A Handbook on Recycl i n g for Rural Communities

Transcription

1 A Handbook on Recycl i n g for Rural Communities Presented by Nebraska State Recycling Association 1941 S. 42nd Street, Suite 512 Omaha, NE August 1998

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3 INTRODUCTION During the last five years, since passage of LB 1257 by the Nebraska Legislature, recycling and solid waste management activity in rural Nebraska communities has been the focus of major shifts in public policy, planning and organization. Citizens and decision makers alike struggle with the increased costs of disposal and the growing demand for recycling services - even in the most isolated areas of the state. The Nebraska State Recycling Association (NSRA) has also evolved during these intervening years to become a strong advocate of local generator/rate payer control over solid waste and recycling services, their type, quality and costs. Furthermore, NSRA has made the education of these local generators -- individuals, businesses and institutions alike -- about the dynamics of disposal and recycling economics, an absolute priority within its annual program. It is in keeping with this commitment that NSRA presents this Rural Recycling Manual to any and all interested parties, to assist them in first understanding the "politics and economics of garbage" at the local level and second, to make informed planning and implementation decisions within their communities. Our goal is one of stewardship over limited resources that will protect the health and prosperity of our children and our children's children - to the seventh generation. Kay Stevens Executive Director Nebraska State Recycling Assoc.

4 Per-sev'-er-ate: to repeat behaviors insistently or redundantly. Web ster' s Dictionary

5 A HANDBOOK ON RECYCLING FOR RURAL NEBRASKA COMMUNITIES TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION THE EIGHT STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL RECYCLING - AN OVERVIEW CHAPTER 1... CHAPTER 2... CHAPTER 3... CHAPTER 4... CHAPTER 5... CHAPTER 6... CHAPTER 7... CHAPTER 8... CHAPTER 9... ORGANIZING YOUR COMMITTEE UNDERSTANDING THE FULL COST OF YOUR COMMUNITY'S CURRENT WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CONDUCTING A LOCAL WASTE ASSESSMENT EVALUATING LOCAL COLLECTION & PROCESSING OPTIONS FUNDING SOURCES INVESTIGATING EQUIPMENT OPTIONS EDUCATION PROGRAMS EVALUATING PROGRAM PERFORMANCE WRAP UP/CONCLUSIONS

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7 THE EIGHT STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL RECYCLING AN OVERVIEW When LB 1257 was passed in 1991, it included the creation of a solid waste management hierarchy to be used as guidance for local cities and counties to use in developing their local solid waste and recycling planning and implementation. Integrated Solid Waste Management Hierarchy: 1. Volume Reduction at the Source 2. Recycling, Reuse and Vegetative Waste Composting 3. Land Disposal 4. incineration with Energy Resource Recovery 5. incineration for Volume Reduction It also includes a series of requirements, deadlines and material bans for local communities. These requirements are depicted in Table 1 found in Appendix A. This hierarchy represents the framework upon which local waste management systems must be based. Constructing a holistic and integrated approach at the local level is a challenging and rewarding exercise that requires commitment and a willingness to change. Establishment of a rural recycling program, as part of an integrated waste management system, consists of eight general steps. These steps will be summarized in this overview section and discussed later, in more detail, within their individual chapters. It is hoped that these steps will provide guidance to rural recyclers based on the fundamental principle that it is impossible to recycle economically and reliably in a rural context without cooperating. STEPS: 1. Organizing Your Committee 2. Understanding the Full Cost of Your Community's Current Waste Management System 3. Conducting a Local Waste Assessment 4. Evaluating Local Collection and Processing Options 5. Funding Sources 6. Investigating Equipment Options 7. Education Programs 8. Evaluating Program Performance This manual is firmly rooted in the concept of Cooperative Marketing. Cooperative Marketing is as old as agriculture in the Midwest. Most rural communities in Nebraska see the local co-op as a significant contributor to their local economies. The evolution of the agri-business co-op model has allowed commodities producers, large and small, to participate in the market place with greater efficiency, control and profit. This history of agriculture has much to offer rural recyclers to help them understand and participate in the recycling marketplace. I

8 In cold or low recycling markets, demand shrinks and some rural programs will inevitably fold. As small and medium generators get dumped, frustration within a community or business rises making it extremely difficult to re-start stalled programs. In high or hot recycling markets, the demand for recycled commodities becomes intense. Generators are attracted by inflated prices and everyone becomes a recycler. Organized co-operatives can introduce discipline and order into the frequent confusion and fragmentation found in many waste management contexts, and provide stability for both the generators and the buyers of recyclables. Cooperative recycling management structures can be used to create and coordinate contracts for: Collection and processing of recyclables Collection and landfilling of disposables Purchasing of "Green" products Improved management of problematic materials at reduced unit costs. Benefits to consumers and end markets include: Written master contracts, indexed to "move" with the market Negotiated, standardized, written specifications A single point of contact (for buyers) More reliable material quantities and qualities Empowerment of small or medium size generators Open tracking and communication of prices and quantities Improved transportation, collection and processing efficiencies. This manual consistently emphasizes the importance of building cooperation into the organization process. Without cooperation, small and medium size communities and businesses can not maintain a stable link with markets - let alone make profits, create jobs and build new businesses. STEP 1. ORGANIZING YOUR COMMITTEE: Any rural community that is interested in creating a successful recycling program must first get organized. The best method for doing this is to start by identifying concerned individuals who are willing to take the lead in their communities. This key step involves identifying a team, task force or committee that represents all aspects of the community. The suggested categories of team participants should include representatives of homeowner's interests as well as commercial generators of waste. One of the most common errors made by local organizers is to focus on 11

9 residential waste while ignoring the commercial, business or industrial waste streams. A second error is allowing material handlers - either haulers, recyclers, or landfill and transfer station operators to dominate the planning process. If one's livelihood depends on making more waste, waste reduction will not be a priority in their decision making. POINTS TO REMEMBER: Commercial waste across the state represents more than 50 percent of total wastes generated. If your town is so small that you have few businesses, cooperation with neighboring towns in forming your recycling team is even more critical. Use the State Recycling Directory to identify programs and business individuals within your region who can help with your planning efforts. Don't leave the local troublemaker out of your early networking efforts. Be inclusive and open as you build your team. This can pay off as you implement your program by preventing unpleasant surprises. Focus on developing a democratic process for decision-making. This can be a board, steering committee or core group. Educate your team on the facts and figures regarding the local waste stream situation and build community support for your program through the peer groups of team members. STEP 2. UNDERSTANDING THE FULL COST OF YOUR COMMUNITY'S CURRENT WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. Securing control over your local solid waste system must begin with a complete understanding of the concept of Full Cost Accounting (FCA). Because of the diverse ways that communities keep financial and other records and the many different configurations for managing local municipal solid waste (MSW) programs, no Handbook can specifically anticipate or address all situations. However, it is possible to develop a full cost accounting picture in every community regardless of how the local program is structured and how the books are kept. The following list includes some basic principles to consider in this analysis include: Focus on all aspects of MSW management. Clarify what costs and whose costs your research will cover. Identify all costs of targeted activities. Identify buildings, equipment, and property used in current MSW activities, including those borrowed, loaned, or donated by other entities. Include the activities performed by contractors and other service providers. Include gross totals and calculate monthly dollar impact to each residence and business. 111

10 Develop an organizing framework. Understand what the numbers mean. Avoid double-counting of volume, fees, services or surcharges. Count everything. Don't confuse "costs" with "outlays". Include a share of "overhead" costs, even though they are not exclusively MSW costs. Tailor FCA reports to the audience. Provide detailed cost information as necessary. Exercise care in using comparisons. These principles form the foundation of Full Cost Accounting. questions, such as: FCA answers important 1. How much does your community spend, per ton, per month, per year, per household, per business, on waste collection and disposal? 2. What are the current charges for households and businesses to collect, dispose and recycle their solid wastes locally? 3. How do these costs compare regionally? Your team/committee must get a clear and exact picture of the full cost of waste disposal and recycling in the involved communities. Full cost accounting will help create a clear picture for your committee.that defines where the local disposal dollars come from and where they go. Based on these facts, your committee can begin to identify methods for diverting or reconfiguring these disposal dollars to create a more efficient system of solid waste disposal that includes recycling services. POINTS TO REMEMBER: A rule of thumb is: for each dollar spent on a gate fee, (landfill or transfer station) two or more are usually spent for collection/transportation costs. Do not confuse gate fees with "full costs". Do not get "hooked" on market prices or design a program that is totally market dependent. Elected officials are elected to make waste management decisions about contracts, bonds and financing. These decisions are in the public domain. Do not take "no" for an answer when requesting data. iv

11 Learn about the legal and financial implications of all solid waste public policies. What you don't finish paying for... your children will. STEP 3. CONDUCTING A LOCAL WASTE ASSESSMENT: Organizing a recycling program that will survive good times and bad depends heavily on accurate knowledge about the volume and quality of the material that your community generates. Your committee needs to have some idea of overall waste volume as well as data on the composition of this volume. Assessing the local waste and recyclables streams generated in small communities can be as simple as gathering numbers on gross weights of disposals over a period of time, or as complex as a structured, full-blown waste-sort. If any recycling activity is already in place, carefully tracking the quantities is a good starting point. Be conservative in all estimating. National averages are just that: national and average. Most small communities are neither. POINTS TO REMEMBER: A fundamental question your local assessment should answer is: How long would it take your participating communities to compile 20 tons of any given material? Assert yourself as a group when gathering data on volume and composition. Enlist the support of the local hauler. No one knows more about your waste stream. Remember, you pay for these services. Data about your waste is your data. Local businesses may be nervous about their waste generation rates. Assure them of confidentiality on numbers and stick to it. STEP 4. EVALUATING LOCAL COLLECTION AND PROCESSING OPTIONS: Evaluating and selecting a system for local collection and processing of rural recyclables will be unique to each geographic area. However, a useful outline has been produced by High Plains Resources of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A detailed rural model is included in the Appendix. It will provide a framework to assist rural decision makers to build a cooperative network unique to their local region that uses all of the available resources and services optimally. The focus of most rural community decisions must be on designing a regional transportation, preprocessing, final processing and marketing system that addresses the distance, transportation and low volume issues prevalent in each, unique rural area. Most communities will benefit from a shared, public/private arrangement for the use of such things as: collection services, balers, processing sites, and so forth. This Regional Model advocates an inter-connected program consisting of a coordinated public education effort, recyclables collection, processing activities, marketing and market creation through re-manufacturing. V

