Recycling Around the Continent — A Midsummer Snapshot
The North American recycling industry continues to take a double hit, from the coronavirus pandemic and from the pre-existing turmoil in the recycling markets. This snapshot of what’s happening around the continent reveals that the news is not all bad, however.
According to Resource Recycling magazine, COVID-19 infections among sortation workers at materials recycling facilities (MRFs) and collection workers for waste hauling companies have temporarily shut down some operations or prompted companies to quarantine employees. For example, a MRF in California’s Marin County reported on June 22 that 43 employees had tested positive for COVID-19 over the previous two weeks. The facility quarantined the workers but was able to stay open after consulting with local public health officials. Elsewhere, curbside collection in Lompoc, California, was suspended for one day after a driver tested positive.
The city of Baltimore suspended recycling collection for a three-week period beginning on June 19 after several workers tested positive. In general, companies have shut down operations at MRFs and on the streets to clean equipment, protect employees, and allow infected employees to recover.
On a more positive note, federal and state governments have elevated their interest in recycling policy after a hiatus to attend to the public health crisis. In the U.S. Congress, at least two bills have been introduced to focus on plastics recycling: the Plastics Waste Reduction and Recycling Act (H.R. 7228) and the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act (H.R. 5845). H.R. 7228 has been endorsed by industry groups such at the American Chemistry Council and the Plastics Industry Association. H.R. 5845 would take more aggressive measures to limit the production of new plastic products, including a moratorium on the construction of new plastics production plants while the environmental impacts are studied.
States that have revived their attention to recycling issues include California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, and New Jersey. Their respective legislative proposals aim to do a number of things, including setting targets for materials recovery, mandating greater recycled content in plastic and other products, building end markets for recovered materials, and financially supporting municipalities, which are facing cost pressures as they attempt to sustain their recycling programs.
As it does every month, Resource Recycling magazine in its July 2020 issue provided an update of what’s happening on the recycling scene in several municipalities around North America. We present the July snapshot here with the magazine’s permission. As you will see, the news presents a mixed bag of steps backward and steps forward.
Aspen, Colorado: The city will stop accepting old corrugated cardboard (OCC) at a local drop-off recycling center, a move that officials estimate will reduce the center’s operating budget by more than 50% [Ed Note: OCC prices have generally been up, as the need for packaging for home deliveries increases.]
Bluffton, Georgia: The city will switch from 18-gallon curbside bins to 96-gallon recycling carts while also reducing service frequency from weekly to bi-weekly.
Bordentown, New Jersey: The municipality has launched a pizza box recycling program, asking residents to clean out pizza boxes and bring them to a drop-off bin.
Campbell River, British Columbia: The town closed multiple drop-off recycling depots in June, encouraging residents to use RecycleBC-operated drop-off locations or municipal curbside recycling services where available.
Casper, Wyoming: The city has re-opened its recycling facilities following temporary closures arising from COVID-19 infections.
Clark County, Washington: The county will resume recycling outreach and cart inspection program that was suspended due to the pandemic.
Flint, Michigan: The city delayed recycling and trash collection after the city’s recycling contractor shifted personnel to help with cleanup following a nearby flood and dam breach.
Greenwich, Connecticut: The city launched a pilot drop-off program for food scrap recycling.
Sherman, Texas: The municipality suspended curbside recycling, citing market challenges and contamination in the recycling stream that made it difficult to move materials profitably.
Turner Valley, Alberta: The municipality brought back a drop-off recycling center that had closed due to the pandemic.
Wesland, Michigan: The city signed a recycling contract to bring back curbside collection, which was suspended in March 2019. Voters recently approved a tax request to fund recycling and other services.
Yakima, Washington: The city re-opened a local drop-off recycling center with mask and social distancing requirements, following a temporary shutdown due to the pandemic.
