Revenues from plastics and metals recovered from mixed waste processing facilities in the USA are higher than for single-stream recycling systems, according to a new study commissioned by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA, Washington, D.C., Washington / USA; www.afandpa.org). However, revenues from recovered paper are lower in mixed waste processing facilities – which combine wet and organic waste with dry recyclables – because these facilities capture less of the paper due to the paper being soiled.

The research assumed index prices of USD 360/t for recovered PET containers, USD 580/t for coloured HDPE and USD 920/t for natural HDPE. Other plastic materials, such as films and rigid materials, may be recovered for sale but are generally sold in the US market for a much lower market price than PET and HDPE, says the report. Plastics as a whole typically make up 10-20% of the residential waste stream in the USA, it adds.

The US study found that, by weight, single-stream facilities generate more marketable recyclables overall. Comparing different scenarios for residential waste collection in a representative large US city, it was found that a ‘single-stream only’ scenario resulted in about 9% more recyclable tonnes recovered compared with a ‘mixed waste processing only’ scenario. A further benefit of single-stream facilities is that they have the lowest facility capital cost.

“Mixed-waste processing recovers much less mill-quality paper, but more metal and plastic, and requires 2.5 times the facility capital cost of single-stream recycling,” concludes the “Mixed Waste Processing Economic and Policy Study”, which was developed by engineering firm Burns & McDonnell (Kansas City, Missouri / USA; www.burnsmcd.com).

Since more revenues can be generated from plastics and metals in mixed waste recovery systems, these facilities are generally less focussed on marketable recovered paper. “Paper recovery is the economic foundation for many successful community recycling programs,” said AF&PA executive Brian Hawkinson. “Every situation is unique and there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution. The size of a community, its recycling rate, goals for materials recovery, markets for recovered materials, landfill disposal costs and other factors all impact the economics of any recycling system.”

AF&PA said it conducted the study to help UScommunities better understand whether mixed waste processing could assist them with meeting their recycling goals. “As the composition of the waste stream continues to change and communities’ interest in diversion evolves, seeking cost-effective options to increase overall recycling rates is a challenge,” it stated.

e-Service:
AF&PA "Mixed Waste Processing Economic and Policy Study” (September 2015) as a PDF document