United States Solid Waste and
Environmental Protection Emergency Response EPA530-X-93-006a
Agency (5306) December 1993
&EPA In-Depth Studies of
Recycling and
Composting Programs:
Designs, Costs,
Results
Volume I: Rural Communities
Printed on Recycled Paper
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In-Depth Studies of
Recycling and
Composting Programs:
Designs, Costs/ Results
Volume I: Rural Communities
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This work was performed for USEPA by the Institute for Local Self-
Reliance. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), a nonprofit
research and educational organization, provides technical information
and assistance to city and state government, citizen and neighborhood
organizations, and industry.
In-Depth Studies of Recycling and Composting Programs: Designs,
Costs, Results; Volume J - Rural Communities, Volume II - Suburbs
and Small Cities, and Volume III - Urban Areas is part of an ongoing
series of technical reports prepared by the ILSR staff. For more
information on the Institute's philosophy, publications, and practice,
write:
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
2425 18th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 232-4108
Fax (202) 332-0463
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements vi
Abbreviations vii
Conversion Factors ix
Introduction 1
Case Study Format and Data Definitions 3
Data Definitions 3
Information in Case Studies 5
Case Studies
Bowdoinham, Maine 9
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 10
Materials Recovery Overview 11
Recycling Activities 12
Residential Curbside Recycling 12
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 13
Drop-off Centers 14
Salvage/Reuse 14
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables 15
Composting Activities 16
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 17
Publicity and Education 18
Economics 18
Capital Costs 18
Operating and Maintenance Costs 19
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 19
Contacts 19
Fennimore, Wisconsin. 21
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 22
Materials Recovery Overview 24
Recycling Activities 24
Residential Curbside Recycling 24
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 25
Drop-off Center. 26
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 26
Composting Activities 27
Backyard Composting 27
Curbside Collection .27
Composting Site 28
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 28
Publicity and Education. 29
Economics 29
Capital Costs. 30
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Operating and Maintenance Costs 31
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 31
Contact 32
La Crescent, Minnesota 33
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 34
Materials Recovery Overview 35
Recycling Activities 36
Residential Curbside Recycling 36
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/ Alley Recycling 37
School & Office Recycling 38
Drop-off Centers 38
Salvage/Reuse 38
Construction and Demolition Debris Recovery 39
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 39
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement 39
Composting Activities 39
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 40
Publicity and Education 41
Economics 41
Capital Costs 41
Operating and Maintenance Costs 43
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 44
Contacts 44
Monroe, Wisconsin 45
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 46
Materials Recovery Overview 47
Recycling Activities 48
Residential Curbside Recycling 48
Multi-unit Collection 50
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 50
Drop-off Centers 52
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 52
Market Development Initiatives 53
Composting Activities 53
Backyard Composting 53
Curbside Collection 54
Composting Site 54
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 55
Source Reduction Initiatives 56
Publicity and Education. 56
Economics 56
Capital Costs 57
Operating and Maintenance Costs 58
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 59
Contacts 59
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Peterborough, New Hampshire 61
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 62
Materials Recovery Overview 64
Recycling Activities 65
Drop-off Collection Program. 65
Food Waste Recovery 65
Residential Curbside Recycling 66
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 66
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables, 67
Market Development Initiatives 67
Composting Activities 67
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 68
Publicity and Education 68
Economics 68
Capital Costs 69
Operating and Maintenance Costs 69
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 69
Contacts 70
Sonoma County, Calif omia. 71
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 72
Materials Recovery Overview 74
Recycling Activities 75
Residential Curbside Recycling..... 75
Multi-unit Collection 76
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 76
Other Commercial Sector Activities 77
Drop-off Centers 78
Salvage/Reuse 79
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables 79
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement 80
Composting Activities 80
Curbside Collection 81
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 82
Source Reduction Initiatives 83
Publicity and Education 83
Economics 84
Capital Costs 84
Operating and Maintenance Costs 85
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 86
Contacts 86
Upper Township, New Jersey 87
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 88
Materials Recovery Overview 89
Recycling Activities 90
Public Curbside Recycling 90
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Private Curbside/Alley Recycling 91
Drop-off Center. 92
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 92
Construction & Demolition Debris/Bulky Waste Recovery 93
Composting Activities . 94
Curbside Collection 94
Composting Site 94
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 95
Publicity and Education 97
Economics 97
Capital Costs 98
Operating and Maintenance Costs 99
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 100
Contacts 100
Wapakoneta, Ohio. 101
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 102
Materials Recovery Overview 103
Recycling Activities 104
Drop-off Collection Program 104
Commercial Curbside Recycling 105
Salvage/Reuse 105
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 106
Composting Activities 106
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 107
Source Reduction Initiatives 107
Publicity and Education 107
Economics 108
Capital Costs 108
Operating and Maintenance 109
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 109
Contacts 110
Index Ill
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Page v
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Acknowledgements
This report was prepared for USEPA by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and was made possible
by the patience, diligent data gathering, and hard work of many individuals. USEPA participants
included Bill MacLeod, Project Officer, Truett DeGeare, and Terry Grogan.
ILSR made dozens of phone calls to state and local recycling coordinators, solid waste professionals,
recyders, and local decision makers in order to identify communities to document. The assistance of
these individuals was invaluable in getting this project off the ground. Approximately 100 surveys
were sent to key contact people.
Although most information for the report came from municipal recycling coordinators and
Superintendents of Public Works, ILSR also made calls to local landfills, private refuse haulers,
processing centers, composting facilities, county and state solid waste officials, and local political
leaders to fill in our knowledge about various communities' recycling and composting programs.
In addition to the contacts listed in the case studies included in this report, people in the following
communities provided information on their materials recovery programs: San Diego, California;
Longmont, Colorado; Hartford and Manchester, Connecticut; Dade County and Orlando, Florida;
Barrington, Princeton, Urbana, and Woodstock, Illinois; Chelmsford, Hilltown Cooperative,
Longmeadow, and Springfield, Massachusetts; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Lexington, Durham and
Wilmington, North Carolina; Haddonfield, Park Ridge, Cherry Hill, and Woodbury, New Jersey;
Hamburg, Ithaca, and Ulster County, New York; Barrington, Rhode Island; and Burlington, Vermont.
We owe many thanks to the staff at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. In particular, we
benefitted from the hard work of Jane Buckley, Pia MacDonald, Beth Mears, Renee Nida, Beverly
Salas, Vickie Smith, Deb von Roeder, and Jill Zachary. Cynthia Aldridge deserves special credit for
the production of this report, which was no easy task. We would like to extend special recognition to
Janet Rumble, an intern at ILSR, for her significant contribution to this report.
We thank Jodean Marks, copy editor, for her meticulous reading of this document, and Michael
Cannizzaro for his diligent work at the computer on many tasks, from making editorial changes to
creating pie charts.
Researching and writing In-Depih Studies of Recycling and Composting Programs: Designs, Costs,
Results, had the support of many people. Special thanks go to Daniel DeMocker and Marty Gelfand for
their patience and understanding.
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Abbreviations
ANJR—Association of New Jersey Recyclers
BH — Browning Ferris Industries
CCA — Container Corporation of America
C&D—construction and demolition
C-E—Combustion Engineering
CEI — Citizens for Environmental Improvement
CFCs—chlorofluorocarbons
CMCMUA — Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority
comm—commercial
CRC — Community Rehabilitation Center
CSWMB — California Solid Waste Management Board
CSWMP — Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan
cy —cubic yard
DEM — Department of Environmental Management
DEQ — Department of Environmental Quality
DO —drop-off
DPW — Department of Public Works
EDF—Environmental Defense Fund
ENCORE — Environmental Container Reuse
EPA — Environmental Protection Agency
F — Fahrenheit
FY — fiscal year
HDPE — high density polyethylene
ILSR — Institute for Local Self-Reliance
instit/inst — institutional
IPC — intermediate processing center
IPF — intermediate processing facility
Ib—pound
LDPE — low density polyethylene
MARC — Monroe Area Recycling Committee
MRF — materials recovery facility
MSW — municipal solid waste
NA — not available
NHRRA — New Hampshire Resource Recovery Association
NoCAL — Northern California
O&M — operating and maintenance
PCB — polychlorinated biphenyl
PET — polyethylene terephthalate
PP —polypropylene
PS — polystyrene
PSE&G — Public Service Electric and Gas
PVC — polyvinyl chloride
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REA — Richmond Environmental Action
RFP—request for proposal
RRT—Resource Recycling Technologies
SRMG—Sound Resource Management Group
SWA — Solid Waste Authority
SWAC — Solid Waste Advisory Commission
SWMA — Solid Waste Management Authority
SWMP — Solid Waste Management Plan
TURF — Total Urban Recycling Facility
UC — University of California
WMI — Waste Management, Inc.
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Sample Conversion Factors
Waste generation rates used in this report are based on tonnage figures provided by recycling
coordinators and other local officiate, who may have estimated the data or relied on other sources,
such as private haulers. In a few instances, ILSR staff obtained tonnage data directly from the private
sector. Communities, in several cases, measure materials in cubic yards and use conversion factors to
calculate tonnage figures. When local conversion factors were unavailable, ILSR staff estimated
tonnage recovered using commonly accepted conversion factors. Sample conversion factors utilized in
this report are listed below.
MIXED MSW (compacted)
Conversions Used By Communities:
785 Ibs/cy (039 tons/cy) or 235 cy/ton
Source: Solid Waste Management Plan Revision, Sonoma Co., CA, May 1990.
667 Ibs/cy (0.33 ton/cy)
Source: Naperville, IL
Conversions Found in the Literature:
500 - 700 Ibs/cy (025 - 035 tons/cy) or 2.8 - 4 cy/ton
Source: Solid Waste Data: A Compilation of Statistics on Solid Waste Management Within the United
States, US EPA, August, 1981.
600 Ibs/cy (03 tons/cy) or 33 cy/ton
Source: Association of New Jersey Recyders (ANJR), Directory, 1987.
MIXED MSW (uncompacted)
200Ibs/cy
Source: Solid Waste Data: A Compilation of Statistics on Solid Waste Management Within the United
States, US EPA, August 1981.
MIXED YARD WASTE (average compaction)
Conversions Found in the Literature:
600Ibs/cy
Source: Yard Waste Composting, US EPA, April 1989.
Conversions Used By Communities:
620Ibs/cy
Source: Recycled Wood Products, Berkeley, CA
650-750 Ibs/cy
Source: Portland, OR
660Ibs/cy
Source: West Palm Beach, FL
MIXED YARD WASTE (loose)
200-250 Ibs/cy or 9 cy/ton
Source: Portland, OR
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LEAVES (average compaction)
500 Ibs/cy (320 - 500 Ibs/cy)
Source: Yard Waste Composting - A Study of Eight Programs, US EPA, April 1989.
450 Ibs/cy
Source: ANJR Directory, 1987.
1,000 Ibs/cy
Source: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
LEAVES (vacuumed)
700 Ibs
Source: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
LEAVES (loose)
250 -350 Ibs/cy
Source: ANJR Directory, 1987.
CHIPPED BRUSH
500Ibs/cy
Source: National Recycling Coalition, 1989
COMPOST (finished)
1,500 Ibs/cy
Source: Yard Waste Composting, US EPA, April, 1989.
CHRISTMAS TREES
20 Ibs/tree
Source: Summary of County-Wide Christmas Tree Recycling Project 1990-1991, Garbage Reincarnation,
Inc, Sonoma Co., CA.
15.1 Ibs/tree
Source: Dakota County, MN
FOOD WASTE
500 Ibs/cy (residential)
800 -1000 Ibs/cy (commercial)
Source: Suhr, J.L., Higgins, AJ. and Derr, D.A., Feasibility of Food Waste Recycling in New Jersey:
Fourth Quarterly Report to the Office of Recycling, 1984.
900 Ibs/cy (commercial)
Source: Ashevitte/Buncombe County Solid Waste Alternatives: Planning Workbook, ILSR, March 1985.
WATER
8.345 Ibs/gal
Source: Lindeburg, Michael R., Engineering Unit Conversions, 2nd ed., 1990.
USED MOTOR OIL
7 Ibs/gal (65-75 Ibs/gal)
Source: ANJR Directory, 1987. Range was arrived at by converting API gravity for 25-50% crude oil to
specific gravity (Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook, 6th ed.).
CONCRETE/ASPHALT (broken)
15 tons/cy
Source: American Rock and Asphalt, Richmond, CA.
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Page xi
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Introduction
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) prepared this report of 30 U.S. recycling and composting
programs under a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Under Phase I of
this project, the ILSR gathered data on source-separation recycling and composting programs of 30
communities. This included program characteristics, waste generation and recovery tonnages, materials
recovery rates, and equipment and operating and maintenance costs.
As the performance of established recycling and composting programs improves, and as newer programs
benefit from their experience, the country's learning curve on materials recovery is accelerating.
Nevertheless, communities continue to need detailed information about the quantities of waste they
generate, how much of this they can recover, and the costs this entails. Such data are useful not only to
evaluate one's own performance and progress, but also as a way to compare oneself to others.
The Institute has been working to fill this information gap. Our reports Beyond 25 Percent: Materials
Recovery Comes of Age (1989) and Beyond 40 Percent: Record-Setting Recycling and Composting
Programs (1990) detail how 24 communities are recovering between 24 and 57 percent of their waste
streams. We produced these reports for two reasons: (1) to share the experience of the pioneers with
those just starting up programs, and (2) to encourage communities to refine our methodology and improve
their own data gathering. This report, In-Depth Studies of Recycling and Composting Programs:
Designs, Costs, Results, continues to meet these objectives, while expanding our data base of outstanding
recycling programs.
During fall 1990, Institute staff surveyed hundreds of recycling coordinators and solid waste managers
by telephone and mailed nearly 100 written questionnaires. Based on the responses we received, the
ILSR and EPA staff selected 26 municipalities and 4 counties to document for this study. Seven of these
localities had been included in Beyond 40 Percent.
Almost half of the communities in this compendium were chosen because of their high recovery levels
(either in the residential, commercial, or construction and demolition debris sector). Other communities
were selected on the basis of location, population density, or model program characteristics such as
source reduction initiatives, food waste recovery, or salvage/reuse operations. To facilitate
comparisons and discussion of the factors that have led to successful programs, we also included several
communities whose recovery levels had remained low over a number of years. Communities selected for
study represent a balance of program characteristics: public and private collection, segregated and
Pagel
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commingled set-out sorting en route and sorting at an intermediate processing center, curbside and drop-
off, bottle bill locales, mandatory and voluntary participation, volume-based and flat refuse rates.
The table on the following page lists the 30 communities documented in this report, their populations,
and their residential, commercial/institutional, municipal solid waste, and total waste recovery
levels. We gathered and documented data using a uniform methodology so as to facilitate comparison
and make the information accessible. (See section on Data Definitions and Case Study Format.) This
report presents detailed data in case study format in three volumes: I: Rural Communities; II: Suburbs
and Small Cities', and III: Urban Areas.
Volume I: Rural Communities details the characteristics of eight rural recycling and composting
programs, including one county program. It presents information for planning and evaluating rural
programs such as descriptions of model drop-off centers, salvage/re-use operations, co-collection
(collecting refuse and recyclables together), small-scale/low technology processing centers, food waste
recovery programs, and collective marketing techniques.
Volume II: Suburbs and Small Cities documents 12 programs in suburbs and cities with populations under
100,000, including two county programs. It describes successful residential curbside recycling programs,
comprehensive composting programs (including backyard composting), commercial and institutional
recycling initiatives, and multi-unit collection programs.
Volume HI: Urban Areas covers 10 urban locales, including one county program. It provides information
for designing successful recycling and composting programs in high-density urban areas. These include
residential curbside collection programs that target multi-unit and apartment buildings, commercial
and institutional recycling and composting, food waste collection, construction and demolition debris
recovery, and materials processing and marketing.
Under Phase II of this project, the ILSR is producing a report summarizing and analyzing the data
gathered and documented under Phase I. This accompanying report will detail how communities can
maximize recovery rates by integrating the best features of the best programs.
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Selected Recycling and Composting Programs
Community
Population
Year Data Residential
Collected Recovery
Rat*
Volume I: Rural Communities
Bowdoinham, ME 2,189
Fennimore. Wl 2,378
La Crescent, MN 4,305
Monroe, Wl 10,220
Peterborough, NH 5,239
Sonoma County, CA 388,222
Upper Township, NJ 10,861
Wapakoneta, OH 9,214
FY90
1990
1990
1989
1990
1990
1990
9/89-8/90
Volume II: Suburbs/Small Cities
Berlin Twnshp, NJ
Boulder, CO
Columbia, MO
Dakota County, MN
King County, WA
Lafayette, LA
Lincoln Park, NJ
Naperville, IL
Perkasie, PA
Takoma Park, MD
West Linn, OR
West Palm Beach, FL
5,620
88,000
69,101
274,016
991 ,060
90,000
10,978
85,351
7,878
16,900
16,557
62,530
1990
1990
FY90
1990
1990
FY90
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
4/90-3/91
Volume III: Urban
Austin, TX
Berkeley, CA
Lincoln, NE
Mecklenburg Co., NC
Newark, NJ
Philadelphia, PA
Portland, OR
Providence, Rl
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Areas
465,622
102,724
191,972
511,433
275,221
1,633,826
440.000
160,728
723,959
516,259
FY89
FY91
1990
1990
1989
FY90
1990
1990
1990
1990
NA
51%
41%
32%
42%
15%
50%'
NA
56%
33%
11%
29%
19%
13%
49%
32%
52%
36%
NA
22%
7%
NA
3%
7%
10%*
6%*
NA
10%
37%
45%
Commercial
Recovery
Rat*
NA
25%
9%
27%
4%
10%
34% f
NA
61%
12%
NA
24%
36%
8%
70%
NA
NA
NA
NA
0%
NA
NA
25%
22%
46% t
16% t
NA
13%
18%
40%
MSW
Recovery
Rat*
54%
38%
29%
28%
19%
11%
NA
20%
57%
22%
NA
28%
30%
11%
62%
NA
NA
NA
50%
13%
NA
22%
12%
16%
NA
12%
33%
11%
26%
40%
Total
Recovery
Rat*
53%
NA
41%
50%
18%
11%
43%
NA
NA
16%
13%
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
46%
12%
15%
38%
52%*
NA
30%
11%
NA
NA
27%
NA
Key. FY = fiscal year MSW = municipal solid waste NA = not available
Mota*: Total waste is the sum of municipal solid waste and construction and demolition (C&D) debris. Recovery rate include
material recycled and composted. MSW Recovery Rate may take into account tonnages that cannot be broken down into
commercial and residential, such as bottle bill tonnages or landscapers' waste. AH recovery rates represent proportions by weight.
• Publicly collected waste.
t Privately collected waste.
t Based on 133.167 tons of C&D utilized as landfill cover. If this tonnage is excluded from waste recovered and disposed, recovery
rate drops to 30%.
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Case Study Format and Data Definitions
Each case study in this report is divided into several parts: Demographics, Solid Waste Generation
and Recovery, Materials Recovery Overview, Recycling Activities, Composting Activities, Amount and
Breakdown of Materials Recovered, Education and Publicity, Economics, and Future Solid Waste
Management Plans. While tonnage and economic data are generally based on 1990, descriptions of
program characteristics may reflect changes made since. This section's figures explain the data that
we have gathered and documented, and how we define certain terms. The first part of this section
defines terms used throughout these case studies. These definitions apply to this report only. The
second part of this section explains what information is contained in each section of the case studies.
Data Definitions
Collection Capital Costs — costs of acquiring equipment used to collect recyclable or compostable
materials.
Commercial/Institutional Waste Recovered, Disposed, and Generated — the annual tonnage of waste
recovered, disposed, and generated by the commercial and institutional sectors (excluding medical
wastes). The commercial sector includes theaters, retail establishments, hotels, and restaurants. The
institutional sector includes hospitals and schools.
Composted Waste — discarded organic materials processed into a soil amendment, fertilizer, and/or
mulch.
Composting — recovering discarded organic materials for processing into a soil amendment, fertilizer,
and/or mulch.
Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris Recovered, Disposed, and Generated — the annual tonnage
of waste recovered, disposed, and generated as a result of construction and demolition activities. This
waste may include concrete, asphalt, tree stumps and other wood wastes, metal, and bricks. (While
C&D waste often burdens municipal solid waste collection and disposal systems, the U.S. EPA and the
National Recycling Coalition and this report exclude C&D debris from the definition of municipal
solid waste.)
Deposit Containers Recycled — the annual tonnage of beverage containers recycled as a result of state or
local bottle bills.
Disposed Waste — waste landfilled or incinerated.
Generated Waste — sum of waste recovered and waste disposed.
Intermediate Processing — preparing collected recyclable materials for end-use manufacturing.
Processing typically includes sorting, contaminant removal, and crushing or baling.
Mandatory — whether citizens are required to source-separate materials for recycling. In several
communities, citizens may be required to set out certain materials at curbside for recycling. In others it
may simply be illegal to set these out with refuse. Not all materials collected are designated as
mandatory.
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Recovered, Disposed, and Generated — sum of residential and
commercial/institutional wastes recovered, disposed, and generated. In some cases, MSW also includes
deposit containers recovered, yard waste composted from landscapers, and waste self-hauled to
disposal and recovery facilities. MSW excludes construction and demolition debris.
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Participation Rate (%) — the portion of households served that take part in the curbside collection
program for recyclable materials. Refer to the case studies for an explanation of the specific method of
calculation.
Private Sector Waste — waste collected by private haulers independent of the public sector.
Processing Capital Costs (Composting)—costs of acquiring equipment used to process—compost, chip, or
mulch—organic materials. Processing or composting equipment typically includes shredders or chippers
and front-end loaders.
Processing Capital Costs (Recycling) — costs of acquiring equipment used to process recyclable materials
in preparation for marketing to end users. Processing typically includes sorting, contaminant removal,
and crushing or baling.
Public Sector Waste—waste collected by public crews or by private haulers under public contract.
Recovered Waste — sum of waste recycled and waste composted.
Recycled Waste — discarded products and packaging materials recovered for reuse and/or processing
into new products.
Recycling — recovering discarded products and packaging materials for reuse and/or processing into new
products. In this report, recycling does not include composting.
Refuse — waste destined for disposal facilities (incinerators or landfills).
Residential Waste Recovered, Disposed, and Generated — the annual tonnage of waste recovered,
disposed, and generated from single-family and multi-unit residences and their yards. In Bowdoinham
and Wapakoneta, residential waste cannot be separated from commercial/institutional waste. The
definition of residential waste generated differs for Wapakoneta.
Self-hauled Waste — waste brought to recovery or disposal sites by residents or business/institutional
establishments. This waste cannot be divided into residential and commercial/institutional.
Source Reduction — waste prevention; that is, avoiding waste generation.
Source Separation — segregation of recyclable materials or yard waste from mixed waste to facilitate
recycling and composting of these materials.
Tipping Fees — the fees charged to haulers for delivering materials at recovery or disposal facilities.
Total Waste Recovered, Disposed, and Generated — the sum of MSW and C&D recovered, disposed,
and generated.
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Information in Case Studies
Demographics
The first page of each case study contains basic demographic information on the community: 1990
population, area, number of households, and number of businesses and institutions. Also included is a
brief description of each community detailing, when information is available, its location; whether it
is urban, rural, or suburban; per capita income; median household income; and major industries.
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
This section provides tonnage data on waste recycled, waste composted, and waste generated; tipping
fees at disposal facilities; and a description of how waste destined for disposal (refuse) is collected and
disposed, and the costs of doing so.
Tonnage data, reported in table format, generally represent 1990 annual figures, unless noted otherwise,
and are usually broken down into three sectors: residential, commercial/institutional, and construction
and demolition (C&D) debris. In some cases, tonnage figures cannot be broken down by these sectors, and
data are presented in a modified format
In Bowdoinham and Wapakoneta, municipal solid waste is presented as a single sum because it cannot
be broken down into residential and commercial.
In Sonoma County, waste self-hauled to disposal or recovery facilities is listed separately from
residential and commercial wastes, since this tonnage cannot be broken down by sector. In several case
studies, deposit containers recovered as a result of bottle bills and landscapes' waste composted are
listed separately, since these wastes cannot be divided into residential and commercial tonnages.
C&D tonnage figures are not tracked and thus not available in Fennimore and Wapakoneta. Footnotes
accompanying tables clarify how numbers are calculated or estimated, where applicable, what numbers
represent, and what, if any, waste may be excluded. Tonnage figures for waste recycled and composted
are based on those reported in the Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered section.
Materials Recovery Overview
This section provides an overview of the community's recycling and composting activities, including
history and development of programs, and state and local legislative requirements.
Recycling Activities
This section details curbside and drop-off collection programs for recyclable materials for both the
residential and commercial/institutional sectors, and details how these materials are set out,
processed, and marketed. Where applicable, information on salvage/reuse activities, construction and
demolition debris recovery, market development, and recycled product procurement initiatives are also
included.
Composting Activities
This section details curbside and drop-off collection programs for yard waste and other organic
materials, and how these collected materials are composted, chipped, mulched, or otherwise processed
into a soil amendment. Where applicable, information on backyard composting programs is also
included.
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Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
This section lists, in table format, a tonnage breakdown of residential, commercial/institutional, and
construction and demolition materials recycled and composted by type. The tables list subtotals for
MSW recycled and composted, totals for MSW recovered and C&D debris recovered, and finally total
materials recycled, composted, and recovered. Where available, several years' worth of data are
provided.
Footnotes accompanying tables clarify, where applicable, how numbers are calculated or estimated,
what numbers represent, and what, if any, waste may be excluded.
Source Reduction Activities
This section describes, where applicable, any initiatives undertaken to reduce the amount of waste
generated. Generally, initiatives include volume-based refuse rates, "environmental shopping"
programs, and backyard composting.
Publicity and Education
This section details what programs are in place to educate citizens and/or commercial/institutional
establishments about recycling services—how and where to recycle—and to motivate them to do so.
Economics
This section primarily provides information on capital equipment and operating and maintenance costs.
The Costs Cover subsection explains what costs are provided, who incurs these costs, and the programs
and tonnages these costs cover. Materials revenues, source of funding, and the number of full- and part-
time employees working on recycling and composting activities are also detailed.
Capital costs are generally listed in two tables: one lists equipment used for collection, and the other
lists equipment used for processing. (Processing recyclables typically includes sorting, contaminant
removal, and crushing or baling. Processing yard waste and other organic materials consists of
composting, chipping, or mulching; equipment for this purpose typically includes shredders or chippers
and front-end loaders.) Both these tables indicate the year equipment costs were incurred and the
purpose for which equipment is used—whether recycling or composting. If equipment is used for several
purposes, an estimated percentage of its time spent on recycling or composting is indicated; costs listed
represent the total cost of this equipment. Footnotes accompanying tables clarify who owns equipment,
whether equipment has been paid off, whether it was amortized, and/or whether it was owned prior to
implementation of recovery programs.
Operating and maintenance (O&M) costs represent annual costs as provided by each community and are
broken down into recycling costs and composting costs. These costs generally represent the costs incurred
by the local government of the community documented, and do not always reflect all the costs spent for
recycling and composting activities. For example, the State of Rhode Island, not the City of
Providence, pays for processing costs in Providence. Additional costs are often listed in table footnotes.
In some of the county case studies, we cannot calculate per ton costs for recycling or composting because
these counties incur costs only for certain aspects of the program, such as planning and
education/publici ty.
Communities were asked to provide total O&M costs for their recycling and composting operations,
including collection, processing, administration and overhead, all labor, and education and publicity
costs. Where available, these breakdowns are provided. In many instances, curbside collection costs
are separated from drop-off costs, so these two can be compared. The costs for curbside collection, drop-
off collection, and processing often cover different tonnages. The tons covered by the costs are listed in
the operating and maintenance cost table, and are used to calculate per ton O&M costs. Because costs for
different activities cover different tonnages, the provided breakdowns of per ton costs cannot
necessarily be added together. Footnotes accompanying O&M cost tables clarify who incurs costs, on
Page 7
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what cost figures are based, what costs, if any, are excluded, and, where applicable, how costs are
calculated.
Future Solid Waste Management Flans
This section describes solid waste management initiatives that each community plans to undertake in
the future.
Contacts, References/ and Endnotes
The names, titles, organizations, addresses, and phone/fax numbers are listed for those people who
were the primary sources of information on the community's recycling and composting activities. Under
References, we list any written materials that we used as general sources of information. Endnotes give
sources of information or clarifications for a particular statement.
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BowdoinhAm. Maine
Bowdoinham,
Maine
Demographics
Jurisdiction: Town of Bowdoinham
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
2,189 in 1990
23 square miles
Approximately 880 (850 single-family residences and one 30-unit
building)
15 businesses (there are no institutions)
Bowdoinham is a small rural, residential community located in
Sagadahoc County, 30 miles north of Portland. Per capita income was
$10,809 in 1987 (the most recent year for which figures are available).
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Bowdoinham, Maine
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (July 1989 to June 1990)
Recovered
Recycled*
Composted
Disposed
Incinerated^
Landfilled
Generated
Percent by Weight Recovered
Recovered 54% * 53%
Recycled 43% * 42%
Composted 11% 0% 11%
Total
MSW*
329
261
1 68
277
tt 27
250
606
Construction
& Demolition*
*
0
0
12
12
0
12
Total
Waste
329
261
68
289
39
250
618
•Total MSW includes residential and commercial waste self-hauled or delivered by local haulers to the Town landfill and Recycling
Bam; the Town does not track tonnages separately.
tBowdoinham's construction and demolition debris (C&D) is either burned at the landfill or used to heat the Recycling Bam. A small
amount of C&D such as cinder blocks and bricks is salvaged by local residents at the landfill.
^Recycled tonnage includes 43 tons of deposit containers, based on a Stale estimate that 7 percent of total waste generated is
recovered through the State bottle bill, an estimated 2 of these tons were recovered through the Recycling Bam.
•'Tonnage of municipal solid waste (MSW) disposed was estimated from cubic yards (cy) by the Town Solid Waste Manager, using a
conversion factor of 250 pounds per cubic yard. The conversion factor is based on weighing a 6 cy load of refuse in the Town dump
truck, three times during 1990.
TtResidential waste incinerated consists of 10 tons of brush. 1 ton of motor oil, and 16 tons of bras.
