vvEPA            Complex  Recycling
                          Issues
                          Strategies  for Record-Setting
                            Waste  Reduction in  Multi-
                            Family  Dwellings
                             United States
                             Environmental Protection
                             Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-022
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
                            Waste
                         Reduction
                              The Waste Reduction Record-Setters Project fosters the
                              development of exceptional waste reduction programs by
                              documenting successful ones. These programs can be used as models for
                              others implementing their own programs to reduce waste. This fact sheet packet is oriented
                              toward recycling coordinators, building managers and owners, and highlights record-
                              setting multi-family dwelling (MFD) waste reduction programs.


                                 Why are special multi-family dwelling (MFD) waste
                                 reduction programs necessary?
                                    The U.S. has nearly 97.7 million occupied residential units, 15.9 million of which are
                                    located in buildings or complexes with five or more units.1 Residents in these
                                households are often left out of community curbside recycling programs because (1)
                                programs where each household places materials at the curb for collection are not
                               suited to many MFDs, and (2) commercial waste haulers, not local government, typically
                               provide waste management services to MFDs. Yet, residents in MFDs often want the
                               opportunity to participate in waste reduction programs and desire the convenience of
                              curbside collection.

                              What is a MFD waste reduction program?
                                here is no single model for a MFD waste reduction program because of variation in
                                building size, layout, resident characteristics, and trash disposal systems. Some
                              programs collect both yard debris and other recyclables. Others collect only recyclables.
                              Some require residents to deliver materials to a central location. Others provide
                               collection from doorways or at curbs. In general, successful programs provide residents
                               with the convenience of curbside collection while fitting into existing waste
                                management systems.

                                Benefits of MFD waste reduction programs
                                    • Decrease waste disposal costs for building owners and households;
                                    • Bring buildings into compliance with applicable MFD recycling
                                    laws/regulations;
                                    • Help achieve local and state recycling goals;
                                    • Make recycling accessible to more of the community.

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    Implementing a  record-setting MFD waste  reduction  program
    Numerous strategies, policies, and

    procedures contribute to the success

of the record-setting MFD waste

reduction programs profiled in this fact

sheet. These include:


Enacted state and local

laws or requirements

State and local laws have encouraged

communities to institute waste reduction

programs among MFDs served by

municipal trash programs and encourage

buildings and complexes served by

private companies to develop their own

waste reduction programs.

• California's law requiring all cities to divert
  50% of their solid waste by the year 2000
  spurred San Jose to start its Recycle Plus
  Program in 1993. Under this program, the
  city offered recycling services to residents
  of MFDs for the first time.

• Leisure World, in Laguna Hills, California,
  instituted its waste reduction program the
  year after the state passed its law.

• The Syracuse Housing Authority instituted
  recycling in apartment buildings under its
  jurisdiction in response to state and local
  regulations.

Encourage resident

participation


Just a few people who do not recycle

correctly, contaminating recycling bins

with the wrong items or throwing away

recyclables, can greatly influence others.

This is especially true in buildings with

common recycling areas. Contaminated

recycling bins, may send the message that

the program is not serious.

The profiled record-setters have used

fines, education, lease requirements, and

incentives to encourage individual

tenants to reduce waste.

•  If the management at Blossom Hills Estates
   in San Jose, California, finds a lot of
   recyclables in trash from a particular
   household and the household does not
   begin to comply with the recycling
   program, the complex can fine the residents
   $30.

•  Syracuse Housing Authority (SHA) uses
   both fines and one-on-one education to
   encourage residents to reduce waste. For
   the first improper recycling offense, SHA
   fines residents $5. SHA often dismisses
   appealed  fines, but uses the opportunity to
   explain the importance of recycling and
   how to do it correctly.

•  Saint Paul and Seattle both recommend
   that building managers require residents  to
   recycle in  all leases.  San Jose Green Team
 What qualifies as a record-setting MFD program?
 This fact sheet packet profiles three types of MFD recycling programs; (1) community-wide
 programs, (2) single-building or -complex programs, and (3) a university residence hall program.
 Waste reduction levels vary within each profile type.

 Of the nine profiled programs, the four community record-setters report waste reduction levels
 from 22% to 25%. A selected representative building participating in the Syracuse Public Housing
 MFD recycling program reached a diversion level of 20%. A recent U.S. EPA-funded study of
 municipal MFD recycling programs completed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors reported the
 average program diverted 15% of residents'waste from disposal through recycling.2 Only 11 of
 the 40 communities studied achieved recycling rates of over 20%.3

 Individual buildings and complexes have been able to achieve higher waste reduction levels than
 entire communities. The three building and complex programs profiled here are recovering
 between  50% and 65% of their waste, impressive recovery rates in any setting.

 The one profiled university program, the University of Michigan, is achieving a 30% waste
 reduction level. This program is one of the oldest university residence hall recycling programs and
 may have the highest dormitory waste reduction level.
  staff provide building managers with model
  lease agreements incorporating recycling
  requirements.

• The University of Michigan sponsors
  competitions among residence halls to
  reward conservation efforts, including
  waste reduction.


Seek management

participation


Waste reduction programs need

management commitment to succeed.

Communities with record-setting MFD

waste reduction programs use both

incentives to encourage participation and

disincentives to discourage non-

compliance with  program requirements.

• Both Seattle and San Jose charge volume-
  based fees for trash collection and provide
  recycling services at no additional charge.
  MFDs with successful waste reduction
  programs can save money on trash
  disposal.

• East Orange's local recycling ordinance
  allows the city to fine apartment
  management and/or discontinue both trash
  and recycling services for failure to comply
  with the city's requirements.  Discontinuing
  service would force management to pay a
  private hauler for a service they have
  already paid for through city property taxes.

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    Implementing a  record-setting  MFD waste reduction  program
  Make programs

  convenient

  Building layout and resident

  demographics may help determine

  program design. However, recycling

  coordinators stress convenience as an

  underlying theme for collection

  methods.

  •  The Commodore Club in Key Biscayne,
    Florida, uses a chute for trash and
    recyclables. Computer controls ensure
    source-separated materials drop into
    the proper receptacle. This system
    allows residents to deliver both trash
    and recyclables to the same place and
    eliminates the need for a recycling area
    on each floor of the building.

  •  Saint Paul uses the same set-out system,
    list of acceptable items, and instructions
    for preparation of materials throughout
    the city. This makes education easier,
    and it means that a resident who moves
    does not have to relearn recycling
    requirements.

  •  Syracuse Housing Authority has
    brought the convenience of curbside
    service to some of its public housing
    residents. Where space allows, residents
    receive door-to-door pick-up of both
    trash and recyclables. In some high-
    rises, residents receive door-to-door
    pick-up of recyclables, but must bring
    trash to a chute, which empties into a
    basement compactor.

  •  When buildingsjoin the East Orange
    MFD waste reduction program, a city
    inspector evaluates the building and
    helps management tailor the program
    to the individual building layout and
    trash collection system.
Educate
Compost
Education is an important tool to

encourage proper program

participation in any waste reduction

program. Because apartments have a

higher turnover than single-family

homes, education efforts must be

continual, and more intensive than

with single-family homes. Record-

setting MFD waste reduction

education programs use a variety of

media vehicles to spread messages,

repeat messages frequently, often use

pictures or multiple languages in their

outreach efforts, and spread the

message within buildings through

meetings and volunteers.

• The University of Michigan spreads
  waste reduction messages through
  signs in recycling areas, a newsletter, its
  Web page, displays on campus, and at
  student meetings. These educational
  efforts are on-going throughout the
  academic year.

• Managers at Blossom Hill Estates send
  informational mailings about waste
  reduction programs to every household
  three times a year and provide residents
  one-on-one training on an ongoing
  basis.

• Saint Paul's educational materials
  provide basic, clear guidelines and are
  available in many languages (including
  English, Spanish, Russian, Cambodian,
  Hmong, Chinese, Vietnamese, and
  Somali).

• Seattle uses MFD resident volunteers to
  spread recycling messages in their
  buildings through the city's"Friend of
  Recycling"program. Program
  volunteers attend a city training session,
      then serve as recycling advocates in
      their buildings.

Many MFDs have little landscaping but

those with lawns, trees, and shrubs

find composting can help them

achieve high waste reduction levels

and often saves money.

•  Leisure World is a sprawling residential
   community where landscaping crews
   collect yard debris for composting. In
   fiscal year 1996, the complex diverted
   30% of its waste through composting,
   avoided more than $130,000 in disposal
   fees for the diverted material, and cut
   landscaping costs by using finished
   compost and mulch on-site.

•  San Jose provides yard trimmings
   collection services to all of the city's
   household, including MFDs. Yard
   trimmings account for 66% of material
   diverted from the multi-family waste
   stream.


Provide feedback


Providing feedback to residents helps

them understand that their efforts do

indeed make a difference.

Communicating successes and failures

to building  management in a timely

manner can alert them to potential

difficulties and help them solve

problems before low participation or

contamination jeopardize program

viability.

•  In Saint Paul, providing feedback is easy.
   The city requires haulers to report
   monthly pick-up information for each
   account served. The Saint Paul
   Neighborhood Energy Consortium
   distributes posters that building
   managers can use to graph these data
   and display recycling achievements.