12 This Regional Model is designed as an interactive network consisting of four components: Building and maximizing local collection programs Connecting local programs at pre-processing facilities Using a shared, regional facility for the final processing stage Joint marketing of commodities. Chapter four outlines the various equipment options and collection approaches that cooperating communities must select from in building local recycling capacity. It is important to note that for all of the scenarios described, an inventive rural community can create a hybrid that works for them by mixing and matching. It is this genius for invention that has allowed Nebraska recyclers to increase recycled volume every year in spite of enormous obstacles. POINTS TO REMEMBER: Communicate with all local and regional haulers and recyclers. Survey the local community to measure openness to recycling and preferences for types of services. Find the elected officials, city/county clerks, city/county employees who like what you are doing. They are invaluable as resources for building support for your recycling project. Maintain local control and maximum use of local resources. Use low-cost, locally fabricated equipment. Efficiently share and use materials handling and transportation equipment. Use inter-community cooperation. Design your pre-processing to produce 20-ton loads. Share services among communities in the region. Secure long-term, written agreements with markets that are "indexed" to assure your material will be absorbed regardless of market peaks and valleys. STEP 5. FUNDING SOURCES: The most common problem rural recyclers face is the "It costs too much to recycle" barrier. This attitude is a huge obstacle that has survived, intact, for many years. It is based on acceptance of continued increases in expenditures for disposal and a belief that recycling must be "free" to customers and supported by market prices or it will cease to exist. Compared to finding financial resources to build local recycling capacity, the equipment, marketing and transportation issues are a piece of cake. vi

13 There are several grant sources that have been made available through the State of Nebraska to generate funding for start-up money for your project. One source of particular use is located in the Department of Environmental Quality's State Recycling Directory. Details about these sources are included in Chapter 6. It is also possible to create a rate structure that funds recycling services through cost avoidance for disposal, as well as a portion of the monthly fees going toward covering base costs -- assuming local decision makers can be persuaded to support the recycling cause. Under this system, market prices are funnelled back to rate payers to off-set monthly fees in hot markets and when markets cool off, the program is assured it will continue to run smoothly POINTS TO REMEMBER: The sustainability of local recycling initiatives is firmly rooted in monthly solid waste service costs based on full cost accounting and a rate structure that requires users to "pay as they throw." Re-organizing the local rate structure requires: 1. political will, 2. leadership, 3. strong public support, 4. well-designed full cost accounting, 5. innovative contracts, 6. unit-based pricing, and 7. collaborative rate payer control. Creation of a recycling infrastructure based solely on market prices leads to instability and wild revenue fluctuations. A well-designed, adequately funded, rate-payer supported recycling program should cause disposal costs to drop. If they do not... something is wrong. Ask lots of questions! STEP 6. INVESTIGATING EQUIPMENT OPTIONS: Careful planning and analysis of local material streams can prevent unwise purchases and expenditures of money. There will always be a direct relationship between the quality and quantity of a given commodity and the type of equipment needed. All too frequently, this step is the first step taken by energetic local recyclers. The result may be acquisition of oversized, inadequate, poorly configured, or hard to manipulate equipment. Before buying any equipment, research the feasibility of sharing equipment or existing routes between neighboring vii

14 communities. Coordinate schedules between the participating communities for the collection of the proposed material to reduce the expense of collection. Seek out good used equipment anywhere that may fit into the overall plan. A check-list to assist in evaluating the local program s capacity to deliver recyclables and potential equipment needs is included in Chapter 6. POINTS TO REMEMBER: Understand and write down clear specifications. Conduct competitive bids. Demand vendor follow-up and service. Do good, comprehensive equipment research. Cheap is not always best. Always check references. A Mercedes may be prettier, but an Escort will still get you there! STEP 7. EDUCATION PROGRAMS: Community education should be a constant, on-going process. Programs should inform people of why recycling is important and how much money can be saved by recycling. Local apathy and even active resistance to recycling is often based on ignorance of the dollars involved in disposing of solid waste. Be certain that your committee, your volunteers and employees, know these numbers. Use this information to convince others about the advantages of recycling. Find ways to use these numbers to improve and stimulate your public education programs. Focus on providing constant reminders to local residents and businesses about the mechanics of the local program, such as: when the materials get picked-up, how they should be packaged, the allowable weight of the containers, the sorting of the materials, etc. Be consistent and reliable. It is important that everyone knows what is to be expected of them. The most important challenge your committee will face will be changing behaviors and attitudes about how people deal with their garbage and that it isn t waste until its landfilled. To build local awareness of and support for recycling and to inspire volunteer help, educational avenues should include the use of surveys, flyers, local media, public service announcements, signs in public places, the school system, civic organizations, and churches. This type of public information campaign should be linked with your efforts to plan, organize, and implement your program. Members from your committee should actively campaign for increased involvement from all community members. In every community there are three types of people: those who care and will get involved, those who care but don t want to be troubled, and those who are opposed to change. Most people are concerned and caring. Any recycling project will eventually run into a decision maker who is Vlll

15 opposed to the project - for one reason or another. Be sure that your educational program involves and reaches decision makers in your communities. Informed public employees are important too. Well-trained and supportive county/city workers can help reduce costs and minimize problems associated with operating the recycling effort. They can also be your best friends in influencing public policy decisions. POINTS TO REMEMBER: Maintain accurate numbers. Use your numbers to influence, persuade and pressure local public policy. Use peer pressure to educate local consumers and decision makers. It only takes a handful of educated activists to create real change. STEP 8. EVALUATING PROGRAM PERFORMANCE: Continued monitoring of your program will guard against small problems developing into bigger ones. The successful performance of your program will also be the key to its expansion. If the project starts conservatively, perhaps collecting and processing one or two easy-to-access materials, the efficient operation of your program will lead to the collection and processing of additional materials. Aggressively communicate with regional recyclers and neighboring programs. Your recycling project can take advantage of and learn from what others are doing. Develop cooperative relationships. Recycling success is measured by three quantitative methods: volume of recyclables, revenue from sales, and participation rates. POINTS TO REMEMBER: Use standard measurement of tonnage outlined in the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Guidance Document Measuring and Tracking Recyclables and Organics. Track all materials, both in volume sold and out-throws, that end up being landfilled. Use sign-in sheets to track participants. Communicate - Communicate - Communicate! ix

16 Develop written standards, specifications and contracts for services and sales of recyclables based on REAL available quantities. Minimize guessing at every stage of the planning process... no matter how much you paid for the guess! STEP 9. WRAP-UP/CONCLUSIONS: Throughout the state, recyclers must focus on the long term goal of building local and regional manufacturing capacity to absorb recyclables and transform them into value-added products. This is an attainable goal, but one that requires a host of baby steps that include: Identifying and controlling supplies of commodities. Selecting technology appropriate to the supply. Creating demand for locally-made recycled products. Securing stable, profitable management structures to create and maintain healthy resource conservation - based on economic development. (Code for: Jobs, tax-base and profits.) X

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19 CHAPTER ONE ORGANIZING YOUR COMMITTEE Good, sustainable and reliable recycling programs are structured around creation of a recycling committee advisory group or task force that will guide decision makers and planners through the process. This community group can be small, but must be diverse enough to represent all of the players who will be affected by the program. Committee members will work together to develop, implement and evaluate strategies tailored to benefit the unique and collective needs of the community. The group's activities will include creation of a mission statement, organizational framework and participation ground rules that the group itself will implement. This task force will come together to: Educate itself. Identify and assess problems, issues, solutions and potential partners. Develop potential solutions to a problem. Build public awareness of the program. Monitor program implementation. Educate the participating public. Demonstrate accountability, openness and responsiveness. WHAT DOES A COMMUNITY TASK FORCE DO? Their first task is to outline specific objectives. Tasks should include: Educating members on the dynamics of the local waste management situation. Developing a shared community vision for long-term waste reduction and recycling goals. Developing strategies for prioritizing, responding to and solving community waste management problems. Creating action plans that reflect a systematic approach to accomplishing waste reduction and recycling goals. Identifying local resources for solving these problems. Developing mechanisms to allocate scarce resources effectively. 1

20 WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE? The breadth and depth of input into defining and responding to community needs are what set the advisory committee concept apart from other types of planning tools. The best community based initiatives are fundamentally inclusive, broad-based and multi-disciplinary, since the committee is the foundation of a successful participatory decision making process. Some suggestions for representation in recruiting an advisory committee include: Elected officials Neighborhood/community groups Local business owners Regulatory agencies City employees Landfill operators Business/commercial interests Average citizens Recyclers Environmental groups Haulers Schools, including: teachers, students, administrators, staff or board members Farmers and ranchers The challenge for this steering committee is to ensure that all interest groups within and around the community are represented well. Including persons on the committee who represent varying and even opposing viewpoints on the issues, is essential. It is a fact that a successful rural community recycling program can, (and has been) started by two or three neighbors who meet over coffee and decide to "do something." The steps in this manual, however, are suggested in order to help build a more stable base of support and responsibility for both planting the seeds of a reliable program as well as assuring that the program will survive in good and bad markets. This organizational base will minimize risk and failure in the future. It is also necessary to create a preliminary organizational structure that will accomplish the following goals: Create a base of power for decision making that focuses on the community's generators and rate payers whose monthly fees drive the local disposal and recycling system. 2

21 Distribute implementation responsibility evenly to prevent over dependence on one or two leaders and to prevent the inevitable volunteer bum-out. Provide structure for the critical first step which is self education about the local waste management system and the costs involved. Create a contracting entity or governing body to share marketing, purchasing and revenue distribution decisions as well as tracking performance of the project. LEADERSHIP Recycling initiatives in rural communities are normally the result of spontaneous emergence of leaders. These leaders can be from the public or private sectors but they are clearly individuals committed to making changes in how their community addresses solid waste issues. In some communities, there may be a tendency to defer the responsibility for recycling - "It's a public works function," or "Our hauler does it," or "We already have a contract for garbage services," or the most pitiful: "We can't recycle, 'they' won't let us." These beliefs can be significant barriers to building local leadership that is dedicated to change. Empowering individuals within your community to "seize the day" and grow a good recycling program is the leadership mission your group will need to address. Recruiting participants to the planning process is a highly personal, relationship-based exercise especially in the close-knit environment found in rural communities. It is, however, the most important task that your recycling program must face. 3