1 percent
Landfill Tipping Fee: In 1989 residents and businesses began to pay a fee of $1 per 30-gallon bag
or $8 per cubic yard at the Bowdoinham municipal landfill. This is
equivalent to $65 per ton.
Refuse Collection and The majority of Bowdoinham's residents and businesses self-haul refuse to
Disposal: the 5-acre Bowdoinham municipal landfill, located 6 miles outside of the
Town. Two private haulers, Hollis Temple and Richard Plummer, collect
refuse and recyclables weekly from approximately one-third of the
Town's residents and four businesses for a $2 weekly fee. Residents and
businesses must place a yellow Town refuse tag, which is sold at the Town
Office for $1, on each bag of refuse. They can dispose refuse in any color
plastic bag, however, recyclables must be placed in dear plastic bags.
This bag-fee program began in 1989. Private haulers do not receive money
generated from the Town user fees; they fund their own programs.
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Bowdoinham, Maine
Total Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, FY1990)
Disposed 47% Recovered 53%
MSW Disposed 45%
C&D Disposed 2%
MSW Recycled 35%
MSW Composted 11%
Deposit Containers Recycled 7%
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
Although the Town has 3 to 4 years left at the landfill at current disposal
rates, the landfill is unlicensed. The Maine Department of
Environmental Protection plans to close all unlicensed landfills on January
1, 1992. The Town will either incinerate its waste at the Mid-Maine
Waste Action Corporation (MMWAC) incinerator in Auburn, 25 miles
from Bowdoinham, or take the waste to a landfill outside the Town.
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative State: In 1990 Maine established a goal of 50 percent reduction in the
Requirements: waste stream through recycling by 1994. The State's "Bottle Bill,"
enacted in January 1978, was expanded in 1990 to include all non-dairy
beverage containers, making it the nation's most comprehensive deposit
legislation. In addition, the State passed a ban on aseptic beverage
containers, flip top openers, and plastic yoke connectors. The State also
requires that plastic containers be coded by resin type and that retailers
use paper bags unless plastic is specifically requested. All waste must be
disposed of in lined landfills by 1992.
Local: In April 1989, Bowdoinham enacted and implemented an ordinance
establishing user fees at the Town landfill of $1 per 30-gallon garbage
bag, $8 per cubic yard, or variable fees for bulky items.
In 1985 Bowdoinham began collection of newspaper, corrugated cardboard, glass, and aluminum cans
at the Town Office on a voluntary basis. The Town opened a second drop-off site at the landfill in 1987.
The volume of waste diverted from the landfill was minimal, however, and the Town's only landfill
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Bowdoinham, Maine
was expected to close by 1991. In January 1989, The Sagadahoc Recycling Company, a community group
spearheaded by David Berry, Town Selectman and Town Solid Waste Manager, offered to cany out a
10-week pilot curbside recycling program in order to gather information on the amount of recyclable
materials in the waste stream and to demonstrate to residents the ease and convenience of recycling.
The group organized the collection and processing of the recyclable materials. Each household
received fliers describing the upcoming program, and grain bags to collect glass, aluminum and ferrous
cans, small scrap metal, rags, and all types of plastics. Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, magazines,
junk mail, and paperboard were to be separated and collected in other bags. Bowdoin College students,
from the neighboring Town of Brunswick, and The Sagadahoc Recycling Company collected the
materials each Saturday in a flat-bed farm truck loaded with vegetable pallet boxes. They delivered
the recyclable materials to a converted chicken barn north of the Town. During the 10 weeks an
estimated 380 households participated. Bowdoinham financed the entire pilot for $1,500 through a
Town solid waste study account. All equipment except the baler was loaned, and volunteers provided
the labor.
This pilot led to a Town decision to establish a landfill user fee in 1989. Bowdoinham would charge
no fee for recyclable materials brought to the processing center and $1 per 30-gallon bag for materials
disposed at the landfill. In addition, the pilot program provided the education and support needed to
continue recycling activity in the Town. After 10 weeks, The Sagadahoc Recycling Company ended its
Saturday collection. In April 1989 the Town's two local haulers entered the program and collected both
recyclable materials and refuse from their customers, one-third of all Town households. Most residents
continued to use the two drop-off sites for recyclable collection.
Residents and businesses currently purchase dear recycling bags for $0.10 a piece, and yellow tags to
place on 30-gallon refuse bags at either the Bowdoinham County Store or the Town Office. User fees are
charged for bulky items other than white goods, which can be disposed free of charge. Through the
pilot curbside program, the Town determined that mixed paper made up the majority of the waste it
generated. The mixed paper was collected and stockpiled in the Recycling Barn, and in the fall of 1990
was incorporated into a compost mix for a research project conducted at the landfill site by Bowdoin
College and the Town's Solid Waste Manager.
According to the Solid Waste Manager, David Berry, the Town cut its refuse disposed by 50 percent
6 months into the user fee program, and the life of the landfill was extended an estimated 6 years as a
result of the per-bag refuse fee and the recycling program. He also estimates that because of the per bag
fee, an estimated 15 percent of the Town residents currently dispose of their refuse out of town. During
fiscal year 1990, Bowdoinham generated $22,000 from the sale of the user fee tags. These revenues
have been set aside in a reserve account for future solid waste management expenses. Due to the Maine
DEP's decision to close all unlicensed landfills by the end of 1991, waste will be hauled to an incinerator
in Auburn, approximately 25 miles from Bowdoinham refuse or landfilled outside of the Town. Tipping
fees will be funded through the $1 refuse bag fees.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date: April 1989
Service Provider: Hollis Temple and Richard Plummet
Pick-up Frequency: Weekly
Same Day as Refuse: Yes
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Bowdoinham, Maine
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage
Approximately 290 single-family households. (The 30-unit building and
other single-family households utilize the drop-off center.)
No
An estimated 95 percent in 1990
Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, magazines, glossy paper, glass,
aluminum and ferrous cans, small scrap metal, rags, and all plastic resins.
Mixed paper (such as junk mail, high-grade paper, paperboard, paper
towels, and wrapping paper) are collected for composting.
Residents must separate materials into plastic bags, which they can buy
from the Town office for $0.10 a piece, in five categories: (1) corrugated
cardboard, (2) newspaper, (3) glossy paper, (4) mixed recyclables
including glass, cans, plastic, textiles, batteries, polystyrene packaging
peanuts, and scrap metal, and (5) mixed paper.
Both haulers collect refuse and recyclables in 1-ton, 15-cubic-yard dump
trucks. Hollis Temple has a divider between the front and rear portion of
the truck body. He places recyclables in the front compartment and refuse
in the rear. After disposing refuse at the landfill, he brings the
recyclables to the Recycling Barn. Plummer, with a smaller route, does
not have a divider. He loads recyclables towards the back and refuse up
front. Plummer brings the recycled materials first to the Bam.
Residents pay volume-based fees for refuse disposal and no fee for
recycling.
Haulers will not pick up recyclable materials if they have been
improperly separated, cleaned, or bagged.
Residential and commercial materials are collected together; a tonnage
breakdown is not available.
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
None
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Materials Collected:
Pick-up Frequency:
Set-out and Collection
Method:
Incentives:
Annual Tonnage:
Hollis Temple and Richard Plummer
4
Grocery stores, small businesses
Newspaper, high-grade paper, corrugated cardboard, magazines, junk
mail, paperboard, glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, small scrap metal,
rags, and ail types of plastic resins
Weekly
Commercial recyclables are collected along with residential recyclables.
(See under "Residential Curbside Recycling.")
Businesses pay volume-based refuse rates and no fee for recyclable
materials.
Residential and commercial materials are collected together; a tonnage
breakdown is not available.
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Bowdoinham, Maine
In FY1990 an estimated 93 tons were recovered through curbside collection from both residents and
businesses in Bowdoinham, including mixed paper collected for composting.
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type 2 in 1990; 1 was located at the Post Road Recycling Barn and 1 at the
landfill. In spring 1991, the landfill drop-off site was closed to facilitate
the collection and processing of recydables at the Recycling Bam.
Public or Private: Public
Sectors Served: Residential and commercial
Number Served: Two-thirds of all households not serviced by curbside collection
Participation Rate: 85 percent of such households in 1990 and 1991 (estimated by the Solid
Waste Manager).
Materials Accepted: Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, magazines and other glossy inserts,
glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, all plastics, polystyrene, textiles, dry-
cell and lead-acid batteries, motor oil, scrap metal, white goods, tires,
and salvaged items such as clothing and furniture. Mixed paper including
high-grade paper, junk mail and paperboard are collected for composting.
Annual Tonnage An estimated 187 tons from July 1989 to June 1990, including mixed paper
for composting.
Only one-third of residents are served with curbside collection of recydables; most use the drop-off
center. At the Recycling Barn, open 3 days a week, residents and businesses are required to separate
their materials into the same categories required in the curbside program. Beginning in April 1991
compostable materials other than mixed paper can only be brought to the Recyding Barn on Saturdays,
at which time the Recyling Barn began accepting all organic materials for composting. Most residents
deliver compostable materials to the Recycling Barn in plastic bags. The bags are piled into a 24-foot
by 8-foot trailer for transport to the landfill, where their contents are shredded and composted.
Salvage/Reuse
Landfill attendants set aside bulky items such as usable furniture, and construction and demolition
materials such as doors, windows, and usuable millwork items. These materials are stored on the first
floor of the Recycling Barn, where residents can take them free of charge. In 1990 polystyrene
packaging peanuts were sold to a local seafood shipper, who reused them as packaging material.
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Bowdoinham, Maine
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Residents, some businesses, and the two private haulers bring recyclable materials free of charge to
the Town's 12,000-square-foot, three-story Recycling Barn which opened in 1989. This renovated
poultry barn, located 1 mile north of the Town, is owned and operated by Bowdoinham's Solid Waste
Manager and leased to the Town. The center, which operates 156 days per year, accepts materials from
Bowdoinham residents and businesses only. Hollis Temple and Richard Plummer deliver separated
bags of recyclables to the first floor of the Barn. Three part-time employees work at the Bam.
Magazines, glossy inserts, and catalogues are collected loose in 1.25-cubic-yard pallet boxes and
shipped in the same boxes. Corrugated cardboard is baled and stored on the first floor. Mixed paper is
baled and also stored on the first floor. Newspaper was baled until early 1991, when a local farmer
began to haul it away in pallet boxes to shred for animal bedding. Commingled materials, including
glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, plastics, polystyrene, and rags are brought to the third floor by
freight elevator. These materials are then dumped into a hopper that feeds onto a converted hay
conveyor set up on the second floor for sorting. One to three employees hand-sort approximately 5 tons
of commingled recyclables each week. They drop the bulky materials such as plastic, polystyrene, and
tin cans down chutes into pallet boxes on the first floor and separate the glass, aluminum and rags into
drums on the second floor where they can be dumped directly into the Town's truck for delivery. An
estimated 5 percent by weight of recyclable materials collected at the Recycling Barn is landfilled as
residue. Because of the Recycling Barn's large size, materials can be stored until sufficient volumes are
recovered for market.
The Solid Waste Manager transports recovered materials to market in a 1952 converted fire truck.
All markets are within 40 miles of the facility. Corrugated cardboard is marketed at Yorktown
Papermill in Gardiner, Maine, for manufacture into tubing. In early 1990 newspaper was also marketed
there; however, a local farmer currently takes the paper at no charge and shreds it for animal bedding.
Magazines, glossy inserts, and catalogues are sent to Scott Paper Mill in Winslow, Maine, for
manufacture into tissue paper. Maine Recycling Corporation (MRC) in Lisbon Falls purchases glass and
aluminum cans. Ferrous cans are sold to Maine Metal Recycling in Auburn. HOPE plastic is baled and
sold to MRC. All other plastic is baled for construction of the landfill's berm walls. Local thrift stores
accept some of the clothes and rags; the remainder is sold to Goodman Wiping Cloth in Lewiston,
Maine. Salvaged construction and demolition debris including furniture and wood waste is burned as a
heating source for the processing center. Some construction and demolition materials such as sheet rock,
cinder blocks, and bricks are salvaged at the landfill; tonnages are low and not available. White goods
collected at the landfill site are taken by several scrap dealers. One local scrap dealer takes lead-acid
batteries and sells them to a broker in Portland, Maine; dry-cell batteries are in storage until a suitable
market is found. Oil is given to a local auto repair shop and used as a heating source. Tires are
shredded and burned for fuel in a Maine paper mill boiler. In 1990 polystyrene packaging peanuts were
sold to a local seafood shipper; however, the company has since stopped buying the materials, and the
Town is currently storing the polystyrene until another market can be found. The Town has
experimented with some of the polystyrene as insulation for the center. The mixed paper collected in
1989 and 1990 is now being used in the Town composting projects.
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Bowdoinham, Maine
Composting Activities
Although residents can drop off leaves, grass clippings, wood waste, and brush free of charge at the
Town landfill, most residents do not use the site. The Town's two private haulers collect compostable
mixed paper but do not collect and deliver yard waste to the site. Only 7.5 tons of leaves and grass
clippings were collected for composting in 1990. Wood waste and brush are burned at the site, while
leaves and grass clippings are composted.
In 1990 an 80-foot by 200-foot gravel-based site was prepared, at a cost of $1,000 funded through a
grant, for a pilot food waste and mixed paper composting study. In Fall 1990, the Town and Bowdoin
College, located in the neighboring Town of Brunswick, conducted trials comparing compost generated
from mixed paper and food waste with compost generated from leaves and food waste. Employees at
both of the College cafeterias collected food waste 5 days each week in 30-gallon containers. They
collected an average of 110 gallons a day over the 3-month period. The college provided a pick-up
truck and students in the Environmental Studies Program transported the food waste to the landfill.
The Town and Bowdoin College paid $500 each. Compost Futures, a private compost management firm
paid $500, and the Maine Waste Management Agency granted $3,500.
Recycling Barn employees shredded mixed paper not marketed, including junk mail, cereal boxes,
and tissue paper, using a Valby shredder donated for the project. Approximately 8 tons of leaves,
which had previously been stored at the Bowdoinham landfill, and 2 tons of mixed paper, which had
been stored in the Recycling Bam, were used in one windrow. The bulk of the paper was mixed with
food waste to extend the windrow. Students mixed food waste with shredded paper on half of the
windrow, and with leaves on the second half. They added food waste to the windrow daily with
pitchforks, and covered the waste with a 6- to 12-inch layer of paper or leaf waste bulking agent in a
1:1 ratio. They measured windrow temperatures daily. Windrows were turned with a Wildcat turner,
loaned by Compost Futures for the study, once every 10 days to 2 weeks. There were no reported odor or
vermin problems. During the study approximately 26 tons of leaves, food waste, and mixed paper were
composted. Because the finished compost will be used as a landfill cover, the Town will save between
$8 to $10 per cubic yard fee for final cover material when the landfill is dosed.
The compost was analyzed at the Woods End Research Laboratory in Mount Vemon, Maine for pH,
moisture, heavy metals, and carbon nitrogen ratio. The 3-month project, funded by Maine Waste
Management Agency, Bowdoin College, Woods End Laboratory, and the Town, cost $5,000. Tests taken
before and after the waste was composted showed that heavy metal concentrations were well below
levels considered safe by State and Federal standards. Food scraps were high in moisture and acidity,
and mixed paper/food waste compost revealed a high carbon nitrogen ratio. To reduce this ratio,
materials with a lower carbon nitrogen ratio, such as leaves and other yard waste, should be added. In
addition, a ratio of two parts of food waste to one part bulking agent was recommended.
In April 1991, the Town began a second composting project. This project was financed entirely by a
private local foundation. The bulk of the $1,250 grant paid for leasing a tractor to operate the Valby
shredder and turn the compost pile. In June 1991 the Town purchased the motor to operate the shredder.
Future program costs are expected to be covered through the Town's solid waste budget. Each Saturday
residents can bring food waste, disposable diapers, and other types of organic waste to a 24-foot trailer
located at the Recycling Bam. (Organic materials are not accepted on other days of the week.) Organic
materials and mixed paper are trucked to the landfill to be shredded. Fish waste from Stinson Seafood
of Bath, Maine, a local cannery, shredded mixed paper and organic wastes are mixed in long windrows.
Compost is turned once a week. After 8 to 10 weeks, the composted materials are stored for future use as
final cover for the landfill, which is due to close at the end of June 1992. Although the fish waste has a
strong odor, this reportedly does not create a problem, since the landfill is located 6 miles from the
Town. In a joint effort with Stinson Seafood, the Town plans to test an in-vessel composting system in
the spring of 1992 and continue testing throughout the summer.
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Bowdoinham, Maine
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material Total
(Tons, July 1989-
Jun« 1990)
Newspaper 60
Corrugated Cardboard 30
Coated Paper* 25
Glass 36
HOPE Plastic 4
Mixed Plastic 4
Aluminum Cans 0.5
Ferrous Cans 2.5
Bottle Bill Containerst 41
Appliances/White Goods 38
Other Metal 14
Dry-Cell Batteries 0.25
Lead-Acid Batteries 1
Furniture NA
Textiles 5
Polystyrene 0.25
Subtotal MSW Recycled 261.50
Mixed Paper* 60
Leaves and Grass Clippings§ 7.5
Subtotal MSW Composted 67.5
Total MSW Recovered 329
Notes: Materials brought to the Recycling Bam are recovered from both the residential and commercial sectors and are not tracked
separately. These materials represent recovered recyclables minus any rejected materials. Due to rounding, tonnages collected
through curbside, drop-off, and bottle bill collection do not add to total tonnages listed above.
Because tires (16 tons) and motor oil (1 ton) collected at the Recycling Bam are burned as a fuel source, these tonnages are not
included.
'Coated paper includes glossy inserts, magazines, and catalogues.
fAn estimated 43 tons of bottle bill returns were recovered from Bowdoinham; 2 of these tons were recovered through the
Recycling Bam.
*Mixed paper includes high-grade paper, junk mail, tissue, and paperboard.
§30 cubic yards of leaves and grass clippings were dropped off at Bowdoinham's landfill in fiscal year 1990. The tonnage given here
(7.5 tons) is based on a conversion factor of 500 pounds per cubic yard, as reported by U.S. EPA in "Yard Waste Composting-A
Study of Eight Programs."
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Bowdoinham, Maine
Publicity and Education
The 1989 pilot curbside program has proven to be the best publicity for the ongoing program. The
Town uses posters, direct mailings, workshops, meetings, and displays to publicize recycling activities.
Bowdoinham's recycling activities have also been well publicized in local papers and through
television coverage. In 1991 the Solid Waste Department awarded $50 in cash to the resident who put
the largest number of flattened cans into a 5-gallon bucket at the Recycling Barn.
Economics
Costs Cover: Collection: In 1990 the Town of Bowdoinham covered all operating and
maintenance costs to collect 228 tons of recydables and compostables at its drop-
off center (93 tons of which are dropped off by private haulers). Two private
haulers collect recyclable materials at curbside from approximately one-third of
residential households and two-thirds of Town businesses. Bowdoinham does not
reimburse haulers for collection of refuse or recydables. Their collection costs are
not available.
Processing: The Town covered all expenses to process 220 tons of material. Sixty
tons of mixed paper were stored in 1990, and not processed until 1991; 75 tons of
yard waste were placed by residents in a compost heap and the Town incurred no
cost. The compost processing equipment was loaned.
Capital Costs; Processing
Item
Dual-Axle Trailer
Vertical Baler
5 Storage Bins @ $355
Loading Ramp
Sorting Conveyor
81 1 -cubic-yard Pallet Boxes*
Converted Chicken Bam*
Converted Chevy Fire Truck
2 Pallet Trucks @ $3,700 & $50flt
Barrel Jack for Hoisting Barrels
1 -Ton Electric Hoist
2-Ton Chain Hoist
Shredder
Cost
$500
5,850
1,775
994
500
NA
NA
NA
4,200
122
1,200
120
6,400
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Composting
Year Incurred
1986
1986
1989
1989
1989
Leased
Leased
1952
1989
1989
1989
1989
1991
Note: All equipment was paid in full at the time of purchase.
'Equipment leased from The Sagadahoc Recycling Company for an annual fee of $7,800.
^Pallet trucks are used to raise pallets approximately 6 inches off the ground to facilitate transport of recydables in the Recycling
Bam.
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Bowdoinham, Maine
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (FY1990)
Cost Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
Recycling and Composting Total $44,839 288 $156
Drop-off Collection* $6,754 288 $23
Recyclables Processingt 27,184 220 124
Administration 10,401 288 36
Education/Publicity 500 288 2
Notes: Costs given in table represent the Town of Bowdoinham's costs for recycling and composting in fiscal year 1990 (July 1989
to Jim 1990).
'Mixed paper used in the 1991 composting pilot was collected with recyclables; costs for its collection separate from recycling
drop-off collection cannot be obtained.
tProcessing costs include the $7,800 annual fee to lease the Recycling Bam, salary of 3 part-time employees, and 42 percent of
the Solid Waste Manager's annual salary of $17.932 to supervise processing and market materials. These costs cover the
processing of 220 tons of recydables. The remaining 60 tons of mixed paper were not processed in 1990; the Town did no incur
costs for the processing of 7.5 tons of yard waste.
Materials Revenues: $2,900 from the sale of recyclable materials went into the Town's general
fund in FY 1990.
Source of Funding: State grants funded the majority of capital costs; Town taxes pay all
operating and maintenance costs. The haulers fund their recycling service
through their $2 per household per week fee.
Full-time Employees: None
Part-time Employees: 4 (1 part-time Solid Waste Manager administers recycling and composting
activities 24 hours per week, and 3 employees process recyclables 20 hours
per week each).
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
When the Town landfill closes in June 1992, Bowdoinham will have to contract with a private
landfill or incinerator for waste disposal. In the early Spring 1992, Bowdoinham hopes to implement a
pilot in-vessel composting project at the Recycling Barn. The project will compost organic waste, mixed
paper, and fish waste.
Contacts
David Berry Steve Dyer
Solid Waste Manager Town Manager
RFD1, Box 1410 P.O. Box 85
Bowdoinham, Maine 04008 Bowdoinham, ME 04008
Phone (207) 666-3228 Phone (207) 666-5531
Page 19
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Bowdoinham, Maine
References
Berry, David. Rural Curbside Pickup—A Path to Community Recycling, Maine Waste Management
Agency, 1989.
Carter, Marshall, and Bettina Blanchard. The BowdoinhamlBowdoin College Pilot Compost Program,
Brunswick, Me.: Bowdoin College and Compost Futures Inc., February 1991.
"Composting Project Tackles Separated Organics." BioCyde, January 1991.
"Converted Chicken House Serves as MRF." BioCycle, November 1990.
Page 20
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Fennimore,
Wisconsin
Demographics
jurisdiction: City of Fennimore
2^78 in 1990
2 square miles
970 (874 in single-family residences and 96 in multi-unit buildings)
100 businesses and 5 institutions
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
The City of Fennimore is a rural community located in Grant County 42
miles northeast of Dubuque, Iowa, and 70 miles west of Madison,
Wisconsin. The average per capita income in Grant County is $14,046.
Major employers are a manufacturer of batteries and a local nursing home.
There are many retired people living on fixed incomes in Fennimore, and
many working at minimum wage jobs.
Page 21
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed
Incinerated
Landfilled
Generated
Residential
333
164
i 169
315
NA
NA
648
Commercial/
Institutional
158
158
0
473
NA
NA
631
Total
MSW
491
322
169
788
560
228
1,279
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Percent by Weight Recovered
51%
25%
26%
25%
25%
0%
38%
25%
13%
Note: Waste generated does not include bulky items such as tires and appliances. Tonnages of construction and demolition (C&D)
debris are not recorded; therefore, no figures for C&D or Total Waste' are included in this table. According to Margaret Sprague,
the City Clerk, no C&D is being recovered.
Landfill/Incinerator
Tipping Fees:
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
$0 in 1989 at the City-owned landfill; $32 per ton from March to
November 1990 at the Muscoda Incinerator; $32 per ton at the transfer
station in Cuba City, Wisconsin
The City of Fennimore handles all the residential and commercial waste
generated in the City. In 1990 the City incurred $49,016 for the collection
and disposal of 788 tons of refuse (or $6220 per ton) including tipping fees.
The tipping fees alone cost the City $25,200, wages for the pick-up and
hauling of refuse to Cuba City came to $17,160, and supplies cost $6,656.
From January to March 1990, waste was taken to the City-owned landfill
and tipped for free. After March, waste was disposed at the Muscoda
Incinerator, approximately 25 miles away. The incinerator was closed in
November because operating costs exceeded revenues and because the
facility was not working properly. Wiederholt Sanitation currently
ships Fennimore's waste to a landfill in Delavan, Wisconsin from the
transfer station in Cuba City, Wisconsin.
Page 22
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Municipal Solid Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 62%
Residential Disposed 25%
Recovered 38%
Comm/lnst Disposed 37%
Residential Recycled 13%
Residential Composted 13%
Comm/lnst Recycled 12%
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
Refuse is collected from residents, businesses, and institutions once a week.
They are required to purchase special clear plastic bags from local grocery
stores for refuse disposal. The 15-gallon bags cost $0.07 per bag, and the
30-gallon bags cost $0.09 per bag. Residents must purchase disposal tags
in order to dispose of tires and appliances. These tags cost $4.00 for
appliances; $2.00 for car-size tires; $3.75 for light truck tires; $12.00 for
heavy truck tires; and $12.00 to $18.00 for tractor tires. The fee for these
tags covers the City's cost for disposal or recycling of these items.
Total waste generated in Fennimore decreased from 1,692 tons in 1989 to
1,204 tons in 1990—a reduction of nearly 30 percent. Residential waste
disposed has decreased by 25 percent from 418 tons in 1989 to 315 tons in
1990. The decrease in waste generated is attributed to improved record
keeping in 1990; 1989 data artificially inflated actual tonnages. The
decrease in residential waste disposed is also attributed to an increase in
backyard composting (and leaving cut grass on the lawns).
Page 23
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Fennimorc, Wisconsin
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative On May 1,1989, the City of Fennimore implemented mandatory recycling
Requirements: of newspaper; brown, green, and dear container glass; aluminum; ferrous
metals; HOPE and PET plastic containers; corrugated cardboard; and
mixed paper (junk mail, catalogs, magazines, and paperboard boxes).
Recycling of plastic will be mandatory in the State as of 1995.
Landfilling yard waste in Wisconsin has been forbidden since 1989.
During 1988 and early 1989, Fennimore City Council members visited several recycling programs in
Wisconsin and held numerous committee meetings in order to develop (he best recycling program for the
community. The City needed to reduce its materials disposed as much and as quickly as possible because
the City-owned landfill was scheduled to close in 1990. After the closing, the City hauled its
nonrecyclable waste to the Muscoda Incinerator, approximately 25 miles north of Fennimore.
In 1989 Fennimore recycled 27 percent of its waste stream and composted 7 percent, yielding a
recovery rate of 34 percent. The following year, the City diverted 35 percent of its municipal solid
waste stream from disposal, 27 percent through recycling and 8 percent through composting, with most
recovery occurring in the residential sector. Fennimore reported a significant decrease in waste
generation between 1989 and 1990, which is attributed primarily to more accurate record keeping in
1990. According to City Clerk Margaret Sprague, 1989 waste generation rates, extrapolated from 8
months of data, artificially inflated Fennimore's waste disposed and recovered. Improved record
keeping in 1990 shows low waste generation rates in Fennimore and an extremely low per capita
residential waste generation rate of 13 pounds per person per day. The commercial recovery rate is low
even though businesses in the City of Fennimore are required to recycle. Margaret Sprague, the City
Clerk, attributes this low recovery rate to the fact that the businesses do not generate much recyclable
material. Food waste, which is not compostable in the City, floor sweepings, diapers, and styrofoam
are some of the items discarded by many businesses and institutions that cannot be recovered.
Fennimore received the Best Overall Program in a Rural Area award in the Institute for Local Self-
Reliance's Record Setting Recycling Contest 1989.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date: May 1,1989
Service Provider: City of Fennimore, Recycling Department
Pick-up Frequency: Once every two weeks for recydables, by appointment for appliances
Same Day as Refuse: No
Households Served: 970
Mandatory: Yes, for all materials except appliances
Participation Rate: 100 percent (the participation rate is not actually measured; according to
the City Clerk, everyone has participated with little need for
enforcement.)
Page 24
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Multi-Unit Collection:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage
Glass containers; tin; aluminum; PET and HDPE plastic beverage,
detergent, and motor oil containers; newspaper; corrugated cardboard;
mixed paper (paper sacks, labels from tin cans, junk mail, catalogs,
magazines, and paperboard boxes such as cereal and kleenex boxes);
appliances.
Materials are separated into a set of three stackable 15-gallon bins
provided by the City, each a different color. Newspaper is placed in one
bin, plastic containers in another, and glass and metal in the third.
Mixed paper, in a clear plastic bag, and corrugated cardboard are placed
next to the bins.
The City picks up recyclable materials from all multi-unit buildings.
Multi-unit buildings in Fennimore range from 4 to 12 units each and are, on
average, two stories high. Residents of these buildings are required to set
out recyclable materials at the curb just as residents of single-family
houses do. In retirement apartments, elderly tenants take their
recyclable materials to a shed located on the apartment building
premises where materials are separated by residents into the three
categories.
Two workers collect recyclable materials in a used beer/pop truck that
has 10 bins and 4 shelves for separated materials. There are two bins
each for cans, mixed paper, newspaper, glass, and plastics. Each glass bin
is further divided for the three colors of glass. Glass is set out
commingled at the curb and color-sorted by the workers into these
separate compartments. Corrugated cardboard is placed on the four
shelves.
None. Residents must purchase special bags for the set out of refuse but
because this fee is so low (7 to 9 cents per bag), this cannot be considered an
economic incentive.
Residents must use clear plastic bags for nonrecyclable waste. Collection
crews will not pick up refuse if they find it contains recyclables. Because
of this, two to four bags a week are not collected. As of October no fines
had been issued.
Businesses and residents have their material picked up on the same route,
and tonnages cannot be separated. An estimated 162 tons were collected in
1990.
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
The City of Fennimore requires all City businesses and institutions to separate
and recycle glass containers, tin, aluminum, PET and HDPE plastic beverage,
detergent, and motor oil containers, newspaper, corrugated cardboard,
household mix (mixed paper), and appliances effective May 1,1989.
