United States Solid Waste and
Environmental Protection Emergency Response EPA530-X-93-006b
Agency (5306) December 1993
&EPA In-Depth Studies of
Recycling and
Composting Programs:
Designs, Costs,
Results
Volume II: Suburbs and
Small Cities
Printed on Recycled Paper
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In-Depth Studies of
Recycling and
Composting Programs:
Designs, Costs/ Results
Volume II: Suburbs and Small Cities
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This report is printed on recycled paper.
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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 I - 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 vii
Abbreviations viii
Conversion Factors x
Introduction..... 1
Case Study Format and Data Definitions 4
Data Definitions 4
Information in Case Studies 6
Case Studies
Berlin Township, New Jersey 9
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 10
Materials Recovery Overview 11
Recycling Activities 13
Residential Curbside Recycling 13
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 14
Drop-off Centers 15
Processing and Marketing of Recyclablea 16
Composting /Mulching Activities 17
Curbside Collection 17
Composting Site 18
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 19
Publicity and Education 21
Economics 21
Capital Costs 21
Operating and Maintenance Costs 23
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 24
Contact 24
Boulder, Colorado 25
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 26
Materials Recovery Overview 27
Recycling Activities 28
Residential Curbside Recycling 28
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 29
Drop-off Centers 30
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables 31
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement 31
Composting/Mulching Activities 32
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 33
Source Reduction Initiatives 34
Publicity and Education 34
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Economics 35
Capital Costs 35
Operating and Maintenance Costs 36
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 37
Contacts 37
Columbia, Missouri 39
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 40
Materials Recovery Overview — 42
Recycling Activities 43
Residential Curbside Recycling 43
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 44
Drop-off Centers 45
Salvage/Reuse 45
Processing and Marketing of Recyclable Materials 45
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement 46
Mulching Activities 46
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 47
Deposit Ordinance 48
Source Reduction Initiatives 48
Publicity and Education 48
Economics 49
Capital Costs : 49
Operating and Maintenance Costs 50
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 51
Contacts 52
Dakota County, Minnesota 53
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 54
Materials Recovery Overview ..55
Recycling Activities 57
Residential Curbside Recycling 57
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 58
Drop-off Centers 59
Salvage/Reuse , 59
Construction & Demolition Debris Recovery 60
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 60
Procurement 60
Composting Activities 61
Curbside Collection 61
Composting Site 62
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 63
Source Reduction Initiatives 64
Publicity and Education 64
Economics 64
Capital Costs 65
Operating and Maintenance Costs 66
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Future Solid Waste Management Plans 67
Contacts 67
King County, Washington 69
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 70
Materials Recovery Overview 72
Recycling Activities..... 74
Residential Curbside Recycling 74
Multi-unit Collection 75
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 76
Self-haul and Drop-off Centers 76
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 77
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement 78
Composting Activities 78
Backyard Composting 79
Curbside Collection 80
Drop-off Collection 81
Composting Site 81
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 82
Source Reduction Initiatives 83
Publicity and Education 83
Economics 83
Operating and Maintenance Costs 84
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 85
Contacts 85
Lafayette, Louisiana , 87
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 88
Materials Recovery Overview , 89
Recycling Activities 90
Residential Curbside Recycling 90
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 91
Drop-off Centers 91
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables 92
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement 92
Composting Activities 93
Curbside Collection 93
Composting Site 93
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 94
Publicity and Education 94
Economics .95
Capital Costs 95
Operating and Maintenance Costs 96
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 97
Contacts 98
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey 99
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 100
Materials Recovery Overview 102
Recycling Activities 103
Residential Curbside Recycling 103
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 103
Drop-off Center. 104
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 104
Composting Activities 105
Curbside Collection 105
Composting Site '. 106
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 107
Publicity and Education 109
Economics 109
Capital Costs 110
Operating and Maintenance Costs Ill
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 112
Contacts 112
Naperville, Illinois 113
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 114
Materials Recovery Overview ; 116
Recycling Activities , 117
Residential Curbside Recycling 117
Multi-unit Collection 118
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 119
Drop-off Centers 120
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 120
Composting Activities 121
Backyard Composting/Don't Bag It 121
Curbside Collection.. 122
Compost Site 122
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 123
Publicity and Education 124
Economics 124
Capital Costs 124
Operating and Maintenance Costs 125
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 126
Contacts 126
Perkasie, Pennsylvania 127
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 128
Materials Recovery Overview 129
Recycling Activities 130
Residential Curbside Recycling 130
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 131
Drop-off Centers 131
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Processing and Marketing of Recyclables 132
Composting Activities 132
Curbside Collection 132
Composting Site 133
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 134
Source Reduction 134
Publicity and Education 135
Economics 136
Capital Costs 136
Operating and Maintenance Costs 137
Contact .• 139
Takoma Park, Maryland 141
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 142
Materials Recovery Overview 143
Recycling Activities 145
Residential Curbside Recycling 145
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 146
Drop-off Centers 147
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 147
Composting/Mulching Activities 148
Backyard Composting 148
Curbside Collection 148
Composting/Mulching Site 149
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 150
Publicity and Education 150
Economics 151
Capital Costs 151
Operating and Maintenance Costs 152
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 153
Contacts 153
West Linn, Oregon 155
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery 156
Materials Recovery Overview 158
Recycling Activities 160
Residential Curbside Recycling 160
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 161
Drop-off Center 161
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables 162
Composting Activities 162
Backyard Composting 162
Curbside Collection 163
Composting Site 163
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 164
Publicity and Education 166
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Economics 166
Capital Costs 167
Operating and Maintenance Costs 168
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 169
Contacts 169
West Palm Beach, Florida. 171
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery , 172
Materials Recovery Overview 173
Recycling Activities 174
Residential Curbside Recycling 174
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling 175
Drop-off Centers 176
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables. 177
Composting Activities 177
Curbside Collection : 177
Composting/Mulch Site 178
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered 179
Source Reduction Initiatives 180
Publicity and Education 180
Economics 180
Capital Costs 181
Operating and Maintenance Costs 183
Future Solid Waste Management Plans 184
Contacts 185
Index 187
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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,
recyclers, 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;
Harrington, 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-Depth 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
BFI — 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
FCR — Fairfield County Recycling
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
NARC — Naperville Area Recycling Center
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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RCC — Recyclables Collection Center
REA — Richmond Environmental Action
RFP — request for proposal
RMR—Recycle Minnesota R esources
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 officials, 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 (0.39 tons/cy) or 155 cy/ton
Source: Solid Waste Management Plan Revision, Sonoma Co., CA, May 1990.
6671bs/cy (0.33ton/cy)
Source: Naperville, IL
Conversions Found in the Literature:
500 - 700 Ibs/cy (0.25 - 0.35 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 (0.3 tons/cy) or 3.3 cy/ton
Source: Association of New Jersey Recyclers (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:
620 Ibs/cy
Source: Recycled Wood Products, Berkeley, CA
650-750 Ibs/cy
Source: Portland, OR
660 Ibs/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: Asheville/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
7Ibs/gal (65-75Ibs/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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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 (U.S. 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
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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: /: Rural Communities; II: Suburbs
and Small Cities; and /I/: 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 III: 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 Commercial MSW
Collected Recovery Recovery Recovery
Rate Rate Rate
Volume 1: Rural Communities
Bowdoinham, ME
Fennimore, Wl
La Crescent, MN
Monroe, Wl
Peterborough, NH
Sonoma County, CA
Upper Township, NJ
Wapakoneta, OH
2,189
2,378
4,305
10,220
5,239
388,222
10,861
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
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
5,620
88,000
69,101
274,016
991,060
90,000
10,978
85,351
7,878
16,900
16,557
62,530
Areas
465,622
102,724
191,972
511,433
275,221
1,633,826
440,000
160,728
723,959
516,259
1990
1990
FY90
1990
1990
FY90
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
4/90-3/91
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%
NA
25%
9%
27%
4%
10%
34% t
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%
NA = not available
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
Rate
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
Notes: 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. All 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, the
National Recycling Coalition, and this study 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
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deposit containers recovered, yard waste composted from landscapers, and waste self-hauled to
disposal and recovery facilities. MSW excludes construction and demolition debris.
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. The definition of
residential waste generated differs for Perkasie, Lincoln Park, and Takoma Park. In Perkasie, the
tonnage of waste generated excludes waste from condominiums and apartments with more than four
units, which is collected by private haulers and is not tracked. Takoma Park is similar, but waste
excluded is from buildings with more than 12 units. In Lincoln Park, the tonnage of waste generated
from condominiums is excluded from residential waste, but a small amount of recyclables brought to the
drop-off by businesses is included. In King County residential waste excludes any residential waste
self-hauled to recycling, composting, or disposal facilities, since the tonnage of self-hauled waste
includes commercial waste.
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 West Linn municipal solid waste is presented as a single sum because it cannot be broken down into
residential and commercial.
In Columbia, Missouri C&D cannot be divided from commercial/institutional waste, and MSW figures
cannot be reported separately.
In King County, San Francisco, Seattle, and 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
landscapers1 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 Berlin Township, Lafayette,
Naperville, and Dakota County.
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.
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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.
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. 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/publicity.
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
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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
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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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Berlin Township
New Jersey
Demographics
Jurisdiction: Township of Berlin
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
5,620 in 1990
35 square miles
1,800 (1,652 single-family homes, 48 duplexes, and 100 units in two large
apartment complexes)
280
Berlin Township is a residential community in southern Camden County.
Located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, the
Township is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 1987 per
capita income was $11,420.
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Berlin- Township, New Jersey
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Commercial/ Total Construction Total
Residential Institutional MSW & Demolition Waste
Recovered 3,392 1,124 4,516 738 5,254
Recycled 1,053 1,124 2,177 100 2,277
Composted 2,339 0 2,339 638 2,977
Disposed* 2,643 729 3,372 NA NA
Incinerated 000 NA NA
Landfilled 2,643 729 3,372 NA NA
Generated 6,035 1,853 7,888 NA NA
Percent by Weight Recovered
Recovered*
Recycled
Composted
56%
17%
39%
61%
61%
0%
57%
28%
30%
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Notes: Residential waste includes refuse collected from 20 small businesses in the Township's residential zone. Commercial waste
includes recyclable materials and refuse collected by private haulers, and recyclables collected by the Township. Tonnages of
construction and demolition debris (C&D) disposed are not available; thus, C&D and "total waste" recovery rates cannot be
calculated. Of the C&D recovered, 428 tons were publicly collected.
'Figures for waste handled by private haulers are not available. The tonnage of waste collected privately has been estimated by
using a per capita waste generation figure of 0.6 tons per year to calculate total residential and commercial waste disposed. (This
per capita figure for Berlin Township was developed by the consulting firm O'Brien-Kreitzberg & Associates, Inc., and based on
actual waste samplings at the landfill.) The tonnage of publicly collected waste, which is known, is subtracted from this total,
leaving privately collected commercial waste disposed. Privately collected waste generated is then calculated by adding the
known 1990 tonnage of publicly and privately collected recyclables.
tPercent recycled and percent composted may not add up to percent recovered due to rounding.
Transfer Station/Landfill $42.11 in 1989 for the Winslow Landfill; January-August 1990, $65.00 at
Tipping Fees: the Winslow Landfill, from August-December 1990, $65.00 at the
Winslow Transfer Station; $68.75 in 1991 at the Camden County
Incinerator
Refuse Collection and In 1990 the Department of Public Works (DPW) collected refuse once a
Disposal: week from residents and about 20 small bars, restaurants, and other
businesses located in residential areas. Beginning in 1991, Berlin
contracted with Frank Kull, a private hauler, to collect refuse from the
Township. According to local ordinance, the private hauler may collect
refuse from businesses located in commercial zones, but must collect from
businesses in residential zones if they request service from the DPW. The
Township may not charge these businesses for collection. The remainder
of the businesses contract with other private haulers. Before August 1990,
refuse was taken to the Winslow Landfill. Commercial and industrial
refuse was banned from the landfill in June 1988. The landfill had to close
because it was full. Between August 1990 and July 1991, refuse was taken
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Municipal Solid Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 43%
Recovered 57%
Residential Recycled 13%
Residential Disposed 34%
Comm./lnst. Disposed 9%
Residential Composted 30%
Comm./lnst. Recycled 14%
Note: Due to rounding, numbers may not add to 100%
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
to the Winslow Transfer Station and shipped out of state. Residential
and commercial refuse collected by Frank Kull, and commercial refuse
hauled privately from Berlin Township, is now taken to the Camden
County Incinerator, 10 miles away. The DPW spent $113,638 for the
collection of 2,642 tons of refuse from the residential zone in 1990, and
another $171,792 in tipping fees. The total cost for waste disposal,
including tipping fees, was $108 per ton in 1990.
Materials Recovery Overview
Coals and Legislative
Requirements:
In April of 1987, New Jersey passed a state law mandating that each
municipality recycle 15 percent of the municipal solid waste stream in the
first year of their recycling program and 25 percent thereafter. Recycling
of a minimum of three materials is required. In 1991 the State revised its
goal requiring a 60 percent recycling rate by 1995.
In 1981 Berlin Township adopted its "Garbage, Rubbish, and Refuse"
ordinance, requiring residents to separate glass and mixed paper (including
newspaper, junk mail, envelopes, and computer paper) for recycling. In
November 1984, Camden County required that each municipality institute
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Berlin Tovmship, New Jersey
Goals and Legislative collection programs for the recycling of newspaper, aluminum cans, used
Requirements (cont'd): oil, and scrap metal. The County Solid Waste Management (SWM) Plan
mandates that all whole trees, tree trunks, tree stumps, leaves, and
branches be disposed at facilities approved by the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection, or mulched for use as a ground cover. As of
February 1,1986, amendments to the County SWM Plan require all county
municipalities to include metal food and beverage containers in their
curbside recycling programs. The Pinelands Commission, which governs
the Pinelands in which Berlin Township is located, banned the composting
of grass clippings in Berlin Township.
Berlin Township has been developing its recovery program for the past decade. In 1980 the
Township began operating both a curbside program for glass and a drop-off center for glass and
appliances in the public works yard. Town refuse haulers separated glass bottles from refuse at
curbside, placing them in burlap bags attached to the trucks. The full bags were left along the road, and
the Superintendent of the Public Works Department would pick them up the same day. In 1982, the
first year that tonnages were recorded, the Township collected 237 tons of glass, which were sold to
Recycling Enterprises.
In 1981, 6 years before recycling became mandatory throughout the State, Berlin Township adopted
its "Garbage, Rubbish, and Refuse" ordinance, requiring residents to separate glass and mixed paper
(including newspaper, junk mail, envelopes, and computer paper) for recycling. The curbside collection
program, serving 1,600 households, became one of the first in the State to supply buckets to residents
when a local glass manufacturer donated 3,000 5-gallon white buckets for storing glass. A local bank
donated stickers for each of the buckets. The glass was color separated on the truck by the collection
crew, and then unloaded into a Eager Beaver trailer at the public works yard prior to being sold.
In November 1984, Camden County adopted a new Solid Waste Management Plan, requiring (1) that
each municipality institute collection programs for the recycling of newspaper, aluminum cans, used oil,
and scrap metal; and (2) that all whole trees, tree trunks, tree stumps, leaves, and branches be disposed
at facilities approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, or mulched for use as
a ground cover. The plan called for construction of an intermediate processing center (IPC) by the spring
of 1986 to expand the recycling of materials and provide for a stable market for glass and non-aluminum
cans. The Camden County Recycling Facility (CCRF), which began operation in April 1986, processes
glass, all types of metal cans, and PET and HOPE containers.
In February 1988, Rutgers University provided the Township with 2,000 yellow 20-gallon buckets
for a pilot study on plastics collection. The round buckets with molded handles, which are used to store
plastic, glass, and aluminum and other metal cans, allow residents to store a greater volume of
materials than the 5-gallon buckets. During 1986 and 1987, the Township collected an annual average
of 181 tons of commingled glass, aluminum, and other metal containers. In 1988 the Township collected
27 tons of plastics, and the overall tonnage of commingled recyclables increased to 296 tons with the
distribution of the larger buckets. The Township collected 300 tons of commingled containers in 1989,
and 380 tons in 1990—an increase of 60 percent since 1986. According to Mike McGee, the Township's
Recycling Coordinator, this increase was due to the new containers. The participation rate was 65
percent in the month before the containers were distributed. It jumped to 95 percent after the containers
were passed out. In 1991 Berlin Township began collecting household batteries.
Berlin Township had tried several different storage containers before deciding to stay with the 20-
gallon buckets donated by Rutgers University. In 1984 the Township received 100 blue rectangular
recycling boxes for demonstration purposes. The boxes, which were distributed to residents, were
popular for storage of record albums or tools, and disappeared quickly, according to Mike McGee. The
collection crew has found that, overall, the 20-gallon buckets are sturdier than the square boxes or the
old 5-gallon buckets and easier to empty. Residents find the 5-gallon buckets convenient for short-term
storage of recyclable materials before they are dumped into the 20-gallon container left outside, or for
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
storage of extra materials that do not fit in the 20-gallon containers. Participation rates also increased
as a result of the new containers. The month prior to their distribution, participation was 65 percent;
the month after, participation jumped to 95 percent.
The Township still runs the drop-off center at its public works yard, which is open 24 hours a day, 7
days a week. (Previously the center was open only Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. until 230
p.m.) Because the center is not staffed, residents are required to separate all materials into the proper
bins themselves. Glass, plastic, aluminum, and ferrous cans are stored in an Eager Beaver trailer on the
site. Waste paper (including newspaper, paperboard, high-grade paper, and corrugated cardboard) is
stockpiled in one corner of the yard. Oil delivered in sealed containers can be left at the center, as can
car batteries and tires. Scrap metal and aluminum are stored in 55-gallon drums and bins made from
tires, both of which have been recovered from the waste stream. Resident Mike McGee was honored as
Camden County's Recyder of the Year. In the same year, the program was recognized as one of the best
recycling programs in the State at the New Jersey State Recycling Awards Presentation, and the
Coordinator was honored as one of the two top recyders in the State. In November 1989, Berlin won the
Best Curbside Recycling Program award from the National Recycling Congress. In February 1990, the
Township won the Highest Recovery Rate and the Best Overall Program in a Suburban Community
awards in the Record Setting Recycling Contest 1989, sponsored by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
And in April 1990, Berlin won the Source Reduction and Recycling Award in Renew America's Searching
for Success Contest.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency:
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
September 1980 (mandatory as of June 1981)
Department of Public Works
Weekly
Yes
1,700 (1,652 single-family homes and 48 duplexes)
Yes (all materials with the exception of white goods)
97 percent of the households served (based on a monthly set-out rate)
Glass and newspaper collection began in 1980. In 1982 aluminum cans were
added, and in 1985 ferrous cans were added to the list of commingled
materials. Car batteries, scrap metal, corrugated cardboard, and
paperboard (including cereal boxes but not milk cartons) were also cited
for collection in 1985. Pick-up of clean lumber began in June 1988. Plastic
PET soda bottles were first collected in 1984 for 2 months, but this program
was discontinued. An expanded program collecting PET and HDPE plastic
beverage and other containers (including detergent and shampoo bottles,
but not oil, window-washing, or antifreeze bottles) began in February
1988. Residents may also place tires, white goods, and motor oil at the
curbside for collection. In 1990 Berlin began to pick up household
batteries.
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage:
Glass, aluminum, plastic, and ferrous food and beverage containers are
stored commingled in a 20-gallon plastic container supplied by the
Township. Corrugated cardboard and paperboard must be crushed and
bundled. Newspaper and other paper can be mixed, but must be bundled
separately from the cardboard. Tires, white goods, and car batteries are
placed loose at the curbside. Used motor oil must be contained and clearly
identified. All types of household batteries are to be placed in a plastic
bag and hung on the side of the 20-gallon container. Recyclable materials
must be placed 5 feet away from refuse.
An Eager Beaver compartmentalized truck with the compartments
removed is used to collect commingled recyclable materials. The
Township collects crushed cardboard in a 10-ton dump truck along with
paperboard. Afterwards, the same truck collects scrap metal. A dump
truck is used to collect newspaper and mixed paper. A 1/2-ton pick-up
truck is used to collect white goods and then tires, batteries, and motor oil.
Finally, a truck is sent through the streets with one worker after other
trucks have gone through to clean up streets and collect any materials
that may have been left behind. A total of 8 workers collect refuse,
recyclables, and yard waste in Berlin Township.
First-time offenders are fined $25, second-time offenders are fined $50;
each subsequent violation carries a fine of $100.
Residents and businesses that do not separate recyclable materials run the
risk of not having their refuse collected. The Township reserves the right
to further enforce source separation of mandated materials with a series
of fines. No fines have been given out but several warnings have been
issued. A Public Works staff member makes periodic inspections.
Although actual tonnage is not available, Mike McGee estimates that
about 90 percent (1,135 tons) of recyclables collected by the Township are
picked up at curbside. Of this, an estimated 208 tons were collected from
the commercial sector leaving 927 tons collected from the residential
sector.
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Businesses must choose one material for separation from a list of materials
including glass, aluminum and tin cans, newspaper, corrugated cardboard,
scrap metal, and plastic HOPE and PET containers. Businesses that do not
take advantage of the Township's recycling service are required by State law
to contract out with private haulers and submit an annual recycled tonnage
report to the municipality's recycling coordinator by June 1 of the following
fiscal year. Berlin Township reviews businesses' recycling plans prior to
issuing or renewing the mercantile license necessary for all commercial
establishments in the Township. In 1990 the Township officially made this
issuing and renewal process contingent upon submission of a recycling plan.
The State and Town ordinances are explained to businesses when they request
collection of recyclables by the Township.
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Materials Collected:
Pick-up Frequency:
Set-out and
Collection Method:
Incentives:
Annual Tonnage:
Public Collection
Department of Public Works
200 businesses
Bars, restaurants, schools, offices, gas
stations, and grocery stores
Aluminum and tin cans, glass,
corrugated cardboard, HOPE and PET
plastic, newspaper, scrap metal
Weekly
55-gallon drums and 20-gallon
containers for setting out glass; 20-
gallon drums for setting out aluminum
and tin cans, and HOPE and PET
plastic
Mercantile license and free service
An estimated 208 tons in 1990
Private Collection
Private haulers
80 businesses
Bars, restaurants, and offices
Primarily corrugated cardboard,
high-grade paper, and mixed paper
Weekly
Some businesses have their own
compactors to bale cardboard.
Others bundle it and put it on their
loading docks.
Mercantile license
916 tons reported in 1990
Berlin Township provides collection of recyclable materials for 200 of its 280 businesses. In 1989
there were two different collection days for businesses. Small businesses located in residential
neighborhoods were serviced on the same day as residential households, and a special Friday pick-up
was provided for bars and restaurants. This collection service is offered to businesses at no charge,
creating an incentive for businesses to recycle. This service has been provided since 1981, when the Town
adopted its "Garbage, Rubbish, and Refuse" ordinance. In January 1990, the Township began Friday
collection from all of the businesses it services.
Bars and restaurants are provided with 55-gallon drums for storage of glass. Other businesses may
request a 20-gallon container for the storage of glass, aluminum and tin cans, and plastic HOPE and PET
containers. The Township will also collect newspaper, corrugated cardboard, and scrap metal from
businesses. In addition, businesses have the option of bringing their recyclable materials to the drop-
off site at the public works yard. The Township provides commercial establishments with a list of
local vendors for materials that are not collected by Berlin Township.
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type
Public or Private:
Sectors Served:
Materials Accepted:
Annual Tonnage:
One 24-hour drop-off center opened in 1980
Public
Residential and commercial and institutional sectors
Glass, plastic, aluminum and ferrous cans, newspaper, paperboard,
corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper, scrap metal, and oil
126 tons (estimated as 10 percent of the publicly collected tonnage
recycled)
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
The Camden County Recycling Facility (CCRF), located 10 miles from Berlin Township, has
processed the Township's commingled recyclables since the facility became operational in April 1986.
The 80-ton-per-day facility processes mixed aluminum, glass, and ferrous beverage and food containers,
as well as HOPE and PET containers from some towns, including Berlin Township. In 1989,16358 tons of
materials were processed; in 1990 this increased to 17,881 tons (71.5 tons per day).
Camden County established this regional processing facility in order to enable its 37 municipalities
to comply with the countywide mandatory recycling ordinance. Resource Recovery Systems, Inc., of
Groton, Connecticut designed and built the CCRF for $753,172 (adjusted for 1989). Costs were covered by
a $200,000 grant from the New Jersey Office of Recycling, $90,000 allocated from the County general
funds, and a bond issue of about $400,000. While the County owns the facility, it is managed and
operated by Resource Recovery Systems, Inc. It operates 5 days a week, 250 days a year. Twenty people
are employed at the facility working 8 hours a day. According to Mike McGee, the IPC will start
paying Berlin Township for its recyclable materials if its tonnage exceeds a set amount. This amount is
determined by a profit/loss formula. The County pays to operate the facility and whatever is left over
after the sale of the material is split up among the towns according to how much each town has brought
to the facility in that year. Berlin Township received $674 from the facility in 1989, but nothing in
1990. The Township delivered 380 tons of commingled aluminum and tin cans, PET and HDPE plastic
containers, and green, brown, and clear glass to the Camden County Recycling Facility for processing in
1990. Private and municipal haulers are not charged for tipping at the processing plant.
Materials brought to the Camden County Recycling Facility are placed on conveyor belts. Magnets
separate the steel and bimetal cans while automatic air blowers remove aluminum cans. Workers
remove the glass from a conveyor and throw it into glass-crushing machines. Aluminum cans are
flattened and blown into a trailer. Steel cans and clear, green, and brown glass are crushed and then
conveyed into separate bins. Plastic, bottle caps, and labels are removed before the cans and glass are
crushed. The plastic bottles are sorted by type (HDPE and PET) and then baled. Local glass
manufacturers buy the furnace-ready glass. Reynolds Aluminum purchases the aluminum cans. AMG
Resources Corporation in Baltimore and Pittsburgh purchases the steel cans. In 1990, 2,793 tons of
material were rejected as nonrecyclable from the facility, representing 15.6 percent of the average
17,881 tons processed. Approximately 78 percent of this residue represents glass. The New Jersey
Department of Transportation recently issued specs for using glass aggregate in road construction. As a
result, the County expects to begin marketing its glass residue as glass aggregate to a firm in
Pennsauken.
Newspaper and mixed paper are brought to Ponte & Sons in Camden. Ponte & Sons charges Berlin
$10 per ton to recycle these items. Berlin delivers its corrugated cardboard straight from the pick-up
route to Ponte & Sons with no money changing hands. Safety Kleen, located in Pennsylvania, charged
the Township 50 cents per gallon of oil in 1988,10 cents per gallon in 1989, and nothing in 1990. Wade
Salvage of Atco, New Jersey collects scrap metal and car and household batteries. Berlin receives 25
cents for 100 Ibs. of scrap metal and $1.00 for each car battery. Residents of Berlin remove the doors
from white goods. Public Works employees separate heavy scrap metals from aluminum and separate
the tires, motor oil, and batteries from each other. Their labor cost me Township $9,360 in 1989 and
approximately $1,500 in 1990. (This labor cost is just for loading recyclables and shipment to markets.
Loading time dramatically decreased between 1989 and 1990 as a result of avoiding double handling.)
Tires are sent to tire recycling facilities where they are shredded.
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Composting/Mulching Activities
Because the New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act prohibits
landfilling of leaves, Berlin Township has implemented a comprehensive yard waste collection
program. The Pinelands Commission, a State-run board with jurisdiction over a protected area that
encompasses part of Berlin Township, banned the landfilling of grass clippings, and has not yet
provided Berlin Townhsip authorization to compost grass clippings in the Township. Accordingly,
Berlin Township collects grass clippings, mixes these with garden trimmings, and hauls them to HGA
Associates' mulching facility in Winslow, where they are mixed with brush and then ground. The
tipping fee at the facility is $7 per cubic yard. Mike McGee estimates that fewer than 1 percent of the
residents in Berlin Township compost in their backyards even though they are encouraged to do so. The
total tonnage of brush and leaves collected for composting through curbside and drop-off programs has
increased 1,077 tons from 1989 to 1990. Mike McGee claims that this increase is due to the fact that
fewer people are going on vacation, and more time is spent raking and tending to their yards. Berlin
Township's high composting rate can be attributed to its spacious yards, mature deciduous trees, and
frequent collection of a wide range of organic materials.
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Vehicles &
Method:
1976
Department of Public Works
All
Yes
Collection of leaves began in 1976, of brush in 1977, and of grass clippings
in 1990. Stumps, tree trunks, clean lumber, and Christmas trees are also
collected.
Leaves are collected loose in April, November, and December. Workers
will pick up the leaves only if they are raked to the curb and separated
from other yard waste. Prior to 1989, loose leaves were collected once a
month. Collection now averages twice a month. According to Mike McGee,
frequency of collection depends on the amount of leaves that accumulate
at the curbside, the weather conditions, and the amount of debris mixed in
the leaf piles. The Department of Public Works collects bagged leaves
and other yard waste separately throughout the rest of the year in the
course of refuse collection.
The Township has two trucks on the road every day during the loose leaf
collection months. One packer truck with two workers or a dump truck
with a vacuum with three workers is used to collect leaves. Although the
Township purchased two vacuums for leaf collection in 1985, it has since
designed its own scoop, which is faster than the vacuums. The scoop,
really a 2-cubic-yard container with the end cut out, is attached to the
trash truck, and leaves are scooped into it with a front-end loader. The
Recycling Coordinator claims that this design enables the crew to
complete in one day a route that would take a day and a half with the
vacuum. Grass clippings and other yard waste are set out in trash cans or
bags and then collected in one of two 1-ton dump trucks with one worker.
Four dump trucks collect brush. One person operates each of these trucks.
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Collection Frequency: Weekly, year-round. Additional collection of leaves during months of
heavy leaf generation.
Economic Incentives: None
Tonnage Most of the 2,339 tons of yard waste composted in 1990 were collected at
curbside.
Composting Site
In 1989 Berlin's DPW cleared a 2-acre composting site in the public works yard, which cost the
Township $15,000. In 1990 the Township expanded the composting site from 2 1/2 to 4 acres at a cost of
$800, turning it into a regional facility owned and operated by Berlin. The Township incurs all the
operation and maintenance costs. The work performed at the facility is absorbed by the Berlin
Township's Public Works Department. One part-time employee works at the site. Six surrounding
towns bring their yard waste to this site to be composted free of charge. Landscapers can also bring
their yard waste to this site.
Yard waste is placed in large windrows. A SCAT Windrow Composter, purchased for Berlin
Township by Camden County from state taxes in 1990, is used to turn the windrows once per month, for 12
hours each time. (Berlin Township is installing a water supply line and hydrant so that windrows can
be watered.) A final product is produced in 6 months, and the finished compost is given away free;
whatever is not taken, is given to farmers living in various parts of New Jersey. No material is rejected
as noncompostable, and the facility has had no problems with odor.
Berlin Township residents may bring their yard waste to the public works yard. The Township
asks that leaves brought to the public works yard not be put into plastic bags. An estimated 2,339 tons
of yard waste were recovered through collection and drop-off in 1990. The total amount of yard waste
composted at the facility is not tracked or known. Brush, tree stumps, and clean lumber are chipped on a
small area of the DPW yard with a Chipmore chipper, purchased in 1987.
Page 18
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated
Other Paper
Glass
Commingled
Aluminum
Ferrous Scrap
Ferrous Cans
Non-ferrous Scrap
Motor Oil
Appliances
Batteries
Subtotal Recycled
Yard Waste"1"
Clean Lumber
Subtotal Composted
Total Recovered
'Included with commingled
tlncludes leaves and brush
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated
Other Paper*
Commingled
Aluminum
Ferrous Scrap
Motor Oil
Tires
Appliances
Batteries
Subtotal Recycled
Leaves
Brush
Clean Lumber
Subtotal Composted
Total Recovered
•Included with other paper
t!988 tons reported by private haulers
Total
(Tons, 1985)
240
89
199
--
136
3
--
667
789
789
1,456
Public Collection
(Tons, 1989)
»
166
300
300
2
100
5.3
3
52
3.7
932
683.9
493.1
658.4
1,835.4
2,767.4
Total Total
(Tons, 1986) (Tons, 1987)
345 489
106 128
237 *
200
9 *
155 185
4 *
25
3 13
-- --
884 1,015
612 711
273 314
885 1,025
1,769 2,040
Private Collection
(Tons, 1989)
21.3
30.6
1,466.2*
36.3
--
13.9
--
--
--
1
1,569.3
0
0
65.1
65.1
1,634.4
Total
(Tons, 1988)
258
184
1,466
»
296
*
123
»
9
22
5
2,363
686
665
1,351
3,714
Total
(Tons, 1989)
21.3
196.6
1,766.2
336.3
2 '
113.9
5.3
3
52
4.7
2,501.3
683.9
493.1
723.5
1,900.5
4,401.8
Page 19
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Residential Commercial Other Total
Material (Tons, 1990) (Tons, 1990) (Tons, 1990) (Tons, 1990)
Mixed Paper* 311.25 397.73 -- 708.98
Corrugated Cardboard 137.85 650.77 -- 788.62
Glass* 239.56 37.% -- 27752
PET and HDPE Plastic* 16.41 2.6 -- 19.01
Aluminum Cans* 16.41 2.6 -- 19.01
Ferrous Cans* 55.79 8.84 -- 64.63
Ferrous Scrap 218.27 0 -- 21827
Other Metal 4.75 0 -- 4.75
Tires 38.90 0 -- 38.90
Motor Oil 8.75 23.84 -- 32.59
Auto Batteries 4.96 0 — 4.96
Subtotal MSW Recycled 1,052.90 1,124.34 -- 2,177.24
Leaves* 1,377.80 - -- 1,377.80
Brush and Christmas Trees§ 939.47 — — 939.47
Grass Clippings** 22.22 — -- 22.22
Subtotal MSW Composted 2,339.49 -- -- 2,339.49
Total MSW Recovered 3,392.39 1,124.34 -- 4,516.73
Concrete -- — 100 100.00
Stumps and Logs -- -- 295.06 295.06
Wood Waste* -- -- 342.54 34254
Total C&D Recycled -- -- 100 100.00
Total C&D Composted -- -- 637.60 637.60
Total C&D Recovered -- -- 737.60 737.60
Total Materials Recycled 1,052.90 1,124.34 100 2,277.24
Total Materials Composted 2,339.49 0 637.60 2,977.09
Total Materials Recovered 3,392.39 1,124.34 737.60 5,25433
Note. Commercial tonnages include material recycled through public and private sector operations. The Township estimates
that it collected 208 tons of recyclable materials from businesses. The tonnages reported recovered in 1990 were verified by
Camden County and the State of New Jersey.
