1. business and industrial
2. chemicals industry
3. plastics and polymers

Introduction
“Typical Functions of Handlers and Reclaimers”
About This Manual
Who Should Read This Manual
Generalized Post-Consumer Plastics Recycling
3
5
6
6
Flow Chart
7
Finding Markets
9
Factors to Consider When Looking for a Market
Reclaimers as a Market
“Defining Markets’’
End-Users as a Market
“How Do I Locate a Market?”
Sourcing Material
Identieing Scrap Plastics
Commodity Thermoplastics
“What are the Sources of Scrap Plastic?’’
“How Do I Use the SPI Codes?”
Estimating Quantities Available
Negotiating a Contract
Working with Private Haulers
Working with Local Governments
Competition
“How Can I Identify Uncoded Resins?”
Worksheet: Estimating Plastics Feedstock in the
Waste Stream
Worksheet: Estimating Plastics Feedstock from
Municipal Programs
Text printed on 100% recycled paper (at least 25% post-consumer content)
9
12
13
15
16
17
17
17
18
22
24
27
30
31
32
33
34
38
Designing a Handling Operation
41
Site Requirements
Building Requirements
Equipment Requirements
“What is a MRF?”
“Baling in a Rural Operation”
Storage Requirements
Quality Requirements
Health and Safety Requirements
Hazardous Material
Residue and Rejects
Facility Regulations
41
43
45
50
54
58
60
61
63
64
65
67
Risks and Opportunities
Worksheet: Estimating Processing and
.
Operating Costs
Plastics Recycling Flow Chart
.
Appendices
Appendix A Estimates of Post-Consumer
Plastics Packaging Recycled iQ Calendar
Years 1990 and 1991
Appendix B ISRI Baled Recycled Plastic
Commercial Guidelines
App-endix C OSHA Office Locations
Appendix D EPA Regional Offices
Appendix E For Additional Information/
Publications of Interest
70
73
75
75
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77
95
101
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103
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I
n the past five years, recycling has become a visible part of the American
business landscape. While the recycling of industrial scrap materials from paper and textiles to metals and plastics - has been occurring for
decades in the United States, large-scale municipally sponsored recycling
programs are a relatively new and rapidly growing phenomenon.
As these recycling programs have developed, municipal officials have
become increasingly aware that plastics are a growing segment of the solid
waste stream. According to the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), plastics packaging as a percentage of total discards increased
from half a percent by volume in 1960 to 10 percent by volume in 1990.
Many communities are adding plastics to their existing recycling programs
and many new recycling programs are including plastics as a targeted
material from the outset. In fact, a recent survey conducted by the plastics
industry identified over 6,000 communities across the country that have
access to plastics recycling.
As with other recyclables, the infrastructure for recycling plastics
consists of four major components:
Collection:
Rather than being discarded after serving their
intended purpose, plastics are collected for recycling.
Handling:
Collected plastics are sorted to enhance quality and
compacted to reduce storage and shipping costs.
Reclamation:
Sorted plastics are cleaned and processed into flakes
or pellets of consistent quality acceptable to manufacturers - or in some cases directly into an end product.
End-Use:
Pellets or flakes are converted into new products.
The plastics handler is a critical link in the plastics recycling infrastructure.
A handler takes the first step in transforming waste or scrap plastics into
a viable market commodity. Now, more than ever before, plastics handling
operations are needed to accommodate the increasing amount of postconsumer plastics targeted for recycling at the municipal, commercial, and
industrial levels.
Typical Functions of Handlers
and Reclaimers"
st-consumer plastics
) are delivered to the facility in
es and dumped onto a tipping floor. From there,
a conveyor. As they move down the
sorted,either mechanically or manually.
other recydables and certain plastic types,
cs are sorted, they are either depositpment, onto a conveyor that leads to
m a t or into a storage bin until sufficient material
accumulated. Processing may involve cleaning and
dating. Ideally, each type of plastic is baled or granuThe baled or granulated material normally is stored
onto a vehicle for shipment to market.
dlers, plastics reclaimers typically
plastics for sale to end-users who, in
r the manufacture of
products. In some cases, one entity may fdfd the role
handler and plastics reclaimer. There currently are
plastics handlers operating in the United States, 156
as both handler and reclaimer.
and Aasociatzs, "1992 Post-Consumer Plastics Handlers &
About This Manual
In developing a post-consumer plastics handling business, there are three
basic issues to be addressed: sourcing plastic scrap, building and operating
a facility and marketing processed material. This manual provides a
thorough discussion of these issues and some of the ways that they can
be addressed successfully.
It is likely that the post-consumer plastics handling industry will evolve
dramatically in the next decade - becoming more complex and sophisticated. Although the information presented in this manual has been researched
caremy, and is believed to be accurate as of September 1992, some data
may become outdated. Therefore, use this manual as a tool in identifymg
and thinking through the issues to be addressed in building a viable longterm business. The manual should not be interpreted as a warranty or
guarantee that post-consumer plastics handling is a suitable business
opportunity for any particular person.
Who Should Read This Manual?
This manual seeks to provide the basic tools for starting up a plastics
handling operation to anyone interested in pursuing the opportunity:
Recycling companies who are familiar with other scrap commodities, such
as paper or metals, and who are interested in broadening their business to
include plastics;
.
0
Entrepreneurs interested in entering the field of plastic recycling;
0 Investors considering the opportunities in the field of secondary materials
processing and marketing;
Processors of municipal solid waste or industrial plastic reclaimers wishing
to expand their operation to include sorting and handling activities; and
0
0
Local governments interested in expanding their recycling capabilities.
“Typical Functions of Handlers
and Reclaimers”
along with other recyclables) are delivered to the facility in
a b l e are loaded onto a conveyor. As they move down the
r, materials are sorted, either mechanically or manually.
are sorted from other recyclables and certain plastic types,
into processing equipment, onto a conveyor that leads to
equipment or into a storage bin until sufficient material
ing is accumulated. Processing may involve cleaning and
R.W.Beck and Associates, “1992 Post-Consumer Plastics Handlers &
About This Manual
In developing a post-consumer plastics handling business, there are three
basic issues to be addressed: sourcing plastic scrap, building and operating
a facility and marketing processed material. This manual provides a
thorough discussion of these issues and some of the ways that they can
be addressed successhlly.
It is likely that the post-consumer plastics handling industry will evolve
dramatically in the next decade - becoming more complex and sophisticated. Although the information presented in this manual has been researched
carefully, and is believed to be accurate as of September 1992, some data
may become outdated. Therefore, use this manual as a tool in identifylng
and thinking through the issues to be addressed in building a viable longterm business. The manual should not be interpreted as a warranty or
guarantee that post-consumer plastics handling is a suitable business
opportunity for any particular person.
Who Should Read This Manual?
This manual seeks to provide the basic tools for s arting up a pla: ics
handling operation to anyone interested in pursuing the opportunity:
Recycling companies who are familiar with other scrap commodities, such
as paper or metals, and who are interested in broadening their business to
include plastics;
Entrepreneurs interested in entering the field of plastic recycling;
Investors considering the opportunities in the field of secondary materials
processing and marketing;
Processors of municipal solid waste or industrial plastic reclaimers wishing
to expand their operation to include sorting and handling activities; and
Local governments interested in expanding their recycling capabilities.
1
-a
Generalized Post-Consumer Plastics Recycling Flow Chart
1
Sorting Into Generic Stream
Mechanical Sort
Manual Sort
I
Densification
t
Baling
Granulating
I
Operation Involved in Sorting
of Generic Streams,
Granulation, Washing and
Pelletizing for End Product
Manufacturing
Generalized Post-Consumer Plastics Recycling
Flow Chart
Curbside Pick-Up
(Possible Compaction)
Public Drop-off
Buy-Back Centers
I
Operations Where Reclaimed
Plastic Material is Transformed
Into a Consumer Product
.
Finding
ecuring a market for processed material not only provides a stream of
income to a handling facility, but also dictates the type of sorting and
processing measures that will be required and the quality standards
to be met.
The effort to secure markets should be undertaken early in the development
process - not postponed until material is ready for sale. The market will, to
a large degree, dictate the configuration of the processing facility.
Factors to Consider
When Looking for a Market
When establishing handling capabilities, it is important to keep the big
picture in mind. The ultimate goal is to produce a material that, afker
handling and reclaiming, will be marketable to an end-user. In considering
the use of post-consumer plastics in its operation, an end-user is looking for
a feedstock that has properties similar to virgin feedstock.
If the recycled feedstock meets end-user specifications, the next consideration usually is the cost of recycled resin as compared to the cost of virgin
resin. For some resin types, a manufacturer can realize significant savings
by using recycled versus virgin resin. For other resin types, the cost of
producing the recycled resin exceeds the cost of virgin resin. In these
instances, an end-user’s motivation to use recycled resin may be driven
more by factors such as demand for recycled-content products than by
resin cost.
When defining the specific handling services to be provided by a new
operation, keep in mind that the objective of the handler is to add value to
the recycled plastics. The following considerations will affect the handling
J
and marketing of post-consumer plastics:
Market needs;
Demand for specific resins;
Quality specifications;
Market location;
Resins reclaimed; and
Market agreements.
Matching capabilities with needs:
Because of the wide variety of potential uses for recycled plastics, processing
needs vary. As a result, handling capabilities should be matched to the needs
of the targeted market or reclaimer, as well as to the needs of those collecting and delivering materials to the handler.
For example, if a potential market will buy or accept mixed plastics, it may
be most effective for the handler to simply bale plastic as it is delivered. On
the other hand, a particular market may require product purity by resin type
and color with little or no contamination. To meet these requirements, the
handler may need to sort and bale materials. In making decisions on processing capabilities, the handler also will want to take into consideration the
value of the materials and the costs associated with processing this material.
Demand for particular resins:
Contamination levels, material uniformity, and material characteristics such
as heat tolerance and color can impact the demand for - and thus the value
of - recycled plastics. For example, clear PET, which can be made into
products of any color, has a greater value than green PET, which is limited
in its reuse due to color. Similarly, the value of a bale of natural HDPE will
be affected by the degree of contamination. If contamination is too great,
the market simply may reject the bale. For a bale with slightly less contamination, the market may pay a lower price. For a bale with little or no
contamination, the market may pay a premium price.
Quality specifications of the reclaimer and/or end-user:
Market quality specifications will have direct bearing on the processing
capabilities required of the handler. Processed post-consumer plastics can be
viewed within a product quality spectrum. At the high end of the spectrum
are plastics that have been sorted, baled and/or custom-ground and are
contaminant-free. At the low end of the spectrum are loose or baled mixed
plastics with a relatively high level of contamination.
Location of the reclaimer and/or end-user:
Market location and the means of transporting materials to the market also
must be considered in defining processing capabilities and securing markets.
The distance of the handling facility fkom the market, the type of
transportation to be used and the volume of materials to be transported
influence facility configuration and storage capacity, as well as the cost of
the handling operation.
Type(s) of resin reclaimed:
Some reclaimers may work with only one resin type. Others may accept
multiple resins. How many and which resins a reclaimer accepts will affect
the handler’s processing operation and storage and transportation
requirements.
Market agree ments:
Many handlers historically have marketed material simply based on longterm working relationships. “Playing the market” enables them to select the
best market at any given time. However, handlers increasingly are signing
contracts or, at a minimum, less-formal written agreements with markets.
The decision to enter into a formal agreement with a market may be based
on several factors. If a handler has operated in the past without contracts
and sees no threat of competition, formal market agreements may not be
necessary. Even if there is competition for markets, a handler still may not
want to enter into formal agreements since maintaining flexibility may be to
the handler’s economic advantage. Another factor that might lead a handler
to forgo material contracts is available storage space; if there is sufficient
storage space to wait for optimal market conditions, a handler may not want
to have market agreements.
A handler may want to have a formal agreement with a market if there is
more “handled” material available than markets for those materials. If efficient facility operation demands that processed material is removed quickly
from the facility, it may be important to have a market contract. Also, local
governments may favor a handler that has guaranteed contracts, even if that
handler offers a lower lower price for the community’s recyclables.
If a formal agreement is called for, the agreement should address the types
of issues defined in “Negotiating a Contract” on p. 27:
Quantity of material;
Specifications;
Quality of material (amount of contamination);
Delivery requirements, including point of delivery;
Price, including with what measure the price will fluctuate; and
Payment terms.
Reclaimers as a Market
Traditionally, industrial scrap plastic reclaimers were located near the source
of scrap material, eliminating the need for a separate handling operation.
Today, with the increased emphasis on recycling post-consumer plastic,
some sources of material are a long distance away from the reclaimer.
Many reclaimers have expanded their operations to accept plastics from
handlers located closer to the source (ix., plastics manufacturing plants). In
addition, some larger handlers also reclaim post-consumer plastics.
The reclaimer's job is to transform used plastics into a feedstock for
manufacturing new products. The processes used in reclaiming post-consumer plastics include washing and drying, custom blending, extrusion and
pelletizing. Shredding and granulating is almost always a component of a
post-consumer plastics reclaiming operation, as well.
Shredding and granulating:
Plastic containers usually are reduced to a uniform particle size prior to
cleaning. This often is done by the reclaimer but some handlers may grind
sorted plastics rather than bale them. Grinding requires higher attention to
quality, but ground material generally commands a higher price. (See p. 56
for more details.)
Washing and drying:
Cleaning processes typically have evolved through experience and are closely
guarded by reclaimers for competitive reasons. Innovations in plastic sorting
and cleaning are expected over the next decade.
One commonly used cleaning technique involves hot water (160" to
180" F), a mild detergent or caustic agent and agitation. The detergent
concentration must be controlled so as not to adversely affect the properties
of the plastic. Most post-consumer plastics can be cleaned effectively with
this technology.
This process can also be used to separate the various materials in granulated
soft drink bottles. During washing, PET flakes from the container body and
duminum flakes from bottle caps will sink while the HDPE flakes from the
base cup and PP from closures float, providing a clean material separation.
The HDPE is skimmed off the top. The PET and aluminum are separated,
ofien through the use of electrostatic separators, which take advantage of
the materials’ different electrical conductivity. Large centrihges and
mechanical presses can then be used to remove excess water before the
cleaned flake is dried in centrifugal or hot air dryers.
Extrusion and pelletizing:
Once dried, plastic flakes are forced mechanically through a cylindrical
heated barrel and compressed, creating friction that melts the flakes. Next,
the melt is homogenized and put through a series of filters or screens to
remove remaining solid contaminants. This is a particularly important step
Xthe reprocessed material is to be used in high-value applications. The
melted plastic then is forced through a die consisting of a series of small
holes in a steel plate.
rYt t h i s point in the reclamation process, the recycled plastic achieves
characteristics similar to those of virgin plastic.
Pelletizing is the process whereby the extruded plastic is cut into pellets.
Basic pelletizing techniques include the following:
“Hot face” pelletizers are perhaps the most commonly used and simplest
to operate. The molten extruded material is forced through holes in a circular die. An attached blade at the discharge end cuts pellets of specific size.
There are three types of hot face pelletizers: air, water spray and underwater.
