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Category: Data Corner

Data Corner: The fate of plastics produced over 65 years

Published: December 1, 2017
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RRS utilized the data from a recent academic study, “Production, Use, and Fate of All Plastics Ever Made,” to construct a visualization of the life cycle of various plastics.

The paper, which appeared in the July edition of the journal Science Advances, determined how much virgin plastic was produced between the dawn of the plastics industry around 1950 and 2015. Researchers then estimated how much material went through different avenues.

They concluded that almost 80 percent of plastic waste generated has ended up in landfill or in our natural environment, and only 9 percent was recycled.

The study was authored by Roland Geyer of the University of California, Santa Barbara; Jenna Jambeck of the University of Georgia; and Kara Law from the Sea Education Association.

 

Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.

This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.

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Data Corner: Chronology of the Great China Ban

Published: January 2, 2018
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RRS compiled a timeline of events surrounding China’s recent policy announcement that banned import of 24 types of recovered materials.

The proposal has triggered changes in commodity pricing and adjustments to several U.S. recycling programs.

This is an example of global interconnectivity in materials recovery – a foreign nation’s policy has had repercussions on virtually all facets of the U.S. recycling industry.

Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.

This article originally appeared in the December 2017 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.

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Data Corner: Possibilities in municipal organics

Published: January 25, 2018
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RRS recently worked with the Washington, D.C. Department of Public Works to research the feasibility of adding curbside compost collection to the municipality’s existing recycling program and identified several economic and environmental benefits.

High participation could be expected if carts were deployed universally, education materials were provided with the cart, and residents were given financial incentivizes to divert waste via a pay-as-you-throw or rewards program.

Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.

This article originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.

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Data Corner: The challenging economics of RPET

Published: February 26, 2018
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RRS recently analyzed PET trends using pricing data and recovery rates from recyclingmarkets.net, NAPCOR and other sources.

The counterintuitive picture that emerges is that recycled PET (RPET) doesn’t follow normal supply and demand trends – higher bale prices do not drive more supply. There are two reasons for this market reality.

First, the price of recovered PET (both PET bales and RPET pellet) is more closely correlated with virgin PET pricing, which closely follows oil pricing, than with supply. Second, municipal recycling programs typically do not respond to price signals.

Changes in programs, policy and education take time and are generally driven by factors other than commodity value, such as environmental goals or other local priorities.

Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.

This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.

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Data Corner: Glass recovery perceptions

Published: April 2, 2018
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RRS conducted a survey for the Glass Recycling Coalition that asked materials recovery facility operators, municipal recycling program leaders, and glass industry representatives about various aspects of recycling glass.

The results indicated contamination concerns as well as perceived challenges around transportation, end markets and overall cost-effectiveness.

Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.

This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.

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Data Corner: Material value passing through the hands of US residents

Published: April 25, 2018
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RRS analyzed U.S. pricing averages from recyclingmarkets.net, annual U.S. recycling and landfilling tonnages from the 2014 EPA Sustainable Materials Management report, and U.S. census data to calculate the total per capita value of several commonly recycled packaging types.

This allowed us to estimate the value of the portion of these items that are still being sent to landfill.

The exercise highlights the potential benefit of improving access, participation and infrastructure to increase recovery of these valuable materials.

Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.

This article originally appeared in the April 2018 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.

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Data Corner: The lithium-ion battery risk at MRFs

Published: June 4, 2018
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Lithium-ion batteries, which are being used in an increasing number of consumer products, can cause fires and explosions at recycling facilities if they are punctured during processing.

RRS conducted a survey that asked 31 materials recovery facility operators, representing 119 MRFs nationwide, about their perceived risk and potential hazards of batteries in the MRF environment.

The responses indicate that over three-quarters of MRF operators are increasingly aware and concerned about the issues facing them from lithium-based batteries entering the MRF.

Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.

This article originally appeared in the May 2018 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.

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Data Corner: Comparing virgin and recycled feedstocks

Published: September 2, 2018
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RRS analyzed and averaged pricing info from multiple industry data sources – including RecyclingMarkets.net, Plastics News and the London Metal Exchange – to compare the price gap between virgin materials and recycled commodities (baled from the MRF, not processed). The wider a given gap, the greater the technical and market complexities associated with processing materials. Complexities can involve factors such as demand, supply, process efficiency, recyclability and regulation changes. The 2016-2017 time frame was selected because that was a fairly stable period in commodity values.

Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.

This article originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.

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Data Corner: Trends in residential foam collection

Published: October 1, 2018
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RRS reviewed data from foam polystyrene plastic recycling programs in several communities that had received grants to target the material.

The numbers show a pattern of a sizable initial rise in foam collected per capita during the first year of the program, followed by more modest growth in subsequent years.

Programs built around multiple drop-off sites were able to collect more foam per capita than curbside programs or programs using a single drop-off site.

Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.

This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.

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