'Includes newspaper
' Berlin does not track the breakdown of publicly collected commingled recydables. It divided tonnages of commingled material
into the categories of glass, plastic, aluminum and ferrous containers using County estimates.
*The tonnage of leaves composted is based on a 1990 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection conversion factor of 2
cubic yards per ton for compacted leaves and 2.86 cubic yards per ton for vacuumed leaves.
^Berlin estimates the tonnage of wood waste and brush by using conversion factors of 5.5 cubic yards/ton for wood waste and 8.0
cubic yards/ton for brush.
**The tonnage of grass dippings mulched is based on a conversion factor of 2.7 cubic yards per uncompacted ton.
Page 20
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Publicity and Education
The Township publishes a quarterly newsletter for its residents. This newsletter serves as a
community calendar, informing readers of important dates and events. It also contains information
about the recycling and composting programs. For instance, the newsletter tells citizens how to prepare
materials for collection, and publishes the Township's recovery rates. The quarterly is circulated by
the Department of Public Works at no extra cost to the recycling program.
DPW prints an annual recycling calendar specifying the collection days for the Township's three
routes, and distributes it to all residents who receive curbside collection. The 1989 calendar cost the
Department $300. The DPW also spends about $200 a year on occasional fliers and mailings for the
recycling and composting programs.
Berlin Township schools incorporate the New Jersey State Recycling Curriculum. In addition, the
fifth and sixth grade classes produced a short film on recycling in 1989.
Economics
Costs Coven Operating and maintenance costs given below cover (1) curbside collection and
processing of 1,135 tons of residential and commercial recyclables, (2) curbside
collection and processing of 428 tons of C&D debris, (3) collection and processing of
126 tons of recyclables delivered to the drop-off site, (4) curbside collection and
local composting of 2,317 tons of yard waste, and (5) curbside collection and
mulching of 22 tons of grass clippings (mulched at site outside of Berlin
Township).
Capital costs given below cover the DPW's curbside recycling and yard waste
collection programs, its drop-off site, and its composting site.
Capital Costs: Collection
Item
Eager Beaver Trailer
2 Leaf Loaders @ $4,500
Loader @ 5% recycling use
Cost
$12,000
9,000
14,000
Use
Recycling
Composting
Recycling/DPW
Year Incurred
1981
1982
1985
and 95% DPW use
1-ton Dump Truck® 20% 6,000 Recycling/ 1986
recycling use and 80% Composting
composting use
Ford 555 Backhoe Loader @ 30,000 Recycling/ 1986
35% recycling use, 15% Composting/DPW
composting use, and 50% DPW °
use
Dump Truck® 35% recycling 10,000 Recycling/ 1987
use, 15% composting use, and Compostine/DPW
50% DPW use
Page 21
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Berlin- Township, New Jersey
Capital Costs: Collection (cont'd)
Item
Ford F800 Dump Truck @ 35%
recycling use, 15% composting
use, and 50% DPW use
3/4-ton Dump Track @ 50%
recycling use and 50% DPW
use
Stake Body Dump Track @
50% recycling use and 50%
DPW use
Eager Beaver Truck
Nolf. All equipment has been paid off.
Cost
$44,000
6,000
8,400
35,000
Use
Recycling/
Composting/DPW
Recycling/DPW
Recycling/DPW
Recycling
Year Incurred
1988
1988
1989
1989
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
Chipmore Chipper
SCAT Windrow Turner*
Note: All equipment has been paid off.
'Purchased by the County.
Cost
$12,000
65,000
Use
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
1987
1990
Page 22
-------
Berlin Township, New Jersey
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Recycling Subtotal
Collection
Curbside Collection
Drop-Off Collection
Processing
Administration*
Education/Publicity*
Composting Subtotal
Collection
Processing
Administration*
Education/Publicity*
Recycling & Composting Total
Collection
Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity
Cost
$90,184
$72,684
65,916
6,768
17,500
NA
NA
$21,020
$16,216
4,804
NA
NA
$114,704
$88,900
22,304
3,000
500
Tons Covered
1,689
1,689
1,563
126
1,689
1,689
1,689
2,339
2,339
2,339
2,339
2,339
4,028
4,028
4,028
4,028
4,028
Per Ton Cost
$53
$43
42
54
10
NA
NA
$9
$7
2
NA
NA
$28
$22
6
1
t
Note: Berlin Township attributes the low per ton cost of its materials recovery programs to the large quantity of material
recovered per household, its small land area (3.5 square miles), and the shifting of crews between different public works
activities.
'Administration and education/publicity costs cannot be broken into the amount spent for recycling and the amount spent for
composting.
t Less than $1.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Part-time Employees:
$8,123 in 1990; $5,159 in 1989; $7,818 in 1988
Residents' general taxes pay for recycling and composting activities. In
1990 Berlin Township received a $14,607.87 State Tonnage Grant from the
Office of Recycling, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
In 1990 the County gave Berlin Township $800 to expand the composting
site from 2 1/2 to 4 acres.
5 in 1990
2 in 1990 (the Recycling Coordinator and Supervisor)
Page 23
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Berlin Township, New Jersey
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
Berlin Township is continually looking for ways to improve its materials recovery programs. For
example, in order to increase collection efficiency, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, and mixed paper
are currently collected in one vehicle instead of two. The Township is hoping to get approval from the
Pinelands Commission to compost brush and grass clippings at its own compost site, and thus avoid
payment of the $7 per cubic yard tipping fee at the Winslow facility. It is currently testing tub
grinders.
Contact
MikeMcGee
Recycling Coordinator
Director of Public Works
Township of Berlin
170 Bate Avenue
West Berlin, NJ 08091
Phone (609) 767-5052
Fax (609) 767-6657
References
Governmental Advisory Associates, Inc. Materials Recovery and Recycling Yearbook for 1990-91. New
York City, 1990.
Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Beyond 40 Percent: Record-Setting Recycling and Composting
Programs. Washington, D.C. Island Press, 1990.
O'Brien-Kreitzberg & Associates, Inc. Projected Industrial, Commercial, Residential Trash Tonnage for
the Camden Resource Recovery Facility Service Area for the Year 1992. Pennsauken, New Jersey,
August 24,1988.
Page 24
-------
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder,
Colorado
Demographics
Jurisdiction: City of Boulder
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
88,000 in 1990
23 square miles
Approximately 35,000 (22,500 single-family residences and 12,500
households in multi-unit buildings)
6,000 businesses and institutions (estimate)
The City of Boulder, located in the Rocky Mountain region, is home to the
University of Colorado and major industries, including computer and high
tech, aerospace, and health care firms. Median annual per capita income
is $21,740.
Page 25
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Boulder, Colorado
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed*
Incinerated
Landfilled
Generated
Commercial/
Residential Institutional
9,565
7,265
1 2,300
19,639
d 10
i 19,629
29,204
4,162
4,137
25
29,443
0
29,443
33,605
Total Construction
MSW & Demolition
13,727
11,402
2325
49,082
10
49,072
62,809
342
342
0
26,424
0
26,424
26,766
Total
Waste
14,069
11,744
2,325
75,506
10
75,496
89,575
Percent by Weight Recovered
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
33%
25%
8%
12%
12%
t
22%
18%
4%
1%
1%
0%
16%
13%
3%
Note: Some tonnage collected at supermarkets for recycling is not tracked and therefore is not included in tonnage recovered and
generated.
•Boulder does not track actual tonnages of waste disposed. Based on Gty recycling tax receipts, Western Disposal handles 80% of
MSW disposed in the City. Western estimates that it disposes 80% of the C&D debris in Boulder. In 1990 Western Disposal
disposed 60396 tons of Boulder's waste through its transfer station (15,703 tons of residential waste, 23,554 tons of commercial
waste, and 21,139 tons of construction and demolition debris).
tLessthanl%.
Landfill Tipping Fee:
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
In 1989 tipping fees (based on cubic yard fees) ranged from $8 to $12 per
ton. In 1990 fees ranged between $10 and $12 per ton.
Four private waste haulers—Western Disposal, Sunshine, BFI, and
Gerbitz—service both the commercial and the residential sectors.
Western Disposal, Gerbitz, and BFI also handle construction and
demolition debris. Waste is brought to Erie Landfill in Weld County or to
Marshall Landfill, Boulder County's only landfill, which is due to close
in December 1991. When this occurs, trash will be disposed either at the
Erie Landfill or the Jefferson County landfill. In 1991, Western Disposal
bought out Sunshine.
In January 1991, Boulder instituted a volume-based recycling tax on
residential and commercial refuse. All city refuse haulers must charge
residents an additional 40e per month for one can, 75* for two cans, and
$1.10 for unlimited service. Commercial establishments are charged an
additional 20
-------
Boulder, Colorado
Total Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight 1990)
Disposed 84% Recovered 16%
Residential Disposed 22%
C&D Deposed 29o/o ***** «-**•" 8%
Residential Composted 3%
Comm/lnst Recycled 5%
/\^v
^ y/
Comm/lnst Disposed 33%
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative None
Requirements:
In 1976 Eco-Cycle, a nonprofit organization with a strong core of volunteers, initiated recycling in
Boulder. Using renovated school buses, workers collected recyclables from single-family households on
the first Saturday of each month. Eco-Cycle also established a recycling drop-off center within the
City. In 1984 the group implemented an office paper recycling program in County offices; in 1988 it
assumed coordination of the District-wide school recycling program. Eco-Cycle encourages
participation in these programs through a block leader program, which was developed in response to
proposed cuts in Eco-Cycle's funding in 1979. At that time, block leaders organized their neighbors into
a "Save Eco-Cycle" rally against the cuts. Block leaders currently educate their neighbors on recycling
and distribute information on Eco-Cycle's programs.
In 1987 the City Council decided to establish weekly curbside collection of recyclables, which
would replace Eco-Cycle's curbside collection program. Boulder signed a 5-year contract in 1988 with
Western Disposal, a local waste hauler, and with Eco-Cycle. Under the terms of the contract, Western
Disposal collects newspaper, glass, aluminum, and ferrous cans, and delivers them to Eco-Cycle. Eco-
Cycle processes the materials and conducts educational and promotional programs. Revenues from
materials sales are split between Western Disposal and Eco-Cycle. In 1988 Boulder allotted $140,000
Page 27
-------
Boulder, Colorado
from the City's general funds for the recycling program. The following year, program funding increased
to $270,000 to cover market price declines for recyclables and the costs of expanding programs for
apartment building recycling and resident education. A recycling tax enacted by the City in early 1991
provides continued funding for recycling programs and for expansion of commercial recycling, yard
waste, and waste minimization programs.
The volume of yard waste generated in the sparse foothills of the Rocky Mountains is limited.
Nevertheless, the City of Boulder has implemented a few composting projects. Brush is collected and
chipped during the City's annual Spring Clean-up; the mulch is available free of charge to city
residents. Boulder is testing a variety of yard waste composting programs with funding from a U.S. EPA
grant
Boulder's programs have won several awards. In 1990 the City's Precycle program won the
"Boulder County Energy Conservation Award"; in 1991 The National Recycling Coalition (NRC)
awarded Eco-Cycle the "Tim McClure Outstanding Environmental and Community Leadership Award;"
and Colorado Recycles awarded the nonprofit the "Best Recycling Education Award in Colorado."
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency:
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
October 1988 for municipal program (nonprofit program began in 1976)
Western Disposal under contract with the City
Weekly
Yes, for Western Disposal refuse customers. Refuse collection day
varies for other private haulers and may not coincide with pick-up of
recyclables.
22,500 single-family homes, 3,000 households in multi-unit buildings.
As of 1991, approximately 75 apartment buildings with more than 8
units each, the largest with 336 units, were being served.
No
60 percent in 1990 (The City calculates participation based on the total
count of set-outs per month divided by 2.2, the national average of set-
outs per household per month.)1
Newspaper, glass, aluminum cans, and ferrous cans.
Boulder provides each household with a 14-gallon stackable recycling
bin; additional bins can be purchased for $3.50 each. Residents are
required to separate recyclables into three segregations: newspaper,
glass, and commingled aluminum and ferrous cans. Apartment
buildings of eight units or more are serviced with newspaper dumpsters
and 32-gallon polycarts for glass and cans.
Western Disposal uses redesigned packer trucks to collect recyclables.
A two-person crew loads newspapers into the rear compartment and
commingled glass and cans into the two side compartments.
In 1991 Boulder instituted a volume-based tax on waste disposed.
Page 28
-------
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage:
Boulder, Colorado
From September 1990 through June 1991, Boulder employed a part-time
staff member for a curbside "feedback" program to target an increasing
number of residents who were not properly sorting materials at
curbside. Before materials were collected by Western Disposal, this
individual randomly inspected materials set out for recycling.
Residents who set out materials incorrectly received an orange tag
with a description of the problem. Their recyclables were not picked
up. Western Disposal is now responsible for this feedback program.
In 1991 Eco-Cycle implemented a feedback program in apartment
buildings to help minimize contamination problems. If the group
received contaminated loads from apartment buildings, it informed
Western Disposal, and the City sent a written warning to building
managers.
4,641 in 1990
Western Disposal collects recyclables throughout Boulder County. Outside the City, the hauler co-
collects (i.e., collects together) recyclables and refuse. In some areas, residents place recyclables in
color-coded bags (glass in one bag, cans and newspaper in another), and disposal crews place the bags,
along with refuse, in compactor trucks. In other areas, Western Disposal uses a "Western Curbside
Collector"—a packer truck with two bins on each side. Crews place separated recyclables in the four
bins and refuse in the rear compactor.
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Providers:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Pick-up Frequency:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method and
Collection:
Incentives:
Annual Tonnage
There are no legislative requirements.
Eco-Cycle (private, nonprofit), Green Mountain Recycling Services
(private, for-profit), and Western Disposal (private, for-profit)
100-200 are serviced by Eco-Cycle.
City schools, offices, restaurants, and bars
Customers can schedule regular pick-up service, or call the service
provider to arrange for pick-up.
Eco-Cycle and Green Mountain Recycling Services collect corrugated
cardboard, high-grade office paper, newspaper, glass, and aluminum
cans. Western Disposal collects cardboard.
Eco-Cycle provides offices, bars, restaurants, and schools with barrels
for each type of recyclable material. Green Mountain Recycling
Services provides customers with 5- to 55-gallon drums in which to
collect their materials. Western Disposal provides dumpsters for
cardboard.
None
3,516 in 1990 (3,441 tons from Eco-Cycle, based on the estimate that 50
percent of the commercial materials it recovers are from the City of
Boulder, and 75 tons from Green Mountain Recycling Services)
Page 29
-------
Boulder, Colorado
Only a small percentage of Boulder's businesses was serviced with curbside collection of recyclables
in 1990. (Some other businesses used drop-off sites.) Efforts have been made to expand curbside service.
In 1988 for example, the U.S. EPA awarded the City of Boulder a $10,000 grant to implement a pilot bar
and restaurant glass recycling program. Under this program, which is scheduled to operate between
March and October 1991, Green Mountain Recycling Services and Eco-Cycle collect glass in barrels from
36 businesses. Up until 1991, Eco-Cycle collected recyclables free of charge from businesses. Due to a
drop in the market price paid for recyclables, Eco-Cycle now charges businesses fees based on the number
of containers and frequency of collection.
IBM, located in Boulder, collects, shreds, bales and markets large volumes of office paper. (These
tonnages are not available.)
In 1990 Eco-Cycle collected approximately 41 tons of high-grade paper from 75 percent of Boulder's
public schools. Many schools collected aluminum cans for fundraising activities. The following year,
the School Board provided additional funds to be able to include all schools in Boulder Valley in the
recycling program. In 1991 there was 100 percent participation in this program.
The University of Colorado has an extensive recycling program with 225 drop-off sites campus-
wide. The drop-offs accept 16 materials for recycling, including paper, yard waste, food waste, motor
oil, plastic, computers and other research tools, batteries, and antifreeze. The programs are funded
through a 30f surcharge per student, avoided disposal costs, and revenues from materials sales. The
University's 1989-90 recycling budget totaled $40,000 (70 percent from materials revenues and 30 percent
from disposal cost rebates and recycling surcharges).
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type:
Public or Private:
Sectors Served:
Materials Accepted:
Annual Tonnage:
247 drop-off sites, of which 225 are located on the University of
Colorado campus. The other 22 are off-campus; 8 of these are buy-back
centers.
Private
Residential and commercial. Recyclables brought to Eco-Cycle's drop-
off site cannot be broken down into residential and commercial tonnages
because the center is unstaffed and open 24 hours per day. Western
Disposal, Liquor Mart, King Soopers, and Safeway accept recyclables
primarily from the residential sector. The University of Colorado's
on-campus drop-off sites are used by University students and staff.
Drop-off centers operated by Eco-Cycle and Western Disposal accept
newspaper, corrugated cardboard, phone books, aluminum cans, ferrous
cans, glass, and lead-acid batteries. Eco-Cycle pays for aluminum and
glass delivered by private haulers and residents (except for material
collected through the municipal curbside program). Green Mountain
Recycling Services accepts high-grade and mixed paper, aluminum
and tin cans, and lead-acid batteries. Three buy-back centers—
Safeway, Albertson's, and Reynolds Aluminum—purchase only
aluminum cans. Liquor Mart purchases glass as well. King Soopers
purchases aluminum cans, glass, newspaper, and plastic.
3,244 in 1990 (1,621 tons from Eco-Cycle, 1,003 tons from King Soopers,
and 620 tons from the University of Colorado; equal to 28 percent of
total recyclables recovered in the City)
Page 30
-------
Boulder, Colorado
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
All materials collected at curbside and through Eco-Cycle's drop-off center are brought to the Eco-
Cycle processing center in Boulder. No tipping fee is charged. The 2.5-acre site on which the center is
located has been leased from the City for the last 15 years. Over the past 3 years, Eco-Cycle has spent
nearly half a million dollars on new processing equipment and site modifications; however, much of the
processing still occurs outdoors. The sole building contains a Mosley baler, a workroom for the Center's
developmentally disabled workers, and two small offices. A mobile home houses the rest of the
administrative staff. Materials are sorted outside, unless it is especially windy, cold, rainy, or hot; at
those times Eco-Cycle shuts down the facility. All materials, except for glass, are baled. In 1991
Ecocycle started flattening aluminum cans with their new aluminum can flattener, rather than baling
them. Commingled cans are sorted with a magnetic sorting conveyor system, and accurate weights are
obtained with the Master Can Buyer computerized hopper system. Eco-Cycle processes an average of 72
tons per day of paper, glass, cans, metal, batteries, and plastic (collected from the City and County), at
a cost of $37 per ton. Less than 1 percent of the materials processed are rejected and landfilled. Eco-
Cycle designed an elevated paper-sorting conveyor system and has nearly completed its construction, at
a cost of $80,000. High-grade white and colored paper, and computer paper will be hand-sorted with
the new system. According to the director of Eco-Cycle, contamination and the commingling of
recyclables are major obstacles to successful marketing of recyclables in Boulder. Through education and
publicity programs, Eco-Cycle and the City have strongly emphasized the need for proper sorting.
Eco-Cycle and Green Mountain Recycling Services bring glass directly to Coors Brewery in Golden,
Colorado. Eco-Cycle sells aluminum locally. Ferrous cans are sold to Proler in Arizona. Newspaper is
sold in Arizona and Utah, and to brokers on the West Coast for overseas shipment. High-grade paper
is sold to West Coast mills, which ship some paper overseas. Mixed paper is sold to Republic
Paperboard in Denver, and lead-acid batteries are sold to ANA Metals in Denver. Green Mountain
Recycling Services sells its materials to Eco-Cycle or to processing facilities in other parts of the State.
Western Disposal sells recyclables collected at its drop-off center to Eco-Cycle. In 1990 the University
of Colorado sold its recyclables to Recycle America in Denver; in September 1991 it began to sell
recyclables to Weyerhaueser in Denver. The University also sends used research materials, such as
eyeglasses and computers, to developing countries.
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement
The City has taken an active role in the procurement of recycled paper products. In March 1989,
the City Council passed an ordinance establishing a 5 percent price preference for City purchases of
recycled paper products. City stationery, copier paper for most large copy jobs, envelopes, memo pads,
paper towels, and toilet paper are all made of recycled paper. In April 1990, the City, along with
Boulder County, Eco-Cycle, and several large organizations, sponsored a Recycled Paper Fair to
encourage the purchase of recycled paper. A Colorado Recycled Products EXPO was held in Boulder on
September 25,1991.
Page 31
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Boulder, Colorado
Composting/Mulching Activities
In 1989 the U.S. EPA awarded Boulder a grant to develop composting programs. That year, Boulder
instituted a pilot leaf composting program and collected 100 tons of leaves from 5,000 households. The
compost was ready in June 1990; it was given away free of charge to residents and used in city parks.
After the pilot project, the City shifted its emphasis to backyard composting. Boulder spent the
remaining $8,000 of the grant to fund a backyard composting program, which began in spring 1991. The
program featured free neighborhood seminars, and the City provided composting bins to some residents.
Eco-Cyde includes information on backyard composting in its quarterly newsletter.
During six weekends in fall 1991, the City sponsored a leaf collection program with revenues
generated from the recycling tax. Residents dropped leaves off at five sites citywide. Department of
Public Works vehicles collected the leaves each weekend and brought them to a local farmer, who
tilled the leaves into the soil.
The Public Works Department collects and chips residential brush and branches as part of the
annual spring clean-up. Residents set out branches loose, separate from trash. Five Gty and contracted
crews, totalling 40 people, collect branches citywide over a 3-week period, using front-end loaders and
dump trucks. The chips are given away to residents or applied by City crews to parks and recreational
areas. In the month of January, residents may drop off their Christmas trees for mulching. (In 1989
some of the trees were sunk in the Boulder reservoir to improve the fish habitat.)
The University of Colorado composts yard waste and food waste from University cafeterias, and
uses the compost for landscaping throughout the campus.
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Boulder, Colorado
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
High-grade Paper
Mixed Paper
Glass
HDPE and PET Plastic*
Aluminum Cans
Ferrous Cans
Appliances/White Goods
Other Metal
Other Materials§
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Brush and Leaves
Christmas Trees"1"1"
Food Waste**
Subtotal MSW Composted
Total MSW Recovered
C&D Debris§§
Total C&D Recycled
Total Materials Recycled
Total Materials Composted
Total Materials Recovered
Residential
(Tons, 1990)*
3,733
313
76
1,887
0
106
100
26
21
1,003
7,265
2,250
50
0
2,300
9,565
--
--
7,265
2,300
9,565
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons, 1990)*
1,138
824
1,054
868
218
1
15
0
0
19
0
4,137
13
0
12
25
4,162
--
--
4,137
25
4,162
Other Total
(Tons, 1990) (Tons, 1990)
4,871
1,137
1,130
868
2,105
1
121
100
26
40
1,003
11,402
2,263
50
12
2,325
13,727
342 342
342 342
342 11,744
2,325
342 14,069
'Residential tonnages include materials collected by Western Disposal's residential curbside collection program (4,641 tons), Eco-
Cycle's drop-off center (1,621 tons; an unknown number of businesses drop off recydables at the center), and King Soopers, a
supermarket chain (1,003 tons).
Commercial/institutional tonnages include Eco-Cyde's (3,441 tons) and Green Mountain Recycling Services' (75 tons) commercial
accounts, and the University of Colorado's recydables (620 tons).
*-The University of Colorado recydes both HDPE and PET plastics.
§Other materials recyded are aluminum cans, glass, and plastic collected primarily from the residential sector from King
Soopers. A tonnage breakdown is not available. Five King Soopers stores in Boulder County recyded 2,508 tons in 1990. Two of
these stores are located in the City.
"City of Boulder collected 15,000 cubic yards of residential brush during the 1990 "Spring Clean-Up." This volume is converted
to weight using a conversion factor from R.W. Beck Associates of 300 pounds per cubic yard. The commerdal figure represents
tonnage composted at the University of Colorado.
*ln 1990 the City collected 5,000 Christmas trees. (Tonnage is based on an ILSR estimate of 20 pounds per tree.)
estimated 26 cubic yards of food waste were recovered from the University of Colorado. The tonnage figure given above is
based on a conversion factor of 900 Ibs per cubic yard, as reported by Donn Derr, et al. in "Feasibility of Food Waste Recycling in
New Jersey," 1984.
33C&D materials recyded from Western Disposal's transfer center indude nonferrous and ferrous scrap and carpet pads.
Page 33
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Boulder, Colorado
Source Reduction Initiatives
Through its quarterly newsletter, Eco-Cycle Times, arid other educational programs, Eco-Cycle
encourages Boulder residents to choose environmentally benign products when they shop, including
products made from recycled materials.
From October to December 1990, the City of Boulder conducted a Precycle Program funded through a
grant from the U.S. EPA. All grocery stores in the City participated. Volunteers posted signs and
distributed 12,000 brochures throughout the stores to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags, to buy
in bulk, and to make other environmentally sound purchasing choices. Products with minimal
packaging, and those made with recycled or recyclable materials, were labeled with a pink precycle
tag. Each supermarket had a volunteer-staffed booth to assist shoppers with the precycle campaign.
Approximately 2,000 shoppers talked with a precycle volunteer, and 74 percent of residents responding
to a City survey said that the program helped them to reduce waste. The City has extended the
program for 1 year in one store, using the recycling tax revenues, and is currently developing a travelling
Precycle display, and a holiday packaging reduction program. A chain of Montana grocery stores,
Butrey's, modeled its precycle program on Boulder's. The Precycle program received the 1990 Boulder
County "Energy Conservation Award."
Publicity and Education
Residential
Since the 1970's, Eco-Cycle has actively promoted recycling programs through its model block
leader program, processing center open houses, and quarterly newsletter. A volunteer block leader,
assigned to each street, distributes recycling literature and promotes neighborhood participation in
recycling programs. Block leaders are recognized during the annual Volunteer Appreciation Party,
when Eco-Cycle awards "Oscars" to exemplary volunteers, businesses, and schools. Eco-Cycle estimates
the cost of the block leader program at $30,000 per year for one full-time residential coordinator, one
quarter-time apartment coordinator, and for material costs.
In addition to Eco-Cycle's activities, Boulder promotes recycling through fliers, posters, newspaper
ads, public service announcements, and direct mailings. The City also sponsors a recycling hotline.
Commercial/Institutional
Since 1982 the Boulder Valley School District has funded an environmental education program.
Eco-Cycle has operated the program since 1988, and employs the school program coordinator. In 1989,
75 percent of the District schools participated in their recycling program, which consists of recyclables
collection and solid waste reduction education. Students and faculty separate paper and aluminum cans
and store them in recycling containers provided by Eco-Cycle. A contact person in each school informs
Eco-Cycle when the bins are full. Eco-Cycle provides each school with a monthly status report on
recycling efforts, and students keep track of the number of trees spared due to recycling on banners
displayed in each school. During the annual Volunteer Appreciation Day, Eco-Cycle awards tree
seedlings to the school(s) with the highest recycling rates. The educational program includes slide
shows, field trips to the landfill and processing center, and in-store precycle scavenger hunts. In 1991
the Boulder Valley School District allocated funds to implement recycling in all District schools. The
University of Colorado, which has an extensive recycling program, advises other universities how to
set up recycling programs on their campuses.
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Boulder, Colorado
The City of Boulder held business-oriented seminars at the 1991 Recycled Products EXPO, and has
developed a brochure on business recycling opportunities. In November 1991, the City began sponsoring
pilot cardboard drop-off centers for businesses.
Economics
Costs Coven Costs include 1990 contract fees paid to Western Disposal and Eco-Cycle for
collection and processing of 4,641 tons of recyclable* collected at curbside from the
residential sector, and 1990 City operating and maintenance costs for (1) an
estimated collection and processing of 2,250 tons of spring clean-up brush, (2)
processing of an estimated 50 tons of Christmas trees, and (3) program
administration and education costs.
Capital Costs: Collection
Item
3 Converted Trucks* @ $50,000
27,500 Recycling Bins @ $5.15
and $5.50
4,000 Recycling Bins @ $5
4,000 Recycling Bins @ $5
2 Roll-off Trucks*
5 20-foot Cube Trucks (used)t
4 Front-end Loaders @
$125,000 (6% of time)
20 Trucks @ $70,000 (6% of time)
10 Tractor Trailer Vehicles
5 Dump Trucks
Cost
$150,000
143,205
20,000
20,000
50,000
50,000
500,000
1,400,000
Contracted
NA
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Mulching
Mulching
Mulching
Mulching
Year Incurred
1987
1988
1990
1991
1982, 1990
1976-1991
NA
NA
NA
NA
Note: All equipment has been paid in full.
'Purchased and owned by Western Disposal.
'Purchased and owned by Eco-Cyde. Eco-Cycle bought used vehicles and redesigned the trucks for recycling.
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
Mosley Baler*
40-Foot Truck Scale*
2 Forklifts*
Front-end Loader*
Magnet Sorter Conveyor*
Cost
$500,000
40,000
20,000
25,000
10,000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Year Incurred
1988
1988
1977, 1990
NA
1988
Page 35
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Boulder, Colorado
Capital Costs: Processing (cont'd)
Item
Semi-tractor Trailer*
Master Can Buyer Hopper*
2 Utility Trucks*
Aluminum Can Flattener/
Blower
Tub Grinder1"
15 Composting Bins @ $25
Cost
3,000
$10,000
25,000
Donated**
NA
375
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Mulching
Backyard
Composting
Year Incurred
NA
1990
NA
1991
NA
1990
'Equipment owned by Eco-Cycle and paid for in full. R.W. Beck estimates a cost of $900,000 to replace existing equipment.
**Donated by Reynolds Aluminum.
"*Tub grinder, used for Spring Clean-up, is owned by a private contractor.
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Recycling Subtotal
Curbside Collection*
Processing*
Administration**
Education/Publicity*
Composting Subtotal
Collection and Processing*
Administration
Education/Publicity
Recycling & Composting Total
Collection and Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity*
Cost
$340,000
$235,000
25,000
45,000
35,000
$120,946
$120,946
0
0
$460,946
$380,946
45,000
35,000
Tons Covered
4,641
4,641
4,641
4,641
4,641
2,250
2,250
2,250
2,250
6,891
6,891
6,891
6,891
Per Ton Cost
$73
$51
5
10
8
$54
$54
0
0
$67
$55
7
5
Nole: Costs given above represent the City's operating and maintenance costs.
'The City's contract fees paid to Western Disposal and Eco-Cycle for recycling collection and processing in 1990 totalled $270,000.
In 1990 Boulder paid Western a flat fee of $160,000 plus an additional fee of $0.44 for each additional household served above
22,000 residences, and $33.50 per month for each of the 34 multi-unit central unit collection points. (In 1989 Western received
$21.00 per multi-unit building.) The City also paid Western Disposal and Eco-Cycle a $7.00 per ton subsidy for newspaper due to
the drop in market price. Western Disposal received $235,000 and Eco-Cycle received $35,000, of which they spent $10,000 on
education and publicity.
tlncludes $10,000 from Eco-Cycle, $10,000 from Environmental Affairs, $7,500 for the curbside feedback program, and $7,500
for the recycling hotline.
?A breakdown for compost collection and processing is not available. The City spent $43,556 over the 3-week collection period for
the operation of City vehicles and $77390 for contracted trucks and drivers..
'' Administrative costs exclude Western Disposal's and Ecocycle's administrative expenses, which are included under their
contract fees listed above.
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Boulder, Colorado
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Part-time Employees:
$330,000 in materials revenues from drop-off and curbside programs are
split between Western Disposal and Eco-Cycle.
City of Boulder general funds, U.S. EPA grants
34 (4 Western Disposal employees collect recyclables, and 30 Eco-Cycle
employees work at the Boulder Processing Center.)
54 (2 City employees spending approximately half their time on
administrative activities related to recycling; 2 part-time employees
contracted by the City—1 to run the curbside feedback program and
another to manage the recycling hotline; and 45 Public Works
Department employees collecting branches during "Spring Clean-Up."
Eco-Cycle employees 5 part-time people through the
Developmentally Disabled Center's labor program. Eco-Cycle also
uses prison crews once per week for processing, and community service
workers for varied activities.
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
Boulder plans to further develop its recycling services with money generated from the new recycling
tax. Priorities include expansion of the yard waste composting and apartment building collection
programs. The City plans to open several corrugated cardboard drop-off sites for businesses. It is also
assessing the feasibility of adding plastics to its curbside collection program.
Eco-Cycle hopes to relocate its processing operation to a larger site by 1993. The County, along with
Eco-Cycle and R.W. Beck Associates, is evaluating future capacity needs. Eco-Cycle proposes that the
new processing facility be built and operated under a public/private partnership. Eco-Cycle proposes
that the facility include a community education center, expanded services for yard waste composting,
and a household hazardous waste drop-off site. Eco-Cycle also plans to employ prisoners from the
local jail, and to develop local manufacturing opportunities for recyclables.
Contacts
Alison Peters
Assistant Director
Environmental Affairs, City of Boulder
P.O. Box 791
Boulder, CO 80306
Phone (303) 441-3090
Fax (303) 441-4478
Brad Landers
President
Green Mountain Recycling Services
2750 Spruce St.
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone (303) 442-7535
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Boulder, Colorado
Eric Lombardi Jack Debell
Executive Director Director
Eco-Cycle University of Colorado Recycling
P.O. Box 4193 Campus Box 207
5030 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80309
Boulder, CO 80306 Phone (303) 492-8037
Phone (303) 444-6634
Suzanne Gripman
Recycling Coordinator
Western Disposal Services
5880 Butte Mill Road
Boulder, CO 80301
Phone (303) 444-2037
Fax (303) 444-7509
Other individuals who assisted with the preparation of this case study include: Cyndra Dietz of
Eco-Cycle, Joel Stringhal of Gerbitz, and Kevin Kiely of Western Disposal. Special thanks to Lea Anne
Connelly, formerly of Western Disposal, for her assistance with the case study.
References
Eco-Cycle Times, Vol. 13 (Autumn 1989) and Vol. 14 (Autumn 1990).
Recycle Boulder, Recycling Programs. Boulder: Department of Environmental Affairs, 1989.
Riggle, David. "Community Recycling in Colorado." Biocycle, March 1991.
Skumatz, Lisa A., Variable Rates in Solid Waste: Handbook for Solid Waste Officials. NTIS
Document number EPA 910/9-90-012b, June 1990.
