Next Generation Curbside Recycling: Overview
Many public sector recycling programs were started in the 1990s. Today, many of those programs are seeking to increase their effectiveness through a series of efforts that have come to be termed "Next Generation Recycling Programs." These programs use new methods to improve on traditional programs, including the following key developments:
- Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) programs, which provide residents with incentives to recycle more and to waste less
- Collection of increasingly diverse types of materials, especially mixed paper, corrugated cardboard boxes, and more types of plastics
- Single stream collection which permits the commingling of different types of recyclable materials to speed collection rates
- Collection of food discards and food-soiled paper with yard trimmings
- Automated and semi-automated collection
- Collection from single-family, multifamily, and small businesses in one truck
- Larger, more sophisticated materials recovery facilities (MRF) that can process more materials with less residue
RATIONALE
Next generation recycling programs offer local governments opportunities to significantly reduce the costs associated with landfill management and to support local businesses tied to the recycling industry. Less energy and water are typically required to make products from existing (recovered) materials than from virgin materials. Additionally, when recyclable materials become the raw materials of industry, they reduce the need for mineral and petroleum extraction and timber harvesting.
EFFORT REQUIRED
The investment needed to initiate Next Generation Recycling largely depends on the specific initiatives adopted. For example, studies have shown no cost increases, and even cost decreases, with pay-as-you-throw programs, whereas there are significant costs associated with the construction of a new materials recovery facility (MRF).
BENEFITS
There are many benefits associated with Next Generation Recycling, including:
- Reducing the cost and need for landfills and incineration
- Decreasing emissions of greenhouse gases from landfills and other related sources that contribute to global climate change
- Recycling saves energy
- Recycling conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals
RISKS
Curbside recycling programs are always vulnerable to residents' participation and material market demand. Program types vary in their ability to address some of these challenges. For example, if a community is particularly unwilling to source-separate materials, then commingling may be a great option to increase residents' participation, to ensure consistent volumes for local recyclers, and to help reduce waste at minimal cost to the city.
ACTION AGENT(S)
- Environmental Management Department
- Solid Waste Management/Recycling Department
- Public Works Department
COSTS
The costs of implementing and operating a Next Generation Recycling program depend on the types of initiatives adopted. For example, commingling collection produces higher volumes of collected recyclables and lower operating costs, but requires suitable processing facilities. A study by the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) of more than 110 California communities found an average curbside recycling cost of about $2.40 per household per month in larger-sized communities. Adding variable rates (Pay-As-You-Throw), mandatory recycling, automating collection, and expanding the yypes of materials collected all increased the volume of recyclables diverted from the waste stream. The study further documented the following effects of implementing Next Generation Recycling initiatives on cost and volume of recyclable materials collected:
- Commingled collection results in 20-35% less cost and 2-4% more volume collected
- Less than weekly collection results in 20-40% less cost, 2-4% less volume collected
