...
Recyclates Co-mingled Waste Collection

Co-mingled Waste Collection Mixed Waste and Kerbside Sorting Explained

Banner Ad - Drycake Twister

Recyclates Co-mingled Waste CollectionLocal authorities worldwide are striving to improve their recycling rates, including by co-mingled waste collection. The rates of recycling and waste diversion away from landfill being achieved, have been shown to be much improved by the choice of collection system, and the variety of boxes and bins provided for disposal of the municipal waste generated by every household.

In this article we discuss the different types of collection systems which can be adopted.

Recyclables

For recyclables collected from people's homes, there are a variety of possible collection options which usually will fall within the following definitions, each of which require different supporting infrastructure to process the collected recyclables:

Source Separation – Single Material Collections Have Been Phased Out in Favour of Containers for Multiple Recyclate Types

The local authority will supply re-usable containers – or the household is asked to supply one or more containers such as a plastic carrier bag – for the collection of specific materials.

This material may be appropriate for bulking and direct sale to a re-processor without further sorting, or some limited mechanical sorting may be used to refine the material quality. The system of single material collections requiring one container for each recyclate type was popular when recycling systems were first introduced and when many local authorities collected only one material, typically paper.

However, as recycling schemes have expanded most authorities have chosen to provide a separate collection of a single material where it has not been feasible to add this material to their multi-material collection scheme, for example, glass. But, for other materials, these are usually mixed in a way that can easily be separated at the kerbside. For example, cans and all plastics are readily sorted by hand, and are often nowadays collected in one container to make it easier for the household to recycle. These are called “co-mingled” collections where there is no kerbside sorting.

Co-mingled Waste Collection

The term co-mingled waste collection means that all recyclable materials targeted by the collection scheme are placed in the same container (box, sack or wheeled bin) by the householder and are collected (co-mingled) in a single compartment vehicle and delivered to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for sorting.

Some authorities operate two stream collections whereby households are provided with one or more containers into which specified mixed recyclables are placed for regular collection – either the glass or the paper can be kept separate from the other materials.

These materials are collected in two compartment vehicles in order to keep the glass or the paper separate and are delivered to a MRF for sorting  In some schemes, households are asked to provide one of their own containers, such as a plastic carrier bag for collection of paper.

This type of collection system requires a specialist facility to sort the recyclables into separate material types and to prepare them for sale to re-processors. This is known as a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) or is sometimes referred to as a Materials Recycling Facility.

Kerbside Sorting Collections

As with co-mingled collections a container is provided to householders for the targeted recyclables which are then sorted into constituent materials at the kerbside (i.e. from the box outside the household) by the operatives of a specialist collection vehicle. This is a more labour intensive process in terms of the collection operation compared with a co-mingled collection scheme. However, generally a MRF is not required and it has benefits in terms of ensuring that a higher quality of material is usually collected.

Mixed Waste Collections

Recyclables may also be extracted from the mixed MSW (normal residual or ‘black bag' waste) through separation and treatment processes.

These types of systems are described later in this guide and include Mechanical Biological Treatment and Mechanical Heat Treatment.

The amount of recyclables extracted from mixed waste collection systems is likely to be limited and of a lower quality (in most instances) than recyclables collected through dedicated source segregated collection systems.  However, combined with some form of source segregated collection system, the additional materials recovered from mixed wastes can substantially enhance overall recycling rates.

TEEP Regulations

The EU has decided that it wants to encourage high quality recyclates to improve the added value these provide when sold. Mixed waste collection is, they consider, inherently inferior as it produces a lower quality/ more cross contaminated recyclate stream than source segregated recyclables. The EU has introduced what are known as the TEEP Regulations which will apply from 2015, which will it hopes predispose the industry to opt for source segregation..

Banner Ad - Sign Up to make money with this list builder


You May Also Like These Topics...
Featured image showing UK food waste management becoming simpler so that all the family know where to put their food waste.

The Future of UK Food Waste Management – Simpler Collections and Tougher Regulation

The future of UK food waste management will be a big push toward higher recycling rates through simpler collection and far greater consistency across the nations, helping citizens understand how to be green and recycle more organic waste. As the UK continues to advance its environmental goals, recently announced government policies aimed at simplifying waste […]

The Ultimate Guide To Recycling Plasterboard: How To Dispose Of Plasterboard Waste Properly

Plasterboard is a popular building material used in homes and offices. It's light, strong, and easy to work with. But when it turns into waste, we can't just throw it away like old food wrappers. Rules say plasterboard must not mix with other trash because it can harm the environment. Luckily, clean plasterboard can go […]

A view of some unfashionable landfilling.

Unfashionable Talk About Landfills

Get ready for unfashionable talk about landfills! Let's talk rubbish—literally. You might not think about landfills much unless the smell drifts your way on a windy day or you're tossing out the garbage. But these dumping grounds are more than just piles of junk; they're a snapshot of our consumer habits and a challenge we need to tackle. Landfill […]

Street sweeper waste management guide - featured image.

Street Sweeper Waste Management: A Comprehensive Guide

This is a story that ranges from cleaning streets to sustainability. Jump aboard as we uncover the fate of street sweeper waste. In the bustling streets of cities worldwide, street sweepers play a pivotal role in maintaining cleanliness and public health. However, the journey of the waste they collect is often overlooked. This article dives […]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Previous Post
granville island zero waste uk
Recycling

Zero Waste and UK Recycling Progress

Next Post
DSEAR United Kingdom article
Landfill Engineering Landfill Safety

Landfill Sites and the DSEA Regulations (DSEAR – UK)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Seraphinite AcceleratorOptimized by Seraphinite Accelerator
Turns on site high speed to be attractive for people and search engines.