Recycling Industry News and Topics - Recygal Blog » HDPE (#2)

Recycling Plastic at the Marina

Recygal — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:22:25 +0000

Boats everywhere are being pulled out of storage, unwrapped, and set back into the water. Unwrapped? Yes. For those of you who are not boaters, shrink wrap goes way beyond the kitchen- it is used to keep stored boats in good condition. But what happens to all this shrink wrap after it has been used?

In the past, the shrink wrap simply went to landfills. Today, thanks to boaters, marinas, and boatyards that care about the environment, hundreds of tons are now being reused and recycled.

Lake Marina with Shrink Wrapped Boats

A leading shrink wrap recycler, Mondo Polymer Technologies (MPT), located in Reno, Ohio, has been collecting used boat shrink wrap since 2006 and turning it into highway guard rails and wheel chocks. To secure the shrink wrap supply for these recycled transportation products, MPT partners with the government sponsored program, Sea Grant. Sea Grant, under the aegis of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is instrumental in educating marinas and boaters about the importance of recycling and keeping our waterways clean. According to Colleen Wellington of Sea Grant Ohio, the Sea Grant program is often administered through extension programs of land grant universities providing research, education, and outreach to coastal water areas.

This successful shrink wrap recycling program, initiated in 2006 in Ohio, expanded to nearby states in only its second year of operation. Today, Mondo Polymer Technologies collects used boat shrink wrap to recycle in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and Delaware. Ron Wesel, Materials Acquisition Manager for MPT, says that since its 2007 expansion, 1,900,000 pounds of shrink wrap has been collected and recycled. With most boats requiring between 14 to 25 pounds of shrink wrap, MPT has recycled used shrink wrap from about 100,000 boats. That’s a lot of #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene) plastic being kept out of land-fills! To learn more about the MPT’s reclamation program and recycled products, please visit: Mondo Polymer Technologies.

But we are a big water country. With our coastal waterways existing far beyond the Midwest and Mid Atlantic regions, what do our fellow boaters in large water states like Florida, Texas, or California do with their used shrink wrap? Well, in these warmer climates where the boating season can be year round, boat shrink wrapping is not as prevalent as in colder climate states. However, everywhere there is boating; there is a need for shrink wrap. In these areas, companies who offer boat shrink wrapping services like Dr. Shrink, Inc. and Fast Wrap also offer shrink wrap recycling kits. Basically, these “rebag” kits consist of a plastic collection bag, recycling instructions, and a pre-paid mailing label so the used shrink wrap can be simply shipped back to the purveyor who then recycles it. Reclaimed shrink wrap from Dr. Shrink, Inc. and Fast Wrap can end up in a variety of products ranging from trash bags to composite lumber. Each kit holds enough shrink wrap to cover a 26 foot boat. With 95% of all leisure boats under 26 feet in length, these kits work for most boaters. To recycle the shrink wrap from a larger boat, more than one kit must be used. To find the nearest Dr. Shrink or Fast Wrap location or learn more about their “rebag” recycle kits, please visit their respective websites at: Dr. Shrink and Fast Wrap.

Where there is boating, there is fishing. Monofilament fishing line, commonly known as nylon fishing line, can cause severe damage to marine ecosystems by entangling and killing aquatic life. Fish, birds, and mammals can all suffer from life threatening injuries when they become entangled in the barely visible, thin plastic line as it floats within our waterways. Keeping this sinister polluter at bay is essential to ensure our marine environments remain safe harbors for wildlife.

Fishing Line Recycling Station

To help keep our waterways free of discarded, floating fishing line, BoatU.S. Foundation (a non-profit organization dedicated to Boating Safety and Clean Water) with a grant from NOAA, is providing coastal waterways throughout the United States with monofilament fishing line collection units made from PVC pipe. Susan Shingledecker, Director of Environmental Programs for BoatU.S. Foundation, says that BoatU.S. employees volunteer to make the collection units which are then distributed free of charge. To date, over 1,200 collection units have been distributed. To receive a fishing line collection unit, recipients must agree to maintain the unit for three years and to report to BoatU.S. the amount of fishing line collected. Because the demand for the unit often exceeds the supply, BoatU.S. has created a YouTube video with instructions for building a collection unit and for obtaining free program stickers and signs by mail. Where fishing line collection units are not available, monofilament line can also be recycled at West Marine retail boating supply stores. To find out how to obtain or build your own collection unit or to see a tally of how much fishing line has been collected for recycling through the program, visit: BoatU.S.. To locate your nearest West Marine store, visit West Marine.

