Expanded Foam Product
Management
at the
JoplinRecycling Center
on
January 11, 2000
CITY OF JOPLIN RECYCLING CENTER
Opened to the Public
20 Hours Per Weekwith
2 Part-Part-Time EmployeesWhich eventually morphed into 1 Part-Timer
Through the Years, Acceptance of Many Items Have Been Added Such
as Fats Oils &
Grease (FOG)
plusOver-the-Counter and Prescription Medicines
albeit the boxes are at Police Stations
November 2013
RECYCLING CENTEROpen to the Public
30 Hours Per Week
with 1 Grant-Funded Part-Time Employee
and 1 Full-Time Employee
~ ~ ~Starting on November 1, 2015Will operate with 2 Full-Time
Employees
DROP-OFF for RECYCLING or REUSE . . .
Cardboard ~ NewspaperAll Style Egg Cartons ~ All Metal
Paper(Magazines, Catalogs, Telephone Directories, Books, Junk Mail, Office Paper)
Plastic #1 & #2 Bottles with NecksContainer Glass ~ Useable Pallets
#2 Plastic Shopping Bags ~ SawdustPlastic Cat Litter Buckets ~ Flower
PotsInk Jet & Toner Cartridges ~ HHW
All Batteries ~ E-Waste ~ Cooking Oil
Clean Packing Materials
RECYCLING CENTER PROVIDES
Document Destruction
~~~~
Wood Chips~~~~~~
Compost~~~~~~~~~~
Clear Stream Special Event Recycling Bins
Paper Shredder PurchasedatState Surplusin Jefferson City
for$25
4 Types ofClear Stream Brand Bins with Bags
Funded in Part by Region M
PATRONS PICK UP for REUSE . . .
Plastic Bottles
REUSE . . .Cardboard BoxesNewspaperEgg Cartons (all 3 Types)MagazinesBooksFlower PotsSawdust ~ Plastic BucketsGlass Canning Jars ~ Liquor/Wine Bottles Limited Household Hazardous WasteVery, Very Limited Electronic Waste
REUSE . . .
Clean Packing Materials
Block Expanded Foam
Foam Peanuts
Foam Sheets
Bubble Wrap
Air Pillows
April 2004
RECYCK EPS FOAM SAVERfrom
Demand Products, Inc.Alpharetta, Georgia(800) 325-7540www.demandproducts.comFunded by Region M SWMD
Today’s cost = $2,575+ freight ≈ $160Replacement Wire=$55
Top Opening is 18” square ~ Weighs 125 Pounds
The Nickel Chrome Wire Grid (vertical & horizontal) Heats up to “Melt” the Foam
Has 2 WheelsforEasy Moving
Power Supply:110-volt, Low-VoltageTransformer
Must OperateOutdoors !
Gravity Fed
Melted PiecesCome Out ¾” byLength of Piece
To Make Smaller Nuggets,Feed Previous NuggetsBack Through
Typical Packing Peanuts
55 Gallon Plastic Bag Fastened to the Hooks
The Challenge… Storage of Raw Materials
The Other Challenge…
StorageofFinished Chips
MARKETING THE FINISHED PRODUCT. . .
Word-of-Mouth
Free Classified Advertisements inJoplin Globe newspaper
Repeat Customers
E-Bay and Craig’s List Shippers
Include in Routine Recycling Center Marketing (TV, Flyers, Website, Signage, etc.)
Any Other Ideas ?
PEANUT VALUE ? $ Commercially Produced 7 Cubic Foot Bag ≈ $16-$27
Starch or so called “Biodegradable” (meaning they Decompose in Water) 12 Cubic Foot Bag ≈ $20-27
SELL VS. GIVE AWAY ISSUES…
• Difficult Quality Control• Not Anti-Static
• Not FDA Compliant• A Little Heavier than Peanuts
• Inventory• Money Transaction Challenges
MAINTENANCE ~ REPAIRS ~ BAGS
DO NOT use foam that has dirt, food, printing, tape, etc. on it, as it will burn and leave an unwanted residue on the wires. Egg Cartons won’t work.
CLEAN your wires periodically with Scothbrite type pads
KEEP machine dry
REPLACE WIRE and SPRINGS when corroded, broken, or about to break.
Demand Products, Inc. BAGS are very expensive $85 for 100
QUESTIONS
Expanded Foam Product Managementat the Joplin Recycling Center
presented byMary Anne Phillips
City of Joplin Recycling Coordinator
(417) 624-0820 Ext. [email protected]
www.joplinmo.org
Missouri Recycling Association 2014 Annual Conference
Springfield, MissouriSeptember 9, 2014