Endnotes
^This set-out ratio is based on multipliers that Waste Management of North America, Inc. has found to be
accurate for weekly programs; these range from 2 to 2.5. Source: The National Recycling Coalition Measurement
Standards and Reporting Guidelines, National Recycling Coalition, October 1989.
Page 38
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Columbia, Missouri
Columbia,
Missouri
Demographics
Jurisdiction:
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
City of Columbia
69,101 in 1990
44.7 square miles
25,542 (13,391 in single-family homes and 12,151 in multi-unit buildings)
3,032 (3,000 businesses, 22 public schools, 1 university, 2 private liberal
arts colleges, and 7 hospitals)
Columbia, the seat of Boone County, is located in central Missouri,
approximately halfway between Kansas City and St Louis. The
University of Missouri is the major employer in the City, employing over
10,000 people. Other large employers include the Boone Hospital Center,
Truman Veterans Hospital, and several electrical components
manufacturers. The cost of living in Columbia has been consistently rated
below the national average, and the unemployment rate for Boone County
was 2.8 percent in 1990. In 1987, the most recent year for which data are
available, per capita income in Columbia was $11,078.
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Columbia, Missouri
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (October 1989 to September 1990)*
Commercial/
Institutional Deposit Total
Residential andC&D* Containers Waste*
Recovered 3,242 6,671 1,290 11,203
Recycled 3,242 6,671 1,290 11,203
Composted NA NA -- NA
Disposed 27,615 45,300 -- 72,915
Incinerated§ 15 0 - 15
Landfilled 27,600 45,300 -- 72,900
Generated 30,857 51,971 1,290 84,118
Percent by Weight Recovered
Recovered ' 11% 13% — 13%
Recycled 11% 13% -- 13%
Composted NA NA — NA
Note: Waste recovered excludes any organic waste since these figures are not tracked. Whole tires are included in waste
disposed, as none were recovered until October 1991.
"Tonnage figures for waste landfilled are extrapolated from the results of a 4-week weighing period in August 1989 conducted by
the DPW at the Columbia Sanitary Landfill. Annual tonnages of recydables collected at curbside are for October 1989 through
September 1990 (FY 1990). This figure includes recydables collected from 200 households outside of the City that are not serviced
with refuse collection by the DPW. Tonnages of residential waste recovered through drop-off sites, deposit containers, and
recydables collected from the commercial sector (FY 1988) were obtained from a study conducted by Burns and McDonnell.
Tonnage of commercial recydables is from the period 1988-89 (see Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered chart).
t Recycling and disposal of construction and demolition debris in Columbia are not being tracked separately from commercial and
institutional waste. In the base year of study (1989-90), a negligible amount of C&D waste was being recovered.
i Total waste is the sum of residential, commercial/institutional and C&D, and indudes 1,290 tons of deposit containers
reclaimed via the container ordinance.
§ Residential waste incinerated represents oil collected through the municipal curbside program (15 tons in FY 1990), which was
burned to generate heat at the local landfill offices.
Landfill Tipping Fee: $10.30 per ton from 1988 through September 1990; increased to $11.50 per
ton in October 1990, and $1250 per ton in January 1991. As of October 1991,
the tipping fee increased to $19.50 per ton ($1.50 of which goes to the
State Department of Natural Resources).
Refuse Collection and The City of Columbia collects residential refuse weekly. Residents of
Disposal: single-family homes and multi-unit buildings of four units or fewer are
charged $5.94 per month for refuse collection. All such units receive 90
black plastic refuse bags per year, the cost of which is incorporated into
the monthly fee. Effective October 1991, the rates were raised to $7.96
per month, and the number of bags distributed was reduced to 75.
Apartment buildings of five or more units are eligible for dumpsters, and
residents are charged $4.94 per month. This rate was increased to $7.25 as
Page 40
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Columbia, Missouri
Total Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight FY1990)
Disposed 87% ^^MMM^^ Recovered 13%
Residential Disposed 33%
^HBHBH^HHHH^H^^^^^ ^0^
Residential Recycled 4%
Comm/lnst and
C&D Disposed 54%
Comm/lnst and
C&D Recycled 8%
Deposit Containers Recycled 2%
Note: Due to rounding, numbers do not add to 100%
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
of October 1991. Residential refuse collection and disposal cost the City
approximately $1,164,936 in 1990 for the collection of the 27,600 tons that
were landfilled.
According to a study conducted by Burns and McDonnell, a Kansas City
based consulting firm, the Department of Public Works hauls more than 90
percent of commercial/institutional waste in the City. Three private
haulers, J.T. Brown Disposal, T-Mac Solid Waste, and Red, White and
Blue Disposal, handle the remaining 10 percent of waste from the
commercial sector. All waste collected by the municipality is dumped at
the municipally owned and operated City of Columbia Sanitary Landfill,
an average distance of 8 miles from the City's collection routes.
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Columbia, Missouri
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative In 1977 the City of Columbia passed the only citywide bottle bill in the
Requirements: United States, requiring retailers and distributors to exact a 5-cent
surcharge on all carbonated beverages sold in bottles or cans in Columbia,
and to refund customers upon the return of such beverage containers.
In 1990 Missouri mandated a 40 percent diversion of its waste stream
through source reduction, recycling, and composting by 1998. But stringent
materials recovery legislation did not take effect until 1991. In January
1991, lead-acid batteries, whole tires, motor oil, and white goods were
banned from landfills. Yard waste will be banned in January 1992.
Missouri also enacted a $0.50 product tax on new tires, and a $1.50 per ton
surcharge on all material tipped at the landfill.
Community recycling in Columbia began as early as 1971, when the Community Rehabilitation
Center (CRC)—-an occupational center for developmentally disabled adults—set up a drop-off site for
newspapers, glass, and aluminum cans. The City provided the CRC with operational support until
1978, when the center closed due to financial difficulties. In mid-1980, a local resident started Civic
Recycling, a private for-profit recycling venture consisting of a multi-material buy-back and
commercial collection program. Since its inception, Civic Recycling has been "pivotal to the continued
growth of multi-material recycling in the City."1
In 1984 a student intern in the City's Solid Waste Division was commissioned by the State
Department of Natural Resources to evaluate the feasibility of curbside recycling in Columbia. The
study concluded that Columbians showed a significant interest in recycling and that regional markets
for recyclable materials existed. Shortly after the study was released, a local community group
submitted a proposal to the Columbia City Council for the implementation of a curbside program. The
proposal was approved, and Columbia's Department of Public Works (DPW) launched a pilot curbside
program in August 1985. During the pilot program, the DPW provided monthly curbside collection of
recyclable materials from 3,700 eligible households in selected neighborhoods throughout Columbia.
Curbside collection of recyclables went citywide in July 1986, one year after the pilot program
began. Every resident of the City of Columbia and 200 residents outside the City who receive City
utilities are eligible for monthly curbside collection of old newsprint, corrugated cardboard, glass and
aluminum containers, and motor oil. Persons interested in participating are asked to call the City and
"enroll" in the program. Enrollment in Columbia's curbside program has steadily increased. By the end
of 1986, 2,210 households were enrolled and, on average, 50 percent of those households participated.
Enrollment was up to 5,118 households by October of 1989, the beginning of the fiscal year, and had
climbed to 7,060 (which includes 200 households outside of the City limits) by September 1990. As of
June 1991, 8,315 households had enrolled. Participation in the program is consistently between 60 and
65 percent of those enrolled. As of mid-1991, more than 5,000 households were voluntarily setting out
recyclables once a month. In FY 1990, 1,052 tons of recyclable materials were collected through the
curbside program—a 62 percent increase over the tonnage collected in FY 1989. By the end of June 1991
(the third quarter of FY 1991 year), the City had collected more than 1,080 tons of recyclables.
For more than 25 years, residents and landscapers from Columbia have been bringing yard waste to
a mulch site operated by the Parks and Recreation Department and have contributed their Christmas
trees to the Department's annual bonfire. Columbia's Department of Public Works began collecting
Christmas trees at curbside 3 years ago, and is planning to implement curbside service for yard waste by
October 1991. The recovery of clean fill in Columbia has been facilitated by an innovative swap
program in which the City acts as a clearinghouse. The City attempts to connect those who can supply
clean fill with those individuals and or companies that require it. As of Spring 1990, Columbia has
Page 42
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Columbia, Missouri
offered a reduced landfill tipping fee (one-half of the mixed refuse tipping fee) for businesses that
separate clean fill from the commercial waste stream.
A unique feature of Columbia's materials recovery program is the citywide bottle bill. The idea
was conceived by a University of Missouri professor whose class launched a petition drive as a class
project. In 1977 the Columbia City Council passed a beverage container ordinance requiring that a 5 cent
deposit be placed on all nonrefillable carbonated beverage containers. Beverage distributors mark the
containers with an indelible "Columbia" stamp or label and initiate the deposit. Retailers and
distributors of beverages are required to accept all such containers for refund. Biodegradable beverage
containers and refillable glass bottles are excluded from the ordinance. Since its passage, the ordinance
has survived three attempts at repeal. In FY 1990, 12 percent of all material recycled in Columbia
consisted of deposit containers.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency:
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
July 1986 (pilot program began in August 1985)
Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Division
Monthly
No
5,096 in single-family homes as of September 1989, 7,060 as of September
1990, and 8315 as of June 1991.
No
Of the households enrolled, 61 percent participated in 1989, and 62
percent participated in 1990, based on set-outs per month. This represents
14 percent of total households in FY 1989, and 20 percent in FY 1990.
Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, paperboard, aluminum beverage
containers, flint, green, and brown glass, and motor oil are collected at
curbside. Lead-acid batteries were added in 1991. The Department of
Public Works collects major appliances at curbside on request for $5 per
item.
Residents are asked to source separate their recyclables. Newspaper is
set out in bags or bundled and tied with string. Corrugated cardboard and
paperboard are flattened and set out boxed or bagged. Glass is separated
by color and placed in separate boxes or bags. Aluminum cans are bagged.
Used motor oil is placed in capped plastic containers. In case of rain, the
DPW recommends that residents cover the recyclables with plastic,
which crews will leave behind for residents to reuse. If recyclables are
set out incorrectly, crew members leave bright yellow stickers on set-out
containers indicating why the material was not collected. Blue Piper
Case Pro 14-gallon bins (Model RC 12) are available from the City for $5
per container. As of the end of 1990, more than 200 recycling bins had been
purchased.
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Columbia, Missouri
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage:
A two-person crew (one driver and one laborer) collects segregated
recyclables at curbside, using a 16-foot compartmentalized gooseneck
trailer attached to a 1-ton pick-up truck. Materials are placed in nine
separate bins in the trailer four for newspaper, one for each color of glass,
one for aluminum cans, and one for corrugated cardboard and kraft paper
bags that are used in set-out. As of June 1990, a 25-cubic-yard packer truck
with one crew member was used for corrugated cardboard collection.
None
Not applicable. Scavenging has been a problem, but the City has not
taken any action to prevent it
1,052 tons in FY1990, and 1,434 tons in FY1991
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Materials Collected:
Pick-up Frequency:
Set-out and Collection
Method:
Incentives:
Annual Tonnage:
Under the City's Container Deposit Ordinance, businesses that sell
beverages are required to accept aluminum, glass, and plastic beverage
containers marked "Columbia."
Civic Recycling
Approximately 300. Civic Recycling estimates that it collects recyclables
from 10 percent of the businesses in Columbia, including eight beverage
retailers, that collect an estimated 90 percent of the deposit beverage
containers.
Businesses and institutions, including grocery stores, department stores,
hospitals, medical facilities, the University of Missouri, and primary
and secondary schools
Corrugated cardboard, newspaper, office paper, glass, aluminum, and PET
plastic
Varies with the volume of recyclables generated. Typically materials
are collected weekly or every other week.
Civic Recycling supplies 90-gallon toters to many businesses. Custodians
collect paper from desktop boxes or wastebasket companion bins in these
toters and take them to a central storage area in the facility. Civic
Recycling picks up the paper either directly from the toters or from bins or
dumpsters into which the contents of the toters are deposited. Other
businesses and institutions use large centrally located bins. Commingled
waste paper is hauled by dump truck to the processing center.
The cost of recyclables collection is competitive with, and often lower
than, the cost of refuse collection.
Not available
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Columbia, Missouri
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type One privately run buy-back center and six scrap yards service the Qty of
Columbia. In addition, grocery stores and other retailers of carbonated
beverages accept glass, aluminum, and plastic containers covered under
Columbia's deposit ordinance.
Public or Private: Private
Sectors Served: Residential and commercial sectors
Materials Accepted: Newspaper, high-grade paper, other paper, glass, aluminum, bimetal
cans, plastic (HOPE and PET), scrap metal, motor oil, and batteries
Annual Tonnage Not available
Salvage/Reuse
Pallets are rebuilt by Civic Recycling. In FY 1989, the company collected and rebuilt 39,000 pallets
(at 30 pounds per pallet, approximately 585 tons). The City of Columbia and some area businesses bring
their pallets to Civic Recycling. Civic Recycling also collects pallets from other businesses. The
Salvation Army and thrift stores throughout the City of Columbia provide residents the opportunity to
reuse clothing that would otherwise be landfilled.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclable Materials
The City of Columbia contracts with a private company, Civic Recycling, for the processing of
materials collected through the City's curbside program. Under the original arrangement, the City
received 60 percent of the market value that Civic Recycling received for aluminum, 50 percent for
glass, and 40 percent for newspaper and corrugated cardboard. Due to a glut in the newspaper market,
Columbia did not receive any revenue for newspaper after April 1989. In June 1991, the City
renegotiated its contract with Civic Recycling. The City now receives 100 percent of the average
monthly price for aluminum and glass based on figures published in Recycling Times, and 70 percent of
the average monthly indexed price from the Paper Stock Report for corrugated cardboard, but pays
Civic a $15 per ton processing fee for newspaper.
Civic Recycling's intermediate processing center (IPC), which includes three buildings totalling
26,000 square feet, is sited on 8.5 acres with a rail spur, an average distance of 5 miles from City
collection routes. The center, which began operating in 1980, now employs 20 to 26 full-time employees.
It processes approximately 75 tons of recyclable materials per day (with a maximum capacity of 100
tons per day assuming the same operating schedule) including office paper, file stock, old newsprint,
corrugated cardboard, aluminum and tin cans, three colors of glass, and PET plastics. Materials from
commercial collection routes and from municipal curbside programs, and containers collected from area
supermarkets, are tipped onto a main floor, swept into a pit with a front-end loader and lifted by
conveyor into a manual-sorting area. Mixed office paper is graded by hand and baled. Customers are
asked to color-sort glass, so minimal hand-sorting is required at the IPC. Glass is crushed in Gaylord
boxes and shipped to Owens-Brockway in Illinois. Aluminum is densified and baled, and sold to both
regional and out-of-state markets including Reynolds, Alcoa, Alcan, and Kaiser. Plastics are baled and
sold to two regional facilities. Corrugated cardboard, office paper, and old newsprint are baled and
stored in rail cars. When the cars are full, the materials are sold to the highest bidder. Waste paper
has been sold to Jefferson Smurfit Paper Company in Illinois, Southeast Paper in Georgia, and markets
in the Southwest and Mexico.
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Columbia, Missouri
Civic Recycling chips wooden pallets that cannot be rebuilt with a pallet shredder and tub grinder.
The mulch produced is used by City residents. The City began collecting white goods and lead-acid
batteries in January 1991, spurred by a State landfill ban. A local scrap metal recycler, Central Metals,
sells the scrap to McKinley Iron or to markets in Kansas City, and returns the capacitors to the City.
The DPW is storing the capacitors until its household hazardous waste program is implemented in
April 1992; at that time, the capacitors will be disposed of by a licensed hazardous waste hauler.
Batteries from the municipal curbside program are sent to a local dealer, who recycles them through a
battery recycler in Southern Missouri. Despite the presence of manufacturers of rubber goods and tire-
derived fuel in Illinois, Tennessee, and Texas, the market for used tires in Columbia is very weak.
Columbia recommends that residents have tires shredded because several local haulers will haul
shredded tires for free.
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement
According to a study by Bums and McDonnell, "Civic Recycling has demonstrated its commitment to
the recycling industry and appears to be capable of expansions and innovative marketing in order to
maintain its position as the City's only major broker/processor." Dave Allen, owner of Civic Recycling,
has actively pursued markets for the materials processed at the IPC. In addition to making
arrangements with a local newspaper publisher for the use of recycled fiber in the newspaper, Allen
has contracted to collect office paper from State offices and aluminum and tin food cans from the State
prison system. He is currently establishing an office paper collection program in State prisons. Allen
has written proposals to the State on various options for enlivening regional paper markets, including
the construction of a recycled paper mill in the area. He also initiated a project with the Agricultural
Extension Service to test the feasibility of using old newsprint for animal bedding on local farms.
Columbia's Solid Waste Division procures paper with at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled
content for all advertisements, brochures, and letters. In 1987 the Missouri Department of
Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority completed a comprehensive study of
potential state and regional markets for recyclable materials. As of January 1991, the State of Missouri
has committed $1 million per year for the next 5 years to fund market development activities.
Mulching Activities
The City of Columbia owns a mulch site, operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation,
where residents and landscapers can drop off leaves and grass clippings. The site is adjacent to Cosmos
Park (the City's largest public recreation facility), less than 2 miles from the center of the City. Mulch
can be picked up for free at the site. Residents and landscapers use the mulch as a soil amendment. The
City Department of Parks and Recreation uses it for beautification of City parks, and the State
Department of Conservation uses it for wildlife habitat improvement. Burns and McDonnell estimated
that 2,974 tons of leaves, 2,159 tons of grass clippings, and 177 tons of brush are generated in Columbia
each year, but tonnages of yard waste recovered at the mulch site have not been tracked.
According to Bruce Murray of the Department of Parks and Recreation, as early as 25 years ago,
Christmas trees were collected at an asphalt lot in Cosmos Park and burned in a huge bonfire. Concerns
by residents that the bonfire was polluting the air halted the practice around 1980. Since 1988 the City
Department of Public Works has collected Christmas trees at curbside during the 3 weeks following
New Year's Day. Crews pick up the trees on the same day as regular refuse using two 25-cubic-yard
rear-loading packer trucks. The State Department of Soil Conservation uses whole trees for soil erosion
control, and the Department of Natural Resources uses whole trees for fisheries habitat improvement.
In addition, the Department of Parks and Recreation operates two drop-off sites (one at Cosmos Park
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Columbia, Missouri
and the other at a University of Missouri parking lot) for Columbia and Boone County residents.
Between 50 and 75 percent of the trees collected at the drop-off sites are hauled off by residents wanting
whole trees. The remainder are chipped by a private contractor and used by residents and the
Department of Parks and Recreation as a ground cover. The capital costs for the chipping of Christmas
treesare incurred by a tree-trimming company under contract with the City, and are not available.
In addition to advertising the curbside and drop-off collection of Christmas trees, the City
published a guide to backyard composting, reprinted from a Missouri Department of Natural Resources
publication. The guide was mailed to residents along with the monthly utilities bill.
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Materials
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
Office Paper
Glass
Aluminum Cans
PET Plastic
Other Metals
Wood Waste (Pallets)t
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Leaves & Grass Clippings
Brush
Christmas Trees§
Subtotal MSW Mulched
Total MSW Recovered**
Total C&D Recovered
Total Materials Recovered
Residential*
(Tons,1989-90)
1,965
461
709
107
--
--
--
3,242
NA
NA
41
NA
3,242
0
3,242
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons,1988-89)
1,215
2,436
2,110
15
--
--
310
585
6,671
NA
NA
NA
NA
6,671
0
6,671
Othert
-------
Columbia, Missouri
Residential Curbside Recycling Program
(Annual Tonnages and Percent Increase in Recovery—FY1989 to FY1990)
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
Glass
Aluminum Cans
Total
Households Served*
Participation Rate*
Residential Residential Curbside
Curbside (Tons, 1989-90)
(Tons, 1988-89)
469.85
73.72
110.37
1.54
655.48
5,096
61%
70829
162.05
17857
3.00
1,051.91
7,060
66%
Percent
Increase
51%
120%
62%
95%
62%
• The number of households served is the number enrolled in the curbside program at the end of the fiscal year.
t Participation rate is calculated as a percentage of enrolled households, not of total eligible households, and is based on set-
outs per month.
Deposit Ordinance
While many states have enacted bottle bill legislation, Columbia is the only city in the country to
have enacted a citywide deposit ordinance. A University of Missouri class project on recycling provided
the impetus. The students surveyed owners of area businesses to determine their support for a container
deposit law. Of those surveyed, none supported a container deposit law. However, when the survey
results were published in the newspaper, many other business people contacted the reporter to express
their support for beverage container deposits. They organized Columbians Against Throwaways to
work for a bottle bill. Since its passage in 1977, the bottle bill has survived three attempts at repeal.
Columbians Against Throwaways is credited with this success and is now gathering support for a
statewide bottle bill. Burns and McDonnell estimate that of the deposit containers generated in
Columbia, 85 percent are returned.
Source Reduction Initiatives
The City's Solid Waste Division supports "precycling" and "environmental shopping" through
presentations for civic organizations and schools. In addition, the City has run precycling ads in the
local paper advising residents to "Think Before You Buy."
Publicity and Education
In June 1989, the Solid Waste Division sent a survey to residents along with their monthly utilities
bill. The purpose of the survey was to find out how many residents knew about the curbside recycling
Page 48
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Columbia, Missouri
program, how many used the drop-off center, and whether residents wanted more frequent pick-up of
recyclables. Four thousand and sixty-three residents responded. Eighty-six percent of the respondents
were aware of the curbside program; 58 percent were participants in the program. Nearly 80 percent
favored increasing collection frequency to twice a month. According to Cheryl Crafton, the Waste
Minimization Coordinator, the survey was helpful in getting a sense of what residents wanted from the
recycling program.
Columbia's Solid Waste Division uses presentations, signs on City buses and refuse vehicles,
newspaper ads, and annual mailings to publicize the recycling program and to educate Columbia
residents on the importance of recycling. More than 60 presentations are given to schools and civic
organizations each year, with an average audience of 25 to 30 people. Signs on refuse collection
vehicles read "Show Me You're Recycling Columbia," playing on Missouri's reputation as the "Show
Me State." A local resident writes a weekly newspaper column called the "Citizen Recycler," and
newspaper ads are run approximately once a month, primarily to inform the public which materials
can be recycled and to target the recovery of certain materials. In addition, utility mail inserts provide
residents with updates on the City's recycling program.
Economics
Costs Coven Capital costs cover the collection of 1,052 tons of recyclables by the City in FY
1990 through the municipal curbside program, and the curbside collection of 41
tons of Christmas trees.
The City incurred no capital costs for the processing of recyclables, since
processing occurs in the private sector. The capital costs for the chipping of
Christmas trees are incurred by a tree-trimming company under contract with the
City, and are not available.
Operating and maintenance costs include labor and overhead for the collection of
1,052 tons of recyclable materials, the collection of 41 tons of Christmas trees,
administration, and education and publicity costs.
City of Columbia's Capital Costs: Collection
Item Cost Use Year Incurred
25-cubic-yard Packer Truckt $88000 Recycling/Christmas 1932
(92% recycling and 8% composting) ' Tree Collection
16'Gooseneck Trailer 5,509 Recycling 1985
1-ton Chevy Pick-up Truck 12,600 Recycling 1989
Note: Most equipment is amortized over a 10 year period. The packer truck was used by the DPW for refuse collection prior to the
initiation of the recycling program.
+ Use of this truck for the collection of corrugated cardboard and Christmas trees began in June 1990. Previously the truck was used
for refuse collection.
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Columbia, Missouri
Civic Recycling's Capital Costs; Processing
Item
1 Open-end Baler
1 Close-end Economy Baler
1 Selco Double Ram Baler
1 Bio Apco Shredder
1 3-belt Conveyor System
1 3-belt Conveyor System
2 Bobcat Front-end Loaders
1 Trailer
3 Forklifts
4 Digital Scales
1 Truck Scale
Cost
NA
NA
$187,000
NA
NA
38,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Year Incurred
NA
NA
1991
NA
NA
1991
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (FY1990)
Cost Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
Recycling Subtotal $88,339 1,052 $84
Residential Curbside Collection $51,398 1,052 $49
Processing* 0 1,052 0
Administration 28,291 1,052 27
Education/Publicity* 8,650 1,052 8
Composting Subtotal* NA NA NA
Christmas Tree Collection NA NA NA
Curbside Christmas Tree Collection§ $1,658 41 $40
Drop-off Christmas Tree Collection NA NA NA
Christmas Tree Chipping** 1,040 NA NA
Administration 1,704 41 42
Education/Publicity 0 41 0
Recycling & Composting Total NA NA NA
Collection NA • NA NA
Processing $1,040 NA NA
Administration 29,995 1,093 $27
Education/Publicity 8,650 1,093 8
Note: Costs given above represent operating and maintenance costs incurred by the City only.
* 1989-90 processing costs for recyclable materials collected at curbside were incurred by Civic Recycling and are not available.
t Estimate by the Waste Minimization Coordinator, based on expenditures in 1988/89.
i. Composting tonnages and costs are only available for the City's Christinas tree mulching program. While other composting
costs are incurred by the City, these are not tracked separately and considered minimal by the City.
§ The cost of Christmas tree collection is estimated based on the use of two laborers, paid an average of $6.50 per hour, working 10
hours per day for 13 days.
"Of the Christmas trees collected at drop-off sites, approximately 25 percent were chipped by a tree-trimmer under contract
with the City's Water and Light Department. The Department of Parks and Recreation estimates the cost based on one crew
chipping trees for 4 hours at each of two sites, at $130 per hour.
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Columbia, Missouri
The cost savings realized by diverting recyclable materials from disposal in Columbia is calculated
at $10.30 per ton, and amounts to $115,391 (4,532 tons from the residential sector including recyclables,
bottle returns, and Christmas trees, and 6,671 tons from the commercial sector). In addition, the 4,207
gallons of oil (approximately 15 tons) collected and burned as fuel are estimated by Burns and McDonell
to save the City $0.40 per gallon, totalling $1,683.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Part-time Employees:
$7,066 in FY1990
At present the recycling program is funded partly by revenues from the
sale of recyclable materials, and partly by residential refuse collection
fees. Of those fees, $0.06 per household per month goes to recycling
education and promotion. As of January 1991, a surcharge of $150 per ton
has been added to the tipping fees at all landfills; these monies go to the
State to fund recycling activities and market development.
1 full-time Waste Minimization Coordinator hired by the City in August
1990. (Prior to that there was one part-time staff person for
administration.) 1 full-time driver/collector employed by the City to
collect recyclables as of February 1989. As of October 1,1991, 2 additional
driver/collectors were hired to collect yard waste. In January 1992,1 full-
time driver/collector was hired to collect recyclables.
1 from October 1989 through May 1990; 2 as of June 1990, 3 as of October
1991.
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
Community groups have been active in formulating Columbia's past and future approach to solid
waste management. Columbia will begin twice monthly collection of recyclable materials in March
1992, in response to community groups calling for more frequent collection. Recyclables will be collected
on the same day as regular refuse. In addition, tin food cans and plastic milk jugs will be picked up at
curbside. Two additional collection vehicles have been funded for these increased services. Five drop-
off sites for newsprint, aluminum beverage containers, corrugated cardboard, plastic milk containers,
steel cans, and clear, green and brown glass jars and bottles will be operational in the fall of 1991.
The City has sited a composting facility on land adjacent to the City landfill. As of October 1,
1991, yard waste is banned from the City's landfill. Funds have been allocated for collection of yard
waste 9 to 10 months out of the year. Curbside collection of grass clippings, leaves, and brush began
October 1991, using side-loading packer trucks from the DPW fleet. Also effective October 1, 1991, the
number of bags allotted to residents for refuse was decreased from 90 per year to 75 per year. Ten
specially marked, clear plastic bags for yard waste, brush, and bundles of limbs will be provided to
each resident free of charge.
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Columbia, Missouri
Contacts
Cheryl L. Crafton Dave Allen, President
Waste Minimization Coordinator Civic Recycling
City of Columbia, DPW 3300 Brown Station Road
701E. Broadway, PO Box N Columbia, MO 65205
Columbia, MO 65205 Phone (314) 474-9526
Phone (314)874-6354
Fax (314)449-9641
Fax (314) 874-7132
References
Baker, Catherine, "The City That Said No To Trash." Public Citizen, November/December 1988.
Burns and McDonnell. Waste Management Practices Report. City of Columbia. March 1990.
City of Columbia Public Works Department. The Columbia Curbside Recycling Program. Rev. ed.
April 24,1990.
"The State of Garbage in America: Legislative Initiatives." BioCycle, May 1991.
Endnote
1Burns and McDonnell, Waste Management Practices Report, City of Columbia, March 1990, appendix B-2.
Page 52
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Dakota County,
Minnesota
Demographics
Jurisdiction: Dakota County
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
274,016 in 1990
571 square miles
100,000 (70,000 single-family households and 30,000 households in multi-
unit buildings)
44,227
Dakota County, one of seven counties that comprise the Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area, is the fastest growing county in Minnesota. Rapidly
expanding suburban development characterizes the northern half of the
County. The southern half is largely rural with smaller communities.
The County includes 14 urban/suburban cities, 13 rural townships, and 6
rural municipalities. The populations of these communities range from
less than 200 to more than 50,000. The largest employers in the County
are professional firms, service industries, and educational institutions.
Page 53
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed
Landfilled
Incinerated*
Generated
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Residential
33,089
18,976
14,113
80^98
79,194
1,204
Commercial/
Institutional
27,748
27,748
0
86,262
86,262
0
Other*
2,489
0
2,489
--
--
--
Total
MSW
63,326
46,724
16,602
166,660
165,456
1,204
113,487
114X310
2,489
229,986
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
29%
17%
12%
Percent by Weight Recovered
24%
24%
0%
28%
20%
7%
Note: Although C&D debris such as building materials, brick, asphalt, wood waste, scrap metal, and concrete is collected
throughout the County, tonnages are not tracked by the County and are thus not included in the above table. Numbers may not
add to total due to rounding.
'Represents recovered landscapers' yard waste, which cannot be broken down into residential and commercial/institutional.
'1,720 tons of tires were collected in Dakota County in 1990. Although 516 tons were recycled into crumb rubber, 1,204 tons were
burned as a fuel source and are included under waste incinerated.
Landfill Tipping Fee:
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
$36 per ton in 1988, $45 per ton in 1989, $55 per ton in 1990. (The fees are
based on the average of fees charged at the landfills and include landfill
surcharge fees.)
Thirty-five private haulers collect refuse from the residential sector and
approximately ten haulers collect refuse from the commercial sector.
Only one municipality in Dakota County, the City of Farmington, has
public refuse collection. In 1992 Farmington residents will pay weight-
based refuse rates. The City of Hastings issues three kinds of licenses to
private haulers: one for residential only, one for a combination of
residential and commercial, and one for commercial and industrial. In
1990 there were three licensed demolition landfills in Dakota County
accepting only construction and demolition debris; two are licensed in
1991. Five special waste facilities in the County accept nonhazardous
solid waste requiring special management. Examples of this waste
include ash, contaminated soils, coal slag, and spent bauxite. Two
sanitary landfills, Burnsville and Pine Bend, receive approximately 50
percent of all waste disposed in the metropolitan region. Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) denied the permit on Nov. 26,1991 for
an 800-ton-per-day mass bum incinerator. There is currently an appeal on
the decision.
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Municipal Solid Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 72%
Recovered 28%
Residential Disposed 35%
Residential Recycled 8%
Residential Composted 6%
&&;&! Comm/lnst Recycled 12%
Landscapes' Waste Composted 1%
Comm/lnst Disposed 38%
Note: Due to rounding, numbers do not add to percent disposed and percent recovered subtotals
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative
Requirements:
In 1985 the State of Minnesota banned the landfilling of waste oil, tires,
white goods, and lead-acid batteries. The State mandated a goal of
recycling 25 percent of the waste stream statewide by 1993; in the seven
Counties surrounding the Twin Cities, this goal is 35 percent. Minnesota
required counties to develop recycling plans and specific waste reduction
goals by October 1990. The State banned the landfilling of yard waste,
effective January 1992.
In March 1989, Dakota County passed an ordinance that prohibits the
commingled collection of yard waste and refuse, recyclables and refuse,
and the landfilling of yard waste after August of 1989. Also in 1989, many
of the 35 municipalities receiving County funding for recycling passed
local ordinances requiring private haulers to collect recyclables.
In 1988 the Minnesota State Legislature amended the Waste Management
Act to ban the landfilling of yard waste in the Metro Area effective
January 1990. In September 1991, the Metropolitan Council, which
represents the seven-county Metro Area surrounding the Twin Cities,
established a recycling goal of 50 percent by 2000.
During the 1980s, numerous drop-off and buy-back centers throughout Dakota County collected
recyclables, yet volumes generated were small. Since 1985 Dakota County has funded community
Page 55
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Dakota County, Minnesota
landfill abatement activities. Each community received one dollar per household, funded through a
landfill surcharge fee, to initiate or improve and expand recycling and composting programs. The
Metropolitan Council (which represents the seven Twin Cities counties) has also provided Dakota
County funding to support municipal recycling activities. In 1986 the Metropolitan Council provided
communities eligible for County recycling funds at the rate of $0.50 per household. Communities that
reported their source-separated recycling tonnages to the County also received an extra $4 per ton from
the Metropolitan Council.
In 1988 Dakota County approved a Recycling Implementation Strategy that provided guidelines for
communities to begin curbside recycling programs. In 1989 the seven county Metro Council created a
Local Recycling Development Grant Program to organize and fund recycling activities. All haulers
were charged a $10 per ton surcharge at the landfill in addition to a tipping fee. Revenues, averaging
between $5 and $6 million per year, were divided between recycling and landfill cleanup programs in
the seven county area. In 1990 Dakota County landfill surcharges totalled $4,995,000; the County kept
$4,301,214 and distributed $296,346 to other counties in the Metropolitan Area. The remaining money
will be distributed to other metropolitan area counties. The surcharge provided ample start-up funds
for expanded recycling efforts in Dakota County, and no public debt was incurred. As landfill
abatement activities increased, however, the total amount collected through landfill surcharges
decreased. Late in 1989, legislation extended the State sales tax to include waste collection services. A
portion of this tax was transferred to counties specifically for landfilled abatement. In 1990, $388,071
raised through the State sales tax was directed towards solid waste abatement activities in Dakota
County.
Curbside recycling was implemented in Dakota County in April 1989. All refuse haulers in the
County were required to collect newspaper, glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, and yard waste from
single-family households. By the end of 1990 curbside collection extended to all 30,000 multi-unit
residences in the County. Corrugated cardboard, as well as HOPE, PET, and other plastic containers
with a neck, were added to the curbside program in June 1991.
