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A NEWSLETTER TO EXPAND MARKETS FOR RECYCLED MATERIALS

Checking In with LinkUp

LinkUp works to expand markets for a variety of recycled materials.

Nearly 10 years after launching, LinkUp continues to expand markets for recycled materials

Each year more than half of what goes to King County’s Cedar Hills Regional Landfill could be recycled.1 That’s where LinkUp comes in. LinkUp is a King County program that works to expand markets for selected recyclable and reusable materials by facilitating an interactive community of businesses, public agencies and other organizations. The program has evolved over the last couple of years from strictly providing technical assistance to one where a variety of strategies are used to help facilitate and support recycling markets.

History
LinkUp’s roots were planted in the 1980s when King County set its first waste reduction and recycling goal of 50 percent waste reduction and recycling by 1995. As collection of recyclables became established, the need emerged to develop markets for these materials. And in 1989 King County created the King County Commission for Marketing Recyclable Materials (Marketing Commission). The Marketing Commission was charged with creating new markets for recycled materials and products. In the beginning the program was focused on enticing customers to “Buy Recycled.” In 1991 the Clean Washington Center was formed as part of the Washington State Department of Trade and Economic Development. Over the next six years the Center advanced recycling markets through validating recycling technologies and developing best practices in recycling, and became known nationally for its accomplishments. Funding for the Clean Washington Center failed to be renewed in 1997.

In an effort to keep recycling market development active in our region, King County’s Marketing Commission launched LinkUp in April 2000. LinkUp was designed to provide manufacturers and material processors with free technical and marketing assistance to increase the processing and use of recycled materials in locally produced goods, and make locally manufactured recycled-content products more readily available in the marketplace.

Since its inception LinkUp has worked alongside and provided assistance to nearly 30 businesses. From a roofing recycler to a messenger bag designer to a glass tile manufacturer, LinkUp’s hands-on approach has facilitated recycling markets by supporting businesses that use or process recyclable materials. The type of assistance provided is varied; it includes material testing, market research, business and strategic planning, and communications.

New approach
In recent years, LinkUp has broadened its approach to achieve a greater impact on specific recycling markets. Rather than work solely with individual businesses that use any of a variety of recycled materials, the program is now be geared around a few focus recyclable or reusable materials. LinkUp conducts projects that include business technical assistance, demonstrations and other strategies designed to address the unique issues and market status of each focus material. Focus materials are chosen based on needs in the marketplace and King County’s overall recycling goals and priorities, and for 2009 they are asphalt shingles, expanded polystyrene, carpet and mattresses.

“The new LinkUp approach allows us to hone in on emerging opportunities to divert specific recyclable materials from the landfill,” said Kris Beatty, program manager of LinkUp. “Through research and market assessment, we are able to identify the materials that not only can be managed successfully as a resource, instead of a waste, but also have potential to benefit our economy, as well.”

Despite the change in focus, LinkUp’s goals remain the same as when it started: reduce waste, increase the use of recycled materials in manufacturing/production and expand markets for recyclable and reusable materials.

Current projects
LinkUp is currently implementing a multi-year project with the recycling and paving community to champion the development of a hot mix asphalt (HMA) end market for recycled asphalt shingles derived from tear-off roofing shingles. The Shingles in Paving Demonstration Project has developed a partnership with King County Department of Transportation and Washington State Department of Transportation to conduct a paving trial that will incorporate recycled asphalt shingles. Paving will take place in the summer of 2009 on a South King County roadway. Once the demonstration project is complete, LinkUp will report on the methodology, testing results and conclusions. This information will be shared with key stakeholders and industry representatives with the hope that it will open up opportunities for the widespread use of tear-off shingles in HMA.

Another LinkUp project is supporting the development of processing capacity in King County for expanded polystyrene block packaging. LinkUp awarded technical assistance services to Total Reclaim, a Seattle-based recycler, and SKCAC Industries, a non-profit in Kent, to develop processing facilities for the recycling of expanded polystyrene.

Moving forward, LinkUp will continue to identify market development opportunities for material recycling and reuse and conduct projects to capitalize on those opportunities. Together with its partners, LinkUp will bring King County closer to achieving its goal of zero waste of resources by 2030, and improve the health of the environment and our economy.

King County focus

Machines called tippers efficiently unload trailers containing garbage at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill (left), and King County Solid Waste Division’s Tom Watson recycles organic materials—food scraps and yard debris (right).

King County Solid Waste Division Contributes to Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Division’s accomplishments detailed in 2008 climate report

King County is one of the country’s leading local governments when it comes to addressing climate change. A recently released report shows that in 2007 King County reduced greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by more than 6 percent below year 2000 levels, far exceeding the county’s goal of a 1.5 percent reduction. The King County Solid Waste Division is addressing climate change in a number of ways that are reported in the county’s second annual Climate Report, which was released in February.

