| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 96 11:05 WET From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: Distance from markets (M.L. Debelak)
December 13, 1996
Dear M. L. Debelak,
Rural recycling is a special subgroup of recycling and special planning and implementation has been shown to be needed. There is a literature from which you may take some guidance, but I ll first summarize what I think might be of most use to you:
Dropoff center recycling seems to work better than curbside in rural areas. Locating the dropoff center, or building a full-blown MRF in a central location and sharing the costs among many municipalities - that is to say Regionalizing - is the most cost-effective and materials-effective means of dealing with rural location.
Publishing an area-wide Recycling Directory for commercial recyclers and reusers, remanufacturers, etc. can often have surprising results. You discover unknown quanitities in your midst. The trick is to keep the Directory up-to-date and accurate.The best model that I can think of is the Northeast Resource Recovery Assn. in New Hampshire, also not a very urbanized state. Their address is PO Box 721, Concord, NH 03302.
Another variation on this theme is the corporate partnership, where commercial firms needing recycling take a leading role in the human and financial organization for recycling in a region.
Another variation is the economic development route: have the remanufacturers come to you! Have a plant that recycles your leading statistical recyclable be lured to your area with governmental investment and/or incentives in its establishment. This was done in e.g. Arcata, CA. They basically created their own local markets. You can contact the Arcata Community Recycling Center at 707-822-4542.
Another variation also has to do with extensive planning: Serve local governments as the primary customer base.
Now for the resources:
A Case Study of a Rural Recycling Marketing Cooperative. . in Middle Tennessee , June 1993 by the TVA Regional waste Mgmt. Dept. and the US EPA Region 4, Office of MSW. Available from the TVA: 615-632-8492.
Case Studies in Rural Solid Waste Recycling by The Minnesota Project, 11/87 (612-378-2142)
Rural and Small Town Recycling: An Annotated Bibliography by The National Recycling Coalition and the National Soft Drink Assn., 9/91. The NRC phone number is: 202-625-6406.
Beyond the Bright Lights: 6 Rural Recycling Programs in RESOURCE RECYCLING magazine, 11/90.
Why waste a second chance?: a small town guide to recycling by the National Assn. of Towns and Townships (Tel: 202-737-5200).
We have all of these materials (and more) at the RESEARCH LIBRARY FOR RCRA, US EPA New England, if you find that you cannot obtain them from the source. However, if it is still in print, available and for sale, we will not send you a free copy.