December 8, 2009
Study criticizes cost of single-stream recycling
CULVER CITY, CALIF. (Dec. 8, 10:30 a.m. ET) -- A new study commissioned by the Container Recycling Institute recommends against single-stream collection of recyclables. The study notes that mingling various materials, including plastic, paper, metal and glass, results in a stream that is difficult and expensive for recyclers to handle.
"Basically, the report confirms that you can't unscramble an egg," explains CRI Executive Director Susan Collins. "Once the materials are mixed together in a single-stream recycling system, there will be cross-contamination of materials and significant glass breakage. Those cross-contamination and breakage issues then result in increased costs for the secondary processors."
Over the past decade, many municipalities have shifted to a single-stream system of recyclables collection, in which glass, metal, plastic, and paper are collected in a single receptacle. While single-stream collection is more convenient for consumers and results in lower collection costs, it also results in more contamination of collected materials, lower material quality, and increased waste, according to the report.
"Late-2008 market dynamics have tested existing single-stream systems," the report states. "As global manufacturing has slipped and overseas markets have eroded, domestic end-markets such as paper mills and metal and plastics recyclers have found they can afford to discriminate against processed material with high rates of contamination. The result is that collection systems that have been unable to adapt to these new quality standards have found themselves saddled with processed material that cannot be diverted to any recycling market either domestically or overseas."
One of the arguments in favor of single-stream recycling is that it results in the collection of a larger volume of material. But the report said "the evidence indicating that single-stream systems actually divert more material than other collection methods is anecdotal. To date, little research has been done that considers actual recycling rates that factor in yield rates from the end-user."
Culver City-based CRI chose CM Consulting to conduct the study, which focused on economic and environmental impacts of sign-stream recycling collection.
For the study, the consultant reviewed 60 previously-published studies, reports and articles in trade magazines. The study reports there are many negative downstream impacts of contaminated feedstock due to the mixing of materials through single-stream curbside collection.
Waste & Recycling News staff reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch contributed to this report.
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