Where is the Recycling Bin?

To close on plastic recycling at marinas, we must not forget to recycle our used plastic bottles. Through outreach and education by such organizations as Sea Grant and BoatU.S. many marinas and docks now have recycling bins as well as trash receptacles available for boaters to use. When visiting a marina or other waterside location, I would appreciate if you would snap a photo of a recycling bin when you see one and send it to me. (A photo from a digital camera or cell phone will do). I’d like to follow up this article with some photos of recycling bins that are helping to keep our waterways free of litter and our landfills less burdened with plastic. The first ten water venue recycling bin photo submitters will receive a roll of 10 ClearView™ recycling liners from Recyclingbin.com.

All photographs and/or images received will be the property of Recycle Life, LLC and can at the company’s discretion be posted on the RecyGal.com blog. Please make sure you send your mailing address along with the photo. Please make your submission to:RecyGal

As always, thanks for reading my blog.

Happy boating, fishing, and photographing!

References for this article were obtained from, “It’s a wrap: Recycling program aids marinas”, Waste News, July 21, 2008, Recycling, www.fastwrapusa.com, “Pilot Project Will Recycle Shrink Wrap From Boats”, US Fed News Service, April 15, 2008. “Dr. Shrink sells the Rebag as the environmental answer to the question, “come spring, what do I do with the shrink wrap that’s been on my boat all winter?”, National Fisherman, January 1, 2008, “Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Department of Correction Partner to Offer Marinas, Boat Storage Facilities”, US Fed News Service, April 1, 2008.

Earth Day 2010- Proof recycling is not what it used to be

Recygal — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:43:29 +0000

April 22, 2010 marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. By attending the 2010 New York City Earth Day event, it was obvious we have come a long way since Earth Day’s beginnings as a protest to raise environmental awareness.

Earth Day NYC 2010

On the first Earth Day, 20 million Americans marched down city streets, gathered in community parks, and protested on college campuses to the let our government and industries know that we cared about the air pollution, toxic waste, loss of natural landscape, and litter that was damaging the environment. The message rang out loud and was heard clearly. Earth Day 1970 set the stage for creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and many of the laws which now protect the environment.

This year’s main event (now held in Times Square rather than Central Park) featured such notable speakers as Ban Ki-Moon (Secretary General of The United Nations), Barry Caldwell (Waste Management Executive and Chairman of Keep America Beautiful), and The Honorable Mayor Bloomberg. Even Al Gore made a video appearance!

The event celebrated not only how much greener New York City is becoming, but how far we have come as a nation to take environmental stewardship seriously. What struck me immediately was that Earth Day is no longer about the culture of youth clashing with the titans of industry, but about people from all walks of life working together with the goal of preserving our precious earth. School children, business executives, entertainers, and politicians came together to celebrate all the good things that we have accomplished and to recognize how far we still have to go.

Speaker Barry Caldwell reminded us, “We are not recycling as much as we did 15 years ago”. Despite this discouraging news, incentives are underway to increase the recycling rate. One initiative between Waste Management, PepsiCo, and Entrepreneur Boot Camp for Veterans (EBCV), will strive to take the nation’s current recycling rate from 30- 34% to 50% by 2018. Just how will they accomplish this? The answer is the “Dream Machine”.

Jeremy Cage, Chief Marketing Officer for PepsiCo, explained that the Dream Machine project will not only help to increase the recycling rate but help veterans fulfill their dreams of starting their own businesses. For every bottle recycled via a Dream Machine, PepsiCo will make a donation to the EBCV program. EBCV provides disabled veterans with a free university education in Entrepreneurial Business Studies and helps to support them financially when they are starting their businesses.

