Best Operational Practices For Recycling Drop-off Operations Prepared for the Illinois Recycling Association Fall 2014 Funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity Prepared by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. The Illinois Recycling Association is the only collective voice for recycling within the critical waste management issues facing this state; we represent recycling interests at the state level. The Illinois Recycling Association (IRA) is a not-for-profit organization formed in 1980 as the Illinois Association of Recycling Centers, which then changed its name to the Illinois Recycling Association (IRA) in 1990. IRA currently consists of 250 members including municipal, county and state recycling and waste management coordinators, businesses, haulers and processors, not-for-profit organizations, consultants, and manufacturers of recycled-content products. It is the mission of the Illinois Recycling Association to encourage responsible use of resources by promoting Waste Reduction, Re-Use, Composting and Recycling. 2014 IRA Board Members President: Wynne Coplea, University of Illinois Springfield Vice President: David Miller, IL Army National Guard Treasurer: Lisa Kneller, Vintage Tech, LLC Secretary: Marie Streenz, Midwest Fiber Carlo Cavallaro, USAgain Paula Cross, Macon County Solid Waste Department Kristy Hecke, McHenry County Solid Waste Department Jennifer Jarland, Kane County Environmental Resources KJ Loerop, K Hoving Recycling & Disposal Kevin Moss, CITGO Lemont Refinery Leonard Worth, Fluorecycle, Inc. David E. Smith, Agency Liaison, Illinois DCEO Dave Walters, Agency Liaison, Illinois EPA Carol Staniec, Agency Liaison, U.S. EPA Region 5 Contact the Illinois Recycling Association at www.illinoisrecycles.org If you choose to print hard copy of this guide, please use double-sided copies and recycled-content paper. Thank you. 1 Acknowledgements The Illinois Recycling Association and the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) would like to acknowledge and thank the following individuals for their assistance in providing advice, information and editorial review for this document: • Chad Braatz, Sustainability Coordinator, City Of Monmouth • Carlo F. Cavallaro, Director Government Affairs/Senior Legal Counsel, USAgain, LLC • Wynne Coplea, Adjunct Instructor, UIS • Greg Crawford, Executive Director, Steel Recycling Institute • Sheri Crenshaw, Bookkeeper, Lake Area Disposal & Recycling Service • Leah D. Dettmers, Sustainability Coordinator, Madison County • Walter "Chip" Foley, Government Affairs Director, Steel Recycling Institute • Karrie Gibson, President & CEO, Vintage Tech, LLC • Jennifer Jarland, Recycling Coordinator, Kane County • Marta Keane, Recycling Program Specialist, Will County and IRA Past President • Lisa Kneller, Legislative Program Manager, Vintage Tech, LLC • David S. Ross, IL DCEO • David E. Smith, IL DCEO • Leonard Worth, President and CEO, Fluorecycle This guide was written by Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager, Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. NERC is a not-for-profit organization that provides materials management consulting services. For more information visit our website: www.nerc.org or call us at 802.254.3636. 2 Contents Why Best Operational Practices ................................................................................................................................ 5 Reduce and Reuse Before Recycling ..................................................................................................................... 6 The Role of the Drop-off Center ................................................................................................................................. 6 Collection Systems for Traditional Recyclables ............................................................................................... 8 Collection of Nontraditional Recyclables—Electronics, Textiles, Used Oil, etc. ................................. 10 Recycling Drop-off Facility Hosts ............................................................................................................................. 10 Siting a Drop-Off Center .............................................................................................................................................. 12 Site Design/Expansion Considerations ................................................................................................................. 12 Site Layout and Operations ................................................................................................................................... 13 Signage .......................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Site Administration ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 Designing a Recycling Collection and Processing Contract ............................................................................ 17 Agreement Details .................................................................................................................................................... 19 Processing Contracts ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Recycling Promotion and Education ...................................................................................................................... 22 Collection Bins or Containers ................................................................................................................................... 23 Types of Collection Containers ............................................................................................................................. 24 Material Baling and Compaction ............................................................................................................................. 25 Site Maintenance ........................................................................................................................................................... 25 Site Security ..................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Illegal Dumping Ordinance and Enforcement ................................................................................................ 27 Staffing .............................................................................................................................................................................. 28 Employee Health and Safety ...................................................................................................................................... 28 Fire Safety .................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Spills and Facility Clean-up ................................................................................................................................... 30 Best Operational Practices: Metal Cans and Scrap Metals .............................................................................. 34 Best Operational Practices: Plastic Bottles .......................................................................................................... 39 Best Operational Practices: Glass Bottles and Jars............................................................................................ 42 Best Operational Practices: Paper .......................................................................................................................... 45 Best Operational Practices: Reuse .......................................................................................................................... 48 Best Operational Practices—Textiles .................................................................................................................... 51 Used Electronics Recycling ........................................................................................................................................ 54 Best Operational Practices: Universal Wastes .................................................................................................... 58 Best Management Practices: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and Used Tires ............................. 61 Summary .......................................................................................................................................................................... 64 Appendices ...................................................................................................................................................................... 65 3 Best Operational Practices in Action: Case Studies ...................................................................................... 66 Emergency Preparedness Form .......................................................................................................................... 77 Resources and References ..................................................................................................................................... 80 4 Best Operational Practices for Recycling Drop-off Operations Why Best Operational Practices This document is provided by the Illinois Recycling