Air pelletizers often are used for PVC and polyethylene polymers. Air
circulating through the cutting chamber initially cools the pellets and
conveys the pellets to fluidized bed dryers for hrther cooling.
Alternatively, the pellets are discharged directly into a water trough and
later dried in fluidized beds or centrifugal dryers. These machines
produce pellets at rates of up to 10,000 pounds per hour.
Water spray pelletizers, also called water ring pelletizers, produce
pellets at up to 30,000 pounds per hour and differ only in using a
water-injected cutting chamber for the initial cooling of pellets. This
type of pelletizer is limited in use to materials such as flexible PVC
and ABS.
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Many reclaimers use underwater pelletizers for LDPE and HDPE. As
the name implies, the cutting blade is located under a stream of water.
Recent developments in underwater pelletizing technology have made
new machines simpler to operate than their forerunners. Today’s
systems can produce pellets at rates up to 50,000 pounds per hour.
Underwater pelletizers cut strands of molten plastic, creating less noise
and prolonging blade life. This type of machine requires less horsepower to operate and occupies less floor space because the pelletizer is
coupled directly onto the extruder die face.
“Cold-cutting” systems include dicers and strand pelletizers. Both differ
from hot face pelletizers in that the pellets are cut after the plastic material
has been extruded into a continuous strand, air or water cooled then dried.
Cutting polymers in a solid form will increase noise and reduce blade life.
These systems also require more floor space than hot face systems.
End-Users as a Market
In some cases, a handler may market plastics directly to an end-user. This
is possible if the handler has the ability to prepare the plastics in a way that
is acceptable to the end-user. This depends both on the end-user’s
specifications and the processing capability of the handler.
Sourci
0
nce markets have been identified, sourcing material is the next step
in determining the viability of a post-consumer plastics handling
business. The prospective handler must have a reliable, consistent
flow of material. This can be accomplished by contracting with
private sources, local governments or businesses who generate or collect
scrap plastics.
Identifying Scrap Plastics
The sourcing process logically begins with an assessment of materials availability. Because end-users - firms that manufacture plastic products - seek
particular types of plastics, it is important to identifjr available plastic scrap
by resin type. Plastics can be categorized into four groups: commodity thermoplastics, engineering thermoplastics, thermosets and multi-component,
or composite plastics. These categories are based on the plastics’ uses and
physical properties.
Commodity thermoplastics are the plastics category most commonly found
in both the municipal and commercial/institutional solid waste streams.
They are produced in high volumes at relatively low cost and account for
approximately two-thirds of all plastics sales. These plastics are prime
candidates for recycling because of the high volume of material available for
capture and recycling, as well as their ability to be remolded. The following
discussion on material sourcing is, therefore, limited to commodity
thermoplastics.
Com modity Thermo pIasti cs
There are five basic resins, or types of plastic, included in the category of
commodity thermoplastics:
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET);
Polyethylene (PE);
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC);
Polypropylene (PP); and
Polystyrene (PS).
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET):
/
Polyethylene terephthalate is the most commonly recycled post-consumer
plastic packaging material. Representing about 30 percent of the plastic
bottle market, PET is used primarily for soft drink bottles; however, other
PET packaging applications include edible oil, liquor, soap and shampoo
bottles and peanut butter jars. While PET is a commodity thermoplastic,
becadse of its physical properties, it also can be used as an engineering grade
resin.
PET is clear, tough and acts as a barrier to gases, particularly carbon
dioxide.
In 1991, approximately 807 million pounds of PET were converted into
soft drink bottles. Nationally, this averaged to about one two-liter bottle per
household per week. (About seven two-liter bottles weigh one pound.)
Approximately 36 percent of PET soft drink bottles were recycled in 1991.
Overall, approximately 293 million pounds of all post-consumer PET
bottles were recycled in 1991. This represents 24 percent of the total virgin
PET bottle sales of 1.2 billion pounds in 1991. Current end-uses for postconsumer PET include new soft drink and beverage bottles, carpet and
fiber, household cleaner bottles, and insulation.
Polyethylene (PE):
Polyethylene is the most widely used consumer plastic. Polyethylene is
divided by density into two primary families: high density polyethylene
(HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE).
LDPE is used widely in applications requiring clarity, inertness, processing
ease and a moisture barrier. It frequently is used as film in applications such
as bread bags, grocery sacks, trash bags and shrink wrap. The recoverability
of LDPE is affected by its diverse uses and difficulties associated with
separating it out as a contaminant-free feedstock from the remainder of the
waste stream.
HDPE is characterized by its stiffhess, low cost, ease of forming and
resistance to breakage. Products commonly made from HDPE include
containers of all sizes and shapes, such as milk, water and juice bottles;
bleach and detergent bottles; motor oil bottles; margarine tubs; and bulk
food and ice cream containers. It also is used in grocery sacks.
HDPE use represents 60 percent of the plastic bottle market. In 1991,
approximately 2.3 bitlion pounds of household bottles were made from
HDPE.
Approximately 950 million pounds of natural, or unpigmented, HDPE
bottles (i.e., milk and water jugs) are discarded each year. This represents a
significant source of material for a plastics handle;. In 1991, approximately
133 million pounds of natural HDPE bottles were recycled. For pigmented
bottles, 1.3 billion pounds were sold in 1991, of which 92 million pounds
were recycled. Total HDPE bottles reclaimed in 1991 equaled 225 million
pounds, or approximately 10 percent of all HDPE bottles. Natural postconsumer HDPE, such as milk and water jugs, currently commands a
premium price over pigmented HDPE because it can be remanufactured
into a greater vhiety of end-products.
Common end-uses for recovered HDPE include products such as detergent
and motor oil bottles, garbage cans, pails, buckets, recycling bins, irrigation
and drain pipe, crates, nursery containers and toilet partitions.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC):
Polyvinyl chloride, often called vinyl, is one of the most versatile plastics
because of its blending capability. It can be made into products ranging
from credit cards to heavy-walled pressure pipes to crystal-clear food
packaging, the latter most often for cooking oils, household chemicals,
automotive care products, and health and beauty aids. The properties of
vinyl include good clarity and chemical resistance.
Vinyl bottles make up approximately five percent of the plastic bottles found
in an average household.
About 2 million pounds of post-consumer PVC bottles were recycled in
1991.
In September 1989, Occidental Chemical Corporation announced a
nationwide commercial program to buy back vinyl bottles. Baled bottles are
purchased in lots of more that 5,000 pounds at prices equivalent to or
higher than comparable grades of baled PET bottles.
I
Polypropylene (PPI:
Polypropylene is resistant to chemicals and fatigue and has good heat
resistance. It has gained wide acceptance in applications ranging from fibers
and films to appliance parts, and from hrniture to food packaging, such as
screw-on caps and lids, some yogurt and margarine tubs and syrup bottles.
For the last 30 years, PP also has been used as the primary material for
automotive batteries because it is lightweight, durable and recyclable. PP
often is used for long-life items.
According to the plastics industry’s 1991 Annual Post-Consumer Plastics
Recycling Survey, 144 million pounds of PP from used automotive batteries
are recycled each year in the United States, accounting for a large percentage of all spent batteries. About 40 percent of the recovered PP is used in
the next generation of batteries. The balance is used for other automotive
applications and in consumer products, including wheels for barbecue grills
and lawn mowers.
Polystyrene (PS):
Polystyrene is a versatile resin with physical properties that include clarity,
the ability to foam and relative ease of processing. While it is one of the
least-used plastics for household packaging, it is used in some yogurt
containers, egg cartons, meat trays, rigid disposable drinking cups, plates,
cutlery and foam cups. Both rigid and expanded polystyrene (EPS), or
foamed polystyrene, are used extensively as packaging material, including
compact disk and cassette cases, foamed foodservice clamshells, loose fill
packaging and electronic component packaging.
A growing amount of PS now is being recycled: 13 million pounds were
collected in 1990 and 24 million pounds were collected in 1991. Initial
efforts to recycle both non-foodservice and foodservice PS in hospitals,
schools, distribution centers and quick service restaurants are proving
successful. PS collection programs also are underway at school cafeterias
and businesses.
The National Polystyrene Recycling Company (NPRC) was formed by the
nation’s largest polystyrene manufacturers to establish a nationwide postconsumer PS recycling infrastructure.
The NPRC has opened several regional reprocessing facilities to handle
post-consumer PS. Each facility has the capability to recycle 13 million
pounds per year, when fully operational, The NPRC’ estimates that it will
have recycled roughly 20 million pounds of post-consumer PS in 1992,
equivalent to 2.3 billion 12-ounce cups.
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Another significant component of the PS recycling infrastructure is
represented by a group called the Association of Foam Plastics Recyclers
(AFPR).AFPR represents a network of PS foam converters across the country that act as collection and processing sites for material that oftentimes is
destined for an NPRC facility.
(For the recycling rates of post-consumer commodity plastics, see
Appendix A.)
Estimating Quantities Available
There are several factors to consider when estimating the quantities of
plastic scrap available to support a potential handling operation. These
include the size of the geographic area likely to use the services, the generators of material, the competition for post-consumer plastic in the area and
legislative programs or incentives - in place or anticipated - that may
enhance or inhibit recycling efforts.
Estimating the amount of plastic scrap available in a given service area
requires some careful research.
Determine the size of the service area:
In general, most handlers receive material from within a 50-mile radius of
their facility. The handler must determine at what distance post-consumer
plastics can be collected realistically and cost-effectively. The handler either
can collect plastics directly from the sources or can require delivery to the
handling facility. Either way, long hauling distances mean high transportation costs. This is even more of a consideration for plastics than for other
recyclables since most post-consumer plastic products have a high volumeto-weight ratio.
Demographic factors may determine how large the service area needs to be
in order for a potential handling operation to be profitable. If the population is high and there is considerable commercial activity in the area, more
post-consumer plastic will be generated within a smaller service area. The
presence of commercial businesses can also impact the availability of plastic
materials. Therefore, population estimates and estimates of the economic
activity in an area, from the Census Bureau or other sources, are important
to determine service area.
If the size of the service area needed to make a plastics handling operation
viable is so large that hauling costs become prohibitive, a potential handler
may want to explore the possibility of strategically located transfer stations,
where the material could be collected and aggregated for transport to the
handling facility.
stimate the number of waste generators and
categorize them by type:
In general, waste generators can be divided into two types: commercial and
residential. Commercial generators include manufacturing operations,
wholesale and retail establishments, malls, hospitals, schools and the like. It
is particularly important to identify potential commercial/institutional
stream generators ,of plastic scrap because commercial waste plastic is often
cleaner and more homogeneous than that found in the residential waste
stream. In addition, a firm manufacturing plastic products within the service
area may be able to provide a handler with large amounts of clean processing scrap of a particular resin type. Sourcing industrial and manufacturing
scrap plastics is an excellent way to supplement a post-consumer plastics
handling business.
Residential generators include families living in single and multi-family
dwellings. The plastic scrap generated by residents will include household
products and food packaging. This material may be contaminated by household trash, residual plastics (resin types or applications that are not
marketable) and other materials, such as paper, glass and metals.
Estimate tne potentiai quaniiiy of piasiic scrap avaiiabie:
In some locations, the city, county or state may have conducted a waste
composition study that will provide estimates of the quantity and types of
materials disposed of in the service area. If these data are not available, or if
the data are out of date, estimates can be made using the EPA’s
“Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste 1960-1990.” (See “Estimating
Plastics Feedstock in the Waste Stream” worksheet beginning on p. 34.)
’
Estimate the amount of potentially available
material that will actually be collected and delivered
to the processing facility:
No recycling program can recover 100 percent of the recyclable materials
available in the waste stream. The amount that actually can be recovered
will depend on the willingness of the waste generators to participate.
In terms of residential scrap plastics, the service area may already be served
by a recycling collection program that is considering adding some types of
plastics to its list of targeted materials, or it may be developing a wholly new
program that will include plastics from the outset. An existing program
should have developed participation and capture rates for its targeted
materials, as these rates mark a program’s success. These rates can be applied
to plastics to estimate the quantity of recoverable material. For a new
program, it may be best to consider several possible recovery rates.
(!See “Estimating Plastics Feedstock from Municipal Programs” worksheet,
p. 38.)
Factors that may affect sourcing material from residential programs include
the following:
Is the program voluntary or mandatory? An enforced mandatory program
tends to have higher diversion rates than a voluntary program.
0 , How convenient is the collection method? Programs that collect at
the source tend to have higher recovery rates than drop-off programs.
Weekly, multi-material curbside collection, including the widest possible
range of plastics, provides the best results. Collecting recyclables on the
same day that the regular garbage is set out has a favorable impact on
quantities collected.
Is there an economic incentive to participate, such as a buy-back program
or reduced rates for the disposal of less waste?
Is the program accompinied by sound public education? Programs that
are clearly and continually promoted to the public tend to have higher
recovery rates. Promotional materials clearly explaining which plastics are
and are not currently being collected - and why - improve the quality of
the plastics collected.
What kind of recycling container is used? A household set-out container,
specifically intended for recyclables, boosts participation. Larger set-out
containers permit the collection of a larger volume of recyclables, and one
large container holding mixed recyclables is more effective than several
smaller containers, each holding a specific material. Among rigid set-out
containers, box-shaped containers are preferred to round containers.
Negotiating a Contract*
Once an assessment of post-consumer plastic availability has been made and
potential markets have been identified, the plastics handler is in a position to
define how materials will be secured. Obtaining an adequate quantity of
materials may involve contracting with several parties, such as local governments, private collectors, commercial businesses or other entities involved in
the collection of recyclables in the service area.
Before beginning any negotiations, it is important to establish who owns
the recyclables. Some municipalities have established “flow-control” of their
waste through ordinance or law. This gives the municipality ownership and
con.trol of the waste. This control can be contracted or franchised to a
private hauler. Potential handlers need to understand who has the legal right
to the recyclables, and under what conditions, before negotiating for the
feedstock.
Drafting a contract that assures a reliable, consistent stream of post-consumer plastic of a known type and quality is critical for the development of
a successll handling operation. However, a variety of issues must be
addressed in material supply contracts:
Type(s) of plastic to be delivered:
Clearly define the type of plastics to be accepted. For example, don’t speci@
all “1’s and 2’s” if you actually mean soft-drink and milk bottles. Be sure to
specfi “bottles” as opposed to “containers”; “soft-drink PET” vs.
“custom PET”; “clear” vs. “pigmented.” Knowing what you can market is
impbrtant. Getting what you want is imperative to making your business
viable.
Markets for recycled plastics fluctuate - as they do for all commodities.
Every contract should include a mechanism for adding or deleting types of
recyclable material and adjusting fees to reflect changes in operating costs
and market conditions. This will eliminate the need to renegotiate a
contract every time a change is required.
* This section should not be considered a substitutefor lgal advice with respect to the terms and
conditions of specific contracts, nor does it purport to be a comprehensive list of all contractual
terms that may be necessary or appropriate in pavticular circumstances.
