Title: [GreenYes] Re: good questions on plastics recycling
Brenda, Joelle, I'd suggest checking out EPA Solid Waste
Characterization report, see http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/pubs/mswchar05.pdf
specifically pages 47-51 which have some of the plastics recycling
numbers you're asking about. You should be able to get additional
information from Resource Recycling's "Plastics Recytcling Update",
see http://www.resource-recycling.com/pru.html
You could also try contacting the association of Post Consumer
Plastics recycling at http://www.plasticsrecycling.org/ or NAPCOR ofr
PET information, see http://www.napcor.com/
On Aug 31, 6:27 pm, "Brenda Platt" <bpl...@no.address> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> The email below from Joelle Novey at Co-Op America poses some excellent
> questions concerning recycling plastics. Does anyone have data on this?
> either from a national perspective or from their local/state perspective?
> I'm very interested in this issue too, so please email Joelle and me
> directly on this. Joelle is not on the listserv.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Brenda
>
> --
> Brenda Platt
> Institute for Local Self-Reliance
> 927 15th Street, NW, 4th Fl
> Washington, DC 20005
> 202-898-1610 ext. 230www.ilsr.org
>
> *********************
>
> Brenda,
>
> I'm writing at the suggestion of Ann Leonard over at the Environmental
> Grantmakers. I'm writing from the publications department at Co-op
> America, where we're doing research for the next issue of the Co-op
> America Quarterly about waste and recycling issues.
>
> I'm hoping you can help because I'm having quite a hard time coming by
> any reliable numbers about what happens nationally to the plastics
> Americans "recycle."
>
> I would like to be able to tell our readers:
>
> 1. what percentage of the plastics in their recycling bins get rejected
> by the MRFs and are ultimately sent to a US landfill or incinerator.
>
> 2. Then, of those plastics recovered by the MRF and sold for
> "recycling," what percentage are shipped overseas? (To what countries?)
>
> 3. And then, of those that are sent to other countries, what percentages
> of these items are ultimately recycled into some other useful product
> rather than dumped?
>
> 4. If the numbers are very different for different grades of plastics,
> I'd be interested in those numbers too.
>
> I would really like to be able to tell our members what is happening to
> the plastics in their recycling bins -- where are these things going,
> and what is being done with them? Can you recommend any reputable
> resources that have looked at this in a systematic way? I'll look
> forward to hearing from you!
>
> In cooperation,
>
> Joelle G. Novey, Editorial Associate
> joe...@no.address
>
> Co-op America: Economic Action for a Just Planet
> 1612 K St NW Washington DC 20006
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