| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 11:39:05 -0400 (EDT) From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: Collection transport costs of recyclable paper plastics (Bas Stoel)
April 22, 1999
Dear Bas Stoel,
It is almost impossible to answer your question in any meaningful way. Collection and transportation costs are based on rates of participation, separation costs and efficiencies (since substances to be recycled are usually not collected separately) and the percentage of the total potential program who place materials for pick up (or participate in delivery). Then costs of transportation differ widely geographically and based on rural or urban setting. Moreover, the relative cost of transporting say, unseparated mixed paper vs. unseparated mixed plastics are most likely going to be entirely comparable.
The estimates for the figure that you want to see have been documented at a range of $10/ton to $$70/ton in the US. The UK will be different, almost inevitably.
One single place in the US estimated that collection and transport for recycling including salaries, truck operation and maintenace, taxes, licenses, insurance, truck capital costs, route coordination, backup equipment, etc. in 1987 was $78 per ton. This was for the collection of all recyclables. The same town said that their cost of the same thing was $39/ton in 1996.
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