Do our recyclables really get recycled?

[Garden guy]

For the past few weeks ive had a few issues with the garbage and recyclables people and i heard a comment by one of the garbage men after he put my recyclables in with the regular garbage and went out to ask whats up with that and he said dont worry...it all goes to the same place...are we wasting time and money?

[ProjectMaximus]

I've heard the same thing. iirc, a few years ago I saw some undercover operation on tv busting a waste management company that wasn't really recycling anything.

[mtraininjax]

It costs more for companies in the recycling business to take a packaged item, break it down and re-use it. Virgin plastic is shipped in railcars in pellets, and can be purchased for pennies on the dollar, compared to the expense of having to take old, and reuse it somehow.

Unless subsidized by the government....my neighbor's father has a trash business and says the same thing, they just throw it all together.

[river4340]

Republic Services is taking in tons of recyclables at its plant on the Westside. Separating, baling and shipping.

http://jacksonville.com/business/2012-05-22/story/north-jacksonville-recycling-plant-will-handle-25-tons-trash-hour

[Rob68]

Ive spoke with 3 people that work there and they all say very little is actually recycled...the majority goes in the landfill...we need more oversight and proof of the work...such bad attitudes from the guys picking it up...they all seem pissed off and could care less about recycling...but alas...ill keep doing it just in case some of it makes it where it should. Thanks for all of your help and information.

[BridgeTroll]

http://jacksonville.com/news/2013-12-31/story/city-sees-more-recycling-revenue

City sees more recycling, revenue


Jacksonville officials say recycling participation has jumped 17 percent since plant opened in 2012

Posted: December 31, 2013 - 10:47pm  |  Updated: January 1, 2014 - 10:21am

By Nate Monroe

If you've thrown away a newspaper, magazine or plastic bag within the past 18 months, chances are good it ended up in Republic Services' recycling facility in Northwest Jacksonville.

Since the $18 million plant opened in May 2012, city officials say they've seen about a 17 percent increase in residential recycling.

That equates to about 36,000 tons of trash the city recycles yearly, according to Republic.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/2013-12-31/story/city-sees-more-recycling-revenue#ixzz31VX9n9Mb

[Overstreet]

There is a market for Aluminum cans and some paper. The rest is uneconomical.Plastic bottles some but you have to process it and ship "car" loads for small return.

[BridgeTroll]

Apparently Republic makes enough money to pay the City a cut...  Even if it was a money loser (it isnt) it still pays for itself by keeping this tonnage out of the landfill and extending its life.

In return, Republic pays the city $41 per ton. Since May 2012, that agreement has generated about $300,000 in revenue, according to Jeff Foster, the city's solid waste chief.

http://jacksonville.com/news/2013-12-31/story/city-sees-more-recycling-revenue

[coredumped]

Channel 4 went and did a tour of the new plant when it opened if you want to see inside, pretty impressive:

http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/kwidget/wid/_557781/uiconf_id/20678232/entry_id/1_xh488qnv
http://www.news4jax.com/morning-show/New-recycling-center-good-environment-economy/13595666

[urbanlibertarian]

Apparently Republic makes enough money to pay the City a cut...  Even if it was a money loser (it isnt) it still pays for itself by keeping this tonnage out of the landfill and extending its life.

In return, Republic pays the city $41 per ton. Since May 2012, that agreement has generated about $300,000 in revenue, according to Jeff Foster, the city's solid waste chief.

http://jacksonville.com/news/2013-12-31/story/city-sees-more-recycling-revenue

So you're saying that the total spent by COJ on solid waste disposal is lower than it would be with no recycling?

[BridgeTroll]

Apparently Republic makes enough money to pay the City a cut...  Even if it was a money loser (it isnt) it still pays for itself by keeping this tonnage out of the landfill and extending its life.

In return, Republic pays the city $41 per ton. Since May 2012, that agreement has generated about $300,000 in revenue, according to Jeff Foster, the city's solid waste chief.

http://jacksonville.com/news/2013-12-31/story/city-sees-more-recycling-revenue

So you're saying that the total spent by COJ on solid waste disposal is lower than it would be with no recycling?

Im quoting the article.  If you have more info please share it. 

[Jtetlak]

I've personally visited the Republic facility and met with the city about recycling. There are three private companies that collect in different parts of town and deliver to Republic. Republic sorts, bundles and sells off the materials, mostly to over-seas companies who repurpose it, and then pays the city a cut of the profits (which works out to $41 per ton). The system could be improved for sure, because even people who use their recycle bin still end up throwing out a large amount of materials that could be recycled, and many people don't bother to recycle at all, so I'm working on getting a proposal together for whats called a Dirty MRF facility. This type of facility would accept ALL trash and sort out what is recycled, drastically reducing the amount of waste put into our dump, which, by the way, the city has estimated will be at capacity in 2016. Learn more about my ideas at www.tetlak.com

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

I've heard from a few people in Riverside who saw their recycle and trash bins get dumped into the same truck.  What is the chance recycleables are being separated from regular trash on those trucks?

Not a chance.

[coredumped]

I've heard from a few people in Riverside who saw their recycle and trash bins get dumped into the same truck. 

I've heard from a few people that elvis works at lubi's. Until there's some photo evidence I'm calling BS.
Seriously, if "a few people" saw that why wouldn't they take a picture or video?

[mtraininjax]

Jason - See if you can get the no good lazy SOBs who pickup trash to actually add equipment to lift the cans, so we don't have to put all our trash in bags. If you get one of the good cans, the ones they have a harder time destroying, they claim they need everything in bags, because now, at least in Avondale, the lazy SOBs cannot lift the trash and the cans, as it is over the 40 lb threshold in their city contract.  So even if you do find a way to recycle trash, you have to remove everything from the bags we have to store it in, which is even more cost.