RECYCLING PROGRAM FOCUSES ON MARKETS FOR BOTTLES, WALLBOARD, WOOD AND SHINGLES

King County, Washington

More than half of the materials that go to the Cedar Hills landfill each year are readily recyclable, and King County's LinkUp program wants to find new markets. Starting this year, LinkUp will focus on reducing market barriers for key recyclable with plans to select four priority materials each year. Materials for 2007 are asphalt shingles, glass bottles, gypsum wallboard and urban wood, which is primarily from construction and demolition activities.

"There is great potential to increase recycling of these materials," said LinkUp Program Manager Kris Beatty. Potentially recyclable materials generated in King County (outside Seattle) were found to have an estimated value of more than $40 million.

This year's materials were chosen based on the potential for increased recycling in King County (outside Seattle):

Glass bottles - Approximately 40,000 tons of glass bottles are generated in King County, and only slightly more than half are recycled.

Asphalt shingles - An estimated 17,000 tons of asphalt shingle waste are generated by construction and demolition activities in King County each year; less than 1,000 tons are currently recycled.

Gypsum wallboard - Construction and demolition activities in King County generated an estimated 31,000 tons of gypsum wallboard waste in 2005, with only about 6,000 tons being recycled.

Urban wood - 94,000 tons of recyclable urban wood are disposed each year in King County.

LinkUp assists the marketplace in a number of ways, including locating reliable suppliers and evaluating technologies and markets for recycled materials, assisting with material and product testing and providing marketing and communications assistance.

King County has launched a redesigned website, www.metrokc.gov/ dnrp/swd/linkup/, reflecting the changes to LinkUp, which will serve as a resource for the business recycling community. More information is available by visiting the LinkUp website, or by contacting Beatty at kris.beatty@metrokc.gov, or (206) 296-3740.