•  East Orange MFD recycling collection
   staff note decreases in amounts of
   materials recovered and increases in
   contamination at buildings on an
   ongoing basis. When collection staff
   report problems, city management work
   with building staff to rectify the
   problem.
Bins for recyclables at a
MFD complex in Saint
Paul, Minnesota

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                        Model Programs — Some Numbers and Descriptions
Record-Setting
Program

Blossom Hill
Estates, San Jose,
California
Commodore Club
Condominiums,
Key Biscayne,
Florida
East Orange, New
Jersey
# Households
            736
% Waste Stream
     Recovered

     65% in one
       complex

  50% in second
       complex
            187
                            59%
           6,236
                            22%
Materials Recovered
ONP; OCC; OMG; mixed paper; glass
container; cansjuice and milk cartons;
plastic bags, bottles, and jugs;
polystyrene packaging; scrap metals;
empty aerosol cans; textiles; yard
trimmings

ONP; aluminum; steel cans; glass food
and beverage containers; #1,2, & 3
plastics
                  ONP, OMG, phone books, cans; #1 & #2
                  plastics, glass containers
Collection Strategy
sets of three 96-gallon recycling bins
(one for each: newspaper, mixed
paper, and other recyclables)
chute in laundry room on each floor
empties into containers in basement.
Computer delivers container for
newspaper, cans, glass, or plastics
under chute as needed.

sets of two 90-gallon carts (paper
products in one; containers in the
other), approximately one set per 30
households
Leisure World,
Laguna Hills,
California
Saint Paul,
Minnesota
          12,736
         27,114
           50%   ONP, OMG, aluminum, glass food and
                  beverage containers, white goods, scrap
                  metal, laser cartridges,yard trimmings
           23%   ONP, OMG, OCC, phone books, mail,
                  paperboard, glass
                                       various methods for different building
                                       types: curbside collection; common
                                       collection containers; centralized
                                       drop-off site

                                       clusters of six 90-gallon wheeled carts;
                                       at least one cluster for every 100
                                       households
San Jose,
California
         80,440
Seattle,
Washington
         54,900
           25%   ONP; OCC; OMG; mixed paper; glass
                  container; cansjuice and milk cartons;
                  plastic bags, bottles, and jugs;
                  polystyrene packaging; scrap metals;
                  empty aerosol cans; textiles; yard
                  trimmings

           23%   ONP, OMG, mixed paper, glass
                  containers, cans. Two out of four
                  contracted collection companies also
                  collect #1 and #2 plastic bottles
                                       one set of three 96-gallon recycling
                                       bins (one for each: newspaper, mixed
                                       paper, and other recyclables) for every
                                       25 households
                                       each contractor has a slightly different
                                       system but buildingsjoining now
                                       require residents to sort materials into
                                       four streams. Containers used
                                       included dumpsters and toters.
Syracuse Housing
Authority,
Syracuse, New
York
University of
Michigan,Ann
Arbor, Michigan
           2,600  Not available for
                    all buildings:
                 20% forToomey
                   Abbott Tower
                            (293
                     households)
           5,000
                            30%
                  ONP, OMG, OCC, mixed paper, glass and
                  metal food and beverage containers,
                  aluminum foil and pans, aerosol cans,
                  milk andjuice cartons
                  ONP, OCC, OMG, mixed paper, glass, #1 &
                  #2 plastics, aluminum, aerosol cans,
                 juice and milk cartons, ceramics, scrap
                  metal
                                       buildings have different methods:
                                       door to door pick-up; common
                                       collection rooms on each floor of
                                       building
                                       common collection rooms on each
                                       floor of residence halls. Students
                                       separate OCC, mixed paper, mixed
                                       other recyclables
                   ONP = newspaper         OCC = corrugated cardboard         OMG = magazines and catalogs
Note:  Comparisons of program data should be undertaken with care. It is not valid to compare different types of programs with each other.
For example, community-wide recycling rates are not comparable with rates in single-building programs. Furthermore, cost data presented in
the profiles are not meant to be comparable among programs. Data are presented in order to compare costs of waste management elements
in each individual program.

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Creating  and maintaining a record-setting MFD  recycling program
Some questions and  answers
Q
    Can recycling help decrease my
    costs?
A    By disposing fewer tons, disposal
    charges can decrease. Building
owners and managers often can save
money by reducing trash pick-up
frequency and/or dumpster size.  In
addition, higher recovery rates lead to
lower per ton costs for recycling.  A
recent study reported that as
community-wide MFD diversion levels
increased, per ton collection costs for
recyclables decreased."
A
    QWill I have huge start-up
    costs?
    Not necessarily. Start-up costs
    can vary considerably and need
not be large. Some community MFD
programs provide collection
containers and bins and/or provide
educational tools and assistance.
Some private haulers also provide or
rent collection containers. In contrast,
installing a new chute system or other
system with high equipment costs will
be more expensive in the short run
and may have a longer pay-back
period. In all cases though, the higher
your diversion, the shorter your pay-
back period will be.

    QWejust completed a big
    educational program.  When do I
need to do another one?
A    Start tomorrow. Because of high
    resident turnover in MFDs and
difficulty identifying individuals that are
not participating, education efforts
must be continual and more intensive
than with single-family homes. New
tenants will need concentrated
educational efforts to help them up the
learning curve.  In-person contact is
best. Some coordinators spend time
with residents going through their trash
and going over what is and is not
recyclable.
                                      Q
                                      A
    Which MFD waste reduction
    system works best?
    There is no one system that works
    in every building or community.
Building layout and area fire and health
codes and zoning regulations may
dictate program design.  Special
considerations may also need to be
made for typical residents. For example,
programs designed for senior citizen
housing should take into account that
residents often have limited strength
and mobility. Finally, the program may
need some adjusting to get itjust right.
You may find that you need more
collection containers than originally
planned, or that your signs are a bit
confusing. Listening, evaluating, and
adjusting will help you create a high
diversion, cost-saving program.
                                      Q
                                      A
    Why is designing a convenient
    program so important?
    Residents and staff may not want
    to participate if they perceive the
program requires more time or effort
than just throwing materials away.
Placing recycling containers close to
trash containers and allowing residents
to commingle recyclables can enhance
convenience.
Q
                                                                            A
    Our residents want to recycle but
    the maintenance staff are
opposed. How can we sell the
program to them?
    Involve the staff in program
    planning. If you already have a
program, ask the staff how they would
improve it. Collection staff may have
insight into how to solve problems,
increase participation, and make the
program more efficient. Asking for and
using staff advice can create program
buy-in, potentially save money, and help
you reach higher waste diversion levels.
Q
                                                                            A
    My community offers waste
    reduction programs for MFDs,
but many buildings and complexes
do not participate. How can we get
everyone on board?
    All of the profiled community
    record-setters mandate waste
reduction in MFDs or provide financial
incentives for successful waste
reduction. Mandates can include state
or local community requirements that
MFDs offer waste reduction
opportunities to residents;
requirements that private waste haulers
provide waste reduction services to
their customers; or requirements that all
residents, including those in MFDs,
participate. Financial incentives for
building management and owners can
include charging for trash based on
weight or volume and providing waste
reduction services at a lower rate or no
extra charge or charging  more for trash
services at buildings and complexes
that do not participate in waste
reduction programs.

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Tips from record-setters

•   Involve residents in program planning
and implementation.
•   Provide waste reduction education
and information to new residents when
they first move into units.
•   Educate people on what needs to be
done and why. Recycling will help the
environment in many ways.5
•   Provide clear, simple explanatory
materials.
•   Use multiple means of getting the
message out — including tenant
meetings, newsletters, lease clauses,
posters celebrating achievements, and
direct mailings.
•   Help people learn. Work with people.
Explain in person how and what to
recycle.
•   Re-educate whenever programs
change.  For example, hand out flyers
whenever new materials are added.
•   Use in-building volunteers to
communicate with other residents about
program difficulties and successes.
•   Make participation simple and
convenient.
•   Reach residents by placing
information where the residents are, such
as on or near recycling containers.
•   Encourage or reward resident
participation.
•   Require that residents recycle
through their lease agreements.
•   Ensure management support and
long-term commitment.
•   Pay attention to the needs of your
collection staff; they are an  important

  Notes
  1 U.S. Census Bureau, 1995 American
    Housing Survey. Available at
    
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&EPA
                                  United States
                                  Environmental Protection
                                  Agency
                            Solid Waste and
                            Emergency Response
                            (5306W)
                EPA-530-F-99-022a
                October 1999
                www.epa.gov/osw
Blossom Hill Estates
San Jose, California
50% and 65% Waste Reduction Rate
\^Vof//
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trash from a particular household, they
send that resident and the landlord a
letter. The letter contains notice of a
$30 fine for not recycling as well as an
explanation that if a resident can
recycle properly for 90 days, the
resident does not have to pay the fine.
Residents reached a 50% diversion rate
within 90 days of program
implementation.