In January 1990, button and household batteries were collected from the municipalities of
Farmington, Hastings, and Rosemount and disposed of as household hazardous waste. In March 1991,
Dakota County established one permanent household hazardous waste facility, which is open one
Saturday each month; two more will be added by the end of 1991. Residents may recycle household
hazardous wastes three times per year at County one day drop-off sites.
In April 1989, the County established the Recyclables Collection Center, a central processing and
marketing facility. Recycle Minnesota Resources (RMR) a private for-profit company received the
contract to operate and maintain this facility and to market materials. Revenues from the recyclables
were to be shared: 60 percent to the County and 40 percent to the vendor. In 1991 two private facilities
were constructed and began operations. These facilities, one operated by BFI and the other by Knutson
Rubbish, accept recyclables from other haulers.
In 1989 the County passed an ordinance prohibiting the commingled collection of yard waste and
refuse, and placed restrictions on landfilling yard waste. All haulers in the County were required to
provide residents with curbside collection of source-separated yard waste. Haulers now bring yard
waste to one of five compost sites in the County. In 1991 the County mandated source-separation of
Christmas trees.
Dakota County relies on the private sector to provide collection service for source-separated
recyclables. In 1990, to partially offset the costs of collection, haulers were paid $643,873 by cities
through the Dakota County commercial landfill abatement funding assistance program. The County
pays haulers an average of $30 to $35 per ton (based on market rates) for recyclables delivered to the
processing center. (In 1990 the County paid $358,428 to private haulers.) The County's programs have
allowed for flexibility so that communities can design and implement their own programs. A
subcommittee of the Solid Waste Management Agency Advisory Committee formed a Long-Range
Funding Task Force to recommend new County funding policies.
Page 56
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency:
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
April 1989
Over 35 private haulers collect recyclables in 30 cities and townships.
One city has municipal collection, and two cities contract with private
haulers for collection.
Weekly
Varies by city
65,000 in single-family households in 1989, 70,000 in single-family
households and 10,000 in multi-unit buildings in 1990, and 70,000 in single-
family households and 30,000 in multi-unit buildings in 1991
Voluntary for residents; however, most Dakota County communities
require all haulers to collect newspaper, aluminum and ferrous cans, and
glass food and beverage containers. All haulers in the County have
complied with the requirements. In June 1991, the County added HOPE,
PET, other plastic containers with a neck, and corrugated cardboard to its
list of required materials for collection.
70 percent in 1989, 75 percent in 1990 (based on hauler collection surveys
showing at least one set-out per month)
In 1988 newspaper, glass food and beverage containers, aluminum and
ferrous cans, corrugated cardboard were collected. In June 1991 haulers
also began to collect HOPE, PET, and other plastic containers with a neck.
Most haulers also collect white goods for a fee. In 1990 some haulers
expanded the materials collected to include high-grade paper, lead-acid
batteries, and oil; in 1991 some also collected mixed paper and magazines.
However, the County did not require these additional materials to be
collected.
All cities provide residents with a 21-gallon container. These containers
hold three paper bags: one for aluminum and ferrous cans and plastics, one
for glass, and one for newspaper. Newspaper can also be placed loose
beside the bags. Cardboard is bundled separately and placed next to the
bin. One hauler, Waste Management Inc., collects all materials
commingled except newspaper and cardboard.
Some haulers have modified their vehicles to collect recyclables. Most
haulers have specialized recycling vehicles.
Cities and towns in Dakota County have independently developed their
own recycling programs with funding from the Landfill Abatement
Assistance Program. Some recycling coordinators have introduced
lotteries; residents are eligible for a weekly drawing if they set out
materials at curbside. In 1991 these lotteries were stopped because they
did not appreciably increase participation.
Page 57
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Economic Incentives:
(cont'd)
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage
In 1990 some haulers offered a discount on refuse collection rates,
averaging 10 percent, to residents who recycled a minimum of once per
month. By the end of 1990 all haulers offered residents variable refuse
rates. Some haulers offer a choice of 30-, 60-, or 90-gallon containers, some
charge for the number of containers set out at curbside; some charge for
each garbage bag set out. The City of Farmington will begin to charge
weight-based refuse rates in January 1992.
hi addition to County payments for recydables, some cities and townships
pay haulers additional subsidies of up to $30 per ton.
Haulers can refuse to pick up recyclables if materials are incorrectly set
out at curbside.
13346 tons in 1990
Commercial & Institutional Curb side/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Materials Collected:
Pick-up Frequency:
Set-out and Collection
Method:
Incentives:
Source separation is not required for commercial enterprises. In January
1991, recycling of three unspecified materials became mandatory in public
schools. An amendment to the Minnesota Waste Management Act
stipulates that new or significantly remodeled buildings of more than
1,000 square feet must provide adequate space for the separation,
temporary storage, and collection of recyclable materials.
Private waste haulers; the three largest are BFI, WMI, and Knutson
Rubbish.
The County government does not know the number of businesses receiving
curbside collection of recyclables. A conservative estimate is that 30
percent, or 13,000, of Dakota County's businesses and institutions recycle
through either drop-off or curbside programs. While many smaller
businesses use the drop-off centers, larger businesses contract with private
haulers to collect materials.
Strip malls, office buildings, schools, restaurants, grocery stores
Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, high-grade and mixed paper, glass
food and beverage containers, aluminum and ferrous cans, and HOPE, PET,
and other plastic containers with a neck
Frequency of collection varies widely from daily pick-up to an as-needed
basis. Most businesses receive weekly pick-up.
BFI customers collect paper in bags, which are then placed in a dumpster
or small roll-off container with all other materials, including corrugated
cardboard. Knutson Rubbish requires customers to bag paper and
cardboard in separate clear plastic bags, and to put all other recyclables
commingled in dumpsters. WMI requires customers to place paper and
cardboard in one dumpster and all other materials commingled in another
one.
Some haulers charge a lower fee (or no additional fee) for recycling
collection than for refuse collection.
Page 58
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage
Not applicable
27,748 tons; most of which was collected by waste haulers
In 1986 Dakota County initiated an office paper recycling program in County buildings. Staff
brought the paper to central storage locations, and vendors would collect the paper on an as-needed
basis. By 1990 the program had expanded to include glass, beverage cans, plastic containers with a
neck, newspaper, and magazines. A crew made up of of juveniles ordered by the court to make restitution
to aggrieved parties, collect these materials under the supervision of the Court Services staff. A
portion of the juveniles' wages is used towards their restitution payments.
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type
Public or Private:
Sectors Served:
Materials Accepted:
Annual Tonnage:
Numerous drop-off centers, buy-back centers, and scrap yards are located
throughout Dakota County. There are 75 drop-off sites where residents
can bring button batteries for recycling.
Private. The Dakota County Recyclables Collection Center (RCC) is
privately run but publicly owned.
Residential and commercial
Residents can drop off the same materials collected at curbside at the
Recycle Minnesota Resources Redemption Center or the Dakota County
RCC; both these facilities pay for aluminum cans and glass. At three
sites, Goodwill/Easter Seals has placed a trailer for collection of plastic
containers, aluminum cans, ferrous cans, cardboard, newspaper, office
paper, household items, clothes, eyeglasses, and toys. A number of waste
haulers, churches and schools in the County operate drop-off centers that
collect one or more of the following materials: newspaper, aluminum cans,
ferrous cans, high-grade paper, cardboard, and glass. Many businesses
accept used motor oil, which is burned primarily as a fuel source, and car
batteries. Several businesses also accept tires for a fee. Tires are burned
as a fuel source. Residents can drop off appliances for a fee at 10 sites in
the County, including appliance stores and landfills. Four sites accept
construction and demolition debris. Steel drums are salvaged and
reconditioned at Barrel Reconditioner.
In 1989 drop-off sites throughout the County collected 4,398 tons of
recyclables. In 1990, 5,630 tons were collected.
Salvage/Reuse
Charities and second-hand stores located in the County, such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army,
recover a variety of household items. Dakota County estimates that it recovered 1,743 tons of
household items and clothing through these centers in 1990.1
Page 59
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Construction & Demolition Debris Recovery
In 1990 it was estimated that 3 landfills and 10 businesses recovered construction and demolition
debris in the County. Although the County does not track tonnages recovered, a wide variety of
materials is recovered. For example, 8KB Demolition Landfill, a subsidiary of Carl Bolander & Sons,
charges $4.50 per cubic yard for clean or mixed loads of C&D debris. It recovers wood waste, stumps,
pallets, and clean wood from demolition and construction sites. These materials are processed into a
mulch product sold to landscapers and residents. An estimated 20,000 tons of mulch were recovered in
1990. SKB also crushes concrete, brick, and stone on site into smaller pieces, which are further processed
at the Company's processing plant in neighboring Ramsey County. The resulting materials are used as a
road base. Reinforcing rods removed at the processing plant are sold as scrap metal. At the Dawnway
Demolition Landfill, recovered concrete is recycled into gravel and asphalt is recovered and used to
surface new roads.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Dakota County established the Recyclables Collection Center (RCC) in April 1989. The County
leased the building from R.L. Johnson Co., purchased the processing equipment, and selected Recycle
Minnesota Resources, Inc. (RMR) to operate and maintain the facility. RMR is also responsible for
marketing newspaper, high-grade office paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, aluminum and ferrous cans,
and HDPE, PET, and other plastic containers with a neck. RMR began accepting plastic beverage
containers in June 1990. Approximately two-thirds of County haulers brought 11,061 tons of residential
materials to the Center in 1990. Dakota County pays haulers between $30 and $35 per ton based on
market rates for these materials. The remaining haulers bring sorted or unsorted materials directly to
various markets. In 1991 two private facilities, one operated by BFI and the other by Knutson Rubbish,
began operations. These facilities only accepted recyclable materials from their own haulers in 1990,
but expanded in 1991 to include other haulers.
The 22,860-square-foot RCC building includes space for processing and storing recyclables,
administration and education, and a buy-back center for County residents. No outside storage is
permitted on the facility's 2.5 acres. Three full-time and several part-time employees process the
recyclables approximately 307 days per year. The processing facility, designed to process 20 tons per
day, processes approximately 40 tons per day. Less than 1 percent by weight of recyclables are rejected
during processing and landfilled. Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, aluminum and ferrous cans, and
plastic are baled separately. Up to 10 percent of the paper is shredded and baled for animal bedding.
A can separator divides steel and aluminum cans. In 1989 operating costs for the RCC totalled $35 per
ton, excluding payments to haulers. Dakota County tries to secure diverse markets for its recyclables,
rather than depending on a few markets. The County assists RMR in developing new market
opportunities.
Local farmers buy bales of shredded newspaper for animal bedding. Minnesota scrap processors,
such as Performance Computer Forms, Waldorf Corporation, Metro Paper Recovery, Pioneer Paper
Stock, and Rohn Industries, purchase newsprint, high-grade paper, and cardboard. Ferrous cans are
solid to AMG in Dakota County; aluminum is sold in Pennsylvania, Texas, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Plastic is sold to Avon Corporation in Minnesota for manufacture into plastic products such as car
bumpers. Some tires are manufactured into crumb rubber; others are being tested for use in asphalt roads.
Procurement
The County is required to purchase recycled or reusable materials for government offices as long as
the cost does not exceed 10 percent of the purchase price of unrecycled materials. County policies on
procurement are being expanded in 1991, and will concentrate on setting a specific recycled content
standard for office paper purchases.
Page 60
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Composting Activities
Because haulers are prohibited from landfilling yard waste or commingling yard waste and refuse
during collection, they must provide curbside yard waste collection from April through November.
Residents, landscapers, and haulers can drop off leaves, grass clippings, garden waste, and prunings up
to 6 inches in diameter at one of the five compost sites in the County year-round. In 1990 haulers
collected 14,105 tons of yard waste and 8 tons of Christmas trees through the curbside program, while
residents and landscapers dropped off 2,489 tons at the compost sites. A total of 16,602 tons was
collected in the County through the yard waste programs in 1990.
Dakota County's "User Fee Schedule" encourages collection of loose yard waste. In 1990 the County
charged haulers a higher tipping fee ($5.50 per cubic yard) for bagged yard waste than for loose waste
($3.50 per cubic yard). At the three County-owned compost sites, residents and landscapers were also
charged variable rates depending on whether material was brought in loose or bagged. Landscapers
were charged $3.00 per cubic yard for brush, $550 per cubic yard for bagged yard waste, and $3.75 per
cubic yard for loose material. Residents were charged $2.00 per cubic yard for brush, $0.15 per bag of
yard waste, and $3.75 per cubic yard for loose material.
Dakota County holds backyard composting workshops for residents. At these workshops it stresses
the composting of vegetative organics in addition to yard waste. In the spring of 1991, the County
sponsored two 1-year pilot backyard composting projects, one in Apple Valley and one in South St. Paul.
In Apple Valley, one 45-gallon compost bin per family was provided to each of 100 families; in South
St. Paul, bins were sold to 100 families at one-fourth of the bin's cost. To determine the success and cost
effectiveness of the program, participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire when they received
their bins; the County will also send a follow-up questionnaire at the end of 1991. The County asked
participants questions such as the extent of their composting experience, the size of their lot, and how
much yard waste and other vegetative organics they set out at curbside.
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date: April 1989 (for countywide collection)
Service Provider: All waste haulers in the County
Households Served: 65,000 in 1989, 70,000 in 1990
Mandatory: Voluntary for County residents; however, Dakota County requires all
waste haulers to collect source-separated yard waste.
Materials Collected: Leaves, grass clippings, brush, and Christmas trees
Set-out Method: Yard waste can be either loose or bagged. Although Dakota County
encourages collection of loose yard waste and charges haulers more for
bagged waste, most waste is brought bagged to the County compost site.
Collection Vehicles and Compactor trucks
Method:
Collection Frequency: Weekly from April to November for yard waste. Christmas trees are
collected during the first two weeks of January.
Economic Incentives: None
Page 61
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Composting Site
Five composting sites are located in Dakota County. Two, located in the Cities of Lakeville and
South St. Paul, are County-owned processing sites operated by R.D. Pecar & Co. under contract with the
County. A third County site, also operated by R.D. Pecar & Co., is located in the City of Eagan at a
transfer station; yard waste collected there is transferred to the Lakeville site. The two other sites are
associated with landfills. Both residents and landscapers can drop off yard waste at the three County-
owned sites; haulers can bring materials to the two County yard waste processing centers. All users pay
cubic yard fees based on the "User Fee Schedule." Less than 1 percent of the material brought to the site
is rejected and landfilled.
Operators empty bagged yard waste and mix it with native soils (to increase bulk density) and
with water. Mixing of materials occurs as yard waste flows through a series of conveyors and passes
through "clump-breaker" type shredders. This mixture is stockpiled in piles averaging 32 feet high.
The process is repeated after 6 weeks and again when the second screening pile is reduced to 70 percent
of its volume. Brush, screened out during compost processing, is remixed with subsequent batches of yard
waste. Larger brush, primings, and Christmas trees are chipped as mulch. A finished product is
available after a 4-week curing period. Residents can collect up to 1/4 cubic yard of compost free of
charge, Landscapers and residents can purchase quantities over 1/4 cubic yard for $8 per cubic yard.
Compost is used as a soil amendment and mulch. At the County-owned sites, 1,684 tons of brush and
9,367 tons of other yard waste were composted and shredded in 1990.
The County received odor complaints at one time from a housing development 1,320 feet from the
facility when a static pile was moved.
The Metropolitan Council is funding a pilot composting project in Rosemount. Leaves, yard waste,
and telephone books, in different combinations, are composted in a 20-foot-wide by 200-foot-long pit
contained in a greenhouse. A "Compostamatic" turns the compost when it reaches a temperature of 140
degrees Fahrenheit. Compost is complete in approximately 6 weeks depending on the materials used.
This compost is currently undergoing testing and is not yet sold.
Page 62
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
High-grade Paper
Mixed Paper
Glass
Plastic Containers*
Aluminum Cans"1"
Ferrous Cans'*"
Appliances/White Goods
Other Metal
Tires*
Lead-Acid Batteries§
Other**
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Yard Waste
Landscapers' Waste
Christmas Trees
Subtotal MSW Composted^
Total MSW Recovered
Residential
(Tons, 1990)
10,922
62
0
0
3,074
55
t
1,174
1,334
96
516
NA
1,743
18,976
14,105
--
8
14,113
33,089
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons, 1990)
0
6,529
6,273
12345
315
NA
204
0
269
1,321
137
355
0
27,748
0
--
0
0
27,748
Other Total
(Tons, 1990) (Tons, 1990)
10,922
6,591
6,273
12345
3389
55
204
1,174
1,603
1,417
653
355
1,743
46,724
14,105
2,489 2,489
8
2,489 16,602
2,489 63,326
Notes: Listed tonnages represent collected material. Less than 1% by weight of recyclable materials brought to the County
processing facility are disposed of as residue. Dakota County collected 11 tons of household hazardous waste for separate
disposal This tonnage is not included.
'Includes HOPE and PET containers, and any other plastics with a neck.
Ferrous cans recovered from the residential sector include aluminum and bimetal cans.
+1,720 tons of tires were collected from the residential sector in 1990. 516 tons were recycled into crumb rubber and 1,204 tons were
burned as a fuel source.
§Lead-atid batteries are collected for recycling. Residential tonnages are not tracked.
"Other includes household items recovered through local charities such as toys, dothing, and books.
16,594 tons of yard waste were brought to the five compost sites. Landscapers brought approximately 15 percent of this yard
waste, or 2,489 tons, to the compost sites. Yard waste includes brush, grass dippings, and leaves. 9,367 tons of grass dippings and
leaves and 1,684 tons of primings were delivered to the two County-owned sites. Based on a County estimate of 15.1 pounds per
tree, private haulers collected 1,060 Christmas trees in 1990.
Page 63
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Source Reduction Initiatives
All Dakota County's haulers charge volume-based refuse rates. In 1992 Farmington (the only
municipality in the County with municipal collection) will be one of the first North American cities to
implement weight-based refuse rates for residential customers. Volume- or weight-based refuse rates
are a direct economic incentive for residents to generate as little waste as possible.
The City of Farmington has outfitted two of its refuse trucks with a hydraulic weighing system
produced by Wray-Tech. Farmington will provide 90-gallon containers to residents and 300-gallon
containers to commercial businesses for the pilot project slated to run from June through December 1991,
and plans to begin charging residents weight-based refuse fees in January 1992. The driver of the refuse
truck will direct the gripper arm to hydraulically lift and dump refuse into the truck. A pressure
transducer, located on the gripper arm, will measure the weight and automatically record it on a
computerized route list within a data base.
Publicity and Education
All Dakota County's cities, suburbs, townships, and rural communities have included plans for
educational and publicity programs in their recycling program funding applications. Dakota County
has implemented a strong recycling outreach program, including a hotline, a speaker bureau, school
activities, posters, billboards, newspaper ads, mailings, workshops, meetings, tours of the Recyclables
Collection Center, and assistance to other state and county governments. The County also publishes a
recycling directory that lists all County drop-off sites.
Recycle Minnesota Resources, Inc. provides tours to school groups and has designated a room at the
processing facility for educational purposes.
Economics
Costs Coven Capital costs cover the County's cost for equipment used to process 11,061 tons of
residential recyclables at the Recyclables Collection Center (RCC). Operating
and maintenance (O&M) costs include (1) payments to local municipalities for the
collection of residential recyclables and compostables (33,835 tons in 1990),
including payments for recyclables and subsidies paid to private haulers, (2)
payments to local municipalities for program administration, and (3) County
administrative and education/publicity costs. O&M processing costs cover the
County's payment to contractors for processing recyclables brought to the RCC and
11,051 tons of yard waste brought to the two County composting sites and one yard
waste transfer site. Private haulers collect recyclables and yard waste in all but
one city. These private capital and operating costs are not available.
Page 64
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Capital Costs: Collection
Item
Ford 1-ton Truck*
Cost
$7,750
Use
Recycling
Year Incurred
1990
*In 1990 Dakota County purchased a used truck for its office paper collection program.
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
2 Balers @ $50,000 & $15,000
Baler*
Front-end Loader
Forklift
8 Hoppers, 4 @ $569, 4 @ $1,234
12 55-gallon Containers @ $83
Baler Conveyor
Gravity Box
Air Compressor
2 Scales @ $4,000 & $30,000
Pallet Jack
Perforator
Granulator
2 Shredders @ $11,500*
2 Conveyors for Animal Bedding
@ $3,500*
Video Camera for Scale
Concrete Dividers
Unloading Bins for Glass
3 Conveyors*
6-foot Trommel Screen'1'
Clump Breaker"'"
Tub Grinder*
Seppi Tree/Brush Chopper*
Skid-steer Loader*
Front-end Loader*
John Deere 450 Trackdozer*
Cost
$65,000
12,000
24,000
18,000
7,212
996
6,000
3,000
300
34,000
400
12,000
10,000
23,000
7,000
1,500
4,000
3,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Composting
Composting
Composting
Composting
Composting
Composting
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
1989 & 1990
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989 & 1990
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1990
1990
1990
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
•Dakota County purchased listed equipment and paid it off in full through landfill surcharge fees and grants it received from the
Metro Council. RMR purchased all other recycling equipment.
''Equipment purchased and owned by R.D. Pecar & Co.; purchase prices and years acquired are not available.
Page 65
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Cost Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
Recycling Subtotal $2,338,122
Collection* $643,873
Municipal Funding* 437,821
Processing* 895,428 11,061 $81
Administration 280,000 -- — -
Education/Publicity 81,000
Composting Subtotal $420,782 11,051 $38
Collection* $0 11,051 $0
Processing 360,782 11,051 33
Administration 50,000 11,051 5
Education/Publicity 10,000 11,051 1
Recycling & Composting Total $2,758,904
Collection $643,873
Municipal Funding 437,821
Processing 1,256,210 22,112 $57
Administration 330,000
Education/Publicity 91,000 -- . -
Note: Costs given above represent costs to Dakota County only.
•Collection costs and municipal funding for recycling programs are funds paid to municipalities for recycling activities. These
include community subsidies of $643,873 paid to private haulers for recycling collection and funding for local programs. (Some of
the funds distributed cover tons collected and delivered to processing centers other than the RCC) Dakota County provides
funding to municipalities based on population. In 1990 municipalities with populations greater than 5,000 received $3,888 or
$0.70 per household, whichever is greater. Municipalities smaller than 5,000 receive $0.70 per household plus $388.
^ Processing costs for recycling are (1) Recycle Minnesota Resources contract fee of $372,000, (2) $358,428 in hauler payments for
recyclables at the RCC, and (3) $165,000 paid in rent for the processing facility.
^Collection costs for yard waste are covered by private haulers
§Composting processing costs are (1) the County contract fee of $343,632 paid to R. D. Pecar and Co., which operates the two
County-owned yard waste composting sites, based on an estimate of fixed costs and processing .costs, and (2) transfer and
transportation O&M costs totalling $17,150.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
$408,400 ($400,000 in revenues for the sale of recyclables brought to the
RCC; Dakota County retained $240,000. R.D. Pecar received $8,400 from
compost sold at the County's two sites)
The Metropolitan area funds its recycling and composting programs
through the Landfill Abatement Program and the sales tax on waste
collection services. In 1990 Dakota County Landfill Abatement surcharges
totalled approximately $4.9 million. The County retained $4,301,214 of
this, and distributed $296,346 to other Counties. (Not all of the money
collected was distributed.) The Metro Council Landfill Abatement
surcharges brought $73,901 to Dakota County in 1990. Statewide the 6
percent sales tax on garbage collection returned $388,071 to the County
during 1990.
Page 66
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Dakota County, Minnesota
Pull-time Employees: 4 County employees work in administration. Three and one-half full-
time equivalent employees work at the composting sites.
Part-time Employees: 14 (2 Dakota County interns and 12 city employees funded through County
grants.)
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
In 1991 Dakota County developed a commercial recycling strategy to increase recovery rates in
business establishments. This plan calls for one full-time and one part-time staff person to train
recycling coordinators to perform waste audits and help businesses set up recycling programs. The
County also plans to expand the Recyclables Collection Center to process magazines, more types of
plastics, and increased amounts of corrugated cardboard. In 1991 a waste hauler began collection of food
waste from area restaurants for composting. That year the County adopted ordinances which mandated
source separation of Christmas trees at landfills in Dakota County regardless of the trees' origins.
Contacts
Warren Wilson Gayle Prest
Solid Waste Planner Recycling Specialist
Dakota County Dakota County
14955 Galaxie Avenue 14955 Galaxie Avenue
Apple Valley, MN 55124 Apple Valley, MN 55124
Phone (612) 891-7030 Phone (612) 891-7020
Fax (612) 891-7031 Fax (612) 891-7031
References
Connell, Jeffrey. "Minnesota's Public-Private Partnership." Waste Age, October 1990, 73-76.
Dakota County Solid Waste Management, Recycling Implementation Strategy, Dakota County, MN,
November 1988.
Dakota County Solid Waste Master Plan. Dakota County, 1987.
Kopp, Elizabeth (President, Empire Organic Greenhouse, Rosemount, MN). Personal communication,
April 1991.
Wray, David (President, Wray-Tech Instruments, Stamford, CT). Personal communication, March 1991.
Endnotes
* While charities and shops throughout the county salvage these materials, most municipalities do not track these
tonnages.
Page 67
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King County, Washington
Page 68
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King County, Washington
King County,
Washington*
Demographics
Jurisdiction:
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses:
Brief Description:
King County
991,060 in 1990 (excluding Seattle's population, which was 516,000 in 1990)
2,038 square miles (excluding Seattle, which has an area of 92 square miles)
379,090 (261,270 in single-family residences, approximately 44,470 in
buildings with two to nine units, 70,980 in buildings with ten or more units, and
2,370 in mobile home and other dwellings). Households in Seattle are not
included in these figures.
Approximately 49,000 businesses (excluding businesses in Seattle)
King County is located in the northwestern corner of Washington State. Its
population is divided evenly among Seattle, suburban centers, and
unincorporated areas. It contains a total of 31 incorporated municipalities, 5
of which are rural, and the remainder are suburban/urban; 92 percent of the
population lives in urban/suburban cities and unincorporated areas, 8 percent
live in rural areas. The county's 1990 median household income was $37,500.
*The Qty of Seattle, which is located in King County, withdrew from King County's solid waste management system in lune 1991.
Seattle currently disposes of its waste in Arlington, Oregon. The County's goal of 65 percent waste reduction by the year 2000 does
not include tonnages recovered and disposed from Seattle. For this reason, the data presented in this case study cover County
programs, excluding the City of Seattle, except where otherwise indicated. For more information on Seattle's waste disposal and
recovery activities, see the Seattle case study in Volume III of this report.
Page 69
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King County, Washington
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages Excluding Seattle (1990)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed*
Incinerated
Landfilled
Generated
Residential
125,386
77,328
48,058
520,723
0
520,723
Commercial/
Institutional
193,967
159,439
34,528
347,149
0
347,149
Self-Haul*
86,429
68,471
17,958
96,430
0
96,430
Total
MSW
405,782
305,237
100,545
964,302
0
964^02
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
646,109
541,116
182,859
Percent by Weight Recovered
19%
12%
7%
36%
29%
6%
47%
37%
10%
1,370,084
30%
24%
Notes: Tonnages for King County (excluding Seattle) were provided by the State Department of Ecology. A total of 102,850 tons of
pre-consumer ferrous scrap and auto hulks (which are not considered MSW or C&D) are not included in the above figures.
Due to rounding, numbers may not appear to add total
Construction and demolition debris is disposed of by private haulers outside of the County. The King County Solid Waste
Division estimates that 1.6 million uncompacted cubic yards of construction and demolition debris are generated each year in King
County. There are some private recyclers of construction debris in the County, but the tonnages they recycled are not available.
•Self-haul tonnages are those brought to drop-off sites and drop-boxes. The State estimates that 80 percent of this material is
brought by the residential sector, and the remaining 20 percent is brought by the commercial/institutional sector.
•(Tonnage for residential, commercial/institutional, and self-haul waste disposed was estimated by the County based on the
assumption that 10 percent of total MSW disposed was from self-haul sites, and 60 percent of the remaining tonnages was
residential.
Landfill/Transfer Station $47.00 per ton in 1988,1989 and 1990; due to increase to $66.00 in 1992
Tipping Fees:
Refuse Collection and Refuse haulers in King County are regulated by the Washington Utilities
Disposal: and Transportation Commission (WUTC) or municipalities, and operate
within specific franchise areas. In some cities, the municipality contracts
out service; in other cities, the rates are set by the WUTC and haulers
charge residents directly for service. In unincorporated areas, haulers
charge residents directly for service.
Collection rates vary between cities and unincorporated areas, from city
to city, and between franchise areas. Single and multi-unit buildings in
the unincorporated areas also have different rates. Volume-based
variable can rates are used throughout the cities and unincorporated
areas. For example, monthly refuse/recycling rates in unincorporated
areas range from $5.60 to $8.05 for a mini-can (approximately 20 gallons),
$7.47 to $11.65 for one 32-gallon trash can or toter, and $9.72 to $1720 for
two 32-gallon trash cans or one 60-gallon toter.
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King County, Washington
Municipal Solid Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 70% Recovered 30%
Residential Disposed 38%
Residential Recycled 6%
Residential Composted 4%
Comm/lnst Recycled 12%
Comm/lnst Composted 3%
Self-Haul Recycled 5%
Self-Haul Composted 1%
Comm/lnst Disposed 25%
Self-Haul Disposed 7%
Note: Due to rounding, numbers do not add to 100%.
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
In both cities and unincorporated areas, rates vary depending on the
existence of curbside recycling and/or yard waste collection programs. In
many cities, residents pay for recycling and yard waste collection in
addition to refuse collection. In most cities, residents are charged a
combined garbage/recycling rate.
All solid waste generated in King County except construction and
demolition refuse is disposed of in County landfills. The Solid Waste
Division operates five landfills and six transfer stations. In 1990 the
largest County landfill, the 920-acre Cedar Hills Regional Landfill,
accepted 97 percent of the County's waste, while the four rural landfills
(Cedar Falls, Hobart, Vashon, and Enumclaw) accepted 3 percent. The
Cedar Falls landfill was closed in 1990. Hobart and Enumclaw are to be
replaced by transfer stations by 1994. The Vashon landfill will be
replaced by a new landfill on the same site.
The private landfill that accepted construction and demolition debris
closed in 1991. In December 1991 the County signed contracts with two
large facilities located outside of the County to handle construction and
demolition waste: Rabanco Regional Landfill and Washington Waste
System, Inc.
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Refuse Collection and Seattle's withdrawal from the County's solid waste disposal system in
Disposal (cont'd): June 1991 has increased the projected life of the Cedar Hills landfill to
the year 2022. Formerly, Seattle accounted for approximately one-third
of all materials disposed in the Cedar Hills landfill.
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative With its 1986 Ordinance 7737, King County resumed the role of solid
Requirements: waste planning authority for the County. (The Puget Sound Council
assumed this task for an interim few years.) All cities in the County,
except Seattle and Milton, entered into a Solid Waste Interlocal
Agreement that established the County's authority to prepare a
comprehensive solid waste management plan. Under the Interlocal
Agreements, the County assumed responsibility for solid waste
management, planning, and technical assistance to cities. While the
County has control over all nonrecyclable refuse, cities are authorized to
provide solid waste collection themselves. The County has solid waste
management responsibility for unincorporated areas.
In January 1988, County Ordinance 8383 initiated a process of evaluating
waste reduction and recycling as integral components of the County's solid
waste management plan. Ordinance 8771, passed in December 1988,
established ambitious goals for municipal solid waste reduction and
recycling: 35 percent by 1992, 50 percent by 1995, and 65 percent by the
year 2000, and required the County to develop a solid waste management
plan to meet State requirements. County goals concern MSW materials
only, and exclude C&D debris and auto hulks.
In July 1989, King County responded to the requirements of the 1989 Waste
Not Washington Act and the County with a proposed Comprehensive
Solid Waste Management Plan (CSWMP). The CSWMP establishes
County and municipal requirements for residential and commercial
recycling programs, market development and procurement programs, and
education programs. The County is in the process of updating the 1989
plan, and intends to issue a new plan in Spring 1992.
The King County Solid Waste Division operates the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, the largest
landfill in the State, and manages an array of waste reduction and recycling programs.
Comprehensive solid waste management planning in King County was initiated with the passage
of the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act in 1969. In 1970 the King County Policy
Development Commission recommended interim policies for solid waste disposal. The Commission
considered recycling, incineration, and landfilling; its final recommendation was to continue
landfilling. The County began a comprehensive planning process in 1971. In 1974 the River Basin
Coordinating Committee completed the preparation of a solid waste plan, and in 1982 the Puget Sound
Council of Governments updated this plan.
In 1986 King County Ordinance 7737 established the process for adopting the 1989 King County
Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan. Each city in the County was given the option to plan
independently or jointly with the County, or to authorize the County to prepare the plan for the city.
In October 1988, the City of Seattle notified the County that it would withdraw from the County
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King County, Washington
disposal system and implement an independent, "non-King County" disposal system. Seattle withdrew
from the County solid waste management system on June 1,1991, and now uses a landfill in Oregon.
In 1988 King County adopted aggressive waste reduction and recycling goals (see above), which
established waste reduction and materials recovery as the County's primary waste management
strategy. These goals were adopted after almost a full year of intensive review and input by citizens,
government officials, and the solid waste industry. In order to meet its goals, the County in 1989
proposed its Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, which establishes County and city
requirements for materials recovery activities. Under the plan, cities are required to (1) ensure curbside
collection of certain recyclable materials from single-family and multi-unit residences, (2) implement
collection programs for both residential and nonresidential yard waste, (3) monitor progress toward
waste reduction goals, (4) implement rate structures for garbage collection services, (5) adopt
procurement policies for the purchase of goods made from recyclable or recycled material, and (6) adopt
requirements that new construction provide adequate space for recycling collection system. The County
must fulfill all these same responsibilities as well as provide collection of recyclables and yard waste,
in the form of convenient drop-box or buy-back systems, in all rural areas; provide nonresidential
technical assistance programs for the development of recycling and composting programs; and provide
educational programs in schools and communities. Cities have the option of implementing
nonresidential technical assistance programs themselves, or letting the County do so. If a city elects to
implement these programs, King County will provide funding proportional to the size of the program.
Twenty-nine of the County's 31 cities have elected to be part of the King County solid waste
planning area. By September 1991, 17 of King County's municipalities, representing 67 percent of the
population of the County's incorporated areas, had begun household recycling programs; and 27 had
variable can rates.
