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Best Practices in Single Stream Recycling Susan Kinsella & Richard Gertman Conservatree Environmental Planning Consultants CRRA Conference Workshop August 2006. What is Best Practices?. Recover wasted resources Recover manufacturing feedstocks - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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1
Best Practicesin
Single Stream Recycling Susan Kinsella & Richard Gertman
Conservatree Environmental Planning Consultants
CRRA Conference Workshop
August 2006
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What is Best Practices?
Recover wasted resources Recover manufacturing feedstocks Achieve
‘Highest and Best’ Use Make sure changes work for the whole recycling system
Best Practices Manual & Guidehttp://www.conservatree.org/learn/SolidWaste/bestpractices.shtml
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Special Thanks
California Department of ConservationAmerican Forest and Paper Association
American Plastics Council Forest Products Association of Canada
Glass Packaging InstituteAlameda County Stopwaste.org
Sonoma Co Waste Management AgencyGreenWaste Recovery, Inc.
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Single Stream
Has the potential to increase recycling by residents
Has the potential to increase supply to recycled product manufacturers
But it has to be done right!
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Closing the Loop!
1) Collect recyclables2) Process into commodities3) Manufacture new products4) Purchasers buy recycled
products5) Consumers put recyclables
out for collection
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The Collection Industry Moved Ahead!
The Rest of Us Are Playing Catch Up!
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Implementing Single Stream
Savings in collection and worker injury costsHigher processing costsHigher cost for new collection and processing equipmentHigher manufacturing costs when processing not done rightOverall not much change, but more recyclables collected
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Types of Single Stream Programs
Fully automated carts, semi-automated carts, manual bins or totesCollect only paper and containersCollect paper onlyDo not collect glassCollect glass separatelyCollect additional material types
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Cost Difference: Single Stream vs. Dual Stream
Collection - saves $10-20/ton Processing - increases $5-15/ton Paper Production - increases $5-13/ton Average systemwide - increases $3/ton
Source: American Forest & Paper Assn./Jaakko Poyry/ SERA 2004
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AT INDIVIDUAL PAPER MILLS
8x the yield loss at pulper (2% 16%)$2 million/year to replace non-fiber materials received in paper4 times increase in annual maintenance costs to repair damageProblems vary by type of paper mill
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Paper Mill ContaminantsCan, Glass and Plastic Industry Loss
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Re-Thinking Wastes
Recycling is a Resource Management System
Recyclables are resources, not diverted wastesGarbage is the residue of a resource based economy
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Program Elements
Request the services that achieve the program goalsConsult with recycled product manufacturersGet the best price for the services requestedDon’t put savings before performance – do your police drive the Ford Focus?
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Best Practice
GOALS: conserve resources and produce quality
manufacturing feedstocks
The economics of the system should serve, not determine, the
goals
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Best Practice
Promote your program, early and often!
Hire a professional promotions firm, not a
garbage collector
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Program Promotion
Tell the publicWhat to RecycleWhat not to recycleHow to prepare recyclablesWhy to recycleWhat happens to the recyclables
Target your messagesNo one message fits all
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Tell your residents
How well the program is workingTruth in Advertising – is it really being recycled?Provide ‘instant feedback’ to residents
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Best Practice
Require processors to get feedback about materials quality from
the manufacturers who buy your recyclables, and share it with your
program
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Best Practice
“Collection” is not the same as
“Recycling”
Recycling includes processing and making new products!
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Best Practice
“Diversion” is not the same as
“Recycling”
Recycling includes making new products from the recovered materials!
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Best Practice
Make sure processing system can take apart what collection put together
Ensure that marketed materials meet manufacturers specifications [ISRI Specs]Produce quality feedstock materials to maximize revenues
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Who is in charge?
City, County, Authority or State Hauler Processor Manufacturer Resident
Local government controls the curbside recycling program
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It’s a Balancing Act
Diversion or Commodities ‘Collect It All’ or
‘Only Marketable Materials’ Highly sorted or mixed
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It’s a Balancing Act
More Equipment or More Labor Capital Cost or Operating
Costs
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Cart Collection
Higher recovery rates are from Higher participation Collecting more material types The large wheeled cart
Relative size of garbage carts and recycling carts is a factor
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Convenience (for whom?)
It’s easier to: Throw it all in together Wheel the cart to the curb Collect the cart contents Promote the program
But it’s not as easy for the processor or the manufacturer
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Contracting
Specify the services you want to receiveSpecify what happens if it is not done ‘right’?Offer incentives as rewards for cleaner recyclables
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Collection
One truck or twofor garbage and recyclables Size of compartmentsNumber of Loads per day [60:40]Compaction ratesMonitoring set-out qualityMirrors and cameras
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Collectors
Driver training is essential Are accountable for what is collectedAre the point of contact with your residents
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Automated Collection
Larger container = higher recovery rateEasier to store recyclablesEasier to get to the curbReduced worker injury & costsLess litter on windy daysKeeps the paper dryFewer setouts increases efficiency
Don’t wait, automate now !
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What about Glass?
Bottles are not the problem, Broken glass is!Glass is broken during processing Change to low-impact processing – separate the glass before it breaks
allows removal of contaminants allows color sorting of bottles
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PET and HDPE
PET and HDPE recovery is higher if all plastic containers are
collected than if only PET and HDPE are
collected
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Plastic Bags
If you are going to collect film plastics,
ask residents to ‘bag-your-bags’ to keep them clean,
and so you can separate them from the paper
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Processing & Quality
Tons per day received v. processing equipment capacity.If equipment is rated at 25 TPH,the optimum rate is really 20 TPH,but facility is probably run at 30 TPHBalance higher per ton cost of sorting with added market value.Don’t skimp on staffing
Don’t overload the system !
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Processing Operations
Receive only what you can separatePlan on receiving materials you don’t wantProcess in sequence to produce qualityMeter flow of materials to minimize process line burden depthEliminate material surgesDon’t make a big storage pile, it degrades recyclables
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Processing Variables
Design to process the number of streams of materials your facility will receive - single stream and dual stream- residential and commercial
Plan for future growth Prepare for seasonal population changesBe ready for future changes in the markets for your recovered materials
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Market Focus
‘It’s Good Enough’ is not good enough!
Don’t sort materials just enough to be sold!
Do sort materials into high quality
feedstocks for manufacturing!
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Market Compatibility
Types of materials collectedTargeted RecyclablesUnwanted RecyclablesUnwanted WastesProblem Materials
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Sampling
Sample collected materials to identify contaminants
Sample processed recyclables to make sure you are shipping the right material to the right buyer
Sample the residue to make sure you are not discarding recyclables
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Contaminants & Residue
Minimize non-recyclable materials received
Design processing system to minimize degradation of recyclables
Minimize recyclables disposed Send the right recyclables to the right market
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Processing Contract
Focus on what happens to the collected materials
Identify processing steps taken to avoid degrading materials
Maintain quality of shipped product
Allowable residue rates should not include contaminants collected
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Reporting
To track how well the program is workingTo know whether the program goals are being reached
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5 Key Elements
Write a good contractKeep residents happyRecover resources for reuseAllow Contractors to make a good profitMaximize efficiency of the whole system
44
Recycling is a collaborative system
and all of the pieces must fit together
to
‘Close the Loop’
45
Richard GertmanEnvironmental Planning ConsultantsA Green Business
1885 The Alameda, Suite 120San Jose, CA 95126-1732408-249-0691
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Susan KinsellaExecutive Director
100 Second Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118 • 415-516-6526 • www.conservatree.org