Outreach Activities

   At both complexes, building
   managers spend time with residents
going through residents'trash,
explaining what is recyclable, how to
prepare it, and where to  put it.  In
addition, building management staff
send informational mailings to  every
household and the landlord three times
per year.
Costs/Benefits
   Start-up costs were minimal.
   Operating costs, including mailings
to every resident three times per year,
are also low. The city provides recycling
collection containers, and does not
charge extra for recycling services. The
trash fees MFDs pay cover recycling
services.  Trash fees have been fairly
consistent from 1993 to 1997. During
the first year of program
implementation at Blossom Hill Estates
II, building management spent $2,000
on stamps sending letters to all
residents.
    Total disposal and composting
costs at Blossom Hill Estates II were
$77,500 per year before the recycling
program; total trash and waste
reduction costs dropped by 41% to only
$45,300 in 1997. Disposal costs at
Blossom  Hill Estates I were $67,000 per
year before the recycling program; trash
and diversion cost $40,000 in 1997,
representing a 40% reduction in costs.
    In total, Blossom Hill Estates avoids
almost $60,000 per year on disposal
costs and diverts more than 50% of its
waste at a cost of less than $14,000.
    Of the money that Blossom Hill
Estates pays for landscape services,
approximately $1,100 per month is for
composting services.

Tips for Replication

•   Show owners that they can realize
big savings through recycling.
•   Educate people on what needs to
be done and why.  Explain that nobody
is making more land for landfills.
Recycling will help the environment.
•   Help people learn. Show them
how to prepare recyclables. Work with
people.
Contact:
Bill Holman
Jane Holman
Building Managers
Blossom Hill Estates 2
5533 Snell Avenue
Suite 203
San Jose, CA 95123
(408)281-3771
                         Program Summary
                              Blossom Hill Estates II

                                      1993
                              4 units per building, 86
                              buildings in complex
                              344
                                 Before
             Blossom Hill Estates I

                     1997
             4 units per building, 98
             buildings in complex
             392
                Before
Start Date
Type of Multi-Family Buildings

Households Served
  Total Waste Generated (Tons)
      Disposed
      Diverted*
  Total Diverted (%)
      Recycled*
      Composted*
  Average Generation
  (lbs./HH/day)
      Disposed
      Diverted
  Fees per Year
      Disposal
      Diversion
  Net Costs per HH per Year
      Disposal services per HH
      Diversion services per HH
      Savings per HH
  HH = household
  Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
  *ILSR estimated tons recycled and composted. Recycled tonnage was set equal to the reduction in trash disposal at
  Blossom Hill Estates during the period studied. HSR converted volume of yard trimmings to weight using the
  following conversions: 1 cubic yard brush = 300 Ibs.; 1 cubic yard of grass clippings = 702 Ibs.
ecycling
595
520
75
13%
0%
13%
9.5

8.3
1.2
$77,472
$64,272
$13,200
$225
$187
$38

1997
595
208
387
65%
52%
13%
9.5

3.3
6.2
$45,336
$32,136
$13,200
$138
$93
$45
$87
Recycling
624
624
0
0%
0%
0%
8.7

8.7
0.0
$67,200
$67,200
$0
$171
$171
$0

1997
624
312
312
50%
50%
0%
8.7

4.4
4.4
$40,133
$39,504
$629
$102
$101
$2
$69
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&EPA
                              United States
                              Environmental Protection
                              Agency
                            Solid Waste and
                            Emergency Response
                            (5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-022b
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
Commodore  Club
                              Key Biscayne,  Florida
                              59% Waste Reduction Rate
                                 Residents of the 187-household Commodore Club Condominiums
                                 in Key Biscayne, Florida, an island suburb of Miami, have been
                                 recycling since 1992. Using a modified trash chute system, which
                                 accommodates trash and separated recyclables, residents recycle approximately 59%
                                 of their solid waste. This saves the condominium approximately $1,500 per year in disposal costs
                                 and an estimated $3,000 per year in indirect costs, such as pest control.
                               Program Description
                                      Residents of Key Biscayne Commodore
                                      Club condominiums in Key Biscayne,
                                       Florida (population 8,854,1990
                                   ^  census), have been recycling using a
                                       modified trash chute system since
                                       1992. Residents separate newspaper,
                                       aluminum cans, glass food and
                                      beverage containers, and #1, #2, and
                                      #3 plastics for recycling. Each
                                      material goes down the chute into its
                                      own receptacle.
                                          The system, designed by Hi-Rise
                                     Recycling Systems, Inc., works as
                                    follows: a computer panel with buttons
                                    for trash, newspaper, glass, plastics, and
                                    cans is located next to the door of a
                                   chute in the laundry room on each floor.
                                   Bins corresponding to each type of
                                   material sit on a rotating platform under
                                   the chute opening in the basement.
                                   When a resident wants to throw away
                                    trash, she pushes the trash button on
                                    the panel. This causes the platform in
                                     the basement to rotate the trash
                                      container directly under the opening.
                                      When the container is in place, a light
                                      appears on the computer panel, the
                                       chute door unlocks, the resident
                                       opens the door and throws away
                                        her trash. Next, she may push the
                                          button for newspaper recycling. The platform
                                          in the basement rotates so that the newspaper
                                          container is under the chute opening, and the
                                          system is ready for her recyclable newspaper.
                                          The platform contains two containers for trash
                                          and four for recyclables.
                                              Waste Management of Dade County picks
                                          up trash every Monday through Saturday, and
                                          recyclables once a week. The company picks
                                          up trash more frequently than recyclables to
                                          avoid odor and vector problems. There is very
                                          little contamination of recyclables. Although
                                          Waste Management can charge the building for
                                          contaminated loads, Commodore Club
                                          Condominiums has never  been charged.  The
                                          building manager, in charge of running the
                                          recycling program, believes that the fast, easy
                                          collection system encourages high
                                          participation rates and high-quality separation
                                          of recyclables.
                                              Building staff service the basement
                                          trash/recycling room twice a day to switch bins
                                          if necessary and ensure the system is running
                                          properly. They pressure clean the bins monthly.
                                            Materials Collected
                                            Newspaper
                                            Aluminum
                                            Steel cans
                                            Glass food and beverage containers
                                            Plastics #1,2, & 3
                                     This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-
                                     Family Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).

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Outreach Activities

    Many residents were involved in
    choosing this recycling system and
became interested in participating.
Once they chose the system, a
representative from Hi-Rise Recycling
conducted a workshop at the complex,
explaining how the system worked,
what the county accepted for recycling,
how materials should be separated, the
plastics coding system, and what
residents needed to do to ensure a
successful  program.
    During the program's first three
months, the Hi-Rise representative
visited Commodore Club at least every-
other day to check the containers in the
basement  and talk to residents as
needed. She put a new reinforcement
poster in each chute room every two
weeks. After three months, she sent
every resident a letter congratulating
them on their recycling efforts.
    On an ongoing basis, Hi-Rise
supplies literature, which building staff
leave in common areas, including
instructions for how to recycle at the
chutes.

Costs/Benefits

  In 1991, before implementing the
  recycling system, Commodore Club
paid an estimated  $2,130 per month in
trash hauling charges. The
condominiums also paid approximately
$7,300 in labor costs per year relating to
trash collection and removal. Hauling
and labor costs before the recycling
program were approximately $32,900
per year.
    In  1998, Commodore Club paid
$714 per month for the Hi-Rise system.
This included installation and
maintenance. This is a lease-to-own rate
and, in  1999, Commodore Club will have
paid for the system. Although
Commodore Club will continue to pay a
monthly maintenance fee, this will be
much lower than its current monthly
rental charge, and savings over previous
trash costs will increase. In addition to
the monthly fees, Commodore Club pays
$1,750 in hauling charges per month,
based on a per container pick-up charge
for both trash and recyclables.
Commodore Club also pays
approximately $1,800 per year in labor
costs relating to trash and recycling
services. Because building services staff
used to pick up trash on each floor,
concentrating all trash and recyclables in
one place has greatly reduced labor time
for pick-up and maintenance. In total, for
trash and recyclables service,
Commodore Club pays approximately
$31,400 per year.
    Since implementing its recycling
program, Commodore Club has saved
approximately $1,600 per year in trash
costs in addition to an estimated $3,000
per year in indirect costs such as reduced
cleaning and pest control in the  trash
rooms on each floor.
    Tips for Replication

    •   Make recycling easy. In order to
    reach high recovery rates, recycling has
    to be easy for residents.
    •   Simplify separation and recovery
    procedures.
    •   Ensure management support.
    Management support makes a huge
    difference in program success.
    Contacts:
    Joe Bier
    General Manager
    Key Biscayne Commodore Club 1
    177 Ocean Lane Drive
    Key Biscayne, FL 33149
    (305)361-1656

    Amy Creekmur
    Hi-Rise Recycling, Inc.
    16255N.W.54Ave.
    Miami, FL 33014
    (305) 624-9222 fax (305) 625-4666
                    Program Summary, 1998
  Start Date
  Type of Multi-Family Building
  Households Served

  Total Waste Generated (Tons)
    Disposed
    Diverted
  Total Diverted (%)
  Materials Recovered (Tons)
    Newspaper
    Mixed glass
    Aluminum cans
    Plastics
  Average Generation (Ibs./HH/day)
      Disposed
      Diverted
  Cost per year*
      Before recycling program
      With recycling program
  Cost per HH per year
      Before recycling program
      With recycling program
1992
12-story building, built circa 1972
187; 139 2-bedroom units, 24 3-bedroom
units, 24 1-bedroom units
          89
          37
          52
        59%
          52
          42
           4
           1
           6
         2.6
          1.1
          1.5

     $33,000 (estimated)
     $31,400 (estimated)

$176 per HH per year (estimated)
$168 per HH per year (estimated)
  HH = household
  Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
  * Costs represent labor costs for Commodore Club employees who spend time handling trash and recycling,
  hauling contractor costs, and Hi-Rise system rental fees (with recycling program).