So, what is a “Dream Machine?” It is a reverse vending machine developed by Tomra Industries to collect spent plastic bottles. Reverse vending machines have been used successfully in California (where plastic bottles have a deposit law) to collect plastic bottles at local shopping centers for recycling. Consumers simply deposit their used bottles in the automated machines. For each bottle deposited, a monetary refund is awarded; in California that means 10 cents for each 24 ounce plastic bottle! Behind the scenes, The State of California pays processing fees to shopping centers for emptying the machines and issuing refunds; the State also compensates independent haulers who cart the bottles from the machines to recycling stations. For several years California’s beverage container recycling program ran smoothly, then things got messy. With the downturn of the world economy, demand for used plastic dried up in Asia . (Most of California’s spent plastic bottles were shipped to Asia because the price per pound was highest). As the demand for reclaimable plastic slowed, it was apparent the program was in trouble and needed funding. However, there were no reserves to tap. Why? Because hundreds of millions of dollars from the beverage container recycling fund had been funneled off for use in other state programs. To try and keep the program alive, the State of California had to reduce handling fees and funding to several recycling-rated programs by 85%. By last November, further fees cuts were made and handling fees were totally eliminated. Tomra Industries filed a law suit against the State of California. On March 8, 2010, Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger enacted an urgent measure, Assembly Bill 7, to help to restore the program to working order. The jury is still out.

While recycling with Pepsico’s Dream Machine will not provide bottle deposit returns, it will enable users to obtain coupons for product discounts. To learn more about Pepsico’s Dream Machine, visit: “Dream Machine”

While we all love machination, machines do have an effect on our climate. This weekend a climate rally will take place on the National Mall in Washington, DC, to let Congress know that as citizens, many of us believe a comprehensive climate bill that will cap green house gas emissions is needed to help alleviate global warming. With global warming literally looming over our heads, I believe more cost effective, lower carbon footprint plastic bottle collection alternatives could best support public recycling efforts.

A leading recycling container company, Recyclingbin.com, LLC, offers the Event Recycling Kiosk^TM a public collection bin that is made from up to 3O% recycled plastic and is itself 100% recyclable. The unit offers 92 square feet of messaging space, holds 2,400 plastic bottles, and even folds flat for storage and shipping. Could I be envisioning a truly eco-friendly Dream Machine? What do you think? Please visit: “Recyclingbin.com” to learn more about the Event Recycling Kiosk^TM.

In the spirit of recycling, a truly great effort is being spearheaded by the City of New York. According to Mayor Bloomberg, “Folks you ain’t seen nothing yet”. New York City council plans to expand plastics’ recycling beyond PET #1 and HDPE #2 to include all plastics. Now, that’s leading the nation’s plastic recycling effort! Go New York!!

Mayor Bloomberg

All in all, Earth Day indicated that recycling is still, Top of Mind, for everyone.

Happy Recycling!

References for this article were obtained from, “40 years ago, a day that started the movement”, “Earth Day”, Special Edition, “History of Earth Day”, www.earthday.net, “Bottle Bill Campaigns: California”, Assembly Bill 7, www.bottlebill.org, “Pepsico in Recycling Push”, The Wall Street Journal, April 22, 2010, www.recyclingbin.com

Disposable Cups- Recycling One Drink at a Time

Recygal — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:32:43 +0000

Americans dispose of billions upon billions of paper, plastic, and foam cups. This year over 58 billion paper cups and 25 billion polystyrene foam cups will pass through our hands and end up in landfills. While the United States is still the world’s largest culprit of disposable cup waste, growing nations like China and India are fast catching up. It’s a cup carrying, cup dumping world!

With coffee bars and fast food restaurants dispensing hundreds of thousands of these cups by the second, it is no wonder it seems so natural for us to use them. The American “on the go” lifestyle supported by takeout counters and drive up windows provides little incentive for us to bring a commuter mug along and pay for a fill up. It’s just more convenient to grab a brand new, disposable cup. As quickly as we feed our hunger for caffeine or quench our thirst for effervescence, disposable cups enable us to throw out the evidence! No washing required, just toss! What happened to recycling?

Where hot and cold beverages meet paper and plastic cups, recycling is not as straightforward as you may think. Composite materials and lack of established collection and reclamation processes make the recycling of this growing environmental concern challenging. Annually, over 220 billion disposable paper cups are used worldwide; that’s thirty-two paper cups for every person on the planet! While I don’t have actual worldwide usage figures for hard plastic cups and expanded foam plastic cups, you can imagine the numbers are big. And, let’s not forget the disposable lids, straws, and sleeves which come along with many of these cups.

