Kerbside Recycling
For kerbside recycling to be effective, it must make environmental, economic and social sense. When preparing recyclables you should rinse, squash and remove any contaminants (such as plastic bags). Only put out materials that can be recycled by your local council. By doing this less room is taken up in the truck and the product is less likely to be contaminated.
Economic considerations include:
- the cost of collecting and transporting materials to recycling facilities
- the cost of separating contaminants from the recyclables
- whether there is a market for the recycled product
- the cost of processing
- increased litter on recycling day in councils using open-container or open-truck collection systems
- occupational health and safety costs associated with collection and sorting.
A recent study by Nolan ITU called the Independent Assessment of Kerbside Recycling in Australia determined that on average, net financial costs amount to $26 per household per year, environmental benefits to $68 per household per year, with an average overall benefit of around $42 per household per year.
Kerbside collections vary according to each local council. Factors that vary include:
- which materials are collected
- whether a collection container is provided
- the size of collection container
- the type of collection container
- frequency of collections
- whether materials are sorted at kerbside or at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)
- contract requirements.
The net environmental benefit of kerbside recycling is $424 million/yr (SKM Economics, June 2000). As we become better at recycling by recycling more and reducing contamination the net environmental benefit will increase.
Materials Recovery Facility
A materials recovery facility (MRF) is a transfer station for recyclables. At the MRF recyclable materials are sorted into different market products (eg. steel cans, green glass). The products are bailed and then sent to processing plants to be recycled into new products. Products recovered for recycling at a MRF include aluminium, steel, glass, plastics, cardboard, newspaper and liquidpaperboard cartons.
Recyclable material is collected in mobile garbage bins, boxes or bags from kerbsides in each council area. The recyclables are then taken to the materials recovery facility. Any non recyclable material sent to the MRF is removed and sent to landfill. At the MRF the materials are put onto a conveyor belt. The recyclables are sorted by hand and or mechanically.
The number of MRFs in Perth is increasing and with new technologies they are able to sort the waste more efficiently. MRFs need a large amount of clean recyclable material to operate. Removing non recyclable material (contaminants) takes time and increases the cost of recycling. Community education on the best way to recycle is important to ensure the continued success of MRFs.
Contamination
People put all sorts of things out for recycling. Often they don't realise the problems created by small amounts of materials that can't be recycled. For example a piece of ceramic the size of a 10c coin can cause a tonne of glass to be put into landfill. A small piece of PVC (plastic hosing or some lids) can weaken PET plastic so that when it is blow-moulded it gets a hole in it. Other items such as rocks and pieces of metal can get caught up and break machinery.
All of these ‘problem materials ’that are currently not recycled are called contaminants.
Common contaminants found in kerbside recycling containers include:
- batteries
- blue glass
- ceramics
- garden waste
- icecream and yoghurt containers
- plastic bags
- pyrex
- sand and rubble
- syringes
Many recyclable products are reprocessed into food packaging. Anything that is slightly contaminated may go to landfill.
Some contaminants won't cause damage if they are separated out in time. The separation process is quite thorough but it only takes a small amount of the wrong thing to be collected and many valuable recyclables are lost. So it is better to put the correct items out for recycling at home.
