Understanding the value of the recycling cycle

by Tracy Shaw, Canadian Association of Recycling Industries  

When many people hear stories of piles of plastics that were collected for recycling and instead ended up in landfills, they say; “Recycling doesn’t work.” When they are asked to pay a fee for the collection of recyclable electronics, they say; “Recycling is costly.” When they read articles about bronze statues stolen from city parks to be sold for their scrap value, they say; “Recyclers are criminals.”   

Misconceptions about recycling, recycled products, and the recycling industry are doing us harm. Because government officials and politicians lack understanding of our industry’s value and our global scale, they propose programs and impose regulations that place undue burdens on recyclers. Because the public does not understand recycling, they do not properly support it by demanding products made of recycled content, and which are designed for recycling. It is essential to our industry’s success that governments and the general public understand the benefits of recycling, the availability and quality of products with recycled content, and the recyclability of products.  

Once the public has a better understanding of recycling, we can begin to dispel some of the misconceptions about our industry. We have to start by emphasising the cycle in recycling – those three chasing arrows forming a continuous loop. 

Most people believe recycling consists of discarding, sorting, collecting and processing materials. Municipal governments set up Blue Box programs; household residents and business owners break down boxes and rinse containers and sort them into the appropriate receptacles. And once a week, all that material is taken away to be processed. Collection is not recycling.

Certainly, collecting discarded material is necessary to our industry, but we have to emphasise that it is only one part of the cycle. The misconception that collection programs are recycling is perhaps the most difficult hurdle we have to overcome. People like to think they are doing good by tossing a can in a blue bin, just as governments like to think the electronics stewardship programs eliminate e-Waste. They fail to realize that without the demand for recycled material, the supply is of little consequence. It’s an arrow pointing nowhere.

Piles of plastics aren’t sent to landfills because they can’t be recycled; they are sent to landfills when there isn’t a market for the material. To complete the cycle the collected material must become a resource that is used in the production of new goods, and those goods must subsequently be purchased, used, and eventually recycled.

Once we shift the emphasis from supplying recyclables to creating a market for recycled content and recyclability, we can demonstrate the true economic and environmental benefits of recycling.

Recognizing that collection programs do not guarantee material will be recycled means taking another look at existing programs and policies. Rather than focussing on collection, governments could implement stewardship programs that encourage manufacturers to design recyclable, environmentally responsible products. Rather than adding a point-of-purchase fee to manage their collection programs, manufacturers could show the cost of sending a product to disposal and replacing the material through the primary process. 

Governments at all levels could show leadership by developing and implementing procurement policies that encourage the design and manufacturing of products with recycled content that can be safely and efficiently recycled at the end of their useful lives. If governments practise what they preach about recycling and sustainable development, they will significantly increase the demand for recycled products. In Canada, the federal government purchases tens of billions of dollars’ worth of goods each year, but the Canadian government does not have a green procurement policy.

Our provincial and municipal governments collectively wield a very large procurement stick, and few if any have green procurement policies currently in place. Increasing the demand for recycled products through government and private procurement will provide manufacturers the incentive to design products with recycled material – products that will also eventually be recycled, thereby closing the loop. When products manufactured with recycled content become the norm, consumers will recognize that “recycled” does not mean “second-hand” or “inferior quality.” 

Certainly increasing the demand for recycled products has economic benefits for our industry, but it also changes the public’s perception of recyclers. Educating governments and the general public to the importance of the full cycle will give them a better understanding of the scale of the recycling industry. Suddenly it becomes clear that recyclers are not criminals and shady junkyard dealers, but men and women operating reputable businesses that are essential to our country’s economic and environmental health. 

Understanding the value of the recycling cycle is key to gaining respect for our industry. It’s time we closed the loop.  

Forging Ahead - CARI's 71st Annual Convention
Set for June 21–23, 2012 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel, in Ottawa, Ontario, CARI's 2012 Annual Convention program is full of excellent events and knowledgeable speakers.

The organization says; "Again this year we have put together an expert Industry  Panel to address the state of the copper, aluminum, and ferrous recycling industries."

This year’s keynote speaker is the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, and the Saturday morning “Moving Materials” Panel will offer valuable perspectives on issues of transporting material. Speakers include Lou Smyrlis, Editorial Director of the Transportation Media properties with Business Information Group; Robert Ballantyne, Vice-President and Partner of HPB Association Management Services Inc., and President of the Canadian Industrial Transportation Association; Ron Lennox, Vice-President of the Canadian Trucking Alliance; and Michael Broad, President of the Shipping Federation of Canada.

CARI says their Industry Panel will address the state of the copper, aluminum, and ferrous recycling industries. The expert panel includes Pierre Ricard-Desjardins, Director, Industry and Commodity Analysis with the Minerals and Metals Sector of Natural Resources Canada; Mike Southwood, Senior Consultant with the CRU Aluminum team; Justin Honrath, commodity analyst at CPM Group; and John Zanieski, President of Evraz Recycling in North America.

To provide a broad overview of the industry, Pierre Ricard-Desjardins' group is responsible for collecting and analyzing information on Canadian and  international minerals and metals markets, for conducting commodity, industry and market  research and analysis, and for developing policy and program development with respect to  the metal and nonmetallic mineral industries. He holds a B.Sc.A. in Chemical Engineering  from the University of Ottawa and is a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec.  

Mike Southwood will report on the aluminum  sector. Mike covers the full value chain of the North American aluminum sector for CRU, and also serves as CRU’s in-house technical analyst for all LME metals prices, exchange  rates, and oil prices, providing critical insight into the risks around short-term price movements. Mike is a primary contributor to the team’s publications and price forecasts,  including the Aluminum Weekly Outlook, the Aluminum Price Perspective, the Aluminium Products Monitor, and the Aluminium Rolled Products Quarterly. In addition, Mike is a  regular contributor of the market commentary for the Aluminum Association’s Aluminum  Highlights publication.    

Presenting an outlook on the copper sector will be Justin Honrath. Justin covers the base metals and energy markets for CPM Group’s Base Metals  Advisory and Weekly Commodity Views. These publications include in-depth analysis on  Aluminum, Copper, Lead, Nickel, Tin, and Zinc markets. Justin also presents on CPM Group’s  outlook on the base metals, minor metals, and steel markets at industry conferences.  He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Economics from New York University, College of Arts and  Sciences.   

Finally, John Zanieski will provide  insight on the ferrous sector. John has more than 25 years of progressive professional  experience with both public and private companies, most recently serving as General Manager and Vice President, West Coast Operations for Precision Castparts Corp.  He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from Yale University  and master’s degree in business administration from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.

For more information and registration: www.cari-acir.org. Or contact Donna Turner at 905-426-9313 or email [email protected].