Recycle 2 Save

I was in the materials recovery facility trying to get some action shots as the single-stream material was being processed. It's always helpful to have visuals as you present to help everyone understand the journey of your recyclables. As I walked to the loading spot, I passed overflowing barrels—they caught my attention because they wouldn't look great in the video I was trying to capture.  I paused in the feed area, waiting for a large 100-yarder to empty the community's single stream so I could follow through the entire process. As I waited, the line stopped once, twice, and again. I turned to see why it kept stopping, and the team was expeditiously working together to scoop a shrub, including branches, leaves, and dirt, off the line.  At that moment, I decided that covering the "ugly" things I didn't initially want to capture in my video was more important than showing the process itself.  The overflowing barrels were empty at the start of the shift and em...

We are a company born from the goal and desire to recycle every item possible. We are not a waste company that also handles recyclables. During dual-stream collection days, we had four glass bins and sorted the glass by color. The mixed color bin (made up of the materials that broke during sorting and transit) was difficult to consistently move or find a "home" for but the other bins were generally manageable. This method of handling the glass was more manually intensive and harder on the equipment directly processing the containers but the paper was collected separately and the process and material remained free of glass contamination.  Fast forward to single stream collection, all material being collected in one vehicle, compacted and dumped on our tipping floor. Most of the glass arrives broken from transport and has completely infiltrated every inch of the load. On especially wet and snowy days the glass has become "glitter" on clumps of waded paper. (Imagine de...

Hi! And thanks for being the recycler for our residential trash service. I was looking at your blog and found it useful. I wonder if you could address a topic in the blog, and/or send me a personal reply. It is said that about 10% of what we put in our home recycle bin gets recycled. The rest goes overseas, into landfills, etc. Can you comment on this? I realize some of the reason for this is that people contaminate their recycling, rendering the whole load unusable, but what other reasons are there that cause such a small percentage of our recycling to not get recycled? Thanks in advance. Thanks for reading, asking, and for your concern in general. When the 10% number is thrown around it sure is concerning. This number, from what I've read when we researched a bit more in-depth, is based upon 10% of ALL materials produced in the US being recycled. That is still terrible, but not reflective of only 10% of the material placed in your recycling bin. Unfortun...

We recently shared our thoughts on what is wrong or "going on" with recycling. I admit it was out of sheer frustration, but 100% true. We paused accepting material direct from residents at our facility due to the overwhelming amount of garbage received and litter that was occurring despite repeated warnings and postings.  We were absolutely shocked at the response we received. Some were angry and frustrated (at us) and other residents explained how frustrated they'd become seeing the bins they used littered with items they knew didn't belong. We even had one resident explain that they had themselves cleaned up material that was thrown outside the bins, despite having room inside.  Although we have expressed such frustration with people who refuse to cooperate and follow instructions we have also spoken and interacted with so many who go above and beyond. Our goal is and has always been, to increase not only the recycling efforts but the positive recycling impact of ou...

You come home from work and in place of the organized and mess-free home, you left this morning, you enter chaos. Even an amateur hunter could follow the trail across the entire first level and lead to the bedrooms of the accused. Step by step, sock by sock and paper by paper anger rises as you walk. You are about to blow. With so many examples of wrong behavior, how can you open the door and celebrate the homework that is currently being worked on?  It may be a leap, but in my mind, this is the current state of recycling.  We read articles, watch news stories, and see blips on our social media. Recycling is going in the wrong direction and the pollution and destruction of our environment are at an all-time high, or is it? Sometimes when you are so close, you cannot even make out the big picture, you are not getting an accurate view, it's just all blurry and messy.  Recycling by nature is messy (both figuratively and literally). When you are dealing with "trash" you don...

 If we gave you .10 cents for every water bottle you recycled, would you recycle more?  https://www.news10.com/news/legislation-introduces-revised-bottle-bill-to-include-ten-cent-returns/ I can say with a great deal of confidence that it would not affect the recycling rate in my household. What would it affect? Well, that is a good question.  The stated goal of the bill is to increase recycling rates and promote recycling participation with some monetary motivation. The downfall is that much like most rebate/refund programs there tend to be those who try to exploit them. An episode of Sinfield speaks to bottle redemption road trips.  I have never enjoyed the muttered complaints without a solution but I don't think there is one clear, single solution.  I take that back. There is one clear solution that would make an enormous positive impact on recycling and launch forward the circular economy. The solution is so incredibly easy and I've said it so often that I ev...