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23 Chapter 2

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25 Full Cost Accounting (FCA) tells a community the dollar value of the resources required to pay for current municipal solid waste (MSW) and recycling practices. FCA can help a community understand what drives its costs, giving local officials and the public the information needed to formulate good public policy and practices, identify opportunities and implement appropriate actions. What are the potential benefits of FCA? It helps determine what MSW management services actually cost. It creates ownership over the system among rate payers, service providers and local decision makers. It helps the community to navigate the peaks and valleys in MSW and recycling related cash expenditures. It enables local leaders to more clearly explain MSW costs to the community's citizens. It enables a community to adopt a more business-like approach to MSW management. It can assist the local community in developing a stronger negotiating position with vendors. FCA gives a community the ability to evaluate net costs per ton and per rate-payer for each element of the solid waste system. FCA can help fine-tune MSW programs to increase their cost effectiveness. In small communities with limited resources, cost effectiveness is the single most crucial factor. Many larger businesses have accounting systems that let them examine both their activity costs and the costs of product or service lines. Cost-efficient procurement, manufacturing, packaging, inventory management, shipment, and sales activities are as important to businesses as costefficient MSW collection, transportation, processing, disposal, and by-product sales' activities are to local governments. Businesses also want to understand the economics of the product lines -- a food processor will want to know if the potato chips are more profitable than the mashed potatoes, taking into account the manufacturing, packaging, inventory, shipment, and sales costs for each product line. A forest products business may want to know how the costs of manufacturing wood chips compare to the costs of preparing wood pulp. Although communities lack the profit motive, as a matter of sound management and wise use of public monies, they should understand the economics of MSW management as well as the economics of component MSW activities. The benefits of FCA are not free. A great deal of determined effort will be required to correctly and systematically identify costs of capital expenditures, future outlays and shared services, including overhead. The amount of work involved in performing FCA depends mostly on the condition of a community's financial records and the openness of the relationship between public 4

26 and private sector participants in the process. Once data has been assembled and a framework established, subsequent versions of annual FCA reports will be much easier for a community to produce. Typically, local governments focus on the costs of the component activities of solid waste management, such as collection and disposal. Accounting systems may even separately record expenditures for different MSW activities. Often, communities contract for the performance of one or more MSW activities by outside vendors. Privatization or out-sourcing decisions deal with making a choice between the use of municipal equipment and employees or contracting with private hauler(s) for waste collection. In considering changes to the levels and types of MSW services available, and decisions about how much MSW will end up being recycled, composted, converted to energy, or landfilled, communities should focus on the costs of all aspects of the different MSW components. The economics of recycling, composting and disposal are strongly affected by the costs of collection, transfer and transport -- which can be substantial. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) views Full Cost Accounting (FCA), Unit Based Pricing (UBP) and Enterprise Funds as three mutually reinforcing tools. Enterprise Funds are mechanisms used by local governments for activities that can be financed and operated like a private business. Unit Pricing charges solid waste generators based on how much they throw away and therefore is an equitable means of recovering the full costs of solid waste management. Full cost accounting is inherent in the concept and operation of Enterprise Funds, which are intended to cover program costs through a dedicated source of user fees. For a detailed description and complete instructions on Full Cost Accounting, please refer to the following publications: Full Cost Accounting for Municipal Solid Waste Management: A handbook published by the United State Environmental Protection Agency (800) Volume Based Pricing: Throw More, Pay More: Published by The Midwest Assistance Program, Inc. (402)

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29 CHAPTER THREE CONDUCTING A LOCAL WASTE ASSESSMENT A preliminary assessment of local wastes generated is essential to determining the direction of any recycling program. The committee should have a passing understanding of the types of solid waste they generate and in what quantities. After this assessment is completed, the committee will use this information to decide which waste products are most likely to be marketable by a recycling program. Even the smallest of Nebraska's communities can get data on the gross weight of the garbage that it generates. One common sense approach involves requiring the hauler(s) to weigh their garbage truck before beginning their local route and again after completing the route each collection day. This may involve some inventiveness and coordination, but one town in Northeast Nebraska used this technique very effectively by using the scales at the local grain elevator. Weights are totaled at the end of each month and gross tonnage is calculated for the community population, i.e., tons hauled per household, tons hauled per business, pounds per person per month, etc. This is a simple step that can lead to greater public awareness and help establish a less complicated framework for remaining data on costs, volume and composition. National estimates of waste volume and composition are frequently used by professional planners and consulting engineers to characterize waste generated locally. However, because of the diversity of waste management programs, economic bases and demographics in Nebraska communities, national estimates may be too vague to accurately predict waste flows at the local level. In the five years since LB 1257, a key problem area in rural Nebraska has been construction of facilities (landfills, transfer stations, material recovery facilities) in order to meet over-projections of MSW volume, usually based on national estimates. One of the results of these local mistakes is often escalating gate fees which translate into higher monthly garbage fees to users of the system. It is expected that the more complete and accurate information the local planning team has access to and understands, the less likely it is that public policy mistakes will be made. IDENTIFYING MARKETS Critical to the success of any recycling program is going to be availability of markets. Without healthy, accessible markets, storing, transporting and disposing of collected recyclables can result in significant costs. More importantly, disposing of recyclables in a landfill can create hard feelings among local residents and businesses making further recycling collection activity problematic. It is necessary to identify marketable materials, the volume of each and to find reliable buyers for them. Generally, recycling programs are designed to collect the following common recyclables: GLASS: Glass is defined as containers such as bottles and jars in three colors: green, amber (brown), and clear (flint) glass. Glass containers constitute a small percentage of the wastestream. Glass containers are highly recyclable and can be made back into glass containers with little loss of material. Conversion factors for glass are provided in Appendix A. 6

30 Clear or "Flint" Glass - This sub-category generally represents food and beverage containers. Clear bottles generally have the highest recycling value of glass containers. Brown or "Amber" Glass - This subcategory generally represents beer bottles. Brown bottles tend to have a lesser recycling value than clear bottles but a higher recycling value than green bottles. Green Glass - Green containers generally represent wine bottles, some pop bottles, and imported beer bottles. Green containers tend to have the least recycling value of glass containers. Mixed glass - Mixed containers include any combination of brown, green, or clear glass containers. Mixed containers provide the material for aggregate on road and building construction bases. These containers typically are not separated by color. Other types of glass, i.e. industrial glasses such as windows, mirrors, light bulbs, ceramic cups or plates, crystal, drinking glasses, glass tiles, medical laboratory glass, and heat resistant cook or ovenware, are not commonly recycled. Markets for these types of glass may include aggregate in building and road construction as well as concrete pavers, ceramic tile or three dimensional molded products. Some discussion of creating this type of manufacturing capacity in included in Chapter Nine. Some recyclers will also accept blue beverage containers. Check with your market to see if these can be mixed with either clear or green, or if they are to be kept separate by color also. METALS: Metals are either ferrous or non-ferrous metals. Ferrous metals are described as magnetic metals which are predominantly composed of iron. Non-ferrous metals are non-magnetic and contain no iron. Metals are in several categories in order to be consistent with the collection activities of recyclers in the State. Conversion factors for metals are provided in Appendix A. Aluminum Cans - Aluminum accounts for more than 95 percent of all beverage cans. Aluminum beverage containers are one of the higher valued recyclables. Other Aluminum - Other aluminum includes wrapping foils, semi-rigid packaging such as pie plates and frozen food trays, flexible packaging such as cigarette foil and candy wrappers, lawn furniture (aluminum tubing) and automobile parts such as bumpers. Steel Cans - The majority of bi-metal cans are used for food products and, to a lesser extent, general packaging such as empty paint and aerosol cans. Bi-metal cans also account for approximately 5 percent of all beverage cans. The recycling of bi-metal cans is easy due to their magnetic properties and the limited number of potential contaminants in the re-manufacturing process. Ferrous Metals - Ferrous metals include scrap iron and steel items and stainless steel scrap. The market for ferrous metals has traditionally been strong and steel mills have 7

31 PAPER: improved their processes to incorporate more industrial and obsolete scrap material from the waste stream. Non-ferrous Metals - Non-ferrous metals, which contain no iron, include aluminum, copper, brass, and bronze. The majority of these recycled commodities, excluding aluminum, are salvaged from such items as electric motors, plumbing parts, automobiles and appliances. Appliances or "White Goods" - For the purpose of the land disposal ban in Nebraska, white goods are defined as clothes washers and dryers, water heaters, heat pumps, air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, trash compactors, dishwashers, conventional ovens, dehumidifiers, ranges, stoves, and wood stoves. Appliances can be scrapped for parts before being shredded. Paper is defined as a thin sheet material made of cellulose pulp, derived mainly from wood, rags, and certain grasses. Paperstock is general waste papers which can be sorted or segregated at the source into various grades. Paper is classified in several grades in order to encourage recyclers to get the highest value from their product. Conversion factors for Paper are provided in Appendix A. Newspaper - Newspapers are printed on newsprint, which is an uncoated groundwood paper. Recycling programs have focused on newspaper collection because of the ease of separation and collection and the steady flow of material. Corrugated Boxes - Corrugated boxes (also known as old corrugated containers, or OCC) come primarily from shipping containers. Corrugated boxes have a fluted, corrugated medium layer sandwiched between layers of linerboard. Corrugated boxes are sometimes mistakenly referred to as "cardboard boxes." By tonnage, OCC is typically the most recycled product in the municipal waste stream. High Grade Paper - High Grade Paper includes computer print-out paper with white and green lines and white ledger paper. White ledger paper can include white copy paper, letterhead and typing paper, and file stock. These types of paper tend to have a high return for material so they should be separated from other paper products. Mixed Paper or "Office Pak." - Mixed paper consists of mixed colors and types of paper such as pastel paper, note-pad paper, junk mail, index cards, and adding machine tapes. Mixed paper has fewer markets and a lesser value than high grade paper. In some cases mixed paper may include computer paper and white ledger paper. Recyclers are encouraged to separate computer and white ledger paper to receive a greater return rather than including them with mixed paper pak. Other Mixed - Other mix may include magazines, printer waste, telephone books, paper board (shoe and cereal boxes), poly-coated fiber (aseptic or drink boxes and milk cartons), junk mail, and any other paper based product. The value of the mix would be minimal and would increase with further separation. 8