City of Fennimore, Recycling Department
100
% businesses and 4 institutions (4 businesses and 1 institution do not produce
recyclable materials)
Page 25
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Materials Collected: Newspaper, mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastic containers,
aluminum, ferrous cans, and high-grade paper
Pick-up Frequency: Four times a week for corrugated cardboard; other materials are collected
every two weeks, on the same schedule as residential collection.
Set-out and Collection The City supplies commercial establishments with the same recycling bins as
Method: those supplied to residents, and requires businesses to separate the same
materials. The businesses that produce large quantities of corrugated
cardboard store it in dumpsters. A compactor garbage truck is used for the
collection of corrugated cardboard. The same truck used for residential
curbside collection is used to collect all other recyclable materials from
businesses.
Incentives: Businesses that recycle large quantities of waste have less frequent refuse
pick-up, and consequently lower collection fees. Two grocery stores, two
taverns, and one warehouse have lowered their refuse rates through recycling.
Enforcement: Businesses are also required to put their refuse in clear plastic bags. If
'recyclable materials are seen in refuse bags, they are not picked up. While
fines can be issued, none have been as of October 1991.
Annual Tonnage Businesses and residents have their materials picked up on the same route, and
tonnages cannot be separated. An estimated 156 tons were collected in 1990.
Drop-off Center
Number and Type One drop-off center (This facility is also the processing center.)
Public or Private: Public (City's Recycle Center)
Sectors Served: All businesses, institutions, and residents
Materials Accepted: Newspaper, mixed paper (junk mail, catalogs, magazines, and paperboard
boxes), corrugated cardboard, glass, HOPE and PET plastic containers,
aluminum, ferrous cans, and high-grade paper
Annual Tonnage An estimated 3.2 tons. Margaret Sprague, the City Clerk, estimates that less
than 1 percent of the total tonnage reported comes from materials dropped off
at the City's Recycle Center.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
The City of Fennimore owns and operates a materials processing center located in the east end of the
City, 1 mile from the collection route. The City's Recycle Center was opened in May 1989 and does not
have a specific capacity. The capital cost for construction was $81,896, of which $37,896 was spent on
equipment. All equipment was financed through City taxes and paid for in full at the time of purchase.
In 1990, 322 tons of recyclable materials, or 1.61 tons per day, were processed at the center during 200
days per year of operation. There is no material rejected because the collector controls the quality of
material at curbside. Operating and maintenance costs came to $26,625 in 1990, or $83 per ton. There is
one full-time employee and three part-time employees that work at the drop-off center and collect
recyclable and compostable materials.
Corrugated cardboard, mixed paper (paper sacks, labels from tin cans junk mail, catalogs,
magazines, and paperboard boxes such as cereal and tissue boxes), and plastic are baled at the City's
Page 26
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Recycle Center. Newsprint is shredded and baled for use as bedding by local fanners; bales are sold for
$1. Glass is crushed. Appliances are given to a junk dealer from Ferryville, Wisconsin, who salvages
what he can. The City delivers glass and metals to markets in Dubuque, Iowa, approximately 42 miles
from Fennimore. Midwest Plastics of Stoughton, Wisconsin, picks up plastic from the Recycle Center
and processes it into corrugated drain tile. Paper Processing in Madison, Wisconsin, picks up corrugated
cardboard and mixed paper. The City receives revenues for all materials except low-grade mixed
paper (junk mail, catalogs, magazines, and paperboard boxes). Materials are stored in an old renovated
barn until they are marketed. Glass is stored for 4 months, tin for 3 months, cardboard for 2 to 4 months,
mixed paper from 2 to 4 months, and plastic for up to a year.
Composting Activities
Backyard Composting
The State of Wisconsin forbids landfilling of yard waste. It is estimated that one-third of
Fennimore's residents have backyard composting areas, and some bum their garden waste even though
this is discouraged by the City. Other residents leave unraked leaves and grass clippings on their
lawn.
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Households Served:
Businesses Served:
Mandatory:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Vehicles &
Method:
Collection Frequency:
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage
April 1989 for composting. From 1960 to 1989 yard waste was collected but
landfilled.
City of Fennimore
970
None. The small amount of yard waste generated by businesses and
commercial establishments is taken to the compost site as needed.
Yes
Leaves and wood waste (brush is collected and burned)
Brush and all other wood waste are piled at the curb; leaves are set out
loose.
A City dump truck with a two-person crew. The street cleaning crew wets
the leaves to make the collection easier.
The City picks up leaves when the City workers sweep the streets, which
they do two to three times during the fall season. Brush and wood waste
(tree branches and trunks) are picked up monthly, year-round.
Residents must use clear plastic bags for nonrecyclable waste. The City
will not pick up refuse that is found to contain yard waste.
Not available. The City of Fennimore does not keep these tonnage
records.
Page 27
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Composting Site
The City of Fennimore delivers leaves and wood waste to the City's compost site, located on 3 acres
of land that previously served as the City's landfill. There was no preparation to convert the landfill
to a composting site. Leaves that are dropped off, garden waste, and a small amount of food waste is
placed in large windrows and one person turns it weekly for 1 to 2 hours with an end-loader (food waste
is brought mostly by residents and the tonnage is negligible). The tonnage of organic waste dropped off
by residents is estimated by using a conversion factor of 102 pounds per cubic yard, which was calculated
by weighing a full truck and measuring its dimensions. It takes 12 to 15 months to produce the final
product. The City uses the compost for landscaping projects. Brush is also brought to the site but it is
burned and therefore these tonnages are not included in the 1990 figures below. Leaves that are
collected curbside are not composted, but rather are spread on local farms. All the material brought to
the compost site is used either for the production of compost or as a soil amendment. Residents must
either leave grass clippings and small yard trimmings on their lawns, compost them at home, or haul
these materials to the designated compost site. Residents must also haul leaves to the compost site
except at designated biannual pick-up times. City Clerk Margaret Sprague estimates that only 5 to 10
percent of residents haul their yard waste to the compost site.
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Commercial
Material Residential Institutional Total
(Tons, 1989) (Tons, 1989) (Tons, 1989)
Newspaper 66 4 70
Corrugated Cardboard 9 143 152
Mixed Paper 108 6 114
Glass 64 14 78
PET Plastic 1 0 1
HOPE Plastic 606
Aluminum 0.5 0 0.5
Ferrous Metals 27 4 31
Subtotal Recycled 281.5 171 452.5
Brush and Wood Waste 50 0 50
Leaves 75 0 75
Subtotal Composted 125 0 125
Total Recovered 406.5 171 577.5
Note: The City extrapolated 8 months of tonnage data to 12 months, which probably inflated the tonnages, according to the City
Clerk
Page 28
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
Mixed Paper*
Glass
PET and HOPE Plastic
Aluminum Canst
Ferrous Cans
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Grass/Garden Waste/Food
Scraps*
Leaves§
Subtotal MSW Composted
Residential
(Tons, 1990)
34.82
5.40
88.70
14.50
9
0.42
10.70
163.54
106
63
169
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons, 1990)
2
102.30
15.23
21.74
6
0
10.70
157.97
0
0
0
Total
(Tons, 1990)
36.82
107.70
103.93
36.24
15
0.42
21.40
321.51
106
63
169
Total MSW Recovered 332.54 157.97 490.51
Nats: Less than 1 percent of tthe total materials recycled was collected at the drop-off center. All other materials were collected at
curbside. 1,4 tons of motor oil were collected and burned. No C&D debris is being recovered.
'Mixed paper includes junk mail, catalogues, paperboard, and mixed office grades.
t According to the City Clerk many residents and businesses sell aluminum cans privately and such tonnages are not tracked.
tThese materials are dropped off at the compost site and mixed together. Tonnages are estimated and based on a conversion
factor of 102 pounds per cubic yard.
§The City Clerk estimates that 48 truck loads of leaves were collected at curbside in 1990. Each truck load was 7.5 cubic yards.
Using a conversion factor of 350 Ibs. per cubic yard, the total amount of leaves is estimated to be 63 tons. Uncompacted leaves
are about 250 Ibs. per cubic yard and compacted leaves are 450 Ibs. per cubic yard, [Source: Association of New Jersey
Recyders]. Since the City's leaves are loose but wet the average of these two factors has been used.
Publicity and Education
The City coordinates the inclusion of recycling information fliers with utility bills, writes
newspaper articles, makes radio announcements, develops programs for school children, and holds
periodic open houses at the Recycling Center. Businesses and residents receive the same recycling
publicity materials.
Economics
Costs Coven The capital and operating and maintenance costs given below cover the collection
and processing of 491 tons of material recovered by the City of Fennimore curbside
collection and drop-off programs (322 tons of recyclable materials and 169 tons of
yard waste). Less than 1 percent of total materials recycled was collected at the
drop-off site.
Page 29
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Capital Costs: Collection
Item
Beer/Pop Collection Truck
Construction of Bins for the
Cost
$2,000
6,320
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Year Incurred
1989
1989
Truck
Painting the Truck 3,400 Recycling 1989
1,300 Sets of 3 Bins for
Source Separation® $19.26 25,038 Recycling 1989
Dump Truck© 10% of use 30,000 Composting 1989
Note: The City of Fennimore paid for all equipment in full at the time of purchase.
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
End-loader @ 1% of use
Newsprint Baler
Forklift
Skidbader
Cardboard Baler
Paper Shredder
Glass Crusher
Building/Remodeling
Storage Bam Remodeling
Cost
$36,700
700
3,400
13,950
7,500
9,111
3,235
44,000
9,700
Use
Composting
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Year Incurred
1975
1988
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1990
Note: The City of Fennimore paid for all equipment in full at the time of purchase.
Page 30
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Recycling Subtotal
Collection
Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity
Composting Subtotal
Collection
Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity
Recycling & Composting Total
Collection
Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity
Cost
$40,325
$12,500
26,625
700
500
$12,350
$10,150
2,200
0
0
$52,675
$22,650
28,825
700
500
Tons Covered
322
322
322
322
322
169
169
169
169
169
491
491
491
491
491
Per Ton Cost
$125
$39
83
2
2
$73
$60
13
0
0
$107
$46
59
1
1
The annual operating and maintenance costs for the Gty's recycling program increased from $35,900
in 1989 to $40,325 in 1990. This increase is primarily due to a rise in the cost of processing recyclables,
from $18,500 in 1989 to $26,625 in 1990, attributed to a substantial salary increase given to a long-time
employee.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employee:
Part-time Employees:
$7,402 in 1990
State grant and local taxes
1 Recycling Coordinator
4 (1 employee works in processing, 2 City employees work with collection
on Mondays only, 1 employee turns the compost piles 2 hours a week)
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
The City of Fennimore will apply in 1992 to participate in the Clean Sweep Program, a program
sponsored by the State to encourage safe disposal of household cleaners. If the City is accepted, the
State will provide it with a collection vehicle for a day or a weekend to collect these hazardous
chemicals from residents and businesses.
Page 31
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Fennimore, Wisconsin
Contact
Margaret A. Sprague
City Clerk
City of Fennimore
860 Lincoln A venue
Fennimore, Wisconsin 53809
Phone (608) 822-6119
Fax (608) 822-6007
Page 32
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La Crescent, Minnesota
La Crescent,
Minnesota
Demographics
Jurisdiction: City of La Crescent
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
4305 in 1990
22 square miles
1,568 (1^08 in single family households and 260 in multi-unit buildings)
205 (200 businesses and 5 institutions)
La Crescent, nicknamed "the Apple Capital" of Minnesota, is located in
the southeastern corner of rural Houston County across the Mississippi
River from La Crosse, Wisconsin. It serves as a bedroom community to La
Crosse. The City's major employer is La Crescent Apple Growers. The
average per capita income was $12374 in 1987 (the most recent year for
which figures are available).
Page 33
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La Crescent, Minnesota
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed*
Incinerated
Landfilled
Generated
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Commercial/
Residential Institutional
453
309
144
656
546*
110
1,109
59
59
0
624
624
0
683
Total Construction
MSW & Demolition
512
368
144
1,280
1,171
109
1,792
600
600
0
319
0
319
919
Total
Waste
1,112
968
144
1,599
1,171
428
2,711
Percent by Weight Recovered
41%
28%
13%
9%
9%
0%
29%
21%
8%
65%
65%
0%
41%
36%
5%
Tires, collected for recovery, are burned as a fuel source; tonnages are inducted with residential waste incinerated. Residential
waste andfilled includes bulky items such as furniture.
Incinerator/Landfill
Tipping Fee
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
$15 per ton in 1988; $48 per ton in 1989 and 1990; $63 per ton in 1991; $30
per ton for construction and demolition debris in 1989 and 1990.
Waste Management Inc. (WMI) of La Crosse, Wisconsin collects
residential refuse once a week under contract from the City of La Crescent.
Beginning in 1989, La Crescent residents have paid variable refuse rates.
Residents pay the City $1.35 per bag for special 30-gallon garbage bags
imprinted with the words, The City of La Crescent" WMI will not pick
up refuse set out in other containers. Residential bulky waste is collected
by WMI and disposed of along with construction and demolition debris at
the La Crosse County Landfill, located 10 miles outside of the city. WMI,
Modern Clean-up Services, and Richard's Sanitation collect waste from
the commercial and institutional sector.
Until 1989 all waste was landfilled. Municipal solid waste is currently
incinerated at the La Crosse, Wisconsin waste incinerator, located 4 miles
from La Crescent. The incinerator, which opened in 1987, is operated by
Northern States Power. Houston County signed a 1-year contract in 1989
with the incinerator and a 20-year contract in March 1990. La Crescent's
collection and disposal fees, including the incinerator tipping fee,
totalled $95 per ton in 1990.
Residents may be disposing of their waste elsewhere. Anyone who owns
40 acres or more can legally burn their refuse. In addition, Houston
County's Recycling Specialist suggests that some residents who work in
Page 34
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La Crescent, Minnesota
Total Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 59%
Residential Disposed 24%
C&D Disposed 12%
Recovered 41%
Residential Recycled 11%
Residential Composted 5%
Comm/lnst Disposed 23%
Note: Due to rounding, numbers do not add to 100%.
C&D Recycled 22%
Comm/lnst Recycled 2%
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
La Crosse may be bringing their refuse there for disposal in order to avoid
the volume-based refuse rates.
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative
Requirements:
State: In 1985 the State of Minnesota banned the landfilling of waste oil,
tires, white goods, and batteries. In 1989 the State set a goal of recycling
25 percent of the waste stream by 1993. Counties were required to develop
recycling plans and specific waste reduction goals by October 1990.
County: In January 1989, Houston County passed an ordinance requiring the
separation for recycling of newspaper, corrugated cardboard, glass,
aluminum and ferrous cans, and HOPE and PET plastics. The ordinance
also bans the landfilling or incineration of yard waste; such material
must either be dropped off at the City's compost site or composted in
residents' backyards. An anti-scavenging clause prohibits the collection
of recyclables by any person, firm, or corporation other than the owner or
the hauler of the recyclable materials.
Page 35
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la Crescent, Minnesota
The Houston County Landfill dosed in 1983. Since the County's geologic and soil conditions were
unsuitable for siting a new landfill, refuse was diverted for 6 years to the Red Oak landfill in Iowa. In
fall 1987 the Houston County Board of Commissioners appointed a Recycling Advisory Task Force to
plan recycling activities within the County, and communities began to initiate recycling programs. In
1989 La Crescent's Mayor passed a mandatory recycling ordinance, and the City implemented a curbside
program. La Crescent contracted Waste Management, Inc. (WMI), the City's waste hauler, to collect
newspaper, corrugated cardboard, glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, and plastics at curbside from all
1,568 households. This recycling contract is up for bid on an annual basis. La Crescent sold refuse bags at
$1.35 a piece to cover all City solid waste management expenses. The sole source of funds for WMI's
contract is refuse bag fees; for each refuse bag sold in 1990, Waste Management received $0.79, of which
it spent $0.42 on recycling collection and $0.37 on refuse collection. However, because WMI expected
more bags to be sold, it lost money. In 1991 the City increased the refuse bag fee to $1.75. Waste
Management receives $1.29 per bag, of which $0.42 is spent on recycling and $0.87 is spent for refuse
collection.
The City's ordinance includes an anti-scavenging clause; however, it is not enforced. Two people
have been caught and warned not to repeat the offense. No fines have been issued.
In 1990 the City began to accept branches, brush, leaves, grass dippings, and other yard waste for
composting at the Shade Tree Disposal Site (the old city landfill) from May through October. Yard
waste undergoes minimal processing and is available free of charge to City residents.
Houston County accepts bulky items and white goods at the landfill/dumpster site in order to
minimize illegal dumping. Disposal and salvage costs for white goods are covered through a fee of
$0.50 per household per month added to residents' utility bills. To further discourage illegal dumping,
the County charges offenders $0.68 per pound of illegally dumped white goods or refuse.
In 1989 the County Commissioners approved construction of a regional intermediate processing
center (IPO in the City of Houston to ensure markets for recydables. The EPC, which opened in January
1990, was funded through a Capital Assistance Grant from the State, met by matching County funds.
This facility accepts recyclables collected through County curbside programs as well as materials from
private haulers and businesses.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date: April 1989
Service Provider: Waste Management Inc., La Crosse, Wisconsin
Pick-up Frequency: Weekly
Same Day as Refuse: Yes
Households Served: 1,568 households -1,308 in single-family houses and 260 in buildings from
2 to 20 units
Mandatory: Mandatory for newspaper, corrugated cardboard, glass, aluminum and
ferrous cans, and HDPE and PET plastics; voluntary for magazines, PVC,
polypropylene, all other plastics, and high-grade office and computer
paper
Participation Rate: 74 percent (based on observation of selected streets)
Page 36
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La Crescent, Minnesota
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement
Annual Tonnage
Newspaper, high-grade paper (white office paper and computer paper),
corrugated cardboard, magazines, glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, and
HOPE, PET, PVC, polypropylene, and all other (#7) plastic containers
Residents place paper bags in their 20-gallon recycling bins supplied by
the County. Glass is placed in one bag, aluminum and tin cans in a second,
and flattened plastics in a third. Newspaper and high-grade paper are
kept segregated and can be either bundled or placed in another bag.
Magazines and cardboard must be tied separately. Bins are set out at
curbside. Multi-unit tenants who dispose of their refuse in dumpsters
place their recycling bins beside the dumpsters. ,-
Three-person refuse collection crews pick up recyclable materials after
their weekly refuse runs. Haulers place materials in 55-gallon drums set
in 13-foot-long by-3-foot-high containers designed by Nedland Industries.
These containers are fitted into a flat-bed trailer pulled by a Darr Truck.
Crews sort the glass by color; they place aluminum and ferrous cans in one
barrel, and paper in another.
La Crescent residents pay volume-based refuse rates. In 1990 residents
paid $1.35 per bag of refuse. This fee includes $0.42 for recycling
collection. In 1991 the fee increased to $1.75 per bag.
Ordinance 261 requires the source separation of mandatory materials.
Haulers will not pick up recycling bins contaminated with materials not
mandated for collection; instead, they leave a sticker on the bin detailing
which material should not have been set out They may also put a second
notice on bins to encourage residents to prepare materials properly, such as
flattening milk jugs.
232 tons in 1990
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Materials Collected:
Pick-up Frequency:
Set-out and Collection
Method:
Incentives:
Enforcement:
Recycling is voluntary for business and most institutions. In 1991
Minnesota mandated that schools must recycle a minimum of three
materials by 1993.
Modern Clean-up Services
10 in 1990,15 in 1991
Supermarkets, convenience stores
Corrugated cardboard
Once a week
Most cardboard is generated from one grocery store, which owns a
baler. Cardboard collected from Modern Clean-Up Services' other
customers is set out loose.
Customers are charged weight-based rates for refuse and pay no fee
for cardboard. Modern Clean-up Services will pay customers for
cardboard when the market price reaches $40 per bale.
Not applicable
Page 37
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La Crescent, Minnesota
Annual Tonnage 52 tons in 1990
School & Office Recycling
The public high school and elementary school collect corrugated cardboard, ferrous and aluminum
cans, and high-grade paper in boxes located in storage rooms. When die boxes are full, employees
transport recyclable materials to the City drop-off centers.
In fall 1990, The Crucifixion School initiated a corrugated cardboard, newspaper, high-grade
paper, and aluminum can recycling program. The recyclables are stored in a shed on the school grounds;
tonnages collected average 400 pounds per week. The County Recycling Specialist, Nick Nichols, hauls
the materials to the County IPC. Houston County pays the school for its aluminum cans. The school
also recycles bingo cards from its weekly game.
High-grade paper is separated and shredded at the municipal building. Janitors haul the paper to
the County drop-off site. Tonnages collected from The Crucifixion School and municipal office buildings
are not included in listed breakdowns.
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type 2 (one unstaffed recycling shed at the wastewater treatment plant and one
staffed center at the old City landfill/dumpster site)
Public or Private: Public (both drop-offs are County-owned)
Sectors Served: Residential and commercial/institutional
Materials Accepted: Both drop-off centers accept newspaper, high-grade paper, magazines,
corrugated cardboard, glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, and HDPE, PET,
PVC, polypropylene, and all other plastic resins. The dumpster site also
accepts batteries, tires, and white goods free of charge. The County pays
for aluminum cans at this site. Motor oil is collected at private service
stations.
Annual Tonnage 77 tons in 1990, including an estimated 5 tons of corrugated cardboard
dropped off by commercial businesses
Many businesses bring their recyclables to the drop-off centers. At these sites, residents and
businesses must sort glass by color and ferrous from aluminum cans plastics are not required to be sorted.
Materials are placed in 55-gallon barrels set in an old truck body.
Salvage/Reuse
The three City employees who work part-time at the dumpster/recycling site may salvage bulky
items such as furniture and other items including bicycles, scrap aluminum, and batteries. In 1990 they
salvaged 3 tons of materials and kept the revenues from the sales. White goods brought to this site are
salvaged for scrap metal by the County.
Construction and Demolition Debris Recovery
Page 38
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La Crescent, Minnesota
La Crescent recovered 600 tons of asphalt in 1990 at Mathy Construction in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The material was reground, separated, and relaid as asphalt. The company does not process other
types of C&D debris.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Waste Management transports sorted recyclable materials 18 miles to the County owned and
operated Houston County Processing Center (IPC) in the City of Houston, Minnesota. The IPC also
accepts recyclable materials from businesses and private haulers free of charge. The 4,000-square-foot
building, located on a 3/4 -acre site, contains a tipping floor, a recydables sorting area, and a processing
area. Another 4,080-square-foot building is used for storage. Four semi-trailer loading docks occupy
1,280 square feet. The total capital cost of the facility was $260,000. Three handicapped people and
two supervisors process approximately 15 tons per week. In 1990 the IPC processed 594 tons of
recyclables, collected throughout the County, at a cost of $104 per ton. The IPCs goal is to process 825
tons per year. Designed to handle a maximum of 5 tons per day, the facility currently operates 235 days
per year.
Operators move sorted recyclables to the appropriate processing area via a forklift with a special
scoop attachment. Ferrous cans are flattened, baled, and loaded into trailers supplied by Alter Metals.
Alter Metals purchases the ferrous cans and acts as a broker for Alcoa for aluminum cans. Alcoa
provides a flattener and a blower to load the aluminum cans into a trailer parked in the dock area. All
newspaper is shredded, baled, and sold to local farmers for $1.25 per bale as animal bedding. High-
grade paper and corrugated cardboard are baled and sold to Waldorf Corp. in St. Paul. PET plastics are
shredded and granulated; HOPE, PP, PVC, and #7 plastics are baled whole. Phoenix Recycling in
Roseville, Minnesota purchases all plastics. Glass is crushed and sold to D&M Recycling in La Crosse,
Wisconsin. Less than 1 percent by weight of the recyclables entering the IPC are rejected. Lead-acid
batteries collected at the dumpster site are sold to Battery Mart in La Crosse for recycling. White goods
are sold as scrap metal to Max Phillips and Sons in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement
In September 1991, the County will put forth a resolution to allow a 10 percent price preference for
the purchase of recycled paper and other recycled products such as re-refined motor oil and recycled
plastic picnic tables.
The County has marketed its shredded newspaper to local farmers as a bedding source. The fanners
need less shredded newspaper than other bedding materials such as straw or wood shavings.
Composting Activities
In April 1989, La Crescent began composting yard waste at the La Crescent Shade Tree Compost
Site, located in La Crescent at the City dumpster in town. From April through October, residents,
landscapers, and private haulers can deposit their leaves and grass clippings into a large pile free of
charge. Brush, also accepted at the site, is burned. The pile undergoes minimal processing and is turned
with a front-end loader three to four times per year. No materials delivered are rejected as
noncompostable. Compost is available free of charge to all residents.
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
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La Crescent, Minnesota
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboardt
High-grade Paper
Other Paper
Glass
PET Plastic
HOPE Plastic
Other Plastic
Aluminum Cans
Ferrous Cans
Appliances/White Goods
Motor Oil
Batteries
Other*
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Leaves
Grass Clippings
Subtotal MSW Composted§
Total MSW Recovered
Asphalt
Total C&O Recovered
Total Materials Recycled
Total Materials Composted
Total Materials Recovered
Residential*
(Tons,1990)
107.4
58.6
1.65
5
43.1
3
33
0
18
1.8
0.5
33.6
0.37
3
309.02
128.16
15.9
144.06
453.08
309.02
144.06
453.08
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons.1990)
0
57
1.65
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
58.65
0
0
0
58.65
58.65
0
58.65
Other
(Tons,1990)
600
600
600
0
600
Total
(Tons,1990)
107.4
115.6
3.30
5
43.1
3
33
0
18
1.8
0.5
33.6
0.37
3
367.67
128.16
15.9
144.06
511.73
600
600
967.65
144.06
1,111.73
Motes: Recovered tonnages represent materials recovered minus rejected materials.
Although tires are accepted at the drop-off sites, tonnages are not included here because the tires are burned.
'Residential tonnages include materials dropped off by commercial businesses, schools, and municipal buildings at La Crescent's
drop-off sites. Of the 309 tons recovered from the residential sector, 232 tons were collected at curbside and 77 Ions were
collected at drop-off sites.
^Commercial tons recovered include 52 tons of corrugated cardboard collected by Modem Clean-up Services and 5 tons of
cardboard recovered at the drop-off sites. They do not include a few tons of material collected at The Crucifixion School and
municipal office buildings.
*"Other' includes items salvaged by dumpster site operators, including furniture, batteries, scrap aluminum, and bicycles.
§Yard waste is not weighed. Tonnages are estimates based on weights of grass clippings and leaves measured separately for two
weeks in summer and in fall multiplied by the total number of participating households.
Page 40
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La Crescent, Minnesota
Publicity and Education
La Crescent distributes its recycling literature with residents' and businesses' yearly tax
statements. Articles on recycling and other environmental features are printed bimonthly in the local
newspaper. The County Assistant Recycling Coordinator speaks at local schools on environmental and
recycling issues.
Economics
Costs Coven In 1990 the City of La Crescent paid Waste Management for collecting 232 tons of
residential recyclables at curbside. The City also covered the cost of processing
144 tons of yard wastes, and the costs for administering municipal recycling and
composting programs. Equipment was paid off through Capital Assistance grants.
Houston County paid for the collection of 77 tons of recyclables accepted at the
City drop-off sites, and the processing of all 309 tons of recyclables. The County
finances all the listed capital costs except for composting equipment, for which La
Crescent paid.
Capital Costs: Collection
Item Cost Use Year Incurred
1,400 Recycling Bins @ $6.00* $8,400 Recycling 1989
5 Nediand Industries Recycling 10,200 Recycling 1989
Containers @ $2,550t
2 Recycling Trucks @ $32,888t 65,776 Recycling 1989 & 1991
2 3/4 Ton Pick-up Trucks @ $16,500* 33,000 Recycling NA
Recycling Shedt 1,645 Recycling (DO) 1989
Truck Body with 6 55-Gallon Recycling NA Recycling (DO) NA
Barrelst
Othert 26,714 Recycling 1989
*La Crescent purchased the recycling bins, which it funded through revenues generated from the sale of refuse bags.
tCosts incurred by Houston County. Other equipment includes additional equipment such as tarps, signs, a hookJift, and additional
containers. Equipment was paid in full at the time of purchase and was funded through the County and a Capital Assistance Grant.
*The two 3/4-ton pick-up trucks were purchased and are owned by WMI; costs are not available.
Page 41
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La Crescent, Minnesota
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
Alcon Building (IPC)
642 B Bobcat
ECOA Pallet Ufter
JD 336 Baler
GPI M-60 HP Vertical Baler
GPI BOB 2000 Can Baler
Shredder Knives with Plastic Shredder
Miller Glass Crusher
Magnetic Separator
Aluminum Blower and Flattener
Two Self-Dumping Hoppers @ $409
4 Ging Scales and Line Batteries
Toledo Scale
Paper Shredder with Cyclone
Other*
Front-end Loader (40% of time)t
Cost
$32,500
11,561
250
2,584
7,300
3,400
6,284
2,685
1,950
Loaned
818
2,202
1,900
7,538
15,966
58,200
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Composting
Year Incurred
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
-
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
Mole: All capital processing costs, except for the front-end loader, were incurred by Houston County. County equipment has been
paid in full at the time of purchase.
'includes additional equipment such as hard hats, tools, fork lifts, and grinders.
tta Crescent leased the front-end loader over a 5-year period. Each year the City pays 20 percent of its cost at an interest rate of 8
percent After 5 years (in 1994) the front-end loader will become the property of the City.
Page 42
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La Crescent, Minnesota
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Recycling Subtotal
Collection
Cutbside Collection*
Drop-Off Collectiont
Processingt
Administration
Education/Publicity
Composting Subtotal
Collection*
Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity
Recycling & Composting Total
Collection
Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity
Cost
$27,212
$25,723
25,723
0
0
938
551
$2,653
$0
1,715
938
0
$29,865
$25,723
1,715
1,876
551
Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
309
309
232
77
309
309
309
144
144
144
144
453
453
453
453
453
$88
$83
111
0
0
3
2
$18
$0
12
7
0
$66
$57
4
4
1
Notes: Costs in this table represent costs incurred by the City of La Crescent. Monies generated through the sale of refuse bags
cover the City's costs. Of the $1.35 per bag purchase fee, $0.009 per bag was spent on education and publicity, $0.03 on
administrative costs, and $0.028 on compost processing.