En
Amount of plastics to be delivered:
It is critical to know what quantity, types and in what form (compacted or
loose) material will be coming to the facility and what type of equipment
will be used to deliver the material. In addition, it is helpful to know the
frequency and timing of deliveries in order to develop and maintain a
smooth-running operation.
Delivery specifications:
There are three general forms in which plastic feedstock can be delivered to
the handler: commingled, mixed and sorted. “Commingled” commonly
refers to plastics that are collected together with other recyclables - aluminum cans, glass bottles, or other materials. “Mixed” implies that the
handler will receive loads containing several types of plastics separated from
other recyclables. Shipments received “sorted” indicate that the handler will
receive plastic sorted by resin type and perhaps by color as well.
If the incoming plastics are commingled or mixed, the handler will need
sorting equipment and personnel in the facility. If the plastics are to be
delivered sorted, negotiations should define the standards to be used. What
degree of sorting can the plastic handler demand from the material source?
How much mixing will be allowed in a “sorted” load?
Generally, the less stringent the specifications of the handler, the higher the
handling costs. The pricing system should be structured to reflect the
degree to which the material must be handled. For example, the price paid
or amount charged for sorted materials should be higher (or the amount
charged should be lower) than that for commingled or mixed materials.
When establishing delivery specifications, it is extremely valuable to keep in
mind the specifications of the reclaimer or end-user. In existing handling
operations, most plastics are received mixed. Consequently, sorting is
required at the handling facility if it is not provided by the reclaimer or
end-use market.
Quality standards fer delivered plastics:
Regardless of whether plastics are being delivered to the facility commingled, mixed or sorted, there will be some contamination. Establish allowable
limits of contamination and define the consequences of delivering materials
that exceed these limits. A pricing structure can serve as an incentive for
delivery of clean material. The handler may want to retain the right to refuse
any shipment that does not meet the agreed-upon specifications. This
__
~
--
-
reduces the risk of receiving material that will ultimately need to be disposed
of. It also reinforces the message to a supplier that quality is essential to
securing high-value markets for its material.
Being very specific about the types of plastic acceptedwill assist the handler
in obtaining fairly “clean” material. Entities responsible for the collection of
such recyclables normally identify minimum standards to which a participant
must prepare plastics. For instance, PET bottles may be accepted without
removing labels and rinsing, and colored lids may be accepted with natural
HDPE containers. While these allowances can increase recovery rates, they
will decrease the overall quality and possibly the marketability of the
material. The increased rate may not offset the cost incurred to the handler
to remove this type of contamination - which often is an expensive
proposition.
Payment schedule and method:
The method and frequency of payment should be outlined clearly in a
contract. Although it can be tedious, it may be equitable for both the
plastics handler and the collector to index prices paid for materials to prices
published in periodicals such as Plastics News or Recycling Times. These
publications list current market prices for certain plastic recyclables on a
periodic and regional basis.
Indexing allows the price of collected scrap plastics to reflect demand for
the material. If a fixed commodity price is more desirable, a handler must
determine a price for the collected material that will reflect required profit
levels. Contracts that include a fixed commodity price should also require a
minimum quantity of incoming material in order to guarantee supply.
A manual called “How to Implement a Plastics Recycling Program” outlines
issues and questions to be addressed when collectors of post-consumer
plastics are seeking a market or handler for collected materials. Topics
addressed include long-term versus short-term contracts, material conditions, provision of containers, transportation and scheduling, fee structure,
and experience and past performance. Potential handlers may wish to review
this publication and address these questions and issues in draft contracts
prior to presentation to potential suppliers of post-consumer plastics. Call
the American Plastics Council at 1-800-2-HELP-90for more information
about this manual and other available materials and services.
Working with Private Haulers
Private haulers traditionally have serviced the vast majority of the
commercial and indus&ial sector waste and recycling streams. Therefore,
they represent the biggest source of recyclable material for handlers. In
addition, as municipalities attempt to reduce their financial and environmental burdens through alternative residential waste management, they increasingly are turning to private sector waste haulers to perform curbside
collection of recyclable materials.
To private haulers, time is money. The time spent driving to and unloading
at a handling facility is looked upon as “unproductive,” or non-revenueproducing time.
It is incumbent upon a handler to do everything within reason to minimize
a private hauler’s unloading time. Revenues received from the sale of recyclables will be offset rapidly by unnecessary unloading delays. Presented
with a choice, a private hauler is likely to choose a handling operation that
results in the lowest off-route time over one with a higher price. A hauler’s
revenue for providing the collection service will typically far exceed revenues
received for materials.
Handlers also should take into consideration that private haulers typically
want to deliver compacted materials in order to maximize payloads.
Handlers should be prepared to accommodate large loads of compacted
plastics from private firms. It is advisable for a potential plastics handler to
identifjr and meet with the private haulers collecting plastics in their
designated service area before finalizing the handling facility design. Truck
body types, gross vehicle weights, unloading height requirements and
maneuverability constraints associated with haulers’ vehicles should be taken
into account in developing the handling operation.
Meeting with local private haulers can also provide the opportunity for a
handler to clearly communicate material specifications and requirements.
This effort can go a long way toward assuring the quality of material being
delivered to the facility and establishing a good customer relationship right
from the start.
Finally, prompt payment at the unit price promised for delivered materials
can also go a long way toward cementing a long-term, mutually beneficial
relationship with a private hauler. And it can help assure that, in the event
your facility has to charge a tipping fee for materials delivered, prompt
payment by the hauler will be returned in kind.
Working with Local Governments
The reasons driving local governments’ participation in recycling are their
need to solve part of their solid waste disposal problem and their desire to
respond to strong public demand for recycling. It is the local government’s
objective to divert material from the waste stream, while it is the handler’s
objective to consolidate material for sale. Local governments are in the
recycling business to reduce the need for disposal capacity, while the handler
is in the business because the diverted materials, or the processing services,
have value that offers the opportunity for profit. These divergent motivations may result in misunderstandings between recyclers and government
entities. Addressing this issue in the program-design phase may reduce the
risk of either party misunderstanding the costs and benefits of waste
reduction through recycling.
As local governments develop their recycling programs, many decide to fill
the role of plastics handler themselves. A local government may construct its
own Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and operate the facility itself or hire
a private operator. This may result in a lost business opportunity for the
potential plastics handler. Therefore, a business interested in handling
plastics must offer a service that has advantages over municipal handling of
the plastics.
A handler that has been recycling other commodities or industrial scrap
plastics can offer a local government more than just handling services; it can
offer knowledge about markets, market specifications, commodity pricing,
recovery techniques and costs and recycling business fluctuations, pitfalls
and stren’gths.In addition, reclaimers and end-users may have more confidence in a handler’s ability to deliver materials that meet specifications in a
timely manner.
However, local governments and private handlers may have some
differences in the way they do business that must be overcome to ensure a
successful relationship. A handler may have no firm contracts for the sale of
material but rather “play the market” or work through a network of
reclaimers and end-users. This may be of concern to local governments,
which traditionally require long-term contractual relationships. If the local
government will not accept a contract based on prices set in an industry
publication, a handler can offer a set price that is lower than market value
for a length of time.
Local governments also may be uncomfortable with a handler’s unwillingness to share proprietary information. Local governments may want to
know exactly how materials are processed, information that a handler may
not wish to make public for competitive reasons. If this is the case, a handler
may suggest that arrangements between the local government and the
handler be based on performance and incentives rather than specific processing requirements. However, some local governments may insist upon
reporting requirements for handlers because they, in turn, are required to
report to someone else, often the state, on their recycling efforts. There
needs to be a clear delineation by the local government of what will be
required for program reporting and open discussions with the handler
about how this information can be compiled and reported.
A local government is much more likely to incorporate a plastics handler
into its program if the handler is involved in planning the recycling
program. A handler should demonstrate interest in working with local
governments through active participation in local and regional solid waste
planning groups. This will make local leaders and recycling program
planners more aware of your capabilities as a handler.
Competition:
Competition for recyclable materials within a region may affect the price
and availability of post-consumer plastic scrap for a potential handler. When
sizing up the competition, try to get the answers to the following questions:
If plastics currently are collected for recycling, where are they going?
What plastics are being accepted, and is there an opportunity to broaden the
list of marketable materials?
Is there a contract that commits those materials?
Can the existing plastics handling and reclaiming infrastructure absorb
more post-consumer plastics than currently are collected?
If the post-consumer plastic currently is delivered to a reclaimer or enduser, would it prefer to receive a material that has been upgraded by sorting
or baling?
Would your operation have advantages over other operations, such as a
higher price paid for material, less-stringent delivery specifications, shorter
hauling distance or a greater variety of materials accepted?
__
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Works herr
Waste Stri
“How Can I Identify Uncoded Resins?”
As the SPI resin code is not present on a large variety of
post-consumer plastic products found outside of the residential
waste stream, the following chart can assist you in identifying those
mystery resins that could end up being a valuable source of material
for your handling operation.
I n the absencc
waste stream1
emphasized tt
vary significa
fi-om nationa
sheet below 11
plastic feedstrl
The source d
Protection A
United State::
Quantity of
The EPA estii
Total MSW
pounds/pers;,
tons/person,,
* Generation bejl
To calculate 11
of the propos
(See Resin Identification Chart Inside)
HD PE “ Natura I”
PVC
HDPE Colored
PET
opaque
matte finish
(not shiny)
can be transparent,
transparent with
translucent, or
high gloss
opaque (colored,
can be clear or
usually high gloss)
colored
no seams
bottles have seams
bottom has injection clear bottles sometimes have faint
molding nub
blue tint
(see below)
bottom has blow
molding ‘‘smile’’
(see below)
(without color)
translucent
matte finish
(not shiny)
Appearance
Touch
slightly waxy to
slightly waxy to
touch
touch
semi-rigid to flexible semi-rigid to flexible
does not crack when does not crack when
bent
bent
tough
slick surface
highly resilient
semi-rigid
tough
very smooth surface
forms opaque white
line when bent
semi-rigid
Density
floats in water
floats in water
sinks in water
sinks in water
Can It Be
Transparent?
No
No
Yes
Yes
1
3
carbonated beverage
bottles
Pepto Bismol bottles
Ocean Spray juice
bottles
honey jars
(look for nubs)
plastic liquor bottles
Palmolive dishwashing liquid
liquid Spic ik Span
Pine cleaner bottles
other clear, tough
bottles or jars with
nubs
salad dressing bottles
cooking oil bottles
most imported mineral water bottles
some translucent
pharmaceutical
bottles (e.g., cough
syrup -look for
Polyethylene
Terephthalate
Polyvinyl Chloride
‘
I
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~~
SPI Code
2
Typical
Products
milk jugs
Full Name
of Plastic
cider jugs
distilled & spring
water jugs
juice bottles
(not clear)
rubbing alcohol
bottles
large vinegar bottles
small, single-serving
juice or punch
drink bottles
Visine bottles
coffee can lids
High Density
Polyethylene
laundry detergent
bottles
dish detergent bottles
hbric softener bottles
saline solution bottles
bleach bottles
skin and baby lotion
bottles
auto motor oil bottles
auto antifreeze bottles
peanut can lids
dental floss dispensers
dispensers for baby
wipes
High Density
Polyethylene
smile)
blister pack ”bubble”
for batteries, hardware supplies, etc.
I
’P
LPDE
ransparent,
can be nearly
ranslucent, or
transparent, ( e g ,
dry cleaning bags)
opaque
lear or colored
or opaque
an have shiny or low can be colored
gloss finish
low to high gloss
PS
EPS
transparent or
opaque
clear or colored
high gloss
opaque only
varies
smooth to grainy
finish,
foamed, thick-walled
Other
~
nooth surface
:mi-rigid
)ugh
.
slightly waxy to touch slick, smooth surface smooth surface
varies
flexible
cracks easily on
cracks easily on
stretches before
bending
bending
tearing when pulled brittle to semi-rigid lightweight and flu@
oats in water
floats in water
sinks in water
floats in water
varies
es
Yes
Yes
No
varies
4
6
6
7
lost lids for
usually appears in
bottles
flexible film such as
ropicana frozen
dry cleaning bags,
orange juice cans
bread bags, prom e yogurt cups
duce bags, etc., but
and lids (those that
some rigid items
do not crack easily
such as food storwhen bent)
age containers and
flexible lids
most yogurt cups
and tubs
cookie and muffin
trays
clear carry-out
containers
most fast-food
cutlery
vitamin bottles
crystal clear, rigid
juice bottles with
seams
carry-out containers
(clamshells, etc.)
meat and produce
products made of
other plastics resins
besides the 6 most
common, or products made of multiple resins in layers,
blends, or different
P*
examples: microwavable serving ware,
“brick pack” juice
boxes, water cooler
bottles, most snack
bags (potato chips,
etc.)
olypropylene
Polystyrene
Expanded
(or Foamed)
Polystyrene
Low Density
Polyethylene
’
trays
hot cups
egg cartons
“How Can I Identify Uncoded Resins?”
I
As the SPI resin code is not present on a large variety of
post-consumer plastic products found outside of the residential
waste stream, the following chart can assist you in identifying those
mystery resins that could end up being a valuable source of material
for your handling operation.
Sample Calculation:
I
Estimating the quantity and composition of solid waste for a
service area involves three steps. The calculations below use EPA data
for 1990 and assume a service area population of 100,000:
Quantity of Solid Waste in the Service Area
Population x tons/person/year
0.78
rloo,ooo
=
tons per year
78,000 tons per year
from page 34
your town’s population
I
=
Composition of Solid Waste in the Service Area
Take the weight percentages listed below and multiply them by the
tons per year figure obtained above. (E+, for durables, multiply
14.3 x 78,000 = 11,154 tons per year of durables.*)
Weight
Percentage
Material
Durables
14.3
Nondurables
Plastic Plates and Cups
Disposable Diapers
Other Nondurables
0.2
1.4
25.1
Plastic Packaging
Plastic Soft Drink Bottles
Milkflugs
Other Plastic Containers
, Bags and Sacks
Wraps
Other Plastic Packaging
I
0.2
0.2
0.9
0.5
0.8
1.o
Other Packaging
29.3
Other Wastes
26.1
Total Discards
100.0
* See p. 36 for more specific subcategories.
Composition of Solid Waste:
The EPA estimates that the percentage composition of the products generated by
weight (*) in 1990was as follows:
Percentage
Material
Durable Goods:
Major Appliances
Furniture and Furnishings
Carpets and Rugs
Rubber Tires
Lead-Acid Batteries
Miscellaneous Durables
1.4
3.8
0.9
0.9
0.9
6.4
14.3
Paper Products
Plastic Plates and Cups
Disposable Diapers
Clothing and Footwear
Miscellaneous Nondurables
20.7
0.2
1.4
1.9
2.5
26.7
Total Durables
Nondurable Goods:
Total Nondurables
Containem and Packaging:
Glass Packaging
Steel Packaging
Aluminum Packaging
Paper & Paperboard Packaging
Plastic Packaging
Soft Drink Bottles
Milk/Jugs
Other Containers
Bags and Sacks
Wraps
Other Plastic Packaging
Wood Packaging
Other Misc. Packaging
Total Packaging
6.1
1.5
1.o
16.7
3.6
0.2
0.2
0.9
0.5
0.8
1.o
4.0
0.1
32.9
Other Wastes:
Food Wastes
Yard Wastes
Other Inorganic Wastes
Total Other Wastes
6.7
17.9
1.5
26.1
100.0
Total Discards
* Befbre materials recovey and combustion.