32 PLASTIC: Plastic is defined as any of the various complex organic compounds produced by polymerization. They can be molded, extruded, or cast into various shapes and films or drawn into filaments used as textile fibers. The Society of the Plastics Industry has developed a system for coding plastic containers for resin type. The SPI code is imprinted on the bottom or side of a plastic container and is indicated by a number inside the recycling logo. Plastics have been divided into five categories in order to be consistent with recycling practices in the State. Conversion factors for plastics are provided in Appendix A. ORGANICS: #1 Plastics - PET- 1 - Polyethylene Terephthalate. Clear or colored transparent plastic with high gloss such as plastic pop bottles, processed meat packages, and some household cleanser containers. Soft drinks are the primary product packaged in PET. Salad dressing, peanut butter, and other household and consumer products use PET. #2 Plastics - HDPE-2 - High Density Polyethylene. Plastic with a translucent or opaque matte finish such as milk and water jugs, some bag films, and laundry detergent bottles. Natural colored HDPE resin is used for milk and water bottles. Colorants are added to the resin for bottles used for detergents, shampoos, margarine tubs, and other products. #6 Polystyrene - PS-6 - Polystyrene; examples include egg cartons and some plastic flatware. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) also carries the #6 recycling symbol. Examples of this material include packing peanuts, insulation sheeting, packaging, aspirin bottles, cottage cheese tubs, foam cups, or fast food clam shells. Other #'s 3 through 7 - Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or #3 plastic is plastic with a tough, smooth surface that forms an opaque white line when bent. Mouth wash, salad dressing, and vegetable oil bottles, food wraps, and blister packaging are V-3. Low Density Polyethylene or #4 LDPE is a plastic film that can be nearly transparent, opaque, or colored. Dry cleaning bags, bread, trash, and some bag films, flexible bottle caps, mustard bottles, and some food storage containers or LDPE #4. Polypropylene or PP #5 includes margarine and yogurt containers, ketchup bottles, screw-on caps and lids and syrup bottles. Other plastics sometimes referred to as #7, denote all plastic such as multi-resin containers not included in the other six categories. Mixed Milk Jugs and Plastic Pop Bottles - This sub-category was created to benefit those recyclers who may co-mingle these two materials which are most frequently recycled and to provide them a conversion factor for the measurement of the mix. Organic wastes are materials which contain carbon. Organic waste can include manure, urban refuse, logging and wood manufacturing residues, agricultural crops and food waste, industrial waste and municipal sewage solids. This section provides a brief description of organic material which is recycled in the state. Conversion factors are provided in Appendix A. 9

33 Yard Waste - Yard waste is defined as grass and leaves but also included in this category would be non-woody garden debris. Yard waste can account for an estimated 20 percent of the municipal waste stream; this will vary depending on the area of the United States and the type of yard care which occurs. As an example, yard waste in Omaha represent nearly one-third of the annual MSW generated annually. Bio-Solids - Bio-solids is the residue of materials removed from wastewater sometimes called sewage sludge, during the process of wastewater treatment. Because of its origin and the immense quantities in which it is produced, it represents a major handling problem for many communities. On the other hand, because it is composed of humus, nitrogen, and smaller amounts of phosphorous, potassium and other trace metals, it also represents an opportunity for use as an effective soil conditioner/fertilizer. Clean Wood Waste - Clean wood waste would include pallets, brush or small tree branches, sawmill waste and wood processing plant waste, and other wood which has not been treated. Food Waste - Food waste is defined as all animal and vegetable solid wastes arising from food facilities, that result from storage, preparation, cooking or handling of food. Mixed Paper Products - Non-recyclable paper could be utilized in a composting process. This may include self stick labels, slick paper, carbon forms or carbon paper, sticky notes, bright colored paper, waxy paper, manila files folders, and plastic windowed envelopes. Finish Compost - This sub-category refers to the "mature" compost from any biological process for converting organic solid waste into stable, humus-like product whose chief use is as a soil conditioner. This could include grass and leaves composting, municipal solid waste composting etc. OTHER RECYCLABLES: Four additional categories in the waste stream are also recyclable. The products in these categories have not been traditionally collected by recycling centers but have been collected at the retail sites where the product is sold or used for other beneficial use. Conversion factors for these categories can be found in Appendix A. Scrap Tires - A scrap tire is a tire that is no longer suitable for its intended purpose because of wear, damage or defect. Auto and truck tires are the primary source of rubber in the waste stream. Whole scrap tires have been banned from land disposal in Nebraska since September 1, Batteries (Lead-acid) - A lead-acid battery is the type of electrical storage battery commonly used in motor vehicles. They are generally deposited at local battery service centers where they are recycled. Lead-acid batteries have been banned from land disposal in Nebraska since September 1,

34 Waste Oil and Other Automotive Fluids - Waste oil is defined as any oil that has been refined from crude oil, used, and as a result of such use, is contaminated by physical or chemical impurities. Waste oil has been banned from land disposal in Nebraska since September 1, Anti-freeze is another automotive fluid which is recycled. Construction and Demolition Waste - Clean concrete, asphalt and other types of construction rubble is used as fill material and aggregate. Construction and demolition waste is defined as waste which results from land clearing, the demolition of buildings, roads or other structures, including, but not limited to, beneficial fill materials, wood (including painted and treated wood), land clearing debris other than yard waste, wall coverings (including wall paper, paneling and tile), drywall, plaster, non-asbestos insulation, roofing shingles and other roof coverings, plumbing fixtures, glass, plastic, carpeting, electrical wiring, pipe and metals. Such waste shall also include the above listed types of waste that result from construction projects. For More assistance, including forms to be used in tracking material volumes, refer to the: Measuring and Tracking Recyclables and Organics June, 1996: Published by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality - Integrated Waste Management Section. Call (402) or write to: NDEQ, PO Box 98922, Lincoln, NE

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37 CHAPTER FOUR EVALUATING LOCAL COLLECTION AND PROCESSING OPTIONS Available collection and processing options are limited only by the imaginations of the local organizers of recycling in a rural context. Studies show that programs that integrate recycling into the existing structure for solid waste collection are more successful than those that attempt to create a new system for recycling alone. Ideally, the simplest approach is to expand the current local services to include recycling. The following is a range of recycling options: Drop-off recycling centers are centrally located facilities that receive and store recyclables deposited by individuals, businesses and institutions. Drop-off centers that are staffed perform well, with regularly scheduled business hours, or they can be available 24-hours a day monitored and serviced by volunteers or local recyclers. Drop-off centers can perform well especially in sparsely populated areas where residents are accustomed to hauling their own trash and strong peer pressure prevents abuses. Some suggestions to enhance drop-off programs include: Public education - consistent signs, clear concise printed material and a constant, ongoing community out-reach effort to assure clean, high quality recyclables. These components are essential for any public education effort to be effective. Convenience - Sites should be located in highly visible locations that are convenient for residents, such as grocery stores or public facilities. Design and aesthetics should not be overlooked. The center should be clean, appealing and well maintained. Adequate parking and traffic control should be available. Signage should be clear, attractive and eye-catching and it should also be consistent with available promotional materials. The area should always be well lit and provide adequate instructions for patrons. There are cost trade-offs. Start-up costs for drop-off centers are low compared to other collection options, however, facilities or contracted services must be available to sort and market the collected materials, which may ultimately add costs. Buy-Back Recycling Centers purchase recyclables from the public with permanently staffed facilities. Buy-back centers usually deal in higher value recyclables - mainly aluminum and scrap metals. Curbside collection systems collect recyclables on a scheduled basis from the point of generation which, for most households is usually the curbside. Primary issues in curbside collection are how materials will be separated at the source and efficiencies of collection. Several options include: separation by the household or business, separation by the collection crew into a divided vehicle or separation at the processing center. Costs for this approach are a critical issue since the density of households in rural area may add significantly to overall costs. Unique, low-cost collection equipment can enhance the feasibility of this approach. Don't automatically rule it out. 12

38 Co-collection Programs - "Blue Bag" programs co-collect bagged recyclables, and garbage in a single truck with processing conducted at a transfer station/material recovery facility, (MRF). This approach appeals to those who believe all materials must go through a single "pipeline" to be cost effective. Cost evaluations of this approach should include: comparisons of savings through use of a single truck and crew, the costs of bags, increased wastes generated from "blue bags," quality of recyclables, full cost of sorting and processing, percentage of out throws and public resistance to mixing clean recyclables with garbage. Co-mingled collection programs are designed to have the customers place clean recyclables into a single truck, delivered to a clean MRF for processing and marketing. This approach has the advantage of raising consumer awareness that recyclables should remain clean and separate from garbage. Costs will be added due to greater sorting requirements and additional trucks and crews. Separation by collection crews involves sorting materials by placing them in divided bins on the truck. This option retains the simplicity of a co-mingled approach from the perspective of the generating household. In contrast to a pure co-collection approach, costs can increase due to the addition of a second collection vehicle. The trade-off is that sorting at the processing center may be more efficient. In considering this option, planners must examine the effects of additional collection equipment and labor costs. CONTAINERS: Residential collection programs are finding that providing special containers for the storage and collection of recyclables increases program participation as well as the condition of the collected recyclables. These special containers can contribute to the success of the program by: Focusing on their recycling efforts, distinct from disposal efforts. Serving as a reminder to recycle. Making it easier for the collection crew to identify recyclables. Container design can help maximize overall collection efficiency, but only if they are manageable for both residents and collection crews. Some communities set maximum weight limitations. Compatibility with collection and processing equipment is a major consideration when making a container decision. COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL COLLECTION: Recycling planning has had a long history of focusing on residential recycling even though over one half of the total waste stream originates in businesses, institutions and industry. Even in small rural communities, commercial establishments may contribute significant amounts to the solid waste stream. In many ways, business and institutional waste generators have progressed beyond residents in identifying the true costs of disposal. Most commercial waste generators pay for disposal based on the volume and frequency of service. Few businesses pay "one-size-fitsall" garbage fees. This fact can make convincing local businesses to participate in the recycling 13

