cmi.2 2013
TRANSCRIPT
CAN MANUFACTURERS INSTITUTE 2013 ANNUAL MEETING
General Session: The Role of the Can in Sustainable Solid Waste Management
By Phil Bresee, Solace Sustainability Consulting May 22, 2013
Solid Waste in the U.S.
• Municipal Solid Waste (or “MSW”) = Typical discards from households and businesses. • Per-capita MSW generation has actually declined during the 2000s. • 250 million tons in 2010 • MSW generation tracks closely with economic trends and GDP. • Construction & demolition debris, or mining and industrial wastes not included in EPA’s
MSW.
Sources: US EPA
Landfilled 54%
Combusted 12%
Recycled 34%
U.S. MSW 2010
What’s in our Garbage?
• EPA formulates statistics based on economic and production activity.
• Containers & packaging = 30% of total
• States and local governments perform waste composition studies.
• C&D debris not included in EPA methodology
Paper & cardboard
28.5%
Metals 9.0%
Glass 4.6%
Plastics 12.4%
Rubber & leather
3.1%
Textiles 5.3%
Wood 6.4%
Food scraps 13.9%
Yard trimmings
13.4%
Misc. organics 1.5%
Other 1.9%
Solid Waste Composition in the U.S. 2010 Source: U.S. EPA (before recycling)
Average Composition of Solid Waste Disposed in Select U.S. Cities (after recycling)
Paper & cardboard 21.7%
Metals 3.9%
Glass 3.2%
Plastics 11.8%
Food waste 21.3%
Yard waste 6.8%
Textiles 5.4%
Rubber & leather 0.3%
C&D debris 11.8%
Other 13.8%
Solid Waste Management Hierarchy
• US EPA developed solid waste management hierarchy in late 1980s.
• Source, or waste reduction means minimizing or not creating waste in the first place.
• Recycling is preferred way to manage materials.
Waste Reduction
Reuse
Recycling
Disposal w/energy recovery
Disposal
Most Preferred
Least Preferred
Environmental Benefits of Recycling
• Greenhouse gases (GHG) are emitted during product life-cycles, which include extraction, manufacturing and disposal.
• Recycling and waste reduction are effective tools for reducing GHG emissions from: Raw materials
extraction Energy consumption
during manufacturing Reducing methane
emissions from landfills
Illustration courtesy of U.S. EPA
Solid Waste and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Traditional “sector-based” calculations understate impact of waste.
• “Systems-based”, as shown, takes purpose of GHG emissions into consideration.
Calculation sources: U.S. EPA
Prov. of Goods
29%
Prov. of Food 13%
Appliances/Devices
8%
Building HVAC & Lighting
25%
Local Transport
15%
Other Transport
9%
Infrastructure 1% 42% of GHG
for “stuff”
Cans: Environmental Tale of the Tape
Steel
Aluminum Steel
Recycling rate 65% 67%
Recycled content % 68% 25 to 100%
Source reduction • 1972: 21.75 cans weighed 1 lb.
• 2012: 34.57 cans weighed 1 lb.
Steel cans have 1/3 less metal than 20 years ago.
Energy savings by recycling
95% 75%
Equivalent # of cars removed from road by recycling 500 tons
2,055 669
Shipping efficiencies (stacking, no refrigeration, etc.)
√ √
Energy Savings Benefits of Recycling
Recycling 500 Tons of… = GHG Reduction of x MTCE
= Equivalent of Removing X Cars from
Road for 1 Year
Paper 339 259
Cardboard 354 270
Aluminum 2,055 1,569
Steel 915 669
PET 1,035 786
HDPE 885 676
Glass 38 29
Pre-1980s Late 1980s 1990s ~2000 2012
Birth of modern MRF…state legislative actions and local government initiatives…
Managed source-separated material streams...Scrap dealers & vertically integrated companies (Weyerhauser, Alcoa, Anheuser Bush)…
Limited involvement from MSW industry…
Evolution of Recycling…
Transitions to dual-stream…driven by collections efficiencies, need for more through-put
Single-stream MRFs begin to emerge…China becomes major buyer…
The Evolution of Residential Recycling…
Tracking Recycling’s Growth
• More Americans have access to recycling than ever before.
• The national recycling rate has climbed from 16% in 1990 to 34% in 2010.
• Progress with recycling away from home, and at work.
• Still much left to do…Recycling has flat lined in recent years.
# Communities
Population (in millions)
Percent of U.S.
