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The quality of curbside recyclables and their management options.Presented by Adam Read, Waste Management & Resource Efficiency Practice Director.Presented at the Air & Waste Management Association’s 105th Annual Conference & Exhibition, San Antonio, June 19-22, 2012.
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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: [email protected]
web: www.aeat.co.uk
Shelly Schneider
Franklin Associates (ERG)
Waste Management & Resource Efficiency
tel: 913-800-8276
email: [email protected]
web: www.aeat.co.uk