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&EPA
                               United States
                               Environmental Protection
                               Agency
                             Solid Waste and
                             Emergency Response
                             (5306W)
               EPA-530-F-99-022C
               October 1999
               www.epa.gov/osw
East Orange,
New Jersey
22% Waste Reduction Rate in Multi-family Dwellings
                                   East Orange, New Jersey, offers recycling services to all its residents. The
                                   city-run program serving residents of multi-family households in
                                   complexes with 50 or more units began in 1992. Residents receive
                                   weekly collection of newspaper, magazines, phone books, aluminum
                                   and ferrous cans, #1 and #2 plastics, and clear, green, and brown glass bottles and
                                  jars. In 1996, residents served by this recycling program diverted 22% of their waste from
                                   disposal.
                                Program Description
                                E
   ast Orange, New Jersey (population 73,000),
   is located about 15 miles west of New York
      City, and is a highly urban community.
          Well over 50% of households in East
          Orange reside in multi-family
          buildings. All multi-family
          households receive curbside
          recycling service, with a combined
         single-family/small multi-family
         service provided under contract, and
         a separate recycling collection to
        complexes with 50 or more  units
        provided by municipal employees. A
       private firm, under city contract, collects
       trash for the entire city.
          East Orange instituted single-family
      recycling in 1989, and followed with a
      MFD recycling program three years later.
     Recycling is mandated by state law which
     requires communities to offer recycling
     services and residents to separate
      recyclables from trash. East Orange's
       local recycling ordinance allows the city
       to fine apartment management for
        failure to comply with the city's
        recycling requirements and allows the
         city to discontinue both trash and
         recycling services for non-
          compliance.  The city has fined some
          complexes but has never
           discontinued service to a building.
               The single-family program and
each recycle the same materials, in a two
separation set-out. The city provides its multi-
family customers with sets of 90-gallon carts,
with each set of two carts serving about 30
households. Paper products go in one cart and
commingled containers in the second. These
carts are typically placed near trash receptacles
in complexes with common trash areas. In
buildings with trash chutes, city staff usually
place small recycling containers on each floor
and building maintenance staff are responsible
for emptying these containers into the central
containers for collection by city crews.
    City crews use six-cubic-yard rear-loading
packer trucks to provide weekly collection
service to East Orange's MFDs. They collect
paper on one pass and commingled containers
on a separate pass. City crews deliver collected
recyclables to a materials recovery facility
(MRF), which a private firm operates. The city
pays no tip fee at the facility and receives 10%
of revenues from the sale of its paper.
                                                                             Materials Collected
                                                                             Newspaper
                                                                             Magazines
                                                                             Phone books
                                                                             Aluminum and ferrous cans
                                                                             #1 and #2 plastics
                                                                             Glass bottles and jars
                                       This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues:  Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-
                                       Family Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
                                         the multi-family recycling programs

-------
Outreach Activities

   East Orange staff closely monitor each
   building's participation in the
recycling program so educational
resources can be targetted where they
are most needed. When buildingsjoin
the program, a city inspector evaluates
the building and helps management
tailor the new program to the individual
building layout and trash system. City
staff also distribute a brochure on the
city's MFD recycling program to each
household when a new buildingjoins
the program.
     Collection staff note decreases in
amounts of materials recovered and
increases in contamination at buildings
on an ongoing basis. When collection
staff report problems, city management
either issue a clear, courteous letter,
with a name and phone number to
contact to rectify the situation or
personally visit the building. As a result
of this close monitoring  of recycling set-
out quality and quantity, East Orange
has few problems with contamination
of recyclables and maintains its high
waste reduction level among its MFDs.

Costs/Benefits

   Recycling from large multi-family
   complexes in East Orange cost the
city $13 per household in 1996. This cost
includes the costs of collection (on a full-
cost  accounting basis, including
depreciation of capital equipment such
as vehicles and carts), costs of processing
(to the city), less revenues remitted to
the city by the processor. Per household
costs for trash management were  $92.
Trash costs reflect payments to the city's
trash contractor and trash tip fees. The
overall cost of trash disposal and
recycling collection in East Orange's
multi-family program averaged $106 per
household in 1996. If the city did not
recycle and disposed of all waste
generated in MFDs, conservative
estimates indicate that total  costs  per
multi-family household would be $111.
    On a per ton basis, trash cost $154
per ton in 1996 compared to only $81
per ton for recycling services. Recycling
is cheaper on a per ton basis because
the city pays no tip fee for recyclables
delivered to the MRF while trash disposal
tip fees were nearly $75 per ton.
    East Orange finances all trash and
recycling services from regular property
tax assessments.

Tips for Replication

•   Mandate recycling program
availability and participation.
•   Provide education and outreach
materials to all residents on a regular
basis.
•   Create a mechanism for
encouraging owners or managers of
buildings to comply with recycling
requirements.
•   Be flexible in program design. Fit
the recycling system to each building.
    •   Consider using municipal
    employees to implement the program
    because of the opportunity for
    increased oversight.
    Contacts:
    Dominick D'Altilio
    Municipal Recycling
    Coordinator
    Department of Public Works
    Solid Waste and Recycling Division
    44 City Hall Plaza
    East Orange, New Jersey 07019
    (973) 266-5337 fax (973) 266-5367
    dom_daltilio@email.com

    Ecodata, Inc.
    97 N. Campo Road
    Westport, CT 06880
    (203) 454-1700 fax (203) 227-5289
                     Program Summary, 1996
  Start Date
  Type of Multi-Family Buildings
  Households Served
  Average Persons per HH Served
  Total Waste Generated (Tons)
    Disposed
    Diverted
  Total Diverted (%)
  Average Generation (Ibs./HH/day)
    Disposal
    Diversion
  Average per ton SWM costs
    Trash collection and disposal
    Recycling
  Cost per HH per year
    Trash collection and disposal*
    Recycling
  Estimated Costs per HH per Year
  without Waste Reduction**
1992
All buildings and complexes in East Orange
with 50 or more units are eligible to
participate. In 1996, approximately 75
buildings and complexes were enrolled in the
program.
                   6,236
                     1.58
                   4,772
                   3,729
                   1,043
                  21.9%
                     4.2
                     3.3
                     0.9
                $137.94
                 $153.99
                  $80.60
                $105.56
                  $92.08
                  $13.48
                $111.21
  SWM = solid waste management   HH = household
  Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding. Data represent buildings in the city MFD trash and
  recycling program.
  * The city paid a trash tip fee of $74.72 per ton for disposal in 1996.
  * * In order to estimate what per household costs might have been if East Orange had no recycling program,
  Ecodata assumed that all waste generated would be handled as trash and the marginal collection cost per ton of
  material that was recycled would be equal to 50% of the per ton trash collection cost in the present system.

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&EPA
                               United States
                               Environmental Protection
                               Agency
                             Solid Waste and
                             Emergency Response
                             (5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-022d
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
Leisure World
Laguna  Hills, California
        ,\H//y
       Vt*tŁl
-------
alongside trash containers. Private
contractors collect this material.
    Other materials collected for
recycling including white goods, scrap
metal (such as old hot water heaters,
sinks, and other fixtures generated by
the maintenance department), and laser
cartridges. Management also plans to
implement a cardboard collection
program using one four-cubic-yard
container on the premises.
    Staffing needs for the recycling
program are met with existing staff.
Because outside contractors handle the
collection of recyclables (except yard
trimmings), only a small amount of staff
time is devoted to cleaning the
centralized collection location. The
composting program has two
dedicated staff: one for materials
collection, the other for tub grinder
operation.

