SINGLE-STREAM RECYCLING:
THE LOWER COST ALTERNATIVE
Municipal Savings:
- Dramatic cost decrease when switching from multi-stream to single-stream
- Single-stream recycling reduces waste considerably
- Expensive processing facilities are eliminated, less equipment needed
- The only requirement is a simple, low maintenance regional transfer facility.
- Lower tonnage at the landfill translates into significant savings
- Low density populated areas can consider establishing a recycling program
Fleet Efficiency
- Eliminating curbside “stop and sort” means more stops per hour
- Existing waste hauling fleet, split body or packer trucks can be used
- Heavier loads means less trips to MRF, trucks are used more efficiently
- Fleets are maximized, lower fuel cost reducing environmental damage
- Small haulers can compete for contracts
- Single-stream is safer for drivers who don’t have to lift bins several hundred times a day.
Household ease of use
- Family members simply toss all their recyclables into one container
- Blue boxes, recycling carts or clear plastic bags can be used
- Use of the recycling cart helps divert more recyclable materials from the trash
- More categories of material are accepted, everything is collected at one time
- Volume is effortlessly increased due to simplicity and convenience.
Stages of the process
- Community collects all recyclables mixed together
- The recycling truck picks up at the curb and goes to a local transfer station.
- The material is then packed into a regular van which goes to a highly mechanized recycling center.
- Loads are processed; fiber, plastic, metal and glass are sorted, baled and sold to various well established end markets.
- Injection grade plastics #3 to #7 go to Haycore’s facility for grinding
- Post consumer flake is sold to various manufacturers of finished goods.
Material accepted
- Fiber: newsprint, cardboard, boxboard, office mix, gable top, etc
- Metal: steel and aluminum cans
- Glass: clear and colored container glass
- 1 to 7 plastics: plastic bottles and containers, grocery bags
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