ISRI: More to Recycling than the Curbside Bin
Mention recycling to most people, and the image that is conjured most likely will be the journey from the curbside bin to the local waste transfer station. But in reality, most recycling activity in the United States occurs at industrial and commercial levels. NERC Advisory Member Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) plays an essential role in conveying timely information for the scrap recycling industry; the trade association “represents more than 1,100 private and public for-profit companies that process, broker, and industrially consume all scrap commodities.”
In its 2019 Recycling Industry Yearbook, ISRI describes the types of material that are defined as scrap. “Obsolete scrap consists of used and end-of-life materials and products. These include vehicles, appliances, electronics, cardboard boxes and other paper goods, bottles and cans, and clothing. Demolition sites are another common source of obsolete scrap.
“Prompt, prime, or new scrap comes out of the manufacturing process,” the report continues. “These…