How effective are Iowa recycling programs?

DNR needs a data collection system to understand how much waste gets recycled

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is working to develop a reporting and data collection system to better understand recycling in the state.

In an online stakeholder meeting Tuesday about a study comparing other states' data collection methods, DNR staff said regular data on recycling streams and collection will help with efforts to improve solid waste management in the state.

The report and call with Iowa stakeholders was part of DNR's ongoing Sustainable Materials Management vision initiative to improve solid waste management programs and policies.

The initiative started in 2018 and has since produced a landfill material analysis that found more than 70% of waste sent to Iowa landfills could be recovered or diverted to recycling, or compost facilities.

Another facet of the sustainable materials management plan included a study on food waste management that showed Iowans, on average, throw away 200 pounds of food each year. The initiative also worked to produce a report on Iowa's recycling facilities based on a voluntary survey.

Jennifer Wright, the financial and business assistance supervisor with DNR's Land Quality Bureau, said that since Iowa recycling facilities are not permitted by DNR, there is no method for the department to track recycling activity.

"We need that information because it's critical for developing and measuring diversion goals, determining processing capacities and our ability to allocate financial support through our grant programs," Wright said in the stakeholder meeting.

Wright said that currently, the only way the state can "reasonably calculate that we're having any success related to recycling" is through a waste characterization analysis, which she said is "cumbersome" and "doesn't really actually tell us the whole story."

"Part of the pursuit of this data is one, so that we can actually determine, are we recycling at a reasonable amount," Wright said. " ...the other part is so that we as DNR ... can continue to do grants focused on infrastructure or even improvement of existing infrastructure."

What do other states do?

Lisa McDaniel, a project manager with SCS Engineering, a contractor working with DNR on the project, said that whatever data the state collects should be "tied to real decisions" on things like what is being collected, where it is being sent and where there are gaps in service. McDaniel presented findings from the report analyzing other state data collection programs and their strengths.

McDaniel said that while some Iowa facilities report data, it's a "fragmented" view.

"They're not collected in a consistent format or reviewed in a way that supports statewide analysis, and that ultimately limits Iowa's ability to track material flows and recycling performance, guide infrastructure investments, and measure whether policies or programs are having the intended effect," McDaniel said.

According to the report, which will is not yet published, 17 states require data reporting from recycling facilities, haulers, processors, or transporters and this data is typically tied to some sort of permit or administrative structure with the state.

Data collected from these sources, McDaniel said, give a good indication of what types of materials are being recycled, in what quantities and where.

The other common type of required reporting in states came from municipalities or similar local authorities. McDaniel said this type of reporting, which was required in 14 states, gave a good idea on where and how recycling is available and local gaps that exist, but didn't always include information on total tonnage recycled, for example.

Other states have no required data reporting and rely on voluntary information.

McDaniel presented several potential steps forward for Iowa, including starting with a voluntary reporting program to "test data elements and build a baseline" before looking at policy changes that would lead to statute authority.

Stakeholders on the call noted that it would be important for them to know any data they reported would be kept confidential, so operators wouldn't feel they were divulging proprietary information.

Wright said the department adheres to a confidentiality clause in state code and isn't "particularly curious" about proprietary information.

"We're mostly curious about how much tons are getting recycled in this state," Wright said.

The study looked at traditional recyclable materials, like cardboard, glass, paper and cans, but stakeholders said they would also be interested in providing information about materials they frequently received that aren't recyclable and other less traditional materials they deal with.

Jeff Phillips, a senior project manager with SCS Engineering, said until the state gets this data, working on Iowa's Sustainable Materials Management plan is like reading a book "and there's three chapters missing."

"We don't have the full story even as a baseline to determine exactly what needs to happen holistically across the state of Iowa," Phillips said.

The full report will be posted in the coming weeks on the DNR's Sustainable Materials Management website where the previous reports are also housed.