Collection Systems & Logistics Flashcards
6 cards from real CRP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Collection Systems & Logistics flashcards as text
What does 'capture rate' measure in a curbside recycling program?
Answer: The percentage of recyclable materials generated that are actually collected through the recycling program
Capture rate compares the amount of a material actually collected for recycling against the total amount of that material generated, showing how effectively the program recovers it.
Which factor most significantly increases the cost of collecting recyclables from rural areas compared to urban areas?
Answer: Lower household density requiring more route miles per ton collected
Rural areas have fewer households per square mile, so trucks must travel more miles to collect the same tonnage, dramatically increasing the cost per ton.
A recycling coordinator is evaluating whether to switch from bi-weekly to weekly curbside collection. Which metric is most important to analyze before making the decision?
Answer: Change in set-out rate and pounds per household captured under each scenario
Analyzing how collection frequency affects set-out rate and per-household capture determines whether increased service cost is justified by proportional tonnage gains.
What is the purpose of a 'recycling route audit' or 'waste sort' conducted on collected curbside recyclables?
Answer: To measure contamination rates and identify which materials residents are putting in recycling bins incorrectly
A waste sort (or composition study) of collected recyclables identifies contamination types and rates, informing targeted outreach to reduce prohibited materials.
Which collection model transfers the most financial and operational responsibility for recycling logistics to producers of packaging?
Answer: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with producer-run collection networks
Under EPR frameworks where producers fund and manage collection, the financial and operational burden shifts from municipal taxpayers to packaging producers.
What is 'contamination sorting labor' and why does it matter in collection system cost modeling?
Answer: Manual labor at a MRF required to remove non-recyclable items from the collected stream, which increases processing costs
Contamination sorting labor is a downstream cost driven by collection quality — high contamination from curbside collection directly increases MRF labor hours and costs.