Recycling Development Center work plan



left-916966Work Plan for the Washington State Recycling Development Center Working documentFirst draft – April 2020, Advisory Board reviewSecond draft – May 2020, Board member commentsEdits/comments added in this order: Derek Ruckman, Heather Trim (“user” comments), Karl Englund, Kyla Fisher, Sego Jackson, Tim Shestek, Deb Geiger, Nina Goodrich, Margo Gillaspy Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Work Plan for the Washington State Recycling Development Center PAGEREF _Toc39848993 \h 1The Center PAGEREF _Toc39848994 \h 3Legislative Direction PAGEREF _Toc39848995 \h 3Center Organization PAGEREF _Toc39848996 \h 4Center Agency Team PAGEREF _Toc39848997 \h 4Advisory board PAGEREF _Toc39848998 \h 4Work Plan PAGEREF _Toc39848999 \h 5Effective Partnerships PAGEREF _Toc39849000 \h 6Help Businesses/Create Green Jobs PAGEREF _Toc39849001 \h 7Research Solutions - Waste and Recycling System Policy Analysis; Economic and Business Incentive Policies Analysis PAGEREF _Toc39849002 \h 8Advance Technology PAGEREF _Toc39849003 \h 8Next Steps PAGEREF _Toc39849004 \h 9List of footnotes PAGEREF _Toc39849005 \h 9Attachment 1 - Solid Waste Data PAGEREF _Toc39849006 \h 10Note about this work plan:Development of the Recycling Development Center’s (Center) first work plan occurred over several months in 2020 (April to July). The CenterThe Washington State Recycling Development Center (Center) was created within the Department of Ecology (Ecology) in partnership with the Department of Commerce (Commerce) (Chapter 70.370 Revised Code of Washington (RCW)). Consistent with the State Solid and Hazardous Waste Plan, the Center’s vision is to eliminate most wastes and use any remaining waste as resources. The Center mission is to provide or facilitate basic and applied research and development, marketing, and policy analysis in furthering the development of markets and processing for recycled commodities and products.Market development consists of public and private activities to incentivize action and overcome impediments preventing full and productive use of secondary materials diverted from the waste stream, and that encourage and expand use of those materials and subsequent products. The Center will initially focus on businesses that transform or remanufacture waste materials into usable or marketable materials or products for use rather than disposal.Legislative DirectionThis work plan describes Center “actions and recommendations for developing markets for commodities comprising a significant percentage of the waste stream and having potential for use as an industrial or commercial feedstock, with initial focus on mixed waste paper and plastics” (RCW 70.370.030 (3)(a))actions to support market development for commodities collected from the waste stream. The law directed the Center to:Identify materials that are a significant percentage of the waste stream.Identify materials that have potential for use as an industrial or commercial feedstock.Initially focus on mixed waste paper and plastics.The Center will: Evaluate, analyze, and make recommendations regardingon state policies that may affect markets for recyclable materials. Work with manufacturers and producers of packaging and other difficult to recycle materials and other potentially recyclable materials on their work to increase recyclabilitythe ability of their products to be recycled or reduced in Washington, including other prevalent and difficult to recycle materials.Initiate, conduct, and/or contract for studies relating to market development for recyclable materials/products, including but not limited to applied research, processing/recycling, technology transfer, life-cycle analysis, and pilot demonstration projects.Obtain and disseminate information relating to market development for recyclable materials from other state and local agencies and other sources.Provide grants or contracts to local governments, state agencies, or other public institutions to further the development or revitalization of recycling markets in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.Provide business and marketing assistance to public and private sector entities within the state.Work to create a regional recycling development council that will work across either state or provincial borders, or both.Advocate for policies that create a circular economy and deter from abundant linear supply chains. Under an interagency agreement with Ecology, Commerce will: Provide assistance to recycling businesses that may include:Development of business plans;Market research and planning information;Referral and information on market conditions; andInformation on new technology and product development.Conduct outreach and surveys to negotiate voluntary agreements with manufacturers establish barriers and solutions to the increased the use of recycled materials in products and product development;Inventory, Ssupport, promote, and identify research and development to stimulate new recycling technologies and products using recycled materials;Actively promote manufacturing with recycled commodities, as well as purchasing of recycled products by state agencies consistent with and in addition to the requirements of chapter 43.19A RCW and RCW 39.26.255, local governments, and the private sector;Undertake studies on the unmet capital and other needs of reprocessing and manufacturing firms using recycled materials, such as financing and incentive programs; andConduct research to understand the waste stream supply chain and incentive strategies for retention, expansion, and attraction of