•Represents contract fee City paid WMI for recycling collection in 1990. based on $0.42 from each refuse bag sold. In 1990 the City
sold 61,245 refuse bags.
| Houston County covers drop-off site costs and the costs for processing recydables at the County facility. Recyclable processing
costs are $104 per ton.
*Yard waste is not collected at curbside in La Crescent
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Part-time Employees:
In 1990 the County received $30,000 in revenues from the sale of 594 tons of
recyclable materials. La Crescent does not receive any materials
revenues.
Funds generated through sale of refuse bags plus a $0.50 per household per
month fee
11 (2 County employees and 1 City employee administer recycling and
composting programs, 3 Waste Management employees collect recyclables,
and 5 County employees process recyclables)
3 City employees operate the dumpster/recycling drop-off site and
process the yard waste 12 hours a week.
Page 43
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La Crescent, Minnesota
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
Houston County plans to collect used clothing at the drop-off shed and donate it to a thrift shop.
The County also plans to encourage recycling of aluminum cans and glass at bars and restaurants; this
program is slated to begin late in 1991. Although the businesses will have to supply their own barrels,
the County will pick up the materials.
Contacts
Nick Nichols Dave Harter
Recycling Specialist Manager
Houston County Recycling Waste Management Inc.
105 North Grant 415 Island
Houston, MN 55943 La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601
Phone (507) 896-2535 Phone (608) 784-1095
Jerry Martel Marlene Butzman
General Manager City Clerk Administrator
Modem Clean-up Services 315 Main Street
3019 Commerce Street P.O. Box 142
La Crosse, Wisconsin 54603 La Crescent, MN 55947
Phone (608) 781-6666 Phone (507) 895-2595
Page 44
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Monroe,
Wisconsin
Demographics
Jurisdiction:
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
Gty of Monroe
10,220 in 1990
4 square miles
4,271 (3,600 in single-family residences, 300 in two-family buildings, and
approximately 371 in 59 buildings with three or more units)
437 (5 schools, 10 City buildings, and 422 businesses, ranging from very
small enterprises to approximately 5 large industrial firms)
Monroe is a small rural city in the south central part of the State, 7 miles
from the Illinois border. It is situated in a heavy dairy-producing area in
Green County, and is also home to a large medical clinic. Monroe is the
national headquarters for Swiss Colony, which is the City's largest
employer. Other local industries include an independent manufacturer of
transformers. Many residents are employed as non-union laborers at low
wages. Monroe's per capita income was $15,565 in 1990; its 1990 median
household income was $20,063.
Page 45
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1989)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed
Incinerated^
Landfilled
Generated
Residential*
1,221
804
417
2,581
0
2,581
3,802
Commercial/
Institutional*
2,359
2,359
0
6,499
10
6,489
8,858
Total
MSW
3,580
3,163
417
9,080
10
9,070
12,660
Construction
& Demolition*
5,875
5,875
0
267
0
267
6,142
Percent by Weight Recovered
Total
Waste
9,455
9,038
417
9,347
10
9,337
18,802
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
32%
21%
11%
27%
27%
0%
28%
25%
3%
96%
96%
0%
50%
48%
2%
•Residential waste recovered and disposed represents materials collected at curbside from one- to two-unit households, thus
excluding 371 multi-unit households. Residential waste recovered also includes estimated tonnages of residential recydables
recovered at the two drop-off sites. In 1990 residential curbside tonnages rose 21 percent from 537 tons (in 1989) to 650 tons. In
1991 an estimated 748 tons of recydables were collected at curbside, an increase of nearly 40 percent over 1989 rates.
tCommercial/institutional tonnages recovered include some material, such as corrugated cardboard and high-grade paper,
collected from industrial sources, but do not include 5,540 tons of industrial scrap recovered from a transformer manufacturer, nor
4,091 tons of paper recycled from a manufacturer of business forms. If such paper waste were included, Monroe would have a 50%
commercial recovery rate, and a 46% MSW recovery rate.
^Tonnages for C&D debris disposed were obtained by extrapolating from data provided by Green Valley Disposal, the largest
commercial hauler in the City. In 1989 Green Valley Disposal disposed 187 tons of C&D from the City of Monroe. According to Nate
Klassy, the Director of Public Works, Green Valley Disposal hauls 70 percent of the City's C&D waste. Using this figure we estimate
that Monroe disposed a total of 267 tons of C&D in 1989.
§Commercial waste incinerated is 9.95 tons of tires, which are chipped and used as fuel.
Landfill Tipping Fee:
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
$15 per ton in 1988 and 1989; $20 per ton in 1990
The City of Monroe collects refuse and recydables from all residential
units containing fewer than three households. Two private haulers
collect refuse and recydables from the remaining residential units and
from the commercial/institutional sector. The City is divided into five
areas for munidpal refuse collection; City haulers service one area per
weekday. In 1989 it cost Monroe $48.92 per ton, including tipping fee, to
collect, transport, and dispose of its munidpal solid waste at the County
landfill. This excludes administrative costs. Until 1986 the City was
assessed a fee by Green County for all materials placed in the landfill,
Page 46
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Total Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1989)
Disposed 50%
Residential Disposed 14%
C&D Disposed 1%
Comm/lnst Disposed 35%
Recovered 50%
Residential Recycled 4%
Residential Composted 2%
C&D Recycled 31%
Comm/lnst Recycled 13%
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
whether they originated in the residential or the commercial sector. In
1986 the County instituted a per ton tipping fee, and private haulers
were charged tipping fees for commercial tonnages. The City now pays
only for the disposal of residential refuse.
Before implementation of the City recycling program, Monroe contributed
two-thirds of the volume of solid waste in the County landfill. In 1990
the County reported a decrease of 30 percent in the amount of County
garbage going to the landfill compared with 1984 levels.
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative
Requirements:
The City Source Separation Ordinance, adopted in 1985 and in effect since
1986, requires residents to separate listed recyclables (see below) from
refuse and place them in a separate container for collection. In May 1990,
a new recycling ordinance was passed (effective July 1990) that mandated
source separation in multi-unit buildings and commercial enterprises.
Beginning July 1990, the County landfill no longer accepts designated
recyclables for disposal.
In 1983 the Green County landfill, Monroe's primary disposal site for residential and commercial
refuse, was scheduled to dose. A group of concerned citizens, upon learning that a new landfill was to
__
-------
Monroe, Wisconsin
open in its place (at a cost of $1 million), petitioned the County to develop and implement a recycling
program. Although the County's Solid Waste Management Board elected not to establish a county-
wide recycling center, it did recommend that local communities plan their own programs. A year later,
the Mayor of Monroe appointed a citizen representative to develop a recycling program for the City.
Soon afterwards, the Monroe Area Recycling Committee (MARC), a planning group composed of citizen
volunteers, was founded.
MARC, arguing that recycling would extend the lifespan of the new landfill and save disposal
costs, succeeded in gaining City support for a large-scale recycling program. In 1984 the Street
Superintendent established a municipal drop-off center that initially accepted only glass. MARC
subsequently designed two recycling pilot studies, conducted in 1985, to determine how receptive Monroe
citizens would be to curbside recycling, to ascertain the average amount of material that would be set
out, and to evaluate the effectiveness of two different recycling containers.
Monroe's landfill disposal costs of $460,000 during 1985, coupled with results of the MARC recycling
studies, convinced the City Council to adopt the City Source Separation Ordinance, which mandated
separation of newsprint, corrugated cardboard, glass bottles and jars, all metal containers and scrap
(including aluminum and tin cans, aluminum foil, brass, steel, copper, cast iron, and other metal scrap),
lead-acid batteries, motor oil, tires, and grass clippings. Citywide curbside recycling of these
materials began in January 1986. By 1989 Monroe residents were also required to separate PET and
HDPE plastic containers, magazines, high-grade paper, and yard waste for recycling. In 1990 source
separation of PVC and polystyrene plastics, glossy inserts, paperboard packaging, and hearing aid
batteries became mandatory. Also in 1990, the County landfill stopped accepting recyclable materials
for disposal, and Monroe passed a new Source Separation Ordinance that extended source separation
requirements to multi-unit buildings and the commercial/institutional/industrial sector.
Soon after the implementation of curbside recycling, MARC published a report entitled How to Set
up a Recycling Program, describing in detail the development and implementation of Monroe's recycling
program, and offering advice to other communities wanting to set up similar programs. This
publication, which was revised in 1989 and 1991, has been distributed to 150 communities throughout
the country.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date: January 1986 (pilot programs instituted in 1985)
Service Provider: The Monroe Street Department
Pick-up Frequency: Weekly
Same Day as Refuse: Yes
Households Served: 3,900 households (all households in buildings with fewer than three
units)
Mandatory: Yes. Residents are required to recycle all materials listed below.
Participation Rate: At least 85 percent, based on observed set-outs per month
Page 48
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement
Annual Tonnage
Newspaper, magazines, corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper
(including computer paper, windowless envelopes, colored office paper,
adding machine tapes), kraft bags, aluminum cans and foil, glass bottles
and jars, ferrous cans, other scrap metal (including brass, copper,
aluminum, steel, and cast iron), white goods, PET and HOPE plastic
containers, motor oil, and lead-acid batteries. In 1990 PVC and clean PS
plastics containers, glossy inserts, telephone books, catalogues, telephone
directories, paperboard packaging (including cereal boxes), asphalt, and
hearing aid batteries were added. Tires are collected for a fee of $1.00
per tire. White goods are collected once a year in the spring.
Newspaper, magazines, and glossy inserts are tied together or set out in
kraft bags; high-grade paper is tied together or stacked in boxes; all
other materials are commingled in a City-distributed 12-gallon recycling
bin. Bins require an initial deposit of $6, charged to residents'
water/sewage/garbage bills.) Motor oil is placed in an unbreakable,
leakproof container.
The City uses two modified dump trucks, with one crew member on board
each, for collection of recyclables. The trucks have doors on either side,
and the tailgate pulls down to serve as a shelf for unloading. Recyclables
are collected at the same time as regular refuse. The recycling truck
travels behind the garbage truck; one worker loads refuse into the garbage
truck while the other loads recyclables into the recycling truck.
Recyclables are loaded commingled. Collection crews place containerized
motor oil and lead-acid batteries on a rack under the main body of the
truck.
In October 1991, the City purchased one side-loading Kann Curbsorter
collection truck. The vehicle has six compartments and an on-board
plastic compactor. According to the Director of Public Works, this new
vehicle is more convenient to load than the retrofitted dump truck
formerly used, as the sides of the dump truck were quite high. The new
truck is operated by one crew member, and material is currently loaded
commingled. The City decided to purchase a compartmentalized vehicle
in order to leave them the option of switching to segregated collection in
the future. Additionally, the Department of Public Works feels that a
compartmentalized recycling truck has a better resale value.
None (City advertises long-range savings to the City as a result of
recycling and waste reduction activities.)
If workers believe that a resident is not following recycling requirements
they may "kick" bags and open them so that they can examine their
contents. According to the City's Source Separation Ordinance, residents
leaving recyclables in their refuse can be charged a fee equal to the cost of
paying a City employee to separate the items, estimated at $60. First-
time violators receive a warning and a request to separate. As of October
1991, no fines had been issued.
537 tons in 1989; 650 tons in 1990; 748 tons estimated to be collected in 1991
Before implementing its citywide curbside program, Monroe conducted a study to gauge residents'
participation rates and the suitability of recycling containers. The City observed that the type of
collection container used had an effect on the amount of recyclables collected. During the pilot studies,
households that received a plastic recycling bin set out an average of 4.94 Ibs. of recyclables each week.
Households that received a plastic bag set out an average of only 2.18 IDS. each week. While other
Page 49
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Monroe, Wisconsin
factors may have also influenced the results of this study, this disparity convinced Monroe to distribute
reusable plastic containers to all its residents.
In addition to the municipal curbside collection, the Boy Scouts conduct a monthly pick-up of
aluminum cans and newspapers. The City assists by transporting materials to market in City vehicles.
Monroe's residential curbside recycling program has experienced significant growth since its
inception in 1986, both in types of materials collected and tonnages recovered. In 1990 Monroe added
FVC and PS plastic containers, magazines, glossy inserts, paperboard packaging, telephone books, and
hearing aid batteries to its curbside program. Monroe recovered 409 tons of materials through curbside
collection in the first year of the program (1986), 537 tons in 1989, and 650 tons in 1990—an increase of
nearly 60 percent over 4 years, and of 21 percent from 1989 to 1990.
Multi-unit Collection
On July 1,1990, recycling became mandatory for all multi-unit buildings. (Multi-unit buildings in
Monroe may contain from 3 to 83 units each.) Residential buildings with three or more households are
required to source-separate basically the same listed recydables as all other residential units (except
FVC and PS plastic, oil, magazines, and mixed paper). Private haulers service these units for refuse
and most recyclables, with Green Valley Disposal servicing the majority of multi-unit buildings.
Because refuse collection fees are based on the size of refuse containers, apartment building managers
can save money through recycling by down-sizing refuse containers.
Green Valley Disposal collects recyclables weekly from custom-designed recycling containers
located outside the buildings, adjacent to refuse containers. Recycling containers have six separate
compartments for the segregation of recyclables. Green Valley Disposal uses three Kann recycling
trucks with on-board plastic compactors for collection. The container inserts are removed, and each
material is emptied into a separate compartment on the recycling truck. Residents are required to bring
recyclable materials (as they do refuse) outside to the central recycling container. Residents supply
their own paper or plastic bags for storage of recyclables within their households. According to Green
Valley Disposal, this system is most compatible with the space constraints of apartments, and the fact
that most apartment dwellers deposit recyclables on their way out of the building, and would be
inconvenienced by returning a reusable recycling container to their home. Participation is high among
apartment dwellers, and there has not been a significant problem with contamination of materials,
according to Green Valley Disposal.
Commercial & InstitutionalCurbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative Since July 1,1990, commercial and industrial enterprises and institutions
Requirements: have been required to recycle all materials that one-to-two-unit
households are required to recycle. Listed recyclables are not accepted
for disposal at the municipal landfill, and must be either source-
separated for collection or self-hauled to a recycling drop-off or buy-
back center.
Service Provider: Businesses are served by two private haulers, Green Valley Disposal
and Reufs Sanitary. Green Valley services approximately 70 percent of
commercial customers.
Number Served: In 1989 only a few businesses were served with curbside collection of
recyclables. Other businesses self-hauled materials to the drop-off or
buy-back center. Beginning July 1990, an estimated 140 businesses and 15
institutions were served with curbside collection.
-------
Monroe, Wisconsin
Type Served:
Materials Collected:
Pick-up Frequency:
Set-out and Collection
Method:
Incentives:
Enforcement
Annual Tonnage
In 1989 a few businesses and institutions, such as the local hospital and
Swiss Colony, Inc., received pick-up service.
In 1989 businesses primarily recycled corrugated cardboard. Beginning
July 1990, other recyclables were also collected, including high-grade
paper, glass, aluminum cans, PET and HOPE plastic containers,
newspaper, motor oil, lead-acid batteries, magazines, catalogues, and
telephone books.
Varies
Varies. Many use dumpsters and/or compactors for collection of
corrugated cardboard. Green Valley Disposal outfits its commercial
customers with either 20-, 60-, or 90-gallon containers, depending on the
specific type and quantity of recyclables. To determine appropriate
collection frequency and collection containers, Green Valley conducts a
waste audit for its commercial customers before beginning pick-up.
Refuse fees are based on per-container charges, and businesses can save
money through recycling by reducing the number of containers or down-
sizing containers. Businesses can earn extra revenue by self-hauling
recyclable materials to a buy-back center or market
The manager at the County landfill will inspect refuse periodically. If
recyclables are found in the refuse, the landfill manager will
photograph the refuse and contact Monroe's Director of Public Works.
The Director will contact offending businesses and advise them on how
to comply with recycling regulations. As of fall 1991, three businesses
have been found to be in noncompliance with recycling regulations.
Not available
The commercial/institutional sector generates the majority of waste in the City. While many
businesses in Monroe are presently serviced with curbside or alley collection of recyclables, when
recycling first became mandatory, many businesses self-hauled materials to drop-off and buy-back
sites. In 1990 Monroe began a special promotional program to encourage offices to recycle newspaper,
telephone books, high-grade paper, and magazines.
Local schools recycle all grades of paper from all classrooms, and steel cans from the kitchen. A
special education class collects materials and sells them to the Green County Salvage Yard. All
revenue from materials sales is kept by the special education class.
Monroe's industrial sector also disposed of its waste in the County landfill. To extend the lifespan
of the landfill, the City actively encourages industrial recycling efforts. In 1989, for instance, a local
manufacturer of transformers recycled 5340 tons of metal scrap, and a manufacturere of business forms
recovered 4,091 tons of waste paper. Because this waste is considered industrial rather than municipal
waste, these tonnages are excluded from listed figures.
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type
Public or Private:
Sectors Served:
Materials Accepted:
Annual Tonnage
The City is serviced by one municipal drop-off center and one private buy-
back, the Green County Salvage Yard. The public drop-off center is
located at the municipal garage, near the City's shopping centers, and is
open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Some materials collected through
the a curbside program, including cardboard, aluminum and other metals,
are hauled by the City to the Green County Salvage Yard for cash.
While the Green County Salvage Yard discourages small loads of
material, some residents and a number of businesses bring in aluminum cans
and other metals. Some Monroe residents bring their glass bottles to buy-
backs in Madison, Wisconsin.
The municipal drop-off center is publicly operated. The Green County
Salvage Yard is privately operated.
Monroe residents and businesses, as well as other residents of Green
County utilize the drop-off centers. In 1989 some small businesses,
including restaurants and taverns, self-hauled glass bottles to the City
drop-off center.
The same materials collected at curbside are accepted at the municipal
drop-off site. These include newspaper, high-grade paper, corrugated
cardboard, glass containers, aluminum cans, ferrous cans, scrap metal,
motor oil, lead-acid batteries, and PET and HOPE plastic containers. PVC
and PS plastic containers, paperboard, glossy inserts, magazines,
telephone books, and hearing aid batteries have been accepted since 1990.
The private scrap yard buys metals, white goods, corrugated cardboard,
and paperboard.
An estimated 215 tons of material were collected from Monroe residents in
1989 through these two drop-off centers. (Monroe residents bring an
unknown but small amount of recyclables to buy-backs in Madison.)
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Municipal crews deliver recyclable materials collected through the a curbside program to Monroe's
municipal garage, where they are tipped for free. A minimal amount of equipment is used to process
Monroe's recyclables. Public works staff or workers from Greenco, a local sheltered workshop, sort
materials by hand. (While City employees do most of the sorting during the winter months, disabled
workers perform the sorting during the remainder of the year, when City workers are occupied with
other jobs.) The main body of the recycling truck is hoisted hydraulically, and the rear tailgate pulls
out to serve as a sorting tray. Typically three workers and a supervisor sort recyclables and place
materials in separate bags, bins, or hoppers. Some materials, such as aluminum and cardboard, are sold
immediately, while others are stored until a sufficient volume is accumulated or a suitable market
found.
Paper products are sorted into four different grades and sold to different end users. Newspaper,
office paper, and telephone books are baled, either separately or alone depending on the volume, and
sold to Madison Paper Processing in Madison, Wisconsin. The City purchased its first baler during the
third year of its program. (Previously, materials had been transported for baling from the municipal
garage to the landfill or Salvage Yard.) Newspaper which exceeds market demand is shredded at the
County landfill into hay bale-sized bundles and sold as animal bedding. Magazines and glossy inserts
are taken to Manistique Paper, Inc. in Manistique, Michigan. (This plant uses no virgin materials in its
papermaking process.) Kraft paper bags mixed with corrugated cardboard and paperboard are sold to
Page 52
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Monroe, Wisconsin
the Green County Salvage Yard along with ferrous cans, aluminum cans, and other metals. The Salvage
Yard bales the cardboard before selling it. Some mixed cardboard and paperboard is used to make
insulation at Celotex near Madison. Glass is sorted by color, smashed into cullet with a sledgehammer
or small bottle crusher, and sold to a broker, Midwest Steel in Madison, or to markets in Burlington,
Wisconsin or Streator, Illinois. Aluminum cans are sold to the Green County Salvage Yard, which
markets the material to Midwest Steel in Madison. PET plastics are sold to Wellman in New Jersey
and to other processors. HOPE plastics are sold to Midwest Plastics in Stoughton, Wisconsin. PVC and
PS plastics are sold to Poly-Anna Plastic Products in Milwaukee for manufacture of minnow buckets sold
by Wai-mart (PVC and PS plastics, however, were not sold in 1989 or 1990.)
Motor oil is stored in a 250-gallon tank and sold to Roger's Oil Company in Verona, Wisconsin for
reprocessing. (Fomerly, it was used to heat the Municipal Garage Building; however, in early 1990 the
Municipal Building switched to gas heat, and motor oil is no longer used for this purpose.) Auto
batteries are taken to the Green County Salvage Yard. Button and other mercury, lithium/manganese,
cadmium sulfide, and nickel/cadmium batteries are currently being stored. Hearing aid batteries are
given to Janesville School for the Deaf, which markets them. Monroe currently bales and stores tires
for future market opportunities. An estimated 0.5 percent by weight of materials brought to the
municipal garage are nonmarketable.
Private haulers market their own materials. Green Valley Disposal unloads its materials directly
from its compartmentalized recycling truck into 20-cubic-yard roll-offs. Materials are then hauled
directly to three different markets in Madison.
In 1989 Monroe repaved many of its streets with recycled asphalt. The old street beds were ripped
up, and the bituminous concrete was remixed and relaid. A total of 5,875 tons of asphalt were recycled
in this process. The work was performed by a Monroe-based company, Reese Construction.
Market Development Initiatives
The Monroe Area Recycling Committee (MARC) has secured a number of in-state brokers and end
users for the City's recyclables. Much of the material collected through the curbside program is sold
locally to the Green County Salvage Yard, which resells it to various end users. MARC is considering
selling more of the City's recyclables directly to end users, such as paper mills.
MARC seeks additional markets when the supply of recyclables exceeds the capacities of existing
markets. For example, when traditional paper outlets are filled, the County shreds and bales its paper
for sale as animal bedding.
Certain materials, such as PVC and PS plastic containers, tires, and button-type batteries are not
currently marketed but are stored for future market opportunities.
Composting Activities
Backyard Composting
MARC promotes backyard and farm composting through the local media. According to the Director
of Public Works, an estimated 10 percent of Monroe's citizens are composting yard waste in their own
backyards. MARC attributes Monroe's low a waste generation rate, in part, to the prevalence of
backyard composting.
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Vehicles and
Method:
Collection Frequency:
1981 for leaves, 1986 for grass clippings and brush
City Street Department
3,900
Yes. Source separation of leaves and garden trimmings became mandatory
in 1981. Source separation of grass clippings became mandatory in 1986.
Leaves, grass clippings, garden trimmings, brush no more than 6 inches in
diameter, and Christmas trees
It is recommended that grass clippings and small brush be set out in
transparent bags (supplied by residents). Branches are tied, and leaves
are raked into the gutter.
A push broom attached to the front of a jeep pushes leaves to block
corners, and a front-end loader scoops leaves into one municipal packer
truck. One crew member sits aboard each of these three vehicles. Bagged
grass clippings and brush are opened and emptied into the same packer
truck. (Plastic bags are brought to a local retailer for recycling.)
Christmas trees are also collected in the packer truck.
Grass dippings are collected weekly, on the same day as refuse collection,
from April until November. Leaves are collected weekly, from October 15
until Thanksgiving Day, not on refuse collection days.
Composting Site
Municipal crews bring leaves, grass clippings, brush, and other yard waste to the 45-acre municipal
composting site, located approximately 2 miles from collection routes. The site is situated on 200 acres
of City-owned property, on which the City's airport is also located. Materials are mixed and ground in
a tub grinder and formed into a large mound. Christmas trees are run through a chipper and placed on
top of the mound. The compost pile is turned four times per year, and compost is ready within 1 or 2
years, depending on weather conditions. (Because the mound is not watered, the compost takes longer to
cure during dry years.) Compost is given away free to local residents or used in city parks as a soil
amendment. In 1991 one local gardener took nearly the entire lot of compost (approximately 5 years,
worth of material, estimated to weigh 810 tons).'
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
High-grade Paper
Mixed Papert
Glass
PET Plastic
HOPE Plastic
Aluminum Cans
Ferrous Cans
Appliances/White Goods
Other Metal
Motor Oil
Batteries
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Leaves
Other Yard Wastet
Subtotal MSW Composted
Total MSW Recovered
Asphalt
Total C&D Recovered
Total Materials Recycled
Total Materials Composted
Total Materials Recovered
Residential*
(Tons, 1989)
252.28
94.83
0
4.92
149.60
0.18
19.76
148.00
49.65
2.00
47.87
33.63
1.29
804.01
150
267
417
1,221.01
-
_
804.01
417
1,221.01
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons, 1989)
0
t,984.84
17.00
0
0
0
0
20.00
0
18.00
235.20
40.99
42.90
2,358.93
0
0
0
2,358.93
-
-
2,358.93
0
2,358.93
Other Total
(Tons, 1989) (Tons, 1989)
252.28
2,079.67
4.92
4,095.82
149.60
0.18
19.76
168
49.65
20
283.07
74.62
44.19
3,162.94
150
267
417
3,579.94
5,875 5,875
5,875 5,875
5,875 9,037.94
0 417
5,875 9,454.94
Note: Tonnages listed above represent marketed material.
'Residential tonnages include material collected through the municipal curfaside program, estimated tonnages received at two local
drop-off centers, and materials collected through the Boy Scouts' monthly pick-up. They dp not include small amounts of material
brought to private buy-back centers in Madison, tonnages of yard waste composted in residents' backyards or farms, or tonnages
of materials collected by private haulers from multi-unit buildings.
TA local manufacturerer of business forms recycled 4,091 tons of high-grade and mixed paper. If this industrial waste is included in
above figures, Monroe recovered 6,449.83 tons of commercial waste, and 7,670.84 tons of MSW in 1989.
^Includes brush, grass dippings, and Christmas trees.
The following chart lists the total tonnage of recyclables and yard waste collected at curbside
through the residential municipal program from its onset in 1986 to 1991 (1991 tonnages were estimated
from the first 9 months of data). The 21 percent increase in curbside tonnages recovered in 1990 over 1989
levels can partially be explained by the addition of materials, such as paperboard packaging, to the
curbside program. Income earned through the sale of recyclables over these years is also listed. While
total tonnage has steadily increased, income earned has not, due to fluctuations in market conditions.
Page 55
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Year
Tonnage
(Curbed*)
1986
409
1987
465
1988
506
1989
537
1990
650
1991
748 (est.)
R«v«nu« $16,740 $24,788 $30,263 $27,944 $21,615
Source Reduction Initiatives
MARC actively encourages source reduction through articles in the local media and by working
with large volume generators such as cafeterias and fast food restaurants. For example, MARCs
volunteer coordinator has met with many elementary school classes to discuss recycling concepts and to
encourage faculty and students to pressure the school administration to reduce use of disposable
products. As a result, in 1990 local elementary school cafeterias switched from disposable polystyrene
food trays to reusable plastic trays. One school estimates that the switch has reduced by 75 percent the
volume of trash generated on an average day. Monroe is strongly considering purchasing metal
silverware for all school cafeterias
According to MARCs recycling coordinator, Monroe's recycling literature helped influence the City
schools of Portland, Oregon to discontinue use of disposable polystyrene food containers in their lunch
program and replace them with reusables.
Publicity and Education
Education and publicity are key components of Monroe's recycling program. MARC's publicity
subcommittee arranges media coverage for local recycling activities. Its coordinator reports the success
of local and other recycling efforts in a local newspaper column. Recycling activities are also promoted
on a local cable television station, on the radio, through utility bill inserts, and at town meetings.
MARCs promotion subcommittee coordinates outreach programs in local public schools, holds recycling
poster and essay contests in the schools, distributes recycling brochures, and promotes the purchase of
products made from recycled materials.
Private commercial haulers provide publicity materials to explain collection procedures to their
own customers.
Economics
Costs Coven Costs given below cover the City's costs of collecting, processing, and
marketing 804 tons of recyclables and 417 tons of yard waste from the
residential sector via municipal curbside and drop-off collection,
including monthly collections by the Boy Scouts. While the City does not
incur costs for the small amount of residential recyclables collected from
the Green County Salvage Yard, these tonnages cannot be separated out
and are thus included in the tonnage figures listed below.
Page 56
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Capital Costs; Collection
Item
2 Modified Dump Trucks @ $20,000
4,500 Recycling Bins @ $4.50
Barrels*
Kann Curbsorter
Packer Truck @ 75% of use
Jeep (used)
Sweeper Attachment
Cost
$40,000
20,250
NA
72,000
60,000
7,500
1,000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling/DO
Recycling
Composting*
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
1972
1985
NA
1991
1972
1981
1981
Note: AH equipment has been paid for in full. The two dump trucks were owned prior to the onset of the recycling programs.
•Barrels are used at the municipal drop-off center. The purchase of these predates the recycling program, and their cost is
unknown.
tThis packer truck is also used for refuse collection occasionally, when a garbage truck is out of service.
Capital Costs; Processing
Item
2 Down-stroke Balers @ $6,000
10 Dumping Hoppers @ $400
Sledge Hammer
Glass Crusher
Tub Grinder*
Chipper
Cost
$12,000
4,000
15
NA
Rented for
2 weeks
6,000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
1988, 1990
1989
Pre-exists program
1986
-
1982
Note: AH equipment has been paid off.
•The rental fee for the tub grinder ($2,OOCVweek for 2 weeks/year) is included under operating and maintenance costs for
composting.
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1989)
Recycling Subtotal
Collection (Curbside and Drop-off)
Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity
Composting Subtotal
Collection
Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity
Recycling & Composting Total*
Collection
Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity
Cost
$77,777
$33,311
36,138
8,328
0
$37,500
$28,125
7,500
1,875
0
$115,277
$61,436
43,638
10,203
0
Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
804
804
804
804
804
417
417
417
417
417
1,221
1,221
1,221
1,221
1,221
$97
$41
45
10
0
$90
$67
18
4
0
$94
$50
36
8
0
Mote: Education/publicity program is conducted by an all-volunteer staff. Television and radio coverage is obtained free of charge.
