Recycling Changes in Fremont, NE

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): According to many in the recycling world, Fremont’s recent recycling woes could have its roots in China. At the beginning of this year, China began implementing bans on waste items from around the globe, which, according to some in the industry, has disrupted the global marketplace for recyclables.

“Communities throughout the Midwest are dealing with this issue at a rising rate,” said Mike Miller, vice president and project director for the environmental consulting firm SCS Engineers, out of its Omaha office. “It’s well documented in the media that there are many communities where recyclables that previously had been destined to end markets for recycling have been landfilled because of the lack of market.”

In Fremont, two waste companies ended free recycling drop-off programs last month—S2 Roll-offs, Refuse and Recycling removed open recycling bins outside of HyVee, and Waste Connections announced it was removing its collection bins from the Waste Transfer Station at 1200 Hamilton, effective today.

Both companies cited the rising costs of providing a free recycling program. S2’s Nate Williams cited increased expenses for labor and transporting materials, as well as decreased commodity prices.

And in an interview last week, Waste Connections’ Jamie Johnson specifically cited China’s ban as a major driving point. And Fremont isn’t the only community that’s seen recycling drop-off programs end.

“It certainly is happening all over,” said Julie Diegel, the executive director of the Nebraska Recycling Council. “It’s common all over the U.S. and even all over the world.”

Columbus, for example, has wrestled with companies ending free programs as well, according to reports from late last year. Other news reports show programs ending in cities in Missouri, Oregon and more.

Even in “free” recycling programs, like those offered by S2 and Waste Connections, there are costs, Diegel added, and many such programs have become unsustainable.

“It’s hauling materials, and when it’s recycling, you’re not burying the materials—you’re also processing them, so you’ve got to sort them and bale them and send them to market, so there are a lot of extra costs,” Diegel said. “There’s potential for revenue from the sale of those commodities, and that used to be high enough to overcome those costs, but it really hasn’t been great for a few years now.”

Courtesy: https://wasteadvantage.com