>>>
>>> SO
>>> SO ONCE SOMETHING GOES INTO YOUR RECYCLING BIN, HAVE
YOU EVER WONDERED WHERE IT
ENDS UP?
ENDS UP?
ENDS UP? IT'S A SIMPLE QUESTION WITH A
COMPLICATED ANSWER.
COMPLICATED ANSWER. MOST PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO MAKE
A DIFFERENCE.
A DIFFERENCE. 83% OF RESPONDENTS SAID ALMOST
ALL.
ALL.
ALL. ONLY
ALL. ONLY 4% SAID ALMOST KNOWN.
EVEN THOUGH YOU THINK YOU ARE
RECYCLING YOU MIGHT BE MAKING
SOME BIG MISTAKES.
MICHAEL CROWE SHOWS US THE
RIDE YOUR RECYCLING TAKES.
>> A GOOD CHUNK OF RECYCLABLES
MAKE THEIR WAY HERE TO SODO'S
RECOVERY FACILITY.
RECOVERY FACILITY. >> THIS IS WHERE TRUCKS COME
IN AND EJECT THEIR LOAD.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE
RECYCLED MATERIAL IS MIXED UP
TOGETHER AT THIS POINT.
>> Reporter: THAT'S WHERE THE
SORTING BEGINS.
SORTING BEGINS. MATERIALS WHIZ BY ON A
CONVEYER BELT AS AN ARMY OF
WORKERS PICK OUT EVERYTHING
THAT IS NOT RECYCLABLE.
>> THERE IS IS A LOT GOING ON
IN HERE.
IN HERE.
IN HERE. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. WE HAVE ABOUT 40 PEOPLE IN
ADDITION TO ALL OF THE VARIOUS
SYSTEMS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON
PRIMARILY REMOVING
PRIMARILY REMOVING CONTAMINATION.
CONTAMINATION. >> Reporter: AND THEY FIND
DIRTY DIAPERS, MESSY GOOD
CONTAINERS.
CONTAINERS. MOUNTAINS OF FLIMSY PLASTIC.
THAT'S NOT THE WORST OF IT.
>> WE FOUND A HYPODERMIC
NEEDLE ON THE LINE.
EVERY TIME THAT HAPPENS WE
SHUT DOWN THE ENTIRE LINE AND
REMOVE IT.
REMOVE IT. >> Reporter: AFTER A SERIES OF
SORTING MACHINES AND
COMPACTERS, IT ENDS UP HERE.
>> THIS IS THE FINISHED
PRODUCT.
PRODUCT.
PRODUCT. A SORTED BAIL OF RECYCLED
PAPER.
PAPER.
PAPER. BUT THIS IS WHERE THE ISSUE OF
CONTAMINATION IS.
CONTAMINATION IS. 10% OF STUFF THAT CAME THROUGH
WOULD NOT BE RECYCLABLE.
THE STUFF THAT IS, WHERE DOES
THAT GO WHEN IT LEAVES THE
DOOR?
DOOR?
DOOR? >>
DOOR? >> SO, IT GOES TO A VARIETY OF
DIFFERENT MARKETS AND
DESTINATIONS.
DESTINATIONS. RECOLOGY PRIORITIZES DOMESTIC
MARKETS.
MARKETS.
MARKETS. >> Reporter: GLASS AND METAL
ARE RECYCLED LOCALLY.
PLASTIC, ALUMINUM, AND
CARDBOARD AND PAPER ARE
HANDLED IN THE NORTH AND WEST
NORTH AMERICA WHILE THE REST
GOES TO ASIA.
IN PIERCE AND SNOHOMISH
COUNTY, SPOKESPERSONS SAID
THEY LARGELY DON'T TRACK WHERE
IT ENDS UP.
BUT, THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS
COMPLICATED A COUPLE OF YEARS
AGO WHEN CHINA STOPPED
ACCEPTING A LOT OF OUR
RECYCLABLES.
RECYCLABLES. SEATTLE FORBIDS THE CONTRACTED
PROCESSER FROM BRINGING
RECYCLABLES TO THE LANDFILL,
BUT PLENTY STILL MAKE IT HERE.
STUDIES DONE HERE AT THE CEDAR
HILL'S REGIONAL LANDFILL SHOW
70% OF THE STUFF WE THROW AWAY
COULD BE DIVERTED TO OTHER
USES.
USES.
USES. >>
USES. >> IT IS A BIG PROBLEM.
BECAUSE, THESE MATERIALS COULD
BE PROVIDING A BENEFICIAL USE
IN SO MANY OTHER WAYS.
THEY BELONG IN THE ECONOMY.
>> Reporter: THEY WANT TO
STREAMLINE THE PROCESS AND
KEEP MORE MATERIAL OUT OF THE
LANDFILL.
LANDFILL.
LANDFILL. >> I'M SEEING PLASTIC OVER
YOUR SHOULDER.
YOUR SHOULDER. YOU LOOK AT THAT AND THINK
MAN, WE GOT TO DO BETTER.
>> WE CAN DO A LOT BETTER.
AND IT STARTS WITH DECISIONS
THAT WE MAKE AS CONSUMERS.
DO I EVEN NEED TO BUY THIS
NEXT THING?
NEXT THING? >> Reporter: LOCALLY, THEY
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMPENSATE
FOR THE CHANGES IN CHINA, BUT
THAT'S NOT SO SAY SOME FOLKS
ARE NOT FEELING IT.
>> DO THE CHANGES IN CHINA
IMPACT YOU?
IMPACT YOU? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. WITHIN ABOUT A NINE MONTH
PERIOD, THE PRICES FOR MAINLY
MIXED PAPER, DECREASE BY ABOUT
08%.
08%.
08%. AND
08%. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE
THE REVENUE GENERATED FROM THE
SALE OF RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
HELPS PAY FOR RECYCLING
PROGRAMS.
PROGRAMS.
PROGRAMS. HELPS PAY FOR THE TRUCKS AND
FACILITIES LIKE THIS.
>> Reporter: SO TIMES ARE
TOUGH TO BE A RECYCLER BUT
WORTH IT FOR QUINN.
>> WHEN WE RECYCLE, INSTEAD OF
SENDING MATERIAL TO THE
LANDFILL, THEY ARE TURNED INTO
NEW PRODUCTS.
NEW PRODUCTS. THIS ALLOWS US TO REDUCE THE
NEED TO EXTRACT VIRGIN
MATERIALS AND TRANSPORT THOSE
VIRGIN MATERIALS.
VIRGIN MATERIALS. >> Reporter: MICHAEL CROWE,
KING 5 NEWS.
>> WELL, WE HAVE AN EASY WAY
FOR YOU TO GET MORE
INFORMATION ON THIS STORY.
TEXT THE WORD RECYCLE TO
(206)448-4545 AND WE WILL SEND
YOU A LINK SO YOU CAN SEE