All accoutrements aside, it was the disposable paper cup that started the throw away cup craze. Developed in the early twentieth century, paper cup usage grew as concern for sanitary drinking water at railway stations became a public health concern. Once a sidekick of the water fountain, today’s paper cup is used for both hot and cold beverages. To meet the demands of liquid portability, the simple paper cup is not just made out of paper; the paper is coated with polyethylene plastic (PE) to make it waterproof. Disposable paper cups are made of about 95% high quality paper fiber and 5% PE coating. Although the paper fiber is recyclable, contamination caused by food and drinks can limit the recyclability of the paper and the small amount of plastic which coats the paper deters most paper mills from accepting PE- coated cups for recycling. Depending on the physical properties required of the cup, the PE coating is often a mixture of both low density polyethylene (LPDE#4 ) and high density polyethylene (HDPE #2) and can even contain polypropylene (PP #5), polyethylene terephthalate (PET #1), polystyrene (PS #6) or nylon.

For many paper mills, plastics (even the smallest amounts) can wreak havoc with paper reclamation equipment and contaminate downstream processes. For those few paper mills willing to take on the challenge, a consistent supply of used cups is often nowhere to be found. According to a press release issued in the UK, for a paper mill to begin recycling paper cups, at least 10 tons of used paper cups are needed monthly. If a cup weighs about 5 grams, that’s almost 2 million cups a month. For disposable cup recycling to become a reality, the used cups need to be collected systematically in bulk. Since consumers often take their beverages with them when they leave the coffee bar or fast food chain, disposable cups end up everywhere but in proper collection systems. Even if consumers end up taking the paper cups home, the cups most likely end up in landfills since most municipalities do not recycle paper cups. Portability does not support recyclability!

Because coffee bars like Starbucks are large users of disposable paper cups (Starbucks purchased 2.7 billion paper cups in 2008) the company looks seriously at how it can reduce the impact of its paper cup usage on the environment. By promoting the use of reusable ceramic mugs or glasses for in-store beverage users and commuter cups for the take out crowd, Starbucks can help to break the disposable cup habit and meaningfully reduce disposable cup usage. Additionally, use of recycled paper fiber in the paper cups can help to reduce the impact paper cups have on our forests. In 2006, Starbucks launched a 10% post consumer fiber (PCF) paper cup in the US and Canada. While these cups are still not recycled, Starbucks’ move to the PCF cup has saved 300,000 trees.

In the search for a “greener” disposable cup, International Paper has developed the “Ecotainer” a 100% biodegradable paper cup made from trees grown under the sustainable forest initiative and coated with the corn-derived plastic, polylactic acid (PLA) . Used cups no longer become trash, they now become compost! Maybe. A PLA-coated cup won’t degrade in your backyard compost bin or in the trash; it needs the very controlled decomposition environment of a commercial or municipal compost facility. PLA begins as a corn kernel that is milled and separated into starch and the simple sugar, dextrose. The dextrose is then fermented into lactic acid and converted to the lactide polymer, polylactic acid (a bio-plastic that requires 65% less energy to be produced and generates 68% fewer greenhouse gases than conventional plastics). Sounds pretty good, but PLA applications are limited by the low melting point of this bio-plastic, 114 degrees Fahrenheit. Given the water temperatures for brewing most coffees reaches 190 – 200 degrees Fahrenheit and coffee normally hits the cup at least 120 degrees, the PLA-coating does not appear to be able to withstand direct contact with such hot beverages. For the Ecotainer to hold up against temperature, the paper must somehow insulate the PLA from the heat; perhaps the PLA coating is only on the outside of the cup? The company is marketing the Ecotainer for use with both hot and cold beverages, so it must have the science figured out. But, will the Ecotainer really keep paper cups out of the trash? Not really. As mentioned earlier, unless the cup finds its way into a controlled compost facility; it will pollute just as well as any other non-degradable cup. And just like PE-coated cups, it is not a wanted recyclable by the paper industry. For institutions like universities that manage both in-house food service operations and controlled composting facilities, replacing PE-coated paper cups with PLA-coated cups works well to reduce landfill costs and help keep campuses green. The key to the future success of PLA- coated paper cups is highly dependent on the development of and access to managed compost facilities.

So, what about disposable plastic cups? These plastic cups come in two varieties: foam plastic and hard plastic. Foam cups are made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) – polystyrene (PS#6) that has been expanded by a blowing agent such as carbon dioxide or pentane. Supporters of foam cups argue that the cup is 95% air and only 5% plastic resulting in less plastic to be disposed of than found in hard plastic cups. Hard plastic cups are made mostly from PET (#1), PS (#6), and PP (#5). While both foam and hard plastic cups are recyclable, lack of sufficient collection and reclamation systems results in both types of cups going to landfills.