innovative recycling technology businesses.Center Organization The Center works in consultation with a fourteen-member Advisory Board; membership is outlined in the law ( HYPERLINK "" Chapter 70.370 RCW). Additionally, whenever needed, the Center will work with material recovery facility operators; public and private sector reuse, recycling, and solid waste industries; packaging manufacturers and retailers; local governments; environmental organizations; interested colleges and universities; and state agencies, including the department of commerce and the utilities and transportation commission. Every other year, the Center will submit a report to the legislature on the progress of achieving the center's purpose and performing the center's activities. The first report to the legislature is due in December of 2020. That report will summarize effects on state recycling rates or rates of utilization of postconsumer materials in manufactured products that can reasonably be attributed, at least in part, to the activities of the Center. Center Agency TeamEcology and Commerce partner in the work of the Recycling Development Center. Primary contacts for Ecology and Commerce are:Advisory boardThe law details the representation of the board and directs the board to meet at least quarterly ( HYPERLINK "" RCW 70.370.040). The purpose of the advisory board is to provide advice and support to Ecology and Commerce on related to the work of the Center. In October 2019, the Directors of Ecology and Commerce invited the representatives listed in Table 1 to participate as advisory board rmation about advisory board activities is available to all interested parties and provided online. All advisory board meetings will be offered as conference calls or webinars. Interested parties may attend (space available) and will be offered an opportunity to participate. Ecology schedules and facilitates board meetings. Table 1 Recycling Development Center Advisory BoardBoard MemberOrganizationPhoneEmailAllen LangdonEncorp Pacific – Returnit604-473-2416alangdon@returnit.caCorinne DrennanPacific Northwest National Laboratory509-372-6330Corinne.Drennan@Deb GeigerSpokane County Solid Waste509-238-6607dgeiger@Derek RuckmanRecology206-619-0892DRuckman@Karl Englund, Board CoChairWashington State University 509-335-5077englund@wsu.eduHeather TrimZero Waste Washington206-441-1790heather@Jay SimmonsNorth Pacific Paper Company (NORPAC)360-636-6485Jay.simmons@Kyla Fisher AMERIPEN602-540-7544kyla@Margo GillaspySkagit County Public Works Department360-416-1400margog@co.skagit.wa.usMike RangeWaste Management253-344-8594mrange@Nina GoodrichSustainable Packaging Coalition866-904-9666nina.goodrich@Scott Morgan, Board ChairThe Evergreen State College360-867-6913morgans@evergreen.eduSego Jackson Seattle Public Utilities206-615-0706sego.jackson@Tim ShestekAmerican Chemistry Council 916-448-2581Tim_Shestek@Jason Lewis*Utilities and Transportation Commission 360-338-8837Jason.lewis@utc. * non-voting board memberFigure 1 Advisory Board Quarterly Meetings (2020) Work PlanOn January 9, 2020, the Washington State Departments of Ecology and Commerce hosted the first Recycling Development Center (Center) advisory board meeting at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington. In collaboration with interested parties that group created a list of 200 ideas for the Center. Those ideas and the requirements in the law were used to prioritize the Center work for calendar years 2020 and 2021 to focus on partnerships, research, business assistance, and technology. Figure 3 – Work plan contentsGeneral commentsMy suggestion is that research be first in order. I will put more comments below on the research section but if we don’t have a solid idea of the prioritization of the specific items to tackle, it seems to me that it is less effective to do the other strategies. We can do a “all at once” strategy (which takes advantage of opportunities as they arise) but I feel like we also should be strategic.Overall, these are great ideas. I mainly think they need to be clarified and made a bit more strategic (which, of course, is why I am wanting to get the goals and measure of success work done first so that can help inform this workplan).Throughout, it would be good to include an underlying emphasis on access for all (geographic spread, equity issues, etc.) as well as potential job creation. Again, this concept could be incorporated into goals and measures of success effort.Effective PartnershipsConduct outreach – Center will reach out to material recovery facility operators; public and private sector recycling and solid waste industries; packaging manufacturers and retailers; local governments; environmental organizations; colleges and universities; and state agencies. Call out local economic development agencies. These outreach efforts will be used to solicit feedback on Center activities, identify data needs and gaps to help determine work of the Center. Facilitate conversations across a variety of stakeholders, including recycling industries, industry trade associations, product manufacturers and others to solicit recycling industries to get input on potential center projects and share results. Include a GAP analysis or a SWOT of WA state recycling infrastructure: What do MRFs need to better sort, what materials are harder to recover, where are reprocessors or end markets lacking etc. Use this information to map the WA systemTimeline: 2020 and ongoing.Develop partnerships – with other similar councils in the region – Center will engage with other recycling councils and coalitions to identify work