Becky SecrestTechnical Consultant

to the

Plastics Division,American Chemistry Council

October 17, 2007Waterville Valley, New Hampshire

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressorare needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressorare needed to see this picture.“Doing Our Share”“Plastics 101”

Plastic Packaging Resins

• #1 PET-Polyethylene Terephthalate• #2 HDPE-High-density Polyethylene• #3 PVC-Polyvinyl Chloride• #4 LDPE-Low Density Polyethylene• #5 PP-Polypropylene• #6 PS-Polystyrene• #7 Other- Other resins-e.g. PC-Polycarbonate;

PET with barrier; HDPE with additives

More resins

• Engineering thermoplastics– Nylon– Polyester– Polycarbonate– ABS

Where do we recycle?

• Households– HDPE bottles

– PET bottles

– Plastic bags

– Other plastic containers

Where else do we recycle?

• Office buildings• Schools• Churches• Farms• Construction sites• Apartment houses

Recycling Plastic Bottles

MRF

ConvertorEnd User

Reclaimer

CurbsideDrop-off

Household

Who’s Who• MRF: Buys loose material off trucks; sorts and bales

plastic bottles; sells in large loads. May have automatic sorting.

• Reclaimer: Buys bales from MRF. Breaks bales open, sorts again, grinds to “dirty flake”. May sell dirty flake, or may wash it and sell it clean.

• Convertor: Buys flake from reclaimers. Further processes into pellets, may process flake directly to intermediate raw material such as fiberfill. May be an end-user.

• End-User: The re-manufacturer of a consumer product. May be carpet, fleece jackets, strapping, etc.

Plastic Bottles – Current Conditions

– Collections and recycling rate continue to increase

– U.S. reclaimers continue to need more supply to meet plant capacity

– Export markets continue to compete for US collected material

Source: NAPCOR, American Chemistry Council

2005 Recycling Status• PET: 23.1% recovery

rate• Domestic Reclaimers:

681 mm.lbs.• Export: 487 mm.lbs.

• HDPE: 27.1% recovery rate

• Domestic Reclaimers: 791 mm.lbs.

• Export: 162 mm.lbs.

Source: NAPCOR, American Chemistry Council

Plastic Bottle Recycling Rate Drivers

• Value retention for bales = more careful sorting

• Single-stream recycling grew

• Several new communities switched to “all plastic bottles” collection programs

All Plastic Bottle Programs Keep

Growing

2003 database: 1,617 Communities2007 database: 2,075 Communities

A 28 percent increase nationwide in all bottles collection programs in our database since 2003.

All Plastic Bottle Programs Keep Growing

Some states have seen dramatic increases in all plastic bottle programs since 2003:

California: 123 – 185 (50%)Washington: 69 – 125 (81%)Wisconsin: 24 – 32 (33%)Florida: 57 – 79 (38.5%)West Virginia 11 – 21 (90%)Kansas: 0 – 48

Other Plastics Collection45 percent of communities that collect all

plastic bottles collect other plastics

Films only9%

Tubs/Containers63%

Non-Bottle Rigids

and Films28%

Collection Methods

Curbside38%

Drop-off16%

Both46%

All Plastic Bottles and Single-Stream

Of surveyed communities with a single-stream program:

46 percent reported switching to all plastic bottles collection when they began single-stream collection

54 percent reported switching to all plastic bottles before going to single-stream.

Going to All Bottles

92 percent of responding communities said that going to an all plastic bottles collection program increased recovery levels of PET and HDPE

Sample Community Increases:A: Over 5 years, from 195 to 482 tons - 147 %

B: Over 2 years, from 619 to 673 tons - 8.7 %

C: Over 2 years, from 90 to 100 tons - 10 %

Education Messages

Sample Messages:

Check the neck! Only recycle plastic bottles with necks smaller than their bases.

Plastic bottles and containers #1-7Now you can recycle more plastics...

70 percent of responding communities educate more than once per year.

Many coordinators said the resin numbers are a confusing educational tool and the “All Bottles” message is far easier for the public to understand.

Would They Do it Again?

83 percent of responding

communities said that given the chance, they would switch to an all plastic bottles program again

96 percent of responding communities said that they would recommend collecting all bottles to those considering making such a move.

