Plastic Recycling Update
May 30, 2012 SWMCB Board
Meeting
US EPA 2010 Waste Characterization Study
• Plastics made up 12.4 percent of all municipal solid waste before recycling.
• Over 31 million tons of plastic was generated in 2010, compared to just 390,000 tons in 1960.
• The 2010 plastic recycling rate was 8.2 percent
• Some plastics have better recycling recovery rates– PET bottles and jars, had a 2010 recycling rate of 29.2 percent– HDPE bottles and containers, had a 2010 recycling rate of 27.5
percent.
Source: www.epa.gov/waste/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw2009rpt.pdf
Resin Identification Codes
Trends in Minnesota
• Several large haulers are collecting all #1-#7 plastics.
• Some cities and counties have been, or will soon add #1-#7 to their programs.– Redwood Falls - #1-#5 for
several years– Hennepin County – all cities
collecting #1-#5 by 2013• Many programs still collect
only #1 & #2 bottles with necks
Optical Sorters
• Most popular ‘new’ technology for sorting plastics
• Each unit runs ~$250K
• Typically sorts 1-2 categories per run
Domestic and International Markets
Markets for MN’s Curbside Programs
• Market for PET and HDPE stable and strong
• HDPE market in Minnesota include MasterMark,Bedford Technology and Recycled Plastics Inc.
• 3-7 domestic markets in the US are in the beginning stages with the main markets being China and Canada
• Some Minnesota markets for 3-7
International
• China currently imposes import tax on plastic resin
• Processing capabilities going from manual processing to highly automated vertically integrated industrial parks
• China aiming for 70 percent recycling rate by 2015
• China main market for 3-7 plastics
Market Development
• Develop Minnesota Markets for 3-7• Currently no Minnesota processing facilities
dedicated to post consumer PP or film• Domestic market for 3-7 plastics very small
currently in pilot stage
Economic activity associated with Minnesota’s value-added recycling
manufacturers
2004 Employment
2011 Employment
Direct jobs at companies using recycled materials in the manufacturing process 9,003 15221
Estimated indirect jobs Impacts on local suppliers statewide, unadjusted for displacement effects.
3,057 11641
Estimated induced jobs Long-term effects on personal income and consumer spending, localized and statewide.
7,200 10119
Total estimated jobs 19,260 36981
Total estimated wages and salary disbursements The monetary remuneration of employees, including compensation of officers, commissions, tips, and bonus and receipts-in-kind that represent income to the recipient.
$760 million $1.96 Billion
Total estimated tax revenue on direct jobs Business/personal state income taxes, sales tax, excise tax and miscellaneous taxes, and business taxes.
$64 million $272 million
Total estimated value-added activity Contribution to Gross State Product analogous to GDP (gross domestic product), output excluding the intermediate inputs (primarily compensation and profit).
$1.29 billion $3.8 billion
Total estimated gross economic activity Amount of production in total sales, includes intermediate goods purchased as well as value-added (compensation plus profit).
$2.98 billion $8.5 billion
Source scenarios calculated using Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) Minnesota Forecasting and Simulation Model, March 2011, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Wayne Gjerde.
Wayne GjerdePh 651-757-2392Cell ph [email protected]