Single stream recycling

Recycling

Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...

 refers to a system in which all paper

Paper

Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....

 fibers, plastics, metals, and other containers are mixed together in a collection truck, instead of being sorted into separate commodities (newspaper

Newspaper

A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

, paperboard

Paperboard

Paperboard is a thick paper based material. While there is no rigid differentiation between paper and paperboard, paperboard is generally thicker than paper. According to ISO standards, paperboard is a paper with a basis weight above 224 g/m2, but there are exceptions. Paperboard can be single...

, Corrugated fiberboard, plastic

Plastic

A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...

, glass

Glass

Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...

, etc.) by the resident and handled separately throughout the collection process. In single stream, both the collection and processing systems are designed to handle this fully commingled mixture of recyclables, with materials being separated for reuse at a materials recovery facility

Materials recovery facility

A materials recovery facility or materials reclamation facility or materials recycling facility is a specialized plant that receives, separates and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to end-user manufacturers...

.

Advantages

Proponents of single stream note several advantages:

• Reduced sorting effort by residents may mean more recyclables are placed at the curb and more residents may participate in recycling;
• Reduced collection costs because single-compartment truck
  Truck
  A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
  
  s are cheaper to purchase and operate, collection can be automated, and collection routes can be serviced more efficiently;
• Greater fleet flexibility which allows single compartment vehicles to be used for refuse or recycling, providing greater fleet flexibility and reducing the number of reserve vehicles needed. To avoid confusing customers, a large sign or banner is sometimes used to distinguish when a refuse truck is being used for recycling.
• Worker injuries may decrease because the switch to single stream is often accompanied by a switch from bins to cart-based collection.
• Changing to single stream may provide an opportunity to update the collection and processing system and to add new materials to the list of recyclables accepted; and
• More paper grades may be collected, including junk mail, telephone books and mixed residential paper.

Disadvantages

Potential disadvantages of single stream recycling may include:

• Initial capital cost
  Capital cost
  Capital costs are costs incurred on the purchase of land, buildings, construction and equipment to be used in the production of goods or the rendering of services, in other words, the total cost needed to bring a project to a commercially operable status. However, capital costs are not limited to...
  
   for:
  • New carts
  • Different collection vehicles
  • Upgrading the processing facility

• Processing costs may increase compared to multiple stream systems
• Possible reduced commodity
  Commodity
  In economics, a commodity is the generic term for any marketable item produced to satisfy wants or needs. Economic commodities comprise goods and services....
  
   prices due to contamination of paper
• Increased “downcycling” of paper, i.e., use of high quality fibers for low-end uses like boxboard due to presence of contaminants;
• Possible increase in residual rates after processing (due chiefly to increased breakage of glass
  Glass
  Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
  
  )
• Potential for diminished public confidence if more recyclables are destined for landfill
  Landfill
  A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
  
  disposal due to contamination or unmarketability.