plastic containers

Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Rigid Plastic Container Recycling Rate 2006 Recycling Rate for Compliance Purposes 2008 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Rigid Plastic Containers • Specially regulated under Oregon Law • Rigid (maintains its shape) • Container – a package that protects, stores, contains, transports, displays, or sells products • 8 oz. to 5 gallon capacity • Includes items like bottles, tubs, pails, cookie trays, plastic flower pots, clamshells, but not most lids • If recycling rate is above 25%, then everyone is in compliance with the law. Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Two time frames for recycling rates: • Calendar Year Recycling Rate – Based on recycling survey data and waste composition studies – Determined approximately 1 year after the end of the year • Recycling Rate for Compliance Purposes – Determined for coming year using past trends and other information. – Manufacturers use this rate to determine compliance Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Recent Trends in Recovery Rates: • • • Rates falling slowly from 1996 through 2004 2005 rate right on the 25% cusp Originally thought rate would fall below 25%, but reversed determination when 2006 recycling numbers showed large increase in recycling. Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Changes in Recycling 2005 to 2006 (clean, dry tons) 2005 Tons Curbside/Hauler Bottle Bill Specialty Recyclers Total 8,422 4,448 1,714 14,584 2006 Tons 9,717 3,958 4,000 17,675 Change 1,294 - 490 2,286 3,091 Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Projected Increased Recycling - Changed Collection Programs Pound per person per year Adjusted for contamination, loss at MRFs Program Change added pounds per person per year 1.3 1.8 2.2 3.1 3.6 0.5 Weekly bins to biweekly roll-carts - no tubs Weekly bins to biweekly roll-carts - with tubs Weekly bins to biweekly roll-carts - add tubs Weekly bins to weekly roll-carts - no tubs Weekly bins to weekly roll-carts - add tubs Add tubs to existing program Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Projected Increased Recycling - Changed Collection Programs Tons added Area Sandy Lake Oswego & Rivergrove Turner 8 Yamhill County cities Dundee Sherwood & Tigard Mt. Angel Beaverton Mill City Damascus & Happy Valley Almost all Clackamas County Wood Village Forest Grove Molalla Stayton Woodburn Hillsboro Bend Gresham Pop. 06 7,070 36,700 1,645 47,600 3,010 62,415 3,665 84,270 1,585 18,880 364,460 2,965 20,380 6,830 7,700 22,615 84,445 75,290 97,745 date May 05 June 05 2005 Oct. 05 Nov. 05 Jan. 06 Jan. 06 Mar. 06 2006 Oct. 06 Jan. 07 Jan. 07 Feb. 07 Apr. 07 2007 Feb. 07 Aug. 07 Sept 07 Sept 07 Change Bins to weekly roll-carts - no tubs Bins to weekly roll-carts - no tubs To roll-carts - drop to biweekly - tubs To roll-carts - drop to biweekly - no tubs To roll-carts - drop to biweekly - no tubs Bins to roll-carts - no tubs To roll-carts - drop to biweekly - tubs Bins to roll carts plus add tubs To roll-carts - drop to biweekly - tubs Bins to roll-carts - no tubs Add tubs to almost all existing programs Bins to weekly roll-carts - no tubs Bins to weekly roll-carts - no tubs Bins to weekly roll-carts - no tubs To roll-carts - drop to biweekly - tubs To roll-carts - drop to biweekly - tubs To roll-carts - drop to biweekly - add tubs? To roll-carts - drop to biweekly - add tubs Bins to weekly roll-carts - add tubs Factor lbs/per 3.1 3.1 1.8 1.3 1.3 3.1 1.8 3.6 1.8 3.1 0.5 3.1 3.1 3.1 1.8 1.8 2.2 2.2 3.6 Adds (tons) 11.0 56.9 1.5 30.9 2.0 96.7 3.3 151.7 1.4 29.3 91.1 4.6 31.6 10.6 6.9 20.4 92.9 82.8 175.9 Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Projected Increased Recycling - Changed Collection Programs Tons per year statewide 2005 Amount added by new programs (cumulative) Increase from previous year 42.3 2006 322.8 280.6 2007 655.1 332.3 Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Oregon Rigid Plastic Container Recycling Rate to 2006 Year 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Tons disposed 22,635 23,825 23,684 25,793 27,584 29,058 31,400 33,879 34,395 35,808 37,698 40,425 43,035 45,905 Tons recycled 8,107 9,007 9,813 10,494 10,546 11,076 11,843 12,873 14,897 12,192 13,840 13,106 14,584 17,675 Tons generated 30,742 32,832 33,497 36,287 38,180 40,134 43,243 46,752 49,292 48,000 51,538 53,531 57,619 63,580 Recycling rate 26.4% 27.4% 29.3% 28.9% 27.8% 27.6% 27.4% 27.5% 30.2% 25.4% 26.9% 24.5% 25.3% 27.8% Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Oregon Rigid Plastic Container Recycling Rate to 2006 30.00% 25.00% 20.00% 15.00% 19 93 19 94 19 95 19 96 19 97 19 98 19 99 20 00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Disposal by Plastic Container Type (2005 estimates) Sept. 30, 2007 Tons Deposit bottles No-deposit beverage bottles Non-beverage bottles #2,#5 tubs, pails, pots Other rigid plastic containers Total 1,837 10,130 9,786 9,210 12,072 43,035 Percent 4.3% 23.5% 22.7% 21.4% 28.1% 100% Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Disposal by Plastic Beverage Container (2005 estimates) Sept. 30, 2007 Tons Deposit Bottles Water Bottles Juice/Tea/Sports Drinks Milk Jugs/Bottles Liquor Bottles Other Beverages Total 1,837 2,769 4,172 2,663 303 223 11,967 Percent Beverage 15.4% 23.1% 34.9% 22.3% 2.5% 1.9% 100.0% Percent RPCs 4.3% 6.4% 9.7% 6.2% 0.7% 0.5% 27.8% Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Possible Future RPC increases 2008 and beyond based on 2005 generation Tons Portland Curbside to Weekly Roll-carts w/ tubs Gresham, other 2007 additions full year Bottle Bill water addition 2009 (new recycling only) Bottle Bill juice & teas (not in current law) (new recycling only) Improve MRF sorting by 50% Minus reduced soft drink sales 1,013 246 1,209 1,847 900 ??? Oregon Rigid Plastic Containers Possible Declines? • • • • • Specialty recycling is volatile – could decrease if plastic prices drop. Pyrolysis/gasification could take plastics from recycling. Continued drop in soft drink plastic bottles. Generation projections uncertain – new waste composition study to be done in 2009. In spite of these, DEQ thinks its projected recycling increases are conservative, and rate will stay well above 25%.