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Ask the Experts: Jackie Dargavel, Account Manager, New Market Waste Solutions
What are some of the most significant changes you’ve seen since the China Sword Policy went into effect?
From a business standpoint, the market for recyclable material such as plastic, cardboard, and paper has fallen off significantly. Where we used to get paid for bales of plastic and cardboard, recycles now have to charge to pickup plastic and can pay almost nothing for cardboard because the market for these goods have fallen off so significantly. Recyclers are searching for a new buyer for these goods.
What is the most common pitfall a person or business makes when recycling?
Contamination is the number one issue that our customers face when recycling. This doesn’t always mean food waste or liquids. Plastic film, organic materials, electronics and batteries will contaminate an entire 8yd dumpster leading to huge penalty fees. Often, a recycle truck that picks up a contaminated container will have to landfill their entire haul resulting in landfill fees and extra tons sent to the landfill.
Which materials are the easiest to recycle in the United States?
Nationally, there are more domestic options for recycling cardboard and paper. I’d refer again to the “yellow sheet” we get monthly which describes the value of various recyclable commodities. The value of cardboard varies by region, valued more highly on the east coast than the west coast. The regional variance occurs for a number of reasons; supply and demand, recycling facilities available for haulers, and consumer compliance when it comes to their recycled goods. As far as curbside recycling goes, the haulers have the easiest time recycling and reselling paper and cardboard. Specialized recyclers exist for other commodities like e-waste and Styrofoam which can be very detrimental if sent to landfills. Unfortunately, consumers are just less educated and less likely to utilize special recyclers for these commodities. They typically require dropping off materials at their facilities and do not have the infrastructure to be as easy or cheap for the average consumer as our curbside recycling currently is.
What material would be the most impactful for the average consumer to begin recycling through these kind of special handlers?
E-waste and batteries are a critical piece of our recycling of goods. Batteries that end up in landfills can erode and make their way into groundwater, which is a community hazard. Special recyclers for batteries and e-waste (computers, etc) exist and are highly motivated to help you recycle your products appropriately. If you reach out to companies that recycle these kinds of goods, in my experience they are very helpful in guiding you through the recycling process.
No One Told Me! 