39 effort an easier sale. Specific commercial loads rich in corrugated or office paper may be diverted more easily for processing as a way of reconfiguring the business's operating costs. Individual businesses can be encouraged to audit their internal waste handling system, including composition, expenditures, equipment and storage needs, to identify true cost controls and potential reductions of disposed volume. Although not traditionally responsible for solid waste generated by the commercial sector, generators use local disposal resources and should practice responsible waste management through volume reduction and recycling. User based fees are the norm for most commercial generators and local recycling coordinators can encourage businesses to conduct waste audits. These audits will help determine how processes and practices can be changed to encourage resource conservation and recycling. Smaller quantities of commercial recyclables can be collected in compactors, roll-offs, or dumpsters, sized appropriately. Large generators may even find it feasible to bale and store material on-site and then ship it directly to a buyer. This approach is often used by businesses that generate large volumes of corrugated (OCC) or other material. RURAL COLLECTION ALTERNATIVES: Serving a small population in a large geographic area presents difficulties. Four basic rural collection alternatives exist: Direct haul by residents to a processing location. Depending on the program, residents may either source separate materials or deliver them co-mingled. Divided Drop-off Container Systems rely on the use of eight to twelve cubic yard steel containers that are placed throughout the service region. Residents periodically deliver the solid waste and recyclables to these bins which are picked up and emptied on a regular basis and they usually share these containers. This alternative requires a concrete pad or parking lot for the container and for vehicle access. It also requires reliable servicing to maintain the quality of the recyclables and the condition of the site. Roll-off Containers are larger containers, usually 20 cubic yards, and are typically located throughout the service region. Some containers can be purchased with compactor capabilities. The roll-off containers are loaded onto a truck for transport to a facility. This method also requires construction of a concrete pad or utilizing an existing parking lot. Mail Box collection system requires rural residents to leave their waste by the mail box for scheduled collection. Recyclables are left with the trash and are either source separated or co-mingled. This system requires a collection vehicle capable of covering many miles efficiently, given the distances between pick up sites. In all four approaches, participants must be given detailed information about the types of materials that are recyclable, where to take them, how they are to be prepared, pickup dates, etc. Well designed education and promotion activities are essential to these approaches. The Rural Recycling Model located in the Appendix was developed by a working group on cost effective rural recycling, in a process facilitated by High Plains Resource Inc., in Sioux Falls, 14

40 South Dakota. It is presented to assist your planning group in beginning to implement local approaches that are sensible and efficient. This model addresses all of the themes included in this manual, including the need for collaboration, knowledgeable leadership, shared resources, local control and increased efficiencies. For more detailed assistance, refer to the following sources of information: Decision Makers Guide to Solid Waste Management EPA/530-SW : Published by the U.S. Office of Solid Waste, November 1989, (800) High Plains Resources, Inc., 3810 S. Western Ave. Suite #199, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57105, (605)

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43 CHAPTER FIVE FUNDING SOURCES Finding money to cover the cost of a local recycling program is probably the single most difficult step rural recyclers must face. Planners must address the financial dilemma by finding answers to the following questions: What will be the proposed expenditures by category (capital vs. operating)? How much money is needed in each category and when? Who should bear the burden of program costs? What are the resources of the community in raising funds? What alternative funding sources are available in the state? Do the existing monthly solid waste service rates contain incentives to minimize waste? Are local decision makers in control of these rates? To what extent? What will be the administrative costs associated with a particular funding mechanism? The State of Nebraska has many resources to aid communities in funding recycling programs. These sources include: General obligation bonds Revenue bonds Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA) joint bonding capabilities Municipal Infrastructure Redevelopment Fund User fees State Grant programs, including: 1. Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program 2. Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Program 3. Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund Federal grant and loan programs, including: Community Development Block Grant Funds 16

44 Environmental Protection Agency Education Grants Small Business Administration Loan Programs For more information on funding sources please refer to Appendix A. CAPITAL BUDGETING: Capital budgets are one time expenditures for buildings and equipment that are too large to be paid for from the revenues for a single budget year. Capital budgeting allows the community to amortize or spread the expenditures over several budget years. Capital Reserve Funds are an alternative to long-term financing. Like an individual savings account, the capital reserve fund accumulates designated revenues in anticipation of major capital expenditures. Debt Financing is a common alternative. The funds to pay the debt must come from tax money or revenue generated by the project. Debt financing may be an attractive alternative since the interest received by the purchaser of government bonds is tax exempt. Debt financing is normally used only for capital projects and not for ongoing operations because of the cost of marketing and refunding bonds. BONDING ALTERNATIVES: General Obligation Bonds (GO Bonds) - pledge the taxing authority of the jurisdiction for repayment of the obligation. Most general obligation bonds require a referendum; however, check with your city's legal department or with a bonding attorney to determine specific requirements. General obligation bonds offer lower interest rates because of stronger backing by the jurisdiction, independent of the success of the project. "Success" for waste management and recycling projects is always measured in terms of volume, tons or cubic yards, and revenue per ton or yard. The historic requirements for a referendum preliminary to securing GO Bonds for public infrastructure represent the tax payer's protection from poor public policy decisions. It also allows the public to educate itself and have a voice in these large public expenditures that they are being asked to commit their resources for what is usually a 20 year time frame. Revenue Bonds ( R Bonds) - are supported by revenue expected to be generated by the project. These bonds are more expensive to market and support than general obligation bonds. Recycling projects may be seen as risky investments with uncertain revenue streams which might not be suitable for revenue bonds. Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA) - Joint Bonding Capabilities: Under the provisions of LB 1257, enacted in 1992, NIFA bonds may be issued on behalf of local governments for solid waste projects. Communities may be able to jointly pool their debts to reduce the costs of issuance. Smaller communities might find the NIFA approach advantageous. (Contact NIFA in Lincoln at (402) for more information.) Municipal Infrastructure Redevelopment Fund - This funding source is a state aid program for infrastructure improvements, including solid waste and recycling programs. 17

45 GATE FEES Funded through proceeds from the state cigarette tax, MIRF money is automatically allocated to jurisdictions according to a predetermined formula. This funding source represents money that is currently available to communities on an annual basis. While communities usually use these funds for capital expenditures, the program does not exclude the use of this money for operational expenses. Frequently, Nebraska communities will rely on current and future landfill gate fees as the revenue source to support the recycling program. Many cities in Nebraska have begun to combine features of revenue and general obligation bonds to create a "hybrid" bonding package that meets their financial needs and circumstances. Several red flag issues have emerged since LB 1257 was passed that should be included in a discussion of bond-funded capitalization of recycling and solid waste facilities. What began as a well-intended legislative provision designed to empower local decision makers to raise revenues for integrated waste management systems has evolved, in some areas, into escalating costs. This has lead to reduced volume which, in turn, leads to increased costs and to even more reduced waste volume. All too often, the downward economic spiral occurs in a relative vacuum of public awareness. The absence of voter input over decisions to fund high dollar capital investments based on "possible" revenue from tonnage of solid waste is proving to be a costly mistake in many parts of the state. Once the "spiral" kicks in, fear and silence prevent open discussion of the anatomy of how this has happened. As is the case in football and life - the best defense is a good offense, so using comprehensive, public education prior to committing to a funding package is essential. There are several steps that can be taken at the landfill or transfer station to stimulate recycling and minimize landfill volumes. These can be as simple as reducing the gate fees for source separated loads of recyclables requiring little or no processing or increased fees for mixed garbage loads containing considerable recyclable content. The economics of many of these facilities, however, do not allow for significant reduction. If the facility was paid for with bonds (mortgages), then monthly bond payments become the cornerstone of the facility's fixed operating costs. The monthly bond payment must be paid even in the absence of sufficient tonnage. The only other options are defaulting on the bond, passing a tax increase to cover bond payments or increasing gate fees. Linking all secure revenues to waste volume alone means that as waste reduction and recycling becomes more successful in reducing volume, revenues dip dangerously low and reduce the facility's ability to meet its fixed costs. As rates increase, volume dips again as haulers look for cheaper options. Examples of this economic "death spiral" can be found in any locality where the following conditions exist: Heavily capitalized facilities, built on overly-optimistic waste projections and too narrow a population base. 18

46 Fragmented rate structures, including "one-size-fits-all" garbage fees. "Free" recycling. Ignorance of how waste reduction and recycling can contribute substantially in reducing and controlling costs. Therefore, some of the following questions should be answered before local jurisdictions opt to invest in or own and operate Bond-funded capital facilities or equipment. Are tonnage projections based on real volume and composition data or optimistic extrapolations? Are these projections based on contracts from user entities? Do tonnage projections factor in realistic waste reduction and recycling tonnage and assume aggressive incentives for reduction and recycling? Has the proposed bond funding been explained fully including who will benefit from the bond sale and to what extent? (Bond sales commissions, attorney fees, consultant costs, construction costs, operation fees and equipment costs - all of which are paid up front.) FEE FOR SERVICE OPERATIONS: Fee-Based Services - The trend in solid waste policy is to generate fees to pay for services. Funding for recycling programs should become integrated into the rate system for solid waste services. This approach allows residents to gain a sense of the cost of the services and encourages their support for waste reduction and recycling. This is particularly true when the fee is linked to the amount of waste generated or the amount recycled. User Fees - In order for community-based recycling to be both successful and sustainable, it must be based on user fees. User fees are assessed to residents and businesses to pay for the costs of solid waste disposal services. Most communities charge their citizens a "one-size-fitsall" monthly fee for the collection and disposal of their solid waste, regardless of the amount each household generates. This is in contrast with a metering of services for utility, water, or electrical usage. Under this traditional solid waste approach, users pay the same, regardless of how much each utility resource was consumed. The effect is a reward for consuming these resources and a punishment (dollar/cost) for conserving them. A rate-setting approach that is gaining favor is to charge each generator based on the level of service received. This approach is called "unit-based pricing" and it accomplishes some of the following: Charges that are based on the volume or types of materials discarded by the resident or business. Communicates clearly to the rate payer about the real cost of their purchasing, disposal and recycling behaviors. Provides an incentive for participating in existing recycling programs. 19

