markets will impact on material prices

+ Think about future scheme expansion & improvements – what is key?

+ Communications budgets are under-funded and under-utilised

+ Crew training is vital

+ Working with your MRF / reprocessors @ the outset will ensure everyone understands the materials specification

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Thank you!

Come and see us …. Booth #118

Adam Read

Practice Director - AEA

Waste Management & Resource Efficiency

cell: 0044 7968 707 239

email: adam.read@aeat.co.uk

web: www.aeat.co.uk

Shelly Schneider

Franklin Associates (ERG)

Waste Management & Resource Efficiency

tel: 913-800-8276

email: Shelly.Schneider@erg.com

web: www.aeat.co.uk