April 05, 2024
Research
This report presents the findings of an audit on the prevalence of spiral wound containers in the residential curbside recycling system in Charlotte, NC. The study, conducted by RRS in 2022, aimed to understand the quantity and relative prevalence of these containers in mixed paper and steel bales, comparing them against other studies. Here's a summary of the key points:
Purpose
The study's goals were to understand the quantity and prevalence of spiral wound containers recovered through the residential curbside recycling system and to provide a snapshot of these materials' presence in mixed paper and steel bales for comparison with other studies.
Methodology
- Conducted by RRS at the Mecklenburg County Material Recovery Facility (MRF), which processes material from Charlotte.
- Audited mixed paper and steel bales, including three of each type, procured in August 2022.
- Sorting was performed in September 2022 at Sonoco’s Charlotte facility.
Results and Analysis
- Spiral wound cans constitute a very small percentage of both bale types, being more prevalent in steel bales (0.92% by weight) than mixed paper bales (0.071% by weight).
- "Cans with a diameter wider than a Snack Can" accounted for the majority of the can formats sorted as part of the steel bale (0.63% by weight).
- The average number of spiral wound cans in each steel bale was approximately 181, ranging from 146 to 230 across the sampled bales.
- For mixed paper bales, the average was about 14 spiral-wound cans, with a range from 6 to 23.
Key Observations
- Spiral wound cans are not explicitly mentioned in Mecklenburg County's recycling instructions but are included in the Charlotte Waste Wizard as "cardboard can" for recycling.
- The sorting methodology involved no pre-sort of the bales before the audit, with sorting categories determined through visual inspection by RRS staff.