47 Introduces equity into a historically inequitable rate-setting approach. A growing number of technologies and systems exist for measuring households' or businesses' use of services. The Bag System involves placing refuse in easily identifiable bags which are sold by the local government or by a certified vendor at outlets such as supermarkets or convenience stores. Bags are priced adequately to cover the cost of the collection, disposal and/or recycling program. Waste and/or recyclables are not accepted unless they are in official bags. By reducing the number of bags that are purchased and used, rate payers reduce the amount of waste being disposed. Recyclables can be collected in a similar manner; however, communities also can use other containers or drop-off sites to gather recyclables. The Sticker System involves refuse collection in an official receptacle, but only if it displays a pre-purchased sticker or tag indicating a need for service on the collection day; also priced to include all costs for services. Stickers are taken upon collection. The incentive is to minimize the frequency of service in order to reduce the number of stickers purchased and the number of containers set out for pickup. Stickers are easy to administer and can be sold by either private collectors or vendors. The Variable Size or Volume-Based Container System requires refuse to be set out in one of several size containers made available by the service provider. Different rates are charged for different sized containers. Some rate payers are motivated to use smaller containers to reduce costs where those not motivated to reduce usage will pay according to their level of usage. This approach is somewhat more complex to administer than bags or stickers due to billing and monitoring. Weight Based Systems can use ordinary containers or designated containers. The containers are weighed on the trucks with each pick-up. Customers are billed based on the weight collected during the billing period. The obvious incentive is an expected reduction of the amount of waste discarded. This system avoids overstuffing containers, since fees are based on weight and not volume. This system can be complex to administer and requires capital investment; however, it is a very equitable user-based system. Reliable technology for use at the local level is evolving rapidly and it is expected to become more accessible to rural communities over time. Facility Site Fees are fees charged at the point of disposal or drop-off. Tipping fees are levied on all wastes brought to a landfill, recycling or processing facility. Charges are based on either weight or volume and additional fees may be levied based on material types or conditions. Landfill fees are usually based on the costs, both fixed and variable, of providing the service including long-term planning, replacement, siting and monitoring costs. The costs of waste reduction, recycling and education programs can be built into tipping fees or a surcharge can be levied on top of the tipping fee for recycling programs. GRANT RESOURCES Grants for recycling activities in Nebraska are provided by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, (NE - DEQ) and the Nebraska Environmental Trust, (NET). 20

48 NET - Revenue is generated as a result of the State's Lottery program. Profits from lottery ticket sales generate approximately $5,000,000 annually, which the legislature has mandated must be given to environmental uses in four areas: Critical habitat Surface and ground water quality Solid waste reduction Recycling Grant applications can be acquired from the NET offices at (402) The deadline for 1997 grants is November 22, NDEQ - For more information on funding sources call (402)

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51 Equipment decisions for recycling programs must consider capacity or throughput and price as well as overall program goals and material availability. While a variety of specialized recycling equipment is available, it is possible to adapt existing solid waste equipment for recycling uses as well as some types of storage bins and containers. If a recycling facility has sufficient volumes, materials brokers may even supply equipment as a component of the marketing agreement. Purchase price is not always the largest contributing factor in a purchase decision. For example, labor costs are by far the most critical item in the purchasing decision. Over time, the additional labor required to support a multi-person vehicle will outweigh the increased purchase price of a vehicle designed for a one-person crew. In addition to crew design, automatic transmissions are more cost efficient when numerous stops are required. Compactor trucks can be used for single materials but can also be adapted to collect more than one material simultaneously. Obviously, there are many factors to be considered when purchasing your recycling equipment. In smaller communities, trucks with pickup, van, dump or stake type bodies and a variety of trailers can be used for separate collections of recyclables. These vehicles may be adapted by adding compartments for collection of more than one material at a time. Lower purchase price and the opportunity to use existing equipment make these trucks an economical choice. One problem with using existing equipment is that traditional garbage trucks, while having large capacities, may not necessarily be energy efficient, particularly when the route covers many miles. Some rural communities have found long-term program costs to be lower for newly designed vehicles that are lighter and have larger or smaller capacities. MATERIAL FEATURES: It is often helpful to think of your recyclable materials in terms of material features rather than types of materials, when it comes to the identification of equipment needs. Materials that intertwine or wrap, such as corrugated paper, newspaper, HDPE, PET, and metals Materials that are breakable, such as glass, wood pallets, polystyrene, and demolition waste Materials that are pliable, such as tires, carpet, foam padding, mixed paper, and LDPE (plastic bags) Organic materials capable of decomposition Different types of equipment are suitable for materials in each category. Thinking in broad categories helps identify multiple equipment uses. 22

52 COLLECTION EQUIPMENT: Balers - Materials that intertwine and wrap are best processed with balers. Balers crush and compact material into large rectangular blocks. Balers make the materials uniform in size and reduce volume for easier storage and shipping. Both vertical and horizontal balers are available, and their capacities differ greatly. Your community's waste volume will determine the type of equipment to purchase. For example, if your smaller community will not be producing large amounts of the material, you may not want to spend the additional money for the automatic tying feature on a baler. Manual tying of a bale can take five to seven minutes, however, the price difference between balers with automatic or manual tying systems is significant. Will your project generate enough recyclable material to warrant an automatic conveyor system? The following features are important when selecting a baler: Processing capacity Size and weight of output bales Types of materials to be processed It is important to know if buyers have bale size or weight requirements before any equipment is purchased. It also important to understand the difference between a vertical and horizontal baler. Vertical Baler - This type of baler creates a bale by use of a hydraulically powered ram that travels up and down in a vertical fashion within the framework of the baler. These are the most common balers and are typically found in grocery stores and other retail operations baling OCC. Hortizonal Baler - This type of baler creates a bale by use of a hydraulically powered ram that travels left to right in a horizontal fashion within the framework of the baler. These balers are higher output units and are more typically found in industrial plants and medium to large recycling centers. OTHER RECYCLING EQUIPMENT: Hammermills - Materials that can be crushed or broken are processed with hammermills, crushers and chippers. Glass, wood and demolition waste fall into this category. Hammermills are high speed machines with rotating blades that grind materials into a specific size. They are noisy, high maintenance machines, but they have a widespread application and versatility in processing materials to different sizes. Hammermills have been used to process large brush and yard waste for compost, glass for asphalt and automobile scrap for salvage. Can Crushers - Can crushers either flatten or crush cans for transport. Some machines have special features that feed the crushed can directly into a truck. Once again, using the information from your waste assessment, the committee needs to determine how much recycled material your communities will generate and decide on the type of equipment needed to handle the volume. Densifiers - Densifiers compact aluminum better than crushers and produce uniform briquettes which are easy to stack and transport. Densifiers can also be used to compact white goods and steel cans. 23

53 Chippers - Chippers are slower speed machines for processing wood products. Chipped products can be used for fuel or mulch. Glass Crushers - Glass crushers are used to reduce volume. Additional features include screens or trommels to remove paper and aluminum contaminants. Shredders - Shredders are used to process pliable materials such as paper, soft plastics, tires, carpet, and foam products. Shredders operate at slower speeds than hammermills. Shredded products vary from one to twelve inches and are not uniform in size or shape. Some shredders can be used for a variety of materials, including papers and metals. Auxiliary Equipment: Conveyor systems maximize processing efficiency. Magnets are useful in separating ferrous materials. Fluffers adapt balers for baling newspapers and high grade office paper. Air systems control dust and separate light from heavy materials. Screens and trommels control the sizing of the product and can eliminate dirt and other contaminants. Loading and transportation equipment includes portable loading docks as well as frontend loaders and forklift trucks to move materials. Scales are very necessary when tracking recyclable materials for transport and sale. The following check list contains a simple step-by-step process to assist planners in designing their specifications for equipment. The Nebraska State Recycling Association also maintains a library of equipment' specifications and possible vendors for use in researching available equipment. Note that it may only be necessary for a processor to obtain this equipment. STORAGE CAPABILITIES Outdoor Equipment Usage - Operation of any recycling equipment outside of a shelter is usually not recommended. Certain equipment such as large balers and can processing equipment can be used outside, but they are the exception. It is highly recommended that before placing any recycling equipment outside for use, that the distributor and/or manufacturer be contacted. Electrical controls, contacts and other machine components can be damaged by driving wind, rain and cold temperatures. 24

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56 COMMENTS: This is a very simplistic means of determining general baler needs. Many other items must be considered when selecting a baler. This guide should steer possible baler purchasers toward the right category of baler. There exists many different subcategories of vertical, closed-door, and auto-tie balers. 2-Ram balers are included under the heading of auto-tie. Minimum bale weights shown in Step 1 are the responsibility of the bale buyer. The bale weights shown are common. The organization or community wishing to purchase the baler should inquire with their broker or end market and ask what they expect to receive in terms of bale weight, density and size. The calculations should then reflect those minimums, NOT necessarily those shown above. Baler processing volumes (bales per hour not item) are based upon conservative minimums. The throughput can increase with operator experience and proper staging of the product on the tip floor or sort line. Balers exist in each variety that can bale all items. These are not common balers and can cost more money than standard balers. Comparisons need to be run for throughput, cost, bale quality and other items. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR QUALITY! GET REFERENCES! 24c

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59 CHAPTER SEVEN EDUCATION PROGRAMS Successful recycling programs depend on program participation. The community must support recycling, practice recycling and maintain the effort over a long period of time. It is often necessary to persuade the community that recycling is important through program promotion and pub I ic education. Community involvement in the planning process will assure that solid waste and recycling plans are tailored to meet the unique needs of the community. Public involvement will result in greater support for new policies, programs or projects, and a more lasting commitment to implementation. Benefits of public participation and education: Creates a greater sense of program ownership. Avoids misunderstanding and confusion. Serving a strong public education program can be the basis for developing other related programs and disseminating information. Public forums, town meetings and regular media coverage of the planning process can provide accurate and timely information about the program's rationale and progress. It allows for public input and helps develop a sense of ownership. These approaches also must be supplemented by a strong one-on-one campaign that involves influencing neighbors, friends and co-workers. PUBLIC ATTITUDES: Public attitude surveys are helpful in the initial planning to determine how people perceive recycling and what public barriers must be overcome as the program progresses. Keep the following suggestions in mind when designing a public survey: Be sure the survey sampling is large enough to measure genuine preferences and opinions. Be sure the initial survey is simple and to the point. Make the survey easy to follow and understand. It is helpful to "pre-test" the survey on individuals from all parts of the community. GETTING STARTED: As the community becomes more knowledgeable and interested in recycling, they will feel more responsibility for creating a successful recycling program. As the community becomes increasingly involved, it will become easier to motivate participation. Be certain to communicate with: 25

