Recycling

Recycling Recovery Rate Study

In May 2009, recycling and waste sorts were conducted in two suburban communities in Hennepin County – St. Louis Park and Minnetonka.  Each sort was one week long, with the primary objective of determining the recycling recovery rate of materials in curbside recycling programs and assessing the potential to increase it.

The recycling recovery rate is the ratio of the amount of material recycled by the resident to the total recyclable material in both the waste cart and the recycling bin. The findings could then be used to target materials for future recycling education efforts.

St. Louis Park Conclusions

1. Of the recyclables set out by residents, 64.8% was paper, 32.4% was containers, and 2.7% was combined trash/organics. Household batteries, consumer electronics and HHW/problem materials accounted for less than 0.1% as did clothes/linens.
2.  The most predominant materials in the curbside recyclables were newspapers/inserts (29.3%) and glass bottles/jars (23.5%).
3. Of the waste cart contents, 10.3% was recyclable paper and 4.6% were containers.
4. Of the recyclables remaining in the waste carts, those that were found in the largest amounts included:

• Newspapers/Inserts – 2.4%
• Glass Bottles/Jars – 2.1%
• Office Paper/Mail – 1.8%.

5. Comparing the recyclables from the curbside program with the recyclables found in the waste carts, five categories have a recycling recovery rate of 75% or greater including:

• Newspapers/Inserts – 89.8%
• Glass Bottles/Jars – 89.1%
• Phone Books – 79.6%
• Corrugated Cardboard – 79.2%
• Magazines/Catalogs – 78.5%

6. Organics (food waste, non‐recyclable paper, and yard waste) accounted for 42.0% of the contents of the waste carts.

Additional information can be found in the Hennepin County Suburban Recycling Recovery Rate Study.