Mercer Island, located in Lake Washington, has an examplary residential recycling program.
With a 1991 population of 21,190, Mercer Island recovered 3,609 tons of the 9,040 tons of waste generated
from one- and two-family households, equivalent to 40 pe«ent of its waste stream, through curbside
recycling and yard waste collection in 1990. From January to June 1991, Mercer Island's one- and two-
family households recovered 51 percent, or 2,320 tons, through recycling and composting its waste
stream. Yet it was not until October 1989 that Mercer Island's contracted refuse hauler, Eastside
Disposal Service, offered curbside collection of recyclables. Eastside began collecting yard waste,
including grass clippings and brush, in April 1990. The Island has also operated a recycling drop-off
center for the last 18 years, where it collected 1,255 tons of recyclables in 1990. Drop boxes for
newspaper are located in church parking lots and elsewhere throughout the Island. One hundred and
sixty four tons of newspaper were collected through these boxes in 1990. Materials are taken to the
Rabanco processing center in Seattle.
In 1990 the County was recovering 30 percent of its waste stream through recycling and composting
activities. In order to meet its ambitious recycling and waste reduction goals, the County is investing a
considerable amount of money in planning and research activities. In 1990 it spent a total of $1,417,951
on various education and publicity activities; of this, it spent $120,020 on its master
composter/recycling program, which trains volunteers to perform recycling outreach. Additionally, it
spent $50,000 to research the potential for food waste composting. In May 1991, King County adopted an
ordinance enabling franchised solid waste haulers to provide household recyclable collection services
to the 460,000 residents of unincorporated urban areas in King County.
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King County, Washington
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency:
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
Curbside collection programs were implemented in ten of King County's
cities in 1989. (Seattle's program began in 1988.) By the end of 1990,
curbside programs were initiated in 13 cities. Redmond's program began in
March 1990, and Kirkland's program began in April 1990. Kent
implemented the first program in January 1989, Bellevue and Renton
implemented programs in August 1989, Mercer Island's program started in
October 1989. Programs were initiated in January 1991 in Snoqualmie, in
August 1991 in Tukwila, and in October 1991 in Normandy Park and Sea-
Tac. Plans call for program start-up in March 1992 in Des Moines and the
spring of 1992 in Federal Way.
The County is divided into franchise areas. Rabanco, Waste
Management, Inc., Lawson Disposal, and RST Disposal are the largest
parent companies; each has smaller affiliated companies. For example,
Eastside Disposal, an affiliate of Rabanco, services Beaux Arts, Hunts
Point, Lake Forest Park, and Mercer Island; Waste Management operates
in Bothell, Duvall, Kirkland, and Renton; and RST Disposal operates in
Federal Way and Sea-Tac.
Weekly to bimonthly depending on the program
Yes, for many programs
A figure for the total number of households served is not available. By
September 1991,17 of the County's municipalities, representing 67 percent
of the population had curbside recycling programs. Typically, one- to
four-unit residences are served through curbside programs. On August 31,
1991, Lawson Disposal began servicing apartment buildings with four or
more units in the City of Issaquah. Eastside Disposal offers curbside
collection of recyclables on a pilot basis to one apartment complex on
Mercer Island. Fibres International collects recyclables from many multi-
unit buildings in Redmond; Nick Raffo and Sea-Tac Disposal collect
recyclables from multi-unit buildings in Tukwila. The Cities of Bellevue
and Federal Way are planning multi-unit recycling service. Multi-unit
collection was implemented in unincorporated areas in August 1991.
Recycling is not mandatory for residents; however, cities are required to
provide recycling services to residents.
80 percent of single-family households (estimated by King County's
Recycling Coordinator)
Newspaper, high-grade paper, corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, glass,
aluminum, and ferrous cans. Six cities also collected plastic bottles (PET
and HOPE) in 1990. Beaux Arts, Lake Forest Park, Normandy Park,
Renton, Clyde Hill, Hunts Point, Medina, and Yarrow Point did not
collect plastic containers in 1990. In 1991 Lake Forest Park and Normandy
Park began to collect PET and HOPE plastic bottles.
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King County, Washington
Set-out Method: Two commingled systems are used in King County. Some cities provide 90-
gallon containers for all recyclables. (In 1991 glass was separated from
the other materials.) In other cities, a three-bin system is used.
Residents are provided with three stackable bins that range in size from
11 to 14 gallons. In most cases, newspapers are placed in one bin, mixed
waste paper is placed in another, and glass, tin, aluminum, and plastic
are placed in the third.
Collection Method and Collection method and vehicles used vary from program to program.
Vehicles: Materials are generally not sorted by vehicle crews en route. Generally,
one crew member operates each vehicle.
Economic Incentives: In 1990, 27 municipalities had instituted variable refuse rates. These
rates give residents an incentive to recycle and to reduce refuse disposed.
Enforcement: Not applicable
Annual Tonnage: In 1990,77,328 tons of recydables were collected at curbside.
Multi-unit Collection
Some cities have begun to require haulers serving their area to offer recyclables collection to multi-
unit buildings. Resident participation in these programs is voluntary. In July 1989, the City of Issaquah
began a pilot program servicing multi-unit buildings. Residents deposited recyclables in 90-gallon
toters that had an internal rack to separate materials. The toters were picked up twice a month.
Although residents participated in the program, the City found that approximately 40 percent of
collected materials were contaminated and not recyclable. In July 1991, the City began servicing multi-
unit buildings citywide with on-site collection of recyclable materials. The City of Redmond began
servicing both single and multi-unit households as of March 1990. North Bend and Snoqualmie also
offer recycling to multi-units as of February 1991. Multi-unit collection began in unincorporated areas in
August 1991.
In 1989 the City of Tukwila received a planning grant from King County to develop a waste
reduction and recycling program. The City used the grant to conduct a pilot recycling program, from June
to August 1989, in multi-unit complexes. Although Tukwila has a small residential population of
11,000, approximately 50 percent of all housing units are located in multi-unit complexes.
Tukwila contracted with Sound Resource Management Group, Inc. (SRMG) to conduct surveys and
coordinate the pilot program. From a survey of all housing complex managers or owners, two buildings
were chosen for the pilot project: a 54-unit apartment building and a 186-unit condominium complex.
The 3-month pilot program was designed to make recycling a convenient alternative for residents. Red
dumpsters with "Recycling Only" stickers were placed next to green refuse dumpsters. All collected
materials were commingled in the red dumpsters. Materials collected included newspaper, mixed
paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, aluminum cans, ferrous cans, and plastics. Sea-Tac Disposal
Company, Inc., the hauler that provides 95 percent of collection services in the City, provided weekly
collection service and dumpsters free of charge for the pilot program.
In addition to the initial survey, SRMG trained the building managers and gave them educational
materials, such as descriptive fliers, to distribute to residents. Although participation increased as
the pilot progressed, overall participation and collection rates during the program were relatively
low. SRMG and the City of Tukwila attributed the difference in participation rates to the education
initiatives of the managers. In the apartment complex, the manager took the time to speak to every
resident, whereas the condominium complex manager only set out fliers in the mail area. Twelve tons of
materials were collected during the pilot. Tonnages varied from 1/2 ton per week at the beginning of
the program to 2 or 2 1 /2 tons per week at the end of the program. During the 3-month project, there was
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King County, Washington
an 11 percent overall reduction in the waste stream by weight. It was estimated that a 30 percent
diversion rate would have to be maintained for recycling costs to break even with refuse collection costs.
Since the pilot project, the City has conducted public meetings on curbside recycling for multi-unit
residences, sent out mass mailings, and contacted the managers of all multi-unit complexes to develop
recycling programs. Collection programs are developed individually by each complex and its hauler.
Collection frequency, for instance, may vary from one complex to another. The City has developed a
program in which a volunteer from each complex acts as the "Recycling Captain" for the building.
Recycling Captains are responsible for education initiatives. As of September 1991, there were six to
eight volunteers. Each building will receive a red. dumpster for recyclables similar to the dumpsters
used in the pilot project. The City plans to have all the dumpsters in place and the program fully
. implemented by the fall of 1991.
Commercial & Institutional Curb side/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Materials Collected:
Pick-up Frequency:
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Incentives:
Annual Tonnage
The 1989 Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan charges the
County with the responsibility for encouraging commercial recycling
opportunities. The plan does not specify how these services should be
delivered, and businesses are not required to recycle.
Rabanco, Waste Management, Lawson Disposal, RST Disposal, and
Federal Way are among the waste haulers and their affiliates that offer
recycling collection service to the commercial sector.
Not available. A recent survey indicated that 35 multi-tenant office
buildings in the City of Bellevue were recycling.
Primarily large businesses
Corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper, computer paper, mixed paper,
various metals
Varies
Varies
Varies
King County provides technical assistance to businesses, including on-site
waste consultations, an information hotline, workshops, printed
materials, videos, and coordination of collection services. The County has
provided waste consultations to hotels, shopping malls, and the airport.
Not available
Self-haul and Drop-off Centers
Number and Type
Public or Private:
56 (49 private drop-off sites and 7 County-run sites). The. County has
drop-off areas at three transfer stations (First Northeast, Factoria, and
Houghton), three rural landfills (Hobart, Vashon, and Enumclaw), and
one drop box at the closed Cedar Falls landfill.
Public and private
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King County, Washington
Sectors Served: Residential and commercial/institutional
Materials Accepted: Varies. Generally, newspaper, high-grade paper, corrugated cardboard,
mixed paper, glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, scrap metal, and plastic
(PET and HDPE) are accepted. Some recyclers will only accept aluminum
and ferrous metal, while others will only accept HDPE and PET plastic.
Nine drop-off centers accept batteries.
Annual Tonnage: In 1990 a total of 86,429 tons of recyclables, nearly one-quarter of all
recydables collected in the County, were collected at drop-off sites. 1,037
tons were collected at the three transfer stations and 928 tons at three
landfills.
f
The County is responsible for providing recycling opportunities to residents in rural unincorporated
areas. It has partially fulfilled this obligation through drop boxes and depots located at disposal
facilities.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
There are three large intermediate processing centers (IPCs) in King County: the Rabanco Recycling
Center, the Recycle America Processing Center, owned by Waste Management, Inc., and Fibres
International. Rabanco and Recycle America are located in Seattle, and Fibres International is located
in Bellevue. Waste Management and Rabanco process materials from their residential and commercial
pick-up programs. There are three other processing/buy-back centers in King County: CEI Recycling,
Neighborhood Recycling Center, and Valley Recycling.
The Rabanco Recycling Center was built on the site of a former steel warehouse and began
operations in June 1988. The 80,000-square-foot processing facility is located on 5 acres. The plant is
designed to process 500 to 700 tons per day of recyclables from a variety of waste streams, including
clean paper, cardboard, newspaper, and plastic loads; paper-rich loads of commercial waste collected
from selected commercial garbage routes; and commingled recyclables. It is estimated that the start-up
costs for the plant were between $6 and $8 million. The facility uses a combination of conveyors,
trommel, disc screens, magnetic separation, air classification, hand picking, and baling to recover and
process recyclable materials. Approximately 90 percent of the recovered material is paper, which is
sold through Rabanco's subsidiary, Ideal Paper Stock, to markets in the Pacific Rim. Glass and metal
are marketed locally. Color-sorted glass is sold to Ball Incon, a Seattle glass beneficiation plant. MRl,
a local company, removes the tin from bimetal cans; the remaining steel is sold to plants in the Puget
Sound region. Aluminum is sold to regional plants.
The Recycle America Processing Center was opened by Waste Management in 1988 to process
recyclables collected by Recycle America. The 43,000-square-foot facility processes newspaper,
cardboard, mixed paper, tin, glass, and aluminum. Since 67 percent of materials have been source-
separated by the generators, the facility is primarily used for baling, with a maximum capacity of 400
tons per day. Glass, tin, and aluminum are sorted on a pick line through a combination of magnets and
hand-sorting. Waste paper is baled and brokered through Fibres International to markets in South
Korea and Taiwan, which use the paper as filler stock for other paper grades. The facility is also
designed to process commercial loads rich in cardboard and other paper. About 1 percent by weight of
the materials collected at curbside was reported rejected as residue in 1990.
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King 'County, Washington
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement
In 1989 the King County Council formed the King County Commission for Marketing Recyclable
Materials (as required by County Ordinance 8771) to enhance markets for recyclable materials and to
encourage the use of recycled products. The purpose of this Commission is to seek, solicit, and promote
marketing opportunities for reusing materials that would otherwise be disposed, and in particular to
encourage the use of recovered materials in manufacturing and production processes, and promote the use
of products made from recycled materials. Commission members represent business, government,
recycling, and economic development interests.
In December 1989, King County adopted an ordinance establishing rules and policies for the
procurement of a range of recycled products, including paper products, building insulation, retread tires,
cement, cement concrete with fly ash, and re-refined oil. For example, all County agencies are required
to procure recycled paper if its price is less than 15 percent higher than virgin paper. King County
defines recycled high-grade paper as having a minimum content of 25 percent post-consumer material or
50 percent total waste material (excluding material commonly reused within an original manufacturing
process). The ordinance also establishes procedures by which vendors of other recycled products, such
as recycled plastic products or compost, can qualify for a preferential purchase.
In September 1990, King County's Commission for Marketing Recyclable Materials, together with
the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Seattle Solid Waste Utility, launched the Business
and Industry Recycling Venture (BIRV) to urge businesses to procure products made from recycled
material. Two recycling information specialists, one from the City and one from the County, provide
information on recycling services and vendors of recycled products to businesses. As of June 1991, the
BIRV had assisted over 200 businesses through on-site consultations and telephone service.
In January 1991, the Commission received a $250,000 grant from the Washington State Department
of Ecology to undertake a 2-year program of testing and marketing compost products from three
facilities in the County.
The Commission evaluated existing and potential market conditions for recyclables in its July 1991
Annual Report & Five Year Plan. The report details market conditions, such as supply and demand
trends, for mixed waste paper, newsprint, high-grade paper, plastics, tires, metals, motor oil,
construction debris, and yard waste compost.
Composting Activities
King County's composting program has four components: backyard composting, curbside yard waste
collection in cities and unincorporated urban areas, drop-box sites (serving rural areas), and a mobile
yard waste collection program serving urban areas. While the County is responsible for yard waste
programs and cities are not required to offer curbside pick-up of yard waste, many cities have
implemented programs. Service providers are contracted to pick up yard waste weekly, bimonthly, or
monthly. The composting facilities serving King County are all privately-owned. Rabanco owns and
operates the Cedar Grove Compost Facility; Valley Topsoils has a facility in Algona; Iddings, Inc.
operates a facility in the Kent area; and Northwest Wood Recycling operates a facility in Woodville.
Until recently, Pacific Topsoils in Snohomish County accepted yard waste from King County.
An estimated 17 percent of King County's waste stream is yard waste. The County wants to divert
90 percent of all yard waste from the waste stream by the year 2000 and has planned a range of
composting activities.
County Ordinance 9928, passed in May 1991, required the County to offer curbside yard waste
collection in unincorporated urban areas. Collection programs began in August 1991, with yard waste set
out in 90-gallon containers. Three haulers serve 180,000 households: Rabanco, RST/Raffo, and Waste
Management, Inc. RST/Raffo and Waste Management offer weekly pick-up and Rabanco picks up on a
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King County, Washington
bimonthly schedule. RST/Raffo also offers curbside pick-up for multi-unit buildings. The County is
planning to set a rate structure that creates a financial incentive for residents to separate their yard
waste from other refuse.
Christmas trees are accepted free of charge at County transfer stations and rural landfills for two
weeks following Christmas. In 1990, 700 tons (over 13,000 cubic yards) of trees were collected and
hauled to a composting facility, representing a 144 percent increase over 1989.
The County is also researching food waste composting. For example, food waste generated at the
1990 County fair was collected and composted to determine whether compost of a consistent quality
could be produced, and to determine the feasibility of composting food waste on a larger scale. The food
waste compost produced from the County fair food waste was used as a soil amendment for the planting
of vegetables and flowers at the County fairgrounds. An educational exhibit at the 1991 County fair
featured a demonstration of the food waste composting process.
In the summer of 1991, the County received a grant to test a variety of composting methods, working
jointly with the City of Seattle Solid Waste Utility. The County will also test the feasibility of
backyard food waste composting and on-site commercial food and yard waste composting.
Backyard Composting
As an integral component of King County's 1989 Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan
(CSWMP), the Solid Waste Division of the Department of Public Works developed and implemented a
Backyard Composting Program. The goal of the program is to increase public awareness of recycling and
waste reduction. The County provides bins at a subsidized rate ($8.75) to residents, and technical
assistance through the Master Recycler/Composter Program, Nursery Composting Demonstration
Program, and a recycling and composting information telephone line. The County began to promote the
program in June 1989, in press releases and on local television stations. With slogans such as "Money
does grow on trees," the County tries to persuade residents to compost in their backyards to save money
in avoided yard waste collection charges, and reduce the need for purchases of fertilizers and soil
amendments. The County also distributes literature on how to safely compost food waste and pet waste.
The County distributed 16,000 backyard composting bins in four residential, unincorporated areas
between June 1989 and March 1990. Although the bins were available to all County residents, the
County targeted unincorporated areas because the one-third of the County's population that lives in
such areas receives fewer services than do city residents. During the second year, the program
expanded to include the cities in the County. By the end of 1991, the County will have distributed a
total of 41,000 bins. The distribution system differed for the unincorporated areas and the cities. In the
unincorporated areas, specific areas first received mass mailings, and then the bins were delivered to
each household. In the cities, after the mass mailing, interested residents went to specific stores to buy
the bins. In 1990 the County spent $682,239 on planning, outreach, and bins for the backyard composting
program, the majority of which was spent on the purchase of bins. ($380,334 was spent to purchase
approximately 19,000 bins; County residents reimbursed the County a total of $195,460 for bins.)
During the first year of the program, the King County Solid Waste Division conducted a study to
quantify yard waste diversion as a result of its backyard composting program in unincorporated areas.
The study indicates that participation is very high and that at least 50 percent of participants' yard
waste is composted in their backyards. Of 11,111 participants, 38 percent did not compost before
receiving the compost bin. Two-thirds of all participants were composting 75 percent of their yard
waste, and the other third was composting approximately 50 percent. Based on the assumption that
each household produces 800 pounds of yard waste each year, an estimated 1,590 tons of yard waste
were diverted in 1989. In 1990 an estimated 4,706 tons were diverted.
The program continues to evolve. Currently the County is investigating commercially available
backyard composting bins that are made of 100 percent recycled materials. For example, the County is
interested in a plastic bin made by Green Ban, and in another bin that is produced locally from locally
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King County, Washington
collected plastic. The County already offers a bin made from western cedar, a by-product of lumber and
milling in the Pacific Northwest
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Materials Collected:
Collection Vehicles &
Method:
Set-out Method:
Collection Frequency:
Economic Incentives:
By 1990, nine cities had implemented curbside yard waste collection
programs. By September 1991,16 cities had implemented such programs.
Collection began in Renton in August 1989, October 1989 in Bellevue,
March 1990 in Kirkland and Redmond, April 1990 in Mercer Island,
September 1991 in Sea-Tac, and February 1991 in Bothell. Collection is
due to begin in January 1992 in Des Moines. Curbside collection for the
unincorporated areas began in August 1991. There is no curbside collection
in rural areas. The rural City of Duvall intends to start curbside
collection of yard waste in January 1992.
Varies; often the provider is the same as the one for curbside recyclables
but pick-up may be a different day than pick-up for refuse.
By September 1991, 130,000 single-family households were served in
unincorporated urban areas; 70,000 single-family homes in urban cities.
No. In some cities, such as Bellevue and Mercer Island, it is mandatory for
residents to separate yard waste from refuse. King County Ordinance
9928, passed in May 1991, required the County to offer curbside yard waste
collection in unincorporated urban areas.
Leaves, grass clippings, brush, and Christmas trees (seasonal)
Rear packer trucks
Haulers determine which containers are to be used for yard waste set-out.
Most haulers allow yard waste to be placed in clean garbage cans, paper
bags, and boxes, and many have 90-gallon toters for customers to lease.
Most no longer allow customers to use plastic bags for yard waste.
Raffo, RST Disposal, Sea-Tac Disposal, and Meridian Valley Disposal
collect yard waste every other week from March through November, and
monthly from December through February. Lawson Disposal and Waste
Management's four subsidiaries—Skyway Disposal, Sno-King Garbage,
Rainier Disposal, and Sunset—collect yard waste weekly from March
through November, and monthly from December through February.
In some instances, yard waste collection is less expensive than refuse pick-
up. For example, Lawson Disposal charges $8.25 per month for yard
waste collection, but between $7.45 and $28.10 per month for refuse
collection, depending on the amount generated. Similarly, RST charges
$4.38 per month for yard waste collection, but between $7.10 and $26.25
per month for refuse.
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King County, Washington
Drop-off Collection
The County does not offer curbside collection of yard waste in the unincorporated rural areas, but it
has offered a seasonal mobile collection program in urban areas and drop-off collection at the Factoria
transfer station, as well as drop-off areas at the Hobart landfill and the Cedar Falls drop-box located
in rural areas. The mobile collection program began in May 1989 and was directed at the unincorporated
areas of the County, although no effort was made to restrict access to the sites. The program ran from
May to October with five drop-off sites: Federal Way, Kent, Issaquah, North Bend, and Duvall. Yard
waste was collected one week per month. Residents were not charged to drop off yard waste. Between
May and October 1989,2301 tons of yard waste were collected. In 1990 the County reduced the program
to four sites (Woodinville, Shoreline area, Sea-Tac area, and Federal Way area), offered drop-off
collection at each site one weekend per month, and charged residents $5.25 per cubic yard and a refuse
tax. As a result, the volume of yard waste collected dropped drastically. From June to November 1990,
only 683 tons of yard waste were collected. The County plans to discontinue the program after 1991
because the curbside collection program in unincorporated urban areas reduces the need for a mobile
program.
Moreover, in July 1990, the County opened yard waste drop-off areas at the Hobart landfill and the
Factoria transfer station, where it charges $31 per ton. The fee is $16 less than the fee for refuse. At
the Hobart landfill, yard waste can be dropped off during the landfill's normal operating hours. The
drop-off area at the Factoria transfer station is open during the week from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on
weekends until 530 p.m. From July to December 1990, a total of 689 tons of yard waste were collected at
the two sites (458 tons at Factoria and 231 tons at Hobart). From January to June 1991,1,039 tons were
collected. Beginning in mid-October, the County also offers a 40-cubic-yard drop box at the Cedar Falls
landfill, which was closed in 1990. From October to December 1990,12 to 18 tons of yard waste were
collected. During the first 6 months of 1991,98 tons were collected.
In 1990, 700 tons of Christmas trees were collected and chipped for soil stabilization at the Cedar
Hills Regional Landfill.
Composting Site
King County does not own or operate a composting facility. There are four private operations that
process yard waste collected by municipal programs, and material from commercial and residential
generators. Only Valley Topsoil is open to the public. The Rabanco Facility, located in Maple Valley,
accepts yard waste and produces mulch and topsoil. Iddings, Inc., in Kent, has a capacity to process
100,000 tons per year and produces topsoil and hog fuel (wood chips for fuel). Valley Topsoil in Algona
accepts yard waste and horse/cow manure, and produces topsoil, bark, and mulch. The County incurs a
tipping of $25 per ton of yard waste it delivers to private composting sites.
Page 81
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King County, Washington
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Residential
(Tons, 1990)
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons, 1990)
Self-Haul*
(Tons, 1990)
Total
(Tons, 1990)
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
High-grade Paper
Mixed Paper
Refillable Bottles*
Other Glass
PET Plastic
HOPE Plastic
LDPE Plastic
Other Plastic
Aluminum Cans
Ferrous Cans
35,061.9
3,983.9
848.2
25,232.8
0
8,225.7
96.9
66.3
0
0
927.9
2,482.5
13,723.7
61,990.8
10,550.2
20,457.3
570.6
5,754.6
90.8
0
200.0
227.1
523.1
1,474.8
28,672.0
19,402.3
2,965.8
5323.0
152.4
2,251.7
54.7
117.6
0
74.3
2,415.1
392.3
77,457.5
85,376.9
14^64.2
51,013.1
722.9
16,232.1
242.4
183.9
200.0
301.3
3,866.2
4,349.6
Appliances/White Goods 13.3 7395 2,660.0 3,412.8
Ferrous Scrap* 241.3 5,240.7 597.4 6,079.4
Nonferrous Scrap 12.9 13,552.0 1,701.5 15,266.4
Vehicle Batteries 0 6,128.0 1,067.0 7,195.0
Tires 0 2,165.1 133.0 2,298.1
Motor Oil 0 12,297.4 198.0 12,495.4
Textiles 134.1 3,753.3 292.4 4,179.9
Subtotal MSW Recycled 77,327.7 159,439 68,470.5 305,237.1
Food Waste 0 21,360.9 0 21,360.9
Yard Waste 47,903.2 13,049.3 17,164.0 78,116.5
Wood Waste 155 118.2 794.0 1,067.2
Subtotal MSW Composted 48,058.2 34,528.4 17,958.0 100,544.6
Total MSW Recovered 125,385.9 193,967.4 86,428.5 405,781.7
*Self-haul material was recovered at buy-back sites and drop boxes located throughout the County. The State estimates that 80
percent of this material is brought by the residential sector, and the remaining 20 percent is brought by the
commercial/institutional sector.
tRefillable beer bottles.
$Only 6,079 tons of the 108,929 tons of ferrous scrap reported by the State to be recovered by the County can be verified to be post-
consumer, non-industrial material.
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King County, Washington
Source Reduction Initiatives
King County promotes solid waste source reduction through its backyard composting programs
(described earlier) and variable refuse rates. It educates residents on how to reduce households' waste
through its master recycler/composter program, and its comprehensive home waste audit manuals.
Additionally, source reduction is a major component of its school program. The County encourages
office-related source reduction behaviors, such as double-sided copying, through its procurement
policies.
Publicity and Education
Residential
King County publicizes the Waste Reduction and Recycling Program through direct mailings,
utility bill inserts, television and radio advertisements, and community displays. The County also sets
up information booths at community events, runs a recycling/composting information hot line, and has a
recycling curriculum. Its Master Recycler/Composter Program trains volunteers to educate friends,
neighbors, and co-workers about home composting, source reduction, recycling, and household hazardous
waste management.
Implementation of the Master Recycler/Composter Program began in January 1990 when the first
training session was held. Three 2-month training sessions are held each year, 25 people participate in
each session and agree to contribute 40 hours each to community outreach initiatives. In 1990,75 Master
Recyclers/Composters (MRCs) were trained; and another 75 were trained in 1991. Capital expenditures
for the program include more than $10,000 for training manuals and curricula, $6,000 for outreach tools,
and $10,000 for the construction of two demonstration sites. The County spends $15,000 for each training
session (for training and equipment), for a total of $45,000 per year. Other ongoing costs include $15,000
a year for coordination and publicity and $3,000 a year for the maintenance of the demonstration sites.
In 1990 the County spent $70,000 on total program costs. As of September 1991, it had invested a total of
$135,000 in the program and will continue to invest at least $63,000 a year.
Commercial
The County provides technical assistance to businesses including on-site waste consultations, an
information hot line, workshops, printed materials, videos, and coordination of collection services. In
1990 it spent $15,000 on educational materials, $45,000 on workshops, and additional money on
technical assistance to develop recycling and waste reduction programs in the commercial/institutional
sector.
Economics
Costs Cover: Recyclables and yard waste are collected and processed primarily by the private
sector. Capital and equipment costs are thus not available. The County's annual
costs, which consist primarily of administration, research, education, and
development of recycling and composting programs, are listed below. Also listed
are the County's operating and maintenance costs for the collection of 2,023 tons of
yard waste through its various drop-off programs.
Page 83
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King County, Washington
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Recycling Subtotal
Drop-Off Collection and Processing*
Administration*
Education/Publicity'1'
Composting Subtotal
Collection
Mobile Collection*
Drop-off Collections
Christmas Tree Collection
Processing (Tipping Fees)"
Administration*
Education/Publicity*
Recycling & Composting Total
Collection and Processing
Administration**
Education/Publicity^
Cost
NA
$200,000
NA
NA
NA
$144,350
103,733
33,072
7,545
50,575
NA
NA
$1,944,876
$394,925
135,000
1,414,951
Tons Covered
1,965
2,023
634
689
700
2,023
$3,988
Per Ton Cost
$102
NA
$71
164
48
11
25
$99
*At transfer stations and rural landfills.
* Administrative and education/publicity costs cannot be broken down into recycling and composting costs.
^Mobile collection costs include labor, site preparation, equipment rental, and some publicity expenses.
§Drop-off collection costs include improvements made to the drop-off sites, the cost of delivering material to compost sites, and
some publicity expenses. They exclude the revenue received from the drop-off fee charged ($31 per ton).
"Tipping fees for delivery of 1,323 tons of yard waste and 700 tons of Christmas trees collected through mobile and drop-off
collection to private composting sites.
**Administration costs include $16,000 in general project administration, $10,000 for the administration of the business and
industry recycling council, and $59,000 for service area coordination, and $50,000 to develop food waste composting.
^Includes $30,000 spent on a waste exposition, $10,470 on the newsletter, $10,000 on publicity and organization of a recycling
week, $25,000 for a hotline, $10,505 for a home audit book, $6,650 for a recycling information center, $517,000 for various school
recycling programs; $15,499 for community events, $2,597 for a speakers' bureau, $70,000 for the Master Recyder/Composter
Program, $150,000 for certain public outreach programs, $30,000 for nursery composting demonstration projects, $4,730 for technical
assistance workshops, $15,000 for nonresidential education material, $45,000 for nonresidential workshops, $14,500 for
nonresidential consulting, $8,000 for recycling information booklets, and $450,000 for waste audits.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Most revenue is kept by private haulers; the County receives limited
revenue from one of its drop-off contracts.
Tipping fees at County solid waste facilities, and collection fees for yard
waste drop-off programs fund County recycling and waste reduction
activities.
Full-time Employees: 20 employed by the County's Waste Reduction and Recycling Program
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King County, Washington
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
In May 1990, King County established a Waste Monitoring System to measure recyclable materials
disposed, collected, and processed. The County first completed a waste composition survey and
identified 14 different waste categories. By the end of 1991, the County had compiled information on
the amount of each waste category recycled in all cities. With this information, the County intends to
target specific geographical area's where recycling levels should be raised. The County also plans to
increase recycling programs in nonresidential sectors, such as businesses, institutions, and municipal
offices, which generate approximately 40 percent of all waste. Since State statutory language in
regulating commercial collection is ambiguous, it is unclear what authority King County or its
municipalities have to establish standards for collection of nonresidential recyclables. King County's
Solid Waste Division is in the process of finalizing a nonresidential Strategic Plan, which will be
incorporated into the 1992 Plan Update. Some of the options that the County is considering are
enactment of a service level ordinance to establish a countywide system providing convenient and
economical nonresidential recycling opportunities, a requirement for mandatory source separation of
specified recyclables by nonresidential generators, and the implementation of incentives such as
penalties for the disposal of recyclables with mixed waste.
In March 1991, the County began exploring options for processing its nonrecycled waste in a mixed
waste processing facility. On the advice of a consultant, it decided to postpone such plans until issues
such as tonnage guarantees could be satisfactorily resolved. The County is continuing to research this
matter.
Contacts
Cheryl Waters
Project Manager, Backyard Composting Program
King County Department of Public Works
Division of Solid Waste Management
600 Yesler Building
400 Yesler Way
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone (206) 2964481
Fax (206) 296-0197
Susan Gulick
Waste Reduction and Recycling Manager
Department of Public Works
400 Yesler Way, 6th Floor
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone (206) 296-6542
Fax (206) 296-0917-
Mr. Tang Vu
Department of Ecology
Mailstop PV-11
Olympia, WA 98504-8711
Phone (206) 438-7875
Fax (206) 438-7789
Jeff Gaisford
King County Solid Waste Division
Department of Public Works
600 Yesler Building
400 Yesler Way
Seattle, Washington 98104
Phone (206) 2964484
Fax (206) 296-0197
Glenn Boettcher
Recycling Coordinator
City of Mercer Island
9611 SE 16th St.
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Phone (206) 236-5329
Fax (206) 236-3651
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I
King County, Washington
References
Benton, Craig and Rebecca Fox. "Commingled Recycling Tested in Apartments," Resource Recycling,
June 1990,48-50.
King County Solid Waste Division. Annual Report. September 1989.
. Annual Report. September 1990.
-. Annual Report. September 1991.
King County Solid Waste Division, Proposed Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, July 1989.
Putnam, Cynthia. "King County, Washington's Master Recycler Composter Program," Resource
Recycling, December 1990, 22-4.
Waters, Cheryl. "A Backyard Composting Success Story," Resource Recycling, February 1990.
Page 86
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Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette,
Louisiana
Demographics
Jurisdiction: City of Lafayette
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
90,000 in 1990
41 square miles
29,500 (28,500 in single-family residences and approximately 1,000 in
multi-unit buildings)
7,654 (7,579 businesses and 75 institutions)
Lafayette is predominantly a residential community of single-family
homes located in Lafayette Parish. The City's primary industries are
tourism and oil. In 1989 average per capita income was $14,154; 1990
median household income was $23,961.
Page 87
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Lafayette, Louisiana
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (November 1989 - October 1990)
Recovered
Recycled*
Composted'*'
Disposed^
Incinerated
Landfilled
Generated
Residential
4,651
2,440
2,211
30,000
0
30,000
34,651
Commercial/
Institutional
3,125
3,125
0
35,880
0
35,880
39,005
Total
MSW
7,776
5,565
2,211
65,880
0
65,880
73,656
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Percent by Weight Recovered
13%
7%
6%
8%
0%
11%
8%
3%
Note. Tonnages of construction and demolition debris are not tracked; therefore, no figures for C&D or Total Waste" are included
in this table.
•Commercial/institutional recycled tonnages contain a small percentage of residential material recovered through drop-off sites.
Additional commercial materials recovered but not tracked include white goods, motor oil, batteries, and scrap metal, as well as
corrugated cardboard recycled by many Lafayette supermarkets.
'The City's curbside yard waste program did not begin until May 1990; thus, yard waste tonnages were generated over a 5-month
period. Over the 11 month period from May 1990 to April 1991,5,760 tons of yard waste were composted.
'Waste disposed includes tires.
Landfill Tipping Fee:
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
$10 per ton at the city-owned Municipal Landfill in 1988, $25 per ton at
the New Iberia Landfill in 1989, and $20 per ton at the Livingston Parish
Landfill in 1990. (Tipping fees at this landfill increased to $25 in 1991.)
