Recycle Waste

After source reduction (preventing waste at its source) has been accomplished in every way possible, then recycle the waste that is left.  Recycling is different than source reduction.  Source reduction prevents waste; recycling uses waste in lieu of virgin material in the manufacture of a product.  Both reduce waste going to the landfill.  Some products, like aluminum, steel, or glass, can be easily recycled many times.  Other products, like mixed plastic, are typically recycled once. Recycling saves money and resources because it costs less to produce materials from recycled stock and the manufacturing process consumes less energy. 

Recycle cardboard

Alexandria Ace Hardware started recycling their cardboard waste in 1996 and realized an immediate drop of $64 in their monthly waste disposal costs.  They recycle 90 percent of their cardboard and reuse the remaining 10 percent to ship back defective merchandise to the manufacturer and for boxing up customer purchases.  Labor for breaking down the cardboard is the same for either regular waste disposal or cardboard recycling.

Bale cardboard and recycle

Blaine True Value is an 18,000 square foot retail hardware store located in Blaine, Minnesota. They bale their cardboard and store it for pick up later by a cardboard recycling company. The store generates four bales per week during winter, early spring and late fall, and six to eight bales per week during the busy spring/summer season. The store is paid a fluctuating market value per ton for the baled cardboard.

Santa Barbara Home Improvement (Ace Hardware) in Santa Barbara, California covers nearly three acres. They take two to three tons of baled cardboard to the recycling center each week in their own dump truck. Current market value for their cardboard is $25/ton, although it has been as high as $80/ton in the last several years. In contrast to other areas of the country, smaller retailers in that area of California can have their un-baled cardboard picked up at no charge.

Cost Benefit: $3,500/ year to $10,500/ year (dependent on market value)

Note: The cost and payback period for purchasing a baler is the primary limitation with this practice; storage space for the bales is another. Only larger retailers are likely to generate enough cardboard waste to make this practice cost-effective.

Recycle aluminum cans

Denny and Kathy's Ace Hardware has an employee recycling program for aluminum cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles.  Recycling containers are set up in the employee break area. As the containers fill up, the recyclable material is taken to a recycling center because there is no commercial pick up.  They recycle a 30-gallon container of uncrushed cans each month.  By recycling, waste is avoided and there are savings in the materials and energy cost of making new cans from recycled material.  Aluminum cans are recycled many times compounding the waste and resource savings over the life of the original material. The hardware store can make a minor profit by recycling aluminum cans.  Both Alexandria Ace Hardware and Henricksens Ace Hardware began an employee recycling program for aluminum cans.  Alexandria Ace puts the money from recycling towards an employee pizza party.

Recycle glass and plastic

Denny & Kathy's Ace Hardware recycles plastic and glass bottles in addition to aluminum cans. They recycle approximately 120 gallons of plastic bottles each month and 30 gallons of glass bottles. There is currently no cash market for plastic or glass in small quantities. However, by recycling, the store keeps waste out of the landfill, saves on natural resources, and helps supply markets for recycled-content products. Denny & Kathy's Ace take the plastics to a recycling center because they do not have the volume to qualify for commercial pickup. They consolidate their glass bottles with another merchant in the plaza.

Recycle scrap aluminum and metals

Denny & Kathy's Ace Hardware accumulates scrap aluminum and metals in separate containers in their service area, and then takes the scrap to a metal recycling dealer several times a year. They are paid for the scrap at the current rate of $0.30 per pound for aluminum and $0.04 per pound for scrap metal. A small profit is realized on the recycled aluminum and metal, and waste is avoided.

Recycle plastic film pallet wrap

Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center (Ace Hardware) in Santa Barbara, California wanted to recycle the plastic pallet wrap on shipments received from the Ace distribution center and other manufacturers. Their distribution center, located in Prescott Valley, California, was already baling plastic film pallet wrap and reselling the material as stock for new products. Santa Barbara requested, and was granted permission, to send their compacted wrap back to the distribution center in the returnable merchandise totes that are back-hauled from the store to the center each week. Their plastic pallet wrap fits compactly in 2-3 totes per week; this amount is from a store that spans nearly three acres. Frattallones Ace Hardware (17,000 square feet) accumulated their plastic pallet wrap for one week, which fit into one returnable tote.

Note: Cost-effective plastic film pallet wrap recycling often requires cooperation between the store and its distribution center. Very few hardware dealers have access to plastic film pallet wrap recycling. At the Prescott Valley Ace Distribution Center, 15 dealers out of 300 serviced by the center take advantage of the recycling opportunity for pallet wrap, although it's not widely publicized. The distribution center found handling the in-coming plastic wrap was a non-issue since the volume was small per dealer and fit into totes already being back-hauled. The center receives approximately 0.5 tons/year of plastic wrap from each of the 15 dealers, which cumulatively make up about 10 percent of the distribution center's 90 tons of plastic pallet wrap recycled each year. At a market value of $40/ton, plastic film wrap recycling at the distribution center nets approximately $3600/year to the Ace Hardware Corporation. If 75 percent of the 300 dealers serviced by the distribution center participated in the recycling opportunity, there could be an additional $4200 (more than a 50 percent increase) in recycling profits for a total recycling revenue of $8,000 per year. Ace Hardware Corporation has 15 distribution centers. If each distribution center baled their own plastic film pallet wrap and back-hauled 75 percent of their dealers' wrap for recycling, and assuming a continuing market exists for the wrap, the Ace Hardware Corporation could realize recycling profits greater than $100,000/year (at $40/ton). Other hardware distributors could see similar income from recycling of plastic film pallet wrap.

