Albemarle county public schools Recycling & Waste Management update April 11, 2019

State of Recycling - Global Global imports of single-use & disposable plastics grew 723 percent, to around 15 million megatons, from 1993 to 2016 (NPR, 2018) China received ~40% of recycling market until 2017 when some recyclable imports were banned and acceptable contamination levels were tightened (Wall Street Journal, 2018) March 2019: India announces it will prohibit scrap plastic from being imported (Resource Recycling, 2019) “Over 90% of the total energy for polystyrene foodservice products is from fossil fuels. This includes not only the use of fossil fuels for process and transportation energy, but also the energy content of the crude oil and natural gas used as material feedstocks for production of polystyrene resin” (Polystyrene Packaging Council)

State of Recycling - Local County began Solid Waste Advisory Committee in Spring 2016 with a focus to provide program support for public education and engagement for sustainable materials management. Van der Linde’s mixed waste facility closed in February 2018 Recycling in Albemarle County: Separating is Back! https://youtu.be/Rj9U22ABkc4 Beginning July 1, 2019, RSWA will stop accepting Plastics #3-#7 (e.g., PVC piping, sandwich bags, vehicular plastics, Styrofoam and acrylic) Waynesboro stopped accepting all plastics for recycling due to lack of markets for plastic recyclable material

State of Recycling - ACPS Environmental Management Policy EBAC approved in 2006 Issued RFP for trash and commingled recyclable service in June 2018 County Waste collects commingled recyclables and waste from schools (2 separate streams) Commercial composting is active at AHS, MHS, WAHS, Murray High, Crozet, Meriwether Lewis, & Henley

ACPS Success Stories MHS Recycling Recycling Carts – New Service Murray High Composting

Child Nutrition Program Why use disposables? Need for fast service- grab and go Open lunch periods and limited number of lunch periods Staffing shortfalls Emergency needs Equipment and Kitchen layout Cost

Child Nutrition Program Current Practice Washable trays - Elementary and middle schools. Disposable items- combination of recyclable, compostable and non-compostable. 25 different disposable items used at point of service. 16 compostable, 5 recyclable. In 2017-18, 11 compostable, 3 recyclable.

Child Nutrition Program Disposable Container Types

Child Nutrition Program Cost Impact $10,000 – estimated additional annual cost to maintain present status.

Next Steps Extend Composting/Recycling programs at school sites Piloting compostable serviceware and tray recovery at Western Albemarle High School Monitor effectiveness of composting/recycling Continue efforts in exploring affordable products and effective practices which support ‘use less, recover more’

References https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/06/28/623972937/china-has- refused-to-recycle-the-wests-plastics-what-now https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/articles/rswa-to-reduce-types-of-accepted- recyclables/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-recycling-companies-face-upheaval-from-china- scrap-ban-1533231057 https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/2018/02/13/green-fence-red-alert-china- timeline/ https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/LifeCycle-Inventory-of-Polystyrene-Foam- Bleached-and-Corrugated-Paperboard-Foodservice-Products/