CRP Collection Systems & Logistics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'capture rate' measure in a curbside recycling program?
- The percentage of recyclable materials generated that are actually collected through the recycling program (Correct answer)
- The weight of recyclables collected per route per day
- The fraction of households that set out bins
- The portion of collected material that passes quality inspection
Correct 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.
Question 2: Which factor most significantly increases the cost of collecting recyclables from rural areas compared to urban areas?
- Lower household density requiring more route miles per ton collected (Correct answer)
- Higher contamination rates requiring additional sorting labor
- Greater distance from end-markets for commodities
- Increased need for community outreach in rural communities
Correct 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.
Question 3: 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?
- Change in set-out rate and pounds per household captured under each scenario (Correct answer)
- Number of resident complaints about collection frequency
- Driver overtime costs under the current schedule
- Processing capacity available at the MRF
Correct 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.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a 'recycling route audit' or 'waste sort' conducted on collected curbside recyclables?
- To measure contamination rates and identify which materials residents are putting in recycling bins incorrectly (Correct answer)
- To calculate driver productivity and truck load efficiency
- To verify commodity weights match bale tickets from the MRF
- To ensure compliance with vehicle maintenance schedules
Correct 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.
Question 5: Which collection model transfers the most financial and operational responsibility for recycling logistics to producers of packaging?
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with producer-run collection networks (Correct answer)
- Municipal franchise contract with a private hauler
- Government-operated curbside cart program
- Deposit-return system managed by a clearinghouse
Correct 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.
Question 6: What is 'contamination sorting labor' and why does it matter in collection system cost modeling?
- Manual labor at a MRF required to remove non-recyclable items from the collected stream, which increases processing costs (Correct answer)
- Labor cost to sort out recyclables from refuse trucks that collected mixed loads
- Educational staffing needed to reduce household contamination
- Inspection costs paid by haulers when loads are rejected at the MRF
Correct 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.
CRP Collection Systems & Logistics 2
What does 'capture rate' measure in a curbside recycling program?