A Bigger Haul

Both haulers and communities are giving commercial single-stream collection a second look. Not only does commercial single stream build tonnage in several commodities but it also tends to be a cleaner, more manageable flow of materials. Yet, it is not all a bed of roses.

All grades of paper, glass, aluminum, cardboard and corrugated, wood, metals and other materials can go into the stream. But not all facilities are designed to accept all materials—glass being the primary bugaboo in the commingled stream that may be unwelcome at some material recovery facilities (MRFs).

When it comes to implementing commercial single stream, “it cannot be a cookie-cutter approach,” says Jonathan Kissell of Rumpke Recycling, Cincinnati. “Selling commercial single stream depends on the individual business and what they generate as waste.”

A small mom-and-pop store can have dramatically different waste and recyclables than an industrial site. The first step, Kissell recommends, is to do a waste analysis. “In every case, the goal is to increase the level of recycling in a way that makes economic sense.”

Andy Ockenfels, president of City Carton Recycling, Iowa City, Iowa, defines commercial single stream as a system in which most paper fibers, plastics and some metals are collected together in a recycling container rather than sorted into separate commodities by the business and handled separately throughout the collection process. An early adopter of commercial single stream, City Carton Recycling has been collecting and sorting this material since 1998.

The state of Oregon encourages what it terms a dual-stream program, in which paper, plastics and aluminum are commingled in a single container, while glass is collected in a separate container. The glass, while it has value for recycling, simply causes too many problems when added to the processing of commingled materials sorted at a MRF.

Automation makes that sorting job easier. In Cincinnati, Rumpke has upgraded its MRF to optimize sorting of single-stream material. The processing line includes an infrared optical scanner and a blower for plastics. The company is in the process of upgrading its Columbus, Ohio, MRF and may make similar upgrades at its Dayton, Ohio, operation depending on whether things pan out in Columbus.

Since it has been involved in single-stream collection and processing, City Carton has become more automated, installing optical sorting equipment to reduce its labor costs. “We are happy with the return on investment,” Ockenfels says. “We are able to meet mill standards.” However, he notes automation alone will not provide a product that meets consumers’ standards without some people on the line.

“We are actively going for commercial single-stream collection,” Ockenfels continues. “We find that, in our bigger cities, the space available for separate containers is limited. Merchants downtown and small businesses want to be able to commingle cardboard, magazines and [office] paper all in one container.”

Not only does that save space, but there are fewer containers blocking the back docks or the alleyways behind businesses in cities.

“For the businesses, it is easier to educate their team members, easier to collect and store material,” Ockenfels adds.

“It’s a real convenient way for businesses to recycle,” Kissell agrees. “Rather than having multiple containers, they simply have one new container to deal with.”

The downside, of course, is that the material has to be sorted somewhere, using automated equipment that requires significant capital investment.

HAULER CHALLENGES

Rumpke Recycling uses rear-loader trucks to collect material from its single-stream commercial customers. While the company uses the same trucks to collect general trash, separate runs are made.

To start, Rumpke says it adds its commercial single stream clients to its residential single-stream collection routes. As the company gains commercial accounts, Rumpke converts the route to commercial only.

The majority of what goes to landfills in many markets is chipboard and old corrugated containers (OCC). The reason, Ockenfels says, is that it is not easy to collect separated chipboard and OCC from smaller accounts (large users like supermarkets and furniture operations usually separate OCC). Again, it gets back to the space issue for small businesses.

“We try to conduct a waste analysis on the front end,” Kissell says. If Rumpke discovers the business has a large OCC fraction, it will suggest a separate container for OCC along with a mixed collection of other recyclables.

With the typical commingled commercial program, a business can use a single container for all of its recyclables. It encourages the business to put as much material—office paper, magazines, plastic, OCC, chipboard—into a single box, which reduces hauling costs. Ockenfels says there can be up to a 30 percent savings in landfill fees and up to a 50 percent savings in reduced hauler pulls to the landfill as a result.

While haulers can reduce transportation costs and landfill tipping fees, that also means they should be able to cut their charges to their customers. However, material like sorted OCC has a sizable value to the hauler and, if it is diluted with other material like magazines and office paper, that value can be lost. Haulers do not like to see a good, clean product contaminated.

A big factor for haulers is whether they are compensated on the material collected or on a pull-charge basis.

Processors, however, like the idea of generating more tonnage across their sorting lines. A typical sorting line investment costs millions of dollars. Every added ton that gets sorted helps reduce the overall cost of the line.

With commercial single stream, a typical Midwestern operation may have a sort rate charge of $25 per ton, which can be about $10 per pull less than a typical $35 per ton landfill charge.

A city like Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will generate about 60 to 70 tons of single-stream residential material per day and another 5 to 10 tons of commercial single-stream material daily. Any time an operator can add 10 percent to volume, the program is worth considering.

AVOIDING GLASS

While the commercial single-stream concept increases tonnage, many recyclers are aware that not all tonnage is of equal value. Some materials in the stream are downright negative.

The plastic-bound books and wire-bound notebooks that often are used in office settings are not accepted by a number of outlets, including City Carton.

Worse, for many operations, is glass. Ockenfels says City Carton tries to keep glass out of its commingled stream for a couple of reasons: first, it can be a safety hazard; second, it is a quality hazard. No matter how good a sort, crushed glass becomes embedded in the paper or OCC and contaminates the load.

Iowa and many other markets do not have easy access to a glass recycling plant. Even shipping sorted glass to a business center like Chicago or St. Louis is expensive and not a positive revenue source.

“Oregon clearly advocates dual-stream with glass on the side,” says Loretta Pickerell, solid waste program manager for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. While noting that the state does not manage waste programs, she says glass is a contaminant in otherwise valuable streams.

“Glass messes up the paper and destroys equipment,” she says.

In addition to collecting glass separately, many Oregon municipalities also call for separate collection of yard debris and other organics. While more a consideration for the residential collection routes, many businesses generate lawn clippings, and grocery stores dispose of a lot of organic waste. Keeping them out of the valuable paper fraction is a key to successfully marketing the end product.

Mills everywhere penalize contaminated or dirty loads, and some MRFs do the same. City Carton charges $75 per ton for excessive contaminants in a load. The breaking point is anything higher than 10 percent of a load of non-acceptable materials from the established single-stream list, the company notes.

Rumpke allows glass in its commercial single-stream collections. It generally permits five families of recyclable materials in its commercial bins: paper products and fiber, including newspaper, magazines and office paper; aluminum cans; steel cans; clear or colored glass bottles and jars (as long as they held food or drink); and plastic bottles of all types.

The definition of acceptable materials in a load varies by processor. Some operations, like Rumpke, will include tires and electronics as part of their streams. Other operators only accept paper, aluminum and plastics.

LOOKING AHEAD

According to the American Forest & Paper Association, Washington, D.C., in 2009, the industry recovered for recycling more than 60 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S.—an average of 325 pounds for each man, woman and child in America. While that is a commendable recovery rate, many industry professionals say they feel that figure represents the low-hanging fruit. The easy-to-collect material has been spoken for in current programs. The challenge is to get to the next level. Commercial single-stream, many would argue, takes a step toward achieving that.

The author is a freelance writer based in Cleveland. He can be contacted at curt@curtharler.com.