Outreach Activities
$109,000 for newspaper alone. Savings
are passed on to residents through
lowered operating costs. As of 1996,
nine years after implementing the
recycling program, Leisure World realized
$80,445 savings in operating expenses.
All program costs include equipment
(tub grinder and tractor to turn
windrows), start-up costs (grading of
compost site), and labor (two staff for
composting program).
    The yard trimmings collection
program results in lower hauling and
tipping fees, reduced need for soil
amendment purchases, and reduced
water needs. Careful records of the flow
of materials and costs allow staff to
understand the true cost savings of
recycling. The program coordinator
tracks tonnage by requiring waste slips
from the contractor who has a scale on
its truck. The in-house composting staff
also weigh yard trimmings with an on-
board scale.
    Tips for Replication

    •   Ensure a committed management
    staff is on hand.
    •   Encourage residents to make the
    extra effort to recycle.
    •   Keep careful cost and tonnage
    records in order to recognize true cost
    savings.
    •   Focus on recovering materials with
    high volume and high value.
    Contact:
    Cindy Cramer
    Management Analyst
    Landscape Division
    Professional Community
    Management, Inc.
    Leisure World
    P.O. Box 2220
    Laguna Hills, CA 92654
    (714) 597-4669 fax (714) 470-0148
   The program involves community
   residents through governance
committees that oversee all aspects of
operations on the premises. This direct
involvement gives residents a direct
stake in the success of the program.
Interested residents often bring
contamination issues to the attention of
the program manager.
    All recycling containers are labeled
with stickers indicating which materials
to deposit. Management promotes the
program through  articles in the
community newspaper and bulletins on
the community cable channel.
                    Program Summary, FY96
Costs/Benefits
   The centralized collection program
   minimizes costs. Leisure World also
receives top dollar for its newspaper as it
is clean and uncontaminated. For
instance, in 1996 management spent
$95,000 on newspaper pickup, but
received $123,000 in revenue for this
newspaper and saved $82,000 in tipping
fees, netting an overall savings of
  Start Date
  Type of Buildings


  Households Served
  Total Waste Generated (Tons)
    Disposed
    Diverted
  Total Diverted (%)
  Materials Recovered
    Yard trimmings
    Newspaper
    Other recyclables
  Average Generation (Ibs./HH/day)
    Disposed
    Diverted
  Fees per Year
    Disposal
    Diversion
  Net Costs per HH per Year
    Disposal services
    Diversion services
  Net Costs per Ton
    Disposal services
    Diversion services
1987 (yard trimmings added 1990)
318 single-family buildings and 2,231 multi-
family buildings; multi-family buildings range
from 2 to 24 units and from 1 to 3 stories
12,736
            FY86
         >14,500
           14,500
             NA*
             NA
             NA
               0
             NA*
               0
           >6.24
             6.24
             NA*
       >$815,522
         $815,522
             NA*
         >$64.03
           $64.03
             NA*
         >$56.24
           $56.24
             NA*
    FY96
  15,755
    7,800
    7,955
    50%
   7,955
    4,711
    3,043
     201
    6.77
     3.35
     3.42
$735,077
 $562,077
 $173,000
  $57.71
   $44.13
   $13.58
  $46.66
   $72.06
   $21.75
  FY = fiscal year      HH = household      NA = Not available
  Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
  * Leisure World had a newspaper recycling program before 1986, but did not track tonnage or costs.

-------
&EPA
                                United States
                                Environmental Protection
                                Agency
                              Solid Waste and
                              Emergency Response
                              (5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-022e
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
Saint  Paul,  Minnesota
23% Waste Reduction Rate in Multi-family Dwellings
                                   Saint Paul, Minnesota, began its multi-family recycling program in 1986.
                                   Local ordinance requires that all apartment complexes offer residents
                                   recycling services. City-sponsored multi-family recycling services are
                                   available to buildings with twelve or more dwelling units. As one of the
                                   oldest programs in the United States, it is also one of the most
                                   developed. In 1997, over 27,114 units in 1,056 buildings received the
                                   recycling service and the program collected 3,418 tons of recyclables,
                                   representing a greater than  tenfold increase from the 290 tons collected in 1988.
                                   In 1997, Saint Paul achieved  a multi-family waste diversion rate of 23%, collecting 22 pounds
                                   of recyclables per multi-family unit per month.
                                Program Description
                                    ecycling came to Saint Paul in 1986. The
                                     rogram was established by a not-for-profit
                                      neighborhood coalition — the Saint
                                          Paul Neighborhood Energy
                                          Consortium (NEC). From the start of
                                          the program, planners decided to
                                         offer on-premises recycling to all city
                                         residents, regardless of whether they
                                         lived in single-family houses,
                                        condominiums, high-rise apartments,
                                        or even houseboats.
                                          Originally multi-family properties
                                       had to sign up to participate in city
                                       recycling programs.  In 1992, the
                                      program became mandatory, in that all
                                      complexes must offer the services.
                                      Participation by individual residents is
                                      voluntary.
                                          NEC contracts with Super Cycle to
                                     provide collection services.  The firm
                                      collects source-separated recyclables
                                      using sets of six ninety-gallon wheeled
                                      carts at each recycling station. One
                                       recycling station, which receives weekly
                                       or every other week pickup, serves up
                                        to 100 households.
                                                A key to the success of the
                                         program is city-wide uniformity of
                                          the program — there is the same
                                          set-out system, list of acceptable
                                             items, and instructions for preparation of
                                             materials throughout the city. This makes
                                             education easier, and it means that a resident
                                             who moves does not have to relearn recycling
                                             requirements.
                                                Saint Paul's multi-family recycling program
                                             is truly a group effort with the city providing
                                             the containers, NEC managing education and
                                             the contract with the hauler, and Super Cycle
                                             doing the collection. NEC works with the
                                             manager of each complex to be sure the
                                             property manager understands his or her
                                             responsibilities (keep containers accessible,
                                             clear away snow, provide move-in packages to
                                             new tenants), signs a contract with the owners
                                             of the complex, and recommends recycling be
                                             included in all leases.

                                             Outreach Activities
                                                NEC actively manages the outreach for Saint
                                                Paul's multi-family recycling programs. NEC
                                             provides educational materials including flyers,
                                             posters, displays and leadership for resident

                                               Materials Collected
                                               Newspapers
                                               Telephone books
                                               Mixed paper (including mail, office paper,
                                                 magazines and catalogs, and
                                                 paperboard)
                                               Glass Containers
                                               Cans
                                               Corrugated cardboard
                                        This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-
                                        Family Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).

-------
mailings. Most educational materials
provide basic, clear guidelines and are
available in many languages (including
English, Spanish, Russian, Cambodian,
Hmong, Chinese, Vietnamese, and
Somali).
    The program provides ongoing
feedback to residents — via monthly
data on quantity of materials recycled
by complex (the hauler is required to
provide NEC with monthly pickup
information for each account served).
These data can be graphed on a poster
provided by NEC, and displayed for
residents to see. NEC staff also attend
tenant meetings to speak about the
MFD program  upon request.
    NEC also encourages residents of
MFDs to reuse household items. It has
helped complexes set up exchange
tables where residents leave items for
free retrieval by other residents. NEC
also publishes lists of drop-off locations
where residents can donate used
clothes, furniture, and other reusable
items.
Costs/Benefits
   Recycling in multi-family dwellings in
   Saint Paul is financed by a city tax of
$13 per dwelling unit per year, billed to
MFD property owners on their property
tax bills. In 1996, Saint Paul paid the NEC
$12.17 per household served, NEC in
turn paid Super Cycle $9.81 per
household for recycling collection and
marketing and used the remaining
monies to fund its outreach and
educational programs.
    The per ton cost of MFD recycling is
approximately $94 in Saint Paul,
compared to $119 per ton for trash
(collection averaged $70 per ton and
disposal cost $49 per ton). Although the
per ton cost of the recycling program is
greater than the per ton cost of
collecting trash, total trash costs are
higher because of disposal tip fees.
Furthermore, if recycling were eliminated
and all discards were collected as trash,
conservative estimates indicate that total
costs per multi-family household would
essentially be unchanged. In 1996, the
total cost of the trash collection and
disposal and recycling programs was $64
for multi-family households; the costs for
trash collection and disposal of all waste
generated at MFDs would have been at
least $63. Saint Paul has designed a
system where recycling programs are
delivered at essentially no additional
cost to the community, and where
significant diversions prolong the life of
disposal facilities.

Tips for Replication

•   Accept the same materials and use
a consistent sorting system for all
program participants in your
community.
•   Produce educational materials
using simple graphics.
•   Use multiple means of getting the
message out — including tenant
meetings, newsletters, lease clauses,
posters celebrating achievements, and
direct mailings.
       Contact:
       Rick Person
       Solid Waste Manager
       800 City Hall Annex
       Saint Paul, MN 55102
       (651) 266-6122 fax (651) 298
       rick.person@stpaul.gov

       AND

       Pat Schoenecker
       Multifamily Recycling Manager
       Neighborhood Energy Consortium
       623 Selby Avenue
       Saint Paul, MN 55104
       (651) 644-7678 fax (651) 649-3109
       pats@spnec.org

       AND

       Ecodata, Inc.
       97 N.Campo Road
       Westport, CT 06880
       (203) 454-1700 fax (203) 227-5289
                                                              Program Summary, 1996
  Start Date
  Type of Multi-Family Buildings

  Households Served
  Average Persons per HH Served
  Total Waste Generated (Tons)
      Disposed
      Diverted
  Total Diverted (%)
  Average Generation (Ibs./HH/day)
      Disposed
      Diverted
  Average per ton SWM costs
      Trash Collection*
      Trash Disposal
      Diversion**
  SWM Cost per HH per Year
      Disposal*
      Diversion**
  Estimated Costs per HH per Year
  without Waste Reduction***
1989, reached 100% of MFDs served in 1995
All buildings and complexes in the city with
12 or more units
            27,114
              1.44
            15,371
            11,849
             3,522
            22.9%
               3.1
               2.4
               0.7

            $70.50
            $49.00
            $93.69
            $64.39
            $52.22
            $12.17
            $63.14
  HH = household      SWM = solid waste management
  Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
  *Ecodata estimated costs based on discussions with private haulers serving the MFD sector in Saint Paul.
  "Represents $12.17 per household fee paid by the city to the Saint Paul NEC.
  ***ln order to estimate what per household costs might have been if Saint Paul had no recycling program, Ecodata
  assumed that all waste generated would be handled as trash and the marginal collection cost per ton of material
  that was recycled would be equal to 50% of the per ton trash collection cost in the present system.