I
Factors that May Influence the Estimate
-
The last step in determining the availability of plastic feedstock in
the service area is to adjust this estimate for local conditions. This
estimate is based on national data and should be refined for known
area conditions. Information that will be useful in refining this
estimate includes:
Information on manufacturing firms or other businesses in the area
that generate significant amounts of plastic feedstock.
Information on local recycling programs that may already be
diverting plastic scrap - recovery will be much lower for drop-off
depots compared to curbside collection programs, but drop-offs have
proven to be an effective way to collect material, especially in a rural
service area.
Information on existing plastics handlers in the area.
If a beverage bottle deposit ordinance is in effect, very few PET
soft-drinkbottles will be recovered by other means.
Poor quality of local drinking water will likely result in greater
generation of post-consumer HDPE from the disposal of purchased
water containers.
It also is important to remember that no collection program will
capture 100 percent of the material available in the waste stream.
Some households and businesses will not participate and some
material will be contaminated or lost before the collection system
can recover it.
As a general estimate, it may be concluded that a curbside collection
program will recover between 5 and 11 pounds of PET soda bottles
(clear and colored) per household per year, and a similar amount of
natural HDPE milk and water jugs. Obviously, significant amounts
of other plastic feedstock is generated. However, much of this is not
curbside-collected at the present time and thus has not been targeted
for plastics handling facilities in this report.
,
Worksheet: Estimating Plastics Feedstock from
Municipal Programs
Now that you have a general idea of the total amount of material
available in your service area, you can calculate the potential amount
available &om a municipal curbside program.
A. How to Calculate Estimated Weight:
Look at the Estimated Recovery Levels chart on p. 39. Find the
RECOVERY LEVEL (lbs./household/year) of the collected resins. Write
that number below.
-
X
# of households to be
RECOVERY LEVEL
(lbs./household/yr.)
Estimated lbs./yr.
served by program
-
52
-
Estimated lbs./yr
Estimated
lbs./weekly collection
B. How to Calculate Estimated Volume:
From the Estimated Recovery Levels Chart, find the DENSITY for the
resins to be collected.
-
Estimated
lbs./weekly collection
DENSITY
Estimated
vol./weekly collection
Estimated
vol./weekly collection
-
# of truckloads/wk.
Estimated vol./truck
~
~~
Recovery Levels of Plastic Resin
ide Program:
Resins
Collected
Milk jugs
Estimated
Recovery Level
(lbs./household/yr.)
Estimated Density
(lbs./cu. yds.)
withStep-on-It
ProJram *
PET
5-11
30-45
natural HDPE
5-10
25-30
PET, natural HDPE
8-17
30-40
PET, natural HDPE,
clear PVC
8-18
30-40
colored HDPE
1-2
35-50
PET, natural HDPE
colored HDPE
PVC, PP
multilayer
15-24
40-50
* Step-on-it programs encourage consumersto flatten plastic bottles
as a means of saving space in recycling bins.
\
,
A
Designing a
Operation
successful plastics handling operation can be started from scratch, or
it can evolve from an existing plastics collection or plastics reclaiming
operation. A plastics handling operation can also evolve from an
operation that handles other material, such as scrap paper or metals.
Most handlers of post-consumer scrap plastics use one of four handling
methods to prepare plastics for market. The two most common handling
methods are:
to receive mixed plastics, sort them, and aggregate and bale for shipment;
or
to receive pre-sorted plastics and aggregate and bale for shipment.
Less fiequently, handlers may:
receive mixed plastics, sort them, and granulate them for shipment; or
receive pre-sorted plastics and granulate them for shipment.
I
Regardless of procedures to be performed, any handling operation must be
designed to provide for:
storage of incoming and finished goods;
smooth flow of materials and traffic;
efficient operations;
ongoing maintenance and servicing of equipment;
business administration; and
value-added materials handling.
Site Requirements
There are four issues to address when choosing a site for a plastics handling
ficility.
Location:
The cost of transportation can be a significant economic factor in operating
a handling facility. Minimize transportation costs and maximize long-term
economic benefits by locating as near to identified plastic scrap generators
and markets as possible.
Access:
Ideally, the site should be accessible by major road and rail arteries. Also,
access to necessary utilities is a must to avoid the costs of making those
utilities available. Utility requirements for a plastics handling facility include
electricity - three-phase power usually is required - water and wastewater
discharge. Limited amounts of washdown water are required for maintenance, as well as dust and odor control.
Sufficient space must be provided for all-aspects of the business, including
vehicular traffic (such as truck queuing, weighing and dumping and
movement of materials on site), material processing and storage, and buffer
areas. If outside storage of materials is anticipated, the impact on site
requirements and surrounding land uses needs to be considered. Site size,
shape and topography affect the size and arrangement of the facility and
operation, including the placement of buildings and roads. Other factors
such as drainage, visual impacts, geological conditions and slopes can also
impact the desirability of a particular site.
The arrangement of the facility and on-site operations should be situated
so that noise and glare are directed away from neighboring properties. The
facility site should also provide enough flexibility to allow for future
expansion and changes in materials or traffic flow.
Permits:
The requirements for air, water and other permits vary widely from state
to state and community to community. Overall, the regulations for facilities
handling solid waste have been tightened over the past few years. The cost
of securing permits can range from several hundred dollars for a site and
facility in an area that already comes under industrial use, to many thousands of dollars for an environmentally sensitive site.
The permitting process often is long and complicated, involving several state
regulatory agencies. It often is beneficial to hire a consultant familiar with
the permitting process to assist in the preparation and filing of applications
and to help expedite permit applications through the proper channels.
Normally, permits required for a handler are minimal compared to a
reclaimer.
-~
_.
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There are two likely scenarios for the development of a plastics handling
facility. The first is that an existing facility will be retrofitted to handle
plastics. The second is that a completely new facility will be developed.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these scenarios.
Building Requirements
Buildings should be designed to accommodate the flow of materials and
the configuration of the processing equipment. This will depend on:
the volume of material to be handled;
the types of material to be handled;
the degree of processing that is to take place;
the types of vehicles used to deliver plastic scrap to *e facility; and
the methods used to transport processed plastics from the facility to
market.
The building receiving area must be compatible with the vehicles delivering
material and be sized adequately to hold material awaiting processing. This
requires an understanding of the frequency and size of deliveries, as well as
the type of equipment to be used. For example, if materials are to be
dumped or tipped inside the facility, doors and ceilings must be high
enough to allow vehicles to enter and unload and there must be adequate
room to maneuver vehicles, move loads and keep source-separated materials
segregated.
The building arrangement should facilitate the smooth and efficient
movement of materials. For example, if materials are to be moved from the
delivery area by conveyor, it may be advantageous to have the conveyor
slightly below grade to allow materials to be pushed directly - rather than
lifted - onto the conveyor.
A truck scale and scale house should be built into the design of the site and
building. Accurate weighing of materials being delivered and shipped will be
a critical cost factor. The location of the scale will dictate the flow of trucks
on and off the site.
A loading dock or ramp to allow loading finished bales or gaylords onto
trucks for shipment also should be considered.
Building costs:
Building costs depend on the size and complexity of the structure required.
A pre-engineered metal building may cost as little as $5 to $8 per square
foot. However, a custom-designed building can easily cost more than 50
times that much. Building costs will also depend on factors such as
geographical location, climate conditions and accessibility. Excluding the
cost of the land and equipment, a good rule of thumb for estimating facility
development costs is $80 to $100 per square foot. In some cases, an existing industrial facility can be bought for less than the cost of constructing a
new building, leaving some funds for renovation.
Retrofitting an existing facility:
Advantages:
The site is secured. There is no need to locate and permit a site.
Most, if not all operational permits are in place.
There is operational experience, including procurement of recyclables,
equipment operation and maintenance and sale of processed material.
Building and construction costs may be reduced.
Disadvantages:
The location of the site may not be convenient to plastics generators,
end-users or transportation systems.
The size and shape of the site or existing buildings may not lend
themselves to modification or expansion.
e The building configuration may make operational inefficiencies
unavoidable.
Building a facility from the ground up:
Advantages:
The site location can be selected for proximity to plastics generators
and /or end-markets.
The site and building can be designed for maximum efficiency.
Disadvantages:
Purchasing and permitting of the best sites may be difficult due to
regulatory restrictions or public opposition.
The cost to design and build from the ground up may exceed a potential
handler’s resources.
Lack of operational experience may affect the efficiency and profitability
of the business.
Equipment Requirements
Plastics handling operations need at least three types of equipment: materials
handling equipment, sorting equipment and processing equipment.
Materials handling equipment:
Materials handling equipment includes conveyors, forklift trucks, front-end
loaders and storage containers. Plastics delivered to the facility must be
off-loaded and moved to a sorting or processing area. In the course of
processing and storing materials, it may also be necessary to move materials
from one area of the facility to another. Again, if material is to be moved by
conveyor, the feed end of the conveyor should be slightly below ground
level to eliminate lifting.
Bins, boxes or heavy wire cages may be needed to store materials before and
after processing. Storage containers will be extremely important to low-volume operations or any type of operation where a single piece of equipment,
such as a baler, is used to “batch” process several types of plastic scrap.
Sorting equipment:
For recycling, post-consumer plastics need to be sorted from:
non-recyclables (the waste stream);
other recyclables such as glass, metal, or paper; and
one another by resin and/or by color.
Although sorting can be done at any stage of the recycling process, most
sorting of post-consumer plastics from other recyclables, as well as sorting
by resin type is commonly done by the handler.
Determining who performs each of these sorting steps can have tremendous
impact on the design and,hnction of a handling operation. It may also be
a factor in whether or not the operation is considered to be solid waste
management or materials handling. Perhaps the most important element
of creating a successful sorting operation is building in the flexibility that
allows quick and efficient reactions to changes in market specifications.
A handler’s end-market may favor materials that are sorted by color, as well
as resin type. For many end uses, unpigmented plastic can be made into
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products of any color, while pigmented plastic can only be made into a color
similar to the pigment. Unpigmented, homogeneous scrap plastics consistently have the greatest market value, followed by color-separated material
and, finally, mixed colored material. The more thorough the sorting
process, the more valuable the plastics will be in the marketplace.
~~
Basic equipment needed to perform macro sorting - sorting bottles and
containers or other large or bulky plastic items into a homogeneous resin
and/or color stream - includes conveyors with sorting or “picking”
stations and, possibly, vibratory screens to classify materials by size and
reduce contamination. Also, bins or boxes are needed to store the sorted
material until processing. Commercially available technology and equipment
to perform an automated micro sort (that is, sorting plastic flakes or pellets
by resin and/or color type) is discussed on p. 47.
Post-consumer plastic sorting operations are labor-intensive since most sorting is performed by hand. A sorting system designed to minimize manual
labor and separate plastics efficiently will reduce overall operating expenses.
The number of laborers required depends on operational factors such as the
volume of plastics being processed, the various operations performed and
the degree of automation present. In general, however, the more complex
the manual sorting requirements, the lower the efficiency and productivity
of the operation and the more automated sorting should be considered as
an alternative.
Separating resin types by color requires additional separation efforts. Most
handlers accomplish such separation using manual labor and a sorting
conveyor.
Positive versus negative sorting:
Positive sorting, or directly removing a desired resin or color from other
materials, normally is preferred over negative sorting where the desired resin
or color is what remains after the other materials have been removed.
For example, the most common sorting scenario for post-consumer plastics
today involves the separation of PET soft drink bottles and HDPE milk,
juice and water jugs. Many facilities positively sort the PET and negatively
sort the HDPE. This means the soft drink bottles are picked from a
conveyor belt and what remains falls off the end of the belt and is shipped
or processed as unpigmented HDPE.
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The quality of the HDPE could be improved through positive sorting. A positive sort provides a higher level of quality because the desired item is selected.
In a negative sort, unwanted materials often are left in the final product.
When multiple sorts are required from a mix of plastic bottles or rigid
plastic containers, it is advisable to positively sort all desired resins and to
allow only the “tailings” - materials of insufficient quantity or quality - to
fall off the end of the belt.
The obvious disadvantage to positive sorting is the increased amount of
labor required. A handler must weigh the added labor costs against the
benefit of producing higher quality material, understanding that quality is
essential to establishing and maintaining long-term markets.
Automated sorting:
The current reliance on manual labor to sort plastics by resin type is a major
cost barrier to realizing economies of scale in plastics recycling. Ideally,
automated sorting lines will be able to yield the high volume, pure resin
streams that cannot be realized through manual labor. Currently, there are
several automated sorting systems commercially available.
Magnetic Separation Systems (MSS). Their “BottleSortTM7’
technology is
an integrated high-speed sorting system for the separation of the four most
commonly collected packaging plastics: PET, PVC, HDPE, and PP.
Commercialized with plastics industry assistance, a version of this automated plastic sorting system was sold to Eaglebrook Plastics in Chicago and
started up in late December 1991. The Eaglebrook-installed system was
designed to sort 5,000 pounds per hour of mixed plastic bottles and consists
of four parallel lines fed by a bale breaker and singulator system. The process
works with either whole or baled bottles.
The MSS system employs a primary detector to separate the bottles into
three streams: PET and PVC; unpigmented HDPE and PP; and mixed
color opaque. The process can be designed to stop at this point or separate
the three primary streams into subcategories with additional sensor and eject
modules. Four other modules are available:
PVC Module - separates PVC from PET bottles;
0 PET Module - separates green and amber PET from clear PET;
PP Module - separates unpigmented PP from unpigmented HDPE; and
Color Module - separates mixed color opaque into seven individual colors
or combinations of colors.
The beauty of this system lies in the flexibility to add as few or as many
modules as required to handle the incoming material. It can be purchased as
a hand-fed single line handling 1,250 pph (pounds per hour) using only the
primary detector, or as a multi-line system, integrated with a bale breaker
and singulator, employing all of the modules and diverting the separated
streams directly into individual granulators. Costs for these systems can
range from $65,000 for a basic hand-fed detector to $750,000 for a 5,000
pph system with all the options. MSS is based in Nashville, TN.
Automation Industrial Control (AIC). AIC developed “PolySortTM,”
a second system for sorting baled bottles, also with funding assistance
from the plastics industry. Their system uses a pair of detectors at a single
station - one for determining resin type and one for identifylng color to control the separation. The system is capable of detecting and separating all of the common packaging resins (PET, HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PP, PS)
plus polycarbonate (PC).
A demonstration line currently is operating at North American Plastics
Recycling in Ft. Edward, NY. It is designed to process three bottles per
second (approximately 1,500 pph). The bottles are carried to the detector
by a singulator developed by Chamberlain MRC of Hunt Valley, MD. The
prototype line, completed in August 1992, separates bottles into specific
categories of resin/color combinations with one pass, providing for separation into categories such as clear PET, natural PP, HDPE, PVC, etc. The
categories may be changed by modifylng the computer programs.