No publicity materials were published in 1989.
'Of total recycling and composting costs, approximately $100.000, or 87% consists of labor expenses. Of this, $5,366 is paid to
four part-time workers from the Greenco sheltered workshop. Municipal workers are paid an hourly wage of $7.50 for the collection
of recyclable and compostabte materials.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Part-time Employees:
$27,944 from the sale of recyclable materials in 1989; $21,615 from the
sale of recyclable materials in 1990
General taxes, 33 percent of the $48 per household garbage user's fee (or
$15.80 per household), and revenues from recyclables. (In 1990 the City
received a State grant of $13,200.)
1 (truck driver)
10 (1 City employee at the municipal drop-off center, 4 workers from the
sheltered workshop to process materials, 1 college student in the summer
for grass and brush collection, 3 crew members for leaf collection vehicles,
and 1 DPW Director who spends a small amount of his time on recycling
and composting activities)
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Monroe, Wisconsin
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
Monroe is targeting multi-unit buildings and commercial businesses in the next phase of its recycling
program. The City also hopes to obtain a larger bottle crusher. MARC is researching ways to recover
food and other organic wastes, including expanding its composting programs and producing liquid fuels
or methane gas.
Contacts
Wayne Stroessner Nate Klassy
Monroe Area Recycling Committee Director of Public Works
Volunteer Coordinator 111018th Avenue
W7708 Highway B Monroe, WI 53566
Browntown,WI 53522 Phone (608) 325-4101
Phone (608) 966-3509
Steven Oleson
Green Valley Disposal
P.O. Box 927
Monroe, WI
Phone (608) 325-4146
References
"Landfill Receiving Less Garbage," Monroe Evening Times. Monroe, Wise., April 10,1991.
Monroe Area Recycling Committee. How to Set up a 'Recycling Program. Monroe, Wise., June 1989 (2nd
ed.), and January 1991 (3rd ed).
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. City of Monroe: A Curbside Collection Success Story in
Recycling in Wisconsin. Madison, Wise., July 1987.
Endnotes
1Compost tonnage was obtained using a conversion factor of 1,500 Ibs/cubic yard. (Sourer US. EPA, Yard Waste Composting: A
Study of Eight Programs, April 1989.)
Page 59
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Peterborough, New Hampshire
Page 60
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Peterborough, New Hampshire
Peterborough,
New Hampshire
Demographics
Jurisdiction: Town of Peterborough
5,239 in 1990
36 square miles
1,800 single-family households in 1990
267 (257 businesses, 4 industries, and 6 institutions)
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
Peterborough is a small rural New England town situated in southern New
Hampshire in the Mount Monadnock region. Its primary industries are
mail order companies and magazine publishing. The Town is also a retail
center for neighboring communities. Its 1990 per capita income was
$22,000.
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Peterborough, New Hampshire
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Recovered
Recycled*
Composted
DlsposedS
Incinerated
landfilled
Generated
Residential
847
847
0
1,156
NA
NA
2,003
Commercial/
Institutional
120
120
0
2,878"
298
2,580
2,998
Total
MSW*
967
967
0
4,034
NA
NA
5,001
Construction
& Demolitlont
NA
NA
0
273
_
273
NA
Total
Waste
967
967
0
4,307
604
3,703
5,274
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Percent by Weight Recovered
42%
42%
0%
4%
4%
0%
19%
19%
0%
NA
NA
NA
18%
18%
0%
*MSW recycled and recovered contains a small amount of construction debris salvaged at the Recycling Center.
fWaste Management (WMI), the City's hauler of construction debris, disposed of 1,500 cubic yards of uncompacted construction
debris, consisting primarily of wood waste and shingles, from the City of Peterborough in 1990. Using a conversion factor of 364
IDS. per cubic yard of mixed wood waste, WMI disposed 273 tons of C&O from Peterborough. An untracked amount of construction
debris, such as old doors and lumber, is salvaged at the Recycling Center. (Source of conversion factor: Office of Recycling,
Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, New Jersey)
tWaste recycled includes materials recovered through the Town Recycling Center totaling 892 tons (1990), an estimated 95
percent of which comes from residential sources and 5 percent from commercial sources. (Of the total 1,452 tons of material
brought to the Town Recycling Center, 892 tons, or 61 percent, consisted of recyclable materials.) An additional 75 tons of
corrugated cardboard were collected by Waste Management, Inc. (WMI) from the commercial sector.
§Waste disposed consists of nonrecydabte materials collected at the Town Recycling Center, and waste disposed from residents
and commercial businesses not using the Town drop-off center. A total of 337.23 tons of material was deposed from the Town drop-
off canter. Ninety-five percent of this, or 320 tons, is estimated to come from the residential sector. Waste Management, Inc. (WMI)
hauls an estimated 80 percent of all refuse collected from residents not using the Recycling Center. WMI collected an estimated
500 tons of material from its residential customers. 1 We estimate from this information that a total of 625 tons of waste was
disposed from residents not using the drop-off center. Adding 320 tons of waste collected through the drop-off center, and 211
tons of wood collected at the drop-off and burned as a fuel source, yields a total of 1,156 tons of waste disposed from Peterborough
residents. WMI incinerated 10 percent of all waste it collected from Peterborough.
"Waste Management collected an estimated 2.850 tons of waste for disposal from the commercial sector, and an estimated 17
tons of waste and 11 tons of wood chips were disposed of at the Town drop-off from commercial sources, yielding a total of 2,878
total tons of commercial refuse disposed.
Page 62
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Peterborough, New Hampshire
Total Solid Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 82%
Recovered 18%
Residential Disposed 22%
C&D Disposed 5%
Comm/lnst Disposed 55%
Residential Recycled 16%
Comm/lnst Recycled 2%
Landfill Tipping Fee:
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
$65 in 1988, $85 in 1989, and $85 in 1990 at the Turnkey landfill in
Rochester, New Hampshire.
The Town of Peterborough has never offered municipal refuse collection.
An estimated 64 percent of residents bring their refuse and recyclables to
the Town Recycling Center.2 Of the households not utilizing the Town
Recycling Center, an estimated 300 contract privately with Waste
Management, Inc. (WMI) of New Hampshire for curbside refuse pick-up,
up to 100 contract with S&S Services or another private hauler, and 250
self-haul material to Waste Management's transfer station. Waste
Management charges its customers $5 per pick-up for weekly or biweekly
curbside service. Customers who set out more than four 30-gallon
containers are charged an additional $1 per bag. Residents are charged
$1 per 30-gallon container of refuse brought to Waste Management Inc.'s
transfer station. Waste Management disposes of all residue material
(nonrecyclable refuse) brought to the Town Recycling Center. It is also the
primary hauler of construction and demolition debris and commercial
waste.
Waste Management hauls 90 percent of the refuse collected from
Peterborough residents and the Town Recycling Center to its landfill in
Rochester, New Hampshire. Ten percent is burned at either the
Wheelabrator incinerator in Concord, New Hampshire, or the incinerator
in Claremont, New Hampshire. Waste Management delivers all heavy
construction debris collected in the Town to the Rochester landfill.
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Peterborough, New Hampshire
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative In 1980 a mandatory source separation ordinance was passed in
Requirements: Peterborough that requires all residents and businesses utilizing the Town
dump (also known as the Town Recycling Center) to separate materials
into recyclable and nonrecyclable components. There are no recycling
requirements for residents or businesses who choose not to utilize
Peterborough's Recycling Center.
In response to rising disposal costs, Peterborough established a voluntary recycling drop-off
program in the late 1970's, at the initiation of John Isham, Town Administrator. Since 1979, refuse and
separated recyclables were brought to the Town dump. Source separation of recyclables at the dump
(also known as the Town Recycling Center) was mandated in 1980, and nonrecyclable waste was baled
and stacked in the Town landfill beginning in 1981. Since 1989 Waste Management of New Hampshire
has disposed of nonrecyclable refuse collected at the Town Recycling Center.
Approximately 64 percent of Peterborough's residents utilize the Town Recycling Center.2 An
estimated 20 businesses haul recyclables to the Town drop-off center, or contract with a local hauler for
this service. Of the materials deposited at the Town Recycling Center, 95 percent are generated by
residents and approximately 5 percent are from commercial sources. Deposit of recyclable and non-
recyclable materials is free; however, users must receive an annual permit prior to use. In 1990,1,900
permits were distributed to residents, businesses, and private haulers. At least 10 percent were
distributed to households already holding a permit. (The first permit is received free of charge;
subsequent permits cost $1 each.)
Open 4 days per week, 8 am to 6 pm, the Town Recycling Center is a simple horseshoe-shaped
facility. Peterborough residents access the Recycling Center via a paved road through the woods
known as Sanitation Lane. But before individuals can dump their refuse, they must pass through a
carefully plotted route, along which they can deposit color-separated glass at the first stop; plastics,
textiles, aluminum and ferrous cans, and mixed paper into separate containers at the second; and food
waste at the third. At the very last stop, residents may discard nonrecyclable refuse, which may
include rubber, leather, disposable diapers, and other items. Residents, businesses, and private haulers
utilizing the Town Recycling Center are required to bring all materials they generate or collect to the
center, and not just nonrecyclable items (refuse) or materials with a low market value. Of a total of
1,452 tons of materials brought to the drop-off center in 1990, 892 tons, or 61 percent, consisted of
recyclable materials. A total of 222 tons of wood chips collected at this site are included in the 1,452
ton figure, but because this tonnage was burned as fuel, we do not consider it recycled.
Of households not self-hauling refuse and recyclables to the Town Recycling Center, approximately
100 (or 15 percent of such households) received curbside collection of recyclable materials in 1990 from
S&S Services, a local private hauler who delivers collected recyclables to the Recycling Center. By
fall 1991 nearly 200 households received curbside collection of refuse and recyclables from S&S Services
and Kodiak Recycling. John Isham believes that a lack of participation by residents in the Town's
recycling drop-off program has limited Peterborough's ability to maximize its recovery rate.
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Peterborough, New Hampshire
Recycling Activities
Drop-off Collection Program
Start-up Date:
Number
Public or Private:
Sectors Served:
Mandatory:
Participation:
Materials Accepted:
Separation Method:
Annual Tonnage
1979
One
Public
Peterborough residents and approximately 20 Peterborough businesses.
One private hauler, S&S Services, picks up materials from a few
residents and commercial businesses and delivers them to the Town
Recycling Center. A total of 1,900 permits to use the drop-off center were
distributed in 1990.
Source separation of recyclables is mandatory for residents, businesses,
and haulers utilizing the Town recycling/refuse drop-off center.
Approximately 70 percent of residential households. An estimated 64
percent of residents self-haul recyclables to the Recycling Center. An
additional 6 percent contract with a hauler to deliver recyclables to the
center, and approximately 1 percent (12 households) self-haul only
recyclables to the center.
Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper, mixed paper,
magazines, junk mail, glass, PET and HOPE plastic containers,
polystyrene containers, aluminum cans, ferrous cans, appliances and white
goods, leaves, food scraps, motor oil, lead-acid batteries, textiles, wooden
pallets, and salvaged items for reuse
Recyclables are segregated by material type as they are dropped off at
the Center. Glass is separated by color. Food scraps, which include meat
and fat, are brought by residents in plastic bags and deposited in closed
55-galIon drums. All other materials are deposited in gaylord containers.
892 tons of recyclables in 1990.
Food Waste Recovery
Peterborough has been recovering food waste for the last 3 years. A local hog farmer, Glen Shaw of
Shaw Farms in New Ipswich, New Hampshire (approximately 10 miles from Peterborough), picks up
food scraps twice a week in the summer and once a week the rest of the year. Food waste is boiled with
a steam boiler. While only 9.7 tons of food waste were recovered in 1989, 32.84 tons were recovered in
1990—an increase of nearly 240 percent. According to the Town Administrator, nearly all residents
utilizing the Recycling Center drop off food waste. At the drop-off there have been some occasional fly
problems and no reported odor problems. Approximately 4 percent of materials recoveredat the drop-
off in 1990 was food waste. Food waste collection benefits the community as well as the local hog
farmer, who says that it is too expensive to raise hogs on grain. Food scraps provide a cost-effective
alternative feed. Shaw Farms, which has been in business for 20 years, raises swine exclusively on food
scraps. Glen Shaw also collects food waste from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, and from the Town of Townsend, Massachusetts; he had collected food
waste from the Towns of Acton, Concord, and Fitchburg, Massachusetts, until a few years ago when the
Page 65
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Peterborough, New Hampshire
programs were eliminated due to budget constraints (from the passage of Massachusetts' Proposition 2
1/2)3
Residential Curbside Recycling
There are few curbside recycling opportunities in Peterborough. In 1990 one private hauler offered
curbside pick-up of recyclable materials for a fee to approximately 100 households. A new company,
Kodiak Recycling, started a second curbside collection business in 1991. Kodiak picks up recyclables
from its residential and commercial customers in customized recycling vehicles. The trucks have eight
separate compartments; aluminum and steel cans are placed in one compartment; glass is segregated by
color and placed in three separate compartments; bagged food scraps are placed in a fifth, lined
compartment; plastic containers are placed in the sixth compartment; newspaper is placed in the
seventh compartment; and mixed paper in the eighth. This hauler offers weekly, monthly, or
bimonthly pick-up for a fee of $22 per month for an average load of recyclables plus two bags of mixed
refuse. He charges $1 per bag for additional refuse. By the summer of 1991, Kodiak Recycling had
approximately seven Peterborough households signed up for recycling collection. Kodiak's customer
base continues to grow.4
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative None
Requirements:
Service Provider. Waste Management of New Hampshire
Number Served: 15
Type Served: Small businesses
Materials Collected: Corrugated cardboard
Pick-up Frequency. Varies
Set-out and Collection Cardboard is placed in separate containers or dumpsters and picked
Method: up by Waste Management in rear-loading packers.
Incentives: None
Enforcement: Not applicable
Annual Tonnage: 75 tons in 1990
Waste Management estimates that it collected 75 tons of corrugated cardboard from 15 commercial
customers in 1990. Waste Management hauls this cardboard to the Container Recovery Corporation in
Nashua, New Hampshire. S&S Services collects a small amount of recyclable materials from
commercial businesses, which it brings to the Town Recycling Center.
Kodiak Recycling, a new recycling hauler, will collect a wide range of recyclable materials in
compartmentalized vehicles (see above description) from approximately eight Peterborough businesses
beginning mid-1991. The haulers will bring all materials to the Town Recycling Center. Kodiak is
hoping to expand its business and increase the number of customers served.
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Peterborough, New Hampshire
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Three full-time employees work at the Recycling Center to prepare materials for market.
Materials are processed using few pieces of equipment. A home-built 6-foot conveyor and a magnetic
roll drum separate cans. Paper is baled with a Union Manufacturing downstroke baler. HOPE base cups
are removed from plastic bottles and shredded. All HOPE plastic containers are shredded with a
small granulator into chips about 1/4-inch wide. PET plastics are baled. Aluminum cans and glass
bottles imprinted with a deposit stamp (totaling only 140 pounds in 1990) are returned for cash.
Wooden pallets and skids are reconditioned and sold. More recently the Town grinds them and sells
them as mulch. Bulky items, such as lumber, windows, and wire, are given away free to residents.
Other reusable items, such as small household goods and books, are displayed and sold to residents.
According to the Town Administrator, the Recycling Center has gained a reputation as a thrift store,
where people look for hard-to-find items and sometimes put in requests for particular items.
Peterborough uses a variety of markets, nearly all of which are out of state, and some of which are
even out of the country. Many materials, such as glass, corrugated cardboard, cans, and plastic
containers, are marketed collectively through the New Hampshire Resource Recovery Association
(NHRRA).
Mixed paper and corrugated cardboard are eventually sold to markets in Canada. Glass is marketed
in Connecticut. Textiles are sold to Haiti. Aluminum cans are sold to Hartford, Connecticut. Other
metals are sold to Italy and Greece. Polystyrene plastic was marketed to Plastics Again in Leominster,
Massachusetts and is now marketed to Clean Environmental Corporation. Oil and wood chips are the
only materials used locally. Both are used as a heating fuel.
Market Development Initiatives
Peterborough is very active in the New Hampshire Resource Recovery Association (NHRRA).
Begun in Peterborough in 1979, NHRRA helps to develop new markets for recyclable materials.
Peterborough collectively markets some materials, such as glass, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, and
plastic containers, through the NHRAA. Member communities are charged a fee of $0.03 per capita for
this service plus a fee for brokering specific material; in return they receive revenue from the sale of
certain materials. The NHRRA markets 53 percent of all recyclables collected in the State of New
Hampshire.
Composting Activities
Prior to 1991, all the brush and wood waste collected at the Peterborough Recycling Center was
chipped with a wood chipper and eventually burned. In 1990 Peterborough chipped and burned a total
of 222 tons of discarded wood. In 1991 Peterborough decreased the volume of material burned. It
purchased a tub grinder, and with state grant funding, purchased a conveyor to compost yard and wood
waste. Ground material will be sold to Town residents and landscapers for use as a mulch.
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Peterborough, New Hampshire
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material Town Center Other Total
(Tons, 1990) (Tons, 1990) (Tons, 1990)
Newspaper 220.13 - 220.13
Corrugated Cardboard 69.24 75 144.24
Other Paper* 105.56 - 105.56
Glass 147.02 - 147.02
HOPE Plastic 9.29 - 9.29
Polystyrene Plastic 1.25 - 1.25
Aluminum Cans 15.29 - 15.29
Ferrous Cans 24.72 - 24.72
Assorted Deposit Containers 0.07 - 0.07
White Goods/White Iron 242.1 - 242.10
Food Waste 32.84 - 32.84
Batteries 3.09 - 3.09
Textiles 7.89 - 7.89
Palletst 11.45 - 11.45
Salvage/Re-use 2.01 - 2.01
Subtotal MSW Recycled 891.95 75 966.95
Subtotal MSW Composted 000
Total MSW Recovered 891.95 75 966.95
Total C&D Recovered NA NA KA
Hater. Town Center" tonnages list all materials recovered at the Town Recycling Center. •Other* includes material collected through
other collection programs, such as WMI's corrugated cardboard program. Brush and wood waste totaling 222 tons was chipped and
burned tor fuel, as was 1.52 tons of motor oil. these tonnages are not included in waste recovered.
'Includes high-grade paper, magazines, and junk mail.
-(•Pallets are repaired and reused, or ground into wood chips.
Publicity and Education
In 1989, to promote recycling of 90 percent of the Town's waste stream by 1990, Peterborough ran a
"Ninety-by-Ninety" campaign. The Town also promotes its programs through newspaper articles and
displays. A few teachers independently utilize a recycling curriculum.
Economics
Costs Cover. Costs cover the processing and marketing of 892 tons of recydables and 222
tons of wood delivered to the Town drop-off center. While the wood was
burned in 1990 and thus not counted as waste recovered, the Town's annual
recycling costs include the handling and chipping of such material.
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Peterborough, NOB Hampshire
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
Downstroke Baler
Downstroke Baler
Can Sorter/Conveyor
Forklift/Truck
Plastic Granulator (Used)
Chop Saw (for cans)
Ban Saw
Wood Chipper
Tub Grinder and Conveyor
Note: All equipment has been paid off.
Cost
$5,100
7,400
1,100
12,000
3,200
425
Donated
Former Hwy.
Dept.
26,774
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Wood chipping
Composting
Year Incurred
1980
1989
1980
1989
1983
1989
1990
—
1991
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Cost
Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
Recycling Total
Drop-off Collection and Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity
$73,000
$50,000
23,000
0
1,114
1,114
1,114
1,114
$66
$45
21
0
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Part-time Employees:
$19,831 in 1990
Town taxes
3 (2 workers and 1 manager at the processing facility)
The Town Administrator spends a small percentage of his time on the
recycling program.
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
There are no immediate plans to expand the recycling program. The Town Administrator hopes to
increase the number of residents participating in the drop-off program.
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Peterborough, New Hampshire
Contacts
John Isham David Boutwell
Town Administrator Waste Management, Inc.
1 Grove Street PO Box 547
Peterborough, NH 03458 Peterborough, NH 03458
Phone (603) 924-3201 Phone (603) 924-6215
David Marshall Glen Shaw
Governor's Recycling Program Shaw Farms
Office of State Planning Recycling Planner
21/2 Beacon Street Box 427 Mason Road
Concord, NH 03301 New Ipswich, NH 03071
Phone (603) 271-2155 Phone (603) 878-1403
John Schlim
Kodiak Recycling
P.O. Box 603
Peterborough, NH 03458
Phone (603) 924-8791
References
Grady, Julie C. "Thrifty Yankees Recycle and Save." Waste Age, December 1987, pp. 39-42.
Isham, John. "Cutting Small Town Solid Waste Disposal Costs." Public WorJts, February 1982.
Schlim, John. (Kodiak Recycling, Peterborough, NH). Personal communication, May 1991.
Strohl, Lydia. "Cleaning up Our Act." New Hampshire Profiles, Chicago 16.110 (September/October
1990), 39, no. 5.
Endnotes
1 According to David Boutwell from Waste Management, 3300 cubic yards of uncompacted waste were collected from residential
customers in Peterborough in 1990, and an additional 1,500 cubic yards of uncompacted waste were brought by residential customers
to Waste Managements transfer station. Using a conversion factor of 200 Ibs/cubic yards of uncompacted waste (source: US EPA,
Solid Waste Data, August 1991), a total of 500 tons of waste was disposed by Waste Management from the residential sector.
Waste Management estimates it collected 9,500 cubic yards of compacted refuse from commercial businesses. Using a conversion
factor of 600 Ibs/cubic yard of compacted refuse (source: Association of New Jersey Recyders, 1987), they disposed of an estimated
2350 tons of commercial waste.
Approximately 650 households are served with refuse pick-up. This leaves 1,150 households, out of 1,800 households in the
Town, that use the Town's drop-off for refuse disposal (and delivery of recydables).
•*Qen Shaw, hog fanner, New Ipswich, NH, personal communication, 1991.
4john Schlim (Kodiak Recycling, Peterborough, MA), personal communication. May and July 1991.
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Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County,
California
Demographics
Jurisdiction: Sonoma County
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
388,222 in 1990
1,590 square miles
160,000 households (108,000 single-family dwellings, 21,000 in two-
through four-unit buildings, 17,000 in multi-unit buildings of five units or
more, 12,000 in mobile homes, and 2,000 in other dwellings)
15,000
Sonoma County is a rural/agricultural region located just north of the San
Francisco Bay area. Its climate and geography make it ideal for wine
production, a major industry for the County. Next to wine, agriculture,
high-tech manufacturing, and tourism are Sonoma County's largest
industries. There are 8 incorporated and over 115 unincorporated areas in
Sonoma County. Santa Rosa, the County seat, is the largest city, with a
population of 113,313, nearly one-third the County population. Primarily
a professional community, Santa Rosa also has a significant senior citizen
population. In 1985 per capita income in Sonoma County was estimated to
be $11,809.
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Sonoma County, California
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed
incinerated*
landfilled
Generated
Residential
18,973
18,571
d 402
105,872
i* 0
105,872
124,845
Commercial/
Institutional
33,889
32,319
1,570
306,408
4
306,404
340,297
Total
MSW*
52,862
50,890
1,972
412,280
4
412,276
465,142
Construction
& Demolition*
14,604
14,089
515
116,897
0
116,897
131,501
Total
Waste
67,466
64,879
2,487
529,177
4
529,173
596,643
Percent by Waste Recovered
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
15%
15%
*
10%
9%
§
11%
11%
§
11%
11%
*
11%
11%
*
* Municipal solid waste generated includes most bulky items, such as white goods, office furniture, and tires.
t C&D includes concrete, asphalt, and other inert materials.
§Less than 1%
t In 1990 Garbage Reincarnation collected 6 tons of tires, of which approximately 4 tons were incinerated as a fuel source.
Landfill and Transfer
Station Tipping Fees:
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
$4.10 per cubic yard of compacted waste ($10.45 per ton) in 1988, $5.30 per
cubic yard ($13.50 per ton) in 1989, and $6.64 per cubic yard ($16.64 per
ton) in 1990 at the two County-owned landfills and three transfer
stations. In 1990 Sonoma County charged $2.00 per cubic yard to tip debris
boxes ($1251 per ton), $225 per cubic yard for loose waste ($13.46 per ton),
and $6.50 per cubic yard for demolition debris ($12.92 per ton). With the
exception of transfer trailers, which are weighed, volume of waste is
estimated based on vehicle size.1
The County issues licenses to eight private haulers for the collection and
disposal of refuse from the residential and commercial sectors. Each
hauler is granted a franchise for a given area of the County. The licensee
has exclusive hauling rights for the refuse collected in that area. Most
haulers also offer refuse service to the commercial establishments in their
Page 72
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Sonoma County, California
Total Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 89% Recovered 11%
^^^^^^^^^ Residential Disposed 18%
C&D Disposed 20%
fiM^^HHI^^^^^^k
Residential Recycled 3%
^ C&D Recycled 2%
Comm/lnst51%
*%&&& Comm/lnst Recovered 6%
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
area. Empire Waste Management (a subsidiary of Waste Management,
Inc.) collects refuse in the Cities of Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, and Rohnert
Park, and in the unincorporated areas in the eastern part of the County.
Petaluma Refuse Disposal (owned and operated by Empire Waste
Management) collects refuse in Petaluma. Larry's Sanitary Service Inc.
and Cloverdale Disposal (owned by Larry's Sanitary Service) collect
refuse from the cities of Sebastopol, Cotati, and unincorporated areas in
the southern part of the County. Sonoma Garbage Collector collects refuse
from the City of Sonoma. West Sonoma County Disposal Services, Sunrise
Garbage Service, and Pacific Coast Disposal collect refuse in the western
unincorporated regions. In addition to these eight haulers, Industrial
Carting collects refuse from debris boxes located throughout the County.
Residents and businesses pay volume-based monthly fees (from $4.05 to
$10 per 30- or 32-gallon can) for refuse collection and disposal.
During 1988 three County landfills and three transfer stations were in
operation. The Healdsburg Disposal site reached capacity and was
converted to a transfer station in July 1989. As of 1990, there was one
central landfill, the Central Disposal site, a small rural landfill, and
four County transfer stations. Central Disposal is expected to reach
capacity in 1999, and the County is currently looking for a new landfill
site. The Refuse Disposal Division of the Department of Public Works is
responsible for the management and operation of the County-owned solid
waste facilities. Tipping fees are adjusted annually to cover costs
associated with running the facilities.
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Sonoma County, California.
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative California Assembly Bill 1462 required that County Solid Waste
Requirements: Management Plans establish a goal of 20 percent recycling of the solid
waste generated in the County and detail actions to be taken to achieve
that goal. As of 1989, most incorporated cities in Sonoma County had
ordinances or clauses within franchise agreements requiring haulers to
collect recyclable materials. In September 1989, the California
legislature passed the Integrated Waste Management Act (AB939)
effective January 1,1990, requiring counties and incorporated cities within
those counties to prepare Integrated Waste Management Plans
(CoIWMP). State goals were increased to 25 percent solid waste reduction
by 1995 and 50 percent by the year 2000. In addition, California is a bottle
bill State (AB2020, passed 1986).
Sonoma County has a long history of recycling. In 1977, in response to a request from the California
Solid Waste Management Board (CSWMB), the City of Santa Rosa and Redwood Empire Disposal
Corporation jointly proposed to provide three containers for source-separated multi-material recycling
at curbside. The purpose of this project was to determine if the use of three standardized colored
containers would significantly increase participation, and if such a program was a viable alternative to
landfilling of recyclable materials. In January 1978, a pilot program called Recycle 3 was initiated.
One of the first curbside recycling programs in California, Recycle 3 was comprised of weekly collection
of newspaper, glass, and aluminum and ferrous cans from single-family households in the City of Santa
Rosa. For 6 weeks beginning mid-November 1978, the CSWMB collected data on the participation rate
of residents in the pilot program. It was found that 76 percent of the households serviced set out
recydables at least once a month. Expansion of the Santa Rosa curbside recycling program was stymied
by a State funding freeze. In 1986 Empire Disposal Corporation was purchased by Waste Management,
Inc. and continued to provide curbside collection to one-third of the residents in Santa Rosa. In late
1989, State funding was made available for the purchase and citywide distribution of multi-colored
bins and the program increased its curbside service.
With the exception of Santa Rosa, curbside recycling programs have had a slow start in Sonoma
County. Drop-off was the primary method of recycling. Even in 1989, when many of the refuse haulers
had begun curbside collection in the incorporated cities, drop-off accounted for over 55 percent of the
83,000 tons of waste recovered through recycling. (Curbside accounted for 16 percent.) The first County
drop-off site opened in 1976, when Sonoma County signed a contract with Garbage Reincarnation, Inc., a
nonprofit community-based organization and long time promoter of recycling, to operate recycling and
reuse depots at County landfills. From 1978 to 1984, the County contracted with Empire Waste
Management for the operation of drop-off centers. In 1985 the County renegotiated its contracts:
Garbage Reincarnation was awarded a 5-year contract for the collection of recydables and the
operation of reuse centers at Central landfill, the Healdsburg Transfer Station, and at Occidental
Transfer Station; contracts were signed with Empire Waste Management and West Sonoma County
Disposal for the operation of drop-offs at the Sonoma and Guemeville transfer stations.
Since 1977, the hauler holding the franchise for refuse collection in Santa Rosa (Empire Waste
Management) has been required to offer curbside recycling. More recently, State solid waste reduction
goals have encouraged other municipalities within Sonoma County to require that recycling be included
in the services offered by the franchised haulers. West Sonoma County Disposal, the primary refuse
hauler in the rural western region of the county, began collecting recydables in March 1989; Larry's
Sanitary began curbside collection in Cotati and Cloverdale in July 1989 and in Sebastopol in early 1990.
Sonoma Garbage Collectors began servicing residents of me City of Sonoma in early 1990. By late 1989,
six out of eight incorporated cities had curbside programs. In 1990 all incorporated areas had curbside
programs and most haulers expanded their residential programs by increasing the area serviced or
accepting more materials.