In 2007, King County created a Climate Plan that set objectives and goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from county operations and regional activities. Operational emissions reductions progress is monitored and verified through annual reporting to the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). CCX operates a voluntary but legally binding cap and trade greenhouse gas reduction and trading program, with global affiliates and projects worldwide. King County joined CCX in 2007 and is one of only three counties from the U.S. to participate. The 2008 Climate Report details the Solid Waste Division’s accomplishments in operations, waste prevention and recycling, and green building, which have contributed to the greenhouse gas emissions reductions accounted for in the CCX program.

“King County Solid Waste Division plays an important role in reducing the negative impact of climate change,” said Division Director Kevin Kiernan. “From managing our landfill to promoting waste reduction and recycling, we have a tremendous opportunity to address this important issue.”

Operations at the Cedar Hills Landfill continue to focus on best practices, resulting in a methane gas collection system that captures 90-95 percent of the landfill’s methane emissions. In 2008 SWD partnered with INGENCO to construct a landfill gas scrubbing station which will annually displace over 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions by providing pipeline quality biogas to local utility Puget Sound Energy.

Recycling also has a role to play in climate change. Emissions occur in the production and distribution of the goods and services we all consume. By recycling materials back into the processing and manufacturing stages of production, CO2 emissions are avoided because using recycled materials for manufacturing products typically requires less energy than extracting or mining virgin materials. Climate related benefits also occur from recycling specific items. Recycling paper means fewer trees are cut down, which in turn means trees can retain their carbon intake as working forests. Composting organic materials and using the compost to improve soil means healthier plants and trees and a decreased need for traditional fertilizers, the manufacture of which usually generates fossil fuel emissions.

In 2008, through recycling activities alone, King County residents and business reduced CO2 equivalent emissions by more than 840,000 metric tons.

Increasing green building practices and materials is another way the Solid Waste Division is contributing to the county’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The Division oversees GreenTools, the county’s green building program. GreenTools supported King County in passing a Green Building and Sustainable Development Ordinance in 2008 that requires all County-owned or County-financed new construction and major remodel/renovation projects to achieve LEED certification. Also, in cooperation with the City of Seattle, GreenTools developed an Energy Audit Guide to help improve residential energy efficiency.

The 2008 Climate Report is available on online.

Industry Voice

The current economic recession is affecting all industries; as we reported in the last issue the recycling industry is no exception. Nearly six months after recycling markets started to drop, eNewsLink checked in with some expert observers of the recycling industry to see how the industry is weathering the economic storm. Here’s what they said.

There have been reports lately that the economic crisis is impacting the value of recycled materials. What do you see happening within the industry as a result of what's happening with the economy?

Chaz Miller, Director, State Programs, National Solid Waste Management Association: There is a recession going on; people are buying less and fewer things are being made so that’s affecting our industry. Recycling is a commodity market and commodity markets fluctuate; a study by North Carolina State University showed that recyclables have the widest fluctuation. We are coming off an unprecedented period of a stable market for four years. Yes, the markets are down, but we are starting to see things come back a little bit.

Jerry Powell, Editor, Resource Recycling: There is a temporal nature to the discussion of what’s happening within the industry. The situation has slowly improved over time; it’s not as tragic today as it was in the fall. I think the doom and gloom reporting holds to a view of recycling markets that is a little outdated; things are starting to turn around.

William Turley, Executive Director, Construction Materials Recycling Association: I think things are a bit overblown. We have seen a decline in materials that are going into recycling processing facilities, but we are also seeing a decline of materials that are going to the landfill as well. There is still demand for recycled products, particularly biomass.

Has the recycling industry taking a hit? Or is it just leveling out after a time of rapid growth?

CM: Yes, it’s taken a hit. Have we seen recycling programs stop? No, not really, just some small rural programs. We are seeing programs challenged in mid-sized cities in the U.S., and local governments will be looking at budgets and making hard decisions.

JP: I see a parallel with the housing market, we saw a steep incline in prices, then there was a steep slope in the fall and now we are balancing out. We got giddy and we got taught a lesson. There is an opportunity to learn from this situation.

WT: We are seeing a decline, but it hasn’t taken a “hit.” The demand for green building is driving the demand for recycled materials. Prices may be down a bit, but it’s not the end of the world. We had our annual meeting a couple of months ago and attendance was 40 percent higher than it has ever been; I think that says something about where things are with the market.

Where do we go from here? What do you expect to see happen with markets for recycled materials?

CM: We will continue to see changes in how we manage materials and use materials. Some things have yet to play out. We’re looking hard at waste streams and turning them into resource streams.

JP: A year from now we should be back into a level market, things are slowly inching back. This decade we have seen the highest pricing for recycled materials in history, communities were able to make plans for aggressive plans and systems, things were just humming. Now, the sky is down a bit, but it’s not falling. 2008 was the best year ever, and what’s happening now is not fun after a glorious fun time, but it’s just a slight setback, we are starting to see more demand.

WT: I think we are still in a bull market for the recycling industry. The demand for green building and the economic benefits of using recycled materials will continue to contribute to growth in the industry

Fast facts

King County by the Numbers
Snapshot of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accomplishments from 2008 Climate Report

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