Expanded Foam Product

Management

at the

JoplinRecycling Center

on

January 11, 2000

CITY OF JOPLIN RECYCLING CENTER

Opened to the Public

20 Hours Per Weekwith

2 Part-Part-Time EmployeesWhich eventually morphed into 1 Part-Timer

Through the Years, Acceptance of Many Items Have Been Added Such

as Fats Oils &

Grease (FOG)

plusOver-the-Counter and Prescription Medicines

albeit the boxes are at Police Stations

November 2013

RECYCLING CENTEROpen to the Public

30 Hours Per Week

with 1 Grant-Funded Part-Time Employee

and 1 Full-Time Employee

~ ~ ~Starting on November 1, 2015Will operate with 2 Full-Time

Employees

DROP-OFF for RECYCLING or REUSE . . .

Cardboard ~ NewspaperAll Style Egg Cartons ~ All Metal

Paper(Magazines, Catalogs, Telephone Directories, Books, Junk Mail, Office Paper)

Plastic #1 & #2 Bottles with NecksContainer Glass ~ Useable Pallets

#2 Plastic Shopping Bags ~ SawdustPlastic Cat Litter Buckets ~ Flower

PotsInk Jet & Toner Cartridges ~ HHW

All Batteries ~ E-Waste ~ Cooking Oil

Clean Packing Materials

RECYCLING CENTER PROVIDES

Document Destruction

~~~~

Wood Chips~~~~~~

Compost~~~~~~~~~~

Clear Stream Special Event Recycling Bins

Paper Shredder PurchasedatState Surplusin Jefferson City

for$25

4 Types ofClear Stream Brand Bins with Bags

Funded in Part by Region M

PATRONS PICK UP for REUSE . . .

Plastic Bottles

REUSE . . .Cardboard BoxesNewspaperEgg Cartons (all 3 Types)MagazinesBooksFlower PotsSawdust ~ Plastic BucketsGlass Canning Jars ~ Liquor/Wine Bottles Limited Household Hazardous WasteVery, Very Limited Electronic Waste

REUSE . . .

Clean Packing Materials

Block Expanded Foam

Foam Peanuts

Foam Sheets

Bubble Wrap

Air Pillows

April 2004

RECYCK EPS FOAM SAVERfrom

Demand Products, Inc.Alpharetta, Georgia(800) 325-7540www.demandproducts.comFunded by Region M SWMD

Today’s cost = $2,575+ freight ≈ $160Replacement Wire=$55

Top Opening is 18” square ~ Weighs 125 Pounds

The Nickel Chrome Wire Grid (vertical & horizontal) Heats up to “Melt” the Foam

Has 2 WheelsforEasy Moving

Power Supply:110-volt, Low-VoltageTransformer

Must OperateOutdoors !

Gravity Fed

Melted PiecesCome Out ¾” byLength of Piece

To Make Smaller Nuggets,Feed Previous NuggetsBack Through

Typical Packing Peanuts

55 Gallon Plastic Bag Fastened to the Hooks

The Challenge… Storage of Raw Materials

The Other Challenge…

StorageofFinished Chips

MARKETING THE FINISHED PRODUCT. . .

Word-of-Mouth

Free Classified Advertisements inJoplin Globe newspaper

Repeat Customers

E-Bay and Craig’s List Shippers

Include in Routine Recycling Center Marketing (TV, Flyers, Website, Signage, etc.)

Any Other Ideas ?

PEANUT VALUE ? $ Commercially Produced 7 Cubic Foot Bag ≈ $16-$27

Starch or so called “Biodegradable” (meaning they Decompose in Water) 12 Cubic Foot Bag ≈ $20-27

SELL VS. GIVE AWAY ISSUES…

• Difficult Quality Control• Not Anti-Static

• Not FDA Compliant• A Little Heavier than Peanuts

• Inventory• Money Transaction Challenges

MAINTENANCE ~ REPAIRS ~ BAGS

DO NOT use foam that has dirt, food, printing, tape, etc. on it, as it will burn and leave an unwanted residue on the wires. Egg Cartons won’t work.

CLEAN your wires periodically with Scothbrite type pads

KEEP machine dry

REPLACE WIRE and SPRINGS when corroded, broken, or about to break.

Demand Products, Inc. BAGS are very expensive $85 for 100

QUESTIONS

Expanded Foam Product Managementat the Joplin Recycling Center

presented byMary Anne Phillips

City of Joplin Recycling Coordinator

(417) 624-0820 Ext. 501mphillip@joplinmo.org

www.joplinmo.org

Missouri Recycling Association 2014 Annual Conference

Springfield, MissouriSeptember 9, 2014