The Contamination Conundrum
One of my earliest memories is a silly little Sesame Street song that still inspires me today; it goes a little something like this:
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn’t belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?
If you have never seen it, here’s an example:
Such a simple concept that lends itself to answer so many questions, sometimes in places you wouldn’t expect, like recycling.
Yep, you read that right, recycling. Especially contamination in recycling. Contamination is a pretty broad term, but when it comes to recycling, it is a costly problem that is likely sneaking its way into your operational expenses, whether you realize it or not. In fact, it is estimated that 25% of all items put in a recycling container are actually contaminated.
So what is a contaminate? Like the song, it is something in the container that does not belong in the container. From plastic garbage bags and frozen food boxes to to-go coffee cups, styrofoam, and bags of shredded paper, these are items that potentially might be recycled on their own, but not when they are introduced to a mixed stream.
The issue is made more confusing in that the actual items that are acceptable can vary from city to city, market to market, sometimes even vendor to vendor.
What tends to happen at our properties is instead of recycling, our tenants tend to “wish-cycle,” placing items in the recycle bin that they think or hope can be recycled. Take frozen food containers, for example. It seems like a paper box, right? But that thin layer of plastic coating on the inside of the container means the product is neither paper nor plastic but instead a hybrid that can not easily be separated.
Sorting out that contamination takes labor which means increased costs. Sometimes the contamination itself can actually bring the entire assembly line to a halt, for example, when plastic bags get caught in sorting equipment and have to be cut out.
Those costs get passed on, either as increases in hauler fees, fines for contamination, or compliance costs to comply with legislation passed to address the issue. No matter how contamination finds its way to your bill, it costs you money. In fact, it is estimated that this expense may be responsible for 20-45% of the fees added to the base rates for recycling. In terms of actual fines, a $250 fine per incident of contamination is not unusual.
For a better idea of just what a contaminant might be, The Recycling partnership conducted a survey to determine the top five contaminants in the waste stream:
Tanglers (hoses, cords, clothes)
Film (plastic wrap, plastic bags)
Bagged Things (refuse or recycling - who knows it is in a bag and you can’t see it)
Hazardous Material (propane tanks, needles)
Yuck (food, liquids, diapers)
So how do we address this issue? For starters, if you happen to be attending NAA’s Apartmentalize Conference in Chicago, you can join me for a panel discussion on this very topic. On Tuesday, August 31st at 2:30 Central, we will be diving into this topic in more detail with an expert panel.
If you are unable to join us, here are a few strategies to think about to reduce contamination fees:
●Strategic bin placement (where allowable)
●Utilize door-to-door service providers and locks on recycling bins
●Designated recycling centers
●Utilize sorting companies (where available)
●Utilize new technology – Sensors that detect and notify occurrences
The discussion promises to be insightful and provide key takeaways that you can bring back to your own portfolio. I hope to see you there.
You can help reduce the impact of the built environment by sharing this blog with your peers. Together we can impact the 39% of greenhouse gasses attributed to the built environment. It starts with awareness, and we succeed with teamwork.
Stay well!
Chris Laughman is the ThirtyNine Blog author, a blog dedicated to reducing the impact of the built environment. When not blogging, Chris is helping the real estate industry reduce energy and water impact as the Vice President of Sustainability for Conservice, the Utility Experts. Whether Multifamily, Single Family, Student Housing, Commercial, or Military, we simplify utility billing and expense management by doing it for you. Our insight into your utility consumption provides an opportunity to identify risks. Leveraging innovation and experience, we ignite solutions with real impacts and track performance to ensure the trendline stays laser-focused on the goal. To get there, we must build relationships within our organizations and outside of our organizations building the critical mass needed to truly make a difference. We have before us a tremendous opportunity. Standing shoulder to shoulder, we will get this done. Contact me at claughman@conservice.com for more information.
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