November 21, 2011 - 8:34pm
City sees advantages of single-stream recycling
BY ANNA ROZENBERG
After using single-stream recycling for almost a year and a half, the city of Ann Arbor has seen multiple benefits.
The city switched to single-stream recycling in July 2010 — a change that allows residents to place all recyclable material in one bin without having to sort them first. Nicole Berg, the Materials Recovery Facility education center coordinator, said the new system is more “convenient” for residents and businesses.
In addition to the new recycling bins, MRF purchased new hybrid trucks that pick up the single-stream carts with mechanical arms, according to Berg. MRF also improved its facilities and accepts additional types of plastics.
“At the Materials Recovery Facility ... we upgraded all the machinery, all the sorting equipment,” Berg said. “We used 55-percent recycled steel and materials to do those upgrades.”
The single-stream recovery system also created more jobs, Berg said, since the increased influx of recyclables allows for two shifts to run at the MRF. Before the system switch, there was only one shift a day.
The MRF also receives recyclables from other communities, which generates extra revenue for Ann Arbor, according to Berg.
However, she explained that there is still more to do to make recycling as appealing as possible to residents. As an incentive for people to recycle, the city partnered with a recycle bank, which provides rewards to residents for recycling.
“Residents can sign up on recyclebank.com to get rewards for their curbside recycling that they can redeem for coupons to local businesses or other companies,” Berg said.
Currently, only single-family homes can sign up for the recycle bank, but Berg said the program may expand.
Recyclables processed by the MRF are sent all over the country to be turned into new products, according to the MRF 2010 markets chart. Type 1 plastics, like water bottles, are sent to Mohawk Industries in Summerville, Ga. to be turned into carpet, according to the chart. Other recyclables may be converted into materials such as floor tiles, car parts or newspapers.
Tracy Artley, the University’s sustainability programs coordinator, said it isn’t a matter of where to put each type of recyclable, but a question of, “Is it recyclable or is it trash?”
“The conversion at MRF to single-stream recycling has allowed us at the University to simplify the recycling procedures for everyone on campus just like the city has been able to,” Artley said.
She added that the program has been beneficial for the University in general.
“Recycling saves the University money, which is always important,” Artley said. “It saves resources. It saves energy. The more that people are able to participate, the better it is for the University all around.”