In order for goals to be kept and exceeded people need to be motivated. Some people have an easier time getting and staying motivated all by themselves, others need periodic stroking, some need consistent prodding, while others may need to be pulled.  Knowing what motivates people to start as well as how to keep them going can help to shape your message and improve your impact. This would go for something as common as New Year health goals, organization practices, quitting smoking, eating healthier, or improving the recycling and waste reduction in a household, or business. We are very biased but we feel that recycling is pretty essential. We do also feel that following the first two R's first is necessary (1. Reduce & 2. Reuse). We want to be sure that as an organization we are helping to motivate residents and businesses alike to continue to improve their recycling impact.  So, please help us out.  Tell us what motivates you to recycle with care & reduce waste?...

As an insider looking at the state of recycling and all the pitches at trying to "fix it" I am left scratching my head. Sure, there is plenty that can still be done to tweak and improve recycling. There is absolutely no negative impact of a stronger focus on a complete environmental approach as companies push towards a circular economy and true product recyclability. Those are all wonderful things.  A recycling bin which is clearly labeled "No Bags and No Metal other than alum/tin cans" in the bin you'll see MANY bags and a metal charcoal grill (complete with charcoal). Recycling with care?  All those great changes won't do much though unless we focus on the real recycling issue. I just can't help feeling like we are trying to put a band-aid on a toe while we have lost both legs. The real issue with recycling is us. Consumers, residents, the recyclers are doing a terrible job and most just don't care. They say the...

Things are finally looking up in the recycling industry. It has been a long and difficult journey that unfortunately many didn't survive. Positive changes are underway; end-users are now seeking material that collection centers and materials recovery facilities were recently begging & paying to move. Another positive step is that more and more companies are making commitments to increase the recycled content in their products and aiming towards the goal of a truly circular economy. This is amazing news that benefits not only the recycling industry but our environment as a whole.  With all the positive trends there does remain one consistent issue. End-users will require quality material in order to make quality products. The number one issue that directly contributed to the crumbling of the recycling industry remains the number one issue with recycling; contamination. Outreach, education, and investments by so many have helped to make the information more available and easier t...

Recycling markets are in a very tough spot right now. While some individuals and businesses may not know most have felt the strain or have at least heard the buzz. The bulk of the issues have been an issue for a really long time it's just gotten a lot worse. It's kind of like when your child tries to go on a hunger strike and will only eat dessert. You can let it go and hope for it to pass, with the likelihood of it spreading to your other children, or you can put an end to it (or at least put a plan in place to slowly put an end to it). In the recycling industry we need a plan. My plan starts with education by explaining what I believe the real issues are. 1. Contamination is real and the absolute HUGEST issue. Some recycling rules can be extremely confusing; items that are accepted, preferred, and completely fine in one program can cause big issues for another. Other times (lots of times) there are items that are clearly NOT recyclable that are carelessly placed in th...

We are thrilled that so many people want to do right by our planet and recycle. BUT... what happens when an attempt at doing the right thing goes all wrong?? More in your bin DOES NOT always equal more recycled. In fact, more of the wrong items in your bin can cause contamination of other good recyclable. Please, always recycle but do so with care!

"Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity - something few food and beverage packaging options can claim." By the Glass Packaging Institute.  Glass is an amazing material that can be recycled (and recycled, and recycled, and recycled....) glass can also be reused BUT... it currently poses many, many challenges to MRF's (material recovery facilities). Glass has been a problem for quite some time now but with the increase in single stream collection it's become an even larger hurdle. The good news is that it seems that the recycling of glass has increased but the bad news is that, at this point, in the form that it's often received in, it is not unilaterally able to be recycled. We need help and here's why:  1. Glass is breakable. As glass is placed in bins, transported, dumped at drop center(s), and processed the whole bottle tends to become many, many pieces. The pieces get mixed with...

https://wasteadvantagemag.com/mixed-feelings-on-mixed-waste-still/ This article in Waste Advantage Magazine discusses the idea of single bin collection (not to be confused with single stream collection). Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably they are vastly different (pay attention to context) and ask for clarification. Single bins collection means that all materials that are leaving your home or business (garbage & recycling) will go in the same single bin. These mixed up, highly contaminated materials will go to what is known as a dirty MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) and the staff will be tasked with first sorting out food waste, dirty diapers, feminine products, coffee grinds, and lots of other highly unappealing items from the "recycling". After they've raked out whatever garbage they can they will attempt to salvage  "clean" recyclable items. Sorters will try to sort the paper, bottles, cans, & glass that remain so it might...

