Single Stream Recycling
Material Recovery Facilities
Tracy Nestor, Republic Services
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About Republic Services
Republic Services, Inc. is an industry leader in U.S. non-hazardous solid waste and
recycling. Republic Services operates 75 recycling facilities nationwide, and partners with
more than 100 mills and manufacturers worldwide to turn recycled items into new
products. Those products include newspaper, cardboard, glass and plastic bottles, tissue,
paper towels, and metal cans.
Republic Services has invested over $12 M in infrastructure upgrades at our Material
Recovery Facility (MRF) to convert single stream technology. Today we would like to
discuss our new single stream technology and the benefits single stream collection can
bring to your community.
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About the Conover Recycling Facility
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Approximately 49,000 square feet
Highly-advanced, single stream recycling operation
Serves more than 146,000 homes
throughout Alamance, Alexander,
Caldwell, Catawba, Guilford, Lincoln,
Montgomery, Richmond, Rutherford
and Stanly counties in North Carolina
Employs 43 full-time personnel
Recycling operations at the facility first
began in 1990
Offers a unique Learning Center for the
community to visit, experience a rare,
up-close view of the recycling process, and learn more about recycling and
sustainability issues.
Designed by Bulk Handling Systems (bulkhandlingsystems.com)
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MRF Capabilities
• Processes more than 400 tons
of mixed recyclables per day,
or 25 tons per hour
• Capacity is projected to
increase by approximately
25% in the first year
• Recycled materials can be
processed and shipped to
domestic or international
markets as commodities within
24 hours of arrival
• Finished bales of paper, plastic
and metals weigh an average
of 1,500 lbs.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
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Aluminum: Recycling one aluminum can save enough
energy to run a TV for 3 hours (Source – Reynolds
Metal Company)
Glass: One ton of glass made from 50% recycled
materials saves 250 lbs. of mining waste
(Source – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
Paper: Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees and
7,000 gallons of water (Source – U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency)
Plastic: The energy saved by recycling one plastic
bottle will power a computer for 25 minutes
(Source – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
Steel: Every pound of steel recycled saves enough energy to light a 60-watt
bulb for 24 hours (Source – Penn State University)
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Public Buy Back / Learning Center
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We have a public buy back center that is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 4:30
pm, and we pay cash for certain items such as aluminum cans.
We serve as a Convenience Center where the general public can drop off their recycling
if they do not have pick up at their residence.
Tours are available at no cost to the general public by appointment.
Our education room has an 80” television screen that allows us to view all areas of the
facility through cameras.
One wall in the education room has a full diagram of the new automated sorting
system on it.
There are examples off all materials we accept on display in the education room.
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Why is Single Stream So Significant
• Collection is the most expensive aspect of providing
recycling service
• Single stream recycling enables more efficient
collection
• Ability to commingle removes a barrier to
participation
• Conversion to single stream is associated with
significant increases in participation and landfill
diversion
• More convenience centers in NC are single-stream
than any other recycling style
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Benefits of Single Stream
Curbside
Drop Off Centers
• Increased ease for participants
• No need for specialized /
compartmentalized vehicle
• Material can be compacted
(greater payloads, less time
spent dumping, more time on
route)
• Enables use of carts
• Increased ease for participants
– no need to sort into different
containers
• Takes up less space at
convenience sites
• Compatible with common
service vehicles (front-load or
roll-off)
• Allows programs to maximize
hauling effectiveness
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Facts About Program Effectiveness
• source-separated and dual-stream curbside programs in NC
• Collection average = 249 lbs/household/year
• single stream curbside programs in NC
• Collection average = 331 lbs./household/year
33% increase
• Operational savings + increased recovery+ reduced
disposal cost will outweigh lost revenue
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Curbside Savings
Example:
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12,000 home municipality
$45 per ton disposal cost
EOW curbside recycling program
95 gallon carts
$5 per ton rebate
2000 tons per year recyclables = $10,000 year rebate
2000 tons per year disposal diversion = $90,000 year savings
Higher market = higher rebates
Higher participation = lower disposal costs
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County Recycling Program Styles in NC
As of FY 2012-2013
Single Stream is the
most common type of
drop off program.
Single Stream
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333
* Source NC Division of
Dual Stream
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Source Separated
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283
Environmental Assistance and
Customer Service
# Counties # Convenience
Sites
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Single-Stream and Drop-off Recycling
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Simplify citizen experience – no need for sorting, one stop
Fewer containers taking up less space, traffic flow at sites improves
Allows for compaction to maximize hauling efficiency
Counties should strongly consider compactors at staffed convenience sites
(more payload, fewer hauls)
Space: Before and After
Before: multiple containers
for different recyclables
After: one or two centralized containers
for mixed recyclable material
Single Stream + Compactors = Results
County
Recycling Increase After Single
Stream Implementation
Franklin County
43%
Moore County
49%
Rutherford County
20%
Moore County, NC Case Study
Collection Costs
Before $144,573
After: $53,775
Trend shows that single stream collection at drop off centers with
compactors is a
3:1 reduction in collection costs
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Rutherford County Case Study
Bills Creek Site
• Before: 3 trips per month
at $180 per trip
$6480 per year
• After: 1 trip per month at
$108 per trip
$1296 per year
• Annual savings
$5184
Danieltown Site
• Before: 12 trips per
month at $108 per trip
$15,552 per year
• After: 2 trips per month
at $72 per trip
$1728 per year
• Annual Savings
$13,824
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Contact and Visit a MRF
• Take a tour to understand the technology and capabilities
• Partner with a local MRF to review your recycling programs
• Consider Single Stream Recycling to
– Improve efficiencies
– Reduce landfill tonnage
– Make recycling easier on the consumer to increase participation
• Contact DEACS to see if there is grant funding for your community
to fund the implementation of single stream collection.
• Use your MRF as a resource to provide you with the latest recycling
trends
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Thank you!
Tracy Nestor
Municipal Services Manager
tnestor@republicservices.com
828.217.8766
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