that the Center could conduct to assist and improve collection, processing and market development markets in Washington or the Pacific Northwest. Center will communicate with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, CalRecycle and British Columbia Ministry of Environment advisory councils and staff to discuss identify and potentially act on opportunities for regional collaboration on recycling market efforts,economic development and green jobs.. Center will reach out to other entities involved in recycling (for example, the Ocean Conservancy, The Recycling Partnership, and Ellen MacArthur Foundation) as well as regional universities, laboratories, associations, municipalities to collaborate on research and development of recycling related activities. Develop partnerships with industries, the packaging industry, C&D and other materials to understand and plan for future trends. Timeline: research other existing councils in 2020; plans for harmonizing work and identifying collaborative activities by 2021.Share information – Information will be brought to Board for discussion of potential action and Rresults of Center work will be posted online, scheduling and agendas for advisory board meetings will be posted online and shared by email, in-person and webinar attendance will be available for advisory board meetings. Timeline: 2020 and ongoing.Help Businesses/Create Green Jobs assistance Market analysis – Conduct analysis of waste stream supply chain and incentive strategies, including policy changes to facilitate the for retention, expansion, and attraction of recycling businesses, innovative technology businesses, in addition to assistance for waste reduction innovations for businessesinnovative recycling technology businesses. Timeline: 2020.Funding opportunities – Develop a list of opportunities for funding and financing to assist recycling markets, based on strategic goals and research results. This will assist with improving and expanding collection and processing infrastructure and establishing sustainable markets for recovered materials. This effort will include coordination with the Washington Economic Development economic development boards in Washington. Timeline: 2020 – 2021 and regularly updated.Business development – Provide business assistance to existing, new and expanding businesses involved in recycling and use of recovered materials, based on strategic goals and research results. Share recycling data and assist with regulatory compliance to interested businesses looking to expand into Washington State. Timeline: 2020 and ongoing.Research Solutions - Waste and Recycling System Policy Analysis; Economic and Business Incentive Policies AnalysisWaste and recycling data – Center will use Ecology solid waste data reports to identify the highest need and map the movement of collected materials (curbside, commercial, industrial, and institutional) to processing operations and identify end markets. Center staff would conduct Contract for additional research into the waste stream and supply chain, for example, packaging manufacturers, retailers. This analysis will be used to develop materials maps forevaluate volume and/or weight of recyclable commodities, especially materials used as industrial or commercial feedstocks. Need a GAP assessment and SWOT of the state or regional capacity as well as feedstock capacity to speak to businesses on their opportunity. Timeline: 2020, with updates.Policy analysis – Contract for an analysis of policies that expand and sustain environmentally and socially just reuse and recycling markets, improve processing and remanufacture capabilities, encourage business development, and provide for local green jobs . Contract for an analysis of existing solid waste and recycling regulations, identify barriers and opportunities in order to maximize the collection and processing of materials under the current system, based on strategic goals and research results. Include research on policies used in other jurisdictions (for example, the Netherlands, Wales, Germany) and an evaluation of their impact on our current system, including cost/benefits, to identify impacts on local and regional recycling markets. Analysis should include potential cost/benefits to consumers. Timeline: 2020 or 2021. Economic analysis – Contract for a study of economic drivers for recycling, financing options, and business incentives that would be effective in Washington.Timeline: 2021.Advance TechnologyFacilitate discussions – provide a platform for discussions about new technology to improve or create new recycling feedstocks and end-markerts, based on strategic goals and research results. I think this needs to be informed by the goals and objectives. For now you know the focus needs to be on mixed paper and plastics. Timeline: 2020 and ongoing.Evaluate new technology – collect information about current technology and innovative businesses. Identify what is ‘proven’ or ‘nonproven’ technology. Directly engage technology companies that are currently processing material into new feedstocks and products.Timeline: 2020 and 2021, with regular updates.Investment analysis – evaluate investment opportunities for existing or new infrastructure to help expand and support new recycling markets, based on strategic goals and research results. Timeline: 2020 and 2021.Next StepsThe Center advisory board will review and comment on this draft. Revisions will be incorporated. The updated work plan will be posted on the Board EZview website for all interested parties. Updates on plan implementation will be provided to the board.List of footnotesRecycling Development Center Advisory Board EZview website: solid waste and recycling data website: , 2010. 