As the recycling industry evolves, heavy cup users like Starbucks are turning away from plastics with low recyclability prospects to plastics that are more readily recyclable. Formerly, Starbucks served its cold drinks in PET (#1) cups. Not a bad idea since the PET (#1) bottle is the most recycled consumer plastic in North America. Unfortunately, the reclamation process to recycle bottles does not accommodate the recycling of other items made from PET (#1), so even though the plastic itself is recyclable, the cups have nowhere to go but to landfills. With more communities and municipalities offering recycling of PP (#5), Starbucks has switched from PET (#1) cups to PP (#5). The beauty of PP(#5) recycling is that it is building up around the recycling of everything made out of the PP(#5) plastic, not just one specific item as in the case of PET(#1) bottle. Also, by making some of its PP (#5) cups lighter, Starbucks is reducing the amount of plastic resin used and saving 650 tons or resin annually. Every little bit helps.

Hard PS (#6) is also a staple in the cup world. Not only are beverages served it PS (#6) cups, but yogurts and many other dairy items come packaged in this plastic too. Efforts by the organization, Preserve Gimme 5, have helped to raise PS (#6) recycling awareness and offer more convenient recycling opportunities for the plastic. The organization is creating a true closed loop system for post consumer PS (#6) plastic used by the dairy industry. For more information, see one of my previous blogs (scroll to paragraph 10 ) which mentions “Preserve Gimme 5″.

To lessen the environmental impact that disposable cups have on society, everyone must be willing to take steps to reduce the use of disposable cups. Next time you are going to visit your favorite deli or coffee bar, bring along your own cup and ask the barista to fill it up. If the barista gives you push back, politely let management know that as a customer it is important to you that the company supports reusable cups. Phone your municipality or check its website to see which types of plastic are accepted for recycling. If your favorite fast food or take out restaurant gives you PS (#6) or PP (#5) cups and your municipality accepts them for recycling, make sure they make it into the recycling bin. And, when it comes to paper, a truly recyclable cup is on the horizon. “Starbucks” hopes to launch one by 2012. However, it will take the commitment of municipalities to collect these used paper cups and the acceptance of paper mills to recycle them. Everyone can have a positive impact for more responsible disposable cup use. Happy sipping!

References for this article were obtained from: www.epa.gov, “Innovation, Biodegradeable Coffee Cups!”, Justin, July 3, 2007, www.metefficient.com, “Starbucks Pilots Coffee Cup Recycling Program”, Hasler, Lauren, September 18, 2009, earth911.com, US Patent 6129653-Heat Insulating Paper Cups, Fredericks, Richard E., et al., October 10, 2000, Press Release- The Cup Recovery and Recycling Group, “Recycling of Paper Cups”, November 24, 2008, www.thepapercupcompany.co.uk, “Dixie Cup Company History”, Lafayette College Libraries, August 1995, www.lafayette.edu/~library/special/dixie/company.html, www.starbucks.com, Environmental Stewardship, Paper Cups, “Corn Plastic to the Rescue”, Smithsonian Magazine, Royte, Elizabeth, August 2006, www.sacomaine.com, www.motherjones.com, “Industrial Strength Solution, Makower, Joel, May 2009.

Zip Lock Plastic Bags: A Tragic Case of Recycling Inconvenience

Recygal — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:44:32 +0000

Just Zip It. Zipper-type plastic storage bags have hundreds of uses and are fast becoming the quintessential storage solution for households and businesses. Foods, electronic parts, garden soils, and even crime scene evidence end up packaged in these convenient, storage bags. Although millions of these bags are used daily, recycling used zipper-type plastic bags is not so easy.

Because municipal recycling infrastructure has evolved around the collection of plastic bottles, most cities and towns only accept PET (#1) and HDPE (#2) plastics for curbside collection. (Most plastic storage bags are made from LDPE (#4) and even sometimes from PP (#5)). For more information on these plastics, please visit: http://www.www.earthodyssey.com/symbols.html While municipal recycling centers can accommodate the reclamation of bin liners used to transport curbside plastics, most downstream separation processes (used after collection bag contents are emptied) are not designed to handle the separation of plastic bags, films, and wraps. Without the convenience of curbside pickup, the final resting place of many (if not most) of our zipper-type storage bags is the dreaded landfill.