The cost of the AIC/MRC system will not be determined until after the
completion of the prototype demonstration, but it is anticipated that a
basic 1,500 pph system (singulator, detectors and diversion system) will
cost between $350,000 and $400,000 and a 3,000 pph system between
$425,000 and $475,000.
Both the MSS and AIC/MRC systems have been designed to maximize
quality. In initial testing, these systems have demonstrated accuracy between
96 and 98 percent. If the detector is not 100 percent sure that the resin is
positively identified, the cQntainer will be diverted to the “other” category.
The accuracy of the detectors is such that the majority of the errors are
expected to result from material handling errors, such as two bottles going
through the detector at one time. While the detectors are very precise,
material handling is still somewhat of an art since the variety of shapes, sizes
and states of incoming bottles is almost unlimited. In spite of this, the automated systems are expected to yield very high quality streams.
.
~~
At the end of 1992, other companies, including National Recovery
Technologies, Inc., of Nashville, were developing commercial systems for
automatically sorting the post-consumer plastic bottle stream.
PET/PVC Sorting. The ability to automatically distinguish PVC from
PET increases the value of both resins significantly,thereby improving a
handler's ability to produce greater volumes of higher-quality material.
Commercially available units that accomplish an automated PVC/PET sort
include: the VinylCycleTMfrom National Recovery Technologies, Inc., and a
system from Magnetic Separation Systems.
Over.25 systems for automaticallyally sorting PET and PVC were installed
at commercial plastics recycling facilities by the end of 1992. These systems
are operating With an accuracy rate in excess of 99.5 percent.
To determine the cost-efficiency of plastic processing systems, the plastics
industry initiated a comparison of automated versus manual plastics sorting
at various throughput levels. This study focused on three types of automated sorting technology:
Air classifiers that use air currents to separate lighter materials (plastics and
aluminum) from heavier materials (glass);
Trommels that separate larger plastic containers from smaller aluminum
and plastic containers; and
Eddy current separators that can be employed to remove aluminum from
plastics.
On the basis of this research, the industry has determined benchmark
operating criteria for cost-efficient automated sorting of plastics from other
recyclable materials:
The maximum sustainable rate for manual sorting is 500 pounds of
plastics per hour per worker; however, when manually sorting several resin
types from a mixed plastic stream, this benchmark sorting rate will be
somewhat lower.
Air classifiers were typically found to be more cost effective in sorting
aluminum and plastics from other materials than hand sorting.
0 The use of trommels and/or eddy current separators is more cost effective
than manual sorting at plastics throughput levels of more than 600 pounds
hour.
There is a positive correlation between higher levels of throughput and
automation and lower sorting costs.
SOURCE: RW. Beck &Associates
Processing:
Processing post-consumer pl stics - upgrading the qu lity of the ma erial
and preparing it for further processing - is a relatively new venture, with
technology continually evolving. Consequently, dedicated plastics processing equipment can be quite capital intensive. This is why many plastic
handlers, especially those in areas with low volumes of post-consumer
plastics, use equipment originally designed for other materials, such as a
paper or aluminum baler, to process plastics. In many instances, this practice
is reported to be working quite well, as long as the quality of the plastics is
not significantly compromised by cross-material contamination.
One of the biggest challenges facing plastics handlers is the low weight-tovolume ratio of plastics. A critical component of the handling business from the standpoint of efficiency and economic incentive - involves reducing the volume of plastics prior to long-term storage and/or shipping to
market. The most common way to do this is baling the material, although a
handler may also granulate the plastics. The following discussion of baling
and granulating methods and equipment is based on operational and
economic data supplied to the plastics industry by more than 400
post-consumer plastics handlers.
Baling:
Baling is the mechanical compression of a large volume of material into
smaller, denser packages that are secured to maintain compaction. Baling
increases the weight-to-volume ratio of the material and produces uniform,
easy to handle units. Most importantly, baled material requires significantly
less storage and transport space than loose material, thus reducing overall
costs. There are three basic types of balers, which are distinguished by the
directional movement of the compressing ram: vertical downstroke, vertical
upstroke, and horizontal.
Many handlers seek a great deal of flexibility in their baling system.
Manufacturers have‘responded to this need by custom-designing balers
with modular components. Through this technology, handlers are able to
conserve one of their most valuable resources: plant production floor space.
The most-favored balers are flexible - composed of modular components,
and produce high-quality dense bales. Prompt and knowledgeable service
for the machines is also vital. Balers with interchangeable spare parts and
“off the shelf’ components reduce downtime.
Bale characteristics:
Bales of plastics can vary in size and weight, depending on the type of baler
used and the type of plastic being baled. Average dimensions for plastic
bales are approximately 30 I' x 48 'I x 60 " . To facilitate standardization, the
Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has developed guidelines for
baled plastic bottles and is working to expand those guidelines to include
baled PS foam and flexible plastics as well. (For a complete list of ISRI baled
bottle guidelines, see Appendix B.)
A bale must be of a configuration that allows for maximizing truck loads
and makes handling easy. The bale density must be high enough to provide
a cost-effective load. (Target truck load weight should be as close to 40,000
pounds as possible without going over.) On the other hand, an overly densified bale makes it difficult to separate and subsequently, to sort the plastics.
Target densities range between 10 and 15 pounds per cubic foot.
The bale must maintain its integrity through unloading and storage. Bales
that "open" or fall apart are another potential cause of rejection. Finally,
bales should be held together with non-rusting materials. The rust will stain
the plastic and make it unusable for some applications.
Uniformity of bales is especially important for overseas shipment due to the
rigid specifications set for shipment in export containers.
Vertical Upstroke and Downstroke Balers. In a typical vertical
downstroke baling system materials are loaded through an opening on the
front of the machine. This system can be highly labor intensive as the baler
must be hand-fed; When activated, the compressing ram compacts the
contents in the enclosed chamber. This procedure is repeated for several
cycles. An operator then loops wire or strapping through the grooves in the
platen. The bale is tied off and either manually or mechanically ejected from
the chamber and the ram is retracted.
A typical upstroke baler is recessed in a 10- to 15-foot pit that the downstroke baler does not require. Material is loaded into the pit and then
compressed upwards to floor height. At full compression, the bale is tied
off and ejected in the same manner as the downstroke baler.
Baler designs for some upstroke and downstroke balers require handfeeding, which is highly labor intensive.
,
Vertical upstroke balers tend to produce tighter and longer bales, and the
machines are generally capable of higher capacity than downstroke balers.
Downstroke balers are especially troublesome in baling LDPE and acrylic
film plastics. The acrylic tends to require additional labor for tucking and
stuffing the sheets into the baler. The LDPE plastic is inclined to squeeze
out of the baling chamber of some downstroke balers as the bale is released
before tying.
Vertical balers historically have been unable to cope with “plastic memory”
- the tendency for compressed plastics to re-expand to their original shape.
Perforators and flatteners can be helpful in this area. Small-volumehandlers
in particular may find that vertical balers, equipped with perforators and
flatteners, are most useful for their operations. In general, if a handler is
baling less than 3,200 pounds of plastic a day, or an average of four or fewer
bales, the low capital costs of a vertical baler may outweigh the increased
speed realized with a horizontal baler.
Horizontal Balers. In general, horizontal balers are more efficient in
baling plastics than vertical upstroke or downstroke balers.
Horizontal balers have the ability to vary bale dimensions, particularly the
length of the bale, to help meet purchaser specifications or to accommodate
shipping requirements.
Hydraulically powered horizontal balers permit the highest production
rates. Large volume, post-consumer plastics handling operations require the
production speed of a hydraulically powered horizontal baler.
An automatic bale tier, while adding to equipment costs, may be required
because of the plastic memory phenomenon. Plastic bales often need three
to four times the number of retaining bands than is necessary for bales of
other recyclables. Due to increased labor costs, manual tying becomes very
unattractive.
Horizontal balers can be semi- or fully automatic, and can allow bale tying
before ejection from the chamber. Fully automated programmable balers
can be operated by as few as one operator and one assistant. The fewer
employees necessary to operate the machine the better, for both economic
and safety reasons.
Programmable horizontal balers offer the ability to automatically pre-set the
machine specifications for baling different types of plastics. A simple turn of
the switch allows the baler to operate under the optimal conditions for each
specific material.
I
Some manufacturers of horizontal balers have bale-release mechanisms for
use in the event that an “oversized” plastic bale is made. rf a bale is too large
to be ejected from the baling chamber, the bale may have to be removed
manually. This is normally very time-consuming - it can take several hours
to clear the machine. A bale-release mechanism allows for the mechanical
ejection of an oversized bale in a matter of minutes.
Some post-consumer plastics handlers operating equipment without this
quick-release feature compensate for potential bale overload by reducing the
hydraulic pressure to approximately 80 percent of the baler’s maximum
pressure rating. Generally, this practice does not significantly reduce the
weight of a bale and stays within acceptable standards.
Again, when tying a bale, it is best to use galvanized wire, polyester
strapping or some other non-corroding material.
Baler summary:
Horizontal balers are best for large operations that process a variety of
materials. These balers are costly but have the capability to process large
. volumes of material.
Vertical balers are excellent for smaller facilities. For either system,
consideration should be given to the addition of a perforator/flattener
ahead of the baler. Pre-densifying the plastic in this manner will produce a
denser bale and reduce the number of cycles it takes to complete a bale.
Information on the applicability of specific balers for plastics is available
from the American Plastics Council, a joint initiative with The Society of
the Plastics Industry, Inc., 1275 K Street, N.W., Suite 400, Washington,
D.C. 20005 (202) 371-5319.
Granulating:
Granulating, or grinding, is another method used for reducing the volume
of post-consumer plastic scrap. The typical grinding system includes a feed
conveyor that supplies a hopper with loose plastic materials. The material
then travels up a cleated, inclined belt or metering conveyor to another
hopper. Typically, a stationary magnet at the top of the second belt is used
to remove any ferrous metals that could contaminate the plastics and
damage internal granulator parts. Water may be introduced during the
granulating process to soften or liberate contaminants such as glue or dirt
present on the plastic.
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Multiple rotating blades turning at approximately 600 rpm meet stationary
blades to cut the plastic into uniform flakes call “regrind.” Usually, a
granulator has from two to five rotary blades and one or two stationary
blades, also known as bed knives.
The regrind either is discharged directly or is conveyed pneumatically into a
gaylord container or directly to a plastic extruder, depending on the quality
of plastic scrap.
Grinding plastics is more often the first step in the plastics reclamation
process than the last step in the handling process. This is due to the
economic investment required for the grinding equipment, as well as to
the general concern of most reclaimers about the quality of plastic regrind
originating outside of their operation. Most reclaimers will not take granulated plastics from a market without a well-proven track record for quality
material. A potential handler should establish a solid relationship with a
market/markets prior to making an investment in grinding equipment.
Shredding prior to grinding is preferred. It may be desirable to shred
the material before granulating. A shredder produces strips of plastic that
flow more easily into the grinder’s hopper opening. A shredder also is
useful for chopping large film rolls and pipe pieces that may adversely stress
the grinder. Overall, a shredder increases grinder efficiency and minimizes
grinder damage (metal will jam a shredder due to its lower rpm and break
hardened high-speed grinder blades).
How a grinder is fed makes a difference. Because manual sorting often is
performed on the conveyor feed before grinding, granulators are not
normally gravity fed. Care must be taken to assure that manual input rates
are adequate to allow for efficient granulator loading.
Rotor configuration can impact cost and throughput. There are three
rotor-configuration designs:
e Open rotor - Recommended for general purpose items such as soft drink
bottles and a m , as well as polystyrene. This configuration atlows air to be
drawn into the granulating chamber, thus serving two important functions:
cooling the machine and material and removing processed material.
* Closed rotor - Recommended for handling “shock-loading” - being fed
large parts or large volumes of small feedstock at one time. Web skeletons,
after undergoing densification, are granulated in these types of machines.
Helical designs - Combine the advantages of the open and closed rotor
designs. Helical rotor configurations are often used for engineering plastics,
as well as for plastic tubing.
Some processors report that the acids from PET bottle content residues can
cause rotor damage. It is not apparent if one style of rotor configuration is
more immune to this problem than any other, but nickel or chromium
plating can often solve the problem.
Blade integrity is vital when choosing a plastic granulator. Blade
dulling and breaking can result from normal wear, continuous use, or
metallic impurities. Most granulator manufacturers suggest sharpening
blades every three to six months, but sharpening actually may be required as
often as monthly. Ease of blade maintenance, including sharpening, repair
and replacement, must be a top priority in choosing the right equipment.
Choosing the proper knife will yield a longer lasting and more efficient
cutting action. For most plastics, a zone-hardened carbon steel or steel
carbide knife is preferable to a more rigid and easily fractured knife blade.
Granulators with angled steel-alloy knives produce more uniform
flakes. Using the proper cutting angle also will help produce more uniform
flakes by eliminating any “tearing” action. For example, a tangentially fed
cutting chamber is used for granulating blown bottles. This orientation
allows the material to be presented on the downstroke side of the rotor
knives, eliminating the phenomenon of “rotor bounce,” in which the
feedstock is ricocheted back into the hopper.
Use of low-horsepower blowers that continually discharge yields
benefits. A blower/cyclone driven by a low-horsepower motor forces
material to be discharged continuously into shipping containers. The blower
also increases airflow through the granulator which reduces heat build-up
and increases throughput by up to 25 percent. HDPE and other plastics can
melt inside the granulator if temperature levels get too high.
Storage Requirements
Flexibility to store materials is an integral part of improving the economic
viability of a plastics handling business. Operating schedules and equipment
breakdowns may require the storage of delivered plastics and market
changes may require the storage of processed plastics. On-site storage also
allows economies of scale to be realized by increasing the volume of material
per shipment.
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Storage capacity serves two functions: to store materials awaiting processing
and to store processed materials awaiting shipment. Insufficient storage
space can compromise the safety of the operation, create inefficiencies,
impact the economic viability of the operation and may force poor
operational decisions and procedures. It also may preclude further
expansion.
The amount of storage capacity needed will vary with each facility, depending on the types of resins processed and the markets for processed materials.
Providing for the receipt and storage of materials awaiting processing is
usually accomplished with a tipping floor, where collection vehicles dump or
“tip” their loads of plastic. If separated materials are received, separate areas
for each type of material delivered may be needed. As a general guideline,
plastics require an average of 36 cubic yards of storage space for 10,000 loose
bottles; 3 cubic yards of storage space are needed for 10,000 baled bottles.
Some storage capacity should be allowed for unexpected changes in delivery
schedules. The material delivery schedule -when material will be delivered,
the total amount of each resin type to be received within a given period of
time and the rate at which it will be processed - has a significant bearing
on storage. It would not be unusual for materials to arrive during a 6- to 8hour period, 5 days a week. Processing would occur during two 8-hour
shifts each day, 5 to 7 days per week.
