Industry Professionals Stress Education as Top Challenge in Recycling

There were a lot of different conversations regarding recycling at WasteExpo this year, and a panel of industry professionals spoke to a crowded room about the latest challenges, they are seeing in the space. The panel discussed similar challenges such as lithium batteries, dealing with policy, and education to residents and businesses.

The panel, Unboxing the Latest Regional Recycling Updates, saw Bob Cappadona, Vice President – Resource Solutions, Casella, Jim Marcinko, Southern Tier Recycling Director, WM, and Kenya Cory, President, Public Affairs Consultants, Inc., speak about the latest in the recycling world. Each being from a different part of the U.S. detailed how they are dealing with recycling challenges, and although their location was different, similar challenges existed. The panel was moderated by Rachel Hering, Vice President, of Chapter Relations, NWRA.

The first pain point brought up by the professionals was the ongoing battle with lithium-ion batteries and the dangers they pose to facilities and homes. Even as awareness for these hazards is on the rise, these batteries will pose a threat when recycled improperly. To help with the issue, education becomes paramount and that’s something the panel professionals are working with.

“The best education is visual,” said Cappadona. “We’ll pull out every kind of battery that you have, anything from under one pound to up to 20 pounds, and we’ll lay them out on a desk and have a municipality come through. To me, that is the best education, inviting folks in and seeing those items.”

Cory mentioned that the Department of Environmental Protection in her area is currently working on a program, mirroring that of South Carolina’s education program. Marcinko says that they deal with battery fires almost weekly and have plans in place for them but educating customers on properly disposing of lithium-ion batteries has been a challenge but is needed.

To further educate customers on recycling procedures, Cory says that they’re going to the businesses and trying to teach them about recycling. They go to some of their member locations to hold events hoping to educate those businesses on recycling.

“Florida Power and Light, they do seven R’s. We talked about our three R’s, but they do reuse, recondition, return, resell, reclaim, recycle, or remove. By putting this program together and creating this corporate recycling services center, they’ve saved the company about $5 million a year,” said Cory.

“We’re finding that, if they’re doing recycling at their business, they’re taking that home. They start thinking about recycling.”

For Cappadona, it goes back to visual education on recycling and easing some concerns that communities have.

“You have someone come and pick up your recyclables, and that truck looks like a garbage truck, so people are skeptical right away,” said Cappadona. “One of the things that we’ve done at every one of our MRFs is build an education room. With every one of our municipal customers, we do as many tours as possible.”

Cappadona says these tours help to take the confusion and skepticism or recycling out of the equation.

Education continues to be a big hold-up in efficient recycling, but industry experts are working tirelessly to inform customers and skeptics on how to effectively recycle. It’s a common answer when we ask, “What’s holding recycling back?” but it's refreshing to hear the progress being made around the industry.