Recycle computer paper

Denny & Kathy's Ace Hardware keeps an empty computer paper box beside their printer for computer paper recycling. They recycle approximately eight boxes of computer paper per year. The savings are based on the size and content of a box of Ace computer paper. They print long reports on the back of previous reports before recycling.

Recycle pipe threading metal scraps

Henricksens Ace Hardware has a pipe threading machine, which has a collection tray for tiny metal tailings and an oil receptacle for oil that is reused in the threading process. The metal tailings can be recycled most efficiently by taking the small amount that accumulates to a local machining shop several times a year to be recycled with that shop's metal tailings.

Note: Other best management practices for pipe threading include: reusing oil then recycling it when the oil is replaced; and wiping up spilled or excess oil with rags that can be professionally laundered and reused instead of using disposable rags.

Buy recycled-content products

For recycling to succeed, both businesses and consumers must purchase products made with recycled-content material. Post-consumer content is that portion of a product made from material that has been used by a business or consumer. Recycling, followed by a commitment to purchase recycled-content products, assures manufacturers of stock materials to use in the manufacture of new products, and helps to "close the loop" from recycling a product back to manufacturing a new product.

Davis Ace Hardware in Davis, California, has made it a store policy to purchase recycled-content products for use in the store and to promote these products to their customers, whenever possible. The store had a buy-recycled promotion in conjunction with the city's recycling program. They gave away a reusable bag (made from recycled 2-liter plastic pop bottles) to every customer who purchased a recycled-content product. The city paid for the program advertising. An end-cap of popular recycled-content products was set up, including customer education materials, and other products were identified on the self. The store couldn't keep the end-cap stocked because the products were competitively priced and sold very fast once they were identified to the customers.

Note: The biggest barrier to purchasing and selling recycled-content products is identifying these products. Though many manufacturers include recycled material in their products, they either fail to identify the content on the label or they don't market the product as including recycled-content. Another barrier is the lack of identification of recycled-content products in hardware merchandising catalogs. A limited list of recycled-content products can be found at the end of the report. An excellent catalog, Recycled Plastic Products Source Book, can be ordered at no charge from the American Plastics Council; call 800-2-HELP-90.

Establish customer recycling programs for special wastes

Customer recycling services for special wastes such as fluorescent bulbs, nickel-cadmium batteries, motor oil, and other types of batteries helps establish customer loyalty, conserves natural resources, and keeps hazardous materials out of the environment. There is even a small profit to be made with some services. Before initiating a program, always check with local solid waste officials to insure proper regulations and procedures are followed regarding the disposal of these special wastes.

Recycle nickel-cadmium batteries

The four Ace Hardware stores participating in this study collect used nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries from customers for recycling. Customers can recycle their old nickel-cadmium battery for no charge when they come to the store to purchase a new battery. The store collects the batteries in a small, self-mailer box provided by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), a non-profit corporation funded by battery and product manufacturers. When full, the box is sent (postage pre-paid) back to the corporation where the cadmium is recovered and recycled. Through a promotion first introduced in Minnesota by the Minnesota-Dakotas Retail Hardware Association, Alexandria Ace Hardware has collected and returned 116 pounds of nickel-cadmium batteries since they began their recycling program in 1996. According to RBRC, 13 to 22 percent of each battery cell is cadmium. In March 1997, the Ace Hardware Corporation sent collection boxes to all 5,000+ dealers. In March 1998, over 2,946 pounds of nickel-cadmium batteries had been collected by RBRC from Ace dealers.

Note: Nickel-cadmium batteries are found in cordless power tools, telephones, camcorders, notebook computers. Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that can endanger public health if allowed to enter the waste stream. Make sure batteries can be easily removed from products.

Recycle other batteries

Advances in battery manufacturing have resulted in the reduction or elimination of hazardous materials in alkaline batteries. Most new alkaline batteries are labeled "no mercury added." However, many alkaline batteries entering the waste stream were manufactured prior to the advances and still contain mercury and some manganese. Old alkaline batteries should be recycled. Alkaline batteries manufactured after January 1996 are "safe" for disposal, but still contain trace amounts of mercury. It can take many years to move the older batteries through the waste stream. Lithium batteries contain reactive cobalt, lead acid batteries contain lead, and button batteries contain mercury. Recycling any of these batteries removes the toxic elements out of the waste stream and the other reusable components are separated for eventual reuse. If collecting batteries at the store, keep them in a vented box and area; ship in a plastic bag to prevent spillage of corrosive material. At Davis Lumber in Davis, California, buckets of assorted batteries (not nickel-cadmium) are collected from customers for recycling. The City of Davis picks up the batteries and disposes of them at no charge to the store. Ask your local solid waste department if they would be interested in a similar collaborative community project.