-------
svEPA
                                United States
                                Environmental Protection
                                Agency
                              Solid Waste and
                              Emergency Response
                              (5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-022f
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
San  Jose,  California
25% Waste Reduction Rate in Multi-family Dwellings
                                   San Jose, California's multi-family sector recovered 25% by weight of its
                                   solid waste in FY97. By contracting with private haulers, the city of San
                                   Jose offers weekly collection of more than 26 recyclable materials,
                                    including yard trimmings, to every multi-family household in the
                                   ethnically diverse city. In order to maximize participation, San Jose
                                   offers financial incentives to its haulers and MFD building owners for
                                   waste reduction, and the city and its contractors conduct on-going
                                   education programs aimed at building managers and residents.
                                Program Description
                                   Driven by a California law requiring cities to
                                   divert 50% of their waste by the year 2000,
                                San Jose added multi-family dwellings to its
                                    residential recycling program.  It began
                                      yard trimmings pick-up in 1991 and pick
                                          up of other recyclables in 1993.
                                             Green Team, a local company,
                                          collects trash and recyclables other
                                         than yard trimmings from multi-
                                         family dwellings. Green Team
                                         provides buildings with
                                        approximately one set of three (one
                                        for each: newspaper, mixed paper, and
                                       other recyclables) 96-gallon recycling
                                       bins for every 25 households.  Building
                                       managers usually place bins near
                                      dumpsters and in other convenient
                                      locations.
                                         Occasionally, when bins are
                                     contaminated with trash or the wrong
                                     recyclables, the collection driver leaves a
                                     sticker on the bin explaining why
                                     materials were not collected. The driver
                                      also sends a non-collection letter to the
                                      building contact, with tips on how to
                                       correct the problem.
                                           Yard trimmings account for 66% of
                                        material diverted from the multi-family
b                                         waste stream. Building maintenance
                                         staff put yard trimmings either in the
                                          street along the curb or in burlap
                                          tarps.  Crews from one of two
                                             companies bring yard trimmings to two
                                             privately owned composting sites. Trimmings
                                             are either windrow composted or ground into
                                             mulch. Finished compost and mulch are sold or
                                             used as soil amendment on farms and city parks.

                                             Outreach Activities

                                                Outreach activities comprise two main
                                                components:  providing educational and
                                             instructional material, and conducting on-site
                                             visits. Outreach activities have essentially two
                                             audiences: building managers and residents.
                                             For managers, Green Team staff provide
                                             building managers with tools to help them take
                                             an active role in recycling. These include signs,
                                             information on volume-based trash fees, model
                                             lease agreements incorporating paragraphs
                                              Materials Collected
                                              Newspaper
                                              Corrugated cardboard
                                              Mixed paper (magazines,catalogs, paper
                                                 bags, telephone books, paperboard,
                                                 colored and white paper, envelopes,
                                                 mail, paper egg cartons)
                                              Glass containers
                                              Cans
                                              Juice and milk cartons
                                              Plastic bottles and jugs
                                              Polystyrene packaging
                                              Scrap metals (including aluminum foil
                                                 and pie pans, metal can lids, small
                                                 metal appliances, hubcaps, metal pots)
                                              Textiles
                                              Yard trimmings
                                        This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-
                                        Family Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).

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about recycling, and a service
agreement packet containing
brochures listing services provided and
tips for dealing with contamination.
    The city produces all outreach
materials, including posters and
informational brochures, in English,
Spanish, and Vietnamese. In addition,
Green Team makes site visits and
presentations whenever requested, and
puts on recycling carnivals for children.
The Environmental Services
Department (ESD) runs a recycling
customer service line.
Costs/Benefits
   The ESD's operating costs for multi-
   family waste management services
include payments to Green Team for
trash and recycling services; payments to
haulers and processors for yard
trimmings collection and composting;
landfill fees for trash disposal; billing and
customer service; and overhead costs for
rent, staff salaries and benefits,
administrative support, and supplies.  In
FY97, these multi-family waste
management costs totalled $11,000,000.
Of this, disposal services cost
approximately $6,300,000 and diversion
services cost approximately $4,500,000.
    ESD incurred no capital costs for
the program, as contractors provide all
equipment.
    One of the main goals of the San
Jose recycling program is to divert trash
from the landfill, extending its life.  To
maximize diversion, ESD charges
building owners volume-based fees for
trash pick-up and nothing for
recyclables pick-up.  Building owners
with high participation rates save
money by reducing their trash. One
building complex, for example, saves
over $10,000 in disposal costs per year
by recycling 62% of its solid waste.
Tips for Replication

•   Involve building management.
Programs improve significantly when
managers actively promote recycling.
•   Educate building owners. Owners
can only use services they know about.
•   Sell program economics to
building owners.
•   Keep it simple.  If the program is
intuitive, higher recovery and
participation rates usually result.
•   Be persistent. High diversion
recycling programs at multi-family
homes require energy from recycling
coordinators and building managers.
•   Reach residents by placing
information where the residents are,
such as on or near recycling containers.
     Contact:
     Robin Moore
     Associate Environmental
      Specialist
     City of San Jose Environmental
      Services Department
     777 N. First Street, Suite 450
     San Jose, CA 95112
     (408) 277-5533 fax (408) 277-3669
                     Program Summary, FY97
  Start Date
  Buildings in Program
  Type of Multi-Family Buildings


  Households Served
  Households per Building
  Total Waste Generated (Tons)
    Disposed
    Recycled
    Composted
  Total Diverted (%)
    Recycled
    Composted
  Average Generation (Ibs./HH/day)
    Disposed
    Recycled
    Composted
  Net Costs per HH per Year*
    Disposed
    Diverted
Yard trimmings phased in Sept. 1991 to
Sept. 1992; other recyclables July 1993
3,400 buildings
All buildings with 4 households or more,
mobile homes, condominiums, and
townhouses
80,440
2,400 buildings have 4-10 households
650 buildings have 11-50 households
150 buildings have 51-100 households
200 buildings have 101 or more households
            103,124
              77,544
               8,714
              16,866
               25%
                8%
                16%
                7.0
                5.3
                0.6
                1.1
            $133.55
              $77.73
              $55.82
                                           HH = household
                                           Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
                                           *Costs represent the ESD's payments to contractors for disposal and diversion services, landfill tip fees, billing,
                                           customer service, overhead costs for rent, staff salaries and benefits, administrative support, and supplies.

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&EPA
                                United States
                                Environmental Protection
                                Agency
                              Solid Waste and
                              Emergency Response
                              (5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-022g
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
Seattle,  Washington
23% Waste Reduction Rate in Multi-family Dwellings
                                    Seattle, Washington, is a large urban, metropolitan center with a long
                                    history of recycling programs. The city contracts with private firms to
                                    provide multi-family trash and recycling services. Apartment complexes
                                    must request recycling services, and as of 1997, complexes representing
                                    more than half of multi-family households had done so. Residents
                                    must deliver recyclables to centrally located areas. In 1996 residents
                                    participating in Seattle's multi-family recycling program diverted
                                    approximately 23% of their household waste from disposal.
                                                                /
                                 Program Description
                                   Seattle started its single family recycling
                                   program in 1988, and initiated the multi-
                                 family recycling program a year later. Recycling
                                    in Seattle is completely voluntary — each
                                      household or multi-family complex must
                                          request service. To encourage
                                          recycling, Seattle offers a variable
                                          fee trash service (with fees based on
                                          the size of the container for trash) to
                                          both single- and multi-family
                                         customers, and provides recycling
                                        service at no additional charge.
                                          The city contracts with four private
                                        companies to provide multi-family
                                        recycling services; two companies
                                       serve residences in the north of the city,
                                       two others serve residences in the
                                      south. Each collection company uses a
                                      different sorting and container system
                                      but the companies largely collect the
                                      same materials (all of the contractors
                                      collect newspaper, other mixed paper,
                                      glass containers, and cans but only two of
                                      the four companies accept #1 and #2
                                       plastic bottles). The city is trying to
                                       standardize the system; all buildings
                                       joining the program now require
                                        residents to sort materials into four
b                                         streams: separate toters for clear,
                                          green, and brown glass, and a
                                          dumpster for all other materials.
                                          Contractors provide the dumpsters
                                             and/or 95-gallon carts used in the program.
                                                 Collection frequency also varies by
                                             material, complex, and hauler. For example, a
                                             hauler may collect paper from a complex every
                                             week but only collect glass bi-weekly or even
                                             monthly.
                                                 Haulers deliver collected recyclables to
                                             material recovery facilities (MRFs) or directly to
                                             market. Contractors report the tonnages
                                             recycled each month by commodity. The
                                             contractors are paid a fixed amount for their
                                             collection and processing services. Seattle
                                             assumes the risk for market variation in
                                             commodity prices by reimbursing the
                                             contractors if  prices fall below a set level and
                                             reducing payment by the amount prices rise
                                             above the same level.
                                                 Although the city relies on the private
                                             sector to deliver the recycling services, the city
                                             staff enforce the contracts and enroll the
                                             individual complexes in the recycling program.
                                             City staff also  collect and compile program
                                             data.
                                               Materials Collected
                                               Newspaper
                                               Mixed paper (including catalogs,
                                                  magazines, mail, paperboard, phone
                                                  books, paperback books, office paper,
                                                  and paper bags)
                                               Glass containers
                                               Cans
                                               #1 and #2 plastic containers*

                                               * Plastics collected by only two of the four haulers serving
                                               multi-family residences.
                                        This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-
                                        Family Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).

