Sarah Kite, recycling manager for the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation since 2007, manages the state’s recycling programs, as well as recycling operations at the 200-acre state Central Landfill in Johnston where the materials are processed. She previously served as recycling coordinator for the Town of Smithfield for two years and, before that, worked for the Rhode Island chapter of the Sierra Club for six years. She is a lifelong Rhode Islander.
PBN: Why is it necessary for businesses to recycle?
KITE: The main reason is that we need to extend the life of the landfill. The landfill is filling rapidly and it is a finite resource. It’s the only one in this state, so we have to make sure we maximize its potential.
PBN: Is there any possibility for expansion?
KITE: The expansion would be within our borders, it does need to go through a permitting process with the [R.I. Department of Environmental Management], which we’re doing now. But, as far as expanding outside of our borders, there are no plans for that.
PBN: Why do we need to extend the life of the landfill?
KITE: This landfill is here for all of Rhode Island, not just municipalities, and we take commercial and residential materials. So, when the landfill closes, that will increase the cost of disposal for everyone, including businesses.
PBN: Why is the state law that requires recycling so seldom enforced?
KITE: Recycling is mandatory in Rhode Island and, for businesses of 50 or more employees, it is required that they prepare a recycling plan and submit that plan to the DEM. Due to budgetary restrictions, the department has in the past been unable to monitor those plans for enforcement. But recently, the DEM and Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation have been working more closely together to develop programs that will assist businesses so that they can come into compliance with the law.
PBN: How can it help a business to recycle?
KITE: A lot of businesses, more and more, they want to be able to recycle. It is becoming economically feasible to recycle because the materials that a lot of businesses use are a valuable commodity. There’s a very hot market for a lot of these materials, such as cardboard, aluminum, metals in general, even the plastics, and they’re all very valuable. So even if businesses are not making a fortune by recycling these materials, if they can offset the cost of collection, that’s great. Also, the “green wave” that is sweeping over the country is a real thing and, more and more, businesses are finding that their customers are asking about their environmental practices. It’s becoming important to customers that the companies they do business with have these kinds of values.
PBN: Are there different recycling plans for different kinds of businesses?
KITE: Absolutely, there are definitely different plans for recycling, and it is not one size fits all. Your recycling plan has to be very tailored to your particular situation because each company will be a little bit different. That’s why when we go out to do a waste assessment or a waste audit, we go to the business and walk through each one individually. It is an absolute tailored experience for the business.
PBN: So, if I owned a business and I wanted to recycle, I could call here and somebody would come to my business and walk through it with me?
KITE: Absolutely. We make house calls at no charge. That is a big part of what we do. I have one staff person who is solely dedicated to this. And, actually, everyone here in the department is available to conduct the audits. I’ve done audits, so we’re all able to do that.
We highly encourage businesses to contact us or even to contact the DEM because the DEM has people available as well, again at no charge. We’re a non-regulatory agency, so sometimes people feel a little more comfortable having us come in. We’re not looking for deficiencies, we’re looking to help you plan a program that will achieve your goals.
Business could also contact their waste hauler, and see if their waste hauler will perform this service, some of them will.
PBN: Are there certain basic recycling steps that any business can do?
KITE: The number-one item that everybody has is paper. It’s a perfect recyclable because it’s not messy, there’s no odor associated with it, you can store the material anywhere, it’s very easy to compact, so it’s a good place to start. Cardboard is another one. Anything in the fiber family, any of those paper-type items generally are pretty easy to collect and then recycle. A lot of the recyclers out there, that’s what they want. And many of them will pay a business for those materials. If you’re a large company with a cafeteria, you may want to have a collection of bottles and cans as well.
There’s a very long list of items that recyclers want, and we’re not the only place to bring it. There are many other places in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts – private companies – that are looking for these materials because they’re so valuable. We don’t pay for recyclables, but the private companies may.
PBN: How can a business save money by recycling?
KITE: A business can save money by reducing their trash, because they’re paying to have their trash taken away. So, depending on how their contract with their waste hauler is set up, if they are paying for an automatic pickup, then the trash is going to get picked up on the same day and they’re going to get charged the same amount of money. You want to try to negotiate with your hauler, see if the hauler will pick up on an as-needed basis. And, the hauler can also offer the services of a recycler. A second way for a business to save money by recycling is selling the materials as a commodity. A lot of recyclers and haulers now are adding salespeople, they know that this business is growing. •
