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Recycling Data Management
The following material has been
collected from past four workshops and should be helpful to coordinators
striving to improve their data collection and management. Check
out this Data
Management Fact Sheet
for useful tips. Notes from the 2007 Data Management Course (At the 2003 Data Management Workshop attendees were handed a cd, the contents of that cd can be found here.)  Useful .HTML pages, PDF's, and Power Point Presentations
What Is a "Recycled" Material? During one workshop, information was presented to determine if a particular material, based on its description, its content and its generator, is acceptable to be counted as recycled material. There is a difference between municipal solid waste and other waste and also between "recycling" and "not recycling" for reporting purposes. It is very important to distinguish between post-consumer and post-industrial material. While we should continue to support post-industrial recycling, that material cannot be claimed on the Annual Report or on a Performance Grant Application. Post-consumer material is defined as a material that has found its way into the market place. For example, old advertisement flyers that have been distributed are post-consumer material and could be counted. While scraps and waste from the printing of those flyers are post-industrial material that could not be counted. Although it is encouraged to salvage and reuse items, neither of these methods can be used to claim materials on an Annual Report or Performance Grant. Old furniture sold in a used furniture store would be an illustration of a reused item that could not be counted as recycled. Items that are incinerated or burned for fuel cannot be counted on the Annual Report or on Performance Grants either. Thus, tires chipped and used for fuel in cement kilns cannot be counted, but tires shredded and used as a component of asphalt can be claimed. 
Avoiding Mistakes There are many ways to avoid mistakes when collecting and reporting recycling data. The following is a list of the 15 most common reporting mistakes. 1. Not saving in Excel Throughout the years, information has been presented about the commercial and institutional report form model that the DEP encourages county and municipal recycling coordinators to use when reporting. This form meets the documentation requirements for filing performance grant requests. The documentation requirements are summarized as follows: 1. A reporting document must contain
the name of the collector/processor. Although the DEP encourages the use of this model form, a number of other forms may accomplish the same end, but use different formats. Such forms are acceptable as long as they meet the documentation requirements.
Data Collection for New Coordinators There are basic data collection and data management techniques for less experienced coordinators. A few include: where to start looking for businesses, the importance of notifying everyone of recycling regulations, and how to compile data. It is very important to nurturing good relationships with those from whom you need documentation. When recyclers understand why you need the records you request from them, they are often more open to sharing that information. New municipal recycling coordinators need to ask several questions. 1. Where does a new coordinator begin to look for data?
2. What do you do with the information the businesses and landlords provided?
Many techniques can be used to create successful data collection and reporting. Successful counties spend considerable time and resources to reach out to as many businesses as they can. Much of their contact is face to face and is part of a comprehensive outreach and support program. Computerized data collection technology can be used to record data for the county's drop-off recycling program.
There are challenges of reaching the diversion goal in the rural communities and counties. Since curbside programs are sparse in rural areas it is very important to not only maximize drop-off opportunities but to dig up as much commercial material as possible. Even in non-mandated communities, most large retailers recycle cardboard on their own or through a broker and that material is often overlooked. There are also challenges of gathering data with a limited staff but there is a value of nurturing relationships with municipal secretaries, managers, and road foremen, in the absence of a full-time professional recycling coordinator. In small communities, those staff wearing many hats have limited time to spend on such data management, so communication and report forms should be designed with that in mind.
The Challenges of Urban Data Collection Large cities have been able to identify increases in recycled materials by working with recyclers to provide more accurate and comprehensive data. This is especially important when determining recycling tonnage from residents not directly served by the city's municipal collection services. There are also challenges of dealing with proprietary information and collecting data from a variety of multi-family units. It is a good idea to look in the
right places and build positive relationships with a large assortment
of private businesses, brokers, processors. It is important to
mobilize municipal and industry people to help gather as much
information as they can. There are challenges that confront solid waste companies but some of these can be redressed through sound relationships with county and municipal recycling coordinators. Moreover, good and frequent communications between haulers and coordinators facilitates data collection. Such solid communication helps inform the hauler as to what records should be kept and reassures the hauler that the information he divulges about customer lists and activities will remain confidential. It can be difficult to quantify waste and recyclables in a municipality containing very large numbers of businesses, recyclers, and business that recycle on site. There is a challenge of estimating the future of recycling and waste generation on such a large scale. This is of special concern when unpredictable changes in population and total employment can have a profound affect on solid waste and recyclable generation.
County Annual Reports must be submitted by April 1st. It is important, then, to encourage municipalities to submit their reports by the February 15th deadline. She also explained that reports will no longer be accepted on floppy disks or on paper. All submissions will be done electronically.
The DEP reporting form for County Recycling Coordinator (Section 903) Grants is being sent out electronically through e-mail. Information required can be entered directly into the computer on an Excel spread sheet. Once completed, just hit the button and send, thus eliminating the use of paper reports. The reporting system summarizes work into each of the four categories: activities, expenses, wages and benefits. Detailed explanations of each category are included with each reporting form. Once the information is entered into the computer, totals are automatically calculated. Check out this 903 presentation.
Using the Earth 911 Database Coordinators have also been encouraged to use the Earth's 911 system more extensively. By calling 1-800-CLEANUP or by viewing the website at 1800CLEANUP.org, you can access a variety of environmental topics. Some subjects included are composting, pollution prevention, innovative technologies, as well as "community-specific" information on demonstration programs, recycling sites, and maps to those sites. Professionally produced PSA"s that are produced with many featured celebrities are also available to government agencies through the website for promotion of environmental issues. Check out Carl Hursh's excellent Power Point on the subject.
Past workshops have tried to identify challenges that recycling professionals face in gathering and managing recycling and solid waste data. Several examples of challenges identified as being in common with the different groups are: 1). Staffing shortages and staff turnover among those responsible for data collection, which can result in the lack of a key contact person and/or timely reporting. 2). Lack of enforcement support. 3). Lack of clear understanding and consistency in how data is collected and reported.
What are the Solutions? To address the above stated challenges suggested solutions are as follows: 1). Several ideas were presented to address staffing problems such as providing prior reports and charts for guidance, especially for new staff members. If possible, some county coordinators may find it more efficient to do data collection on behalf of municipalities that do not have available staff. It might also be valuable to offer incentives to haulers for providing timely data. 2). Enforcement issues may be more effectively addressed if centralized in Harrisburg and tied to grant reimbursement. On the local level, municipalities and counties should use licensing procedures and ordinances to facilitate compliance. 3). Education, education, education was a consistent theme within the groups. The development of uniform standards with clear instructions of what to count and how to report continues to be extremely important. Many of these goals can be reached
by building exceptional relationships and good communications
among local governments, county departments and authorities, haulers,
brokers, processors, and the scrap industry. We should not wait
to call on others in the industry when we need something. Keep
lines of communication open and clearly explain why certain things
are needed. This can be done with periodic meetings, newsletters,
conference calls, or e-mail updates. |
The Department of Environmental
Protection has been sponsoring Data Management Workshops in cooperation
with the PROP every fall for over 8 years. These workshops have
been designed to help county and municipal recycling officials
collect, record, process and report recycling data more accurately
and efficiently in an effort to reach or exceed the 35% waste
diversion goal established by the Lieutenant Governor.