NOTE: Allow for facility downtime caused by equipment outaBes and
maintenance requirements.
Storage of materials awaiting shipment to markets may be required in order
to aggregate sufficient quantities of materials to meet market specifications
or to improve transportation and/or market economics. Storage capacity
also allows the handler to manage fluctuations in market demand and shipping schedules.
In a larger operation, dedicated processing equipment can be sized to meet
the processing needs of each type of plastic. As the material is processed,
bales can be loaded directly into trailers or rail cars for shipment. This
procedure minimizes materials handling and, in turn, the overall operational
costs.
Smaller-scale operations generally batch-process different types of plastic
using the same piece of equipment. In some instances, the same piece of
equipment may be used to bale other types of recyclables. If materials quantities are insufficient to justify the cost of maintaining a shipping trailer onsite, storage may be required after the various types of plastics are sorted and
baled. Some consideration should be given to the storage location
relative to public access. Remote storage will reduce the potential for
vandalism.
Quality Requirements
The quality of the post-consumer plastic separated from curbside programs
will to a large extent determine the success of a handler’s business. The
reclaimers who buy recycled plastics have strict standards for their end
products. In order to achieve this, their standards for incoming materials are
becoming more demanding. Reclaimers respond to poor-quality bales in
one of two ways: they pay a lower price or they reject the bale outright. On
the other hand, a good-quality product will lead to customer confidence
and increased sales.
Quality is defined by the absence or presence of the following: contamination, required bale characteristics and degradation.
Contamination:
This is the primary cause of poor-quality material. Plastics is a general
category made up of many types of polymers. Each polymer has a set of
unique properties. They must be separated from one another to maximize
performance in end-products. Some types of plastics are extreme contaminants for each other because of different melting characteristics or other
non-compatible properties.
As a general rule no more than 2-percent contamination will be tolerated,
and some customers have lower limits. In addition to non-compatible
plastics, common contaminants include the following:
Contaminant
Common Requirements
dirt/rocks
closures
liquid products/water
hazardous products
essentially clean
should be removed
no free-flowing liquids
none
Bale characteristics:
As discussed in more detail in the “Baling” section of this manual (p. 51), a
bale’s density and integrity will affect its marketability. Bale density affects
the cost-efficiency of shipping and ease of debaling. Bale integrity also
affects bale handling; bales of plastics often require more strapping to retain
their integrity than do other materials. The handler must ensure that bales
maintain their integrity through shipping, storage and hture handling by
the ultimate customer.
Most markets for plastics have bale standards that must be met by the
handler. These may or may not match the Institute for Scrap Recycling
Industries guidelines for baled plastic bottles listed in Appendix B.
Deg radat io n/u Itravi o Iet I ig ht protectio n:
Plastics are hydrocarbon materials that degrade with prolonged exposure to
ultraviolet light. Degradation results in a deterioration of the physical properties of the plastic. Flexible resins, such as polyethylene (PE), may become
so brittle that slight flexing will cause them to crack. Many plastics contain
additives for ultraviolet protection, but plastics used for packaging and other
“indoor” applications usually do not. Post-consumer plastics, whether loose
or in bales, must be protected if stored outdoors.
The need for protection varies by resin. Some companies claim that they
have experienced no degradation, or that only minor effects are noted, since
light does not penetrate significantly into a bale. To ensure high-quality
material, however, it is recommended that plastic bales stored outdoors be
covered with an ultraviolet protective material, such as black PE film,
corrugated cardboard, canvas tarps or other opaque material if storage time
is to exceed the following guidelines:
Resin
Muxivnunz Unprotected
Outdoor StoruJe
PET
HDPE
PVC
LDPE
PP
PS
6 months
1 month
6 months
1 month
1 month
6 months
Health and Safety Requirements
A health and safety plan sets forth operational procedures that incorporate
safety and health management practices. As with any industrial operation, a
health and safety plan can assist the handler in conducting all company
activities with maximum concern for the safety and health of each employee
and the general public.
The plan should include written policies and procedures and be used as a
tool in the development and operation of the handling business. The
handler may seek the assistance of an industrial hygiene and safety engineering professional in the preparation of a health and safety plan.
Training and communication also are important to the success of any health
and safety plan. Training encompasses safe working procedures, specific
information on the safe and proper use of plastics handling, sorting and
processing equipment, and problem/cause analysis training for managers.
\
Safety features that should be incorporated into a handling operation
include:
conveyor stop buttons;
showers and chemical washes;
guards on mechanical equipment;
eye and ear protection; and
gloves, dust masks, protective footwear and hard hats.
Serious attention must be given to the safety and comfort of workers in and
around die facility.
Work stations should provide adequate room to work safely and
efficiently.
Safety and comfort can be enhanced through the control of dirt, odor and
noise.
Fire suppression equipment must be an integral part of the building
design.
Health and safety plans serve a dual purpose. First, they allow the firm to be
more efficient. For instance, haulers will be reluctant to tip loads containing
hazardous materials if they realize that a handler has a plan in effect to
determine who is responsible for bringing hazardous material into their
facility - and that the handler is willing to take necessary action against
anyone who violates the firm’s hazardous materials policy.
Second, a properly designed, operated and managed health and safety plan
can prevent work-related injuries. There has been at least one report of
,
caustic liquid injuring an employee along a facility sorting line. In this
particular case, a soft drink bottle had been used as a storage vessel for a
household hazardous waste. When the sorter removed the aluminum cap
from the bottle, the pressure was released. The liquid that spewed from the
bottle caused second and third degree chemical burns.
NOTE: Althou8h rare, spontaneous combustion of plastics can occur. In many
cases, thfiprimary hazard isflammable vapor emanatin8from a container
soaked in a flammable liquid, such as vegetable oil leJt in a plastic container by
the consumer. To prevent this type of situationfrom occurring, thefollowing
precautionary steps can be taken:
monitor incoming materials for flammable liquids contamination;
ventilate storage areas;
keep materials cool to help prevent exceeding flash points or auto-ignition
temperatures; and
keep materials out of sunlight to slow degradation.
Insurance:
Insurance, as well as safety planning, is vital to maintaining the financial
strength of a handling operation.
Adequate insurance coverage is essential to a plastics handling facility as
heavy machinery is used in many facets of the recycling operation.
Additionally, laborers manually sorting post-consumer plastic may be
exposed to hazardous materials during the sorting process.
Because of potential risks, workers compensation insurance premiums can
be quite high, especially if the operation is considered to be a solid waste
processing facility.
Hazardous Mat e r ia I
As a general practice, a handler would not knowingly accept hazardous
waste. Of particular concern, however, in the operation of a plastic handling
facility is the potential for exposure to chemicals and to flammable materials.
Occasionally, post-consumer materials may include hazardous constituents
such as cleaning fluids or lawn-care chemicals.
As part of the system for managing rejects and residues, a handler will want
to institute a comprehensive and practical hazardous waste contingency
program. The objectives of the program should be to identifjr, control and
dispose of any hazardous substance brought to the facility.
Identifying hazardous materia I:
Identification of the various categories of hazardous waste - infectious,
toxic, corrosive or explosive - is a major component of such a program.
Usually, workers in the receiving area are in the best position to screen for
hazardous materials. But for maximum protection, all employees, including
supervisory personnel, should be trained in the identification of hazardous
materials.
Controlling hazardous material:
.
Once a potentially hazardous material has been identified, facility management should prepare proper documentation of the discovery. This documentation would include written reports detailing the type of hazardous
material identified as well as the source of the material. As part of this
process, witness statements and photographs should be taken of the
incident. Also, each hazardous material incident should be reported
immediately to the appropriate regulatory agencies.
Disposing of hazardous material:
Facility employees should not handle any discovered hazardous material,
except in the event of an emergency. In all other cases, the employees
should barricade the area in which the waste was identified to prevent
accidental contact. If necessary, management should evacuate the facility.
A licensed hazardous waste disposal agency can be contracted with for the
ultimate removal of the hazardous material.
Residue and Rejects
A facility must make arrangements to dispose of residue and rejected
material.
Residue includes contamination that adheres to delivered plastics, such as
labels attached to bottles or food left in containers, and waste materials
from the handling operation.
Rejects are ,delivered materials that are of insufficient quality or quantity to
be processed. In some cases, responsibility for rejected materials remains
with the person delivering the material. In other instances, the handler may
be required to dispose of this material.
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Typically, less than 5 percent of incoming material is rejected by a handler.
A system for managing, and in most cases disposing of facility residues and
rejects needs to be part of the facility’s operational plan. The cost of residue
and reject disposal is an operational cost that a handler must budget for or
charge back to those delivering materials to the facility.
Facility Regulations
Much of the regulation of a handling facility will be the responsibility of
local and state jurisdictional agencies. There are two primary federal
agencies that will be involved in the regulation of post-consumer plastics
handling facility operations: the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
OSHA:
OSHA’s purpose is to “assure, so far as possible, every working man and
woman in the nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve
our human resources.” OSHA develops safety and health standards;
develops and issues regulations; conducts investigations and inspections to
determine the status of compliance with safety and health standards and
regulations; and issues citations and proposes penalties for non-compliance
with safety and health standards and regulations. Although OSHA regulations have not been developed specifically for facilities that handle
recyclables, it is likely that such regulations will be developed as more
facilities become operational. The dust, noise, dirt and chemicals at such
facilities mean that regulations regarding the work environment are likely
to be strict. (For district, region and area OSHA office locations, see
Appendix C.)
EPA was created to coordinate effective governmental action
on behalf of the environment. The EPA’s mission is to control and abate
pollution in the areas of air, water and solid waste, among others. Their role
in regulating handling facilities may be to determine the permitted
conditions for design, construction and operation.
The absence of federal standards and guidelines means that the regulation
of solid waste management operations is in a state of flux and varies from
state to state. One major area of regulation undergoing change is the
regulation of facilities and operations -such as post-consumer handling
facilities - that in and of themselves, are not solid waste management
facilities, but receive materials diverted from the solid waste stream. The
result is that in some areas, handling facilities will be regulated as solid waste
management facilities while in other areas the facilities will be regulated as
industrial operations, similar to most scrap operations.
Potential handlers should investigate how facilities are regulated early on in
the development process. How the facility is regulated impacts the number
and type of permits required, the permitting procedures and time requirements and the complexity and cost of development.
The facility must meet fire and occupational safety regulations. Fire precautions will be particularly important as flammable materials are received and
stored at the facility. The dust, noise and presence of ch'emicals also increase
the importance of safety regulations. (For EPA regional office locations, see
Appendix D.)
Risks and
he outlook for the handling and processing of post-consumer plastics
is positive and there exist substantial opportunities, but risks also exist
that a potential plastics handler should understand.
T
Risks
The risks that a potential plastics handler will face reflect the rapidly
changing recycling industry. The collection, processing, marketing and
re-manufacturing of recyclable materials has grown rapidly in the last three
years. It is likely that this rapid evolution will continue for at least the next
few years. Change will be most apparent in four areas:
First, the regulatory environment will continue to tighten. At the same
time that solid waste is becoming more difficult for society to manage, the
environmental effects of the management options are receiving more
scrutiny. This means that facilities handling solid waste will be subject to
increasing regulatory attention. In other areas, such as worker health and
safety, new regulations also are likely to be developed. The uncertainty
created by impending government regulations will be the first area of risk
that plastics handlers will face.
The second area of risk lies in recycled-content and product-quality
standards. While government regulations increase, recycling standards
across the plastics and related manufacturing industries are not hlly developed. However, individual firms have developed standards independently
for content and product quality. Until industry standards are widely accepted, plastics recyclers will have to meet plastics quality standards on a
firm-by-firm basis.
The third area of risk is technology. New processes for sorting and processing plastics, as well as new types of plastic materials, will become commercially available over the next few years. The demand for recycled plastics is
---
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.
growing and with it will come new generations of supporting technology.
Processors must adapt to these technological changes in order to compete in
tomorrow’s marketplace.
The plastics handler is likely to encounter plenty of competition, which
. involves the final area of risk. Competitors in this marketplace will include
large waste haulers, such as Waste Management, Inc., and Browning-Ferris
Industries; small, local haulers expanding their services by adding processing; traditional scrap dealers expanding the number of materials they handle
and plastics manufactures who wish to close the recycling loop in-house. No
single firm or type of firm has a monopoly on primary feedstock sources.
New competitors likely will enter the field over the near-term.
Opportunities
.
The opportunities available in processing post-consumer plastics are being
driven by the nation’s growing solid waste problem. Landfill closures, the
public’s love affair with recycling, public opposition to waste-to-energy projects and interstate battles over exported wastes are eliminating many of the
options that municipalities have for disposing of their solid waste. As cities
and states find it increasingly difficult to dispose of solid waste, alternatives
such as recycling will become increasingly attractive. Because plastics represent about 8 percent of the nation’s solid waste by weight and 21 percent by
volume, interest in diminishing this component of the waste stream is high.
One of the first problems municipalities will confront when considering
plastics recycling is how the plastics will be processed and marketed. There is
an opportunity to solve this problem by developing an appropriate facility.
A second opportunity exists to provide manufacturers with recycled plastics.
The number and types of products made from recycled plastics are likely to
grow over the next few years. Already, municipalities and states are passing
“minimum content’’ legislation, requiring a certain percentage of recycled
materials to be used in the manufacture of certain products. For example,
to increase demand for recycled newspapers, the state of Connecticut passed
legislation requiring that newspapers sold in the state contain a minimum
percentage of recycled paper. Discussions about similar legislation for plastic
packaging and plastic containers continue. In addition, some companies are
moving voluntarily to recycled content because of consumer demand for
recycled products. Therefore, the demand for processed plastics scrap will
increase at the same time that the supply of available scrap from recycling
programs increases.
Finally, it is likely that the plastics processor will develop a close working
relationship with other facets of the plastics industry - manufacturers,
~
~-
fabricators and distributors. The plastics industry has been a driving force
in the American industrial landscape for the past fifty years. It has been
characterized by technological innovation, market responsiveness and
remarkable growth. The processing of plastic scrap will, in all likelihood,
become a new facet of this dynamic industry. Opportunities exist throughout the United States, especially in regions outside of the Northeast and
Mid-Atlantic, for new recyclers of plastic scrap to open businesses to
profitably serve the needs of manufacturers and municipalities in the area.
\
Worksheet: Estimating Processing and Operating
costs*
The following worksheet is designed to assist potential plastics handlers in
estimating generic costs and revenues. The worksheet presents the major
cost and revenue elements associated with developing a generic plastics
handling facility. Such a worksheet cannot anticipate special costs or
revenues, which might arise in particular situations or under certain
circumstances.
This cost worksheet is divided into two parts. The first section discusses
the major areas of cost and revenue that a potential plastics handler should
consider in developing a facility. Because most costs will vary depending on
the size and type of facility and the proposed location, the discussion will
focus on the main variables in the cost calculations. Understanding these
variables is a critical first step toward arriving at reasonable estimates for
costs and revenues.
The second part of this section is a worksheet that can be used by the
plastics handier to estimate the cost and revenues of the project. It lists the
potential costs and revenues for a facility.