Page 74
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Sonoma County, California
Santa Rosa has been the forerunner of curbside recycling and composting programs in the County. In
1989 Santa Rosa began collecting recyclable materials from multi-unit buildings. As of mid-1991, the
program serviced 3,000 units in apartment buildings. A 1-year pilot yard waste collection program
began in September 1990, servicing 1,100 households with biweekly collection. The program is
scheduled to go citywide in January 1992, and plans are being formulated for a countywide yard waste
collection program beginning in July 1992. Linda Medders of Empire Waste Management, won the
National Recycling Coalition's Recyder of the Year Award in 1991. In March 1991, the EPA recognized
Garbage Reincarnation's landfill recycling/reuse programs as one of the top 30 recycling programs in the
U.S.
A bottle bill was passed in the State of California in 1986. Unlike other bottle bills in the country,
California's bill enables consumers to recycle through curbside programs, drop-off sites, and buy-back
centers, and does not require recycling centers and retailers to sort different brands of containers.
Initially, consumers were required to pay a 1-cent surcharge on each beer and soft drink bottle or can
purchased, to be refunded when the container was returned. When early recycling rates proved
disappointingly low, the Legislature increased the surcharge to 2 cents and the refund rate to 2.5 cents
per container. Return rates rapidly increased. Sixty-eight percent of all beverage containers (76
percent aluminum, 51 percent glass, and 31 percent plastic) was recycled in 1990. This represents a
doubling of the rate of return since the program's inception in 1987.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency:
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
January 1978 in Santa Rosa; 1988 in Petaluma; March 1989 in the
unincorporated regions serviced by West Sonoma County Disposal; July
1989 in Cotati, Cloverdale, and Healdsburg; early 1990 in Sebastopol,
Sonoma, and Rohnert Park. Six out of eight cities in the county had
curbside recycling programs by the end of 1989. All eight incorporated
cities and most unincorporated areas had curbside recycling by early 1990.
Local franchised refuse haulers: Empire Waste Management in Santa
Rosa, Petaluma, Healdsburg, and Rohnert Park; Larry's Sanitary Service
in Cotati and Sebastopol; Cloverdale Disposal in Cloverdale; West
Sonoma County Disposal in unincorporated regions in the west; and
Sonoma Garbage Service in Sonoma.
Weekly
Yes
60,000 throughout the County in 1989
No, recycling is not mandatory for residents. In most franchise agreements
the haulers are required to collect recyclables.
54 percent participation calculated from set-outs per month in Santa Rosa
in 1989. As of June 1991, participation rates for that year, calculated
monthly, were averaging 85-90 percent
Newspapers, glass containers, aluminum and bimetal cans, and PET and
HDPE plastic beverage and milk containers
Page 75
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Sonoma County, California
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage
Empire Waste Management collects materials that are segregated and set
out in three multi-colored stackable bins, which it provided, or in dearly
marked separate containers. Commingled plastics and metal cans are
placed in one container, glass in another, and newspapers in a third.
Residents serviced by Larry's and West Sonoma County Disposal set out
glass in one 5-gallon bucket and commingled metal cans and plastics in
another 5-gallon bucket Newspapers are bundled and placed next to the
buckets at curbside. Larry's added PET and HOPE to its collection in fall
1990. Empire Waste Management, Larry's, West Sonoma County
Disposal, and Sonoma Disposal provide containers or buckets for most of
their customers but will collect materials set out in separate bags or boxes.
Collection methods and vehicles vary with hauler. Most haulers collect
source-separated materials at curbside with a one-person crew. Empire
Waste Management collects recyclables in Santa Rosa using 44- and 50-
cubic-yard front-end loaders with three compartments. Haulers in other
communities collect recyclables in smaller three-compartment vehicles
with 5- to 6- or 8- to 10-cubic-yard bins. Haulers servicing smaller
communities use modified pick-up trucks.
Residents are charged a per-can fee for refuse, which covers the costs of
recycling. Haulers that process recyclables receive revenues from the sale
of marketable materials.
None
Empire Waste Management collected 7,244 tons of recyclables at curbside
in 1989 and 13,789 tons in 1990, an increase of 90 percent.
Multi-unit Collection
In 1989 Santa Rosa initiated a pilot program for the collection of recyclables from multi-unit
buildings with more than four units. The Gty funded Empire Waste Management to collect commingled
recyclables from 500 apartments. Three-cubic-yard automated bins with three compartments were
placed outside of the buildings, near refuse dumpsters. Materials were collected by a one-person crew
using front-end loading packer trucks. As of mid-1991, Empire Waste Management was in the process of
negotiating rates for recycling collection from multi-unit buildings in the City of Santa Rosa and
conducting a pilot multi-unit program in Rohnert Park.
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
None
Franchised refuse haulers collect recyclable materials from the
commercial sector in their area. As of 1990 Garbage Reincarnation serves
County buildings, hospitals, and the commercial sector for beverage
container and office paper recycling. In addition, Industrial Carting
collects high-grade paper and corrugated cardboard from the commercial
sector.
Varies. Empire Waste Management serviced approximately 1,000
businesses in Santa Rosa in 1989, and 1,500 in 1990. Garbage Reincarnation
serviced approximately 500 businesses in 1990
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Sonoma County, California
Type Served: Varies
Materials Collected: Office paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, aluminum cans, and newspaper
Pick-up Frequency: Varies
Set-out and Collection Most of the franchise haulers and Industrial Carting provide bins for
Method: their commercial customers.
Incentives: Businesses pay haulers less for recyclable materials collection than for
refuse collection. Haulers avoid cost of disposal and earn revenue on
marketable recyclables.
Annual Tonnage In 1990,30,282 tons were collected from the commercial sector in Sonoma
county, of which 14,312 tons were derived from Santa Rosa.
Garbage Reincarnation offers a full-service office paper recycling program to businesses and
institutions within the county, and offers beverage container collection to some of its commercial
accounts. The company supplies desktop boxes and large colorful bins for two-step recycling. Garbage
Reincarnation has a long standing contract (since the late 1970s) with the County for the weekly
collection of office paper from County buildings. Confidential documents are delivered by County staff
to the Manual Skills Training Center (an occupational center for the mentally disabled in Santa Rosa),
where they are shredded and bagged. Garbage Reincarnation collects the bagged paper, and bales and
sells it to local businesses as a packing material.
To facilitate expansion of its commercial collection program, Larry's Sanitary Service made an
arrangement, in March 1990, with Middle Way, a nonprofit organization for developmentally disabled
adults, to provide recycling pick-up for small businesses in Sebastopol. Collectors from Middle Way go
door-to-door to retail and wholesale establishments to pick up corrugated cardboard, aluminum and tin
cans, glass, and newspaper. Larry's supplied Middle Way with one hundred 32-gallon wheel-out cans
and debris boxes for collection. Middle Way provides collection of recyclable materials to many small
businesses that Larry's Sanitary would probably not service. Middle Way is paid "top dollar" for the
materials that it collects, nonetheless, its collection costs exceed its revenues.
Other Commercial Sector Activities
Empire Waste Management has a full service office paper recycling program, providing
intermediate containers and outside storage bins. Empire Waste Management also provides waste
audits and survey services to commercial customers, and will set up recycling programs for its large and
small accounts. Many other businesses in Sonoma County have begun to recycle. The Fbuntaingrove
Country Club recycles glass and aluminum beverage containers. OCU, a glass lens coating firm, recycles
wood pallets. Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa is converting from one-use foam overlay mattresses to
reusable mattresses and has begun using cloth diapers. The Montgomery Village Shopping Center has
arranged with Empire Waste Management for the collection of cardboard, glass and aluminum, and in
addition, several tenants have their own recycling programs. For example, Lucky's accepts plastic bags
for reuse, encourages customers to use cloth shopping bags, gives vegetable waste to a pig farmer,
donates day-old bread to the Senior Center, and sends old meat and fat to a tallow factory; several
coffee shops encourage customers to bring their own mugs; and Mostly Kitchens & Surroundings sells a
canvas shopping bag that gives customers a 5 percent discount when they shop with it again. The Press
Democrat, the local newspaper, recycles 1,380 tons of newsprint a year, approximately 17 tons of
aluminum (at a profit), 52 tons of wood waste, oil, silver from photo processing, and office paper. Many
wineries send their wine bottles to ENCORE! for washing and reuse.
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Sonoma County, California
Drop-off Centers
Number and I^pe 15 drop-off and 9 buy-back centers
Public or Private: Five are at County facilities, the rest are private.
Sectors Served: Both residential and commercial sectors are served by drop-off and buy-
back sites.
Materials Accepted: Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, kraft paper, high-grade paper, mixed
paper (including telephone books, magazines, colored ledger paper, brown
bags, and chipboard), glossy inserts, glass, aluminum, bimetal cans, scrap
metal, used motor oil, batteries, tires, textiles, furniture, old appliances,
building materials, asphalt, concrete, animal waste, and grease
Annual Tonnage A total of 9,720 tons was recovered by Garbage Reincarnation at Central
Disposal and Healdsburg Transfer Station, two independent drop-
off/buy-back centers, and its mobile drop-off services. An additional
1,688 tons of recyclable materials were recovered at the Sonoma,
Occidental and Guerneville Transfer Stations.
Drop-off and buy-back sites have played a major role in the recovery of recyclable materials in
Sonoma County. Until July 1989, only residents and businesses in Santa Rosa and Petaluma were
serviced with curbside collection. Other residents and businesses in the County used drop-off sites for
recycling. Garbage Reincarnation Inc., a local nonprofit organization operates the largest drop-off/
buy-back center in the county. In addition, Sonoma County contracts with Garbage Reincarnation for the
operation of two "recycling/reuse/resale" depots at the Central landfill and the Healdsburg Transfer
Station. These unique centers offer a wide variety of reusable items for resale, such as bicycle parts,
books, and appliances. Newspaper, office paper, glass bottles and jars, aluminum cans, and nonferrous
metals are purchased at the buy-back centers, and kraft bags, mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, used
oil, batteries, wine bottles, and other reusables are accepted for drop-off from residents, businesses, and
community groups in Sonoma County. The County also contracts with Empire Waste Management for
the operation of drop-off sites at the Sonoma Transfer Station.
Since 1973 Garbage Reincarnation has been servicing rural communities such as Oakmont and
Forestville with mobile drop-off centers that accept glass, aluminum and bimetal cans, newspapers,
cardboard, motor oil, brown bags, and used household goods. These communities, which do not support
full-time recycling centers, use the mobile drop-off centers and the depots at County disposal facilities
for recycling. There are 30 additional "Convenience Zone Recycling Centers" in the County (primarily
supermarkets) that are certified under the bottle bill for the collection of California redemption glass
and metal beverage containers. Garbage Reincarnation does not collect plastic containers that can be
redeemed under the bottle bill. A clause was written into AB2020 exempting existing recycling centers
that did not wish to handle plastics from being required to do so.
Empire Waste Management also operates a buy-back center, which accepts newspaper, corrugated
cardboard, aluminum and tin cans, glass containers, and plastic bottles. The center services more than
100 customers a day.
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Sonoma County, California
Salvage/Reuse
At its recycling/reuse depots located at the Central Landfill and the Healdsburg Transfer Station,
Garbage Reincarnation accepts a wide range of materials that residents can purchase for reuse.
Residents or businesses, self-hauling refuse to the landfill or transfer station, may stop at the depots
and drop off any salvageable items. These include appliances, bicycle parts, books, tires, wine bottles,
batteries, and building materials. Many items are either repaired or set out "as is" in the
recycling/reuse yard. Car batteries accepted at the drop-off sites are sent to Economy Battery in
Sebastopol where they are reconditioned. Used wine bottles are sent to ENCORE! (an acronym for
ENvironmental Container REuse) in Richmond, CA, for rewashing and resale to wine distributors.
Peter Heylin from the company estimates that they now process 1 percent of premium wine bottles used
in California. In addition, ENCORE! uses recycled cardboard cartons, and now markets recycled corks
as a replacement for bark in playgrounds and around buildings. Garbage Reincarnation sponsors a
"paint-give-away" at Central Disposal where unused paint that has been diverted from the landfill is
available to the public for free. On Earth Day it sponsors the "Annual Junk Art Sculpture
Competition," in which residents are encouraged to salvage and convert their "junk" into art work and
compete for cash prizes. The County is discussing whether to require vehicles that self-haul material
to stop at the reuse yard.
Approximately 600 tires were collected in 1990 at the recycling depot at the Central Landfill.
Seventy percent of tires collected by Garbage Reincarnation at the Landfill reuse yard is sold to Oxford
Energy in Modesto California, which burns them for electricity. The remaining 30 percent of used tires
is remolded forreuse by Oxford Tire Recycling, a subsidiary of Oxford Energy. Of the tires that Oxford
Tire Recycling recycles, an estimated 20 percent is used for retreading automobile, truck, and plane tires,
most of which are sold overseas. A small percent of the tires are shredded for use as "safety soil" for
playgrounds.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Most of the franchised haulers that collect recyclable materials from the residential and
commercial sectors in the county have small baling operations for processing materials. Larry's
Sanitary Service bales newspaper, glass, aluminum, and plastics and sells these to the highest bidder.
West Sonoma County Disposal brings recyclable materials to Marin Recycling, an intermediate
processing facility in San Rafael, Marin County. Sonoma Garbage Collector bales corrugated cardboard
and sells other recyclables to the highest local bidder. The largest volumes are handled by Empire
Waste Management and Garbage Reincarnation.
Empire Waste Management owns and operates the largest intermediate processingcenter (IPC) in
the County processing primarily newspaper and corrugated cardboard. The 30,000-square foot-facility
opened in 1969 and currently processes approximately 74 tons per 10-hour day. Of the incoming
material, approximately 85 percent is segregated and 15 percent is commingled. In 1988 the IPC
processed 15,840 tons of recyclable materials, in 1989,20340, and in 1990,26304 tons. There are seven
full-time employees working at the IPC; two load and operate the baler, and five sort materials.
Trucks are weighed on scales and the contents are emptied into receiving pits. A series of conveyors is
used to elevate material to sorting belts, storage bays, or surge hoppers to await baling. There are two
sorting lines: one for color sorting glass and the other for sorting metal and plastic containers. Glass is
color sorted by hand and carried by conveyor to cinder block bunkers where it is stored prior to
transportation. A magnetic separator separates aluminum/tin cans from plastics. Paper is tipped,
spread out onto the main floor of the facility, and hand sorted.
Color-sorted glass is sold to Anchor, Owens-Brockway, or NoCal (Northern California)
Beneficiation. Aluminum is baled in 3x4x5 foot bales and sold to a broker, Weis County Recycling.
Three grades of plastic (HDPE, PET, and mixed) are hand sorted, baled, and sold domestically or
exported to the Far East. Old newspaper and corrugated cardboard are baled and sold through a
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Sonoma County, California
regional broker to markets in Korea and Taiwan. The reject rate from the processing operation is
estimated to be between 1 and 1.5 percent.
Garbage Reincarnation has been operating in the county since 1972 and has been under contract with
the County to operate recycling/reuse depots at the County Landfill and Healdsburg Transfer Station
since 1981. All materials collected at these sites and at its buy-back are processed at the main yard in
Santa Rosa. The facility is located on 1.1 acres and currently processes 27 tons of recyclable material
per day. Residents and local business persons in Sonoma County may deposit color-sorted glass,
aluminum cans, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, and ferrous and nonferrous metals, in debris boxes,
which are set on scales for weighing. Garbage Reincarnation has 15 full-time employees, 5 part-time
employees, and uses volunteers from local schools, court-referral programs, and mentally disabled to
sort and prepare materials for market. Sorted glass is transferred to 30-cubic-yard debris boxes and
shipped to buyers in the San Francisco Bay area (CalCRinc Processing or Owens-Brockway), or the
contents are transferred to shipping containers and shipped to markets in the Pacific Rim. Aluminum
cans are densified into 30-pound units, stacked and strapped into 3,000-pound bisquettes and shipped by
flatbed to Alcoa facilities in the Midwest for the production of new sheet aluminum. In 1990 Garbage
Reincarnation processed 660 tons of aluminum cans. For the sale of certain recyclables, Garbage
Reincarnation works with a regional broker. Some old newsprint, for example, is shipped to the Far
East for deinking and reprocessing. But for most recyclable materials, Garbage Reincarnation actively
seeks local markets. Corrugated cardboard is sold to Empire Paper (a division of the local paper
company, Industrial Carting), which processes 500 tons of cardboard a month. Shredded high-grade
paper, collected through Garbage Reincarnation's Office Paper Recycling Program, is baled and sold to
local businesses for use as packaging material and product insulation. Some high-grade and mixed
paper is sold to Weyerhauser and other mills in Washington State and Oregon.
West Coast Metals, a San Francisco-based company, supplies Garbage Reincarnation with roll-off
containers for the collection of white goods and other ferrous metals; white goods and other appliances
are then disassembled and shredded. Motor oil is stored in a temporary on-site oil depository, donated
to Evergreen Environmental Oil Recycling, a local company in the Bay area, which reprocesses it into
lubricating oil. No material that Garbage Reincarnation collects is rejected as nonrecyclable.
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement
In 1991 the Cities of Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park passed a recycled product procurement resolution
requiring City offices to purchase recycled materials whenever practicable. Sonoma County passed a
products procurement ordinance in 1990. As of 1991, Santa Rosa has required that all construction and
renovation bids include a recycling element.
Composting Activities
Composting in Sonoma County began in the commercial sector. In 1985 the Bennett Valley Farm
began accepting vegetative waste, including leaves, grass dippings, brush, and landscapes' waste,
from commercial establishments, composting it to produce a soil amendment for farm grown flowers.
When businesses in the county learned of the quality compost and began inquiring, Bennett Valley Farm
began marketing the soil amendment. Finished compost is sold to landscapes, farmers, and backyard
gardeners as a soil amendment for $15 to $25 per cubic yard. A newspaper dipping describing the farm's
success prompted the City of Santa Rosa and Empire Waste Management to commission the Bennett
Valley Farm to produce and test compost from yard waste collected in Santa Rosa. In September 1990,
the City of Santa Rosa initiated a pilot curbside collection program, servicing 1,200 single-family
households.
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Sonoma County, California
Curbside Collection (Pilot Program)
Start-up Date: September 1990 (pilot)
Service Provider. Empire Waste Management
Households Served: 1,200 single-family households selected for the pilot program
Materials Collected: Leaves, grass clippings, weeds, prunings, and branches up to 4 inches in
length and less than 2 inches in diameter. Curbside collection of
Christmas trees was provided by Empire Waste Management for residents
of Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Rohnert Park in 1990, and expanded to
include the Qty of Healdsburg in 1991, Sonoma Garbage Collectors began
serving residents in the City of Sonoma also in 1991.
Mandatory: No
Set-out Method: Yard waste must be placed in 90-gallon containers provided by Empire
Waste Management, 3 feet from containers for refuse or recycling.
Collection Vehicles and Automated 44 cubic-yard packer trucks are used for the collection of yard
Method: waste.
Collection Frequency: Weekly for the duration of the 1-year pilot program
Economic Incentives: None
Annual Tonnage In 1990 Empire Waste management collected 50 tons of yard waste and 33
tons of wood waste.
Yard waste is compacted in packer trucks and transported to the Sonoma Transfer Station where it
is ground in a tub grinder, passed through a 2-inch screen, and transported to the compost site. The
Bennett Valley Farm site is located on an organic farm just south of Santa Rosa. Screened yard waste is
deposited in windrows using a manure spreader. A hose attached to the spreader allows the operator to
wet the material while forming the windrows. The windrows are approximately 7 feet at the base, 5
feet high, and vary in length. Temperature and pH are tested often to determine the optimum time for
turning. Windrows are turned with a front-end loader when the temperature reaches approximately
130 degrees F, and watered as necessary. Compost is finished in 15 to 2 months. During the pilot
program, compost is being tested by several different evaluators including several vineyards and apple
orchards in the county.
A countywide Christmas tree recycling program began in 1990. The Sonoma County Department of
Public Works coordinated the effort, provided space and labor at the Central Disposal Site and the
Transfer Stations, and accepted trees from January 2nd to 6th. Curbside collection was provided by
Empire Waste Management for residents in Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, and Petaluma, and by Sonoma
Garbage Collectors for residents of the City of Sonoma. In 1991 the program was expanded, and four
additional drop-off locations were added. The drop-off period was extended from 5 to 12 days, and
curbside collection was expanded to include the City of Healdsburg. Empire Waste Management
contributed a tub grinder, Larry's Sanitation and West Sonoma County Disposal contributed by
supplying debris boxes and hauling chipped trees. In 1990 the County diverted 890 cubic yards of
chipped trees from the landfill and in 1991,1,660 cubic yards were diverted. The chipped trees were
used by Darlings Nursery in Petaluma as mulch and service road surfacing. In January 1990, the
Christmas tree collection program cost the County $4,238.
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered;
Commercial/
Material Residential Institutional Other Total
(Tons, 1990) (Tons, 1990) (Tons, 1990) (Tons, 1990)
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Sonoma County, California
Newspaper 12,439 2,997 - 15,436
Corrugated Cardboard 298 20,522 - 20,820
High-grade Paper 46 1,226 - 1,272
Other Paper 0 1,769 - 1,769
Glass 1,033 405 - 1,438
CA Redemption Glass 2,646 642 - 3,288
PET Plastic 42 0 - 42
HOPE Plastic 108 0 - 108
Other Plastics 0 116 - 116
Aluminum Cans 81 16 - 97
Ferrous Cans 393 4 - 397
Other Aluminum 0 490 - 490
Appliances/White Goods 0 908 - 908
Other Metal 2 1,021 - 1,023
Motor Oil 00-0
Mattresses ' 3 11 - 14
Food Waste 0 1,479 - 1,479
Textiles 0 711 - 711
Tires* 02-2
Other (Resusables) 1,480 0 0 1,480
Subtotal MSW Recycled 18,571 32,319 - 50,890
Leaves and Grass 0 42 42
Branches and Brusht 402 1,528 - 1,930
Subtotal MSW Composted 402 1,570 - 1,972
Total MSW Recovered 18,973 33,889 - 52,862
Asphalt/Concrete - - 14,089 14,089
Wood Waste - - 515 515
Total C&D Recovered - - 14,604 14,604
Total Materials Recycled 18,571 32,319 14,089 64,979
Total Materials Composted 402 1,570 515 2,487
Total Materials Recovered 18,973 33,889 14,604 67,466
Note: Tonnages represent materials collected and do not exclude tons rejected as contaminants. Tonnages of beverage
containers recovered under the State bottle bill are included under PET Plastic and Aluminum cans in addition to CA Redemption
Glass.
•Tonnages of tires recycled were estimated based on the County Recycling Coordinator's estimate that of the 600 tires recovered
at the Recycling Depot, 30 percent of tires recovered were retreaded or reused, and 70 percent were incinerated. ILSR converted
tires to weight using a conversion factor of 20 pounds per tire. (Source: Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey
1990.)
f Included in this figure are 42 tons of Christmas trees.
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Sonoma County, California
Source Reduction Initiatives
Educational efforts, legislation, and volume-based refuse rates contribute to source reduction in
Sonoma County. Garbage Reincarnation produces educational material and a newsletter, the
Sometimes Monthly Recycling Rag, which encourage "environmental shopping" (using reusable
shopping bags, buying in bulk) and discouraging the use of disposables, polystyrene, and plastics.
Garbage Reincarnation will not accept plastics at its drop-off centers in an effort to promote reduced use
of plastics. The City of Santa Rosa and Empire Waste Management promote source reduction measures
in pamphlets and other media.
In 1988 the County passed an ordinance banning the use of polystyrene in County facilities. Four
cities, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma and Cotati, followed suit by passing similar ordinances banning
the use of polystyrene in City facilities.
Publicity and Education
Sonoma County has produced videos and brochures on litter, waste reduction, and environmental
protection. The County also staffs a booth for 2 weeks at the County Fair. Department of Public Works
staff make presentations on recycling to schoolchildren and to various community groups on the AB939
process and other integrated waste management topics. In addition, the DPW offers tours of the
landfill and a visit to the recycling center. In addition, Sonoma County has a resource library
containing magazines and other resources on solid waste management and recycling. The library is open
to the public. The DPW also coordinates and conducts an annual countywide promotional campaign for
Christmas tree and telephone book recycling. These campaigns are promoted through press releases,
posters, and brochures.
Garbage Reincarnation has been the major contributor to raising the "reduce, reuse, recycle"
consciousness in Sonoma County. In 1976 Garbage Reincarnation coordinated the Great Sonoma County
Litter Cleanup Campaign and currently coordinates the recycling of materials collected during this
annual campaign. Also in 1976, Garbage Reincarnation produced the Curriculum Guide for Materials
Conservation and Recycling for the California Waste Management Board. An updated version of this
curriculum guide, Garbage Reincarnation, is used throughout the United States and Canada for
educational purposes. In addition, Garbage Reincarnation provides speakers, slide shows, and
educational displays for fairs, schools, community groups, and conferences, and produces workshops for
the public on waste management issues and alternative disposal methods. Garbage Reincarnation also
operates a library of comprehensive resource materials on solid waste management, recycling, and
education. This library is open to the public on request. The Sometimes Monthly Recycling Rag is a
newsletter with a distribution of 7,000, almost half of which are sent to local, national, and
international environmental/community groups. The community group also uses direct mailings, utility
bill inserts, posters, and newspaper, television, and radio advertisements to promote recycling and
reuse.
Empire Waste Management offers an education package that addresses recycling, hazardous waste
disposal, and other waste management issues. The program includes a slide presentation for the
classroom or auditorium, and 40- to 60-minute field trips to the recycling operation, emphasizing the
environmental and economic benefits of recycling. An activities package, which can accommodate many
different grade levels, accompanies the slide presentations and plant tours. Empire also publishes a
guide for apartments, townhouses, condominiums, and office recycling programs; educational pamphlets
on business recycling; and fliers detailing the do's and don'ts of the curbside and yard waste recycling
programs in its collection area. The City of Santa Rosa publishes a quarterly newsletter which
accompanies utility bills and updates residents on waste management issues in the City.
Economics
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Sonoma County, California
Costs Cover.
No capital costs are incurred by the County government because recycling
'collection and processing are carried out by the private sector. The capital
costs provided below are those incurred by Garbage Reincarnation and cover
the collection and processing of 9,720 tons of recyclable materials from two
County-owned drop-off sites, two independent drop-off/buy-back centers, and
its mobile drop-off/buy-back service. Capital costs from other private drop-
off sites and collection programs are not available.
Operating and maintenance (O&M) costs incurred by the County include
contract fees paid to Garbage Reincarnation Inc., Sonoma Refuse and Transfer
(a Waste Management Inc. company), and West Sonoma Garbage Disposal for
the operation of recycling centers at the County landfill and transfer stations.
In 1990 these companies recovered 4,063 tons of recyclable materials at County
drop-off centers (2,375 tons collected by Garbage Reincarnation at Central
Disposal and Healdsburg, 753 tons recovered by Sonoma Refuse and Transfer,
and 458 and 476 tons collected at the Guerneville and Occidental transfer
stations, respectively, by the West Sonoma Disposal). Also listed below are
the County's costs for administration, education and publicity. The County
also sponsored the collection and processing of 42 tons of Christmas trees. The
cost of this program are included as a part of the County budget for
administration and publicity.
Costs for the collection and processing of the remaining tons of recyclable
material and organic waste collected and processed are incurred by the
private sector and are not available.
Capital Costs: Garbage Reincarnation Collection
Item
Pick-up Trucks
24 3/4-cubic-yard Bins
12 3- to 4-cubic-yard Dumpsters
20 30-cubic-yard Debris Boxes
Scale
2 ForWifts @ $7,500 each
3 Scales @ $3,500 each
Densifier
Cost
$80,000
9,000
8,000
40,000
7,500
15,000
10,500
25,000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Year Incurred
1978-1990
1989
1990
1990
1990
1990-91
1991
1991
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Sonoma County, California
Capital Costs: Garbage Reincarnation Processing
Item
Densifier
Forklift
2 Scales @ $3,000
Baler
Cost
$25,000
5,000
6,000
6.000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Year Incurred
1986
1981
1981,1989
1973
County Annual & Per Ton Operating & Maintenance Costs (FY1990)*
Cost Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
Recycling & Composting Total $91,612 4,105 $22
Recycling Drop-Off Collection $48,020 4,063 $12
and Processing*
Christmas Tree Collection and Processing * 42 *
Administration 38,142 4,105 9
Education/Publicity 5,450 4,105 1
More: The County does not incur any costs for the collection or processing of materials collected at curbside. These costs are
incurred by private franchisee) haulers and are not available.
• O&M costs reported are for July 1989 through June 1990 (FY 1990). Tonnage data are for calendar year 1990.
t Collection costs incurred by the County include contract fees paid to Garbage Reincarnation in the amount of $42,960 for the
operation of recycling centers at the Central Disposal Site and the Healdsburg Transfer Station. For this fee. Garbage
Reincarnation collected 2,375 tons, equivalent to $18 per ton. County drop-off costs also include $5,061 paid to Sonoma Refuse
and Transfer (a Waste Management Inc. company) for the operation of a drop-off center at the Sonoma Transfer Station from April
1990 through December 1990. The contract fee paid to Garbage Reincarnation is a Rat monthly fee. The fee paid to Sonoma
Refuse and Transfer is approximately $6.50 per ton. West Sonoma County did not bill the County for tons collected at Guemevite
and Occidental in 1990.
t County costs for the Christmas tree program ($4,238 for the collection of 42 trees) include coordination of the countywide project
publicity through press releases, public service announcements, utility inserts, posters, and fliers to Christmas tree vendors
Costs come out of the budget for administration, education, and publicity.
Materials Revenues: None. The County does not receive revenue for the sale of recyclable
materials at its two contracted county sites. Garbage Reincarnation made
approximately $60,000 from the sale of recyclable materials at its two
contracted county sites.
Source of Funding: The County's recycling program is funded entirely through tipping fees
charged at the landfill. Private haulers fund their recycling programs
primarily through volume-based refuse collection fees charged to
residents.
Full-time Employees: 1 full-time County employee. Garbage Reincarnation employs 20 people
full-time; Empire Waste Management employs 30 people full-time for
recycling programs.
