Kerbside Recycling Collections Are they Value for Money Scottish Waste Management Conference, Glasgo

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Kerbside Recycling CollectionsAre they Value for
Money?Scottish Waste Management Conference,
Glasgow, 22 October 2003

• Presentation by
• Diarmid Jamieson Linda Ovens
• SLR Consulting Limited

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Kerbside Recycling Collections Are they value
for money ?

• Kerbside Recycling Collections in Scotland
• Limitations of Kerbside Collections (what
  contribution can they realistically make towards
  meeting our Recycling Composting targets ?)
• What works (and what doesnt)
• How much does it cost ?
• Implementation
• Summary

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Kerbside Recycling in Scotland 2001/2002
Statistics

• 3.21mt MSW arisings 2.02 mt hhld waste
• 24 Local Authorities (out of 32) provided some
  type of kerbside recycling collection service
• all involved the collection of Paper
• 8 provided separate biowaste collection
• 6 schemes collected plastics
• only 2 schemes collected glass
• recycling / composting rates ranged from 9 to lt1

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Performance of Kerbside Recycling Collection
Services 2002
Unmentioned authorities did not undertake
kerbside collection from households in 2002
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Recycling Composting Targets

• Set out in Scotlands National Waste Strategy /
  National Waste Plan / Area Waste Plans
• provide widespread segregated kerbside waste
  collections (to over 90 of households by 2020)
• achieve 25 combined recycling and composting of
  MSW arisings by 2006 (interim target)
• AWPs aspire to increase combined recycling and
  composting rate (of MSW) to 50-55 by 2020
  (Note this excludes recovery)
• Separate targets for England Wales, based on
  Best Value regime and Household Recycling Bill

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Scottish Household Waste Composition 2002 (LAWAC)
Approx 50 is Recyclable (includes paper) Approx
25 is Compostable
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Can we meet targets through Kerbside Collection?

• Need to consider kerbside recycling collections
  as part of overall collection regime including
  CA and Bring network. Typically around 25 of
  MSW may be collected through CA sites

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The 2020 Target (55)- what is required from CA
and Kerbside ?

• CA Contribution towards target 15
• (based on assumed recycling rate of 60 of 25
  throughput)
• Kerbside Contribution towards target 40
• Requires 53 recycling of 75 throughput
• (0.75 x 0.53 0.40)

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2020 (55) Kerbside Requirements

• From hhld composition data
• 25 (of 75 kerbside) is compostable
• ( 18.8)
• and 50 is recyclable ( 37.5)

Total kerbside recycle compost must 40
typical split 12 composted 28 recycled
Requires 64 (12/18.8) of available compostables
and 75 (28/37.5) of available recyclables
64 compostables 80 of hshlds x 89 hhldr
participation x 89 material capture 75
recyclables 90 of hshlds x 91 hhldr
participation x 91 material capture
Virtually Impossible - to meet 55 target
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The 2006 Target (25)- what is required from CA
and Kerbside ?

• CA Contribution towards target 7.5
• (based on assumed recycling rate of 30 of 25
  throughput)
• Kerbside Contribution towards target 17.5
• Requires 23.3 recycling of 75 throughput
• (0.75 x 0.233 0.175)

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2006 (25) Kerbside Requirements

• From hhld composition data
• 25 (of 75 kerbside) is compostable
• ( 18.8)
• and 50 is recyclable ( 37.5)

Total kerbside recycle compost must 17.5
typical split 5 composted 12.5 recycled
Requires 26.5 (5/18.8) of available
compostables and 33 (12.5/37.5) of available
recyclables
26.5 compostables 80 of hshlds x 57 hhldr
participation x 57 material capture (green and
kitchen) 33 recyclables 90 of hshlds x 60
hhldr participation x 60 material capture
25 Target more achievable
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Kerbside Collection- System Variables

• System Design (materials, collection frequency,
  kerbside sort or co-mingled, container and
  vehicle types) ?
• Implications for processing, disposal
  infrastructure ?
• Cost Implications (collection, whole service) ?
• Will system deliver 2006 or 2010 RC targets ?
• What coverage of households (e.g. 80, 100) ?
• What householder participation and material
  capture rates are achievable ?
• What contribution (and when) from
• Kitchen waste ?
• Trade waste ?
• CA and Bring site network ?
• - in addition to kerbside recycling.
• Collection round design residual and recycling
  routes

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Emerging Good Practice - what works

• Use compulsory or opt-out schemes (more effective
  that opt-in)
• Restrict residual collections
• Provide as frequent a recycling service (as
  budget will allow)
• Aim for same day collection service for
  residuals and recyclables
• Provide householders with their own containers
  clearly marked / coloured consider use of a lid
• Do not restrict householders ability to recycle
  provide additional boxes to star performers, on
  request
• Provide kitchen containers where kitchen waste
  is to be collected
• Provide clear instructions to householders
  about the acceptable materials, use of containers
  and the uplift dates (keep these simple and avoid
  the householder having to make difficult
  materials selection decisions)
• Design scheme to suit local conditions (e.g.
  urban-rural) one size does not fit all !

