NC Recycling Issues

NC Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance

THANK YOU SPONSORSIredell County

Johnston County

Lee County

Mecklenburg County

NC Beverage Association

NC Friends of Museum of Natural Sciences

NC State

NC SWANA

New Hanover County

Orange County

Pasquotank County

Raleigh

Wake County

Waste Management/Recycle America

Wayne County

Asheboro Recycling

Brunswick County

Burlington

Cary

Catawba County

Charlotte

Chatham County

Clayton

Container Recycling Alliance

Dare County

Davidson County

Durham County

Environment@RTP

Envision Plastics

DISPOSAL FORECAST

LandfillTransfer Station

Waste-to-Energy

CompostingRecycling

SOLID WASTE OPTIONS

Newspaper7% Corrugated

Cardboard6%

Office Paper3%

Magazines3%

Paperboard5%

Mixed Paper3%

Plastic Bottles3%

Food13%

Other Waste49%

Aluminum Cans1%

Glass5%

Steel Cans2%

NC WASTE STREAM

REDUCEREUSE

RECYCLE

THE 3 R’S

• Saves limited natural resources• Prevents air and water pollution• Saves energy• Provides raw materials for industry • Creates jobs• Saves landfill space• Improves our nations ability to compete• Keeps habitats intact• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions

WHY RECYCLE?WHY RECYCLE?

WHY RECYCLE?CLIMATE CHANGE &

RECYCLING

• Preconsumer vs. Postconsumer• Commingled vs. Source Separated

• Recyclable vs. Recycled• Closed Loop Recycling

DEFINITIONS

Recycling Recycling MythsMyths

“Any plastic product that has a number within the chasing

arrows is recyclable.”

busted

Recycling Recycling MythsMyths busted

Photo courtesy of jars2go.com

Collection of RecyclablesManufacturing of the Material

Buy Recycled Products

THE 3 ARROWS - CYCLE

1. COLLECTION

CurbsideDrop-off

Out and About – Reverse Vending Machines

Deposit Programs – not in NC

2. MRF SEPARATION PROCESS

MRFs IN NC

3. BUYING RECYCLED

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

GLOBAL ECONOMY

RECYCLING MARKETS

RECYCLING MARKETS

RECYCLING MARKETS

http://p2pays.org/rbac/pricing_trends.html

RECYCLING COSTS

PersonnelTransportation

EquipmentMaintenance

However, disposal also has these costs and has less environmental

benefits.

How can we/government/organizations

stimulate demand for recovered material?

NC LANDFILL BANS

Take a guess: Which of the following are banned from landfills?

Motor Oil (Used) Aseptic Packaging Oyster Shells

Glass Containers Scrap Tires Newspaper

Yard Trash Aluminum Cans Styrofoam

Plastic Bottles Antifreeze Appliances

Food Waste Lead-Acid Batteries Televisions

Wooden Pallets Motor Oil Filters Phone Books

Rechargeable Batteries Computer Equipment

Hard Bound Books

Beverage Containers from ABC Permitted Facilities

NC LANDFILL BANS

Take a guess: Which of the following are banned from landfills?

Motor Oil (Used) Oyster Shells

Scrap Tires

Yard Trash Aluminum Cans

Plastic Bottles Antifreeze Appliances

Lead-Acid Batteries Televisions

Wooden Pallets Motor Oil Filters

Computer Equipment

Beverage Containers from ABC Permitted Facilities

Any other myths I

can bust?

Recovered Recyclable Material

Weight Price per weightMoney from recycables

75 lbs of aluminum cans 53 cents per pound $39.751.5 tons of aluminum cans 53 cents per pound116 pounds of #1 PET plastic flaked $31.323.8 tons of clear glass $39 per ton $148.2040 tons of paper $7,000.0019.49 tons of newspaper $50 per ton $974.50314 pounds of #1 mixed PET plastic 11 cents per pound287 pounds of #2 mixed HDPE plastic $31.5759 tons of steel cans $63 per ton $3,717.00

In America, 2500 aluminum cans are used every second.63 percent of all aluminum cans used are recycled1 hour = 3600 seconds, 1 day = 24 hours

How many cans are recycled each second?How many cans are recycled each hour?How many cans are used each hour?How many cans are used each day?How many cans are not recycled each day?

Landfills in NC

NC Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance

TYPES OF LANDFILLS

Municipal Solid Waste Construction and Demolition Debris

Land Clearing and Inert Debris

LANDFILL SCALEHOUSE

Charged based on weight not volume

LANDFILL COMPACTORS

But compaction of waste is important for airspace and saving volume

Clay and Plastic Liners Leachate “Garbage Coffee” Collection Methane Gas Collection Groundwater and Methane Testing

Wells Storm Water Run-Off Pipes Daily Cover

LANDFILL COMPONENTS

LANDFILL COMPONENTS

LANDFILL METHANE USE

Co-generation facility in Catawba County, sent to manufacturing facility near by

Recycling Recycling MythsMyths

“Material in a landfill quickly degrades.”

busted

WHY RECYCLE?CLIMATE CHANGE &

COMPOST