Other Findings Importance of Contracts

Many municipal programs that contract with a recycler for collection and processing lack useful data on tonnage, contamination or processing costs.

Communities with specific data reporting requirements tied to their hauler/processor contracts have more control over their program. This allows for targeted improvements in education to boost participation and reduce contamination, as well as additional leverage to negotiate fees, revenues, etc.

Observations

When communities go single stream, most start collecting all plastic bottles. It’s important to be precise/thorough with education. Audits are key.

Contracts are important to aid in program improvement and development.

Communities that have specific data reporting requirements in their contracts have more control over their program and more leveraging power

Observations

Enthusiasm for all plastic bottle collection is strong and programs continue to grow

An increasing number of communities want to collect more plastics than “All Bottles”, e.g. rigid containers

Communities collecting rigid plastic containers are growing also

Some municipalities are also collecting film plastics

Community Experience with

recycling Non-Bottle Rigids

• Most are not sure how their MRF is sorting them or where they are being marketed

• Public education is completely inconsistent• Markets seem to be mostly export

Other Resins

• PET and HDPE comprise over 95% of plastic bottle market

• Polypropylene (PP) is 2% of market, can be blended into RHDPE at up to 5%.

• 10.1 million lbs of PP recycled in 2005 – VIRTUALLY ALL FROM CAPS ON BOTTLES

Bulky HDPE, #3-7 Bottles, #1-7 containersMarkets expect 70% bulky HDPE and 30% bottles and containers

Commingled Bottles and Containers (no PS foam)Markets expect 40% each PET and HDPE bottles and 20% #3-7 bottles and #1-7 containers

Non-Bottle Rigid Containers (NBR)Polyolefin containers with wide necks and no

screw tops (margarine tubs and yogurt cups, PET take- out containers

Mixed Rigid Plastics

Bulky Plastics Market SpecsAcceptable Plastic Components In Bales:

All 1 and 5 gallon buckets with the metal handle attached Milk/Soda crates Laundry baskets Lawn furniture All plastic totes (with or without metal) Empty garbage cans (any size) Plastic drums Plastic toys & playhouses Plastic pet carriers Plastic pallets Plastic shelving Plastic coolers Plastic landscape & microwave trays 5 gallon water bottles PVC blister pack (Non-film plastic packaging) Flower pots (no soil) PVC & Vinyl Siding (10% Max) Automotive plastics

o Bumpers, bed liners, side-view mirrors, head lights, rear lights,grills, hub-caps

Non Acceptable Components

Styrofoam Poly-Coated Paper-Orange juice & milk cartons Film plastic (Grocery bags can be baled separately) Narrow-neck liquid containers- Used small-mouth

containero Small plastic containers (Yogurt cups, PET/HDPE

Bottles, etc.)o Oil/Chemical containers (HDPE-Fractional Melt)

Why add NBRs?

To reduce the amount of monitoring Desire to recycle as much as possible New markets/more acceptable materials Regional markets present local

opportunity More knowledge of export markets

When to include NBRs?

Coincided with switch to single-stream or other major program change –

When hauler suggested it –

Coincided with contract change –

Educational Messages

#1 - 7 stiff plastics Plastics #1 - #7, rinsed Containers, #1 - #7 Containers only, empty, with recycling

symbols #1 through #7 All plastic bottles, #2 and #5 dairy tubs,

#1 peanut butter and condiment jarsRigid plastic containers and bottles, # 1-7,

plastic tubs and lids (butter, yogurt, cottage cheese)

Markets

www.plasticsresource.com caplasticsmarkets.com Local niche markets allplasticbottles.com

Interviews with Markets

Some tubs and cups are coming in with baled HDPE bottles. Probably not the result of deliberate action, but mistakes in sorting and identification

Tubs and cups are troublesome to HDPE and PP bottle recyclers due to incompatible melt index

Summary

Non-bottle rigid container recycling by communities is still the exception, not the rule

There is no standardized terminology, either among the community coordinators or their haulers/processors, about what the category “non-bottle rigid containers” includes

Summary Most non-bottle rigid plastics are still

exported to be recycled Domestic markets do exist for

miscellaneous HDPE and PP products such as crates and buckets, but this grade does not include tubs and cups, even though they appear in those bales

Tubs and cups baled and marketed in the Mixed Rigids grade or the Commingled Bottles and Containers grade may or may not be recycled

Summary

Injection molded olefin tubs and cups as their own grade do have markets, baled and in truckload quantities, but it might take a very long time for a community to generate a marketable quantity

There is a definite need for standard terminology that recycling coordinators can understand, along with some training on marketing these grades of plastics.