Fart-time Employees: Garbage Reincarnation has 5 part-time employees.
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Sonoma County, California
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
Sonoma County is working toward 25 percent diversion of solid waste from landfills (through
recycling and composting) by 1995 and 50 percent by the year 2000, in compliance with AB939. An
emphasis is being placed on expanding composting in the county and a countywide yard waste
composting program is scheduled to begin in July 1992. The Solid Waste Task Force composed of
representatives from the waste industry, business community, and environmental and community groups
is developing plans that will require all self-haul vehicles entering the County disposal sites to stop
and drop-off source-separated materials at the recycling depots. This plan will require expanding and
upgrading equipment at transfer station reuse/recycle centers to improve capacity and facilitate better
handling of recyclable materials.
In addition, Garbage Reincarnation is expecting to begin recycling CFCs from large appliances
delivered to the Central landfill, and Empire Waste Management's apartment building recycling is
expected to continue expanding in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park. Garbage Reincarnation has begun
recycling urethane foam at County reuse yards and will begin antifreeze and freon collection and
recycling in the end of 1991 or early 1992. Garbage Reincarnation also plans to establish commercial
reuse yards for use by commercial and industrial enterprises.
Contacts
Michael Anderson, President Paula Magyari
Garbage Reincarnation, Inc. Sonoma County Department of Public Works
P.O. Box 1375 575 Administration Drive, Room 117A
Santa Rosa, CA 95402 Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Phone (707) 584-8666 Phone (707) 527-2231
Fax (707) 527-2620
Linda Medders
Empire Waste Management Co.
P.O. Box 697
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Phone (707) 585-0291
References
Brown and Caldwell, County of Sonoma: Solid Waste Management Plan Revision, May 1990.
Endnotes
^Sonoma County converts cubic yards to tons using a conversion factor of 785 pounds compacted mixed waste per
cubic yard; 320 pounds per cubic yard of debris box waste; 320 pounds per cubic yard of loose waste; and 1,006
pounds per cubic yard of construction and demolition debris.
Page 86
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Upper Township, New Jersey
Upper Township,
New Jersey
Demographics
Jurisdiction: Upper Township
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
10,861 in 1990. During the summer months the population increases to
16,000.
63.9 square miles
3,860 (3,780 in single-family households and 80 in duplex units)
260 businesses and 1 institution
Upper Township is a rural summer resort Township in Cape May County
incorporating 10 towns. It is the fastest growing Township in the County,
with a growth rate in the last decade of 62 percent. Average per capita
income was $13,337 in 1987.
Page 87
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Upper Township, New Jersey
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed
Incinerated'
Landfilled
Generated
Public
Sector
3,411
2,527
884
3,469
18
3,451
6,880
Private Sector
and C&D
1,956
547
1,409
3,776
7
3,769
5,732
Total
Waste
5,367
3,074
2,293
7,245
25
7,220
12,612
Percent by Weight Recovered
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
50%
37%*
13%
34%t
10%
25%
43%t
24%
18%
Notes: Public sector waste represents waste and recydables collected from all residential households and recydabtes collected
from 222 businesses. Private sector waste represents municipal solid waste, collected from the commercial/institutional sector,
and bulky waste and construction and demolition debris.
Waste generated includes bulky waste such as tires and white goods.
*Oil is collected for recovery in Upper Township. However, because it is burned as a heating source, it is included under waste
incinerated.
^Numbers may not add up to total due to rounding.
$lf the reject residue rate of 2.38 percent at the County recydables processing center is subtracted from the collected tonnages
listed above, Upper Township's public sector recycling rate would drop to 36%.
Landfill Tipping Fee:
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
$49 per ton in 1989, $89 per ton in 1990, $83.50 per ton in 1991
The Township collects refuse once a week from all residential households
at a cost of $138 per ton. Businesses contract with one of five private
haulers—Coggins, Martee (a subsidiary of WMI), ABC Removal, Reuben
Smith Services, and Anchor Disposal—for collection and disposal of
municipal solid waste and construction and demolition debris (C&D).
Chambers Waste collects C&D waste and corrugated cardboard only. All
refuse is disposed of at the Cape May County Municipal Utilities
Authority Landfill.
Page 88
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Upper Township, New Jersey
Total Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 57% Recovered 43%
Public Disposed 28%
Private and C&D
Disposed 30%
Public Recycled 20%
Public Composted 7%
Private Recycled 4%
Private Composted 11%
Note: Due to rounding, numbers do not add to percent recovered and percent disposed.
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative
Requirements:
In 1987 New Jersey passed the Mandatory Source Separation and
Recycling Act, requiring each municipality to recycle 25 percent of its
waste stream by 1990. Each municipality must recycle a minimum of three
materials. The Act banned leaves from all New Jersey landfills as of
September 1988.
In June 1988, Upper Township passed Ordinance 15/88, requiring
themandatory separation for recovery of newspaper, corrugated
cardboard, high-grade paper, mixed paper (such as junk mail, magazines,
and paperboard), aluminum and ferrous cans, glass, and leaves. Owners of
gasoline stations or other motor repair facilities are required to recycle
used motor oil. The Ordinance was amended in November 1989 to include
HOPE and PET plastic beverage and detergent containers.
In 1984 Upper Township initiated a recycling program with curbside collection of commingled
aluminum cans, ferrous cans, and glass from single-family residents on a voluntary basis. Public Road
Department crew members separated the materials into a compartmentalized Eager Beaver trailer. In
February 1988, the Township entered into a 5-year agreement with the County to process municipally
collected glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, and mixed paper at the Cape May County Municipal
Utilities Authority (CMCMUA). In accordance with the terms of the agreement, the Township
stopped separating the materials at curbside. The compartmentalized trailers were no longer efficient,
___
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Upper Township, New Jersey
so the Township removed the compartment walls and the individual doors. In January 1988, Upper
Township mandated the recycling of mixed paper (including newspaper, magazines, high-grade paper,
kraft paper bags, corrugated cardboard, paperboard, and junk mail), glass, aluminum (including foil,
pie plates, and cans), ferrous cans, and leaves. In November 1989, the ordinance was revised to include
HOPE and PET beverage and detergent bottles. In 1990 Upper Township stopped using trailers and
began to collect mixed paper in one compactor truck and commingled glass, aluminum and ferrous cans,
and plastic in a second compactor truck. It purchased an additional 20-cubic-yard compactor truck in
1991 for recycling collection. These vehicles require less maintenance than Eager Beaver trailers, and
can be used for other purposes. The Township was able to reduce the recycling crew by one person.
Residents can place white goods, tires, and furniture on the curbside for collection twice a month;
however, they must notify the Road Department prior to the day of collection. Residents also have the
option of bringing glass, aluminum cans, other metal cans, and mixed paper—but not white goods, lead-
acid batteries, or motor oil—to the drop-off center in the Road Department Yard.
In 1972 the Township began to collect leaves, grass dippings, and brush at curbside for composting.
Workers chipped the brush and composted the grass dippings and leaves at the Public Road
Department Yard. However, when the County opened its regional composting site in 1984, Upper
Township began to deliver leaves and grass clippings to the site free of charge. The Township continues
to chip brush at the Public Road Department Yard.
The County processing center, composting site, Bulky Waste Sorting and Recycling Center, and
landfill are all located on a 443-acre site that began operations in 1984. Initially the permit request
included the provision to construct a waste incinerator by 1991. However, due to citizen opposition, the
plan was scrapped. The County is currently involved in a court battle about the right to continue to use
the landfill.
During the summer months, Upper Township and CMCMUA provide additional recycling
containers for tourists near and on the beach and launch a publicity campaign, including billboards and
pamphlets. In 1991 the US. EPA awarded Cape May County the Region II Environmental Award for
its recycling and composting programs.
Recycling Activities
Public Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date: 1984 for voluntary program. The program became mandatory in June 1988.
Service Provider: Public Road Department
Pick-up Frequency: Weekly for paper and commingled recyclables, oil, and batteries; twice a
month for white goods and tires. During the summer months the Public
Road Department collects commingled recyclables from commercial
establishments.
Same Day as Refuse: Yes, except for white goods and tires
Households and 4,082 (3,780 single-family households, 80 residences in duplex buildings,
Businesses Served: and 222 businesses)
Mandatory: Yes, for newspaper, corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper, mixed
paper (such as junk mail, magazines, and paperboard), aluminum cans,
ferrous cans, HOPE and PET containers, glass
Participation Rate: 95 percent, based on the number of times recyclables were included in trash
and not collected at curbside.
Page 90
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Upper Township, New Jersey
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage
Glass, HDFE and PET plastic beverage and detergent containers,
aluminum foil, foil pie plates, aluminum cans, ferrous cans, newspaper,
corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper, mixed paper (including kraft
paper bags, junk mail, magazines, and paperboard), motor oil, lead-acid
batteries, tires, and white goods.
Rinsed glass, plastic, and cans are commingled in a reusable container.
Residents and businesses bundle mixed paper or place it in paper bags or
cardboard boxes. Cardboard is set out bundled or bagged. Used motor oil
is set out in sealed plastic containers. Doors must be removed from white
goods prior to set-out at curbside.
A three-person crew places all paper in one 20-cubic-yard compactor
truck, and a second crew loads all other materials in a second compactor
truck. Oil and batterie are placed on a side box of the compactor truck.
White goods and tires are loaded onto a stake body dump truck. By 1991
the Township had decreased the collection crew size by one person and
reduced the number of vehicles used from four to three.
None
Haulers will not collect waste from residents and businesses if they do not
comply with the ordinance. Businesses that violate the ordinance can be
fined $250 and/or up to 2 weeks of community service work. A second
offense may result in a $500 fine and/or 3 weeks of community service. To
date, no fines have been issued.
2,477 tons in 1990 (estimated)
The Township collects glass, aluminum and other metal cans, HDPE and PET plastic soda and
detergent containers, and mixed paper (newspaper, high-grade paper, kraft-paper bags, junk mail,
magazines, wrapping paper, corrugated cardboard, paperboard — including cereal boxes and shoe
boxes) from 222 of the 260 commercial establishments. Upper Township has supplied 460 20-gallon
containers to large generators of recyclable materials, such as campgrounds, bars, and restaurants.
Businesses that receive municipal collection are not charged for the service, and can have materials
collected twice a week, if necessary. The Township does not keep separate records of the tonnages of
commercial versus residential materials recovered. Businesses that choose not to receive municipal
collection contract with private haulers, but the tonnages collected must be reported to the Recycling
Coordinator, according to the New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act.
Private Curb side/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Providers:
Number Served:
The Township's Ordinance 15/88 requires businesses to recycle newspaper,
corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper, mixed paper (including junk
mail, magazines, and paperboard), aluminum, ferrous cans, glass, and
HDPE and PET plastic beverage and detergent containers. Owners of auto
service centers are required to recycle used motor oil.
Coggins, Martee (WMI), ABC Removal, Reuben Smith Services, Anchor
Disposal, and Chambers Waste
38
Page 91
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Upper Township, New Jersey
Type Served: Businesses not served through the municipal curbside program, such as
large retail stores, grocery stores, and restaurants. Most larger businesses,
or businesses that received private collection of recyclables before the
ordinance was enacted, arrange contracts with private haulers.
Pick-up Frequency: Varies
Materials Collected: Materials mandated by Ordinance 15/88 (see Legislative Requirements
above) as well as meat and bone scraps at supermarkets
Set-out and Collection Many businesses compact their corrugated cardboard on site with
Method: compactor containers. Food waste is collected in 55-gallon drums and kept
in cool storage until pick-up.
Incentives: Businesses can be fined $250 if recyclables are mixed with refuse. To date
no fines have been issued.
Annual Tonnage 275 tons in 1990
Drop-off Center
Number and Type One unstaffed drop-off center at the Public Road Department Yard
Public or Private: Public
Sectors Served: Residential and commercial/institutional
Materials Accepted: Glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, HDPE and PET plastic beverage and
detergent containers, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, high-grade
paper, and mixed paper including junk mail, magazines, and paperboard.
Annual Tonnage 50 tons in 1990 (based on an estimate that 2 percent of publicly collected
commingled materials are brought by residents and commercial businesses
to the Public Road Department Yard)
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Upper Township Road Department crew members bring recyclable materials from the curbside and
drop-off programs to the County-owned and privately operated Cape May County Intermediate
Processing Facility (IPF), located 2 miles from Upper Township. The Township pays no tipping fee to
deliver recyclable materials there. The facility began to accept recyclables in January 1990. Private
haulers can also deliver recyclables to the facility for free. The IPF was financed through a 20-year
bond issue incurred in August 1989 at a 6.75 percent interest rate. Although the capital cost of the
facility was $5,725,400, a State refund and grant provided $1,335,300. The total net cost of the bond
issue was $4,390,100. Resource Recycling Technologies RRT Empire Returns Corporation built and
operates the IFF. Designed to process 225 tons per day of recyclables, the IPF processes 90 tons per day
in the summer and 50 tons per day during the rest of the year. The 33,750-square-foot facility operates
256 days a year, with up to two shifts in the summer and one during the rest of the year. It employs 85
employees in the summer and 40 people the rest of the year. Approximately 79 employees sort and
process recyclables in the summer; 35 perform these tasks during the remainder of the year. In order to
expand market opportunities, the County hired additional employees to further sort paper in 1991.
Net revenues are to be shared between the County (80 percent) and RRT (20 percent). However, in
1990 operating expenses exceeded revenues. The 1990 contract arrangement between RRT and the County
allowed for a $1,162,590 operating budget. Expenses totalled $1,234,070—$71,480 over the allotted
Page 92
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Upper Township, New Jersey
budget. RRT was responsible for covering costs over the budget. Revenues from the sale of recyclable
materials ($604,030 in 1990) were applied to the County's $1,162,590 operating budget, for a net loss of
$558,560. The contract is up for renegotiation at the end of 1991, at which time the County will increase
RRTs operating budget.
Aluminum and ferrous cans are separated magnetically and densified into biscuits, and occasionally
baled when the densifier fails to operate. A small amount of other aluminum collected, such as pie tins
and aluminum foil, are baled. Approximately 50 percent of the glass delivered to the IPF is broken by
the time it reaches the facility. Unbroken glass is separated by color and crushed. Aluminum and
HOPE and PET plastics are separated from glass with an air classifier and plastics are baled. Paper is
hand-sorted into three grades depending on markets: (1) a corrugated cardboard mix, (2) a high-fiber
mix including all paper unsorted, and (3) a news mix including newspaper and mixed paper without
cardboard. Cape May County is responsible for disposal of process residue under 5.5 percent of
commingled glass and cans; RRT is responsible for disposal of commingled materials exceeding this
percentage. The reject rate by weight of all incoming materials is 238 percent.
RRT is also responsible for marketing processed materials. Most paper is sold to local brokers for
overseas shipment. Brokers include P.M.I. in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Raffs in Cape May
Courthouse. Some paper is sold to the Container Corporation of America (CCA) in Philadelphia. In
1991 a small amount of paper was sold to Marcel in Pennsylvania. Corrugated cardboard is sold to
brokers including P.M.I., Giordano in Vineland New Jersey, and Srnurfit, the parent company for CCA,
and to the manufacturing plants of Consolidated Fiber in Oakland, California and Koplik and Sons, Inc.
in New York City. Ferrous cans are sold to AMC Resources Corp. in Baltimore, Maryland. RRT sells
aluminum to Hunter Douglas, a broker in Homewood, Illinois, Wise Metal, and American National Can
in Millville, New Jersey. Plastics are sold to NICON in Long Island, New York or to Wheaton Plastics
in Millville, New Jersey, where they are chipped into plastic flakes. Glass is sold to Foster Forbes
Glass Manufacturing in Millville, New Jersey and to Ball Inc.; in 1991 glass was also sold to American
National Can, Continental Metals in Brooklyn, New York, and Anchor Glass Container in Salem, New
Jersey. Over 50 percent of the glass is delivered locally to Barrett Paving for manufacture of asphalt.
The County delivers white goods and lead-acid batteries to Joe's Auto Wreckers, where batteries are
recycled and white goods are sold as scrap metal. Tires delivered by private and municipal haulers are
sent to the Southern State Prison, where inmates process them into artificial reefs to create habitats for
marine life. This program is coordinated by CMCMUA, New Jersey Marine Fisheries, and the Southern
State Correctional Facility.
Construction & Demolition Debris/Bulky Waste Recovery
Private haulers deliver concrete to Future Mining and Recycling in Middle Township, and concrete
and asphalt to Daly's Pit in Upper Township. These materials are crushed and reused for roadbase
material.
In April 1990, Cape May County opened the Bulky Waste Sorting and Recycling Facility at its
landfill site to separate out scrap metal, tires, commercial corrugated cardboard, and bulky waste such
as furniture, large brush, and wood waste from refuse headed for disposal at the Landfill. The County
charges a tipping fee of $8350 per ton, which can be reduced to $60 per ton if private haulers separate
out clean wood waste; no fee is charged if they separate out corrugated cardboard and scrap metal. If
more than 5 percent of the private hauler's load contains recyclable materials, the CMCMUA charges
$200 in addition to the tipping fee.
Page 93
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Upper Township, New Jersey
Composting Activities
Upper Township composted its leaves and grass dippings at the Public Road Department Yard
until 1984. In that year the County opened its 2-acre composting site at the landfill, where it accepted
leaves and grass clippings free of charge from residents and commercial businesses. Upper Township
continues to chip larger brush collected through its curbside program at the Public Road Department
Yard. Christmas trees are an exception; the Township delivers these as well as grass dippings and
leaves, to the County site.
The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority encourages backyard composting of leaves,
grass clippings, and food scraps through its monthly newsletter.
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date: 1972 for leaves, brush, and grass clippings; 1982 for Christmas trees
Service Provider. Township Road Department
Households Served: 3,860 in single-family and two-family residences
Mandatory: Yes, for leaves only
Materials Collected: Leaves, grass clippings, wood waste, brush, and Christmas trees
Set-out Method: Residents set leaves and grass dippings at curbside in plastic bags or
trash cans and bundle brush. During November and December, leaves are
set out loose at curbside.
Collection Vehicles & A two-person crew empties bags of yard waste into a 20-cubic-yard
Method: compactor truck. During November and December, ten Township
employees, in 2-to 3-person crews, vacuum loose leaves into two 20-cubic-
yard dump trucks. Vacuums are pulled by two 15-cubic-yard dump trucks.
Small brush is also collected in compactor trucks and brought to the
CMCMUA. Larger brush is chipped by a two-person crew and ground
materials are blown into a dump truck. Township crews collect Christmas
trees during January and February.
Collection Frequency: Leaves are collected weekly year-round. Brush and grass clippings are
collected weekly from spring until November.
Economic Incentives: None
Tonnage 884 tons in 1990
Composting Site
Township crews deliver leaves and grass clippings collected through the municipal curbside
program to the County-owned and -operated landfill site, located 2 miles from the Township. The site
opened in 1984. The County does not charge municipalities or landscapers a tipping fee to drop off
leaves and grass dippings. In 1990 a total of 7,791 tons of leaves, grass dippings, stumps, logs, and wood
waste was brought to the facility. An estimated 5 percent of these materials was landfilled.
Operators place leaves and grass dippings in windrows on a 2-acre composting site. When internal
windrow temperatures reach 140* Fahrenheit, the windrow is turned with a front-end loader.
Windrows are turned approximately every 2 months. Compost is ready in 13 to 14 months. The finished
Page 94
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Upper Township, New Jersey
compost is used primarily for erosion control at the landfill; it is also available free to County
residents.
Upper Township chips most of its brush, except for Christmas trees, at the Road Department Yard.
Chipped materials are made available to residents at no charge, used by the Township in public parks,
or used by the CMCMUA. The County charges a tipping fee of $35 per ton to process brush and wood
waste at its Bulky Waste Sorting and Recycling Facility. Christmas trees delivered by Upper
Township, and wood waste and brush delivered by other Townships, are sold as mulch or used as
landfill cover. Two types of mulch are produced: mulch I, used as topsoil, sells for $7 per cubic yard; and
mulch n, a coarser product, sells for $10 per cubic yard. Larger chips are used as bulking agents at the
County sludge composting facility. Some large stumps and brush are not processed but set in an 8-foot
deep trench and covered with soil. This site, known as a "Hibernaculum," serves as a habitat for
wildlife. The County estimates that in 7 to 10 years the materials will have decomposed completely
and the site can be used again for the decomposition of larger brush and stumps.
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Materials
Total
(Tons, 1989)
Total
(Tons, 1990)
Percent
Change
Paper* 1,790.6 1,695.56
Commingledt 627.7 841.78
Scrap Metal* 12.3 108.11
White Goods 76.2 128.66
Food Waste 23.0 8.50
Tires NA 17.18
Lead-acid Batteries NA 2.30
Subtotal Recycled 2,529.8 2,802.09 11%
Yard Waste 3,262.0 2,292.75
Subtotal Composted 3,262.0 2,292.75 -30%
Total Recovered 5,791.8 5,094.84 -12%
Asphalt 0 81.50
Concrete 0 191.00
Total C&D Recycled 0 272.50
Total Recovered 5,791.8 5,367.34 -7%
Notes: While the total amount of materials recovered in 1990 decreased by 424 tons from the total recovered in 1989, MSW
disposed in 1990 decreased 3,425 tons in this period.
In 1989 tires and lead-acid batteries were collected for recovery; however, tonnages were not tracked.
In 1989 compostaUe materials recovered were not separated into MSW and C&D, thus, the figure tor yard waste recovered includes
C&O composted.
12 tons of motor oil in 1989 and 25 tons in 1990 were collected for recovery; however, because this oil was burned as a fuel source,
tonnages are not included.
•Paper tonnages include newspaper, corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper, and mixed paper such as papertward, junk mail, and
magazines.
tCommingled materials include glass, aluminum cans, foil, foil pie plates, ferrous cans, and HOPE and PET plastic beverage and
detergent containers.
^Tonnage of scrap metal recycled appears higher in 1990 because one County scrap dealer, "Our World Recycling * did not report
tonnages recovered from Upper Township in 1989.
Page 95
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Upper Township, New Jersey
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
High-grade Paper
Mixed Paper*
HOPE and PET Plastic
Aluminum Cans
Ferrous Cans
Appliances/White Goods
Scrap Metal
Food Wastet
Tires
Batteries
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Leaves and Grass Clippings*
Brush§
Christmas Trees
Subtotal MSW Composted*'
Total MSW Recovered
Asphalt
Concrete
Total C&O Recycled
Wood Waste
Brush, Stumps, and Logstt
Total C&D Composted
Total C&D Recovered
Total Materials Recycled
Total Materials Composted
Total Materials Recovered
Public Sector
(Tons, 1990}
80.39
138.53
16.07
1,349.02
648.75
53.00
62.70
68.35
92.91
3.07
0
12.96
1.50
2,527.25
680.53
178
25
883.53
3,410.78
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2,527.25
883.53
3,410.78
Private Sector
(Tons, 1990)
9
101.95
0.60
0
8.98
0
0
0
35.75
105.04
8.5
4.22
0.80
274.84
642.96
0
0
642.96
917.80
81.5
191
272.5
48
718.26
766.26
1,038.76
547.34
1,409.22
1,956.56
Total
(Tons, 1990)
89.39
240.48
16.67
1,349.02
657.73
53
62.7
68.35
128.66
108.11
8.5
17.18
2.3
2,802.09
1,323.49
178
25
1,526.49
4,328.58
81.5
191
272.5
48
718.26
766.26
1,038.76
3,074.59
2,292.75
5,367.34
Note. 25 tons of motor oil were collected in Upper Township in 1990; because the oil was burned as a heating source, these
tonnages are not included.
•Mixed paper includes paperboard. junk mail, high-grade paper, wrapping paper, and magazines.
tpood waste, consisting of bone and meat scraps, is generated from one supermarket
$642.96 tons of yard waste delivered to the County site consists primarily of landscaoers' waste generated from Upper Township.
§Upper Township collected 203 tons of brush, including Christmas trees, in 1990. The CMCMUA estimates 25 tons were Christmas
trees.
-Yard waste collected is weighed.
ttindudes a small amount of lanoscapers' waste recovered at the County Bulky Waste Sorting and Recycling Facility.
Page 96
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Upper Township, New Jersey
Publicity and Education
Residential
The County prints a monthly newsletter, the Cape May County Recyder, which is distributed to all
residents. It reports on the recovery rates of the different municipalities, highlights the most
successful communities through descriptions of their programs, and informs residents about new County-
based programs. In addition, Upper Township mails out fliers to all residents and businesses informing
them of collection days and explaining the proper separation of materials for collection.
Seasonal
During the tourist season the Township's population swells nearly 50 percent. Both the Township
and the County provide recycling information and opportunities to vacationers. The Township places
20-gallon containers for commingled recyclables alongside refuse containers on beach-front dead-end
streets, and sends recycling instructions to property owners for their seasonal tenants.
Cape May County provides stickers for rental units explaining how to recycle, distributes a
"Vacationers' Guide to Recycling" to real estate agents, and gives out salvaged plastic recycling bins to
landlords of efficiency apartments. County billboards and trolleys display the message, "Don't Take a
Vacation from Recycling"; airplanes pulling the same slogan fly over County beaches. Cape May
County places red containers for recyclables on the beaches and boardwalk in summer; however, the
County has encountered problems with contamination in these bins. The County has also set up
recycling areas at campsites and marinas.
Economics
Costs Coven In 1990 Upper Township incurred capital and operating and maintenance costs for
(1) the collection of 2,527 tons of recyclables at curbside and at the drop-off center,
(2) the collection of 681 tons of leaves and grass clippings at curbside, and (3) the
collection of 25 tons of Christmas trees and collection and chipping of 178 tons of
brush. These costs are given below, as are capital costs for the CMCMUA
composting facility, which were incurred by the County. Upper Township capital
costs were paid off through Township taxes.
Page 97
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Upper Township, New Jersey
Capital Costs: Collection
Item
500 20-gallon Containers @ $7
20-cubic-yard Compactor Truck
20-cubic-yard Compactor Truck
Leaf Vacuum
20-cubic-yard Compactor Truck*
Leaf Vacuum
2 Pick-up Trucks @ $12,000 &
Cost
$3,500
54,582
63,000
9,000
35,000
14,095
26,000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Composting
Composting
Composting
Recycling
Year Incurred
1987-1989
1989
1991
1975
1980
1987
1984 & 1988
$14.0001-
2 Eager Beaver Trailers @
$12,000 & $14,000t
26,000
Recycling
1984 & 1988
'Vehicle cost is estimated by the Upper Township treasurer.
tThese vehicles were used in 1989, but were replaced by compactor trucks.
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
Chipper @ 10% composting use
821 Case Front-end Loader*
Read Screen-All*
Tub Grinder*
Cost
$12,594
118.000
65,000
176,000
Use
Composting
Composting
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
1986
1989
1989
1990
'Equipment purchased and owned by the Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority.
Page 98
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Upper Township, New Jersey
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Cost
Recycling Subtotal $240,907
Collection* $179,207
Processing 0
Administration 58,700
Education/Publicity 3,000
Composting Subtotal $54,700
Collectiont $43,400
Processing* 10,200
Administration 900
Education/Publicity 200
Recycling & Composting Total $295,607
Collection $222,607
Processing 10,200
Administration 59,600
Education/Publicity 3,200
Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
2,527
2,527
2,527
2,527
2,527
884
884
884
884
884
3,411
3,411
3.411
3,411
3,411
$95
$71
0
23
1
$62
$49
12
1
§
$87
$65
3
17
1
A/otes: Some numbers do not add up to total due to rounding.
'Collection costs increased from $148,000 in 1989 to $176,000 in 1990 because additional collection crews were hired during the
summer months to collect commercial recydabtes. Recycling collection costs include $3,207 for equipment maintenance.
^Includes $800 for equipment maintenance.
$ Includes $200 for tub grinder maintenance.
§ Less than $1.
Materials Revenue:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Part-time Employees:
Upper Township did not receive any of the $604,030 in revenue from the
sale of recyclable materials processed at the IFF in 1990.
Local taxes and a State Tonnage Grant
9 in Upper Township (6 to collect recyclable materials, 2 to collect and
process yard waste, and 1 to administer recycling and composting
activities)
12 in Cape May County (4 to administer the County's programs and 8 to
operate the Bulky Waste Sorting and Recycling Facility, including the
tub grinder and front-end loader). One person works at the County
compost and Hibernaculum facility.
In 1990 RRT Empire Returns Inc. employed 85 people at the IFF in the
summer and 40 people during the rest of the year.
3 (2 Upper Township employees to collect and process yard waste, and 1
County employee to process leaves and grass clippings)
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Yiapakontta, Ohio
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (Sept 1989 to Aug. 1990)*
Recovered
Recycled*
Composted
Disposed*
Incinerated^
Landfilled
Generated
Residential
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Commercial/
institutional
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Total
MSW
1,824
1,369
455
7,429
152
7,277
9,253
Recovered
Recycled
Composted**
Percent by Weight Recovered
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
20%
15%
5%
Note: Waste generated excludes bulky items such as tires, wood waste, and construction debris. A small percentage of tonnage
recycled consists of material delivered by out-of-town residents to the Recycling Center.
* 450 tons of commercial recyclabtes and 2,685 tons of commercial refuse included above were collected from July 1989 to June
1990.
t Tonnage recycled includes 630 tons of recyclabtes collected through the City Recycling Center, 289 tons of corrugated cardboard
collected from businesses, and an estimated 450 tons of mixed recydabtes recycled by businesses.
t Tonnage disposed includes 4,592 tons of refuse collected by the City from residence and businesses and an estimated 2,685
tons of refuse collected from businesses not using City pick-up.
§ Incinerated, in this instance, refers to burned yard waste.
" The City does not (rack tonnages of yard waste composted. The Ohio EPA estimates a reduction of 36,000 cubic yards of refuse
deposited from Wapakoneta in the St. Marys landfill from July 1989 to June 1990. Of this, 606 tons is attributed to yard waste
diversion. The City estimates that 75 percent of this material, equivalent to 455 tons, was composted or land-applied. The
remaining 25 percent was burned.
Landfill Tipping Fee:
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
$6.00 in 1988, $22.20 in 1989 and 1990
The City of Wapakoneta collects residential and commercial/
institutional waste and disposes of it in the St. Marys landfill, in St.