The City of Lafayette contracts with Waste Management of North
America to collect refuse twice a week from all single-family
households. For this service the City of Lafayette charged all single-
family households $5.19 per month in 1990. In 1991 residents pay $5.55
per month. Multi-unit residences must contract with private waste
haulers for refuse service. Commercial and institutional waste is
collected by BFI, Waste Management, and All American Waste. Refuse
haulers also collect white goods, furniture, and wood waste. All
residential, commercial, and institutional waste destined for disposal is
hauled to the Livingston Parish Landfill in Livingston, Louisiana, 98
miles away. Construction and demolition debris is disposed at the Scott
Construction Dump in Scott, Louisiana.
Page 88
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Lafayette, Louisiana
Municipal Solid Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, FY1990)
Disposed 89% Recovered 11 %
Residential Disposed 41%^
""" Residential Recycled 3%
Residential Composted 3%
Comm/lnst Recycled 4%
X // ^
Comm/lnst Disposed 49%
Wore: Due to rounding, numbers do not add to percent disposed and percent recovered.
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative In 1988 the State of Louisiana passed a bill (Act 185) mandating a 25
Requirements: percent reduction of the waste stream through recycling and composting by
the year 1992. If the goal is not met, the cities will be assessed a fee of
20tf per ton for every ton landfilled. The Act also bans the landfilling of
certain materials, including white goods, waste oil, whole tires, and
lead-acid batteries.
Although scavenging has not been a big problem, the City has adopted an
anti-scavenging ordinance, which provides for fining persons scavenging
in residential areas.
The Sierra Club, the Boy Scouts, and Lafayette Planetarium offered Lafayette residents their first
recycling opportunities during the mid-1980's. These community organizations provided drop-off sites
for collection of newspaper, glass, aluminum, and magazines.
In 1988 the City of Lafayette initiated Louisiana's first municipal curbside recycling program. This
is one of the largest recycling programs in the South, providing curbside service to over 27,500
households. The impetus came from the scheduled closing of the City's only municipal landfill, and
Lafayette's unsuccessful efforts to site an alternate landfill. In 1987 the Mayor, the City Council, and
citizen groups moved to initiate an aggressive curbside recycling and composting program in response to
this "disposal crisis." The Lafayette City Council allocated $35,000 towards public education and
Page 89
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Lafayette, Louisiana
publicity for the new curbside program. In March 1988 a recycling specialist was hired to design,
coordinate, and implement the program. Curbside collection of recyclables began in October 1988.
The City awarded a one-year contract to The Recycling Foundation, a nonprofit organization
/ formed by two owners of local bottling plants, based on their bid to collect materials free of charge. The
Recycling Foundation was to provide weekly collection of newsprint, glass, and aluminum cans to 26,500
single-family households citywide. Additionally, it was to process the materials and deliver them to
market The Foundation planned to return all profits from the recycling operation to local schools for
the purchase of environmental education materials. However, the organization lost money in the first
2 years of the program's operation. In November 1989, the Foundation charged the City a contract fee of
$95,700 for the year, or 29
-------
Lafayette, Louisiana
Collection Method and A three-person crew collects source-separated materials and places them
Vehicles: in three compartments in Eager Beaver trailers pulled by 1-ton pick up
trucks. Commingled materials are not further separated en route.
Economic Incentives: None
Enforcement Not applicable
Annual Tonnage 2,440 tons from November 1989 through October 1990
Commercial & Institutional Curb side/Alley Recycling
Legislative None
Requirements:
Service Provider: The Recycling Foundation
Number Served: Approximately 25 businesses and institutions
Type Served: Government offices, schools, supermarkets, hospitals, and restaurants
Pick-up Frequency: Ranges from 1 to 5 days per week, depending on the amount of storage
space available
Materials Collected: Corrugated cardboard; newspaper; high-grade and mixed office paper
(such as envelopes, file stock, and copier paper); glass; ferrous and
aluminum cans; and HDPE and PET plastic containers
Set-out Method: Businesses lease a small dumpster from their hauler to store recyclables.
Incentives: Garbage fee reductions as a result of smaller garbage dumpsters
Enforcement Not applicable
Annual Tonnage: Not available
The Recycling Foundation offers curbside collection to businesses and institutions for a fee.
However, many commercial businesses prefer to use the Foundation's drop-off center at no charge.
In April 1989, Lafayette City Hall initiated an office paper recycling program. Other City offices
have since followed suit. In January 1991, the Chamber of Commerce surveyed all city businesses to
ascertain their interest in recycling. One hundred and fifty businesses expressed an interest in initiating
recycling programs.
Currently, many Lafayette supermarkets recycle large volumes of cardboard outside the City;
however, these tonnages are not tracked.
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type 5. Three buy-back/drop-off centers (The Recycling Foundation, The Attic,
and Recycling Services of Lafayette) and two scrap yards (The Aluminum
Recycling Center and A&E) service the entire City.
Public or Private: All the drop-off centers are privately operated. The Recycling
Foundation is nonprofit; the others are for-profit businesses.
Page 91
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Lafayette, Louisiana
Sectors Served: Commercial/institutional and residential
Materials Accepted: All drop-off centers buy back aluminum cans. The Recycling Foundation
accepts newspaper, high-grade paper, mixed paper, corrugated
cardboard, ferrous cans, and HDPE and PET plastic containers. The Attic
(which dosed in mid-1990) accepted and repaired white goods for reuse.
Recycling Services of Lafayette accepts mixed paper, corrugated
cardboard, and glass. Both the Aluminum Recycling Center and A&E
accept batteries and assorted scrap metal. National Oil, Speedy Oil, K-
Mart, and Wal-Mart accept motor oil.
Annual Tonnage: 3,125 tons of materials were recovered from the residential and
commercial sector at drop-off centers in fiscal year 1990. Although
residents of multi-unit buildings not served with curbside collection of
recyclables do use the drop-off sites, most materials were collected from
the commercial sector. Many businesses, such as banks, offices, hospitals,
and some restaurants, drop off their recyclables. Tonnages for motor oil,
batteries, white goods, and scrap metal are not tracked or estimated.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Recycled materials collected through The Recycling Foundation's curbside program and drop-off
center are processed at its intermediate processing center (IPC) in Lafayette. In 1988 the Foundation
leased two buildings on the same site, 12,000 and 8,000 square feet respectively, to process all the
materials it collected. It began in October 1988 to collect materials and first subcontracted processing
out to private operators. After 6 months, however, the subcontracting company failed, and The
Recycling Foundation became the operator as well as the owner of the IPC. The center accepts
recyclables from outside the City and from private haulers; it does not charge a tipping fee.
Recyclables are unloaded from the Eager Beaver trailer onto the IPC tipping floor. Ten employees
(including prison laborers) hand-separate plastics by resin and glass by color. They remove from
newsprint all contaminants such as rubber bands, junk mail, and plastic bags. A conveyor belt is used for
sorting large loads of plastic, but is seldom used otherwise because it causes glass breakage. The
Foundation uses two downstroke vertical balers for plastic and cardboard, a West Coast glass crusher
for glass cullet, and a can densifier for aluminum and steel cans. An estimated 1 percent by weight of
recyclables brought to IPC are rejected during processing and landfilled. The IPC can process up to 30
tons per day; in 1989-1990, the Foundation processed approximately 20 tons per day of recyclable
materials.
The Recycling Foundation has access to a limited number of local markets. Newspaper is marketed
through Southeast Recycling in Dublin, Georgia, corrugated cardboard through Inland-Orange in
Orange, Texas. Glass is sold to Owens Brockway in Waco, Texas, aluminum cans to Alcan in Berea,
Kentucky or Alcoa in Tennessee, and ferrous cans to Prolar International in Houston. HDPE and PET
plastics are sold to Red Stick Plastic in Prairieville, Louisiana. The City of Lafayette sells the mixed
paper collected through its office paper recycling program to A.C.C.O. in Houston, Texas.
Market Development Initiatives/Procurement
Although a Lafayette Parish ordinance passed in December 1990 mandates that municipal offices
procure a minimum of 10 percent recycled paper, procurement of recycled paper is not yet required in the
City of Lafayette. Lafayette will adopt an ordinance to require recycled paper procurement in all
municipal buildings through a "procedures and policy manual" (PPM). Once the PPM is signed by the
Mayor, the procurement policy should be adapted by March of 1992.
Page 92
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Lafayette, Louisiana
Composting Activities
Lafayette implemented the first municipal curbside collection of yard waste in Louisiana in 1990
and constructed the State's first municipal yard waste composting facility. In 1990 the City charged all
single-family households a fee of $1.17 per month for weekly curbside collection of yard waste.
Christmas trees are used whole as wave barriers and sediment traps for coastal erosion.
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date: May 1990
Service Provider: Recycle America (a division of Waste Management)
Households Served: 27,500 households in 1990,28,500 in 1991
Mandatory: No
Materials Collected: Leaves, grass clippings, branches, brush, stumps smaller than 6 inches in
diameter, and Christmas trees
Set-out Method: Materials are bagged, bundled, stacked, or placed in open containers
supplied by residents.
Collection Vehicles & Three-person crews collect yard waste, using 32-cubic-yard compactor
Method: trucks. (A smaller 25-cubic-yard truck handles shorter runs.)
Collection Frequency: Weekly year-round
Economic Incentives: None
Annual Tonnage 2,211 tons were collected in the 5-month period from May through October
1990. Over the 11-month period from May 1990 to April 1991,5,760 tons of
yard waste were composted.
Composting Site
Recycle America brings residential yard waste collected through the municipal curbside program to
the City-owned and operated composting facility, located on a 10-acre site in Lafayette. Recycle
America and county residents pay a $24 per ton tipping fee to deposit materials there. The fees cover
the cost of the processing operation. Approximately 95 percent of yard waste delivered is collected
through the curbside program.
Yard waste collected at curbside and through drop-off is unloaded on the 200-foot by 224-foot
asphalt compost pad. The City does not accept yard waste from private haulers or landscapers. An
estimated 1 to 2 percent by weight of the yard waste collected is rejected and landfilled. All materials
except Christmas trees are ground in a tub grinder and then formed into windrows averaging 100 feet
long by 12 feet wide by 6 feet high. Operators measure temperatures of "active" windrows weekly.
After 1 month, compost is re-formed into "curing" windrows averaging 20 feet wide by 10 feet high. The
composting process is complete in approximately 10 months, and the end product is used in public
facilities such as parks and recreation areas. To date there have been no odor problems at the compost
site.
Page 93
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Lafayette, Louisiana
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
High-grade Paper
Other Paper
Class
PET Plastic
HOPE Plastic
Aluminum Cans
Ferrous Cans
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Yard Waste*
Subtotal MSW Composted
Total MSW Recovered
Asphalt1"
Total C&D Recovered
Residential
(Tons, 1989-90)
1,500
0
0
0
720
35
35
60
90
2,440
2,211
2,211
4,651
NA
NA
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons, 1989-90)
500
1,200
500
250
500
0
0
175
0
3,125
0
0
3,125
NA
NA
Total
(Tons, 1989-90)
2,000
1,200
500
250
1,220
35
35
235
90
5,565
2,211
2,211
7,776
NA
NA
Notes: The above chart applies to a 12-month period from November 1989 through October 1990 for recydables, and to a 5-month
period from May 1990 through October 1990 for yard waste material. Residential tonnages recycled represent materials collected
through curbside alone; drop-off tonnages are included under commercial/institutional tons.
Materials recovered reflect tonnages recovered excluding rejects subtracted.
Appliances and white goods, scrap metal, oil, and lead-acid batteries are collected at drop-off centers; tonnages are not tracked.
'Lafayette estimates yard waste tonnages based on a conversion factor of 500 pounds per cubic yard. Tonnages above represent
8344 cubic yards of yard waste collected.
'Lafayette recycles asphalt in new road construction; however, tonnages are not tracked.
Publicity and Education
Residential
Before implementation of its curbside recycling program, Lafayette conducted an extensive public
outreach program. Twenty-five hundred homes were targeted for door-to-door visits. Additionally,
during the first year alone, a total of 42 recycling presentations were made on a state and local level.
Lafayette uses brochures, public service announcements, direct mailings, and billboards to publicize its
recycling and composting programs.
Teachers of grades K-6 at the Lafayette County schools have incorporated recycling, litter, and
solid waste management studies into their science curricula. In 1989 the Department of Public Works
and BFI sponsored an International Puppet Show on recycling as part of the Festival International de
Louisiane.
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Lafayette, Louisiana
Commercial
In January 1991, the Chamber of Commerce distributed literature on source reduction in the work
place to city businesses.
Economics
Costs Coven Capital and operating and maintenance costs given below cover. (1) collection of
2,440 tons of residential recyclables at curbside, and (2) collection of 2,211 tons of
residential yard waste at curbside. The City of Lafayette pays for the curbside
collection of recyclables and yard waste and for the processing of recyclables
through contract fees. The City pays directly for compost processing equipment,
labor at the compost site, education, publicity, and program administration.
Capital Costs: Collection
Item
78,000 Recycling Bins
Chevrolet 1-ton Truck*
2 Eager Beaver Trailers* @
$13,000
Chevrolet 1-ton Truck*
2 Gooseneck Trailers*
@ $6,000
Ford 1 -ton Truck*
Ford 1-ton Truck*
1 25-cubic-yard and 2 32-
cubic-yard Compactor Trucks*
Cost
$400,000
16,000
26,000
18,000
12,000
13,000
18,000
250,000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Composting
Year Incurred
1988
1988
1988
1989
1989
1989
1989
1990
Note. The City purchased the recycling bins, which were fully paid for at the time of purchase.
'Equipment, purchased and owned by The Recycling Foundation, was purchased through a Container Recovery Corporation 5-
year loan.
tEquipment purchased and owned by Recycle America.
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Lafayette, Louisiana
Capital Costs; Processing
Item
50-foot Truck Scale*
2 Downstroke Selco Vertical
Baler* @ $8,280
West Coast Glass Crusher*
Conveyor Belt*
CP Manufacture 600 Denser*
Nissan Forklift*
Stumpmaster Tub Grinder*"
Front-end Loader*"
Cost
Leased
$16,560
10,000
9,360
20^20
17,500
125,000
65,000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
—
1989
1989
1989
1989
1990
1990
1990
'Equipment purchased and owned by The Recycling Foundation.
*The City purchased the tub grinder and front-end loader, which were fully paid for at the time of purchase.
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (FY1990)
Cost Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
Recycling Subtotal $243,200 2,440 $100
Curbside Collection and Processing* $95,700 2,440 $39
Administration 97,500 2,440 40
Education/Publicity 50,000 2,440 20
Composting Subtotal $240,875 2,211 $109
Collection and Processing $198,375 2,211 $90
Collection* 160,875 2,211 73
Processing* 37,500 2,211 17
Administration 32,500 2,211 15
Education/Publicity* 10,000 2,211 5
Recycling & Composting Total $484,075 4,651 $104
Collection and Processing $294,075 4,651 $63
Administration 130,000 4,651 28
Education/Publicity 60,000 4,651 13
Notes: Costs given in this table represent the City of Lafayette's operating and maintenance costs for recycling and composting in
fiscal year 1990 (November 1989 to October 1990).
Numbers may not add up to total due to rounding.
In fiscal year 1991 (November 1990 to October 1991), The Recycling Foundation's contract fees for recycling collection and
processing increased to $293,700.
'Contract fee paid to The Recycling Foundation, covers recycling collection and processing costs. The City paid The Foundation
$079 per household per month in fiscal year 1990,27,500 households were served.
'The cited collection cost ($160,875) represents costs for yard waste collected over the 5-month period, derived by prorating the
$386,100 in contract fees paid to WM1 from May 1990 through April 1991. Processing cost ($37,500) represents yard waste
Page 96
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Lafayette, Louisiana
processing exists over the same period derived by prorating the City's $90,000 annual operating budget for composting.
$A total of $20,000 was spent on education and publicity for the City's composting programs. The Qty of Lafayette spent $10,000,
and WMI spent $10,000.
The Recycling Foundation's 1989-1990 contract fee of $95,700 covered collection and processing of
recyclables. The cost of $160,875 for yard waste collection (prorated over the 5-month collection
period) is a contract fee, based on a per household cost, paid to Recycle America. Compost processing
costs of $37,500 (prorated costs over a 5-month period) cover two employees' salaries and benefits, and
all operating and maintenance costs at the compost site. Funds for education and publicity were
received from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality ($15,000), the City of Lafayette
($10,000), WMI ($10,000), and The Recycling Foundation ($35,000).
In 1988-1989 Lafayette residents paid $7.85 per household per month for weekly collection of
recyclables and garbage collection twice per week. In 1989-1990, Lafayette offered three services—
weekly recycling collection, weekly yard waste collection, and twice-weekly garbage collection—at a
rate of $6.85 per household. Rates for the same services increased in 1990-1991 to $8.10 per household
per month.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
None for the City (The Recycling Foundation's 1990 materials revenues
totalled $90,000). Finished compost is not sold.
In fiscal year 1990, Lafayette charged residents $7.85 per household per
month for collection of refuse, recyclables, and yard waste, whether or not
residents participated in recovery programs. (Yard waste collection
began in May 1990.) Compost tipping fees paid by Recycle America and
Lafayette County residents ($12 per ton) cover compost processing
expenses.
4 City employees, 34 private employees. The City of Lafayette employs 2
people to process yard waste at the composting facility and 2 people to
perform educational, publicity, and administrative functions in the
recycling office. The Recycling Foundation employs 11 people for curbside
collection of recyclables, 10 people for materials processing, and 3 for
administration. Recycle America employs 10 people for yard waste
collection.
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
Lafayette will promote recycling in its institutional sector during the next phase of its recycling
program. In 1991 the University of Southwestern Louisiana began a campus-wide recycling program,
collecting aluminum cans and high-grade paper. The Lafayette Parish schools are slated to begin
recycling aluminum and high-grade paper in the fall of 1991. Other City plans include implementing a
program for household hazardous waste collection, expanding educational materials on source reduction
and packaging, and requiring procurement of recycled paper in all municipal offices.
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Lafayette, Louisiana
Contacts
Margan A. White
Supervisor, Solid Waste Reduction Programs/Recycling Specialist
City of Lafayette, Environmental Quality Division
1515 E. University Avenue
Lafayette, LA 70502
Phone (318)261-8544
Fax (318) 261-8041
Sheila Armsbruster
The Recycling Foundation
P.O. Box 92866
Lafayette, LA 70509
Phone (318) 234-0066
Fax (318) 234-6311
References
"Program Description." Environmental Quality Recycling Section, Department of Public Works,
Lafayette, LA. Undated.
Page 98
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Lincoln Park,
New Jersey
Demographics
Jurisdiction: Borough of Lincoln Park
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
10,978 in 1990
6.94 square miles
4,260 (2,772 in single- and two-family dwellings, 1,128 in condominiums,
and 360 in garden apartments)
195 businesses and 4 institutions. Most of the businesses are small.
Lincoln Park is a suburban residential community located in Morris
County, between two major New Jersey metropolitan areas, Newark and
Paterson. Much of its land is wetlands protected from development. The
primary employers in the County are AT&T and Allied-Signal Chemical
Corporation, in the private sector, and the County government and
Picatinny Arsenal, in the public sector. Lincoln Park's per capita income
was $15,616 in 1987 (the most recent year for which figures are
available).
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed"*
Incinerated
Landfilled
Generated
Residential*
3,796
1,409
2^87
3,954
0
3,954
7,750
Comm/
Instit
3,213
3,193
20
1,395
0
1,395
4,608
Other*
1,876
' —
1,876
—
•-
—
1,876
Total
MSW
8,886
4,603
4,283
5,349
0
5349
14,234
C&D
Debris*
604
522
83
NA
NA
NA
NA
Total
Waste
9,490
5,124
4^66
NA
NA
NA
NA
Percent by Weight Recovered
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
49%
18%
31%
70%
69%
tt
62%
32%
30%
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA .
Note: Tires are included in residential and commercial waste recovered. Due to rounding, percentages may not add to total. A
total of 1,991 tons of paper waste recycled from three printers and/or manufacturers of paper products are excluded from tonnages
listed above. Such tonnages are not considered post-consumer municipal waste. If such material were to be included, Lincoln Park
would have recovered 79% of its commercial waste and 67% of its MSW in 1990.
* Residential recovered tonnages include some commercial material brought to the drop-off by businesses and excludes 99 tons of
recyclable material that were collected by a private hauler from 2 condominium complexes in the City. This tonnage is included
under commercial waste, as is the corresponding waste disposed.
* Consists of 1,876 tons of stumps and logs collected by tree-trimming companies from residents and businesses in the Borough. This
figure cannot be divided into residential and commercial.
$ Construction and demolition debris recovered consisted of 522 tons of asphalt, of which the Borough reclaimed 61 tons and the
private sector recovered 461 tons; an additional 83 tons of wood waste from the demolition of two houses in the Borough, was
recovered and composted by the private sector. Tonnages of C&D disposed in private landfills are not available.
** Commercial and residential waste disposed may be underreported due to violations of solid waste requirements by private
waste haulers. One hauler, San Giacomo, which serviced two condominium complexes in Lincoln in 1990, was issued an
administrative order for failing to bring waste generated in the Borough to the Morris County Transfer Station 70 times between
July and December 1988. San Giacomo reported having collected 99 tons of recyclable materials in Lincoln Park in 1990. Lincoln
Park's Recycling Coordinator believes that illegal dumping was a minimal problem in 1990. In 1991 San Giacomo had its waste
hauling license revoked. Jersey Carting, a commercial hauler, was indicted for bringing recyclable materials to HUB Recycling,
an illegal dump site.
tt Less than 1 percent
Transfer Station $122.42 per ton in 1989, $118.80 in 1990, and $125.48 in 1991
Tipping Fee:
Refuse Collection Lincoln Park contracts with Suburban Disposal Company for the collection of its
and Disposal: residential solid waste from all single-family and two-unit buildings. Under the
contract, the Borough pays a per ton collection and transportation fee to the
hauler and is responsible for paying the tip fee at the transfer station. In 1990 the
City paid a total of $685,939 for the collection, transportation and disposal of
3,954 tons of residential refuse ($173 per ton), of which $219,990 was paid to
Suburban Disposal for collection and transportation and $465,949 consisted of
tipping fees at the transfer station. Refuse is collected twice a week from single-
Page 100
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Lincoln Park, New jersey
Municipal Solid Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 38%
Residential Disposed 28%
Comm/lnst Disposed 10%
Recovered 62%
Residential Recycled 10%
Residential Composted 17%
Comm/lnst Recycled 22%
Landscapes1 Waste Composted 13%
Note: Due to rounding, percentages do not add to 100%
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
family households and duplexes, and three times a week from multi-
unit complexes. In 1990 businesses contracted with private haulers to haul
1,395 tons of refuse to the Morris County transfer station (owned and
operated by the Chambers Development Corp.), where ajl refuse
generated in Lincoln Park must go according to Borough and State law.
The transfer station, located in Parsippany, is an average distance of 5
miles from Borough refuse collection routes. From the transfer station,
waste is long-hauled to out-of-state landfills. It is illegal for the
Borough to dispose of any materials that are designated as recyclable.
Chambers Development Corp. has been negotiating with the Morris
County Municipal Utilities Authority for a tipping fee increase, since the
original contract was negotiated with little consideration of the
possibility that waste would be diverted through recycling, reducing the
company's revenues. Chambers was awarded tipping fee increases of 5
percent per year over the next 5 years, beginning in 1990. Taxes on
materials delivered to the facility and host fees are calculated as a
percent of the tipping fees and are paid in addition to the tipping fee.
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative In April of 1987, the State of New Jersey passed the Statewide
Requirements: Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act (P.L. 1987, c.102). The
law requires that each municipality recycle 15 percent of the municipal
solid waste stream in the first year of its recycling program and 25 percent
thereafter, and offer residents the opportunity to recycle a minimum of
three materials. As of April 1990, the County mandated that grass
clippings be collected separate from refuse and composted, or left on the
lawn. Borough law requires residents to recycle at least 16 designated
materials.
The Borough of Lincoln Park recovers recyclable materials primarily through its Recycling Depot,
a drop-off center open only to residents and area businesses. Lincoln Park also collects newspapers and
yard waste through a residential curbside collection program. Recycling in Lincoln Park began with the
Boy Scouts, who started collecting newspapers, corrugated cardboard, aluminum cans, and glass in
conjunction with the Department of Public Works (DPW) in 1979. In January 1987, the DPW took over
the collection, when a glut in the newspaper market rendered its collection unprofitable for the Boy
Scouts. The Recycling Depot (or drop-off center) sited in the Public Works Yard was first established in
1983 for collection of newspaper, glass, and aluminum cans from Lincoln Park's residents. The Depot
gradually expanded the types of materials it accepted. As of 1989, the Borough accepts at the
Recycling Depot and requires residents to recycle newspaper, high-grade paper, corrugated cardboard,
magazines, junk mail, glass, aluminum, tin cans, plastic bottles, appliances, scrap metal, tires, oil, car
batteries, leaves, brush (including Christmas trees), and grass clippings.
In 1990 the Borough, again, increased the range of materials accepted at the Depot to include
bimetal cans, all types of plastic bottles, and scrap lumber. Eight new roll-off containers were added to
the yard, enabling the Borough to ship materials to market in the same containers in which they are
collected. The Borough is expanding the size of the recycling yard from 1 to 25 acres, and is strongly
encouraging commercial establishments in the area to use the facility. Lincoln Park received a $15,000
grant from the Plastic Recycling Corporation of NJ for a plastics compactor, which went on line in July
1991.
The recycling program in Lincoln Park has been touted as one of the most successful in New Jersey.
Because residents are willing to bring materials to the drop-off center, the Borough can keep the cost of
recycling to a minimum. In 1988 Lincoln Park recovered a total of 41 percent of its waste stream, 34
percent through recycling and 7 percent through composting. In 1989 the Borough was recovering 53
percent of its waste, and in 1990 it had recovered 62 percent of its municipal solid waste, 32 percent
through recycling and 30 percent through composting. This rise in the recovery rate is partially due to
an increase of yard waste recovered from 817 tons in 1988 to 4,283 tons in 1990—a jump of nearly 200
percent over 2 years. Paul Sarames, the Deputy Recycling Coordinator, attributes the increase to
residents' heightened awareness of the program, and to the fact that some private haulers who did not
report tonnages recycled in 1988 did report in 1989 and 1990. As a result of the Borough's successful
recycling activities, Richard Lovallo, Lincoln Park's "part-time" Recycling Coordinator, won the
Morris County Municipal Recycling Coordinator award in 1989, and received an award from the New
Jersey Recycling Forum in 1990. Channel 9 News in New York featured Lincoln Park's program on the
environmental segment of its news program in August 1991.
Page 102
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency:
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage:
January 1987
Department of Public Works (DPW)
Monthly
No
4,260 households—2,772 single-family residences and duplexes, 360
garden apartment units, and 1,128 condominiums. The largest
condominium building is three stories high, with a total of 276 units.
Yes. The Borough mandates that residents recycle 16 materials.
95 percent recycle newspaper (based on monthly set-out rates and sign-in
sheets)
Newspaper
Newspaper must be bundled with twine or put in a kraft paper bag.
A DPW dump truck operated by a three-person crew is used to collect
newspaper.
Fines
The Borough Administrator and/or designee may assess fines for improper
separation of materials. Refuse containing recyclables is "red-tagged"
and not picked up by the garbage hauler. No fines have been issued to
date.
According to Richard Lovallo, the Borough Recycling Coordinator, an
estimated 70 percent (or approximately 508 tons in 1990) of the newspaper
recycled by the residential sector in Lincoln Park is collected at curbside.
In 1990 the Borough began collecting newspapers from the five condominium complexes free of
charge. Because of space limitations, the Borough has made individual arrangements with the
management association of each. The DPW collects newspapers monthly from the garden apartments
also free of charge. Two complexes are serviced by San Giacomo Disposal, a solid waste hauler, which
transports newsprint, bottles, and cans to its own facility and reports the tonnages collected to the
Borough. At two of the complexes, the DPW collects newspapers monthly and residents have agreed to
collect and deliver other recyclables to the drop-off center.
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
The Borough of Lincoln Park requires that all commercial establishments
recycle glass, aluminum, high-grade paper, newspaper, and corrugated
cardboard.
Of the approximately 195 businesses located in Lincoln Park, many are doctors', lawyers', and
dentists' offices; others are "Mom and Pop" stores. Most of these establishments deliver their
Page 103
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
recyclable materials to the Recycling Depot. Paul Sarames, the Deputy Recycling Coordinator,
estimates that at most, there are 20 large businesses in the Borough generating large volumes of
recyclable materials. Several of these sell directly to markets. For example, A&P and Shoprite
supermarkets ship materials to their own warehouses. Private refuse haulers, such as Pinto Refuse
from Montville, United Carting, and Jersey Carting collect recyclables from their commercial customers.
Based on tonnage reports submitted to the Borough by these haulers, and the businesses that have
signed in at the drop-off center, Borough officials estimate that more than 90 percent of the businesses
in the community are in compliance with the mandate to recycle.
Drop-off Center
Number and Type One
Public or Private: Public
Sectors Served: Residential, commercial, and institutional
Materials Accepted: Newspaper, high-grade paper, corrugated cardboard, paperboard,
magazines, junk mail, color-separated glass, aluminum and bimetal cans,
PET and HOPE plastics, other plastic containers that have held liquids,
appliances, scrap metal, tires, motor oil, batteries, wood pallets, lumber
waste, leaves, brush, and grass clippings
Separation Method: Users are asked to separate all materials and deposit them in the
appropriately labelled container. Glass is sorted by color and placed in
wooden bins; magazines and junk mail are placed in self-dumping
hoppers; all other materials are placed in one of ten 30- or 40-cubic-yard
roll-off containers.
Mandatory: Yes
Participation Rate: 70 percent of total Borough households, according to sign-in sheets
Annual Tonnage 1,925 tons in 1990 (962 tons of recyclables and 963 tons of compostables)
The drop-off yard is conveniently located in the center of the Borough near a major shopping center.
Eight roll-off containers and one roll-off truck were purchased for materials collected at the drop-off
site. This addition makes hauling the materials to market a one-step process. In 1990 the Borough
Depot began accepting materials from commercial establishments. Two restaurants, a few pizzarias,
and an American Legion hall bring their glass to the drop-off center. Because the Borough can tip tires
at a lower cost than can the private sector, service stations and businesses bring auto tires to the center
at a fraction of what they were paying. In 1991 the drop-off center is being expanded from 1 to 2.5 acres,
to accommodate the increase in materials brought to the recycling center by residents and small
businesses. The Depot is open Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 am to 330 pm, and on Saturday from
8:00 am to 5:00 pm. It is staffed for 20 hours during the week by the Borough Recycling Coordinator.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Newspaper collected through Lincoln Park's curbside recycling program and materials accepted at
the Borough's Recycling Depot require minimal processing on site prior to being transported to market.
Workers in the DPW yard pull contaminants (almost all of which are recyclable) from the newspaper
collected at curbside. The newspaper is then dumped into 30-cubic-yard roll-off containers; when the
Page 104
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
containers are full, they are shipped, as is, to market. Color-sorted glass and other materials are also
shipped in roll-off vehicles to various end markets. No materials are rejected as nonrecyclable. The
Borough delivers old newsprint, corrugated cardboard, and high-grade paper unbaled to Joseph
Damato Paper Stock Corp. in Paterson, New Jersey, and clear and colored glass to REI Distributors in
Newark. Junk mail and magazines are sold to Marcal in nearby Elmwood Park, where they are used to
make toilet tissue. (Marcal makes all its paper products from waste paper.) Aluminum cans are sold to
All Container. Ferrous scrap, including cans and metal from white goods, is sold to one of several
companies in the Newark area: Naparano Shredding, United, or A&A Scrap. Plastics are sold to
Materials for Recycling (MFR) in Newark and Lobosco in Paterson. Motor oil is sold to a Pennsylvania
firm, S&M Waste Oil, where it is re-refined. Car batteries are typically sold to A&A Recycling. New
York Tire Recyclers accepted tires for recycling, charging $0.87 per tire, but went out of business in mid-
1991. The Borough is looking for new markets for used tires.
Minimal revenues are earned from the sale of batteries or plastic. Lincoln Park does receive revenue
from its aluminum, but donates a percentage of this money to a local food pantry and puts the remainder
into a scholarship fund. In 1988 the Borough received $7,000 for the sale of newspaper, glass, and
aluminum, of which it donated $5,500. Revenues from the sale of glass and newspaper are used to cover
the costs charged to the Borough for recycling corrugated cardboard, brush, and tires. In 1990 the
Borough received approximately $10,000 from the sale of recyclable materials, but it spent $12,000 to
recycle brush, and $3,800 to recycle tires.
Composting Activities
Lincoln Park recovers yard waste through curbside collection of leaves and grass clippings, and
through the public drop-off site. The Borough reports that more households are setting out yard waste
at the curb in 1990 than in 1989. This increase is attributed in part to the County requirement, effective
in April 1990, that grass clippings (if not left on the lawn) be set out at the curb separate from refuse.
The Borough brings leaves and grass clippings to two local compost facilities and brush to three private
chipping and composting companies. In addition, the Borough encourages residents (particularly those
at condominium complexes) and some businesses to compost in their backyards.
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date: Leaf collection began in 1976. The Borough added brush in January 1980,
and grass clippings in January 1989. Christmas trees have been collected
at the curb since 1988.
Service Provider: Department of Public Works
Households Served: 2,772 in 1990 (all single-family houses and duplexes in the Borough)
Mandatory: Yes. All materials are mandatory.
Materials Collected: Leaves, brush, grass clippings, and Christmas trees
Set-out Method: Residents may bag or rake loose leaves, brush, and grass clippings to the
curb. Residents may place Christmas trees, unadorned, at the curb for 2 to
3 weeks following Christmas Day.
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Collection Vehicles &
Method:
Collection Frequency:
Economic Incentives:
Annual Tonnage
Yard waste is collected at curbside by two City employees. They pick up
leaves with a vacuum pulled by a DPW dump truck. The DPW uses
packer trucks with two crew members for bagged leaves and grass.
Christmas trees are collected in a dump truck.
The DPW provides curbside collection for leaves according to a schedule,
which is published in the local newspapers. Leaves, brush, and grass
clippings are collected at least twice a month during April, May, October,
and November. The DPW collects brush with the help of the Sheriff's
Labor Assistance Program.
None
1,424 tons in 1990
Composting Site
Lincoln Park Borough collects leaves, brush, grass clippings, and Christmas trees for composting
through a seasonal curbside program and a year-round drop-off program at the recycling center.