With the zipper-type or “slider” bag the consumer-preferred choice for plastic bags, the use of these bags is growing. Once a product offered only under the best brand-names, this convenient, sealable storage solution is now a mainstay item of private label brands too. So, what can we do to keep these bags out of our landfills?

The answer rests with the story behind the recycling of retail plastic shopping bags. With many city and state governments enacting laws that demand retailers to offer recycling services for plastic shopping bags which are made from HDPE #2 (http://www.recygal.com/2009/09/03disposable-plastic-bags-a-shopper%e2%80%99s-dream-or-nightmare-2/#more-90), the door is opening for households to have convenient recycling drop-off locations for all plastic bags. According to the American Chemistry Association, wherever plastic shopping bags (HDPE #2) are collected for recycling, cleaned, sealable food storage bags (if the hard components are removed), bread bags, dry cleaning bags, and even plastic wraps can be recycled too. The same infrastructure set up to handle HDPE #2 bags handles LDPE #4 bags (as long as any zippers are removed).

Why the zippers cannot be recycled remains a mystery; most zippers are made of LDPE (#4) plastic. Because the zippers may contain colorants and proprietary sealants, perhaps they are considered contaminants. However, the LDPE recycling industry is adept at stripping dyes and other impurities from LDPE plastic. So, who knows? Does anyone have an answer for this? I surmise it may be because HDPE zippers are not collected in large enough quantities to make recycling economically feasible.

If you are going to use zipper- type plastic storage bags more commonly known as, “Ziploc” bags, please remember to cut off the zippers before you recycle them. Try and collect your zipper-less used bags in bulk (preferably in a used plastic shopping bag) so you can conveniently drop “the bag of bags” into your retailer’s recycling station. To be even more environmentally conscious, try and use non-zippered bags when possible. You’ll be helping to keep LDPE plastic out of our landfills. If you need to have a sealed pouch bag, plastic bag heat sealers eliminate the need for zippers and are available at most big box stores. For real eco-purists, you can always find storage solutions that are non-plastic. Glass storage containers keep food. Post consumer recycled cardboard boxes store non-perishable items. A New Zealand company, Kizan Ltd., even offers a reusable plastic bag sealer, the “Magic Lock Reusable Bag Sealer”. Please view the video below. I have ordered the product and will test it out. I’ll be letting you know if it works as well as seen in the video. Happy bagging!

Magic Lock Reusable Bag Sealer

References for this article were obtained from: “Zippers and Sliders: An Open and Shut Case for Packagers: New Zipper Materials and Designs Improve Seal Integrity and expand Use into Retort Applications, While Sliders Take On Transverse Technology”, “Food & Drug Packaging”, September 2004, D. Sokol, www.earthodyssey.com, www.manufacturingtalk.com, “Low-Price Slider For LPDE Bags”, May, 11, 2005, “What You Should Know About Plastic Bags”, www.plasticbagfacts.org

How Co-mingling of Recyclables is More Tangled than We Think- Part II

Recygal — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:59:24 +0000

Plastic as a Recycling Foundation

Is the time right for MRF World to take plastics more seriously? Should plastics be at the forefront of curbside recycling? Just as co-mingling of recyclables has made collection at curbside easier, the co-mingling of information on recovered materials may provide some answers. Trust me. We are not mixing apples and oranges; the markets do share some interesting parallels. To see what drives the market dynamics behind all the plastic containers we recycle, we need to take a brief look at other recovered materials like paper, metal, and glass.

Basically, in fall of 2008, the demand for most reclaimed materials drastically fell. According to an article published in, The Gazette, Melissa Kolwaite (a spokesperson for Waste Management) said, “we have been in the recycling industry for 40 years, and the reality is that there are cycles in terms of highs and lows”. Kolwaite goes on to explain this particular downturn was so severe because it coincided with a worldwide recession. While that may be true, I think it is only part of the story (For more background discussion see: http://www.recygal.com/?p=684#more-684)

Up until the fall of 2008, strong Asian demand for reclaimed materials left MRFs scrambling to export more and more recyclables. Taking their “eyes” off local markets, shipment of scrap papers, scrap metals, and scrap plastics flowed to faraway places. Overcome by the lure of moola from Asia, investment and development in less “hot” opportunities came to a standstill. In many cases, development of more sustainable, closer to home opportunities were either totally ignored or put on the put on the back burner. Just when the “hot” strategy seemed to be paying off, Asia dried up!

