The Disappearance of Public Recycling Centers

Public Recycling Centers have been disappearing across the country. In some states, such as California where residents pay a five to ten cent deposit on beverage containers, this issue is even bigger because residents are having a hard time recycling. When consumers recycle these items, they are refunded the deposit. If there is nowhere to recycle them, they are left paying to throw the item out. This program, in California and nine other states, was designed to encourage people to recycle. However, within the last year, 350 recycling centers have closed in California alone.

Why are these recycling centers disappearing? According to the Consumer Recycling Institute, “certified redemption centers lost $20 million in 2015 due to inadequate state payments.” In addition, plastic and aluminum prices have fallen and state subsidies are not covering these decreases. According to California’s state recycling program, CalRecycle, the price of plastic has fallen from $400 a ton 18 months ago to about $190 today. Paper has been in a downward slide for several years. Aluminum prices have also fallen due to oversupply and lower demand from China, which has been one of the largest buyers of recycled materials from the United States.

Essentially, it is too costly to keep these small recycling centers open.

In addition to the fall in prices of scrap materials, China’s ban on importing recyclables is beginning to have a major effect on the U.S. recycling market. Each year, the U.S. would export approximately one-third of scrap recyclables, with China purchasing about 13.2 million tons of scrap paper and 1.42 million tons of scrap plastics. Now, with the closure of so many local recycling facilities, there is nowhere for these materials to go but the dump.

For the centers that are still open, the higher demand is not necessarily a good thing. Many residents that still attempt to recycle put pressure on the existing centers. These centers, which are often small, are struggling to meet the demand with little help from the state. To try and meet the demand, many of these small centers are having to hire more workers. With the increase in costs and the decline in value of scrap materials, these centers struggle to make a profit.

UC Berkley lecturer Steve Weissman stated that since the prices of scrap materials fluctuates, it is crucial for the long-term success of recycling efforts to have more consistency in redeeming options for deposits on cans, bottles and scrap metal. He said, “policies that could help maintain that stability and predictability of the market could be an important factor to help balance out issues like fluctuating prices.”

In time, perhaps policies will catch up and help solve the issue. For now, both local and global challenges make the future of local recycling centers look bleak.

The Issue of Trash after Hurricane Florence

When Hurricane Florence crashed into the east coastline last week, flooding abounded. More than 30 inches of water accumulated in some areas. Now that the floodwaters are receding, another major problem is beginning to pile up: garbage. Many areas affected by the storm have only recently had roads opened for vehicles. This means that not only could people not get their trash out, but garbage trucks could not get in. According to Michael Regan, N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary, “Hurricane Florence carved a long, slow path of destruction…and the true impacts have yet to be seen as many are still waiting for rivers to crest and recede. In some areas, people are returning home, beginning to clean up and trying to figure out what to do with storm debris.” For those in the affected areas, state environmental officials have offered guidance for debris disposal following Hurricane Florence:

Storm Debris 

County or municipality waste disposal services should haul all storm debris waste, including that from homes or other buildings, to a permitted municipal solid waste landfill. According to Michael Scott, the director of North Carolina’s waste management division, “many counties and municipalities will continue to pick up limbs and other debris piled along the curb. Using local government pickup and disposal services will ensure that waste material is disposed of in a manner that protects public health and the environment.”

Remember that any debris placed at the curb should be divided into three separate piles:

1.       Yard debris (ex: tree limbs)

2.       Household garbage (in approved containers)

3.       Construction and demolition debris

You should only place debris at the curb if your local disposal service provides curbside pickup as part of its regular operations. In some cases, specific storm collection programs are established.

Keep in mind that household trash and recycling should be separated from storm debris. Storm debris should not be placed in garbage bags because it will prevent storm debris removal companies from seeing what is inside. This could result in the bags being left behind. Instead, place storm debris at the curb in separate piles. For safety and to ensure proper removal, do not block roadways or storm drains.

Household Hazardous Waste

Household hazardous waste, such as glue, paint, cleaners, pesticides, and fertilizers, should be properly disposed of. If not, they can pose a serious threat to public health and the environment. All household hazardous waste should be brought to a household hazardous waste collection center for disposal. If there is not a permanent collection center in your area, there may be a special temporary collection center. For a complete list of household hazardous waste examples, as well as temporary and permanent collection sites, visit https://www.epa.gov/hw/household-hazardous-waste-hhw.

Appliances, Televisions and Electronics

Appliances, televisions, computers, and other electronics may not be allowed in landfills in your state. However, some counties and municipalities have collection programs for such items. Before placing these types of items at the curb, check with your local solid waste department for guidance on proper disposal.

Open Burning

Burning trash may not be permissible in your area, especially man-made materials like tires or plastics. These items can contain hazardous materials and could impact your health and that of the community. Smoke from large burn piles can also be a hazard. If allowed under local ordinances and no public pickup is available, landowners can burn yard trimmings and other natural debris.

China Nixes Plastic Imports: What Will the U.S. Do With Its Plastic Waste?

Beginning in January 2018, China’s new “National Sword” policy banned plastic waste from being imported. The Chinese government stated that this law was passed in an effort to protect the environment and people’s health.