2009 Washington Statewide Waste Characterization Study. Publication 10-07-023. Ecology, 2018. 2015-2016 Washington Statewide Waste Characterization Study. Publication 16-07-032. Recycling Development Center Advisory Board Meeting, 2020. January 9, 2020 board meeting notes. Recycling Council. Webpage listing completed projects. Site accessed in April 2020: State Department of Commerce. Choose Washington website. Site accessed in April 2020: Attachment 1 - Solid Waste DataThe law requires the Center work plan to “describe actions and recommendations for developing markets for commodities comprising a significant percentage of the waste stream and having potential for use as an industrial or commercial feedstock, with initial focus on mixed waste paper and plastics” (RCW 70.370.030 (3)(a)). Solid waste generated and material recovery data are reported annually to Ecology, and available online for years 2000 to 2017 (2018 data not released at the time of this writing). These data are reported by several thousand facilities involved in managing solid waste, energy recovery, and recycling: landfills, material recovery facilities, recyclers, moderate risk waste facilities, compost facilities, and counties. Data discussed in the tables and figures below focus on the recovered portion of the solid waste stream in 2017. Solid waste generated in 2017 totaled 18,633,844 tons. While more than half of that waste was landfilled, nearly 45 percent was recovered for other end uses:Recovered solid waste totaled 8,326,844 tons (44.7% of total solid waste). Recovered refers to materials that are recycled, processed and burned for energy, land applied, or aerobically digested.Most of that the recovered material was collected for recycling: 7,768,307 tons (41.7% of total solid waste; 3% of the recovered materials were burned for energy, land applied, or aerobically digested). Table 2 lists the categories and types of materials collected for recycling. Note that C&D means construction and demolition debris and MRW means moderate risk waste.NEED to Add reuse data, waste prevention data, waste characterization dataTable 2 – Materials included each categoryCategoryMaterials includeC&DConstruction and demolition debris: ash, sand & dust, asphalt & concrete, carpet & pad, construction & demolition debris, gypsum, land clearing debris, paint, roofing material, and wood waste.GlassContainer glass and other glass.MetalAluminum cans, appliances/white goods, other ferrous metal, other nonferrous metal, and steel cans.MRWModerate risk waste: antifreeze, auto lead acid batteries, electronics, fluorescent light bulbs, household batteries, oil filters, other batteries, other fuels, and used anicsAgricultural organics, food processing waste, food scraps, food recovered by food banks (rescued), industrial organics, meats, fats & oils, other organics, yard debris, and yard debris & food mixed.OtherClothing & household items, mattresses, miscellaneous, photographic films, textiles, and tires.PaperCartons, cardboard, high grade paper, mixed paper, newspaper, and other recyclable paper.PlasticMixed plastics, PET, HDPE, LDPE, and other recyclable plastics.Note: PET polyethylene terephthalate; HDPE high-density polyethylene; LDPE light-density polyethyleneTable 3 - Material collected for recycling in 2017Category2017 Tons collectedPortion of materials collected for recyclingPortion of total solid waste generatedC&D3,589,22146.20 %19.26 %Metal1,543,24919.87 %8.28 %Organics1,315,89816.94 %7.06 %Paper948,52412.21 %5.09 %Glass146,0651.88 %0.78 %MRW104,7521.35 %0.56 %Plastic67,235 0.87%0.36%Other53,362 0.69%0.29%TOTAL 7,768,307100 %41.7 %The information in Figure 2 comes from Ecology data (Tables 3) of materials collected from the waste stream for recycling (compared to total solid waste generated and materials collected for recycling).Figure 2 – Portion of materials collected for recycling (see Table 3)Glass, metal, paper, and plastic categories, listed in Table 3 and shown on Figure 2, are separated in more detail in Table 4, listed in volume order from largest to smallest. Table 4 - Glass, metal, paper and plastic collected for recycling in 2017CategoryMaterial typeTons collectedPortion of materials collected for recyclingMetalOther Ferrous Metal1,336,61617.21%PaperCardboard504,1796.49%PaperNewspaper207,2772.67%PaperMixed Paper178,1532.29%GlassContainer Glass146,0651.88%MetalOther Nonferrous Metal127,1981.64%PaperHigh Grade Paper58,8960.76%MetalAppliances/White Goods54,1310.70%PlasticLDPE Plastics19,0730.25%PlasticPET Plastics18,5260.24%MetalSteel Cans14,2350.18%PlasticOther Recyclable Plastics13,3720.17%PlasticHDPE Plastics12,2160.16%MetalAluminum Cans11,0700.14%PlasticMixed Plastics4,0480.05%PaperCartons190.0002%TOTAL2,707,090 34.85%This summary of material collected from the solid waste stream does not include the results of two waste characterization studies. Those studies provide information about materials in the waste stream. One other data point that may be of interest is the portion of recovered materials collected from commercial versus residential users. The reported data shows material recovered from the commercial sector is 85%, where residential material recovery is 15% of the total (residential portion for general material categories: 9% metal, 15% paper, 17% glass and 21% plastic). Interestingly, the total volume of solid waste generated are more equal: residential 45% and commercial 55%. ................
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