Overview effect of Single Stream on Plastics Recycling an

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Overview effect of Single Stream on Plastics
Recycling and Recycling in General

• By Tamsin Ettefagh
• Of Envision Plastics

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First Who is Envision Plastics?

• Started in June 2001
• Bought FCR and Union Carbides Plastic Recycling
  Plants
• Upgraded and expanded the Reidsville FCR plant
  with integrating the Union Carbide equipment
• Went from a low of 36 employees and 1.8 million
  pounds per month to 60 employees and 4.5 million
  pounds per month
• Second Plant started in Chino, CA -October 2001

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What does Envision Do?

• We wash HDPE Bottles
• Approximately 2,500,000 bottles each day are
  ground, washed, sorted and extruded into pellets
  each day by both Envision Plastic Plants.

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The Colors we see

• Envision works with over 250,000 shades of color
  to develop the colors we sell.
• There may be several thousand shades of a color
  that makes up one color we sell month in month
  out.
• Envision Sorts 45,000,000 flakes per hour
• Which is close to a million flakes per minute

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Now onto Single Stream with a Preview

• A Look Back
• Current Trends
• Residential Collection
• Processing and Marketing
• Single Stream
• Collection and Processing Advantages and
  Disadvantages
• Looking Forward
• Conclusions

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Definitions

• Curb Sort Each individual recyclable was sorted
  at the curb into different compartments on the
  truck.
• Dual Stream Fiber was separated from containers
  into two different compartments on the truck.
• Single Stream Fiber and containers commingled
  together in the same recycling compartment on the
  truck.

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A Brief History

• Late 1800s - Recyclers went through cities
  ringing a bell on horse drawn carriages
  collecting from residents paper metal and
  clothing.
• 1950s - Many cities had residential newspaper
  pick-ups separate from the trash. These
  generally faded out over 10 years.
• Mid 1980s - Modern curbside dual stream programs
  became popular
• Early 1990s - First single stream program began
  in Phoenix AZ.
• Late 1990 - Early 2000s single stream taking off
  across the country.

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Collection Trends
Recycling Bins gt Recycling Carts
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Manual gt Automated
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Processing
SINGLE STREAM MRF Tipping Floor
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Transport Conveyor
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Pre-Sort Station
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Post-Sort Station
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Marketing
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Looking Forward Single Stream

• In 1997, there were approx. 4 single stream
  recycling programs across the U.S. Now, there
  are over 95.

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Advantages

• 1. Cost of collection is lower
• Easier for the resident to recycle
• Increases recycling rates
• Encourages innovation in recycling equipment
• Increases the tonnages for MRFs to process

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LOWER COLLECTION COSTS

• 2. Ability to utilize fewer, larger containers
  
• and collect more tons for less money
• Less driver turnover / better attendance
• Less driver worker compensation claims
• Automated bin pick averages 800 to 1000
  homes per day with
  one driver while the old dual stream system
  averages 400 to 600 homes per day with driver
  and helper

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BETTER FOR THE RESIDENT

• 3. The newer wheeled containers have over 5
  times the capacity and ease moving the
  recyclables to the curb
• Lids keep material dry and contained
• Convenience encourages participation

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INCREASES RECYCLING RATES

• 4. Tonnage increases from 25 to 100 when
• single stream is implemented
• Example City of Los Angeles (East Valley
  district) changed from dual stream to single
  stream in 1998. Net recycling tonnage went from
  1900 tons per month to 4500 tons per month.

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More Advantages to Single StreamFor Plastics

• 5. With effective promotion, a single Stream
  program
• Simplifies the educational message
• Increases recovery of PET and HDPE bottles
• Reduces non-bottle plastic contamination such
  
• as glass, grit, and dirt.
• New Technology has made it easier to sort
  multiple commodities

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IMPROVED RECYCLING EQUIPMENT

• Single stream has forced the recycling industry
  into new innovative sorting processes
• Disc Screens
• Air classification systems
• Trommel screens
• Eddy-current and magnetic separators
• Optical automated sorting is now being tested at
  select locations

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Disadvantages

• Processing costs are higher
• End products are more contaminated

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What are some of Single Streams weak points?

• If the education and wrong equipment are in place
  then the millage loss increases for the MRF and
  the Mill.
• The Paper Mills state that there were 39Million
  pounds of Plastics sent to their paper mills that
  came from Single Stream What type of Plastic
  needs questioning?
• The Glass cullet has increased the wear and tear
  on the Paper Mills equipment
• The Glass cullet from single stream has more
  mixed colored which in turn makes it harder to
  market and due to other contamination there have
  been weak spots in Glasss Final product.

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HIGHER PROCESSING COSTS

• All commodities are mixed together so it
  requires more labor to separate
• Extra MRF space is required as sorting systems
  are much larger
• Initial investment in sorting equipment is high.
  The newest single stream lines cost more than
  2,500,000 without land, balers, and installation

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Paper Mills and Single Stream

• Recently completed study by AFPA states overall
  system wide expenses increased an average of
  3/ton for paper collected in single stream
  programs
• Curbside collection costs average 15/ton less
• Sorting costs at MRF average 10/ton more
• Mills operating and maintenance costs increased
  an average of 8/ton (50 million annually)

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Why Consider Single StreamFor Plastics?

• The 1 problem that plastic recyclers face is
  lack of raw material (PET HDPE bottles)

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Why Consider Single Stream For Plastics?

• A problem facing communities is that recovery
  rates for plastic bottles are declining despite
  an increase in pounds of plastics generated each
  year
• Look at the fuel cost today and what it would
  have cost to pick up the curbside separated vs
  the single stream

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Why Consider All Plastic Bottles as part of
Single Stream? Because 96 of all plastic
bottles are PET and HDPE!
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Increased in Contamination?

• HDPE and PET bottles constitute a higher
  percentage of all plastic material collected
• Percentage of non-bottle rigid plastic containers
  are typically decreased e.g. films, bags, trays

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So Why Consider Single Stream?

• For the Consumer
• More responsive service
• Ability to add commodities
• Local contacts in some cases
• No sorting for the hauler
• More convenient when same day as trash pick up
• Lower cost for hauling

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Increased Contamination at the MRF with Single
Stream?

• Not if the program is properly launched with
  education and follow up.
• Not with holding consumers accountable by leaving
  contaminates in the bin or Cart in the beginning

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With Education consider

• Full training of Staff
• Doorhangers
• Articles and Press Releases
• Information in the delivered bins or carts
• Stickers on bins and carts about what is not
  allowed
• Web Page
• Follow up press releases
• Leaving materials in bin with a check off list
  preprinted sticky

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Increased Contamination at the Mill with Single
Stream?

• Not if the Mrf used the right equipment and
  followed up with feed back to the hauler about
  the contamination.

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Summary Conclusions

• COLLECTING SINGLE STREAM
• Allows a simplified message
• Can increase household participation
• Increases capture of PET HDPE bottles
• Improves operating costs per ton when more pounds
  are processed and lowers cost to the consumer
• 5. Diverts more tons for recycling and less
  tons to the landfill