Recycle fluorescent light bulbs

Denny & Kathy's Ace Hardware collects used fluorescent bulbs from both residential and commercial customers. For each bulb, customers are charged a drop fee to cover labor handling in the store and transport by a licensed hazardous waste company to the recycling company. The drop fee varies depending on the size of bulb (i.e. $0.95/4 foot, $1.50/8 foot). Once at the recycling center, mercury is recovered from the bulb for proper hazardous waste disposal or reuse and the rest of the bulb is broken down into its different components, all of which are recycled. After accounting for the in-store labor and transportation cost, the store makes a slight profit off the recycling of each bulb; approximately $0.40 per bulb. In addition, about 50 percent of people dropping off fluorescent bulbs buy new bulbs while in the store. In 1996, Denny and Kathy's Ace collected over 7,000 fluorescent bulbs. While some customers complain about the charge, once educated about the recycling process and the waste disposal costs involved, and they realize that the entire bulb is recycled, they generally accept the fee. Denny & Kathy's Ace Hardware finds that most people want to do what's right for the environment once they know what's involved.

When Alexandria Ace Hardware began a fluorescent light bulb recycling program, they put a notice about the service in their monthly commercial statements. They collected more bulbs in the four months after the notice than in the following twelve months.

Note: Regulations for disposal of fluorescent bulbs vary from state to state. In Minnesota, fluorescent bulbs generated from both residential and commercial use are prohibited in the waste stream. In other states, only used bulbs from commercial applications are prohibited. Eventually, fluorescent bulbs will be prohibited in landfills or at waste incinerator sites on a national basis. National consumption of mercury-containing fluorescent and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps exceeds 650 million annually; their disposal results in over 28,000 pounds of mercury entering the environment each year.

Since a fluorescent bulb uses about one quarter the energy used by an incandescent bulb, they are by far the best lighting choice to protect the environment. The largest source of mercury in the environment comes from coal-fueled power plants. Spent lighting products are the second largest source of mercury contamination in the municipal solid waste stream, and the easiest to eliminate. Recycling of fluorescent bulbs keeps toxic mercury out of the environment, where even a few ounces of mercury can endanger the health of wildlife, fish and humans. Recycling the bulbs also helps conserve natural resources by recovering other bulb components that can be used in new products. Ace Hardware is developing a nationwide dealer program for fluorescent bulb recycling.

Recycle motor oil

St. Louis Park True Value Hardware in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, participates in Valvoline's First Recovery collection program for used motor oil. For an $85 per month participation charge, the store receives a 55 gallon polypack drum on casters (a 220 gallon container is also available), store signage, technical support, and up to two collections each month. Valvoline provides the store with indemnity against any liability for handling hazardous waste. Used oil filters can also be collected. Both oil and oil filter containers must be kept inside the store. The store feels that the customer traffic generated by the service and the added sales of motor oil far offset the cost to participate, and the service keeps toxic materials found in motor oil, such as cadmium, chromium, lead, and benzo(a) pyrenes, out of the environment. The collected oil is 100 percent re-refined and primarily used as #4 marine diesel fuel. A Valvoline study showed 60 percent of customers using the service came to the store specifically to deposit used oil and 40 percent of those purchased additional motor oil at an average purchase cost of $13. Check with local officials regarding local and state regulations before initiating a motor oil collection program.

Volume of waste avoided: 165 gallons of used motor oil/year

Case Study: Used Paint Collection and Paint Discounts Bring Customers in The Door

Denny & Kathy's Ace Hardware in St. Cloud, Minnesota co-sponsored a one-week used paint collection with Tri-County Solid Waste, a household hazardous waste facility located near the hardware store. Cooperative advertising was done with Tri-County and in conjunction with other plaza merchants during an Earth Fair held the same week. "Greenback" coupons for a one-dollar discount on a new gallon of paint were given gallon for gallon to anyone dropping off paint at Tri-County Solid Waste during the event week. The Earth Fair was held in July 1997, and the paint coupons were redeemable for up to three months. During the event week, 88 people delivered over 500 gallons of used paint to the facility; 51 took the discount coupons. By the end of coupon redemption period, 40 percent of the participants had returned to the store to use the coupons and purchase new paint. Whether the participants were new or returning customers, the event translated into direct sales to the hardware store and savings to the environment. Paint was kept out of the waste stream by being recycled or disposed of properly as a hazardous waste, and the metal cans were recycled.

Resource Conservation Pays:  Reduce, Reuse, then Recycle           

• In savings to the store's bottom line

• In savings to the customer

• And, in savings to the environment

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