Sorry for any confusion.
John Reindl, Recycling Manager
Dane County, WI
PS - BTW, a sample of our mixed color cullet (which we also market) was
sorted by some researchers in Indiana. The composition was much
different than the glass that was color sorted.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 20:31:30 -0700
> From: helens@axionet.com (Helen Spiegelman)
> Subject: Composition of glass
>
> John Reindl passed along this query:
> >
> >I've been asked by a state recycling official in Montana about the
> >composition of glass collected by recycling programs -- how much is
> >clear, green and brown. She is interested in data from all over the
> >US, so if you have these types of data, I would appreciate hearing from
> >you.
> >
> >As a kickoff, in our program the composition of the color sorted glass
> >at our MRF in 1996 was:
> >
> > clear 48.7%
> > green 22.7%
> > brown 28.6%
> >
>
>
> Maybe someone could explain something I've always wondered: why doesn't it
> make more sense to determine the composition of waste by looking at SALES of
> the materials, rather than through waste comp studies.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: (null)
> From: (null)
>
> When I see decimal points on the percentages above, I can't help but think
> that we're seeing precision masquerading as accuracy... (I appreciate that
> measurements of materials collected source-separated for recycling may be
> more meaningful.)
>
> But I also seem to remember a very old publication by the EPA that talked
> about the "materials flow methodology" where sales figures are factored in
> with life-expectancy of the item, in order to arrive at what seems like much
> more meaningful end results.
>
> It puzzles me that progressive states like OR and CA are basing their
> "measurements" of compliance with rigid plastic container mandates on waste
> comp studies (factored somehow with even more specious results from
> "surveys" of recyclers). The OR contact told me it was because the sales
> figures for OR were not available -- sales figures are nation-wide. Doesn't
> it seem that a pro-rated per-capita estimate would be do-able?
>
> The reason I make this point is that measurements at the waste end seem to
> reinforce the mind-set that waste is a "stream" emanating from some
> mysterious source. Eighty seven percent of the waste flow is MANUFACTURED
> PRODUCTS that have been abandoned by their makers, who abjure responsibility
> for them as soon as they are passed on to the consumer. You can be sure that
> the makers of those products knew EXACTLY how much material they produced,
> and it should be their social responsibility to account precisely for what
> happens to it "cradle-to-cradle".
>
> Helen Spiegelman
> RCBC
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of GreenYes Digest V97 #79
> ******************************
>
reindl@co.dane.wi.us
(608)267-1533 - fax
(608)267-8815 - phone