60 Individuals or groups who are or may be affected by the proposed program or project. People who use the program. People whose support is needed to achieve program or project goals. The information that you give out should cover the following areas: Awareness - Informs about the facts and figures of the existing situations as well as the proposed project's impact on all community residents. Comment - Allows for public review and evaluation of any proposals or changes, offering opinions and voicing concerns. Action - Assumes responsibility for actions that will contribute to achieving program goals. PUBLIC EDUCATION: Public education is simply the task of convincing local residents and business people to participate in recycling. Instead of promoting a product, recycling education is promoting an ethic or idea that will require a personal change in behaviors and attitudes. The same general marketing techniques used by the private sector to sell products can be used to generate interest and acceptance in this idea. It is necessary to: Capture the attention of target audiences. Deliver messages effectively in the target audience's own "language." Identify what a particular audience thinks is important and address the topic of recycling from their viewpoint. Motivate the audience to buy into the idea. Provide input/feedback from potential program participants. Receive input/feedback from actual program participants. Individuals progress through the following stages in adopting new ideas and behaviors: Awareness - exposure to new ideas. Interest - learning more about the ideas and becoming more knowledgeable. Evaluation - deciding whether or not the ideas make sense. Trial - trying out the idea. Adopting the behavior. 26

61 There are several audiences a recycling education program must address: The activists or volunteers and students who are pushing for the change. The users or participants whose cooperation is being sought. The public sector decision makers, whose support will be necessary if a program is to become successful and sustainable. Some simple techniques for reaching each of these constituent bases include the following:. Activists/Volunteers - This group represents the "choir." There is no need to preach to them, they are already convinced. In fact, a greater challenge is holding them back long enough to plan wisely. This manual is designed to give them tools to organize their energy and commitment and help them build an effective, cooperative enterprise. The kind of education this group needs is the in-depth understanding of the dynamics of the local waste dollar. By absorbing this knowledge, activists can influence their friends, families, neighbors and decision makers. Participants or users of recycling services come from all walks of life and have a wide range of recycling attitudes and biases. These range from "Recycling is a dumb, expensive waste of time," to "Recycling is a moral and ethical obligation upon which the future of the planet depends," and a host of attitudes in between. The challenge is to identifythese beliefs and build on the strongest areas of support. Telephone surveying and door-to-door canvassing are two of the most powerful tools for measuring local interest in recycling as well as identifying further education opportunities. Small communities are far more accessible through personal contacts and established channels of communication than are large cities. Direct mail surveys can- also be used if there are financial resources-,available: Remember, a ten percent response rate, to a direct mail survey, is considered good -- so this may not be the best method for reaching and communicating with your neighbors. Sign-in Logs - If a local volunteer recycling program has been in place, begin using signin logs. Have everyone who brings recyclables in sign their name and address. Maintaining these user logs can give organizers a picture of where their supporters are, how or if their local participation is growing and begin to establish a communication network. This network is used to feed information back on progress, goals and objectives. PUBLIC DECISION MAKERS: Occasionally, the most insurmountable barrier to rural recycling efforts is the governing body that perceives recycling as a "quasi-unfunded mandate" in a political arena where dollars are short, obligations are plentiful and costs steadily increase. Education of these officials will be a significant challenge requiring the following tools: 27

62 Thoroughly educated and informed activists who understand the politics and economics of the local waste management system. Factual summaries of the relationship between disposal and recycling costs and revenues based on an understanding of full cost accounting of the existing system. Lists of individuals who support recycling and participate (or would) in recycling activity. Few issues can generate community political consensus like recycling., This fact must be communicated to elected officials. Each user of these services represents a potential vote. Collaborative proposals that minimize risks to individual communities and maximize joint control over waste management dollars and benefits from revenues returned from sales of recyclables. BARRIERS TO RECYCLING: Knowing why people may be resistant to adopting recycling behaviors is important in developing strategies to overcome such resistance. There are three main stumbling blocks to performing recycling tasks, they are: Lack of information: "Recycling costs too much!" Lack of space to store recyclables. Perceptions that recycling is not convenient; it is a "hassle.'' PUBLIC AND VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS Many public and volunteer organizations provide public education materials for recycling and other environmental programs. Coordinating public education efforts will help reach larger segments of the population and will use existing resources more effectively. Organizations in Nebraska that are interested and involved in recycling education include: Keep Nebraska Beautiful Clean Community System Programs Natural Resources Districts University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Nebraska State Recycling Association Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Nebraska League of Municipalities 28

63 Nebraska Association of County Officials Nebraska Soft Drink Association Nebraska Department of Economic Development Nebraska's Recycling Economic Development Advocate State's Recycling Coordinator The appendix of this manual includes a Comprehensive Resource Guide, including address and telephone numbers from the State's Recycling Directory. Adopted from "Local Government Recycling Guide for Iowa Communities," Iowa Department of Natural Resources, December

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67 CHAPTER EIGHT EVALUATING PROGRAM PERFORMANCE Any evaluation of your program begins with the goals that your committee initially proposed and accepted. The Integrated Solid Waste Management Act of 1992 required communities to prepare an integrated solid waste management plan which identified local capacity to provide waste reduction and recycling as well as disposal services. An examination of your program must evaluate success in several ways, including reduction of landfill materials, participation rates and/or avoided landfill costs. REDUCTION OF LANDFILLED MATERIALS: The quantities of wastes disposed in a landfill have been tracked as compliance with LB 1257 began at the local level. The overall recycling rate for all of Nebraska was roughly 14 percent in 1995, not counting yard waste, established scrap dealer numbers, source reduction and reuse activities, according to NSRA's research. However, Nebraska has achieved it's waste reduction goal of 25 percent. Calculating this rate at the local level is evolving in clarity and accuracy as landfills install scales and local communities demand better reports on weight and volume from their collection contractors. Communities who self-haul or own their own landfill or transfer station will have even better numbers on the impact of recycling in their community. An interesting side issue is that even as recycling quantities have increased since 1991 (See Appendix A) overall quantities at landfills have not diminished. As disposed volumes steadily escalate, along with associated costs, good tracking of tonnage costs becomes even more essential, especially to smaller towns with access to fewer financial resources. AVOIDED LANDFILL COSTS: The best place for a small town to be in the solid waste management spectrum of the future, is ownership of an efficient, economical transfer station. This town can look at recycling initiatives as their best friend. Every ton of material not taken to the landfill is money in the bank. On an average, every dollar of avoided landfill fees can be matched by two to three more for not transporting garbage from the transfer station to the landfill. Designing a system that reconfigures these collection and disposal dollars will allow -planners and organizers to monitor not only the effectiveness of the recycling enterprise, but also track the dollars expended and received from revenue from the sale of recyclables. Based on the calculations provided in your Full Cost Accounting process, calculate what your program is spending to collect a ton of recyclable material. If the costs are higher than you expected, ask some tough questions, such as: How do these costs compare to the full cost of collecting and disposing of garbage? Are there issues of contracts or control that should be addressed? 30

68 Are you using community service programs to your full benefit? Are your vehicles well matched to the function they are performing? Are your collection crews over or under staffed? What could your committee do to improve collection efficiencies? 31

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71 Recyclers everywhere (Nebraska is not unique) bang their collective heads against the walls of national and international markets year after year. Bewildered and frustrated, rural recyclers struggle to understand why they always seem to be left holding a bag full of stuff that was an asset worth a lot of money last year, and this year represents a significant anxiety. Semi-trailers, horse trailers and fairground buildings are all stuffed full of clean recyclables. One year the recyclables are a source of pride - the next year a cause of major misery. Calls to the Nebraska State Recycling Association office increase every year in number and intensity, as small communities and businesses struggle to find some logic to it all. Insensitive as it may sound, we are here to proclaim a pair of absolutes that the reader will find repeated, uncompromisingly, throughout this manual. 1. Small communities and businesses must organize around their disposal dollar-power. They must suspend their need for independence and face the political challenges of seizing control over their local waste management system and alter their traditional way of "doing and seeing recycling." Succinctly put... they must stop doing the same things over and over and over and expecting the outcomes to be different. 2. Failing Step One: They must expect to be left holding the recycling bag forever Throughout the history of recycling in Nebraska, even as recycled quantities and numbers of programs increase, the primary barriers continue to be inadequate funding, distances to frequently unreliable markets, over-dependence on volunteers and a serious lack of discipline and order in the market place. For sixteen years, Nebraska's recyclers have found money and received grants to purchase balers, shredders, densifiers and containers. They have educated Nebraskans that recycling is a good thing to do, that it makes economic sense and that it is part of our responsibility as citizens. The proof of recycling's success is a steadily growing pile of recyclables, successfully shipped to markets mostly in other states, all accomplished in spite of the economics. Through all of this toil, one long-cherished dream among recyclers has always been the creation of local markets for recyclables. Doing so will arm these communities to recycle because of the economics. Like most really good ideas, this one is easier said than done. Creating manufacturing capacity to absorb the recyclables generated by Nebraska recycling programs is a complex task that can be simply depicted in the following figure. 32

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73 Recyclers in rural communities are acutely familiar with the economic whiplash that occurs when the price of newspaper goes from $150/ton to $30/ton in less than a year. Sustaining the local energy and commitment for the grueling task of collecting and sorting recyclables to specifications that fluctuate wildly - depending on demand for the products - is a constant source of frustration for local programs throughout the state. NSRA's annual surveys continue to reinforce the fact that the three primary concerns of rural recyclers are MARKETS, MARKETS, MARKETS. This concern will continue to erode mainstream confidence in recycling. Recycling program advocates need to fearlessly call for the changes in their local communities' waste management habits that must take place if outcomes are really going to be different... and better. So pick a piece of the circle and get going! Identifying, quantifying and gaining control over the supply and exertion of the economic power over potentia1 feed stock at the source is a critical step if the local market dream is to come true. No factory is going to expand or initiate investments anywhere based on guess-work about raw materials. Conclusions: Accurate tracking of waste recyclables and costs for both, at the local level, is the most critical first step upon which the organization process must be based. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR A SMALL COMMUNITY TO RECYCLE ECONOMICALLY AND EFFICIENTLY WITHOUT COOPERATING! Committed cooperation between generators must begin now. Small communities and businesses must form alliances that acknowledge the quantities of wastes and recyclables they generate and the combined dollars spent for their management. This information represents a critical mass of knowledge and power that will influence changes in both policy and practice. Fight for collection and processing efficiencies. Resist re-inventing the wheel. Use every available resource, share equipment, require collaboration of haulers and service providers. Ask questions and demand answers. Recognize the rate-payer role. Your dollars drive the existing system, however it is organized. Form cooperative/multi-jurisdictional management entities that integrate everyone into the process and run the entities like businesses. Invest in competitive bidding, written standards, specifications, contracts and franchise agreements. Be alert to locally generated business, institutional or industrial by-products that may represent feed stock for new business start-up. Examples would be bulk quantities of organics, industrial waste glass, metals or fiber - the more the better. Small scale factories that make value-added products like compost, glass tile, molded concrete products, paper pulp or molded products and plastic fabricators will all grow out of identified centralized quantities of these raw materials. Small, spin-off businesses designed to make products from so called "wastes" are the wave of the future. 34

