CRI Explores System-Wide Costs and Results of Various Recycling Methods Releases New Report, “Understanding Economic and Environmental Impacts of Single-Stream Collection Systems”

 The Container Recycling Institute has undertaken a study of the impacts of single-stream collection of residential recyclables, with a particular focus on the economic and environmental impacts of this collection method on the final material sent to end-markets for remanufacturing. To date, the impacts on various collection methods—source-separated curbside, commingled curbside, deposit/return—on the quality of materials destined for recycling have not been formally researched and documented. In fact, rarely is “material quality” or the “end-destination” of the material considered by government decision-makers when choosing an appropriate recycling system. CRI selected Clarissa Morawski, principal of CM Consulting, to research the issue. Ms. Morawski is a leading expert on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and has authored numerous reports on beverage container recovery systems. For this study, Ms. Morawski reviewed 60 previously-published studies, reports and articles in trade magazines. Ms. Morawski was interested to find that, as a result of the struggling economy and plunging market prices for recyclables, she is seeing increased market sensitivity to quality issues. “End markets are really starting to quantify their economic losses from poor quality of material, and from a qualitative perspective, they feel this problem is very serious indeed and could have an impact on any future investments of capital to increase capacity of secondary feedstock.” The report finds that there are many negative downstream impacts of contaminated feedstock due to the mixing of materials through single-stream curbside collection. “Basically, the report confirms that you can’t unscramble an egg,” explains CRI Executive Director Susan Collins. “Once the materials are mixed together in a single-stream recycling system, there will be cross-contamination of materials and significant glass breakage. Those cross-contamination and breakage issues then result in increased costs for the secondary processors.” This report attempts to quantify those costs, but the study acknowledges that there is a need for more comprehensive data. “Nor are costs calculated on an apples-to-apples basis, because the tons that are handled through various recycling systems are not necessarily the same as the tons recycled” Collins observed. “If you take the contaminants out of the equation, the cost per ton recycled increases. With such high contaminant levels, some of these recycling systems are merely shifting costs to the paper mills, aluminum manufacturers, glass beneficiation facilities and glass manufacturers, and plastics recyclers.” The report is available for download on the CRI web site: www.container-recycling.org Contacts: Clarissa Morawski, Report Author: (416) 682-8984 Susan V. Collins, CRI Executive Director: (310) 559-7451

CBSI Receives 2009 Best of Milwaukie Award

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CBSI Receives 2009 Best of Milwaukie Award

U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 — CBSI has been selected for the 2009 Best of Milwaukie Award in the Recycling Equipment & Systems category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Commerce Association
Email: PublicRelations@us-ca.org
URL: http://www.us-ca.org

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Can recycling be profitable?

Absolutely! Of course it depends on your personal definition of profit. In Bottle Bill States (states that currently require a deposit is placed on all beverage containers), the collection and redemption of other people’s used beverage containers may be a profitable enough enterprise. Others may want to open an redemption center. Some of the bottle bill states require a handling fee of 1 to 3 cents per container (paid by the distributor) as a way to cover the cost of the redemption system. Grocery stores can also see a small profit from the accurate accounting of the containers they redeem. Or at least stop losing money due to miscounting that occurs through hand counting, or the payment of X amount per bag. Click here for an interactive look at the profitability of owning a Reverse Vending Machine.

(Based on NY handling fee. Not all bottle bill states offer a handling fee. To learn if your state does, visit www.bottlebill.com

 Change weekly total to see revenue estimates. Price of OneStop Jr. is an estimate and not a quote. Actual price may differ. This is for education purpose only).

Meet Jr. at the MPA/MACS Spring Tradeshow

Smaller footprint, bigger savings!

Come meet Jr! The OneStop Reverse Vending Machine designed specifically for the smaller retail / convenience store.  Jr. will demonstrate his amazing can & bottle crushing, counting and sorting abilities at the MPA/MACS Spring Tradeshow, Booth 404, March 31 – April 2, 2009, DeVos Place Convention Center, Grand Rapids Michigan.   Stop by and see how this savant of the RVM set performs!

OneStop Jr.

Can & Bottle Systems, Inc. (CBSI) Announces Partnership with

New Statewide Recycling CO-OP.

Portland, Oregon – In 1971 Oregon became known as the first Bottle Bill State by enacting The Beverage Container Act. The law requires a 5¢ deposit on all beer, malt and carbonated soft drink containers. As of January 1, 2009 that law was expanded to include bottled water. The law also requires that all retail stores redeem every container, regardless of brand, if they sell the same type of beverage.

Although the expansion of the law is great news for the environment, it created logistical challenges for the beverage and grocery retail industry. To meet these challenges, most of the beverage distributors doing business in the state of Oregon have formed the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC).

OBRC operates a statewide pick-up and processing program. As part of the program, over 300 retailers throughout Oregon utilize reverse vending machines (RVM). The data collected from RVM’s are compiled to reconcile the estimated 80 million pounds of redeemed containers every year. To handle the CO-OPs RVM needs, OBRC has partnered exclusively with CBSI, an American owned and operated RVM manufacturer. Headquartered in Portland Oregon with offices in Iowa and Michigan, CBSI has been manufacturing RVM’s since 1992. With accounts reaching from Hawaii to Maine, CBSI provides quality recycling machines for the bottle redemption process.

“CBSI is uniquely equipped to handle the demands of the Oregon Bottle Bill. We are very proud to partner with OBRC, the first statewide CO-OP of its kind in the country,” said Bill Janner, President of CBSI.

To learn more about CBSI or OBRC, visit their websites at www.canandbottle.com and www.OBRC.net.