Single Stream Recycling Background Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency Kingston, NY May 23, 2018 Board Members Fred Wadnola Chairman David Gordon, Esq. Vice Chairman Charles Landi Treasurer Jack Hayes Member Brian Devine Member Staff Timothy Rose, P.E., BCEE, QEP, M.P.A. Executive Director Agency Counsel Kenneth Gilligan, Esq. 1
Single Stream Recycling (SSR) Background Dual Stream Separation of paper/cardboard from combined plastics/metal/glass 2
Single Stream Combination of paper/cardboard and mixed plastic/glass into one stream UCRRA Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Dual stream facility Ability to separate mixed plastics/metal/glass No ability to separate paper For SSR, MRF operates only as a transfer facility 3
UCRRA Recycling Operation RRA acceptance of dual stream and single stream until now Processing and separation of dual stream only RRA transference of recycling No flow control RRA sending separated dual stream components to commercial outlets Seek best price in changing market Chinese domination of SSR market SSR Price/Availability Decline for SSR Disposal 4
$30.00 SSR Revenues/Costs to RRA Since 2016 $20.00 $10.00 $- $(10.00) $(20.00) $(30.00) $(40.00) $(50.00) $(60.00) $1,200.00 Compare Prices for Dual Stream Products 2017-2018 $1,000.00 $800.00 $600.00 $400.00 $200.00 $0.00 -$200.00 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr HDPE Color Natural PETE #3-7 Plastic Tubs/Lids UBC Tin Mixed News OCC SSR 5
Recycling Commodity Prices April, 2018 HDPE Color: $400/ton Recycling commodity prices April, 2018 HDPE Natural: $800/ton 6
Recycling Commodity Prices April, 2018 PETE: $290/ton Recycling Commodity Prices April, 2018 Used beverage containers: $980/ton 7
Recycling Commodity Prices April, 2018 Old Corrugated Cardboard (OCC): $90/ton Recycling Commodity Prices April, 2018 Tin: $250/ton 8
Recycling Commodity Prices April, 2018 Single stream: -$51/ton Reasons for Loss of Demand for SSR 9
Problems with Mixing Paper and Combined Recycling Broken glass affecting paper Contamination, especially food, affecting paper Wish-Cycling The practice of tossing questionable items in the recycling bin, hoping they can somehow be recycled Incredibly common, but also incredibly damaging to the very recycling programs you re trying to support with your eco-friendly efforts. The issue with wish-cycling is that, although it seems like it s a great idea, tossing potentially unrecyclable items into your blue bin ends up costing time, money and even sometimes creating far more waste. Earth911 10
Chinese Market Reaction Green Fence - 2013 National Sword - 2017 Blue Sky 2018 Restrictions on categories of recyclables, including ban on mixed plastics/paper, effective January 1, 2018 Increased inspections 0.5% contamination limit The Result Loss of market for SSR Increased costs to remove SSR SSR piling up in numerous locations around the world 11
Huff Post, January 2018 The ramifications of China s recent ban has been described with language suggestive of a natural disaster. It has sent shockwaves worldwide, said Greenpeace East Asia plastics campaigner Liu Hua. Arnaud Brunet, head of the Bureau of International Recycling, compared the ban to an earthquake. Mere weeks after the ban took effect, waste management facilities in several countries, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Germany, are groaning under the weight of trash that no one seems to know what to do with. 12
Huff Post, January 2018 In the U.S., a recycler in Oregon told The New York Times this week that his inventory had gone out of control since the year began. China s decision, he said, had caused a major upset of the flow of global recyclables. Ireland has warned that its pile-up of garbage will soon reach crisis levels if an alternative destination for its trash is not found. In Calgary, Canada... the city s waste manager described stockpiling thousands of tons of plastics and paper in empty storage sheds, shipping containers and trailers as officials figure out what to do with all the detritus. In Halifax... 300 metric tons of plastic bags and other plastic film products had to recently be buried in a landfill because the city has no more space to store it, reported the Times. 13
Wall Street Journal, May 2018 Some recyclers said residents and municipalities need to give up the singlestream approach of lumping used paper and cardboard together with glass, cans and plastic in one collection truck. Single-stream collections took hold in the waste-hauling industry about 20 years ago and continue to be widely used. Collecting paper separately would make curbside recycling service more expensive but cut down on contamination. We re our own worst enemies, said Michael Barry, president of Mid America Recycling, a processing-plant operator in Des Moines, Iowa, of single-stream recycling. It s almost impossible to get the paper away from the containers. What s Next May 30, 2018 @ 12:00pm Regular board meeting Both resolutions will be introduced to the public, but not voted on Rate increase July 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018 Cease accepting SSR on December 31, 2018 at the close of business Meeting held at UCRRA, 999 Flatbush Road, Kingston June 14, 2018 @ 5:00pm Public hearing for both resolutions Meeting held in the Legislative Chambers, County Office Building, 240 Fair Street, Kingston June 27, 2018 @ 12:00pm Regular Board Meeting Vote on resolutions Meeting held at UCRRA, 999 Flatbush Road, Kingston 14