74 Be alert to innovation that can integrate recyclables into existing manufacturing processes. Remember, every recycled-content product in the market place is produced by a for-profit business. Private enterprise must become the recycler's best friend. Understand what happens to recyclables after they are collected. There is no Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy or Free Lunch. Someone must make money from making and selling recycled widgets or the recyclables become nothing more than clean, expensive, well sorted garbage. REMEMBER: GRAB YOUR PIECE OF THE CIRCLE AND RUN WITH IT! 35

75 Appendix A

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79 Table 2 Nebraska Recycling Data The following recycled amounts were compiled by the Nebraska State Recycling Association Annual Amount Recycled Annual Amount Landfilled 120,390 Tons 165,324 Tons 232,586 Tons 281,285 Tons 1,468,980 Tons (est.) 1,623,383 Tons 1,643,590 Tons 1,684,381 Tons 4 - Annual - Recycling Rate Annual Amount Recycled (Annual Amount Recycled + Annual Amount Landfilled)

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81 Conversion Factors

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83 Appendix A Conversion Factors These conversion factors are based on the final measurements being presented in weight. Weight was chosen as the reporting method since this is the way recyclables are measured for the market. The conversion to weight is determined by using measurements equal to one cubic yard. Recyclables are collected in various ways, the intent is that the conversion factors presented here will enable the recycler to convert the amount of recyclables to a one cubic yard measurement and then to weight. In many cases, recyclers already weigh their recyclables and will not utilize these conversion factors. Gallons Conversion of Measurements to One Cubic Yard or 202 gallons = One Cubic Yard 55 Gallon Drum Full 55 Gallon Drum =.27 Cubic Yard One-half of a 55 Gallon Drum =.135 Cubic Yard One Cubic Yard = Gallon Drums Gaylord Box (approximately 40" x 48" x 37") Full Gaylord Box = 307 Gallons Full Gaylord Box = 1.52 or 1.5 Cubic Yards One Cubic Foot One Cubic Foot =.037 Cubic Yards One Cubic Yard = 27 Cubic Feet

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86 Metals Aluminum Cans One Cubic Yard of Whole Aluminum Cans = 50 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Flattened Aluminum Cans = 250 Pounds Other Aluminum Reminder: One Cubic Foot =,037 Cubic Yards or 27 Cubic Feet = One Cubic Yard Aluminum Foil One Cubic Yard = 45 Pounds Aluminum Scrap Steel Cans One Cubic Foot = 168 Pounds One Cubic Yard = 4,540 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Whole Cans = 150 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Flattened Cans = 850 Pounds Ferrous Metals One Cubic Yard of Metal, Steel = 1,090 Pounds Non-ferrous Metals One Cubic Yard of Metal, Non-ferrous = 906 Pounds White Goods or Appliances (average steel content in pounds) Dryer = 125 lbs.(35) Washer = 150 lbs.(45) Stove = 150 Ibs. Refriaerator = 250 lbs.(76) Dishwasher = 125 lbs.(22)

87 Organics Yard Waste (grass and leaves) Bio-solids One Cubic Yard of Grass Clippings, Loose = 404 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Leaves, Uncompacted = 250 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Leaves, Compacted = 450 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Leaves, Vacuumed = 350 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Yard Debris, Loose = 250 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Yard Debris, Compacted = 640 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Bulk, Wet Bio-solids = 1,620 Pounds Clean Wood Waste (pallets, brush, etc.) One Cubic Yard of Wood Chips, Loose, Green = 500 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Wood Chips, Loose, Dry = 250 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Wood = 400 Pounds Food Waste Food Waste, Solid and Liquid Fats: Reminder: 55 Gallon Drum =.27 Cubic Yard 5 Gallons = 37.5 Pounds 55 Gallons = 412 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Food Waste = 1,526 Pounds

88 #1 Plastics (pop bottles & other) Plastic One Cubic Yard of PET Pop Bottles, Whole = 30 Pounds One Cubic Yard of PET Pop Bottles, Flattened = 40 Pounds #2 Plastics (colored and natural (milk jugs)) One Cubic Yard of HDPE (milk/water jugs), Whole, Loose = 24 Pounds One Cubic Yard of HDPE (milk/water jugs), Flattened = 65 Pounds One Cubic Yard of HDPE Colored Bottles, Loose = 45 Pounds # 6 Polystyrene One Cubic Yard of Polystyrene, Baled = 230 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Polystyrene, Loose = 61 Pounds Other #3 through #5 Plastics One Cubic Yard of Mixed Rigid, no Film or Dairy, Whole, Loose = 49 Pounds Mixed Milk Jugs and Plastic Pop Bottles One Cubic Yard of Mixed PET and Dairy, and Other Rigid, Whole, Loose = 27.5 Pounds

89 Non-recyclable Paper Products One Cubic Yard of Bulk Container = 500 Pounds Finished Compost One Cubic Yard of Finished Compost from Yard Waste, Screened = 1,500 Pounds Note: Finished compost weight will vary depending upon the moisture content.

90 Other Recycla bles Scrap Tires One Passenaer Car Tire = 20 Pounds One Light Truck Tire = 35 Pounds One Semi-truck Tire = 100 Pounds One Tractor Tire = 147 Pounds Batteries ( le ad -a cid) One Lead-acid Battery = 35 Pounds Waste Oil and Other Automotive Fluids One Gallon of Used Motor Oil = 7 Pounds One Gallon of Used Antifreeze = 8.5 Pounds Construction and Demolition Waste One Cubic Yard of Concrete Pavement = 4,000 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Concrete Aggregate= 3,000 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Demolished Concrete (voids of 50%, rigid and random stacked) = 2,000 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Asphaltic Pavement = 4,030 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Asphalt Aqgregate = 3,300 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Demolished Asphalt (voids of 40%. yielding and random stacked) = 2,420 Pounds

91 One Cubic Yard of Whole Bricks = 2,100 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Metal, Non-ferrous = 906 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Metal, Steel = 1,090 Pounds One Cubic Yard of Wood = 400 Pounds

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95 NEBRASKA RESOURCES FOR RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT Nebraska has many resources available for business development or technical assistance to the individual or business needing information to answer questions such as: How do I start or expand a recycling collection or processing program? Where is the closest recycling center? How do I solve a technological problem in processing or using recycled materials? How do I incorporate recycled feedstock into my manufacturing process? What are my options for disposal of special or hazardous waste? What are the rules and regulations governing waste management? Where can 1 report a complaint? Who has funding to help with my program? The following list of resources can answer these questions and more. Please let them share their expertise by accessing their services for funding assistance, technical assistance, education, and additional information. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The Nebraska Department of Economic Development has three regional offices with staff who can assist with "packaging" loan applications and placing you in contact with possible funding sources. These Financial Consultants work primarily with the Nebraska Economic Development Loan Program which lends dollars to qualifying businesses or local development organizations to enable the creation and retention of job opportunities for low and moderate income persons. This program is funded through Community Development Block Grant dollars provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. The funds are made available to communities or counties who, in turns, lend to businesses or local development organizations.

96 NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) Integrated Waste Management Section is composed of three units the Grants and Planning Unit, Inspection and Compliance Unit, and Waste Management Unit. Grants and Planning Unit The Grants and Planning Unit is responsible for the administration of the Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program, the Landfill Closure Assistance Fund, and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Program which includes the Scrap Tire Reduction and Recycling Fund. The Grants and Planning Unit also provides technical assistance and oversight to counties and municipalities in their development of integrated solid waste management plans. Grants and Planning Unit staff include: MJ Rose: Dannie Elwood: Ron Hines: Ruth Johnston: Pat Langan: Dan Ludwig: Tom Malmstrom: Unit Supervisor Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Program, Landfill Closure Assistance Fund Unit Inspector (North Platte) Unit Inspector Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program Scrap Tire Reduction and Recycling Incentive Fund Integrated Solid Waste Management Plans Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Program: The Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Program awards funding to public and private entities for a variety of integrated waste management programs and projects. In addition, the program awards grants and loans to public and private entities for projects directly related to the management of scrap tires in the state; Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program: The Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program provides funds to support programs in three categories: public education, cleanup, and recycling. See the following summary for additional information. Priority funding consideration is given to applications which contribute to the development of markets for recycled materials. Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, Integrated Waste Management Section, P.O. Box 98922, Lincoln, NE (402)

97 NEBRASKA ENERGY OFFICE Climate Wise Climate Wise is a voluntary partnership intended to help manufacturers tum energy efficiency and pollution prevention into a corporate asset. It is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency and is delivered through the Nebraska Energy Office. Industrial partners agree to develop an Action Plan which prioritizes energy efficiency and pollution prevention opportunities according to their corporate goals and investment criteria. The partner then implements the plan and reports results. The Energy Office can provide access to technical assistance, low-interest financing for qualifying improvements, and positive public recognition for partners. Contact the Nebraska Energy Office, P.O. Box 95085, Lincoln, NE (402) NEBRASKA ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST FUND The Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund is funded through the Nebraska Lottery, meaning that people who enjoy the fun and excitement of the Lottery also know they are helping keep the State's earth, air, and water clean for future generations. Projects funded by the Trust Fund are located throughout Nebraska and focus on four priorities: 1) development of recycling markets and reduction of solid waste volume and toxicity, 2) the preservation and restoration of critical habitat areas, 3) surface water quality, and 4) ground water quality. Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund, Mary Harding, Executive Director, 2200 North 33rd Street, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE (402) ARK is a recycling service that not only collects and processes materials from throughout the region, but also helps other communities begin their own recycling programs. ARK Recycling Services provides consultation on how to start a recycling program; access to markets; brokerage service; assistance in locating and purchasing equipment; trailers to store and transport materials; training seminars; information and updates on all recycling issues. ARK Recycling Services, Robert Candler, 1150 No. 3rd St., Laramie, WY (307)