Single-Stream Recycling 

SINGLE-STREAM SERVICE FOR ALL CITY CUSTOMERS

Effective July 5, 2010, the City of Ann Arbor reconfigured its recycling plant to accept an expanded range of materials from residents, schools, and businesses. The city is also partnering with RecycleBank to provide rewards and incentives to households that recycle.

• What is single-stream recycling?  Single stream recycling allows residents and businesses to put all their recyclable materials together in one convenient wheeled recycling cart.  No recyclables will be collected outside the recycling carts.  Trash is put in a separate cart.  
• The attached 5-minute video clip provides detailed information on how your materials are handled at Ann Arbor's Materials Recycling Facililty (MRF) A2 MRF recycling 5-min video link
  What new materials are accepted? All plastic bottles and tubs (except #3/PVC and biodegradable plastics/PLA) will be added. Large bulky plastic items, such as laundry baskets and buckets will be accepted. For more details, open to a new Web page here,
• What materials are not be accepted? Polystyrene foam (Styrofoam™), #3 (PVC) plastics, biodegradable/PLA plastics, and plastic bags are not accepted. Ceramics, porcelain, batteries, used motor oil and oil filters will no longer be accepted.
• When did single-stream recycling begin in Ann Arbor? Single-stream recycling began on Monday, July 5, 2010 for all residents and participating businesses. Since that date all customers are able to recycle all the additional plastics and other materials mentioned above. The new recycle carts will not arrive immediately for everyone.  Please continue to use your existing recycling stacking bins until you have received your new cart.  You will be able to blend all the recyclable materials in your existing stacking bins effective July 5, 2010.
• Recycling carts" New, free recycling carts  were delivered to each residence in August 2010.  Businesses are able to place all materials to be recycled in their current recycling carts and “papers” recycling dumpsters. Apartment complexes received new or refurbished carts, depending on the age of the current containers.Please contact Recycle Ann Arbor at 734.662.6288 if you live or work in Ann Arbor for information on getting a free recycling cart.
• What is Recyclebank?  Recyclebank is a program that provides rewards to residents who recycle.  Please go to this new Web page for more information on Recyclebank.
• Why convert to single-stream recycling?  The combination of the single-stream program with the RecycleBank incentive program will substantially increase the city’s recycling rate and decrease solid waste costs.  The city is spending $3.25 million to upgrade their MRF and $1.4 million for new recycling carts, as well funding for automated lift arms on the new recycle trucks.  It is anticipated that the program savings will pay back this investment in less than 7 years.  For more information, please see the Powerpoint that was presented to City Council or the more detailed project budget spreadsheet (5-page pdf spreadsheet). 
• Why go to single-stream recycling now? At a February 18, 2010 Webinar sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Jerry Powell, featured speaker and editor of the recycling trade journal Resource Recycling, responded to a call-in question on the future of single-stream recycling as follows:  Within the next 4-5 years, I anticipate that more than 80% of the U.S. recycling plants serving non-rural communities will switch to single-stream because co-mingled collection and processing represent the future of recycling markets. The only delays to having this changeover happen more quickly is budgeting the purchase of  new collection vehicles in coordination with recycling plant (MRF) building improvements.  As older recycling vehicles reach their service expectancy and are upgraded to single-stream collection models, most MRFs will upgrade to single-stream.

Selected Resources:

• FAQ on Ann Arbor's single-stream recycling upgrade (3-page PDF)
• Single-Stream overview proposal presented to City Council at a working session on October 12, 2009. (15-page PDF from a PowerPoint presentation)
• RecycleBank option for Ann Arbor's Single-Stream Recycling Program (11 -page PDF from a Power-Point presentation)
• Additional items are accepted to recycle at the Drop-Off Station.
• Press Release on authorization to pursue a source-separated, single-stream  Nov.5, 2009 (3-page PDF)
• FAQs on Single-Stream recycling transition for business locations (pdf)
• FAQs on Single-Stream recycling transition for multi-family locations (pdf)

Please send comments to recycle@a2gov.org. Thank you!

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