[GreenYes] metal, glass plastic compaction

["Marjorie J. Clarke" <mclarke@shiva.hunter.cuny.edu>]

With all the angst about Mayor Bloomberg's drive to do away with half our 
recycling program in NYC, I've been trying to help those of us assembling 
economic arguments for how to save money IMMEDIATELY and in the longer term 
by recycling vs. exporting.  There are even those who are arguing to reopen 
Fresh Kills, not for residues, but for burying 90% of our discards.

This morning I witnessed the blue bags of metal, glass and plastic being 
hurled into the packer truck, this time along with a large metal cabinet 
(our program takes bulk metal as well).  As I watched the life being 
squeezed out of that cabinet, I heard all the glass breaking.  The degree 
of compaction is severe; it's so bad that the bags break and you can see 
smashed metal cans.

Does anyone have a model program out there where glass, metal and plastic 
are collected in one truck, but not compacted, and where the glass is 
saleable and sold, and what the details of the glass markets are?  What is 
the size of the truck (dimensions) and tonnage that can be collected in 
such a truck?  The dimensions are important because our streets are narrow 
and full of cars.  What is spent per person per year on education to 
achieve what sort of participation and contamination rates?  Please let me 
know.

Maggie Clarke, Ph.D.
Environmental Scientist and Educator
http://everest.hunter.cuny.edu/~mclarke/index.htm
New York City 
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