As Asia wilted, reclaimed material prices melted: aluminum dropped by about 50%, scrap plastic fell by 20% (www.plasticsmarket.net), scrap glass by 58% (see:www.glassgo.net), scrap paper fell by 44% (www.paperfiber.net ) and recovered papers such as newsprint fell as much as 70%! The rapid price deflation not only lowered recycling’s profitability; it questioned its feasibility. Everything from aluminum cans to plastic soda bottles were in the fray. Needless to say, with the value for recyclables in the garbage, some of our recyclables went to landfills. What a shame!

The market value for many recovered materials declined for 6 months, then in summer 2009 prices started to move up. As of 4th quarter 2009, prices for scrap plastic have actually reached or surpassed previous high levels. The big question is, “How volatile are these prices?” If there are any economists out there, I would really appreciate your thoughts!

During the whole mess, the decline in composite plastic value (an average index taken across all reclaimed plastics) lagged far behind that of metal (www.metalpricing.com) and paper. Although Asia’s pull out hurt PET (#1) bales (prices sunk another 40% to 60%), the across the board value for reclaimed plastics was not so drastically effected. To give you an idea how Asian demand drove the post consumer PET (#1) bottle market, we must take a look at the past decade. From 1998 to 2008, the total market increased by over 80% to reach 1,549 MM lbs. While U.S. reclaimer purchases declined by 6% (757 MM lbs to 713 MM lbs), the explosive export market grew by over 800% (89 MM lbs to 836 MM lbs). Half of this explosion occurred within the past three years! Overheated Asia pushed market growth as the captive PET (#1) market base remained relatively unchanged.

Plastic recycling (as we know it today) began with the PET (#1) bottle which was patented in 1973. Soon after its introduction, PET (#1) bottles began replacing glass bottles for many beverages. Although PET (#1) recycling began in 1977, it took “years” before most facilities began to accept this plastic for recycling. The breakthrough came in 1991, when Coca Cola^© introduced the first recycled PET (#1) bottle. Recycling of PET (#1) bottles has grown from 8 MM pounds in 1979 to an estimated 2,410 MM pounds in 2009. (A 300 fold increase in 30 years!) With volumes of this magnitude, PET (#1) is the most recycled consumer plastic. With a large, captive beverage market, reclaimers that specialize solely in PET (#1) weathered the recent storm better than those reclaimers focusing on more volatile materials like paper.

Because reclaimers often handle several commodities, including PET (#1), many of these “mixed” facilities were snagged by the lure of Asia. Focusing on fast, lucrative export sales, attention was taken away from building more sustainable business models closer to home. As the Asian market for reclaimed materials dried up, export focused firms were not positioned to tap other outlets for their recyclables. Many found themselves dumb struck or scrambling for new ways to justify their existence.

The recent upswing in reclaimed materials pricing, points to MRF recovery. As MRFs begin to operate more smoothly again, plastic reclamation should play a larger role. According to the “2008 Report on Postconsumer PET Container Recycling Activity” ¹, the total pounds of PET bottles and jars available in the U.S. for recycling were 5.366 billion. The amount of postconsumer PET bottles collected for recycling and sold in the U.S. was 1.415 billion pounds. The resultant Gross Recycling Rate was 27%. Honestly, wouldn’t you think it would be higher? While many professionals in the plastics industry are ecstatic with this recycling rate (the highest in the past 10 years), it still falls short of the 1996 rate of 31.7%. With 27% reclaimed, there is still 73% not accounted for and likely ending up in landfills. Let’s get more PET bottles collected and recycled!

The second most reclaimed plastic is HDPE (#2) – with a recycle rate of 29%, 71% remains as garbage. Over the past decade, usage of PP (#5) for food containers has continually increased. However, with a recycle rate of only 11.4%, there are lots of yogurt containers and bottle caps “missing in action”. Despite the low recycle rate, the trend for PP (#5) recycling is actually on the upswing. New brand initiatives should help to increase recycling awareness of PP (#5) and improve the overall recycle rate.