According to the Recycling Coordinator, more than 90 percent of residents either set out this yard waste
at the curb or bring it to the drop-off center. In 1990 a total of 963 tons of yard waste were dropped off by
residents and small businesses.
DPW workers bring yard waste and Christmas trees from the curbside routes and yard waste
collected at the Recycling Yard to one of two facilities: the Morris County Shade Tree Composting
Facility, a County-owned and operated facility in Morris Plains, New Jersey, approximately 15 miles
from Lincoln Park, and the Town of Montville compost site, 5 miles from Lincoln Park. Large brush and
stumps that are not accepted at either of the above facilities are sent to the Ox Stump Factory in
Ledgewood 20 miles away.
In 1988 the Borough brought leaves and grass clippings to the Shade Tree site and was not charged a
tipping fee. The Montville site would not accept brush. As of 1990, the Borough is charged $3.71 per
cubic yard to tip yard waste at the County compost site. Operators place leaves and grass clippings in
windrows, which are turned every 10 days; the compost process is complete in 90 days. Although
residents can take finished compost free of charge, most is sold to soil contractors for $1.50 per cubic
yard. The Ox Stump Factory, which opened in 1989, accepts yard waste, brush, and tree stumps for a fee
of $8.00 per cubic yard. Until the Ox Stump Factory opened, the Borough had no end user for stumps,
which it stockpiled in the Public Works Yard. Brush is brought to each facility as is, but the Borough
chips Christmas trees before delivering them to the County site. In 1991 the Borough began hauling
wood waste (lumber and scrap construction wood) to Advanced Recycling in Newark, which charges the
Borough a tipping fee of $8.00 per cubic yard.
Page 106
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Newspaper
High-grade Paper
Corrugated
Other Paper*
Commingledt
Glass
Aluminum
Plastic
Other Metal
Batteries
Tires
Motor Oil
Food Waste
Other (Textiles)
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Leaves
Brush & Christmas Trees
Grass Clippings
Stumps and Logs
Subtotal MSW Composted
Total MSW Recovered
Asphalt
Wood Waste
Total C&D Recycled
Total C&D Composted
Total C&D Recovered
Total Materials Recycled
Total Materials Composted
Total Material Recovered
Total
(Tons, 1988)
694.2
47.6
1,501.5
1,047.8
8.9
189.5
6.0
22.4
69.6
3.1
21.0
40.5
75.8
0
3,727.9
730.0
86.7
816.7
4,544.6
--
0
0
0
3,727.9
816.7
4,544.6
Total
(Tons, 1989)
796.9
39.6
1,601.9
3,286.2
193.3
25.4
15.9
128.2
318.3
14.3
44.8
68.3
96.6
0
6,629.7
1,391.4
370.3
404.0
2,165.7
8,795.4
315.2
1,729.8
315.2
1,729.8
2,045.0
6,944.9
3,895.5
10,840.4
Total
(Tons, 1990)
810.8
23.2
1,378.2
1,481.
180.9
22.5
133.0
191.8
11.8
47.1
103.4
85.8
22.9
4,603
1,374.2
611.8
421.0
1,876.0
4,283.0
8,886
521.5
82.9
521.5
82.9
604.4
5,124
4,365.9
9,490
*A total of 1,990.8 tons of paper waste, collected from two manufacturers of paper products, are excluded from 1990 tonnages. Such
paper waste is included in 1989 tonnages.
'Includes glass and aluminum. In 1990 no material was commingled. Residents were asked to separate all food and beverage
containers by material.
Page 107
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
ttigh-grade Paper
Dther Paper*
Slass
Elastic Containers
Dther Plastic
MuminumCans
Perrous Metal
^on-ferrous Metal
"ood Waste
fires
Victor Oil
Batteries
Dther (Textiles)
Subtotal MSW Recycled
-eaves
Brush and Christmas Trees
3rass Qippings
Jtumps and Logs
Subtotal MSW Composted1
Total MSW Recovered
\sphalt
iVood Waste
Total C&D Recycled!
Total C&D Composted
Total C&D Recovered
Total Materials Recycled
Total Materials Composted
Total Materials Recovered
Residential
(Tons, 1990)
725.9
166.1
--
1103
161.7
—
28.5
17.7
128.0
11.5
0
40.2
14.2
5.2
--
1,409.3
1,354.2
611.8
421.0
--
2,387.0
3,796.3
60.9
--
--
--
--
1,409.3
2,387.0
3,796.3
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons, 1990)
84.9
1,212.1
23.2
1,480.9
19.2
9.0
95.5
4.8
48.1
4.2
85.8
6.9
89.2
6.6
22.9
3,193.3
20.0
--
--
--
20.0
3,213.3
460.6
--
—
--
•
3,193.3
20.0
3,213.3
Other
(Tons, 1990)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
--
—
—
--
--
—
--
—
--
--
--
1,876.0
1,876.0
1,876.0
5215
82.9
521.5
82.9
604.4
521.5
1,958.9
2,480.4
Total
(Tons, 1990)
810.8
1,378.2
23.2
1,591.2
180.9
9.0
124.0
22.5
176.1
15.7
85.8
47.1
103.4
11.8
22.9
4,602.6
1,374.2
611.8
421.0
1,876.0
4,283.0
8,885.6
521.5
82.9
521.5
82.9
604.4
5,124.1
4,365.9
9,490
Note: Thirty-nine tons of auto scrap were recovered in 1990. This tonnage is excluded from waste recovery and generation figures
as it is not considered to be part of the municipal solid waste stream or construction and demolition debris. A total of 1,990.8 tons
of printer's and/or manufacturer's paper waste is also excluded. Listed tonnages represent marketed material
* Other paper from the residential sector includes high-grade paper, magazines, and junk mail.
t Of the MSW composted, approximately 1,424 tons were collected at curbside and 963 tons were collected at the drop-off site.
The Borough uses a combination of conversion factors and an average of sample weights to determine the tonnages of yard waste
and an average of sample truck weights (taken each season) to determine tonnages of yard waste. The conversion factors that the
Borough uses are approved by the N] Department of Environmental Protection and are as follows: 35 bags per ton for bagged
leaves, 2.86 cubic yards per ton for vacuumed leaves, 2 cubic yards per ton for compacted leaves, 8 cubic yards per ton for stumps
and logs, and 4 cubic yards per ton for wood chips.
$ Of the asphalt recovered, 60.9 tons were collected and recycled by the Borough, and 460.6 tons of asphalt were recovered
privately. Eighty-three tons of wood waste were recovered by private companies under contract with the Borough from the
demolition of two houses.
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Publicity and Education
Every year the Borough sends a flier to all residents detailing what materials are mandated for
separation, what materials may be recycled voluntarily at the drop-off center, and how to prepare all
materials. The Borough spent $400 on its mailing in 1988, $1,000 in 1989, and $250 for reprints in 1990.
The Borough also sends two mailings a year to encourage participation in the mandatory recycling
program. In its 1990 annual mailings to area businesses, Lincoln Park has urged them to report their
recycling activities, as required by County law. The local newspaper advertises Lincoln Park's
recycling successes. Articles include information about the percentage of materials recovered and
photographs of residents at the recycling center. The photographs help to create a feeling of pride in
the recycling program. The newspaper also prints the collection schedule for leaves and brush.
In May 1988, fourth-grade children in Lincoln Park were treated to a 50-minute lesson on recycling,
reuse, and reduction by "Glinda Garbajh," a character conceived and developed in 1987 by Penny Jones,
the County Recycling Education Specialist. In 1990 efforts to teach school children about recycling
have been stepped up. The County Recycling Education Specialist supplies teachers with news articles,
a brochure listing books and educational videos, the New Jersey Teachers Guide on Recycling, and an
evaluation form. The Borough added a puppet show to the K-6 curriculum at the Pine Brook School in
1990. Produced and performed by the Peppermint Players from Morris County, the puppet show was
first performed on Earth Day 1990.
Economics
Costs Coven The capital costs listed below are the Borough's costs for equipment used for
collecting materials at curbside and through the drop-off site, and for
transportation to market of 1,470 tons of recyclable materials (1,409 tons of
residential recyclables and 61 tons of construction and demolition debris) and 2387
tons of compostable material.
The Borough's 1990 operating and maintenance (O&M) costs given below, cover
the DPW's collection and transportation to market of 1,470 tons of recyclable
materials (508 tons of newspaper collected through the municipal curbside
program, and 962 tons collected at the Recycling Depot), and the collection and
processing of 2,387 tons of yard waste (1,424 collected at curbside and 963 collected
at the drop-off site).
Private sector capital and O&M costs for the collection and processing of 5,645
tons of recyclables and 1,979 tons of organic waste are not available.
Page 109
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Capital Costs; Collection
Item
2 Vacuums @ $2,500 each
Dump Truck @ 30% recycling and
30% composting
Roll-off Truck
8 Roll-off Containers @ $2,500 each
2 30-cubic-yard Roll-off Containers
@ $3,000 each
40-cubic-yard Roll-off Container
Packer Truck*
Lumber and Paving Material for
Enlarging Recycling Depot
3 Self-Dumping Hoppers @ $700
each
Hydraulic Tailgate
Lumber and Metal Beams for New
Bins
Cost
$5,000
19,000
78,000
20,000
6,000
3,600
Donated
4,000
2,100
1,600
2,200
Use
Composting
Recycling/Composting
Recyding/DO
Recycling/DO
Recycling/DO
Recycling/DO
Recycling
Recycling/DO
Recycling/DO
Recycling
Recycling/DO
Year Incurred
1974
1989
1989
1989
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
Note: Lincoln Park issued bonds at a rate of 6 percent for a 5-year period for the purchase of the roll-off vehicle. All other
equipment has been paid in full out of the general DPW budget.
* Donated by a Lincoln Park resident who formerly owned a garbage hauling company.
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
2 Chippers @ $8,000 each
2 Used Balers @ $500 each
30-cubic-yard Plastic Compactor*
Aluminum/Tin Separator
Cost
$16,000
1,000
14,000
7,000
Use
Composting
Recycling/DO
Recycling
Recycling
Year Incurred
1982
1990
1990
1991
Note: All equipment, with the exception of the plastic compactor, has been paid in full out of the general DPW budget.
•Purchased with a grant from the Plastics Recycling Corporation of New Jersey.
Page 110
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Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Cost Tons Covered* Per Ton Cost
Recycling Subtotal $98,485 1,470 $67
Collection $72,725 1,470 $49
Processing 7,760 1,470 5
Administration* 17,000 1,470 12
Education/Publicity* 1,000 1,470 1 .
Composting Subtotal $45,600 2,387 $19
Collection $38,775 2,387 $16
Processing 6,825 2,387 3
Administration* 0 2,387 0
Education/Publicity* 0 2,387 0
Recycling & Composting Total $144,085 3,857 $37
Collection $111,500 3,857 $29
Processing 14,585 3,857 4
Administration** 17,000 3,857 4
Education/Publicity 1,000 3,857 *
Notes: There is no line item in the budget for the operation and maintenance of the recycling program. Collection and processing
costs are estimated by the Deputy Recycling Coordinator, based on approximate time spent by DPW employees on recycling and
composting.
An additional 82.9 tons of wood waste were recovered from the demolition of two houses in the Borough. The demolition was
paid for through a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
•The 1,470 tons of material collected at the Borough Recycling Depot include 1,409 tons of recydables and 61 tons of construction
and demolition debris.
^Administration, education, and publicity costs cannot be broken down between recycling and composting programs.
JLess than $1
**While only $17,000 is budgeted for administering the Borough's materials recovery program, at least $25,000 is spent. The
Borough's Recycling Coordinator receives additional funding for his recycling responsibilities from other departments' budgets.
In 1990 Lincoln Park spent approximately $173 per ton for the collection, transportation and
disposal of waste. Based on this figure and the estimated operating and maintenance cost of $37 per ton
for the recycling and composting program, the Borough saved more than $500,000 in avoided disposal
costs.
While the total cost of recycling collection increased $8,000 between 1988 and 1990, due to a large
increase in tons recovered, the per ton cost actually decreased from $61 in 1988 to $49 in 1990. Similarly,
the per ton cost of yard waste collection dropped from $46 in 1988 to $16 per ton in 1990, and the per ton
cost of all recycling and composting programs declined from $68 per ton in 1988 to $37 per ton in 1990.
According to Paul Sarames, the decreased cost is due primarily to the increased tonnage that has been
collected at the drop-off center.
Fagelil
-------
Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Employees:
Approximately $10,000 in 1990
State Tonnage Grant for $14,000.
2 part-time Borough employees: the Borough Recycling Coordinator and
Deputy Recycling Coordinator. DPW workers are also used on an as-
needed basis.
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
The Borough expects to have the expanded Recycling Depot operational by November 1991. In the.
summer of 1991, the plastics compactor, purchased by the Borough with a grant from the Plastics
Recycling Corporation of New Jersey, went on line. Lincoln Park is looking to secure new markets,
particularly for plastics and to find new markets for tires.
In August 1992, Lincoln Park will begin to collect seven different recyclable materials at curbside
from Borough households. Materials include newspaper, junk mail and magazines, corrugated
cardboard, all plastic bottles, glass, aluminum and tin cans. Residents will segregate all materials
including sorting glass by color. The Borough will contract with either their waste hauler or Morris
County to provide this service, at a projected cost of $1.50 per household per month.
Contacts
Richard Lovallo
Recycling Coordinator
Municipal Building
34 Chapel Hill Road
Lincoln Park, New Jersey 07035
Phone (201) 694-6100
Fax (201) 628-9512
Paul A. Sarames
Management Specialist and
Deputy Recycling Coordinator
Municipal Building
34 Chapel Hill Road
Lincoln Park, New Jersey 07035
Phone (201) 694-6100
Fax (201) 628-9512
Page 112
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Naperoille, Illinois
Naperville,
Illinois
Demographics
Jurisdiction: City of Naperville
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
85,351 in 1990
30 square miles
31,000 (22,000 in single-family residences, 2,500 in two- to four-family
buildings, and 6,500 in multi-unit buildings larger than four units)
3,113 (3,019 businesses and 94 institutions)
Naperville is an upper middle class suburb west of Chicago. Its economy
is based on large businesses, scientific firms, and corporate headquarters.
Local businesses include Bell Labs, Amoco Research, and Nalco Chemical
Company. Due to corporate transfers, Naperville has a high turnover
rate. An average of 1,200 new housing units are constructed each year.
The City has a low unemployment rate (less than 5 percent); its median
household income was $60,690 in 1991.
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Naperville, Illinois
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Residential* Commercial/
(Public-Service Institutional Total
Area) andC&D* Self-Haul* MSW
Recovered 12,518 NA 1,619 NA
Recycled 7,617 NA 1,619 NA
Composted 4,901 NA NA NA
Disposed 26,502 NA NA NA
Incinerated 00 00
Landfilled 26,502 NA NA NA
Generated 39,020 NA 1,290 NA
Percent by Weight Recovered
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
32%
20%
13%
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
•Tonnages represent waste, recyclables, and compostables collected from one- to four-unit households and condominium buildings;
these are served with municipal collection.
tTonnages for commercial/ institutional waste disposed and recovered are not available. However, a number of businesses are
recycling. Tonnages for C&D generated are not available. Using a County per capita construction and demolition debris
generation figure of 23 pounds per day, we estimate that Naperville generated 35,826 tons of C&D in 1990. In 1990 the City
asphalt pavement recycling program recycled an estimated 10,247 tons of asphalt. Through this "Heat-Scarify-Overlay"
program, old pavement is removed, reprocessed, and relaid.
JRecyclables recovered at the Naperville drop-off center from residents in multi-unit households, businesses, and some residents
from unincorporated Naperville.
Landfill Tipping Fee: $735 per compacted cubic yard ($22.05 per ton) in 1989 and 1990, $9.15 per
compacted cubic yard ($27.45 per ton) in 1991!
Refuse Collection and The City contracts with Fox Valley Disposal (now called Fox Valley
Disposal: Recycling and Waste Services), a division of Waste Management, Inc., to
collect residential refuse from one- to four-unit residences and
condominium buildings. Residential refuse is hauled 8 miles to the Greene
Valley landfill, owned by Du Page County Forest Preserve and operated
by Waste Management, Inc. In 1990 Naperville paid Fox Valley
$3,012,748.97 for collection of 26,502 tons of refuse and 526 tons of yard
waste, about $111 per ton. This included a diversion credit of $266,595
paid to the City. In May 1991, the City negotiated its new refuse contract,
based on a per household fee and volume collected, and is paying
$2399,000 for refuse collection only. Residents will pay $150 per bag of
Page 114
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NaperoUle, Illinois
Residential Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 68% Recovered 32%
Residential Recycled 20%
Residential Disposed 68%
Residential Composted 13%
Note: Due to rounding, numbers may not add to total
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
yard waste set out. Beginning in 1990, residential refuse collection was
reduced from twice a week to once a week. This has resulted in a reduced
per household charge despite the addition of weekly yard waste
collection. The City is divided into waste collection quadrants. Each
quadrant receives three collections—refuse, recyclables, and yard
waste—on the same day per week. In May 1986, during the second month
of curbside recycling, 0.52 cubic yards of refuse were collected from the
average Naperville household; in May 1990 (3 years into the recycling
program) 0.29 cubic yards of compacted refuse—44 percent less—were
collected from the average household.
All commercial and institutional waste, construction debris, and
residential waste from buildings with over four units is collected by
private haulers; the three major ones are Fox Valley Disposal, Rot's
Disposal (owned by BF1), and Crown Disposal. Privately collected refuse
is hauled to the County landfill, which has an estimated lifespan of 25
years.
Page HE
-------
Naperville, Illinois
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative The Illinois Solid Waste Management Act of 1986 requires counties with
Requirements: over 100,000 residents to complete solid waste management plans by 1991,
and to recycle 15 percent of their waste stream by 1994, and 25 percent by
March 1997. Naperville is located in two counties, Du Page and Will, and
may be required by the State to be part of one of these two counties' plans.
Since July 1990, vehicle batteries, tires, and yard waste have been banned
from Illinois landfills. Retailers of lead-acid batteries are required to
accept used returned batteries when an individual purchases a new
battery.
The City of Naperville has a long history of support for recycling and composting. Citizen interest
in recycling began with Earth Day 1970. In 1971 the City provided a rent-free site for a recycling drop-
off program. Known as the Naperville Reclamation Center, this drop-off site was operated by a
nonprofit organization until the fall of 1979, when the center dosed due to a decline in prices for old
newspaper and other issues. Repeated requests from residents to restart the recycling program led the
Mayor to approach the League of Women Voters. The League, along with the American Association of
University Women and other community groups, formed a recycling task force, which resulted in the
formation of the Naperville Area Recycling Center (NARC), a nonprofit organization with wide
community support. In the spring of 1980, the Naperville Area Recycling Center opened the doors of its
drop-off site.
In April 1981, NARC moved to a new site on 1 acre of land leased from the City. The City financed
site development and equipment costs with a no-interest loan. The drop-off center first accepted tin,
aluminum cans, glass containers, newspaper, and motor oil. Citizens worked closely with the NARC
Board of Directors to increase the volume of recyclables collected. In 1982 center volunteers collected
recyclable materials at curbside from a subdivision and brought them to the drop-off center.
Participation in the program was nearly 40 percent. In April 1985, NARC began to collect recyclable
materials twice monthly from two subdivisions, using a donated truck. The success of these two
experiences led NARC to propose an expanded curbside program. In the fall of 1985, the City agreed to
contract NARC for curbside collection of recyclable materials. In April 1986, NARC began curbside
collection of fully segregated recyclables from about 6,000 households, or one-quarter of the City,
making Naperville the first city in the State of Illinois to contract curbside recycling service. The
program was expanded to include 13,000 homes in 1987 and 24,500 households—all the households in
the City service area—in 1988. In 1988, 2,523 tons of recyclable materials were collected at curbside
from the City's households. In 1989 approximately 4,900 tons were collected, and in 1990, 7,617 tons
were collected. These tonnages represent an increase of 94 percent from 1988 to 1989 and an increase of
200 percent from 1988 to 1990. In May 1990, NARC switched from twice monthly collection to weekly
collection of recyclables. Monthly collection of material increased from an average of 436 tons per
month for the first 4 months of 1990, to an average of 750 tons per month for the subsequent 5 months.
When Naperville signed its last 5-year contract with its refuse hauler, NARC was just beginning a
pilot curbside program. A clause in the contract stipulated that after 1 year the hauler, the recycling
center, and the City would negotiate a rebate for the City from the hauler based on the volume of
material diverted from the landfill by the recycling center. In 1990 Fox Valley paid Naperville a $35
per ton diversion credit for recyclable materials based on avoided tipping fees, trips to the landfill
saved, and collection time saved. The value of the latter two was calculated by estimating the
reduction in labor and vehicle costs. The City received a total of $266,595 in waste diversion credits
from Fox Valley in 1990.
Beginning in 1990, Naperville reduced its refuse collection days from twice a week to once a week,
and re-assigned contracted refuse workers to weekly collection of grass clippings and garden waste from
Page 116
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Naperville, Illinois
April through December, to comply with the State ban on landfilling yard debris. Qty crews continued
to collect brush and leaves at curbside, as they had done in the past. The City promoted the change in
collection schedules as a shift rather than a reduction in service.
In 1991 the City sought competitive bids for its curbside recycling contract. The contract was
awarded to Resource Management, a division of DeKalb County Disposal, which proposed collection of
commingled materials (including mixed paper) at a lower cost than NARCs collection program.
NARC's costs had increased in the past year due to a switch from twice monthly to weekly collection.
As tonnages recovered increased, NARC had to hire additional personnel and double its fleet of
vehicles. In 1990 NARC switched from a two-person to a three-person crew to speed collection of
materials and minimize the need for overtime pay. The switch from NARC to DeKalb County Disposal
was troubling to many residents. NARC had initiated recycling in Naperville, working closely with
citizens and community groups, and had been the sole provider of recycling services to the Qty for 10
years. The loss of the contract forced NARC to lay off a large percentage of its staff and consolidate its
resources. It continues to run a recycling drop-off center and to collect recyclable materials from multi-
unit buildings. Resource Management currently collects commingled recyclables from Naperville
households in three sorts: newspaper, mixed paper, and all other materials. These recyclable
materials are still considered clean and easily marketed. For example, in July 1991 only 058 percent of
collected materials were rejected prior to processing. Under the new contract, an average of 940 tons per
month of recyclables was collected at curbside, up from 750 tons per month during the same period
(between April and September 1991) the year before. The City attributes this increase to the high
publicity that recycling received as a result of the change in service provider, the new commingled set-
out and an expansion in the types of mixed paper collected.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency:
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
April 1986 for one-quarter of the City; 1989 citywide
The Naperville Area Recycling Center (NARC) under contract with the
City. In May 1991, the City switched contractors, and Resource
Management, a division of DeKalb County Disposal, began collecting
recyclable materials.
Weekly
Yes
24,500 in 1990 (one- to four-family units and condominiums)
No
75 to 80 percent (based on the actual number of serviced households that
set out materials over an extended time period). Resource Management,
the new hauler, estimates a set-out rate of 69 percent (based on the number
of serviced households that set out material per collection day).
Tage 117
-------
Naperville, Illinois
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement
Annual Tonnage:
Newspaper, high-grade paper, corrugated cardboard, boxboard (such as
cereal and tissue boxes), magazines, glass bottles, aluminum cans, ferrous
cans, scrap metal, HOPE, PET, dean PS plastic containers, and LDPE 6-
pack plastic rings. Appliances and white goods are collected for a $15
fee. In 1991 Resource Management began collecting mixed paper, including
junk mail, all types of paperboard (food containers, cereal boxes), and
envelopes.
NARC required segregated set-out of recyclables. All materials were
separated by type and put in separate containers or bags. Newspaper was
bundled separately. Glass was color-sorted and placed in separate
containers. Aluminum was placed in one container, tin in another, and all
plastics in another. High-grade paper was sorted and placed in separate
containers. (Most high-grades are brought to the drop-off.) In the past
(1985-86), NARC had offered recycling containers at cost ($5 each). By
1990 few customers were using these recycling containers.
Beginning in May 1991, materials were segregated in three categories:
newspaper in one bundle, mixed paper in a second, and all other materials
in a third. Residents may now purchase plastic 18-gallon recycling bins at
a cost of $7.88 each from the City.
Three crew members collected recyclable materials in compartmentalized
trailers pulled by 1-ton Ford trucks. The truck/trailer vehicles have a
total of 22 separate compartments or spaces in which to place materials.
Newspaper was placed in two 2-cubic-yard bins on the flatbed of the
truck and in three additional bins in front of the axle; corrugated
cardboard was placed in a fourth bin located in front of the axle; boxboard
was placed in one bin behind the axle; and aluminum cans were placed in
a second bin behind the axle. The truck contained two additional wire
baskets equipped with bulk-lift bags for plastics. Clear and green glass
were placed in separate metal bins, and brown glass was placed in a
barrel. Tin was placed in barrels, and additional materials were placed
in two other barrels. Six additional bags were on the truck to hold other
materials, including high-grade paper, plastics, and overflow materials.
NARC used nine truck/trailer vehicles for two routes per day to collect
recyclables.
In 1990 the City received a waste diversion credit of $35 for each ton of
recyclables collected. No direct economic incentive is offered to residents.
Not applicable. The City reports no significant problem with the
scavenging of recyclables. While the City has a general anti-scavenging
ordinance for refuse, it has not been applied to scavenging recyclables.
7,617 tons in 1990
Multi-unit Collection
NARC collected recyclable materials from a number of condominium buildings in the City. One three-
story building, Cress Creek Condos, was able to eliminate one of its four garbage dumpsters by recycling.
Residents brought three colors of glass, tin and aluminum cans, newspaper, and corrugated cardboard to
recycling containers located in a screened and roofed trash disposal area outside the area. Glass, tin,
and aluminum were placed in separate containers within a large wooden container with a lid;
newspaper and corrugated cardboard were placed in a pull-out cart within the container. Used motor
Page 118
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Naperville, Illinois
oil was placed in plastic jugs and set on the floor of the recycling area. Tonnages collected from
condominium buildings are included in figures listed above.
At a second high-rise complex, a separate enclosed recycling station housed recyclables. However,
residents frequently placed garbage in recycling containers, so the recycling containers were removed
from the separate site and placed near the refuse containers. NARC is no longer contracted by the Gty
to pick up recyclables, but can be contracted privately by multi-unit buildings themselves for such pick-
up. NARC will charge buildings by the pick-up, based on the time spent loading materials at the site
and the mileage from the site to NARCs processing center. According to NARC, recycling can lower
refuse collection bills if the refuse hauler charges the building on a per-dumpster basis rather than a
flat fee. NARC has modified its processing system to color-sort glass and separate tin from aluminum,
and will now allow residents of multi-unit buildings to commingle the three colors of glass and to mix
tin with aluminum. Other private haulers such as Crown Disposal service apartment buildings not
receiving City collection. These tonnages were not tracked.
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Pick-up Frequency:
Materials Collected:
Set-out and Collection
Method:
None
NARC, Fox Valley Disposal (WMI), Rot's Disposal (BFI), BFI Aurora,
Crown Disposal, and a few small haulers
Not available
Fox Valley services approximately 50 percent of the businesses that are
receiving recycling collection. NARC serves restaurants and bars, and
served municipal offices in 1990. They are currently working to set up a
local Hilton Hotel with comprehensive recycling services, including
placing recycling bins in the guest rooms.
Varies. Crown does not usually service its customers with recycling and
refuse collection on the same day.
NARC collects glass, high-grade paper, tin and aluminum cans, all
plastic bottles, and corrugated cardboard. In 1991 it began to collect PET
strapping. Crown collects newspaper, glass, aluminum, tin, and PET and
HOPE plastic containers. Fox Valley collects corrugated cardboard,
aluminum and tin cans, HOPE (milk, laundry, and bleach) and PET
plastic containers, glass, newspaper, large quantities of clean PS, and
white colored high-grade paper. Fox Valley will tailor a program to a
business waste stream and will develop markets for new materials.
Varies. Crown accepts commingled materials placed in 96-gallon toters
supplied by businesses. Crown can supply containers to businesses for a
fixed fee. Toters are usually placed in outside refuse collection areas.
Crown Disposal found that it collected an average of 15 percent more
recyclables when it asked businesses to set out commingled materials than
when it asked customers to separate materials into different containers.
Crown uses dual-compartmentalized, side-loading trucks. Some
businesses use dumpsters for corrugated cardboard.
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Naperville, Illinois
Incentives: Businesses can sometimes lower refuse bills (when renegotiating contracts)
through recycling by reducing the number of refuse cans they use or the
frequency of pick-up. Some haulers will offer additional recycling service
as part of standard refuse service but will not lower refuse fees for those
that recycle. In 1990 NARC began charging commercial customers for
recyclables collection.
Annual Tonnage: Not available
In 1984 NARC initiated its Commercial Outreach Program to encourage recovery of recyclable
materials from commercial enterprises. NARC began to collect glass from restaurants and bars. In 1985
it added office paper and began to collect from municipal buildings. Prior to 1990, NARC offered pick-
up of commercial recyclables free of charge. While NARC's contract with the City covered residential
recycling only, the collection and processing infrastructure paid for under the contract helped support
the commercial program, as did the sale of materials. In 1990 NARC began charging commercial
customers a fee for recyclables pick-up based on mileage to and from the business and driver costs.
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type: One drop-off center, on which a Reynold's Aluminum buy-back is also
situated.
Public or Private: NARC (a private nonprofit) operates the drop-off center on City-owned
property leased from the City. Reynolds subleases a piece of land from
NARC for its buy-back.
Sectors Served: Residents, particularly those in multi-unit buildings not serviced with
curbside collection, Naperville businesses, and some residents from
unincorporated Naperville
Materials Accepted: Newspaper, high-grade paper, corrugated cardboard, magazines,
boxboard, glass containers, aluminum cans and foil trays, ferrous cans, all
plastic, plastic six-pack rings, HOPE milk jugs and detergent bottles, PET
beverage bottles and other plastic bottles, miscellaneous metal scrap,
automobile batteries, and appliances
Annual Tonnage: 1,619 tons from NARC's drop-off
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
The Naperville Area Recycling Center (NARC) processes all materials collected through its
curbside and drop-off programs at its processing center, which it built on 1 acre of City-owned land.
Opened in 1986, the processing site's construction was financed through no-interest loans NARC
received from the City. The initial capital cost of the facility is estimated at $75,000, with capital
improvements made in 1988, 1989, and 1990. The facility is designed to process 50 tons per day, and
handled between 35 and 70 tons per day in 1990. In 1991 its throughput shrank to approximately 10 tons
per day. The processing center is located approximately 10 miles away from the City's furthest
collection routes.
The 3,000-square-foot center is only 8 feet high, and is equipped with a seven bay loading dock.
Materials are emptied from vehicles with three rotating forklifts into trailers or directly onto
processing equipment, such as balers, sorters, and granulators. Fifteen to twenty people work on
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Naperville, Illinois
processing materials. Naperville has access to a large number of secondary materials markets, many of
which are in Chicago or the surrounding area. Newspaper is loaded via conveyor directly into a semi-
trailer and marketed loose to FSC Paper Company, a manufacturer of 100 percent recycled newsprint
outside of Chicago in Alsip. Plastic is sorted on a custom-built sorting table. HOPE plastic containers
are flaked and stored. PET containers are baled with a perforator flattener and stored. NARC
processes plastic containers received from other programs with a Granu-tech granulator it purchased
with a County grant. HOPE plastic is sold to Eagle Brook Plastics in Chicago for manufacture of plastic
lumber or pelletizing and resale to plastic reprocessors. NARC sells PET plastic to the Plastic
Recycling Alliance in Chicago. Clean polystyrene containers are stored. Six-pack rings are picked up
by Illinois Tool Works, which approached Naperville in 1990 with plans to manufacture new six-pack
rings made from 30 percent recycled LDPE rings. Corrugated cardboard is baled and sold to Ivex, in
Joliet Magazines are sold to FSC Paper Company. Paperboard is sold to Aurora Paperboard in Aurora,
a manufacturer of book covers from recycled fibers, located just west of Naperville. Glass cullet is sold
to Owens-Illinois in Streator. Aluminum cans and foil are sold to Reynolds Aluminum. Metal scrap is
sold to Cozzi Iron & Metal in Chicago. Lead-acid batteries are sold to a broker. An estimated 2 to 5
percent by weight of materials collected at curbside are rejected as residue.
The new contractor brings recyclables to many of the same markets utilized by NARC. Mixed paper
is sold to Aurora Paperboard.
Composting Activities
Naperville Department of Public Works crews have collected leaves and brush for composting
twice a year for at least 15 years. Brush was collected in the spring and fall and chipped by City crews;
leaves were collected in the fall and composted for use as a soil enhancer. End products were made
available to residents free of charge if picked up, and for a small fee if delivered. Naperville added
grass clippings and green garden waste to its curbside collection program in April 1990, 2 months before
the State ban on landfilling yard waste became effective. In the summer of 1989, it conducted a pilot
program to gauge residents' willingness to participate in a comprehensive yard waste collection
program. Two sections of the City were selected for the pilot program. Residents in heavily
landscaped areas were given 90-gallon wheeled collection carts for storage of yard materials.
Residents in a newer landscaped neighborhood without subdivisions were given 30-gallon garbage cans.
Residents responded positively to the source-separation program. In April 1990, contracted crews began
weekly collection of grass clippings and garden waste from all households in the City service area.
City crews collect leaves and brush in the spring, midsummer, and fall, on a published schedule.
Backyard Composting/Don't Bag It
Since the State of Illinois banned the landfilling of yard waste, Naperville and the County of
DuPage have promoted backyard composting and "Don't Bag It" programs through pamphlets, videos,
and newsletters. Program literature instructs residents to recycle grass clippings by leaving them on
their lawns. "Grass clippings and leaves can be a wonderful natural nutrient that will reduce the
amount of commercial fertilizers you need ...will reduce water loss from the lawn and lower soil
temperature," claims Naperville's newsletter. Through a cartoon character named Y. Baggit, Du Page
County instructs homeowners to mow their lawns with a sharp blade when lawns are dry. If no more
than one-third of the length of the blade of grass is cut, Y. Baggit explains in a County brochure,
homeowners will not have problems with thatch build-up (grassy material that resists
decomposition).
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Naperville, Illinois
Naperville's newsletter, "Napernews," details how to create a compost pile in one's backyard. It
recommends layering green material (grass clippings) with dry material (leaves) and warns residents
not to compost meat scraps or bones. There are no backyard composting demonstration sites.
