Intent:

To mitigate post-sorting contamination or residue rates for the successful recirculation of recovered materials

Requirements:

Demonstrate that material recovery facilities (MRFs) operated by the municipality, or operated by companies contracted by the municipality, or operated by companies subcontracted by franchise haulers, achieve the following post-sorting contamination/residue rates:

Mixed Waste MRFs

Tier 1: Achieve post sorting contamination/residue rates below 10%

Tier 2: Achieve post sorting contamination/residue rates below 5%

Tier 3: Achieve post sorting contamination/residue rates below 3%

 

Paper/Paperboard

<10% Moisture

Metal

“MRF Glass”

Plastic Bale Contamination

Tier 1

Outhrows + Prohibited 90% of maximum allowed for each grade

90% of maximum allowed for each grade

Non-glass residue & Fines < 10%

  • PET & HDPE bottles: 10%
  • Other Plastics: <120% of recommended maximum contamination for each grade

Tier 2

70% of maximum

70% of maximum

<7%

  • PET & HDPE bottles: 7%
  • Other Plastics: <100% of recommended maximum contamination

Tier 3

50% of maximum

50% of maximum

<4%

  • PET & HDPE bottles: 5%
  • Other Plastics: <80% of recommended maximum contamination

Single Stream MRFs

Tier 1: Achieve post sorting contamination/residue rates below 5%

Tier 2: Achieve post sorting contamination/residue rates below 3%

Tier 3: Achieve post sorting contamination/residue rates below 1%

 

Paper/Paperboard

<10% Moisture

Metal

“MRF Glass”

Plastic

Bale Contamination

Tier 1

Outhrows + Prohibited:

80% of maximum allowed for each grade

80% of maximum allowed for each grade

Non-glass residue & Fines < 7%

  • PET & HDPE bottles: 5%
  • Other Plastics: <80% of recommended maximum contamination for each grade

Tier 2

60% of maximum60% of maximum

<5%

  • PET & HDPE bottles: 4%
  • Other Plastics: <60% of recommended maximum contamination
Tier 340% of maximum40% of maximum

<3%

  • PET & HDPE bottles: 3%
  • Other Plastics: <40% of recommended maximum contamination

Dual Stream MRFs

Tier 1: Achieve post sorting contamination/residue rates below 3%

Tier 2: Achieve post sorting contamination/residue rates below 2%

Tier 3: Achieve post sorting contamination/residue rates below 1%

 

Paper/Paperboard

<10% Moisture

Metal“MRF Glass”

Plastic

Bale Contamination

Tier 1Outhrows + Prohibited:

60% of maximum allowed for each grade

70% of maximum allowed for each grade

Non-glass residue & Fines < 6%

  • PET & HDPE bottles: 4%
  • Other Plastics: <70% of recommended maximum contamination for each grade
Tier 250% of maximum50% of maximum

<4%

  • PET & HDPE bottles: 3%
  • Other Plastics: <50% of recommended maximum contamination
Tier 330% of maximum30% of maximum<2%
  • PET & HDPE bottles: 2%
  • Other Plastics: <30% of recommended maximum contamination

Potential Strategies:

  • Utilize contamination/residue rate calculation methodology in SWEEP Certification Manual
  • Material grading of inbound material
  • Inbound volume metric collection (for calculation)
  • Sorting on the tipping floor
  • Metering drums and conveyor speeds
  • Film removal (vacuum)
  • Manual sorting (pick line)
  • Density sorting technology (ballistic separators, conventional disc screening, etc.)
  • 2-D vs. 3-D sort
  • Eddy Current (Aluminum)
  • Magnets (Ferrous and other metals)
  • Optical sorting (glass by colors, plastics by types, etc.)
  • Sorted stream metrics collection
  • Residual metrics collection

 

 

2 thoughts on “Municipal PCR Draft Credit 2: Minimize Contamination Rate (x points)

  1. Rob Watson

    Clarify this is for bale quality, not inbound quality.

    There is a wide variety of specs by end material type. May need to qualify this by materials.

    Instead, implement a Tier 1, 2, 3 matrix that shows the bale contamination rates by material by type of MRF

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