Before the passing of this law, China imported more than 106 million metric tons of the world’s plastics from countries like the U.S., Japan, and Germany. This large amount of plastic, about 45 percent of the world’s plastic waste to be exact, has been exported to China since the early 1990s. China profited from this arrangement by taking plastic waste and recycling it, then creating new products for export.

Now that China refuses to take half the world’s plastic, what will happen to the leftover waste?

According to the authors of a new study published in Science Advantage, it is already beginning to pile up. Amy Brooks, lead author of the study, stated, "We have heard reports of waste accumulating in these places that depend on China,” with some of it ending up in landfills. The study estimates that by 2030, 111 million metric tons of plastic waste will be displaced because of this new ban.

Other countries, like Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, are still importing and recycling plastic. For example, the U.S. sent an estimated 137,044 metric tons of plastic to Vietnam in 2017 alone. However, many of these countries "lack the infrastructure to properly manage it." In fact, according to Jenna Jambeck, another of the study’s authors, Vietnam has already capped how much waste it will take. The country announced that it would not accept any more imports of plastic until October.

Jambeck noted that, “Not one country alone has the capacity to take what China was taking. What we need to do is take responsibility in making sure that waste is managed in a way that is responsible, wherever that waste goes — responsible meaning both environmentally and socially." This could be a tough undertaking for some countries, like the U.S., Japan, and Germany. These countries top the list of exporters of plastics. Between 1988 and 2016, the U.S. exported an estimated 26.7 million tons of plastic. Surprisingly, the U.S. is not the number one exporter. Hong Kong is the biggest exporter of plastic waste, at an estimated 56.1 million tons. For countries like these, it is more economical to export plastics than to recycle them.

Since the rapid expansion of disposable plastics in the 1990s, particularly single-use containers, exports of plastic have steadily grown. Yearly global exports grew 723 percent, to around 15 million megatons, from 1993 to 2016. To minimize this, measures will need to be taken to lessen the amount of plastic waste, particularly eliminating the number of single-use containers being produced. Marian Chertow, the director of the program on solid waste policy at Yale, stated, "There's a tremendous shift in the market when China won't take half of these plastics. I really think that this export mindset that has developed in the U.S. is one that has to change."

Waste Elimination: Sweden vs. The United States

While trash disposal may seem like a dirty business, Sweden sees it as one of the “cleanest.” In Sweden, waste-to-energy incinerators are used to burn trash and convert the “waste” into energy. Since 2002, the country has adopted a ban on putting biodegradable waste in landfills. This has resulted in a number of waste-to-energy plants appearing across the country. Burning waste has become so popular in Sweden that some 700,000 tons of garbage a year has been imported to help produce energy and heating for many of its cities.

How Does It Work?

While waste-to-energy incinerators are popular in Sweden, they have remained a controversial topic among American environmentalists. There is much debate over waste burning in the US, as many fear that it will slow recycling rates and increase air pollution. However, research in Sweden has shown that these issues have not turned out to be issues at all. In fact, only 1 percent of Sweden’s waste ends up in landfills, while half of it is recycled, and the remaining 49 percent is burned in waste-to-energy facilities. In fact, Sweden’s recycling rate is double that of the United States’.

During the burning process, steam is created which turns a turbine and produces up to 18 megawatts of electricity. Byproducts, like bottom ash, is sorted for metals and recycled as fill for construction projects, like roads. Air emissions are cleaned through a series of filters and come out below the permitted pollution level. Many experts claim that waste-to-energy plants are the cleanest and most efficient of its kind in the country. In addition, it is compatible with other forms of waste disposal, like recycling.

So what’s the real reason Americans have not been quick to adopt this form of waste elimination? It likely has to do with money. There are many cheaper forms of energy and cheaper ways to dispose of waste in the U.S. While the U.S. sits on a wealth of fossil fuels and has wide open spaces for landfills, Sweden is a much smaller country and does not.

Should America Burn Its Waste?

According to Edward Humes, author of Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash, North America has over 3,500 landfills, a solution that is not sustainable considering the average American throws away more than seven pounds of garbage a day. While our landfills grow, the debate continues to rage about finding a more sustainable solution. Currently, 77 waste-to-energy plants operate in 29 states, burning about 12 percent of the U.S.A.’s trash per year. However, due to high operating costs, regulation hurdles, and resistance, the last plant to be built in the U.S.A. was in Palm Beach County, FL. Many argue that North America should take a similar approach to Denmark, which opts for small-scale plants that contribute to a sense of neighborhood pride. Though these plants do contribute to CO2 emissions, eco-friendly Copenhagen’s plant releases an awareness-raising steam ring for every ton burned. This encourages people to recycle so fewer rings are released. Perhaps more communities in the U.S.A. could take this approach.

Global Trash Solution and Environmental Stewardship

Global Trash Solutions (GTS) has established a company goal of reaching “zero waste” emission. We not only reduce, reuse, and eliminate waste at our corporate office, but we also encourage our customers to do the same. We help them make a more positive impact on the environment by analyzing their waste processes, determining what can be eliminated, and helping them find better alternatives. Our waste management experts help clients find the right equipment for waste reduction and elimination. If you are interested in these types of services, please contact a knowledgeable representative at GTS today.