Recycling Plastic Film

• Large grocery chains

• Retail merchants

• Distribution warehouses

• Municipal collections

Film in the MarketplaceFilm in the Marketplace

• Out of all the plastics in the waste stream, film makes up the largest portion by category.

• More film is used in the commercial sector than the residential sector (including retail bags)

Film Markets (a few examples)

Markets• TREX)• AERT• NextLife• Fortune Plastics• TIMI Plastics• AAA Polymer• Export Market

Handlers & Haulers• Check with your local haulers

to see who is working with regional markets

• Local/regional collection sites such as grocery stores

OpportunitiesOpportunities

• The scrap price for clean, clear film on the East Coast is around $0.25 per pound (delivered) – Approximately $10,000 per truckload

• Markets for clean pigmented film also exist• Therefore there is a huge opportunity to not only recover

more of our waste, but there is an economic opportunity as well.

Challenges in Film RecoveryChallenges in Film Recovery• Lack of education in both public and

private sector

• Efficient collection or consolidation (like all recyclables)

• Film is particularly challenging because of its low weight to volume ratio (like all plastics but film is even more so)

Challenges in Film RecoveryChallenges in Film Recovery

• There are select wash lines on the East Coast, but dirty material continues to be an issue.

• While some MRF operators can effectively pull and market scrap film, others struggle with film in their system and would rather not see more of it….especially since we measure diversion based on weight.

• Optimum plastic film and bag recovery through the grocery/retail system.

Screen In A Single Stream MRF

Residential Collection Programs

• Seattle, WA was first city to collect plastic bags curbside. Tacoma, WA followed.

• More than 40 CA communities collect plastic bags curbside.

• Successful plastic bag and film collection program in Minneapolis/St.Paul MN called Its In the Bag.

• Rhode Island is collecting and recycling film.• Haycore single stream MRF currently bales film from its

plant in Canada. • Other communities are exploring curbside collection of

plastic bags.

Commercial Collection Programs

• More haulers are recognizing the economic benefit (to them and their customers) in film collection combined with cardboard collection since plastic film/bags have a higher value than cardboard.

• Haulers are now picking up bagged (with OCC) or baled plastic bags/film in the following counties:– Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Fresno, Sacramento, LA, Sonoma, Alameda, and

Santa Barbara.

• There are additional programs throughout the US. In addition to grocers and big retailers such as Wal-Mart, smaller generators are now recovering plastic film through services from haulers who collect clean film with OCC. If you generate plastic film ask if your hauler will handle it with OCC also. We can help them with market info.

OCC and Film Collection

Grocery or Retail Drop-offs

Web Site Featureswww.plasticbagrecycling.org

Film IdentificationFilm Identification CalculatorCalculator Market DatabaseMarket Database How to set up a programHow to set up a program Handling and Loading GuidelinesHandling and Loading Guidelines How to make weightHow to make weight Equipment InfoEquipment Info SignageSignage

Info on how to make weight

Collaboration

• Successful film recovery requires both public and private entities working together.

• We need to grow the number of consolidation points and collection programs throughout the country.

• And we also need to improve the dissemination of information so that everyone is aware of the options available.

Film Recycling Resources

• American Chemistry Council– www.plasticbagrecycling.org

• Progressive Bag Alliance– www.progressivebagalliance.com

• Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation– www.rirrc.org

Please get in touch with us if you’re interested in

film recovery or collecting all plastic

bottles.Moorrecy@megalink.net

or 207/824-3260

For American Chemistry Council Plastic Division

Contact Information

Becky SecrestMoore Recycling Associates Inc.

moorrecy@megalink.net

Thank You!