Marys, Ohio. Due to a discovery of benzene at the landfill,
Wapakoneta's own landfill has not accepted refuse since August 1989.
Some large businesses contract privately for refuse collection with
independent haulers, such as Waste Management, Inc., who dispose of
refuse outside of the County (St. Marys) landfill. Refuse disposal in
Wapakoneta costs $6 per household per month. In June 1990, Wapakoneta
adopted a variable refuse collection rate, charging residents an
additional $0.70 per 30-gallon bag of refuse set out. (Residents must set-
out refuse in special white bags, which they purchase for $0.70 at the
local market). This variable refuse rate has resulted in a 25 to 30 percent
volume reduction, 20 percent weight reduction, in waste collected during
the first year of implementation. This reduction is attributed to increased
recycling activities, compaction of waste by residents, backyard
composting, and a lower moisture content of waste.
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Wapakoneta, Ohio
Municipal Solid Waste Recovered & Disposed
(Percent by Weight, Sept '89 to Aug. *90)
Disposed 80% ^^^^^^^^^^ j. Recovered 20%
MSW Recycled 15%
MSW Disposed 80% l^^^^BB^^^If MSW Composted 5%
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative The State of Ohio requires the formation of Solid Waste Management
Requirements: Districts. Any county with a population of over 120,000 constitutes its own
district. Those with smaller populations form joint districts with other
counties. Auglaize County, in which Wapakoneta is located, comprises a
State Solid Waste Management District because of the long-term life
expectancy of the St. Marys landfill (which serves as an exemption to the
120,000 population rule). Each district must submit a plan to the Ohio
EPA demonstrating sufficient solid waste management capacity and the
ability to meet the State waste reduction goal of 25 percent. The
Auglaize County Solid Waste Management District completed a revised
Draft Solid Waste Plan in May 1991. The plan was approved by more
than 60 percent of the County's municipalities and is currently being
reviewed by the Ohio EPA. After final approval, the District will begin
implementation of the plan through a hired coordinator.
In 1989 the County terminated the collection of leaves and yard waste for
landfill disposal. Ohio has banned vehicle batteries, yard waste, and
tires from landfills, effective January 1993, December 1993, and January
1995, respectively.
All recycling activities in Wapakoneta have occurred through the efforts of volunteer community
organizations and citizens, independent of County or State initiatives. The City's drop-off Recycling
Center, sponsored by 17 Girl Scout and 2 Boy Scout troops, initiated recycling in Wapakoneta. Each
week, a different troop operates the Recycling Center, involving a total of 400 volunteer scouts and
parents. Individuals obliged to do community service are sent by the local courts as supplemental
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Wapakoneta, Ohio
workers. Wapakoneta's volunteer recycling coordinator and program initiator, Robert Sabo, has
helped start five other recycling centers in Auglaize County.
In July 1988, Wapakoneta's recycling center (also known as the Auglaize County Scout Recycling
Center), began to accept recyclable materials, including newspaper, glass jars and bottles, and aluminum
cans, one day a week, in its parking lot location on the County Fairgrounds. In January 1989, as the
scheduled termination of disposal at Wapakoneta's landfill drew near, the County allowed the
recycling program to expand its operation into the old cattle barn located on the fairgrounds property.
This recycling center was the only recycling location in the eastern half of the county at this time.
The expanded Recycling Center, located on the western edge of the City limits, began to accept a
variety of additional materials including paper, corrugated cardboard, computer paper, batteries, and
polystyrene egg cartons and containers. The Center continued to operate as a drive-through on
Saturdays, but remained opened, unstaffed, the rest of the week. Approximately 40 percent of the
material collected began to come in after hours. In June 1990, Wapakoneta instituted a variable refuse
collection rate, which appears to have increased recycling tonnages. For example, in April and May
1990, only 8 tons of material were brought in per week; in June 1990, this amount doubled to an average of
16 tons per week collected. (Recycling tonnages, however, dropped off slightly in October 1990.)
The Auglaize County Solid Waste District Committee paid for the purchase of most of the
equipment used to process the materials collected at the Recycling Center, which includes a 16-foot
trailer, a baler, a fork lift truck, and a scale. Although the program has successfully diverted 630 tons
(7 percent) of City hauled waste. Weekly curbside collection of recyclables will commence in the spring
of 1991 based on a simplified plan. The neighboring city of St. Marys is also designing a curbside
program as a result of Wapakoneta's serious examination of curbside options. The City has paid for the
purchase of minimal equipment only (e.g., plastic baler, glass crusher, and can crusher), and pays
nothing for the collection of material (except for its commercial corrugated cardboard collection), hi
September 1990, the County paid for the cost of a full-time employee to process plastic containers, hi
December of that year, a second full-time employee was hired to deliver recyclables to market and
perform other tasks. Prior to the hiring of these two individuals, all staff at the drop-off and
processing site were unpaid volunteers.
Tonnages collected at the Recycling Center have steadily increased. From September 1989 to August
1990, 630 tons of recyclables were collected at the Recycling Center. The following year (September
1990 to August 1991) 681 tons were collected. The Wapakoneta Waste Minimization committee was
formed in 1990 in response to plans to construct a privately-owned 1,000 ton-per-day waste incinerator
within the City. Instead of permitting trash burning, the City Council created a citizens' group to
advise City government and residents on ways to minimize waste. In 1991 Wapakoneta's recycling
coordinator and the Wapakoneta Waste Minimization Committee have formally proposed
establishment of a mandatory curbside recycling program utilizing one collection vehicle for the
collection of refuse and recyclables on alternative weeks. Since August 1991, the Committee has
coordinated operations at the recycling drop-off center.
Recycling Activities
Drop-off Collection Program
Number and Type: One
Public or Private: Private nonprofit community groups (17 Girl and 2 Boy Scout troops)
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Wapakoneta, Ohio
Sectors Served: Residents and commercial businesses in Wapakoneta. Most of the tonnage
collected at the Center are delivered by residents. A few residents from
adjacent rural areas outside of the City limits, bring material to the
Center.
Mandatory: No
Participation: Not available
Materials Accepted: Newspaper, high-grade paper, tab cards, corrugated cardboard, glass
food and beverage containers, aluminum cans and scrap (including foil, pie
plates, license plates, and lawn furniture), tin cans, scrap metal, HDPE
and PET plastics, polystyrene plastic egg cartons and meat trays, and
plastic grocery bags
Separation Method: Residents are asked to bring in materials in grocery bags, source-separated
by material type. All plastics are placed in one bag, except for
polystyrene, which is placed in a separate plastic bag or container; all
glass is placed in one bag; tin in another bag; aluminum cans are placed in
a separate bag; newspaper is placed in a kraft bag; computer paper is
collected in cardboard boxes; cardboard is placed in a box, or tied with
biodegradable string; scrap aluminum is collected as is.
Annual Tonnage 630 tons
Residents drive through the converted cattle barn to drop off recyclable materials. They are asked
to remain in their cars, to expedite unloading of materials. Workers unload recyclables and bring them
to designated areas of the bam. Plastics are brought by a Center volunteer to one area, glass to another,
cans to a third. Newspaper is brought outside to a semi-trailer, and high-grade paper is stacked in a
pile. All items are processed that day by the volunteer group.
Commercial Curb side Recycling
Since January 1990, the City has picked up old corrugated cardboard in a compactor truck from
approximately 250 of the City's businesses. Cardboard is collected between one and three times per
week, depending on the volume generated. Businesses place corrugated cardboard in a separate
dumpster or pile it up in front of their door. Cardboard is collected in a packer truck operated by two
crew members. The City charges businesses $8 per pick up. From September 1989 to August 1990, the
City collected 289 tons of corrugated cardboard. From September 1990 to August 1991, the City collected
343 tons of corrugated cardboard from local businesses. The City is currently restructuring its refuse fees
to provide businesses maximum incentive to source separate cardboard. It will charge businesses $10,
$12, or $14 per pick-up of mixed refuse, depending on container size, but only $8 for the collection of
cardboard.
Salvage/Reuse
In April 1991, Wapakoneta organized its first "Drop and Swap," sponsored by the Scout Recycling
Center, the Wapakoneta Waste Minimization Committee, and the County's Solid Waste Advisory
Committee. Residents brought their unwanted items to the County Fairgrounds to swap with their
neighbors. More than 125 items, including vacuum cleaners, furniture, lamps, bicycles, heaters, sinks,
typewriters, and luggage, exchanged hands.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Pagel05
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Wapakoneta, Ohio
Materials are processed at the drop-off Recycling Center, using only a plastic baler, a can crusher,
and a glass crusher. Processing equipment was purchased in 1990; prior to that time, materials were
marketed without mechanized processing. Most materials are processed on Saturday, when the drop-
off center is staffed with at least 30 volunteers. On an average Saturday, approximately 24 volunteers
sort and process materials. Workers separate plastics by resin type and bale each type separately.
Glass is manually separated by color. (The Center receives about 80 percent clear glass and 10 percent
each of green and brown glass.) Clear glass is immediately crushed with the glass crusher. Brown and
green glass are stored separately and crushed when a sufficient quantity has been collected. Before the
purchase of the baler in March 1990, plastic was placed in 8-foot bags. Labels are removed from the tin
cans and cans are crushed. Aluminum cans mixed with some bimetal cans are put in boxes. (Typically,
about 25 percent of boxed cans are actually bimetal). Corrugated cardboard is loaded directly onto a
packer truck.
Newspaper and HDPE plastic containers are used locally to produce new products. Newspaper is
sold to a local manufacturer of insulation, USF Insulation, which sells its product primarily to lumber
yards. Baled HDPE is sold to United Recovery in Findlay, Ohio. United Recovery manufactures
plastic pipe out of this material and resells the remaining HDPE. Glass, aluminum, scrap metal, and
computer paper are sold to Ohio Recycling, a recycling broker. Tin cans are marketed with the adjacent
Mercer County's tin cans, to a de-tinner. Corrugated cardboard collected at the drop-off is sold
together with the cardboard collected through the City's collection program, to Allen County Recycling
in Lima, Ohio. Baled PET is sold to a broker. Minster Plastics, in Minster, Ohio. PET plastic containers
are resold to a firm in Cleveland, Ohio for manufacturing into plastic lumber. Polystyrene packaging is
given away to Mercer County, which resells it. In 1991 it was sold to Indiana for manufacturing into new
egg cartons. Less than 1 percent of total tonnage brought into the Center is non-marketable and
discarded.
Composting Activities
The City of Wapakoneta has been collecting leaves at curbside during November and December for
at least 20 years. Formerly, leaves were collected using a leaf vacuum machine with an attached
chasis. Beginning fall 1990, the collection method was altered. Leaves are now swept up into a grinder
apparatus attached to a dump truck (Ford Model 710 Leaf Loader). Leaves are distributed free of
charge to area farmers. According to Wapakoneta's volunteer recycling coordinator, area residents are
extremely interested in obtaining organic materials, and demand has typically exceeded supply.
Grass clippings have been barred from Wapakoneta's landfill since 1987. Beginning June 1989, yard
debris was no longer accepted for disposal at the Wapakoneta or St. Marys landfill. Residents brought
organic materials (including grass clippings, brush, and some other yard waste), free of charge, to a 34-
acre City-owned farm adjacent to the Wapakoneta landfill. Material was stockpiled and sometimes
burned. According to the Ohio EPA, an estimated 606 tons (or 1318 cubic yards) of yard waste were
diverted from landfill disposal from July 1989 to June 1990. Twenty-five percent of this tonnage was
burned. Beginning June of 1990, some material was land-applied using a manure spreader attached to a
tractor. According to the Director of Public Service and Safety there is no noticeable objectionable odor
from this operation as the site is in a remote area. From June 1990 to June 1991, the City estimates that
861 tons of yard waste were composted at the City site or in residents' backyards.
Since March 1991, the City has been experimenting with composting yard waste and Christmas
trees, and has leased a tub grinder to grind brush dropped off by City residents. The City has also
implemented an on-call brush and pick-up service. The City hopes to purchase its own tub grinder.
Yard waste is now chipped for use as mulch in local parks, school grounds, and other public areas.
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
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Wapakoneta, Ohio
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
High-grade Paper
Glass
PET and HOPE Plastic
Aluminum Cans
Ferrous Cans
Other Metal
Other commercial recyclables
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Leaves
Brush
Other Yard Waste
Subtotal MSW Composted
Total MSW Recovered
Total C&D Recovered
Residential
(Tons, '89-'00)
NA
46
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
0
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Commerclal/lnst
(Tons, '89-'90)
NA
289
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
450
450
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Total
(Tons, '8fl-'90)
457.89
335
4.27
74.22
22.93
6.58
16.37
1.80
450
1,369.00
NA
NA
NA
454.5
1,823.5
NA
Note: Listed tonnages were collected between September 1989 and August 1990 except for the 450 tons of 'other commercial
recyclables.' which were collected from July 1989 to June 1990. Of the tonnage listed above, 630 tons were collected at the
recycling center, 289 tons were collected through the commercial corrugated program, and 450 tons were collected from
businesses. Most of the materials brought to the drop-off center are from the residential sector, but tonnage breakdowns are not
available.
Source Reduction Initiatives
The City of Wapakoneta has instituted a per bag fee for garbage disposal. Beginning June 1990,
households are charged a $0.70 fee per bag of mixed waste disposed in addition to the $6 monthly fee.
Commercial businesses are charged a $3 fee per City pick-up, and a per volume charge of $3 per cubic
yard. According to the head of City Services, the new fee scale has caused about 20 to 25 City businesses
to choose private haulers, such as Waste Management, instead of the City collection service. He has
observed that the volume of refuse collected in the City has decreased. The loss of commercial clients
has partially contributed to this decrease, as has increased backyard composting, compacting of waste
by residents, and increased recycling activities.
Publicity and Education
The City of Wapakoneta utilizes direct mailings, utility bill inserts, posters, newspaper ads and
articles, radio ads, displays, and hand-outs to advertise its recycling program. Much of its publicity
occurs through volunteer efforts. Some teachers of art and other subjects in local schools have chosen to
incorporate recycling lessons into their curriculum.
The Wapakoneta Volunteer Waste Minimization Committee, formed in late 1990, educates
residents on waste reduction, including environmentally minded shopping, through pamphlets, a
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Wapakoneta, Ohio
traveling recycling display, a weekly newspaper column ("Waste Watch"), and a cable television
series.
Economics
Costs Cover: Capital costs cover the City's and County's expenses for the collection and
processing of 630 tons of recyclable materials collected through the drop-
off center, 289 tons of recyclables (corrugated cardboard) collected from
the commercial sector, and an unknown amount of leaves. Listed operating
and maintenance costs cover the City's limited expenses for the private
drop-off collection program, and the City's composting program.
Capital Costs: Collection
Item
20-cubic-yard Packer Truck*
Ford Model 710 Leaf Loader
Dump Truck @ 8% of use
Cost
$1,200
18,000
18,500
Use
Recycling/Commercial
Program
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
1979
1990
1990
* The truck was purchased used prior to the onset of the commercial recycling program.
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
Baler*
Fork Lift Truck (used)*
Scale*
Can Crushert
16-foot Trailer*
Glass Crushert
Manure Spreader*
Cost
$9,000
4,000
400
1,400
800
3,400
800
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Composting
Year Incurred
1990
1990
1990
1990
1988
1990
1991
/Vote: Costs of all equipment have been paid.
* Paid for by the County
t Paid for by the City
^Manure spreader is rented at $20/hour for approximately 40 hours per season. This cost is included under operating and
maintenance costs.
Page 108
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Wapakoneta, Ohio
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs
(Sept 1989 to Aug. 1990)*
Cost
Recycling Subtotal $8,440
Commercial Curbside
Collection/Processing* $7,800
Drop-Off Collection/Processing $400
Administration* 240
Education/Publicity 0
Composting Subtotal** $20,400
Recycling & Composting Total $28,840
Collection NA
Processing " NA
Administration NA
Education/Publicity $0
Tons Covered
919
289
630
919
919
455
1,374
1.374
1,374
1,374
1,374
Per Ton Cost
$9
$27
$1
1t
0
$45
$21
NA
NA
NA
$0
The costs listed above are those incurred by the City of Wapakoneta and do not include costs incurred by the County. Since fall
1990. the County has spent $10,000 per year to pay the salary of two part-time employees at the drop-off center. The County also
spends $4,000 per year on operating expenses at the center.
tUbor for the corrugated cardboard collection is estimated to have cost $7,800 for 2 workers, 3 days/week, 52 weeks/year, @
$12.50/hour for 2 hours/day. Additional O&M expenses are not available.
$The City took out a liability policy to protect volunteer workers at a cost of $240/year.
§Educatk>n and publicity costs are covered by donations and volunteer labor.
"Composting subtotal costs include the collection and distribution of leaves and some activities at the composting site.
ttLessthan $1
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Fart-time Employees:
$10,000 from Sept. 1989 to Aug. 1990 (given to Scouts)
Surcharge at local landfill
2 paid workers were hired October and December 1990. Their salaries are
paid for by the County from revenues generated from the $5 per ton
landfill surcharge.
3 City employees work 30 days collecting leaves; over 400 volunteers and 1
volunteer recycling coordinator manage the drop-off site.
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
Wapakoneta's volunteer recycling coordinator and the Wapakoneta Waste Minimization
Committee (which was founded in 1990) have submitted a proposal to the City to implement
mandatory curbside recycling. The plan proposes co-collection of refuse and yard waste every other
week, collection of recyclables on the other weeks, using the same vehicles. Recyclable materials and
refuse would be collected on alternate weeks in a compactor (garbage) truck with an attached trailer.
Segregated recyclables would be placed in the trailer, and corrugated cardboard in the compactor
(refuse) truck. Adoption of this program would require purchase of a trailer. Mixed paper (including
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Wapakoneta, Ohio
magazines and junk mail), oil, and polystyrene plastic would be collected during the last week in
months that have 5 weeks. The plan also calls for construction of a new materials processing facility.
The estimated cost for this program is $261,000. A volunteer has already secured .funding of $100,000
through a state grant (Ohio Litter Prevention grant), and the City has allocated $6,000 to the Waste
Minimization Committee for research and educational efforts. Weekly pick-up of garbage and
recydables will begin in spring 1992 based on a revised plan by the Waste Minimization Committee.
Through its new solid waste plan, the County is hoping to triple its recycling and composting
volumes within 3 years.
Contacts
BobSabo
Coordinator
Auglaize County Scout Recycling Center
Wapakoneta, OH 45895
Phone (419)738-4788
Rex Katterheinrich
Director of Public Service and Safety
102 Perry Street
Wapakoneta, OH 45895
Phone (419) 738-6111
Robert Gedert Coordinator
Auglaize County Solid Waste Management District
Auglaize County Courthouse
Wapokoneta, Ohio 45895
Phone (419) 738-7112
Fax (419) 738-4713
References
"Drop and Swap Small but Termed Successful," Borjas, Randall. "Nationwide Recycling Efforts
Relieves Crowded Landfills." Wapakoneta Daily News, Wapakoneta, Ohio, April 22, 1991.
Hull, John and Evan Jaros (John Hull and Associates, Toledo, Ohio). Personal communications, March
and July 1991.
Schuler, Steve (Wapakoneta Waste Minimization Committee). Personal communication, November
1991.
Page 110
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Index
Aluminum, 17,28,29,40,55,68,82,95,96,107.
See also Commercial materials
recovery, materials targeted; Drop-off
centers, materials targeted; and
Residential materials recovery,
materials targeted
Animal bedding, 15,39,52,53
Antifreeze, 86
Asphalt, 39,40,49,53,55,78,82,93,95,96
Backyard composting, 23,27,53,94,102,106,
107
Bans, 11,24,35,83,89,103
Batteries, 13,14,15,17,35,38,39,40,48,49,50,
51,52,53,55,65,68,78,79,90,91,93,95,
96,100,103,104
Beverage container deposit systems, 11,17,74,
75,78,82
Bottle bills, see Beverage container deposit
systems
Burning of waste, see Incineration
Buy-back facilities, 51, 52, 75, 78, 84
Capital costs, 18-19, 29-30, 41-42, 57,69, 84-85,
97-98,108
Christmas trees, 54,81,94,95,96,97,106
Collection,
co-collection, 109
commingled, 13,49,76,90,91,97
containers, see Recycling containers
contract, 36-37, 77
costs, 18-19,29-31,41,43,84-85,97-99
nonprofit, 77,78,103-105
private, 12-13,50, 66,75, 77
public, 14,24-25,26,27,38,52,65,90,92,105
refuse, 10-11,23,34-35,46-47,63,72-73,88,
102. See also Volume-based refuse
rates
segregated, 25,37,66,76
vehicles, 25,27,37,49,54,66,76,81,89,90,
91,94
Commercial materials recovery, 13-14, 25-26,
37-38,52-53,65,66,77-78,91-92,105
economic incentives, 13,26,37,51,77,92
mandatory, 25-26,50-51,91
materials targeted, 13,26,37, 51,66,77,91,
92
recovery levels, 3,22,34,46,62,72,88
Commercial waste,
amount generated, 22,34,46,62,72,88,102
definition, 4
Commingling of recydables, 13,49,76,90,91,97
Composting, 16,27-28,39,53-54,80-81,94,106
curbside collection, 27-28,54,81,90,94,106
drop-off operations, 14,28,39,81,94
mixed paper, 13,14,15,16
site, 16,28,39,54,90,94
Concrete, 53,78,82,93,95
Construction and demolition debris, see also
Asphalt and Concrete
definition, 4
disposal, 10,34,46,62-63,72,88
recovery, 10,14,34,39,40,46,55,62,68,72,
82,88,93,95,96,107
Containers, see Recycling containers
Corrugated cardboard, 17,28,29,40,55,68,82,
95,%, 107. See also Commercial
materials recovery, materials targeted;
Drop-off centers, materials targeted;
and Residential materials recovery,
materials targeted
Costs for materials recovery programs,
capital costs, 18,29-30,41-42, 56-57, 68-69,
84-85,97-98,108
collection costs, 18-19,30-31,41,43,97-99
operating and maintenance costs, 18,19,26,
29,31,41,43,56,58,68-69,84-85,97,
99,108,109
processing costs, 18-19,30-31,41,42-43,57,
58,69,85,98-99
Data gathering and methodology, 4-8,23,24,
55,74
Disposal costs, 10,22-23,34,46-47,48,63,72-73,
102
Drop-off centers, 11,14,26,38,48,50,52,64,65,
74,78,84,86,90,92,97,103,104,106,
108. See also Composting, drop-off
operations
materials targeted, 14, 26,38,52,65,78,92,
105
Eager Beaver vehicles, 89,98
Economic benefits, 12,48,64
Economic incentives,
commercial sector, 13,26,37,51,77,92
residential sector, 13,25,37,49,76
tipping fees, 12,93
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Index
volume-based refuse rates, 10,11,13,23,25,
34,36,37,39; 51,73,76,83,102,104,
107
Education and publicity, 18,29,41,56,68,83,97,
99,107
Employment, 19,26,31,38,43,52,58,67,69,79,
80,85,92,94,99,109
Enforcement, 13,25,26,27,37,49,51,91
Fanners, 15,27,39,65,77,80,106
Ferrous cans, 12,13,14,15,17,26,28,29,35,36,
37,38,39,40,49,52,53,55,64,65,68,74,
82,89,90,91,92,93,96,107
Food waste, 16,24,28,64,65,68,77,82,92,94,
95,96
Funding sources, 19,31,36,43,58,69,85,99,109,
110
Future waste management plans, 19,31,44,59,
69,86,100,109
Glass, 17,28,29,40,55,68,82,95,96. See also
Commercial materials recovery,
materials targeted; Drop-off centers,
materials targeted; and Residential
materials recovery, materials targeted
Grass clippings, 16,17,27,28,36,39,40,48,54,
81,90,94,96,97,99,106
High grade paper, 29,40,55,68,82,96,107. See
also Commercial materials recovery,
materials targeted; Drop-off centers,
materials targeted; and Residential
materials recovery, materials targeted
Hospital recycling, 51, 76, 77
Household hazardous waste, 31,83
Incineration, 11,12,16,22,24,27,34,62,63,88,
90,104
Institutional recycling, see also Hospital
recycling and Campus recycling, 13,22,
24,25,26,28,29,34,37,38,40,46,48,50,
51, 55,62,66,72,76,77,82,92,102
Intermediate processing, see Processing
definition, 4
Kann vehicles, 49,50,57
Landfills, 10,12,16,24,34,46,48,62,63,73,79,
86,88,93,102
Landscapers* yard waste, 39,80,94
Leaves, 16,17,27,28,29,40,55,81,82,94,106,
107
Legislation,
against landfilling leaves, 35, 89,103
beverage container deposit, 11,74
commercial, 25,47,50,64,91
local, 11,24,25,35,47,50,64,89,103
residential, 11,24,35,47,50,64,89
state, 35,37,74,89,103
Mandatory programs, 24,25,27,35,36,37,47,
48,50,54,64,65,89,90,91,94. See also
Enforcement
Market development, 39,53,67,80
Marketing, 15,26,39,52,67,79-80,92. See also
Processing
Materials recovered, 17,28,40,55,68,74,82,95,
107
Mixed paper, 12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,24,25,
26,27,28,29,50,64,65,66,67,78,80,89,
90,91,92,96,110
Motor oil, 14,25,38,39,40,48,49,51,52,53,55,
65,78,80,82,89,90,91
Mulch, 67,81,95,106
Multifamily (multi-unit) recycling, 25, 37,47,
48,50,59,75,76,86
Municipal solid waste (MSW), 10,22,34,46,62,
72,88,102
definition, 5
Newspapers, 17,28,29,40,55,68,82,95,96,103,
107. See also Commercial materials
recovery, materials targeted; Drop-off
centers, materials targeted; and
Residential materials recovery,
materials targeted
Nonprofit groups, 74,77,78,104
Operating and maintenance costs, 18,19,26,29,
31,43,58,69,84,85,97,99,108,109
Paint, 79
Pallets, 65,67,68, 77
Paper,
high grade, see High grade paper
mixed, see Mixed paper
newspaper, see Newspapers
Participation rates, 13,24,36,48,49,65,74, 75,
91,105
definition, 5
Pick-up frequency,
recyclables,
commercial, 13,26,37,51,77,90-91
residential, 12,24,36,48,75,90-91
yard waste, 27,54,63,81
Pilot programs, 12,18,19,75,81
Plastic, 12,13,14,15,17,36,37,38,39,40,42,52,
53,82
polystyrene (PS), 13,14,15,17,55,65,67,
68,48,83,104,105,106,110
high density polyethylene (HOPE), 15,17,
24,25,26,28,29,35,36,37,38,39,
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Index
40,48,49,51,52,53,55,65,68,76,
79,82,89,90; 91,92,93,96,105,106,
107
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), 24, 25,
26,29,35,36,37,38,39,40,48,49,
51,52,53,55,65,67,76,79,82,89,
90,91,92,93,96,105,106,107
Prison workers, 93
Processing, 15,26-27,39,52-53,67,79-80,92-93,
106
automated, 79,93
commingled, 15,52,79,93
contract, 80
costs, 18,19,26,30,31,42,43,57,58,69,84,
85,98,99,108,109
facilities, 26,39,52, 64,67,79, 90,92,106,
110
local, 15,26,52,67,106
low/medium tech, 15,26-27,39,52,67,106
regional, 36,39,79,92,106
segregated, 26,39,79
Procurement, 39,80
Recovery levels,
commercial, 3,22,46,62,72,102
construction and demolition debris, 10,34,
46,62,72,88
of communities studied, 3,10,22,34,46,62,
72,88,102
residential, 3,22,34,46,62,72,102
Recycling,
contacts, 19,44,59,70,86,100,110
collection, see Collection
containers, 37,48,66,74,76,90,91,97
bags, 10,12,14,50,52,91,102
bins, 37,41,49,50,74
boxes, 49
buckets, 76
stackable bins, 25,76
curriculum, 68,83,107
goals, 24,35,64,68,74,89
processing, see Processing
revenues, 27,31,38,43,58,69,76,85,93,99,
109
Refillable containers, 79
Refuse,
collection and disposal, 10,22-23,34-35,46-
47,63,72,102
costs, see Disposal costs
definition, 5
Residential materials recovery,
materials targeted, 13,17,28, 37,40,49,55,
65,68,82,91,95,105,107
recovery levels, 3,22,34,46,62,72,102
Residential waste generation, 22,34,46,72
Reuse, see Salvage/reuse
Salvage/reuse, 14,15,27,38,44,65,67,68,74,
77,78,79,86,93,105
Scavenging recyclables, 35,36
Scrap metals, 12,13,14,38,39,49,52,78,93,95,
96,105,106
Self-hauling of refuse, 10,50,51,63,64,79,86
Set-out of compostables, 13,27,54,94
Set-out of recyclables, 13,25,26,37,49,51,76,
77,91
Source reduction, 56,83,107. See also Volume-
based refuse rates, Backyard
composting, Precycling, and
Salvage/reuse
Telephone books, 49,50,51,52,78
Textiles, 13,14,17,64,65,67,68,78,82
Tipping fees,
composting, 94,95
recycling, 92,93
refuse, 10,12,22,34,46,63,72,73,85,88,102
Tires, 14,15,23,35,38,48,49,53,78,79,82,90,
91,93,95,96,103
Total waste, 3,10,22,34,46,62,72,88,102
definition, 5
Volume-based refuse rates, 10,11,13,23,25,34,
36,37,51,73,83,85,102,104,107
Voluntary programs, 11,13,37,64,75,104
Volunteers, 12,48,103,104,108,109
Waste generation, 10,22,34,46,62,72,88,102
Waste Management, Inc. (WMI), 34,36,39,63,
66,73,74,88,91,107
White goods, 12,14,15,17,35,36,38,40,49,52,
55,65,68,80,82,90,93,95,96
Wood waste, 27,28,67,78,81,82,93,94,95,96
Yard waste, 16,24,27,36,39,53,55,81,86,95,
99,103,106,107,109
brush, 16,27,28,36,39,54,67,80,82,90,93,
94,95,%, 97,106,107
grass dippings, 16,17,27,28,36,39,40,48,
54,80,81,90,94,96,97,99,106
landscapes', 39,80,94
leaves, 16,17,27,28,29,40,55,81,82,94,
106,107
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