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Outreach Activities

   Seattle tries to use incentives rather
   than enforcement to encourage
recycling. The city also maintains an on-
going education program about the
apartment recycling program. One
component of this education program
is the "Friend of Recycling" volunteer
program. Program volunteers attend a
city training session, then serve as
recycling advocates in their buildings.
Volunteers also monitor recycling
containers for contamination. Seattle
issues an annual $100 rebate on trash
bills to the management of buildings
with Friend of Recycling volunteers.
    Seattle uses multiple messages to
encourage recycling. The city
encourages MFD management to get
involved in order to protect the
environment and save money. The city
also reports that building managers
have found implementing recycling
helps keep trash areas clean.
    In cases of consistently
contaminated recyclables at an
apartment building, the city has
terminated recycling service as a last
resort. Service has been terminated at
between 50 and 100 buildings.

Costs/Benefits

  In 1996 recycling from MFDs in Seattle
  cost an average $19 per household.
During the same period, trash
management costs averaged $64 per
household. These costs include fees paid
to the contractors for collection of trash
and recyclables, estimated tip fees paid
for trash disposal, and city
administration.
    If recycling were eliminated and all
discards were collected as trash, total
costs per multi-family household would
be at most 6% lower. In 1996, the total
cost of the trash collection and disposal
and recycling programs was $83 for
multi-family households; the costs for
trash collection and disposal of all waste
generated at MFDs would have been at
least $79. Seattle has designed and
implemented a system where MFD
recycling programs are delivered at little
additional cost to the community, and
where significant diversions prolong the
life of disposal facilities, support local
economic development, and slow
resource depletion.

Tips for Replication

•   Use in-building volunteers to
communicate with other residents
about program difficulties and
successes.
•   Require that residents recycle
through their lease agreements.
•   Provide waste reduction education
and information to residents when they
first move into units.
•   Produce educational materials in
multiple languages if some of the local
population does not speak English.
   •    Have a mechanism to deny service
   if complexes consistently set out
   contaminated materials.
     Contact:
     Liz Kain
     Recycling Coordinator
     Seattle Public Utilities
     Department
     Dexter Morton Building
     710 Second Avenue, 5th floor
     Seattle, Washington 98104
     (206) 684-4166 fax (206) 684-8529
     lizkain@ci.seattle.wa.us

     AND

     Ecodata, Inc.
     97 N. Campo Road
     Westport, CT 06880
     (203) 454-1700 fax (203) 227-5289
                     Program Summary, 1996
   Start Date
   Type of Multi-Family Buildings
   Households Served
   Average Persons per HH Served
   Total Waste Generated (Tons)
     Disposed*
     Recycled
   Total Diverted (%)
   Average Generation (Ibs./HH/day)
       Disposed
       Diverted
   SWM Costs per HH per Year"
     Trash Collection
     Trash Disposal
     Diversion
   Estimated Costs per HH per Year
   without Waste Reduction*"
1989
All residences in buildings with 5 or more
units are eligible to participate but they must
sign up for service
56,025 out of 101,150 total units in the city
    1.69
 35,856
  27,729
   8,127
  22.7%
     3.5
     2.7
     0.8
 $83.43
  $25.75
  $38.54
  $19.14
 $78.88
   HH = household      SWM = solid waste management
   Notes: Data represent only those households participating in the MFD recycling program. Numbers may not add
   to total due to rounding.
   *Contractors collect trash from single- and multi-family customers in the same vehicles on blended routes.
   Ecodata estimated trash generation for single- versus multi-family residences.
   **Trash and recycling collection costs reflect fees paid to collection contractors and city administration
   costs. Trash disposal costs reflect a tip fee of $78, the prevailing rate charged at private transfer stations in
   the Seattle area in 1996. In 1996, the city charged a per ton tip fee of $94 at its transfer stations, therefore;
   trash costs may be underestimated.
   ***ln order to estimate what per household costs might have been if Seattle had no recycling program, Ecodata
   assumed that all waste generated would be handled as trash and the marginal collection cost per ton of material
   that was recycled would be equal to 50% of the per ton trash collection cost in the present system.

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&EPA
                              United States
                              Environmental Protection
                              Agency
                            Solid Waste and
                            Emergency Response
                            (5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-022h
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
Syracuse,  New York
Public  Housing
20% Waste Reduction Rate at Toomey Abbott Tower
                                  Residents in Syracuse Housing Authority's (SHA) public housing have
                                  been recycling since 1990. Programs are designed uniquely for each
                                  building and include door-to-door pick-up of both trash and
                                  recyclables in some high-rise buildings.  In 1997, an estimated 80-90%
                                  of all SHA households recycled. At Toomey Abbott Tower, SHA's largest
                                  building, residents recycled an estimated 20% of their solid waste in 1997, allowing
                                  SHA to avoid over $6,000 in disposal charges.
                               Program Description

                                In 1990, responding to a number of local and
                                state regulations, the Syracuse Housing
                                  Authority (SHA) instituted recycling in
                                    apartment buildings under its
                                       jurisdiction. In 1997, residents in
                                       Toomey Abbott Tower, SHA's largest
                                       building (308 households on 22
                                       floors), recycled an estimated 20% of
                                       their solid waste.
                                          Because SHA buildings vary in
                                      size, type, age, available space, and
                                      resident make-up, recycling programs
                                      are different in each building. Where
                                      space allows, residents receive door-to-
                                     door pick-up of both trash and
                                    recyclables. In some high-rises,
                                    residents  receive door-to-door pick-up
                                    of recyclables, but must bring trash to a
                                    chute, which empties into a basement
                                   compactor.
                                      In 1997, Toomey Abbott Tower
                                    residents brought trash and recyclables
                                    to a common collection room on each
                                    floor.  In this building and similar high-
                                     rise buildings, residents  put mixed
                                      containers in 95-gallon  bins, mixed
                                      paper in brown paper bags either next
                                      to or in the larger container, and
                                       flattened corrugated  cardboard next
                                       to containers.  Maintenance staff
                                        collect containers and bring them
                                           outside for SHA's contractor to pick up. SHA
                                           contracts with Raite Rubbish Removal, a local
                                           company, for trash and recyclables pick-up
                                           from all SHA buildings.
                                              Before the program began, SHA distributed
                                           5-gallon pails for recyclables to apartments and
                                           14-gallon bins to town homes. These
                                           containers, paid for by the Onondaga  County
                                           Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA), are
                                           labeled by unit number.
                                              SHA buildings have little landscaping.
                                           Grounds crews leave grass clippings on lawns;
                                           they put the small amount of raked leaves and
                                           the occasional downed branch into buildings'
                                           regular trash bins.

                                           Outreach Activities

                                              Before program inception, SHA
                                              representatives attended tenant meetings
                                           where they announced and explained the
                                             Materials Collected
                                             #1 and #2 plastic bottles
                                             Glass food and beverage containers
                                             Metal food and beverage containers
                                             Aluminum foil and pans
                                             Aerosol cans
                                             Newspaper
                                             Mixed paper (office paper, greeting cards,
                                                magazines, wrapping paper, single-ply
                                                cardboard)
                                             Milk and juice cartons
                                             Corrugated cardboard
                                      This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues:  Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-
                                      Family Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).