.
Processing Q p e
Cost (Centsper Pound)
Procurement
Sorting
Baling
Grinding
Cleaning/Drying, Separating
Extruding and Pelletizing
Transporting
0-4
4-10
2-3
1-2
8-10
6-7
1-2
TOTAZ,
22-38
'Assumes truckload or larger size shipment to end-market located an
average distance (approximately 200 miles) away.
Baling may not be required if handler grinds material for shipment to
reclaimer.
* Costs are for operation and maintenance only and do not include
equipment purchase/lease.
-
Annual operating costs are also impacted significantly by labor costs. These
costs include salaries, payroll taxes and benefits for laborers, supervisory
personnel and administrative personnel. Other operating costs include
utilities (potentially a costly item depending on the degree of processing
and geographic location), regular maintenance and equipment repair.
.
Operating costs also include transporting the finished product to market,
and disposing of process residue and rejects. In some cases, transportation
may be contracted out to an independent party, while in others, the material
may be shipped in the handler’s trucks. Additionally, the buyer may choose
to assume the responsibility for shipping arrangements. In any case, this is
an important variable.
Include a budget for securing and maintaining markets for processed plastic
materials. This budget should cover regular contacts with end-user markets,
and testing of finished products to ensure that they meet market specifications.
A Procurement of Post-Consumer Plastic Scrap
Research Costs - Waste quantity and composition study, waste availability
assessment, plastic scrap availability by resin type, etc.
Negotiation Costs - Discussions with municipalities, private haulers, or other
entities to secure plastic scrap.
LegaZ Fees - Consultation, contracts, etc.
B. Development of Processing Facility
Capital Costs
Operating Costs
Site acquisition
- Site selection process
- Purchase price
-
Permitting
- Consulting fees
- Permitting fees
- Taxes or other incentives
Building
- Site work
- Engineering
- Construction
- Utilities connections
- Paving
- Landscaping
- Construction management
Equipment
- Expected useful life
- Salvage value
Vehicles
- Expected useful life
- Salvage value
Feedstock procurement
Labor
- Utilities
- Maintenance and repair
- Financing (interest)
- Transportation
- Process residue and reject disposal
- Materials marketing
- Insurance (property, liability
and workers’ compensation)
- Administrative (accounting, payroll)
-
Revenues
- Sale of processed materials
- Grants/low-interest loans/taxincentives
a
Plastics Recycling Flow Chart
Estimates of Post-Consumer Plastics Packaging
Recycled in Calendar Years 1990 and 1991
(in millions of pounds per year)
Post-Consumer
Plastic
Recycled
1991
Percent of Post-Consumer
Plastic Sales
Plastic
Sales Recycled
Recycled
Percent 01,
Plastic Plastic Sales
Plastic
Sales Recycled
Soft Drink Bottles
Custom Bottles
224.6
2.1
754
335
29.8
0.6
283.6
9.2
807
385
35.1
2.4
Natural Bottles
Pigmented Bottles
Base Cups
Other Packaging
57.5
28.5
49.0
1.6
971
1381
130
1078
5.9
2.1
37.7
0.1
132.7
92.4
43.2
6.7
950
1363
105
1110
14.0
6.8
41.1
0.6
Bottles
Non-Packaging
1.5
0.7
224
n/a2
0.7
1.6
5.9
203
nta2
0.8
LOPE/ Bottles
LLOPE Other Packa(ng
nIa1
42.5
3444
1.2
’ 0.1
46.8
61
4617
0.2
1.0
PET
HOPE
I
1990
PVC
’
__
__
__
__
PP
Custom Bottles
Other Packaging
0.4
0
143
618
0.3
0
1.3
2.1
134
661
1.o
0.3
PS
All Packaging3
12.9
2153
0.6
24.1
2031
1.2
Reported as “Other Packaging” in 1990
Could not be attributed to specific “Sales” category
Includes rigid non-foam packaging, rigid foam packaging, protective packaging, foodservice and
other packaging
I
ISRl Baled Recycled Plastic Commercial Guidelines
Commercial Guidelines for Baled Recycled Plastic were developed to provide
industry-wide quality standards. These standards will facilitate commodity trading
of these materials. They will also focus suppliers of such materials on the quality
requirements of their customers.
Product. These guidelines are designed with the potential for dealing with all
recycled plastic in bale form. Initial specifications refer only to bottles. The code
framework allows for generation of guidelines for all types of plastic packaging
materials (including rigids and flexibles) with room to expand to other plastic products and resins including those that are used to produce durable goods. Guidelines
for those products may be added at a later date.
Codes. Codes for baled recycled plastic consist of a prefix letter, three digits and
two suffix letters. The prefix letter “P” precedes all codes and designates “plastic”
material. The first digit corresponds to the SPI resin identification code system and
designates the primary plastic material. The second digit describes the plastic
product category. The third digit defines the color/appearance of the product.
The first suffix letter indicates the type of recycled plastic. The second suffix
indicates the source of the recycled plastic product (see p. 7 9 ) .
Bale Density. Bales shall be compressed to a minimum density of 10 pounds per
cubic foot and a maximum density to be determined by individual contract between
buyer and seller. Increased density may improve transportation efficiency, but
over-compressionmay adversely affect the ability of a buyer to separate, sort, and
reprocess the material.
Bale Tying Material. Bale wires, ties, or straps shall be made of non-rusting or
corroding material.
Bale Integrity. Bale integrity must be maintained through loading, shipping,
handling, and storage. Distorted or broken bales are difficult to handle. They are
unacceptable and may result in downgrading, rejection, or charge back.
Allowable Contamination. Unspecified materials must not exceed 2 percent of total
bale weight. Bales that contain over 2 percent will be subjected to reduction in the
contracted price of the material as well as charges for disposal of the contaminants.
The reduced percentage will vary depending upon the amount and type of contamination. Quality of the baled plastic is the primary factor that determines the value.
Prohibited Material. Certain materials are understood to be specified as
“prohibited.” Such materials will render the bale “non-specification”and may cause
some customers to reject the entire shipment. These may include plastic materials
that have a deleterious effect on each other when reprocessed, and materials such as
agricultural chemicals, hazardous materials, flammableliquids and/or their
containers, and medical waste.
Liquids. Plastic containers/materials should be empty and dry when baled. The
bale should be free of any free-flowing liquid of any type.
General. Shipments should be essentially free of dirt, mud, stones, grease, glass and
paper. The plastic must not have been damaged by ultraviolet exposure. Every effort
should be made to store the material above ground and under cover. A good faith
effort on the part of the supplier will be made to include only rinsed bottles that
have closures removed.
Definitions for plastic materials
Rigid Plastic Container: a package (formed or molded container) that maintains its
shape when empty and unsupported.
Plastic Bottle: a rigid container that is designed with a neck that is smaller than the
body. Normally used to hold liquids and emptied by pouring.
Plastic Film: a thin flexible sheet that does not hold a particular shape when
unsupported.
Recycled Plastic: plastics composed of either post-consumer or recovered material
or both.
Recovered Plastic: plastic materials that have been recovered or diverted from the
solid waste stream. Does not include materials generated from and commonly
reused within an original manufacturingprocess.
Post-Consumer: products generated by a business or consumer that have served
their intended end-uses and have been separated or diverted from the solid waste
stream for the purpose of recycling.
Baled Recycled Plastic Commercial Guidelines Cioding System
POOOXX
The coding system for baled recycled plastic consists of a three-digit number with a prefix letter “P” and a two-letter suffix.
The prefix “P” designates the category of Plastics and differentiates the code from similar codes for metals and other materials.
The first digit corresponds to the SPI resin identification code system and designates the primary plastic material.
The second digit describes the plastic product category.
The third digit defines the color/appearance of the products.
The fist suffix indicates the type of recycled plastic.
The second suffix indicates the source of the recycled plastic products.
8
Coding Key:
P
0
0
0
X
X
Plastic
Resin Code
Product
Color
Type
Source
0 Mixed Resins (1-7)
1 PET
O-Bottles
1-Rigids
2-Films
3-9 to be assigned
O-Mixture
P-Post Consumer
1-Natural
R-Recovered
2-Pigmented/Dyed
3-9 Designated
within each category
2 HDPE
3 PVC
4 LDPE
5 PP
6 PS
7 Other
8 to be assigned
9 to be assigned
M-Municipal
I-Industrial
C-Commercial
S-Institutional
Baled Plastic Material Identification Codes
Series
Code
Resin
P-100 Series - PET
P-100
P-101
P-102
I?-103
PET
PET
PET
PET
P-104
P-110
P-200
P-201
P-202
P-220
P-221
P-222
P-300
P-301
P-302
P-400
P-401
P-402
P-420
P-421
P-422
P-500
P-501
P-502
P-600
P-601
P-602
PET
PET
HDPE
HDPE
HDPE
HDPE
HDPE
HDPE
PVC
PVC
PVC
LDPE
LDPE
LDPE
LDPE
LDPE
LDPE
PP
PP
PP
PS
PS
PS
Mixed Bottles
Clear Soda Bottles
Green Soda Bottles
Mixed Clear & Green
Soda Bottles
Custom Bottles
Mixed Rigid Containers
Mixed Bottles
Natural Bottles
Pigmented Bottles
Mixed Film
Clear Film
Pigmented Film
Mixed Bottles
Natural Bottles
Pigmented Bottles
Mixed Bottles
Natural Bottles
Pigmented Bottles
Mixed Film
Clear Film
Pigmented Film
Mixed Bottles
Natural Bottles
Pigmented Bottles
Mixed Bottles
Natural Bottles
Pigmented Bottles
P-700
P-701
P-702
OTHER
OTHER
OTHER
Mixed Bottles
Natural Bottles
Pigmented Bottles
P-000 Series - Mixed resins
P-000
(Codes 1-7)
P-001
P-002
MIXED
MIXED
MIXED
Mixed Bottles
Natural Bottles
Pigmented Bottles
P-200 Series - HDPE
I?-300 Series - PVC
P-400 Series - LDPE
P-500 Series - PP
P-600 Series - PS
P-700 Series Other/Code 7
Categories
NOTE: The existence of a code category does not imply the existence of a market for the material
These are representative code categories. Other categories may be developed as the need arises.
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Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-100 PM
Resin: PET MIXED
Prkluct: Bottles only
Category: Mixed soft drink, liquor, edible oil, etc. bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale'Properties:
Dimension: 7 2 " maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specifiedplastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with W-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-101 P M
Resin: PET CLEAR
Product Bottles only
Category: Beverage containers only (1-,2-, 3-liter, 16-OZ.
soft drink bottles)
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 7 2 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
antamination:
Total dowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered withUV-protectivematerials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-I02 P M
Resin: PET GREEN
Product: Bottles only
Category: Beverage containers only (1-, 2-, 3-liter, 16-OZ.
soft drink bottles)
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 I' maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: N o free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with UV-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-I03 P M
Resin: PET CLEAR and GREEN
Product: Bottles only
Category: Beverage containers only (1-,2-, 3-liter, 16-oz. soft drink bottles)
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu fi minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with UV-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-104 P M
Resin: PET CUSTOM
Product: Bottles and Jars only
Category: Mixed liquor, edible oil, peanut butter, etc., bottles/jars
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 I' maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with W-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercia! Girideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-110 P M
Resin: PET MIXED
Product: Rigid Containers
Category: Mixed bottles, jars, tubs, trays, etc.
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 " maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with W-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercia I Guide I ine BaIe d Recycled PIastic
Standard P-200 P M
Resin: HDPE MIXED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Mixed household HDPE bottles (detergent, shampoo, household
products, milk, etc.)
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 I' maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
1ntegrity:'Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowingliquid
Outdoor Storage: <1month unless covered with UV-protectivematerials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-201 P M
Resin: HDPE NATURAL
Product: Bottles only
Category: Milk, water, and juice (quart, 1/2-gallon, and 1-gallon bottles)
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 I' maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specifiedplastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowingliquid
Outdoor Storage: <1month unless covered with UV-protectivematerials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercia I G uide Iine Ba Ie d Recyc Ied Plastic
Standard P-202 P M
Resin: HDPE PIGMENTED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Mixed pigmented household-HDPE bottles (detergent, shampoo,
household products, etc.)
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu fi minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially fiee of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <1 month unless covered with UV-protectivematerials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-300 P M
Resin: PVC MIXED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Mixed clear and pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 " maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu fi minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specifiedplastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with W-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercia I Guide Iine Ba Ie d Recycled PIast ic
Standard P-301 P M
Resin: PVC NATURAL
Product: Bottles only
Category: Clear bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu fi minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with UV-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-302 P M
Resin: PVC PIGMENTED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 " maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu A minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with UV-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-400 P M
Resin: LDPE MIXED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Mixed natural and pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specifiedplastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of &rt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: < lmonth unless covered with W-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-401 P M
Resin: LDPE NATURAL
Product: Bottles only
Category: Natural bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specifiedplastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <1month unless covered with W-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-402 PM
Resin: LDPE PIGMENTED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 " maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: N o free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: < 1month unless covered with UV-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
.r
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-500 P M
Resin: PP MIXED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Mixed natural and pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu fi minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <1 month unless covered with UV-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-501 P M
Resin: PP NATURAL
Product: Bottles only
Category: Natural bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type:
Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
.
