DES MOINES – A new Waste Characterization Study completed by the Iowa DNR has determined the recovery rate for containers covered under the bottle deposit law is 71 percent, down from 86 percent in 2007. The decrease in the recovery rate is consistent with other states that also have a bottle bill.
The DNR works with contractors every five years to complete a Waste Characterization Study to determine what types of solid waste is landfilled in Iowa. Through that study, along with beverage sales data from the Container Recycling Institute, the DNR is able to determine the recovery rate for the state.
The following is a breakdown for recovery rate by container type. The three percentages averaged together make up the recovery rate percentage.
· Aluminum = 69 perccent
· Plastic = 60 percent
· Glass = 83 percent
A Waste Characterization Study samples solid waste and the quantities of recyclable materials taken to landfills. The study provides percentages of the overall waste stream for more than 60 categories of solid waste being disposed of. Those percentages are then multiplied by the total tons of solid waste disposed of in all Iowa landfills for that year to come up with tonnage data for the different categories of solid waste (e.g. paper, cardboard, plastic, organics, etc.).
For the effort its not really worth the nickle to turn them in. I’ve recently began saving my cans and I return them to HyVee. I usually get stuck waiting behind people who have garbage bags full of cans while I have only a few grocery bags full.
Its stinks in there and the floors are always sticky, plus half the machines are always Out Of Serivce. Not to mention the crazies I’ve encountered in there as well.
So I spend a half hour or so going through all this when it takes me less than a few minutes for my own cans and I get about $2 in return. It would be quicker and easier for me to just throw them in the garbage….
All should be curbside recycled. Time to scrap the deposit law.
The state’s can redemption policy should go the way of buggy whip laws.
With curbside recycling and drop off centers the policy serves a mute point. Recycle ALL aluminum cans/glass/plastic EXCEPT for soda/beer cans/bottles into the recycle bin/drop off but take the soda/beer cans bottles to the redemption center or grocery store and have it recycled there. Doesn’t make sense.
Plus the nasty urine bombs, chew spit cans/bottles, and “ash can” beer/pop cans that end up in the same place of business that sell you the food that you eat.
I know it isn’t going away as the liberals need this program for supplemental income for the welfare recipients who complain that the government doesn’t give them enough money for not working.
You can put pop cans/ bottles in you bin.
Don’t some towns dump everything in their landfills anyway even if it’s collected separate?
PS – I guess I should throw them along the hiway and help stimulate the economy like obunge’s cash for clunkers – No stores will take cans unless you go to their machine and feed them in 1 at a time – PHOOOOEY !
It has become such a pain in the azz to turn in your bottles/cans – calling 3 times trying to catch them open and driving 10 miles we just throw them in the garbage – its not worth the time and trouble for 10 bucks a month.