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Recycling Collection Study <br />Choosing Recycling Collection <br />Methods <br />Minnesota's changing recycling infrastructure and its impacts on <br />quantity and quality <br />In Minnesota, much debate is <br />centered around single -stream and <br />dual -stream recycling systems: <br />What are their comparative <br />advantages and disadvantages? <br />In its role providing local <br />government and market <br />development assistance, the <br />Minnesota Pollution Control <br />Agency commissioned a study to frame the issue. <br />The PCA will use the study to assist local units of government in improving <br />their recycling collection, processing, and marketing. This, in turn, may <br />improve recycling rates by ensuring the most efficient balance among public . <br />participation, processing residuals, and marketable quality of materials in <br />local recycling programs. <br />Study <br />This study, Single -Stream and Dual -Stream Recycling: Comparative Impacts <br />of Commingled Recyclables .Processing (January 2006), was conducted by <br />Tim Goodman & Associates. It included gathering information about the <br />collection and processing methods of four major materials recovery facilities <br />(MRF) in Minnesota, the quality of materials received at seven major <br />recycling markets and its impacts, and the characteristics and benefits of <br />select recycling equipment. Only one MRF agreed to fully participate in the <br />study, but, when available, existing information about the others was <br />reviewed and included. <br />Summary of key findings. <br />Collection and Processing <br />• Glass breaks during both single -stream and dual -stream collection, but <br />can be reduced through the use of collection vehicles and collection <br />methods designed to minimize it. <br />• Glass breakage is more prevalent in single -stream processing <br />systems. <br />• The amount of processing residuals generated at single -stream <br />facilities in the metro area varies significantly, from around 2 percent up <br />to 17 percent of throughput. <br />End Markets <br />htt-o://www.moea.state.mn.us/lc/comminaled.cfm 55 <br />Page 1 of 3 <br />Sing le-Strearn.and <br />Dual -Stream Recycling: <br />Comparative Impacts <br />of Commingled <br />Recyclables . <br />Processing (Jan. 2006) <br />!P:i<K! <br />Report (3.1 Mb) <br />Acknowledgements <br />6/7/X106 <br />