Title: [GreenYes] re: cardboard recycling
Just heard that there is a problem with getting cardboard shipped from
recyclers to mills.
Have been out of town, not sure if this is something local or if this is a
widespread problem with recycling centers?
Susan Kramer
Pinedale, Wyoming
----- Original Message -----
From: "Susan Hubbard" <susanh@no.address>
To: "'GreenYes group'" <noreply@no.address>; "'GreenYes digest
subscribers'" <GreenYes@no.address>
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 1:38 PM
Subject: [GreenYes] single stream recycling and the new economy
>
> With the greatest respect for Eric and Helen and all our recycling
> friends,
>
> Many producer responsibility advocates are recyclers so they may be busy
> trying to keep their recycling programs going in this dire economy. I
> know
> we are so it took us a bit to respond to this dialogue. We'd appreciate
> all
> your best thoughts for the future of recycling not just for us but for all
> the recyclers like us who are struggling right now.
>
> We have both served on NRC's board and don't know much about it now. We do
> know that NRC's board is loaded with single stream recyclers who continue
> to say that single stream is less expensive and this is a good time to go
> that way. We also know that every city in Minnesota that has gone to
> single stream has experienced higher rates. It is complete bogus. If it is
> cheaper then there is no savings passed on.
>
> Luckily we didn't go single stream and we can still move our materials in
> this market. We have gotten calls from other recyclers like ourselves in
> our area but that they have gone to single stream and are asking for our
> help as they are unable to even move the materials - let alone get paid.
> So
> is this proof that the feedback loop from the mill is working? No.
>
> This is the proof that what is theoretically possible and what is actually
> happening in single stream are eons apart. The largest recycler in the
> country is single stream and they have sway to land contracts with mills
> that include floor pricing. Their "quality" of materials sets the national
> price we all get for our recyclables. They continue to move their single
> stream materials. This is the real world of single stream recycling. The
> feedback loop only works with the small recyclers who are trying to
> compete
> with the giants by going to single stream - they get the feedback for poor
> quality at the mills. That was fine when the demand was high but not so
> much
> now as they are currently shut off.
>
> We aren't experts here - we have been recycling for a couple decades and
> we
> talk with our mills. Ironically the mills in our country are older and
> can't
> handle the dirtier paper so how do we support local mills - how do we keep
> paper and other raw materials in our country? For now we keep it super
> clean - not single stream. All of our material stays in North America. Our
> residual rate at our MRF is less than 1% and that includes glass bottle
> recycling into glass bottles not sand blasting medium or landfill cover.
> We
> educate our customers - our drivers leave what isn't recycled in the bin.
> They can see because it isn't in a big closed cart and our two stream
> materials are handled with respect in our trucks and at our facility. Not
> compacted to smithereens to "save money." Maybe this sounds arrogant but
> the
> idea at Eureka Recycling was to demonstrate that it could be done...waste
> could be prevented - environmentally sound, socially compassionate and
> economically solid.
>
> Ideally..... our community deals with discards by buying less and in bulk
> or
> refillables. Then we purchase what is really recyclable not just swept off
> the curb and discarded later. We compost their food scraps at home as much
> as possible and then only what must be is actually driven off to a
> commercial composting facility. We use the compost we create in their
> garden
> or give it to our neighbor. The commercial compost goes to local farms.
> We
> buy products from producers that understand their responsibility for their
> manufactured goods. We support restaurants and businesses that do the
> same.
> We stop justifying short term fixes like dirty single stream and demand
> change - real change and we know that our vote - I meanour individual
> action
> actually does count.
>
> National minimum content standards are important so are partnerships. We
> are
> always looking for good partners.
>
>
> Susan Hubbard & Tim Brownell
> Eureka Recycling
> 2828 Kennedy ST. NE
> Minneapolis, MN 55413
>
> 651.222.7678
>
> Waste is Preventable Not Inevitable
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GreenYes" group.
To post to this group, send email to GreenYes@no.address
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to GreenYes+unsubscribe@no.address
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/GreenYes?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
|