Georgia Study Looks at Recycling, Solid Waste in State

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs has released a two-year departmental study that looked at solid waste and recycling practices in the state.

“Georgia industries spend millions to buy and ship raw materials for their manufacturing processes. At the same time, Georgia residents and businesses are paying millions of dollars to dispose of the same kinds of materials,” said Mike Beatty, DCA commissioner.

The agency is expected to provide information on some of the key finds of the report, called Georgia Statewide Waste Characterization Study, at the Georgia Recycling Coalition’s annual conference.

DCA worked with R. W. Beck to complete the study, which was funded with proceeds from the state’s Solid Waste Trust Fund. The study focused on waste disposed at Municipal Solid Waste landfills.

The study included a computer modeling program that allows local governments to accurately predict what materials are in their waste stream.

Copies of the Georgia Statewide Waste Characterization Study revealed several facts about Georgia’s municipal solid waste practices:

• Food waste comprises the largest portion of the state’s municipal solid waste. Last year, Georgians disposed of about 800,000 tons of food waste, which accounted for 12 percent of the MSW disposed in the state.

• Based on 2004 data, six categories of other items accounted for the next largest percentages of the Georgia’s municipal solid waste:

- Corrugated cardboard (733,866 tons/ 11 percent of total tons)

- Nonrecyclable paper (699,178 tons/ 10.5 percent of total tons)

- Film plastic (497,525 tons/ 7.4 percent of total tons)

- Newspaper (322,001 tons/ 4.8 percent of total tons)

- Miscellaneous rigid plastics (291,886 tons/ 4.4 percent of total tons)

- Textiles (267,119 tons/ 4 percent of total tons)

Combined, the top seven categories accounted for more than 54 percent of MSW disposed in the state.

• Nearly 2.6 million tons - approximately 40 percent - of MSW Georgia residents throw away each year are common, recyclable materials with existing reuse markets inside the state. In 2004, Georgian residents and businesses spent an estimated $90 million to dispose these items. Based on current recycling market values, if these items were recycled, the resulting raw materials would be worth more $250 million.

• In 2004, more than 25 percent of paper products – approximately 1.9 million tons – that entered the state’s MSW landfills could be recycled and reused by companies operating in Georgia.

• Nine of Georgia’s 15 paper mills rely totally on recycled paper for their production. One out of every three polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers -- primarily beverage containers - collected for recycling in the U.S. goes to North Georgia’s carpet mills for reuse. Paper and carpet mill executives have confirmed a strong preference to purchase these materials locally, instead of incurring higher costs to ship these items from regions throughout North America.

“If our elected officials will continue supporting the Solid Waste Trust Fund, and appropriate the money raised for its intended purpose, this study can open a new chapter in waste reduction in Georgia,” said Carol Couch, director of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Environmental Protection Division.

“This study highlights the possibilities for public-private partnerships to reduce Georgia’s impact on the environment we all depend on. Without the Solid Waste Trust Fund, this data would remain buried in our landfills.”

“We have an amazing recycling market infrastructure in Georgia that needs more materials,” said Gloria Hardegree, Director of the non-profit Georgia Recycling Coalition. “Our goal is to work diligently with communities to get the materials to the end users."