The Missing Link That was the missing link in all this productivity and efficiency—cardboard! The most recycled and usually the most profitable item in a recycling process was not being collected curbside. Home delivery of goods was only beginning to gain popularity, but even the smallest amount of cardboard put in a trash can was money lost. In the meantime, since the institution of the Green Sword, more paper mills were opened in the United States. To keep up with the increasing demand for cardboard, market prices for cardboard increased. As online shopping became the norm for many families, cardboard boxes seemed to be on every porch. The processing of cardboard in the Midwest had a turnaround time of about two weeks from the time of collection to the time a new box was available for use. And again, while the use of cardboard was exploding, Wayne County was seeing a decrease in newspaper recycling—in fact, the number of newspapers collected had decreased tremendously. The paper in the newspaper bin barely covered the floor. Nearby there was, however, a large pile of brown cardboard delivered by a flower shop owner who recognized the value of the cardboard to the city as well as the reduction in the volume in his trash dumpster. A common-sense solution would be to replace the newspaper with cardboard in the collection process. It did pose challenges, though: Although the bins in the trucks were adequate for newspaper, large amounts of cardboard would fill the paper compartment quickly, and repeated trips back to the MRF would be costly and time-consuming. The only reasonable solution would be to upgrade to a single-compartment packer and initiate a cardboard-only route. Of course, this would Indiana maintains a solid waste fund fed by per-ton fees from landfills. Those funds are dedicated to increasing recycling volumes and markets. Adding cardboard recycling to the Wayne County program would increase recycling opportunities in this eastern Indiana community, and the Indiana Recycling Market Development Program was happy to see the funding application from Richmond. With assistance from the Indiana Solid Waste RCAP representative, solid waste also be a costly venture. A Tidy Solution
officials, and city employees, a grant in the amount of $220,000 was awarded from the Indiana Recycle Market Development fund in 2020, which was used to purchase a side- loading truck. Heavy advertising prior to the initiation of the service grew interest, and the program was initially rolled out to 20% of the residents. 96-gallon carts were distributed to residents, and directions were given on how to break down boxes to fit the maximum amount in the carts. The initiation of cardboard recycling was accepted by residents and people throughout the county, who benefited from the new service. The timing of the program also corresponded well with the increase in the price of cardboard. The service continues to expand, and the added revenue through cardboard sales is a welcome addition to the county and city solid waste programs.
20 2022, ISSUE 3
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