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Paint Product Stewardship Initiative. Issue Discussion. PSI Issue Survey. Issue: Sorting. Sorting Issues. Proper paint sorting is key to quality and value of leftover paint for reuse and recycling.
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Paint Product Stewardship Initiative Issue Discussion
Sorting Issues • Proper paint sorting is key to quality and value of leftover paint for reuse and recycling. • When managed as a resource rather than a waste, leftover paint retains more value as a raw material. • Key is good sorting protocol
Sorting Issues • Who Sorts: Collection Site, Hauler, Recycler • What are the sorting issues? • Latex and Oil • Products For Swap, Collection site bulking, Recycling into Paint, Recycling into Non-paint Uses, Disposal • Visually Examining For Foreign Substances • Water, solvents, oil, other… • Chemical testing (rare)
Sorting & Bulking • Bulking Procedures: Collection Site vs. by Recycler/Handler • Collection Site • Bulk for transport • Bulk for packaging & resale/donation • Recycler/Handler • Sorting for paint recycling (specialized procedures) • Sorting for non-paint recycling
Sorting Issues • On average, containers 1/3 full. • Nearly full new containers have greatest “resource value” and lowest handling cost • Swaps • Recycling value • Old & nearly empty containers have less resource value and highest handling cost • Consolidation difficult • High labor costs
Sorting: The Ideal World • Paint is sorted by communities and processors according to its highest economic value and highest environmental value
Sorting: Real World • Communities all using their own sorting protocols • Little use of technology to determine age of paint • Recyclers do their own sorting according to their own protocols.
Sorting Strategy (From Action Plan) • Establish sorting and bulking BMPs • To create the greatest value for the collected material. • Paint Recycling • Non paint recycle • Disposal • To sort out contamination
Sorting Strategy (From Action Plan) • Higher Value To Recycle Into Paint • White or off-white paint • ½ full or more • Free of bacteria growth & other contaminants • Lower Value To Recycle into Other Products • Colored paint • Less than ½ full • Bacteria contamination
Sorting Strategy (From Action Plan) • Use bar codes to sort out very old paint (e.e., paint manufactured prior to mercury and lead bans)
Container Issue • Construction • Steel ~90%; Plastic ~10% of the market • Steel ~ 25-35% recycled steel; PP 80-100% recycled content • Trends Plastic growing • Plastic-metal hybrid cans : PP (gallon) • injection molded opaque, all-PP (KW Plastics) • KW using 100% recycled PP; plans to set up a collection system for the all-PP cans. • Clear PET – one piece with PET lid & metal rim • drop into the existing paint-industry infrastructure…
Container Issue • All plastic: HDPE (gallon & quart) w/ PP top • square-bodied, rounded-lid, twist-top, spout, handle • multi-part containers ~ 3x cost of three times 50¢ to 60¢ steel gallon can. • also awkward fit into current handling, filling, and tinting infrastructure
Container Issue • Performance & Cost will drive adoption of Plastics • Fit in existing infrastructure • Stackability, corrosion, closure, consumer preference, impact resistance, etc. • E.g. KW claims drop-in steel replacement, lid more airtight, leak-proof, and emission-resistant, better stacking.
Container Issue • Steel: While 98% of municipal recycling programs accept steel cans, ~ 50% officially accept cans; SRI encourages recycling • Plastic: Little infrastructure in place to recycle cans.
Containers: The Ideal World • Designed to reduce spills • Designed to minimize emissions and seal well • Designed to prevent shrinkage (denting, rust, etc.) • Label to facilitate proper storage and recycling • Minimize life cycle environmental impacts. • 100% recycled at end of life • 100% recycled content
Containers: Real World • Container material and designs vary • Existing container system leads to “spoiling” of paint is lid not properly sealed • Recycling of steel only @ 50% • Recycling of plastic containers non existent • Recycle content varies
Container Strategy (From Action Plan) • Investigate life cycle impacts of container materials · Life cycle impacts of steel versus plastic and hybrid containers (e.g., energy consumption, and air, water and land pollution). · In-store shrinkage due to denting and rust of steel versus plastic or hybrid containers. · Current and future anticipated recycling rates of different container types. · Life cycle costs of steel containers versus plastic and hybrid containers
Container Strategy (From Action Plan) • Explore design standards for paint containers • Emphasize need for sealing and pouring features • Redesigns containers to reduce denting and rusting. • Increase container recycled content and containers recycling. • To increase their recyclability, some degree of an "industry standard" might be needed. • Label containers with information on recycling and paint storage
Sorting Strategy (From Action Plan) • Increase container recycling (continued) • Consumer container return centers • Picking up containers on company backhauls from municipal collection centers. • Steel: work w/ SRI, scrap recyclers, can crusher manfs and others to increase steel container recycling • Plastic: Coordinate collection of empty used plastic paint containers with collection/shipment of used auto battery casings
Transportation Issue • Transportation costs average roughly $0.42 to $0.59 per gallon or roughly 5% to 8% of leftover paint management costs. • Per container transportation costs can increase for smaller quantities because some contracts stipulate minimum fees or volumes for pickup. • Transportation costs affected by the type of hauler used (e.g. HW licensed)
Transportation: The Ideal World • Leftover paint and containers transported at lowest possible cost • Regulatory barriers to transportation (to the extent they exist) are minimized or • No leftover paint so none to transport!
Transportation: Real World • Transportation of leftover paint and containers varies from community to community, state to state • Little is written about the extent to which transportation could be improved or costs could be lowered.
Transportation Strategy (From Action Plan) • Use backhaul opportunities • reverse distribution take back of paint and containers • More cost effective if manufacturer/retailer uses own fleet rather than common carrier • Establish leftover paint accumulation points • More cost effective for recycler or disposal firm to transport full loads as opposed to partial loads. • Issue more pronounced for small communities since less volume is generated