Curbside 10,573 196 63%
Drop-off 21,454 213 68%
Total Access
24,977 273 87%
Source: American Forest & Paper Association, 2010
• Delivered to Materials Recovery Facilities, or “MRFs” (pronounced ‘murph’)
• Recyclables processed using screens, trommels, optical sorting, eddy currents, magnets, etc.
• Speed and angles of processing lines calibrated…
• Residue rates decreasing (<10%)…
Where Do Our Recyclables Go?
Photos courtesy of Resource Recycling magazine and Waste Management, Inc.
U.S. Recovery Rates for Curbside Recyclables
0% 50% 100%
Aluminum cans
Steel cans
Newspaper
OCC
Office paper
Mags
Glass
HDPE
PET
Aseptics
EPA Estimate Industry Estimate
• Counting methodologies differ among EPA, state & local governments, and industry.
• Bottle bill states invariably see higher recycling rates.
• Cardboard & office paper have more established commercial recovery networks.
Recovery Rates for Curbside Recyclables from Select Cities
• Relative light-weight of aluminum makes it harder to measure.
• Bottle-bill states see less aluminum in curbside recycling bins (but more at redemption centers)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Aluminum…
Steel cans
Misc. Paper
Newspaper
OCC
Office paper
Mags
Glass
Plastic bottles
HDPE
PET
Aseptics
Honolulu Montgomery County, MD Philadelphia
Economic Benefits of Recycling
• About 2% of $12.36 trillion U.S. GDP in 2007
• Labor intensive & creates jobs at 10/1 ratio vs. traditional solid waste disposal
• 2008 NERC five-state (PA, NY, MA, ME, DE) study:
11,738 recycling or recycling reliant establishments
Payroll of $4.2 billion for workforce of 100,500
$35 billion gross receipts
Recyclables Market Values 2004-2013
$-
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Aluminum
Steel Cans
ONP
RMP
OCC
Glass
PET plastics
HDPE Nat. plastics
Cartons
#3-7 Plastics
• Recyclables are commodities.
• Prices for recyclables fairly consistent with regular economic growth and contraction.
• Considerable value in the amount of recyclables still being disposed of.
• Added value each step of the way (from processor to mill to manufacturer, etc.).
• States have begun to look more at recycling’s role in economic development (Georgia, 2006).
Not Recycling = Throwing Money Away
Generated Tons Recycling Rate
Avg. Market
Value Per-Ton = Disposed Income
Newspaper 9,880,000 72% $115 = $323,150,000
Cardboard 31,700,000 85% $111 = $532,800,000
PET 2,670,000 29% $382 = $721,980,000
HDPE 4,300,000 23% $518 = $1,724,310,000
Steel Cans 2,300,000 67% $83 = $63,080,000
Aluminum Cans 1,900,000 65% $1,574 = $1,043,719,400
Cans = Bang for $
• Recyclables generate revenues for many local governments.
• Recyclables also allow for savings on solid waste disposal.
• Aluminum has historically held highest economic value per-ton
• Aluminum and steel cans combined make up about 3% of average residential recyclables stream but generate almost 20% of revenue
Recycling Stream of Tomorrow
• Packaging trends need to be monitored…
• MRFs of the future will manage a different recyclables stream.
• New materials will be targeted for diversion (mixed plastics, film, scrap metals, etc.)
• Some commodities may morph into one (ONP, mixed paper).
• Materials can be culled from residue.
Material Current
Percentage Projections
Newspaper 29.1% ↓
Mixed Paper 16.0% ↑
Cardboard 15.1% ↑
Aseptic Containers 0.1% ↑
Aluminum Cans 1.1% ↔
Steel Cans 2.0% ↓
PET 2.9% ↑
HDPE Natural 1.1% ↔
HDPE Colored 1.0% ↔
Mixed Plastics 1.9% ↑
Mixed Glass 17.4% ↓
Rejects/Residue 12.2% ↔
Recycling’s Way Forward?
• More coordination among all stakeholders in the recycling value change is necessary.
• Private sector AMERIPEN, U.S. Recycling Summit
• Curbside Value Partnership
• Investments in collection & processing infrastructure (Coca-Cola, Carton Council, etc.)
Generators
Collectors
Processors
Mills
Product Manufacturers
Retail / Wholesale
Recycling’s Way Forward?
• Sharp increase in exports negatively impacted U.S. domestic recovered materials industry.
• Lack of industrial policy in U.S. has hurt recycling.
• Just 9% of U.S. workforce is in manufacturing vs. 30% in prime…
• Operation Green Fence: China’s crack-down on low quality recyclables (primarily paper and plastics).
• Green linings? More market development
programs? Resurgence in domestic
recycling industry?