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forthcoming recycling program. In
many buildings, SHA began new trash
collection procedures at the same time
it began recycling. At the program
outset, SHA created outreach materials
by adapting some of the county's
literature and writing some of its own
materials. (SHA now uses Onondaga
County-produced outreach literature.)
In addition, OCRRA and SHA staff
conducted one-on-one resident
training by going door-to-door and
explaining to tenants what to recycle,
how to prepare it, and where to put it.
Implementation went very smoothly.
    SHA  has a Property Care Ticket
program  whereby SHA staff can ticket
residents for various offenses, including
not disposing of trash or recycling
correctly. For the first improper
recycling offense, SHA fines residents
$5. In the first year of recycling, SHA
issued 224 fines. Residents can appeal
the fine. Generally, any appeal will
result in fine dismissal. SHA believes
the opportunity to explain the
importance of recycling and how to do
it correctly is of more value than
collecting the $5.
    SHA's one recycling coordinator
works 9-1:30 daily. She inspects
recycling containers in buildings where
trash and recyclables are picked up
door-to-door. When she finds an
apartment where residents are not
recycling correctly she speaks to the
people who live there or leaves a
Property  Care "reminder ticket." The
reminder ticket tells people what
they've done wrong and how to correct
it. If residents continue to recycle
improperly after numerous reminder
tickets and verbal warnings, the
recycling coordinator will report
residents to the Housing Authority,
which will then fine residents.
    Buildings have a high turnover.
New residents get some recycling
training when they  move in, but may
need more. The recycling coordinator
conducts individual training when she
finds problems, and encourages people
to continue participating.
Costs/Benefits
   SHA contracts directly with the hauler
   for trash and recycling service. In
1990, SHA issued an invitation to haulers
to bid for a new, well-documented trash
and recycling contract. The winning bid
included a stipulation that SHA would
pay for services based partly on the
number of apartments rented each
month. This contract saved SHA
$120,000 per year over its previous trash
contract.  Through most of 1997,293 of
Toomey Abbott Tower's 308 apartments
were rented.
    At buildings with door-to-door pick-
up, SHA pays its contractor $0.30 per
container for recycling. For other
buildings, SHA pays from $0.7040.76 per
95-gallon container pick-up. At Toomey
Abbott Tower, SHA pays $0.76. The
recycling coordinator's salary is included
in SHA recycling costs. Although not
included  in recycling fees, SHA's costs for
maintenance staff have not increased
since it began recycling.
    For trash at Toomey Abbott Tower,
SHA pays the hauler a tip fee plus a $40
perdumpster pull. In summer 1998, SHA
paid an $81 per ton tip fee.
    In 1997, SHA paid approximately
$26,180 for trash removal and
approximately $460 for recycling service
at Toomey Abbott Tower. Based on 293
occupied households, this translates into
approximately $187 per ton and $90 per
household for trash service. Recycling
service cost approximately $13 per ton
and $2 per household.

Tips for Replication

•   Involve residents in program.
•   Provide clear, simple explanatory
materials.
•   Interact with residents. Explain in
person how and what to recycle.
•   Hand out flyers when new
materials are added.
•   Provide feedback. Mail residents
letters and talk to them.
Contact:
Mark Liptak
Tenant Services
  Supervisor
Syracuse Housing Agency
516BurtStreet
Syracuse, NY 13202
(315) 475-6181 fax (315) 470-4203
    Program Summary, Toomey Abbott Tower, 1997
  Start Date
  Type of Multi-Family Buildings
  Households Served
  Total Waste Generated (Tons)
    Disposed
    Diverted
  Total Diverted
  Average Generation (Ibs./HH/day)
    Disposed
    Diverted
  SHA Costs (per Ton)
    Disposal
    Diversion
  SHA Costs (per HH per Year)
    Disposal
    Diversion
       1990
   22 story high-rise
        293
        175
        140
         35
       20%
        3.3
         2.6
         0.7

       $187
        $13
        $91
        $89
         $2
                                          HH = household      SHA = Syracuse Housing Authority
                                          Note: ILSR converted trash amounts from volume to weight using the conversion factor 2 cubic yards = 750
                                          pounds. ILSR estimated recyclables tonnage from volume data using the conversion 1 cubic yard of recyclables-
                                          246 pounds.

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&EPA
                              United States
                              Environmental Protection
                              Agency
                            Solid Waste and
                            Emergency Response
                            (5306W)
           EPA-530-F-99-022I
           October 1999
           www.epa.gov/osw
University  of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
30% Waste Reduction Rate from Residence Halls
                                  Michigan law mandates a 30% waste reduction for "major waste
                                  generators," including the University of Michigan. An enthusiastic
                                  and involved student body, a program design that is flexible and
                                  accommodates the needs of the collection staff and changes in
                                  collected materials, and a very visible outreach program all
                                  contribute to the success of the University of Michigan's student housing
                                  recycling program, which diverts 30% of the residence hall waste.
                               Program Description
I                                 he University of Michigan (U-M) is one of the
                                 largest academic campuses in the country,
                                  with over 36,000 students. Approximately
                                    10,000 students live in dormitories.
                                        Students bring recyclables to
                                        trash/recycling closets on their floor.
                                        Each closet contains a shelf for
                                       corrugated cardboard and separate
                                       containers for mixed paper and
                                      mixed containers. Housing Facilities
                                      staff collect trash and recyclables on
                                      each floor of the 15 student residence
                                     halls on campus.
                                        Housing Facilities staff bring the
                                     material from recycling closets to
                                    containers on the loading dock. They
                                    collect from the loading dock once a
                                    week and bring materials to the nearby
                                    city-owned material recovery facility
                                    (MRF). Grounds Department staff collect
                                   yard trimmings and bring them to the
                                    city-owned compost facility.
                                      On residence hall move-in days,
                                    students discard large quantities of
                                     cardboard boxes. U-M instituted
                                     special collections for this cardboard,
                                      and in 1997 students recycled 52 tons
                                      of material during move-in days.
                                          When students vacate their
                                         dorms for the summer or at
                                        graduation they often discard loft
                                           wood, toiletries, furniture, carpets, food,
                                           clothing, and other items that they cannot store
                                           or transport. Thus, these items often ended up
                                           in the trash. Now the University collects and
                                           donates these materials to charitable
                                           organizations, except for loft wood and carpet,
                                           which are stored on campus grounds. Ann
                                           Arbor residents are encouraged to take these
                                           materials.
                                               Other campus recycling efforts include:
                                           collection of pallets, scrap wood, and metals; a
                                           worm bin composting project; a food discard
                                           composting trial; and recycling  at the football
                                           stadium. In addition, a Recycling Task Force
                                           works with the U-M Purchasing Department to
                                           utilize and sell more recycled-content products.

                                           Outreach Activities

                                           0
ne of the keys to program success is U-M's
active outreach efforts, which include:
                                            Materials Collected
                                            Mixed paper (including virtually all types
                                               of paper:  high grade, glossy stock,
                                               mail)
                                            Newspaper
                                            Corrugated cardboard
                                            Glass
                                            #1 and #2 plastics
                                            Aluminum
                                            Juice boxes
                                            Ceramics
                                            Scrap metal
                                      This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues:  Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-
                                      Family Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).

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student town meetings, training
sessions with staff, a recycling
newsletter, an email address to answer
questions (recycle.help@umich.edu), an
extensive Web page, and the
Ecolympics, a competition between
residence halls that rewards
conservation efforts. Residence hall
outreach includes displays at new
student orientations and table tents in
dining halls, presentations upon
request, and signs in residence hall
trash/recycling closets.
    Turnover of the student population
is an obstacle to even higher recycling
rates. New education efforts are
needed every year.
Costs/Benefits
     nen U-M's recycling program began
    f in 1989, its actual total cost for
disposal from the residence halls was
$239,200 per year. The University spent
$200,000 in 1989 to modify buildings to
create recycling closets and to purchase
containers. In 1997 its total cost for
residence hall disposal and recycling was
$245,900 (including move-out day costs
of approximately $11,000 per year and
equipment pay back). Adjusting 1989
figures to 1997 dollars, the University's
total solid waste management costs for
residence halls decreased approximately
$53,800 per year. This is explained in
part by improved collection systems and
in part by avoided disposal costs
through recycling.
    In spring 1998, markets for
commingled containers were poor, so
the University paid a higher tip fee at the
MRF for these materials than trash.
Tipping fees at the MRF were $2.64 per
ton for paper (newspaper, old corrugated
cardboard, mixed paper), $18.92 per ton
for commingled containers, and $17.11
per ton for trash. Although the tip fee for
containers was higher than trash, the tip
fee for mixed paper was $15 per ton less
than trash disposal. Overall, recycling
costs averaged $35 per ton while trash
costs average $48  per ton.
Tips for Replication

•   Pay attention to the needs of your
collection staff; they are the most
important element in a successful
recycling system.  Be open to letting
workers create systems that work for
them. Listen...listen...listen!
•   Pay attention to the ergonomics of
handling. Do not be afraid to go into
debt to capitalize equipment that
improves efficiency and safety.
•   Keep good records of material flow.
Keep track of costs.
•   Develop  good relationships with
processors of your recyclables.
                                         Contact:
                                         Kristin Miller
                                         General Information
                                         Grounds and Waste Management
                                         University of Michigan
                                         1110 East Huron Street
                                         Ann Arbor, Ml 48104
                                         (734) 763-5539 fax (734) 764-9390
                     Program Summary, FY97
  Start Date
  Buildings in Program
  Type of Multi-Family Buildings
  Households Served
  Residents served
  Total Waste Generated (Tons)
    Disposed
    Diverted
  Total Diverted (%)
  Fees per Year
    Disposal
    Diversion
  Net Costs per HH per Year
    Disposal services
    Diversion services
  Net Costs per Ton
    Disposal services
    Diversion services

  FY = fiscal year        HH = household
  Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
  *FY89 costs have been normalized to FY97 using the gross domestic product deflator.
September 1989
15
2- to 8-story residence halls
5,000
10,000
        FY89*                   FY97
(Before program)        (With program)
         5,750                   5,552
         5,750                   3,893
            0                   1,659
          0%                   30%
     $299,700               $245,900
      $299,700                $187,921
           $0                 $57,978
          $60                    $49
          $60                    $38
           $0                    $12
          $52                    $44
          $52                    $48
           $0                    $35

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