In today’s day and age thanks to advancements in recycling technology, automation processes and a cultural shift towards greener more sustainable thinking, many businesses are no longer seeing discarded waste and materials as an expense, but rather are seeing it as an economic opportunity.
By Mike Baxter
Did you know discarded products such as pop cans, plastics, paper and glass can be separated from the waste stream, and processed in such a way that they can be reused as raw materials at a lower cost than acquiring new, fresh materials? However, one of the greatest challenges in the recycling industry today is addressing waste stream contamination during the collection and material processing stages.
What is Waste Stream Contamination?
When you hear the word “contamination” it probably conjures images of hazardous waste and dangerous materials. While waste stream contamination is bad for the recycling industry and the environment, it is not dangerous. Waste stream contamination, at its core, is the disposal of materials in the incorrect collection bins. What may seem like a harmless little mistake of incorrectly sorting waste can actually be quite costly for companies further down the line.
Why is Waste Stream Contamination a Problem?
The issue of waste stream contamination arises when the batch of recyclables destined for reintegration into new products arrives contaminated with materials that do not belong. The process involved in creating new paper from recycled materials, for example, involves essentially creating a pulpy-like soup from the old discarded papers, and then allowing that pulp to dry in long sheets. If that batch of old paper arrives with old food, pieces of glass, plastics or any other non-desirables the entire process can be jeopardized, the end product may no longer be of good enough quality to sell, or the processing and manufacturing machinery could be damaged causing shutdowns. In addition, volumes of recycling destined for re-manufacturing that are heavily contaminated can result in a reduction of value of the materials, or in extreme cases, outright refusal.
More often than not waste stream contamination is not done on purpose. There is a small window of opportunity as the customer approaches the bins of where they want to dispose of their waste. If the correct choice is not instantly obvious the chance of waste stream contamination rises dramatically. There are many different factors that can influence contamination rates.
Inappropriate Streams
If you only offer paper and mixed recycling at a specific station with no place for general waste, there is a greater chance of contamination of these recyclable streams.
Poor Signage and Labeling
Signs with too little, or too much, information can lead to frustration causing people to dispose of their materials incorrectly. Inconsistent, or non-intuitive, coloring of bins can also lead to contamination by not offering a visual cue to the customer. For example, many people associate blue with mixed recycling or green for organics.
Bin Capacity
Maybe you do have the correct streams with proper signage and coloring, but the capacity of the bin itself is not enough to handle the volume being generated. If the mixed container at a specific station is full, for example, people are more likely to just dispose of their trash into the waste.
Lack of Education
However, the biggest contributor to waste stream contamination is simply lack of education. Sometimes people just do not know what bin to dispose their recyclables in. How can you identify if your company has a contamination issue?:
Talk to your hauler or custodial staff: These contacts are a great resource for determining inefficiencies in your waste collection program. No one will know your waste better than those who manage it. Ask your hauler if they have ever had to refuse collection due to waste stream contamination, or, if your custodial staff have ever had to manually sort waste or recyclables.
Send out a company survey: Sometimes employees are just unaware that certain streams, like organics, are even collected in the building. By sending out a survey asking questions about your collection system, you can gain insight from those who are using it.
Perform a waste audit: The best way to determine if you have waste stream contamination is to perform a waste audit. This process involves collection, sorting and analyzing all materials that are disposed in your waste streams. By emptying your collection bins and separating it into materials that belong in that stream, and those that do not, you can calculate what percent of your stream is contaminated.
Solutions
Communicate/Educate Staff
First and foremost, the best way to manage contamination is to enhance knowledge of your collection system. Sit down with your staff, let them know of current practices and any upcoming goals or changes. Gaining company understanding and buy-in of your collection system is of utmost importance to improve participation rates.
Improve Signage
Ensure signage is straightforward and informative. Focus on consistency and communication on less obvious materials such as coffee and soft drink containers.
Provide Correct Streams and Capacities
By providing the correct options, you immediately reduce the chance of waste stream contamination. In addition, pay attention to the day-to-day fullness of your bins. If they are consistently overflowing, consider increasing the capacity to allow for correct disposal.
Make an Impact
Contamination is an issue that exists everywhere, and there is no one overarching solution. By further educating those who use your collection system, you create a connection and investment in the service. Consider creating a sustainability committee or green team within your organization dedicated to enhancing your diversion rates, gaining employee buy-in and acting as the mediator of information to and from members of your organization. Recycling and waste should not be seen as an afterthought, or an unnecessary expense, it is one of the easiest things you can do as a company to make an impact on the environment and reduce your ecological footprint.
Mike Baxter is Marketing Manager for Busch Systems, a designer and retailer of recycling, waste and composting containers for more than 30 years. Located in Barrie, ON, the company recently launched the Resource Centre, an innovative collection tracking application. For more information, call (800) 565-9931 or visit www.buschsystems.com