Preserve Gimme 5 Bin

Launched this past January, “Preserve Gimme 5”, is a noteworthy program. For more than a decade, the company Recycline has been marketing tooth brushes made from post consumer plastic under the Preserve brand. Preserve Gimme 5 is a partnership formed by the Preserve brand team, Stonyfield Farm, Organic Valley and Whole Foods. Consumers who purchase items packaged in PP (#5) like yogurt, cottage cheese, hummus, sour cream, etc. can return the used containers to a designated recycling station inside their local Whole Foods store. The program is expected to keep one million pounds of PP (#5) out of landfills this year.

Another PP (#5) recycling program, “Recycle Caps with Aveda”, collects plastic bottle caps to melt and convert into post consumer recycled bottle caps. Depending on the type of cap, the post consumer plastic content can be as high as 25 – 100%. PP (#5) caps are found everywhere (beverage bottles, shampoo bottles, peanut butter jars, laundry detergent, etc., etc.). Unfortunately, millions upon millions of these caps are not recycled. Millions end up in landfills where they sit undisturbed for centuries; millions more find their way into drainage systems polluting waterways and physically choking marine life.

No one has captured the disastrous effects that floating bottle caps can have on marine life better than the photographer, Chris Jordan. Please visit his incredible website, www.chrisjordan.com, and see his new video which vividly shows the effects of plastic litter on avian life in the Pacific Ocean.

Dead Albatross with stomach full of bottle caps

After viewing Chris’s video, I am sure you will never want to “Not Recycle” another plastic bottle cap. Save them up and give them to Aveda. Aveda offers collection stations at its 150 U.S. stores and works with designated schools and independent salons to act as drop-off points for collected caps.

Aveda Cap Collection at University

Many colleges and universities participate in the program too; these organizations simply mail in the caps to Aveda for reclamation. Started in April 2008, Aveda collected more than 50,000 lbs of bottles caps in its first 7 months of program operations.

What is interesting about these recycling initiatives is that they are spearheaded by consumer products companies, not municipalities or MRFs. The companies behind these initiatives not only care about the environment, they are filling a void in the marketplace for recovered plastic. It is time that more MRFs take a serious look at PP (#5) collection and recycling. Investment in the recycling of clean, food grade plastics such as PVC (#3) or LDPE (#4) or PS (#6) would also make the industry less vulnerable to market swings and keep more plastics out of our landfills and waterways. The global market shake up of 2008 shows that recycling should be approached from a broad perspective. The days of narrow focus on “What’s hot”, need to end. By supporting efforts like Preserve Gimme 5 or Recycle Caps with Aveda we help to sustain worthy recycling programs. With continued corporate efforts, perhaps our municipalities will take notice and begin recycling these materials too. I sure hope my municipality does. In the meantime, I will be dropping of PP (#5) containers at my local Whole Foods store and plastic bottles caps at the closest Aveda pick up station. Does your city or municipality offer curbside pickup for any of the above plastics? Please let me know. This is a topic which demands further attention.

References for this article were obtained from:
¹“2008 United States National Postconsumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report”, American Chemistry Council and Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers, 2009 “Report on Post-Consumer Pet Container Recycling Activity”, National Association for PET Container Resources, 2009, “2007 United States National Post-Consumer Report on Non-Bottle Rigid Plastics Recycling”, American Chemistry Council, 2009, “Recycling Takes Hit As Needs Fall Back”, The Gazette, April 12, 2009, “Sagging Economy Trashes Demand for Recyclables”, Albany Times Union, December 26, 2008, “History of Recycling”, California Environmental Protection Agency Integrated Waste Management Board, California Department of Conservation, 1997, “Overview of the Recovered Paper Market, Moore & Associates, March 2009, “Is Export Important?”, Waste Age, July 2009, “U.S. Aluminum Can Recycling Reached 54.2 Percent in 2008.”, Business Wire, August 12, 2009, “Plastic Packaging”, www.ballcorporate.com, 2009, “Reduce, recover, reuse: preserve CEO Eric Hudson shares his vision to make stylish, eco-friendly products–and preserve resources and encourage recycling at the same time”, Brand Packaging, May 1, 2009, “Preserve Gimme 5 Program Offers Recyclers With Polypropylene #5 Plastics Convenient Recycling Option”, Food Business Week, February 12, 2009, “Aveda creates system to recycle bottle caps”, Plastics News, December 8, 2008, “Recycle Caps with Aveda”, aveda.com