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Collection Legislation- can it assist ?

• The EPA Part II and the Controlled Waste
  Regulations allow local authorities to restrict
  the quantity of MSW uplifted and make a charge
  for the uplift of some MSW wastes
• Environment Protection Act Part II
• WCAs have a duty to collect waste from all
  household and commercial properties, if requested
  to do so, in a receptacle specified by the WCA.
  The WCA may make a charge for the receptacles.
• Controlled Waste Regulations 1992
• Green waste and bulky wastes are controlled
  wastes and therefore a charge can be made for
  their collection.

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Urban / Rural Variance

• Urban Rounds governed by full loads and working
  hours (the quicker the round, the more loads in a
  day)
• Rural Rounds governed by working hours alone
  (unlikely to fill vehicle in a day)

• Therefore slower kerbside sort rounds less
  efficient in Urban areas
• More Vehicles reqd.
• Higher Costs

Load 400 HH
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Urban Example

• A recent SLR study of a London kerbside recycling
  collection programme found that best results came
  from
• Single/Dual stream collections
• Kerbside/Residual collections on same day
• Schemes that had been in place for several years
  
• A high Awareness/Education level

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Rural Example

• Daventry is often quoted as Best Practice for
  Kerbside Sort Collection capturing 38 of its
  household waste (equivalent to 60 participation
  capture) in 2001
• It provides fortnightly alternate green and
  residual collection plus weekly multi material
  kerbside sort system to almost 100 of households
• A relatively rural area with 30,000 households
  (9,000 in Daventry town)
• Has relatively large vehicle fleet and relative
  costs
• Composting Level has now fallen due to ABPO
  restrictions

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How Much Does it Cost ?

• Kerbside Collection options must be assessed in
  terms of Total Waste Management Service Cost -
  since the use of kerbside recycling schemes can
  off-set the need for downstream processing costs
  (e.g. at a MRF).
• SLR experience in designing programmes indicates
  that cost is extremely sensitive to the type of
  scheme put in place
• The increase in total service costs range from
  around 10 to 300 for a current 3m service,
  this equates to a new service cost of between
  3.3m and 9m
• SLR experience indicates that careful scheme
  design and implementation should restrict the new
  service costs to a maximum uplift of around 20
  of total service costs (i.e. 3m to 3.6m) (or
  30 of collection costs)

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Implementation Guidance (1)

• Resolve any current collection service
  inefficiencies prior to starting kerbside
  collections
• Plan staged implementation programme including
  identification of early rounds for service
• Careful specification of vehicles and containers
  is required
• Reconfigure collection rounds to provide best
  fit between kerbside and residual produce new
  collection route maps
• Keep routes clear and consistent (leads to faster
  rounds and less accidents)
• Provide operations staff training including
  Health Safety training for loaders

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Implementation Guidance (2)

• Provide clear guidance to householders on what is
  expected and what materials are acceptable (and
  what are not)
• Do not swap and change the scheme once in place
• Local Recyclate Markets
• Collect materials with the highest local resale
  values (Can greatly offset costs) and
• Wait!!!.....Most schemes develop over time.

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Summary

• Develop kerbside recycling collections as part of
  overall collection service in particular
  maximise recycling of CA site throughput (gt50 CA
  site recycling is possible)
• Be realistic about the contribution from kerbside
  to meeting targets combined recycling and
  composting targets above 40 will be very
  difficult to achieve without high CA recycling
  and/or processing of mixed residuals
• Observe current / emerging good practice
  particularly wrt restrictions on residual
  collection and public awareness make full use of
  existing legislation to control the collection
  services
• The new service costs need not be excessive
  typically 20 uplift on current total service
  costs
• Prepare careful implementation programme for new
  service, including staged implementation
  purchase of vehicles and containers collection
  round reconfiguration and route maps staff
  training and public information programme