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: N o hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: N o free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: 51 month unless covered with UV-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
P-502 PM
Resin: PP PIGMENTED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu fi minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: N o hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: N o free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <I month unless covered with Ik-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-600 PM
Resin: PS MIXED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Mixed clear and pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 7 2 I’ maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specifiedplastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowingliquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with UV-protectivematerials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-601 PM
Resin: PS NATURAL
Product: Bottles only
Category: Clear bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 ” maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specifiedplastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowingliquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with W-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-602 P M
Resin: PS PIGMENTED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <6 months unless covered with UV-protectivematerials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-700 P M
Resin: CODE #7 - OTHER MIXED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Mixed natural and pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 lbs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <1 month unless covered with UV-protectivematerials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
\
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-701 PM
Resin: CODE #7 - OTHER NATURAL
Product: Bottles only
Category: Natural bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 " maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <1 month unless covered with W-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-702 PM
Resin: CODE #7 - OTHER PIGMENTED
Product: Bottles only
Category: Pigmented Bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specifiedplastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor storage: < 1 month unless covered with W-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-000 P M
Rrsin: MIXED RESINS (Coded 1through 7) - MIXED COLOR
Product Bottles only
Catepqc Natural and pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Prope€t.ia:
Dimension: 72I' maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu fi minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Typc:Non-specifiedplastic or non-plastic material
Dirt:Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture No free-flowingliquid
Outdoor Storage: <1 month unless covered with UV-protectivematerials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-001 P M
Resin: MIXED RESINS (Coded 1 through 7) - NATURAL
Produa Bottles only
Category: Natural bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 'I maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu fi minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamhation:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specifiedplastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially free of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No free-flowing liquid
Outdoor Storage: <1 month unless covered with UV-protectivematerials
G c n d Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
Commercial Guideline Baled Recycled Plastic
Standard P-002 PM
Resin:MIXED RESINS (Coded 1 through 7) - PIGMENTED
Produe Bottles only
Category: Pigmented bottles
Type: Post-consumer
Source: Municipal solid waste
Bale Properties:
Dimension: 72 " maximum
Bulk Density: 10 Ibs/cu ft minimum
Strapping: Non-rusting material
Integrity: Must be maintained through shipping, unloading & storage
Contamination:
Total allowable: 2%
Type: Non-specified plastic or non-plastic material
Dirt: Essentially fiee of dirt, mud & stones
Hazardous Materials: No hazardous or medical waste
Moisture: No fiee-flowingliquid
Outdoor Storage: <1 month unless covered with UV-protective materials
General: Good faith effort to rinse bottles and remove closures
U.S. Department of Labor Regional Offices
for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Region I (CT,* MA, ME, NH, RI, VT*)
133 Portland Street
1st Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Telephone: (617) 565-7164
$
Region II (NJ, NY,* PR,* VI*)
201 Varick Street, Room 670
New York, NY 10014
Telephone: (212) 337-2378
Region 111 (DC, DE, MD,* PA, VA,* WV)
Gateway Bldg., Suite 2100
3535 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Telephone: (215) 596-1201
Region IV (AL, FL, GA, KY,* MS, NC,*
SC,* TN')
1375 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Suite 587
Atlanta, GA 30367
Telephone: (404) 347-3573
Region VI1 (IA,* KS, MO, NE)
91 1 Walnut Street, Room 406
Kansas City, MO 64106
Telephone: (816) 426-5861
Region Vlll (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT,* WY*)
Federal Bldg., Room 1576
1961 Stout Street
Denver, CO 80294
Telephone: (303) 844-3061
Region IX (AMERICAN SOMOA, AZ,* CA,*
GUAM, HI,* NV,* TRUST TERRITORIES OF
THE PACIFIC)
71 Stevenson Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
Telephone: (415) 744-6670
Region X (AK,* IO, OR,* WA*)
1111 Third Avenue, Suite 715
Seattle, WA 98101-321 2
Telephone: (206) 553-5930
Region V (IL, IN,* MI,* MN,* OH, WI)
230 South Dearborn Street
Room 3244
Chicago, 1L 60604
Telephone: (312) 353-2220
Region VI (AR, LA, NM,* OK, TX)
525 Griffin Street, Room 602
Dallas, TX 75202
Telephone: (214) 767-4731
*These states and territories operate their own OSHA-approved job safety and health programs
(Connecticut and New York plans cover public employees only). States with approved programs must
have a standard that is identical to, or at least as effective, as the Federal standard.
U.S. Department of labor Area Offices for the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration
Alabama
2047 Canyon Road, Todd Mall
Birmingham, AI. 35216
Telephone: (205) 731-1534
3737 Government Boulevard
Suite 100
Mobile, AL 36693
Telephone: (205) 441-6131
Alaska
Alaska Department of Labor
P.O. Box 21149
Juneau, AK.99802-1149
Telephone: (907) 465-2700
Arizona
Industrial Commission of
Arizona
800 West Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Telephone: (602) 542-5795
Mcansas
TCBY Building
Suite 450
425 West Capital Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72201
Telephone: (501) 324-6291
Florida
Jacaranda Executive Court
8040 Peters Road. Bldg. H-100
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324
Telephone: (305) 424-0242
3100 University Blvd. South
Room 303
Jacksonville, FL 32216
Telephone: (904) 232-2895
5807 Breckenridge Pkwy.,
SuiteA
'
Tampa, FL 33610
Telephone: (813) 626-1177
Georgia
450 Mall Blvd. Suite J
Savannah, GA 31406
Telephone: (912) 652-4383
2400 Herodian Way
Suite 250
Smyrna, GA 30080
Telephone: (404) 984-8700
Bldg. 7, Suite 110
La Vista Perimeter Office Park
Tucker, GA 30084
Telephone: (404) 493-6644
California
Cal-OSHA
455 Golden Gate Avenue
Room 5202
San Francisco, CA 94102
Telephone: (4tS) 703-4521
Hawaii
Hawaii Department of Labor
and Industrial Relations
830 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
Telephone: (808) 548-3150
Colorado
1391 North Speer Blvd.
Parkway Center, Suite 210
Denver, GO 80204
Telephone: (303)844-5285
Idaho
3050 N. Lake Harbor Lane
'Suite 134
Boise, ID 83703
Telephone: (208) 334-1867
Connecticut
Connecticut Department of
Labor
200 Folly Brook Blvd.
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Telephone: (203) 566-5123
Illinois
1600 167th St. Suite 12
Calumet City, IL 60409
Telephone: (708) 891-3800
2360 E. Devon Ave., Suite 1010
Des Plaines, iL 60018
Telephone: (708) 803-4800
~
344 Smoke Tree Business Park
North Aurora, IL 60542
Telephone: (708) 896-8700
2918 West Willow Knolls Rd.
Suite A
Peoria, IL 61614-1223
Telephone: (309) 671-7033
lndlana
Indiana Department of Labor
Indiana Government Center
South
402 West Washington,
Rm. W195
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2287
Telephone: (317) 232-2665
Iowa
Iowa Division of Labor Sedces
1000 E. Grand Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50319
Telephone: (515) 281-3606
Kansas
216 N. Waco, Suite B
Wichita, KS 67202
Telephone: (316) 269-6644
Kentucky
Kentucky Labor Cabinet
1049 US. Highway 127 South
Frankfort, KY 40601
Telephone: (502) 564-3070
Louisiana
2156 Wooddale Blvd.
Hoover Annex, Suite 200
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Telephone: (504) 389-0474
Maine
Edmund S. Muskie Federal
Bldg.
40 Western Ave., Rm. 121
Augusta, ME 04330
Telephone: (207) 622-8417
-_
Maryland
Department of Licensing and
Regulation
Maryland Division of Labor and
Industry
501 St. Paul Place, 3rd Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202-2272
Telephone: (410) 333-41 00
Massachusetts
1145 Main Street, Rm. 108
Springfield, MA 01103
Telephone: (413) 785-0123
639 Granite Street, 4th Floor
Braintree, MA 02184
Telephone: (617) 565-6924
Valley Off ice Park
13 Branch Street
Methuqn, MA 01844
Telephone: (617) 565-81 10
Michigan
Michigan Department of Public
Health
3423 North Logan Street
Box 30195
Lansing, MI 48909
Telephone: (517) 335-8022
Minnesota
Minnesota Depart of Labor and
Industry
443 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155
Telephone: (612) 296-2342
Mississippi
3780 Interstate 55 North
Jackson, MS 3921 1-6323
Telephone: (601) 965-4606
Missouri
6200 Connecticut Ave.
Suite 100
Kansas City, MO 64120
Telephone: (816) 483-9531
911 Washington Ave.
Room 420
St. Louis, MO 63101
Telephone: (314) 425-4249
Montana
19 N. 25th Street
Billings, MT 59101
Telephone: (406) 657-6649
Nebraska
6910 Pacific Street
Suite 100
Omaha, NE 68106
Telephone: (402) 221 -31 82
Nevada
Nevada Department of
Industrial Relations
Division of Occupational Safety
and Health
1390 S. Curry Street
'
Carson City, NV 89710
Telephone: (702) 687-3032
New York
Bldg. 12
State Campus
Albany, NY 12240
Telephone: (518) 457-351 8
North Carolina
North Carolina Department
of Labor
OSHA
4 West Edenton Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Telephone: (919) 733-7166
North Dakota
OSHA
P.O. Box 2439
Bismarck, ND 58501
Telephone: (701) 250-4521
New tlampshire
279 Pleasant Street
Suite 201
Concord, NH 03301
Telephone: (603) 225-1629
Ohio
OSHA
36 Triangle Park Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45246
Telephone: (513) 841-41 32
New Jersey
1030 Saint Georges Ave.
Suite 205
Avenel, NJ 07001
Telephone: (908) 750-3270
OSHA, Department of Labor,
Rm. 899
1240 East Ninth Street
Cleveland, OH 44199
Telephone: (216) 522-381 8
500 Route 17 South
2nd Floor
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
Telephone: (201) 288-1700
Federal Office Bldg., Rm. 620
200 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-2497
Telephone: (614) 469-5582
Marlton Executive Park
701 Route 73 South, Bldg. 2
Suite 120
Martlon, NJ 08053
Telephone: (609) 757-5181
234 Summit Street, Rm. 734
Todelo , OH 43604
Telephone: (419) 259-7542
299 Cherry Hill Road,
Suite 304
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Telephone: (201) 263-1003
New Mexico
OSHA
The Herald Francis Bldg.
1190 St. Francis Drive - N2200
Sante Fe, NM 87502
Oklahoma
420 West Main
Suite 300
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Telephone: (405) 231-5351
Oregon
Oregon Occupational Safety
and Health Division
21 Labor and Industries Bldg.
Salem, OR 97310
Telephone: (503) 378-3272
Pennsylvania
850 N. 5th Street
Allentown, PA 18102
Telephone: (215) 776-0592
3939 West Ridge Road
Suite 8-12
Erie, PA 16506
Telephone: (814) 833-5758
Progress Plaza
49 N. Progress Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17109
Telephone: (717) 782-3902
U.S. Custom House, Rm. 242
Second and Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Telephone: (215)597-4955
Federal Bldg., Rm. 1428
1000 Liberty Ave.
Pittsburg, PA 15222
Telephone: (412) 644-2903
Penn Place, Rm. 2005
20 North PennsylvaniaAve.
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Telephone: (717) 826-6538
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Department of
Labor and Human Resources
Prudencio Rivera Martinez
Bldg.
505 Munox Rivera Ave.
Hato Rey, PR 00918
Telephone: (809) 854-2119
Rhode Island
380 Westminster Mall,
Rm. 243
Pravidence, RI 02903
Telephone: (401) 528-4669
South Carolina
South Carolina Department of
Labor
3600 Forest Drive
P.O. Box 11329
Columbia, SC 29211-1329
Telephone: (803) 734-9594
Tennessee
Tennessee Department of Labor
501 Union Bldg.
Suite 200
Nashville, TN 37243-0655
Telephone: (615) 741-2582
Vermont
Vermont Deoartment of Labor
and l n d u s t j
National Life Bldg., Drawer 20
Montpelier, VT 05620-3401
Telephone: (802) 828-2765
Texas
611 East 6th Street, Rm. 303
Austin, TX 78701
Telephone: (512) 482-5783
Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands of Labor
Box 890
Christiansted
St. Croix, VI 00820
Telephone: (809) 773-1994
Government Plaza, Rm. 300
400 Mann Street
Corpus Ghristi, TX 78401
Telephone: (512) 888-3257
8344 East R.L. Thornton
Freeway
Suite 420
Dallas, TX 75228
Telephone: (214) 320-2400
North Star 2 Bldg., Suite 430
8713 Airport Freeway
Fort Worth, TX 76180-7604
Telephone: (817) 885-7025
17625 El Camino Real
Suite 400
Houston, TX 77058
Telephone: (713) 286-0583
350 North Sam Houston
Pkwy. East
Suite 120
Houston, TX 77060
Telephone: (713) 591-2438
Federal Bldg., Rm. 422
1205 Texas Avenue
Lubbock, TX 79401
Telephone: (806) 743-7681
Utah
Utah Occupational Safety and
Health
160 East 300 South
P.O. BOX5800-14650
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
Telephone: (801) 530-6900
Virginia
Virginia Department of Labor
and Industry
Powers-Taylor Bldg.
13 South 13th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Telephone: (804) 371-2327
Washington
Washington Department of
Labor and Industries
P.O. Box 44000
Olympia, WA 98504-4000
Telephone: (206) 956-4213
West Virginia
550 Eagan Street, Rm. 206
Charleston, WV 25301
Telephone: (304) 347-5937
Wisconsin
2618 North Ballard Road
Appleton, WI 54915
Telephone: (414) 734-4521
4802 East Broadway
Madison, WI 53716
Telephone: (608) 264-5388
310 West Wisconsin Ave.
Suite 1180
Milwaukee, WI 53203
Telephone: (414) 297-3315
Wyoming
Wyoming Occupational Health
and Safety
Herschler Bldg., 2nd Floor East
122 W. 25th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Telephone: (307) 777-7786
-
-
I
'
'
U.S. Department of Labor District Offices for the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Region I
202 Harlow Street, Suite 211
Bangor, ME 04401
Telephone: (207) 941-8177
Region 111
Suite 440
820 First St., N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002
Telephone: (202) 523-1452
U.S. Dept. of Labor, OSHA
1 Rodney Square, Suite 402
920 King Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Telephone: (302) 573-6115
Region V
11 Executive Drive, Suite 11
Fairview Heights, IL 62208
Telephone: (618) 632-8612
500 Barstow Street
Room B-9
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Telephone: (715) 832-9019
Region VI1
5799 Broadmoor
Suite 338
Mission, KS 66202
Telephone: (913) 236-2681
Region IX
105 El Camino Blvd., 1st Floor
Sacramento, CA 95815
Telephone: (916) 978-5641
5675 Ruffin Road, Suite 330
San Diego, CA 92123
Telephone: (619) 557-2909
EPA Regional Offices
Region 1
John F. Kennedy Federal
Building
One Congress Street
Boston, MA 02203
(617) 565-3420
Region 2
Jacob K. Javits Federal Building
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
(212) 264-2657
Region 3
841 Chestnut Building
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 597-9800
Region 4
345 Courtland Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30365
(404) 347-4727
Region 7
726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 551-7000
Region 5
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604-3507
(312) 353-2000
Region 8
999 18th Street, Suite 500
Denver, CO 80202-2466
(303) 293-1 603
Region 6
First Interstate Bank Tower at
Fountain Place
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
(214) 655-6444
Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(41 5) 744-1 305
Region 10
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 553-4973
For Additional Information . . .
Association of Post-Consumer
Plastics Recyclers (APR)
c/o Wellman, Inc.
1040 Broad Street
Shrewsbury, NJ 07702
Association of Foam Packaging
Recyclers (AFPR)
1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 515
Washington, DC 20036
Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries ( M I )
1627 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
National Solid Wastes Management
Association (NSWMA)
1730 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W.
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036
Solid Waste Association of North
America (SWANA)
P.O. Box 7219
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Publications of Interest
MSW Management
1640 5th Street
Suite 108
Santa Monica, CA 90401
SCRAP Processing and Recycling
1627 K Street, NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20006
Modern Plastics
1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Solid Waste 81 Power
410 Archibald Street
Kansas City, MO 641 11
Plastics Engineering
14 Fairfield Drive
Brookfield Center, CT 06805
Waste Age
1730 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036
Plastics Machinery and Equipment
1129 East 17th Avenue
Denver, CO 8021 8
Plastics Technology
633 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Recycling Times
1730 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036
Recycling Today
4012 Bridge Avenue
Cleveland, OH 441 13
Resource Recycling
P.O. Box 10540
Portland, OR 97210
Resource Recycling’s Plastics
Recycling Update
P.O. Box 10540
Portland, OR 97210