We know that you've been hearing, seeing, and learning about the amazing amount of things that can be recycled into something new. It's such a waste to throw these recyclable items into a landfill when they could be used as a raw material. The idea of recycling excites us, that is what we do! The downside to learning the capabilities of recycling is only hearing a portion of the story. While MANY, MANY items are recyclable (claims have been made recently that about 80% of all waste) it must be recycled correctly. Cigarette butts may be reuse able, juice pouches have been a raw material, Grocery bags can be made into decking boards, electronic scrap may become new components but if these items are received at our Hamburg, PA facility they will likely end up the same place they would've it you threw them away. Even worse than my last statement... there is a very good chance that a few cans, bottles, and jars may also be thrown away with them because they became contamin...

If you pay attention to the news I am sure that you have heard about the concerns associated with the current recycling markets. Company officials and representatives from a number of the large, nationally owned, waste management corporations have gone on the record stating that times are tough and profits are thin. If you are like me you may not have heard many of these interviews (they just don't play that type of news on Disney channel). I have a vested interest (as we all do) in the state of recycling markets so in this case I've actually made it a point to pay attention. There are lots of discussions of how the recycling markets got into the troubling state that they are presently in and although there is no single reason there is one huge contributor. I've always hated the "I told you so" types so I'm going to tread lightly... okay, I may still sort of allude to "I told you so". If you scroll back in our historical posts you'll find us sh...

We are biased. There is no way around it, our company founders and current board members have been in the recycling industry pretty much their entire lives. They have some pretty solid feelings on single stream but as I've suggested, many times now, the people had spoken and we needed to make the change. The change that communities, companies, and residents alike were all requesting  are demanding. We reluctantly purchased the equipment, increased the staff, and had our sales team reach out to the haulers and local businesses... we successfully process single stream materials. It's been more than a full year now and we have some additional insight, which I don't think shocked any of us. 1. Increased volume does not equal increased recycling. This is another topic I've covered on this blog before, so many townships or companies advertise that since beginning single stream collection they have witnessed a significant increase in the recycling participation. The only p...

Plastic grocery bags are fully recyclable and can be used in a variety of new products.. BUT (and it's a big but) many material recovery facilities that receive bags mixed in with the residential recycling will end up discarding them as trash. The equipment that processes the recycling has screens that will become clogged by the plastic bags creating a housekeeping issue (which does not allow the sorting equipment to run effectively). In some systems there have been adjustments made (air vacuum systems intended to suck the bags up) in order to assist in keeping these bags from being a potential problem but they aren't fail safe. To get the most out of plastic bag recycling place them in collection units setup to specifically recover them. Like all recycling .. the cleaner and more segregated you keep the material the more potential it has to be successfully recycled. Most grocery stores have displays/bins setup in the entrance. If your location fails to have these bins ...

Keep your recyclables in a dry, covered area that is protected from sleet, snow and rain. Items that arrive at the MRF (materials recovery facility) saturated will typically have picked up glass, dirt, and other contaminants making it less recoverable and increasing the amount that will end up in a landfill. Single stream collection specifically will significantly increase this issue but even paper that is extremely wet and/or frozen can potentially be an issue. 

These are some photos that I collected a few days ago. We have a very talented staff that has the skill to assemble the upgrades to our single stream system. It has been quite a project, with extremely long hours .. but we are very grateful and the end is in sight! Take a look at some of their work in progress, it's pretty amazing. 

We had no way to knowing exactly what the response would be when we decided (somewhat kicking and screaming) to accept single stream, you can put out feelers and do market research but that is still not a clear determination. We didn't "want" to do it but knew that it was the only way that we'd be winning a majority of the new bids. So we tentatively installed equipment (about 1 year ago.. give or take a few weeks) and we've had a huge influx of material. We do still mutter under our breath at times about the "better" way to handle material separation but we are happy with the problem that  currently we have.. too much material and not enough hours in the day to process it. So after approximately one year of processing single stream we are upgrading our sorting equipment which will allow us to increase our throughput. We wanted to try and avoid a complete shutdown but due to the constant material pouring in we've decided it is absolutely  necess...