Brooke Nash Branch Chief, Municipal Waste Reduction
Big Picture ‐ Massachusetts 8 MRFS (one state ‐ owned, 7 private) Container deposit law: soft drinks, beer, malt beverages, sparkling water Glass food/beverage containers banned from disposal (since 1994) Recovered glass: ~50/50 split of deposit/non ‐ deposit Deposit container glass: ~ 90,000 tons/year All other container glass: ~100,000 tons/year
Glass Market Meltdown January 2018: Ardagh announces MA plant closure Manufactured beer bottles; mid ‐ 1980s High consumer of cullet Supplied by Strategic Materials facility, Franklin, MA February 2018: Strategic Materials restricts incoming material to deposit glass at Franklin facility Displaced glass from municipal transfer stations and MRFs in central and eastern MA. 3
Foster Alternative Markets Explore multiple alternatives – no one solution Focus on processed glass aggregate Potential for municipal transfer stations Private sector sites for larger volumes Promising private sector interests foam glass aggregate other construction and drainage materials
Processed Glass Aggregate Good model in New Hampshire (NRRA PGA program) Relatively low cost of entry and quick start ‐ up possible Permitting is straightforward MassDEP Universal Beneficial Use Determination (BUD) – screened to 3/8” minus Mass DOT specification – up to 10% PGA substitution Historical barriers to increased use: volume and consistent supply “fear factor”; resistance to change
Build Acceptance of PGA Need buy ‐ in from local DPWs, Highway Departments MassDEP Webinar on PGA – February 2018 Local use: small scale projects/proof of concept Side walks, parking lots, public works facilities Announced new municipal grant for PGA start ‐ up PGA Fact sheet – uses, demo projects, testing, research, approvals (Army Corp, Federal Highway, state labs) Met with MassDOT: agreed to demonstration project Sourcing glass
Where’s Glass Going in Meantime? Some stockpiling at transfer stations Municipal PGA sites in New Hampshire Disposal: in ‐ state requires waste ban waiver from MassDEP Roughly 4,500 tons of glass disposed to date Daily cover at landfills (mostly out of state) Private aggregate site – PGA (MA) Tipping/processing cost: $40 ‐ $80+ per ton (excl trans)
Market Development Grants Public Sector Municipal Recycling Grants: Up to $150,000 Capital/start ‐ up costs for glass to PGA operation Regional sites encouraged Private Sector Recycling Business Development Grants – up to $400k MRF retrofits (one completed) PGA operations Other glass processing and end ‐ uses
Improving Quality & Reducing Contamination Collaborative effort with recycling industry (haulers & MRFs), municipalities & The Recycling Partnership Recycling IQ Kit – on MassDEP website Developing standard list of MRF materials accepted Marketing firm to develop statewide recycling education campaign Education to commercial and institutional sector through Recycling Works 9
Questions? Brooke Nash 617 ‐ 292 ‐ 5984 Brooke.nash@state.ma.us
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