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Vehicles &
Method:
Collection Frequency:
Economic Incentives:
Tonnage:
1975 for brush and leaves, 1988 for Christmas trees, April 1990 for garden
waste and grass clippings
City crews collect brush and leaves; Fox Valley, the City's refuse hauler,
collects grass clippings, garden waste, and Christmas trees.
24,500
Residents must either set out yard waste for collection or compost
materials in their backyard. State law bans landfilling of yard waste.
Leaves, brush, grass clippings, garden prunings, and Christmas trees
Leaves are set out loose at curbside. Other garden waste is placed in two-
ply 30-gallon paper bags. No plastic bags are accepted. Brush is set out,
untied, at curbside. Small garden trimmings can be placed in bags.
Beginning in mid-1991, Naperville adopted a sticker program for the set
out of leaves. Residents will need to pay $1.50 per bag of material set out.
The City collects brush in a vehicle with an attached brush chipper.
Three to four crew members are utilized per vehicle. Leaves are collected
with leaf loaders and vacuum sweepers. Fox Valley collects Christmas
Trees in a separate compactor truck.
Brush and leaves are collected three times a year on a schedule that
varies according to whether or not the neighborhood has mature
landscaping and heavy tree growth. Most heavily landscaped and
wooded areas receive a minimum of four pick-ups per fall season; less
landscaped areas receive a minimum of three pick-ups per season; and
least landscaped areas receive a minimum of two pick-ups per season.
Grass clippings and garden trimmings are collected weekly April through
December, on the same day as refuse collection.
None
An estimated 4,901 tons of leaves, yard waste, grass clippings, and
Christmas trees in 1990
Compost Site
Fox Valley delivers grass clippings and yard trimmings to the 33-acre City compost site, located on
the far southwestern part of the community adjacent to the wastewater treatment facility. The
material is formed into windrows and mixed with some of the leaves and chipped brush brought to the
site by City crews. Windrows consist of 25 percent green material (such as garden trimmings), 25 percent
brush chips, and 50 percent leaves. City employees measure the internal temperature of the windrows
daily, and windrows are turned when the temperature reaches or exceeds 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
While windrows are frequently turned in the summer months (at least once per week), in the winter
they are turned quite infrequently. City employees also monitor ambient air quality, wind speed and
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Naperville, Illinois
direction, and other weather factors on a daily basis. The windrows wfll only be watered if they are
especially dry. There have been a few complaints from neighbors about odor problems. Naperville has
worked to mitigate this odor using neutralizing agents, perfumes, and commercially available odor
masking agents.
City workers haul Christmas trees to the City's compost site. There the trees are chipped and
stored. Residents may pick up chips to use as a landscaping mulch. In 1988 a total of 7,979 Christmas
trees were collected; in 1989,6,183 trees were collected; and in 1990,7,591 trees were collected.
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material Total*
(Tons, 1990)
Newspaper 5,800
Corrugated Cardboard 900
High-grade Paper 40
Other Papert 440
Glass 1,400
PET Plastic 10
HOPE Plastic 170
Other Plastic* 6
Aluminum 180
Ferrous Cans/Scrap 230
Appliances/White Goods 30
Motor Oil 30
Subtotal MSW Recycled 9,236
Leaves§ 2,600
Brush 1,700
Christmas Trees** 75
Other Yard Waste 526
Subtotal MSW Composted 4,901
Total MSW Recovered 14,137
Tonnages listed above represent material collected through the residential curbside program and the drop-off center.
t Other paper includes 400 tons of boxboard and 40 tons of magazines collected from the residential sector.
tOther plastic is 6-pack rings and clean PS.
§A total of 15,573 cubic yards of leaves were collected. Tonnage of leaves was estimated by the City.
"Tonnage of Christinas trees is based on a conversion factor of 20 pounds per tree. (Source Garbage Reincarnation, Sonoma County,
California)
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Naperville, Illinois
Publicity and Education
Naperville advertises its recycling and composting programs through cable television, utility bill
inserts, and in the City's newsletter, "Napernews." The Naperville Recycling Center (NARC) plays a
very active role in promoting recycling activities in the City. Both NARC and City staff have made
presentation in area schools. Tours of the NARC site were given in 1989 to 11 schools, 80 scout troops,
and 17 organizations from various community organizations. These tours were discontinued for safety
reasons. NARC sponsored a recycling expo at a public library and staged the play, "The Defeat of the
Dump Monster."
Economics
Costs Coven Capital costs cover equipment purchased by the City for the collection and
processing of yard waste. Capital costs for recycling equipment are incurred by
private haulers under contract with the City and are not available. Operating
and maintenance costs represent 1990 contract and other fees paid to the
Naperville Area Recycling Center (NARC) for the curbside collection and
subsequent processing of 7,617 tons of recyclables. Contract fees paid to Fox Valley
for the curbside collection of 526 tons of yard waste and 75 tons of Christmas trees
are also listed below, as are the City's operating and maintenance costs, and
capital costs, for the collection and processing of 4,300 tons of leaves and brush.
Capital Costs: Collection
Item Cost
2 Vacuum Sweepers @ 20% of N A
use
J.D. Loader $106,771
4 Brush Chippers 58,089
2 Leaf Loaders 46,305
Use
Composting
Composting
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
1975
1980
1988,1990,1991
1989 & 1990
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
Spreader Truck
Ford Dump Truck*
SCAT Windrow Turner
IH Tractor
Cost
NA
$48,675
74,795
71^89
Use
Composting
Composting
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
1977
1979
1990
1990
Note: All equipment was paid for in hill at the time of purchase except for the IH Tractor purchased in 1990. The tractor was
purchased on a 4-year payment arrangement. Monthly payments of $1,491.44 are paid to the equipment vendor. The equipment
will therefore cost the City a total of $71389, 2 percent more than the market price of $70,079. These monthly payments have
not been included in operating and maintenance costs.
The dump truck is also used for street maintenance.
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Naperville, Illinois
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Cost Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
Recycling Subtotal $918,894 7,617 $121
Curbside Collection* $554,333 7,617 $73
Processing* 325,561 7,617 43
Administration 32,000 7,617 4
Education/Publicity* 7,000 7,617 1
Composting Subtotal $521,180 4,901 $106
Collection $376,680 4,901 $77
Grass and Yard Waste* 58,400 526 111
Leaves and Brush* 309,280 4,300 72
Christmas Trees§ 9,000 75 120
Processing 134,000 4,901 27
Administration 8,000 4,901 2
Education/Publicity 2,500 4,901 1
Recycling & Composting Total $1,440,074 12,518 $115
Collection $931,013 12,518 $74
Processing 459,561 12,518 37
Administration 40,000 12,518 3
Education/Publicity 9,500 12,518 1
'Represents contract fee paid to NARC for curbside collection and processing of recyclables, and educational outreach, which
totaled $886,894 in 1990. Of this, $7,000 was spent on education and of the remainder, an estimated 63 percent was spent on
collection and 37 percent on processing. The contract fee paid to NARC consisted of a flat fee of $840,894.80 and four quarterly
adjustment payments totaling $46,000. (The City gave NARC these additional payments as NARC was operating at a deficit.)
tNaperville paid Fox Valley a total of $3,012,749 for the collection of 26,502 tons of refuse and 526 tons of yard waste, which
comes to about $111 per ton.
tin fiscal year 1990, the City spent a total of $167,200 for the collection of leaves by City crews and $142,080 for the collection of
brush. -
§ Separate contract fee paid to Fox Valley for this collection service.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Part-time Employees:
Revenue from the sale of recyclables is kept by the contractors. If revenue
exceeded costs, a quarterly adjustment would be made, and the City would
share the profit on a 50/50 percent basis.
General fund. (The $35 per ton diversion credit that the City received
from its refuse hauler for recycled tonnage was returned to the General
Fund.)
1 City employee. In 1990 NARC employed 27 drivers, 3 mechanics, and 20
processors.
3 City workers at the composting site, and a few part-time public works
employees collect yard waste.
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Naperville, Illinois
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
The City is currently evaluating the option of a per container charge for household refuse. A per
bag fee of $1.50 for yard waste set out was established in fiscal year 1991. Naperville believes that
such measures may encourage residents to reduce their generation of household refuse. If the City does
not implement the per container charge, it will continue to support recycling collection from its general
fund.
Contacts
Kristina A. Kaar
Resource Recovery Manager
City of Naperville
P.O. Box 3020
Naperville, IL 60566-7020
Phone (708) 420-6088
Fax (708) 420-4100
Jeff Wilcox
Commercial Recycling Coordinator
Crown Disposal
1759 Elmhurst Road
Elkgrove Village, IL 60007
Phone (312) 242-1977
Anne Aitchison
Executive Director
Naperville Area Recycling Center
P.O. Box 894
Naperville, IL 60566
Phone (708) 369-0860
Amanda Rutter
Department of Environmental Concerns
Du Page County
421 North County Farm Road
Wheaton, IL 60187
Phone (708) 682-7130
Fax (708) 682-7374
References
Foshay, Miriam. "Financing Curbside Recycling: Landfill Diversion Credits." Resource Recycling,
April 1990, 58-104.
Kaar, Kristina A. "Multiple Strategies to Use Yard Waste." Biocycle, February 1991, 38-42.
Pajor, Charlie and Kristina A. Karr. "Yard Waste: A Renewable Resource." Public Works, February
1991, 38-39.
Endnote
^Naperville's conversion factor for compacted refuse is 1 cubic yard per 0.33 ton (667 Ibs).
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Perkasie,
Pennsylvania
Demographics
Jurisdiction: Borough of Perkasie
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
7,878 in 1990
2.7 square miles
3,900 in 1990 (3,500 single-family homes and 400 residences in multi-unit
buildings, including approximately 150 condominium units)
75 businesses (estimate from the Mayor of Perkasie) and 1 school
Perkasie Borough is an isolated, largely residential urban area in Bucks
County, Pennsylvania, located just outside Philadelphia. The Borough is
considered a rapidly developing suburb of Philadelphia. The population
and number of households are growing. There were 2,600 single-family
homes in 1988, 3,200 in 1989, and an estimated 3,500 in 1990. Population
increased 8 percent between 1988 and 1989, and jumped another 12.5
percent between 1989 and 1990.
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted*
Disposed
Incinerated
Landfilled
Generated
Percent by Weight Recovered
Recovered 52% NA NA
Recycled 31% NA NA
Composted 21% NA NA
Residential*
1,618
964
t 654
1,515
I 0
1,515
3,133
Commercial/
Institutional
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Total
MSW
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Note: The tonnage of C&D debris is not tracked. This waste is disposed of by private haulers, as is waste generated by most
businesses in the Borough. The tonnage of waste collected by private haulers is not available.
* Excludes waste generated by condominiums and apartments, which is collected by private haulers. Includes refuse and
recyclables from 15 small businesses served by DPW refuse and recycling collection. 272 tons of bulky waste (including mattresses
and furniture) are included, but tires and appliances, which are disposed of by a private hauler under a municipal contract, are
not
tTonnage is based on estimated volumes of leaves, brush, and Christmas trees.
Landfill Tipping Fee: $8 per ton in 1980; $59 per ton in 1988; $6550 per ton in 1989; $68.25 per ton
in 1990 and 1991
Refuse Collection The Department of Public Works (DPW) collects refuse from residents and
and Disposal: 15 small businesses. Businesses not served by the Borough, condominiums,
and apartments over four units must contract with private haulers. The
DPW collects approximately 80 percent of the total waste generated in
the Borough. The Borough pays a private hauler $250 each month for
collection of white goods and scrap metal. The DPW collects mattresses
and furniture.
Effective January 4, 1988, all wastes collected and disposed by the
Borough of Perkasie must be contained in special green 20- or 40-pound
plastic bags sold by the Borough. Bags are sold at the Borough Hall
during normal business hours, as well as at 10 local stores and markets for
the convenience of residents. In 1990, the 20-pound bags sold for 80 cents;
40-pound bags sold for $150. In 1991 the prices went up to $1.00 and $1.75,
respectively. The sale of these bags is exempt from Pennsylvania State
sales tax. The per-bag fee program replaced a flat annual fee of $120 per
residence for refuse collection and disposal.1
In 1990, the Borough incurred approximately $171,393 for the collection of
1515 tons of refuse, including some bulky waste ($113 per ton).2
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Residential Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 48% Recovered 52%
Residential Disposed 48%
Residential Recycled 31%
Residential Composted 21%
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative
Requirements:
Participation in the Borough's recycling program became mandatory in
October 1987. Residents are required to recycle aluminum beverage cans,
glass, corrugated cardboard, magazines, and newspapers. The Borough is
already in compliance with the 1997 goals of the Pennsylvania recycling
bill passed on April 12, 1988. The law, entitled the Municipal Waste
Planning, Recycling, and Waste Reduction Act, calls for planning
procedures for the processing and disposal of municipal waste, and
mandates recycling. It states that at least 25 percent of all municipal
waste and source-separated materials in the Commonwealth must be
recycled by January 1, 1997. Municipalities must schedule at least one day
a month for the collection of at least three recyclable materials, and must
provide containers to be used for sorting the refuse.
Perkasie began its curbside recycling program January 4,1988, at the same time it instituted its per-
bag fee program for refuse collection. The Borough has distributed 5-gallon buckets to residents living
in single-family homes, to hold recyclable materials. The 1987 law does not mandate that private
haulers offer per-bag fees or collection of recyclables to residents of condominiums and apartments.
Neil Fosbenner, the Recycling Coordinator and Public Works Director, reports that no private haulers
offer the per-bag rate at this time. Glass and aluminum cans are collected in a compartmentalized
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
trailer pulled by a pick-up truck. Wastepaper is collected in a packer truck. The Department of Public
Works crew sorts glass from aluminum at the curbside. The Borough collects leaves and brush from
residents in October and November for composting.
A private hauler collects bulky trash once a month and disposes of the white goods, scrap metal,
and motorized appliances. Bulky waste is defined as anything that will not fit in a Borough bag. A
household can set out only one such item per month. White goods and motorized appliances must have
a tag attached for pick-up. Removal of appliances from the curbside cost nothing in 1988 and 1989,
$5.00 per item in 1990, and $10 per item in 1991.
The Borough of Perkasie also runs a drop-off recycling center that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. In October 1989, the Borough began a plastics recycling pilot program at its drop-off center. This
program, which moved from pilot to permanent status in 1990, recovered 3.7 tons of HDPE and PET
plastic beverage containers in 1989, and 12.8 tons in 1990. In January of 1991, the Borough began
accepting steel cans on a voluntary basis at its drop-off center. The drop-off center also accepts
aluminium, glass, newspaper, and corrugated cardboard.
The Borough collects leaves from residents in October and November for composting. Brush is
collected on a monthly basis, year round. Before 1988, solid waste was collected twice a week. In
January 1988, the Borough cut down solid waste collection to one day a week, and started collecting
recyclables once a week, on a different day. Glass and aluminum are collected weekly. Newspaper,
junk mail, and corrugated cardboard are collected once a month
In February 1990, the Borough of Perkasie won the Highest Residential Recovery Rate award from
the Record Setting Recycling Contest 1989, sponsored by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency.
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
January 1,1988
Public Works Department
Glass and aluminum are collected weekly. Newspaper, magazines, junk
mail, and corrugated cardboard are collected once a month.
No
3,200 in 1989,3,500 in 1990
Yes (except for junk mail). However, condominiums, apartments, and
businesses do not have to comply.
100 percent of households served. This participation rate is attributed to
the per-bag refuse fee program.
Newspaper, magazines, junk mail, corrugated cardboard, glass, and
aluminum cans
Newspapers are stacked and tied or put into paper grocery bags. Junk
mail may be included with newspapers. Aluminum cans are put in bags or
boxes. Paperboard, corrugated cardboard, and magazines must be sorted
and bundled separately. Residents can either separate glass bottles and
jars by color (clear, green, and amber) with metal caps and rings removed,
or put them together in an open bucket (available through the Borough).
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Collection Method and Glass and aluminum are sorted at curbside and collected in a
Vehicles: compartmentalized trailer pulled by a pick-up truck. One driver and
three loaders pick up these two items. It takes them about five hours to
service half of the Borough. Newspaper, junk mail, paperboard, and
magazines are collected in one packer truck; a second collects corrugated
cardboard. Two workers operate each packer truck. Waste paper
collection takes 50 hours of labor a month.
Economic Incentives: The per-bag disposal fee program encourages residents and businesses
served by the Borough to generate less waste, thus providing a direct
economic incentive to recycle.
Enforcement The Borough enforces fines of up to $300 for noncompliance with its set-out
requirements for refuse, recyclables, and yard waste; no fines have been
issued.
Annual Tonnage: Not available
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative None. The Borough of Perkasie does not mandate that businesses recycle
Requirements: or subscribe to the per-bag rate structure.
Service Public Works Department
Provider:
Number Approximately 15. The Borough will collect recyclable materials and
Served: refuse from any business requesting this service.
Type Served: Small businesses
Materials Newspaper, junk mail, corrugated cardboard, glass, and aluminum cans
Collected:
Pick-up Glass and aluminum are collected weekly. Newspaper, magazines, junk
Frequency: mail, and corrugated cardboard are collected once a month.
Set-out and Commercial establishments are served on the same day and with the
Collection same trucks as the residential sector.
Method:
Incentives: The per-bag fee is a direct economic incentive to recycle.
Annual Not available
Tonnage:
Some private haulers of commercial waste are recovering corrugated cardboard from the waste
stream for recycling; these tonnages are not available.
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type One drop-off center
-------
Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Public or Private: Public
Sectors Served: Residential, commercial, and institutional
Materials Accepted: Aluminum, glass, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, HDPE and PET
plastic containers, and steel cans
Annual Tonnage Not available. The Borough estimates that approximately 50 percent of
all material recycled and composted was collected through drop-off
collection.
In 1990 the Borough erected a building behind the office at the drop-off center, to contain materials
that previously had been stored in an open area. The drop-off center began accepting HDPE and PET
plastic containers in June 1989, and steel cans in January 1991. An estimated 75 percent of Borough
residents take their HDPE and PET plastic containers to the drop-off site. Perkasie is staffing the
center in order to limit drop-off privileges to local residents only. Staff check labels on junk mail
collected at the center to see who is using facilities. According to Neil Fosbenner, it is difficult to assess
the success of this effort because some out-of-town residents may be tearing the address labels off their
mail.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Collection workers separate all glass and aluminum collected at curbside, put them into a
compartmentalized trailer, and deliver them to the public works yard where vendors collect them.
Liberty Recycling of Allentown, Pennsylvania, buys the unbaled plastic beverage containers and the tin
and aluminum cans. The Borough had difficulty selling its paper in 1989 due to poor markets. It
changed paper vendors three times that year in an effort to get the best possible price. The Borough
paid vendors a total of $5,125 in 1989 and $10,073 in 1990 for its waste paper. Lloyd Nace of Pennsburg,
Pennsylvania, pays for corrugated cardboard, but charges for the other waste paper.
Color-sorted glass is stored in the back of the yard. The Perkasie Fire Company sorts, cleans and
crushes the glass for the Borough on the first and third Saturday of the month. The Fire Company uses
its own equipment, performs the job with volunteer labor, and does not charge the Borough, but retains
the proceeds from sale of the glass.
All the recyclables collected by the Borough are marketed. None are rejected as nonrecyclable.
Composting Activities
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date: October 1989
Service Provider. Public Works Department
Households Served: 3,500
Mandatory: No
Materials Collected: Leaves, brush, Christmas trees, and wreaths without wire
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Set-out Method:
Collection Vehicles &
Method:
Collection Frequency.
Economic Incentives:
Residents set out leaves loose at curbside. Tree and shrub trimmings and
similar material must be cut in lengths not to exceed 4 feet, and must be
securely tied with string or twine in bundles no more than 2 feet in
diameter.
Department of Public Works employees vacuum leaves that residents
have raked to the curbside into a 14-cubic-yard dump truck. Three to five
workers spent a total of about 240 hours in 1990 collecting leaves. The
Electric Department chips and collects brush at curbside, using a crupper
pulled by one of its own vehicles—a bucket truck with a 6-cubic-yard
special attachment for holding chips.
The Borough collects leaves from residents weekly from the last week of
October through November. Residents must call for an appointment 48
hours in advance of the scheduled collection day for brush pick-up.
Christmas trees and wreaths without wire are collected along with the
regular recyclables in the first three weeks of January. Borough crews
chip brush at curbside on the first Wednesday of each month.
The per-bag disposal fee program encourages residents to generate less
waste, providing a direct economic incentive to set out yard waste at
curbside for composting.
Composting Site
The Borough tried to initiate a yard waste materials collection program in May 1988, but cancelled
the program in June of that year due to difficulty locating a site to compost the materials. Collection
started up again in October 1989, when the Borough began windrowing leaves and brush at an organic
farm 2 miles outside of Perkasie. In exchange for the use of the land, the farmer can use the compost
materials on the farm. The piles are turned monthly with a Borough-owned backhoe. In 1990 the
Borough began delivering some of its leaves to a landscaping company 2 miles away. The Borough does
not weigh the yard waste materials collected, but it does keep a record of the number of loads
recovered. In 1989 the Borough tipped 155 loads, or an estimated 380 tons, at the organic farm. This
amount increased in 1990 to 189 loads, or an estimated 464 tons—almost quadruple the 120 tons
estimated collected in May and June of 1988.3 Neil Fosbenner attributes this dramatic increase to
enforcement of the ban on burning, and collection of yard waste in the fall instead of the spring.
The Electric Department deposits the brush and other trimmings it chips at curbside in piles at a
local park. Chipped Christmas trees and leaves are delivered to the same site. Residents take the
chips free of charge. The Department collects approximately ten 6-cubic-yard loads of chipped brush
every month, spending 48 hours per month (at $16.87 per hour).
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Mixed Paper*
Corrugated Cardboard
Glass
Aluminum
Plastic Containers
PET Plastic
HDPE Plastic
Subtotal Recycled
Leaves
Brush*
Christmas Trees*
Subtotal Composted
Total Recovered
Residential
(Tons, 1988)
474.6
—
224.7
10.0
—
—
--
7093
120
NA
--
120
8293
Residential
(Tons, 1989)
600.7
—
216.1
10.7
3.7
—
—
831.2
380
NA
--
380
1,211.2
Residential
(Tons, 1990)
605.3
118.5
215.6
11.4
—
6.6
6.1
963.5
464
180
10
654
1,617.5
Note: The 3.7 tons of plastic containers recycled in 1989 are PET and HDPE plastic. In 1990 the tonnage is broken down into these
two types.
*Tonnages for 1988 and 1989 include corrugated cardboard.
^Tonnage, estimated by ILSR, is based on ten 6-cubic-yard loads per month and 4 cubic yards per ton.
^Tonnage, estimated by ILSR, is based on 1,000 Christmas trees weighing an average of 20 pounds each.
Source Reduction
Refuse collection and disposal data in tons (excluding bulky waste collection and waste generated
from apartments and condominiums) recorded from 1985 to 1990 are summarized below:
Year Waste Landfilled Waste Generated
1985 2,407 2,407
1986 2,585 2,585
1987 2,573 2,573
Average 1985-87 2,522 2,522
1988 1,308 1,868
1989 1365 2,576
1990 1,243 2,861
This data show that the amount of waste landfilled in 1990 is one half the average amount of
waste landfilled in the 3 years prior to implementation of the per-bag ordinance. Yet comparison of
1990 waste generation to the average generated between 1985 and 1987 shows an increase of 13 percent.
Waste generation only significantly decreased in 1988 after implementation of the per-bag fee program.
Adding recovered materials to the amount of waste disposed in 1988 gives a total waste generation
figure of 1,868 tons (excluding bulky waste and waste generated in apartments and condominiums). A
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
comparison of 1988 municipal solid waste generation with the average generated from 1985 to 1987
indicates a 26 percent reduction by weight in municipal solid waste generated.
The Borough attributes this 26 percent source reduction to the following:
(1) Public awareness of waste generation and disposal problems, resulting in improved
purchasing habits.
(2) Attrition of commercial customers not wanting to participate in the bag program.
Commercial establishments are free to contract with private haulers. On this
basis, attrition is responsible for at least 3.1 percent of the reduction in waste
collected.
(3) Home burning—backyard, fireplace, and wood stoves. In 1988, the Borough did not
enforce an ordinance banning backyard burning. Quantities of waste disposed by
household burning in 1988 are unknown. No complaints of smoke or odor were
received.
(4) Exporting waste from the Borough to nearby municipalities or depositing waste in
commercial containers. However, only four such instances were reported in 1988.
The names of the offenders were reported in the local newspaper. No illegal
dumping was reported in 1989.
Adding materials recovered in 1990 to the total waste disposed in that year gives a total of 2,861
tons of waste generated (excluding all bulky waste and waste generated in condominiums and
apartments). Comparing this figure with the 1988 and 1989 waste generation tonnages (excluding bulky
waste and materials generated in condominiums and apartments) indicates a 53 percent increase over
1988 and a 11 percent increase over 1989.
The Borough attributes this increase in municipal solid waste generation to the following:
(1) The Borough collected refuse from 300 more households in 1989 than in 1988—a 23
percent increase—and from 300 more households in 1990 than in 1989. Thus, 35
percent more households were served in 1990 than in 1988.
(2) In 1989 the Borough began enforcing an old ordinance banning backyard burning.
(3) No illegal exportation of waste was reported in 1989, and there have been no
problems in 1990 and 1991.
While the number of households served by the Borough has increased 35 percent, total waste
generated in 1990 has only increased 13 percent over the average amount generated from 1985 to 1987.
Publicity and Education
Rules and regulations for the storage, collection, and disposal of refuse have been distributed to all
residences. A brochure describing the program was mailed to all residents in December 1987.
Key Borough personnel made door-to-door visits in 1988 to provide information and answer
questions about the overall program. In 1989 the Borough conducted public education through direct
mailings, public meetings, newspaper articles and advertising, and radio broadcasts and advertising.
In 1990 the Borough mailed another brochure describing its solid waste management system to all
residents.
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Economics
Costs Coven Capital and operating and maintenance costs cover the collection and processing
of 964 tons of recyclable materials through the curbside collection program and at
the drop-off center. Operating and maintenance costs for the collection of an
estimated 654 tons of organic waste are listed below; composting capital costs are
not available.
Capital Costs: Collection
Item
Recycling Trailer
Modifications to Truck
Security Fence
Steel Barrels
Recycling Buckets
Cost
$15,807
600
500
400
2,500
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Year Incurred
1988
1988
1988
1988
1988
Note. All equipment has been fully paid off. No equipment was amortized.
Capital Costs; Processing
Item
Conveyor
Can Crusher
Recycling Building
Cost
$500
$6,200
$44,982
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Note: All equipment has been fully paid off. No equipment was amortized.
Year Incurred
1990
1990
1990
The following costs are representative of both refuse collection and recycling/composting. Perkasie
does not separate costs incurred for the recycling program from costs incurred for regular trash pick-up.
The programs use the same trucks and employees.
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Refuse and Recycling Operating and Maintenance Costs (1988-90)
Item 1988 1989 1990
Collection Labor* $54,586 $61,830 $76,139
Track Expenses 6,349 4,220 4,742
Fuel 2,010 2,788 3,310
Bulky Stickers/Pails 1,400 1,080 75
Subtotal Shared Collection Costs $64,345 $69,918 $84,266
Miscellaneous Supplies 2,572 1,741 918
Consulting Fees 4,312 534 3,050
Maintenance/Improvements 2,437 -- 213
Brochures/Postage -- -- 1,106
Subtotal Shared Admin. Costs $9,321 $2,275 $5,287
Total Shared Expenses $73,666 $72,193 $89,553
Tipping Fees/Solid Waste 74,619 90,428 82,910
Bulky Trash Fees 2,400 2,350 21,308
Disposal Bags* 23,361 16,231 32,028
Subtotal Unshared Refuse Costs $100,380 $109,009 $136,246
Paper Marketing -- 5,125 10,073
Bags for Aluminum Administration 1,263 1,728
Leaf Collection/Composting* NA NA 10,884
Brush Collecting/Chipping* NA NA 9,711
Administration§ NA NA 2,665
Subtotal Unshared Recovery Costs $1,263 $6,853 $33,333
Total Costs $175,309 $188,055 $259,132
"Excludes costs for leaf and brush collection.
tlhe cost of the bags is not included as shared expenses because they are used solely for refuse collection purposes.
^Represents labor costs only. Approximately 48 hours per month (at $16.86 per hour) are spent collecting brush, and 906.75 hours
(at a total cost of $10,883.88) are spent collecting leaves.
§Based on estimated percentage of time spent on overseeing recycling and composting programs by DPW staff.
Although the costs to recycle are combined with the cost of regular trash collection, the breakdown
of 1990 worker-hours (including time spent on leaf and brush collection) is as follows: 33 percent of
worker-hours are spent handling solid waste (including bulky waste), 47 percent on handling
recyclables, and 20 percent on compostables. In all, 8,028 hours were spent handling refuse, recyclable,
and compostable materials in 1990.
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Perk&sie, Pennsylvania
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Recycling Subtotal
Collection*
Processing
Administration*
Education/Publicity*
Composting Subtotal
Collections
Processing
Administration**
Education/Publicity^
Recycling and Composting Total
Collection
Processing
Administration*
Education/Publicity
Cost
$62,340
$47,898
10,073
3,847
522
$25,399
$23,556
0
1,623
220
$87,739
$71,454
10,073
5,470
742
Tons Covered
964
964
964
964
964
654
654
654
654
654
1,618
1,618
1,618
1,618
1,618
Per Ton Cost
$65
$50
10
4
1
$39
$36
0
2
0.3
$54
$44
6
3
0.5
•Estimate by ILSR staff based on 47 percent of shared collection costs, with the exception of labor costs, which are based on actual
worker hours collecting recyclables.
tBased on 47 percent of shared administration costs for recycling, and 70 percent of the estimated $2,665 spent overseeing the
recycling and composting programs.
$Based on 47 percent of the $1,106 spent on brochures and postage for recycling, and 20 percent for composting.
§Estimate by ILSR staff based on 20 percent of shared collection costs, with the exception of labor costs, which are based on actual
worker hours and costs associated with collecting Christmas trees, leaves, and brush.
**Based on 20 percent of shared administrative costs and 30 percent of the estimated $2,665 spent overseeing the recycling and
composting programs.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
$10314 in 1990; $10,586 in 1989; $15,546 in 1988
In 1990 the Borough received a $1,676 performance grant from the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, and a $30,319
recycling grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. These grants
contributed to capital improvements made at the drop-off site. Costs
incurred for administration, as well as program costs and capital
improvement costs in excess of money received, are paid for by tax
revenue. The Borough funds operating and maintenance for trash and
recycling service through bag/pail sales ($194362 in 1990), bulky waste
stickers ($2,210 in 1990), and materials revenues ($10,314 in 1990).
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Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Employees: The Public Works Department consists of nine full-time employees,
including the superintendent and foreman, plus two part-time employees.
Their job requirements include maintenance of all public right-of-ways
and Borough-owned property in addition to the trash collection and
recycling program. The equivalent of four full-time and one part-time
employees work on recycling and composting alone.
Contact
Neil H. Fosbenner
Recycling Coordinator/Director
Public Works Department
311 9th Street
Perkasie, Pennsylvania 18944
Phone (215) 257-5065
Fax (215) 257-5010
References
Becker, Linda. Annual Report on the Borough of Perkasie: Per Bag Disposal Fee, Waste Reduction and
Recycling Program for the Years 1988 to 2990. Perkasie, PA, 1991.
Good, Linda C. Annual Report on the Borough of Perkasie: Per Bag Disposal Fee, Waste Reduction and
Recycling Program. Perkasie, PA, 1989.
Woodruff, Kenneth L. Preliminary Report on the Borough of Perkasie: Per Bag Disposal Fee, Waste
Reduction and Recycling Program. Morrisville, PA, July 1988.
Endnotes
* Approximately 5 incidents of illegal dumping of waste were reported in 1990. These were mostly "theft of
services" entailing residents placing refuse in dumpsters on private business properties.
^Total 1990 O&M costs for refuse, recycling, and composting were $256,467. Of this, $89,553 were shared costs
between refuse and recycling services, and $136,246 were incurred for refuse alone. In 1990, 33 percent of total
labor was spent on refuse collection. The $171,393 estimate for refuse collection and disposal is calculated by
adding 33 percent of the shared costs (with the exception of labor costs) to labor costs for refuse to the $136,246 cost
for refuse alone.
^Tonnage estimates are based on an average of 14 cubic yards per load, and a conversion factor of 350 pounds per
uncompacted cubic yard.
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Takoma Park, Maryland
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park,
Maryland
Demographics
Jurisdiction: City of Takoma Park
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
16,900 in 1990
2.2 square miles
7,036 (2,784 single-family households, 1316 multi-family households in
buildings containing 2 to 12 units, and 2,936 households in buildings with
more than 12 units)
243 businesses, 2 colleges and 1 hospital
Takoma Park is a residential suburb of Washington, D.C. located in both
Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, Maryland. Takoma Park is an
official "Tree City, USA" and also an established nuclear free zone.
Median household income in the Montgomery County portion of Takoma
Park was $26,974 in 1986.
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Commercial/ Total
Residential* Institutional* MSW
Recovered 2,476 4 2,480
Recycled 1,270 4 1,274
Composted 1,206 0 1,206
Disposed 4,414 NA NA
Incinerated 0 NA NA
Landfilled 4,414 NA NA
Generated 6,890 NA NA
Percent by Weight Recovered
Recovered 36% NA NA
Recycled 18% NA NA
Composted 18% NA NA
Notes: Residential waste generated includes bulky items such as furniture but does not include tires. Takoma Park does not track
commercial waste and construction and demolition debris disposed and recycled in the City. However, it is not aware of any major
recycling in these sectors.
From January through December 1991, Takoma Park recovered 3,256 tons of residential waste (1,461 tons of recyclables and 1,795
tons of yard waste) and disposed 3,799 tons of residential refuse. The recovery rate over this time period was 46%.
•Residential waste recovered, disposed, and generated does not include material collected from apartment buildings with more
than 12 units.
•{•Commercial/institutional waste recycled includes newspaper, high-grade paper, glass, and aluminum cans collected from the
two municipal office buildings.
Landfill Tipping Fee: $40 per ton in 1989, $52 per ton in 1990, $66 per ton in 1991 (based on the
averaged cost of disposing refuse at two landfills)
Refuse Collection and The Takoma Park Department of Public Works collects refuse from single-
Disposal: through 12-unit residences. Prior to September 1991, this collection
service was offered twice a week. Due to increased recycling it is now
offered once per week. More than 15 private haulers service residential
buildings with more than 12 units, and businesses and institutions. N.Z.I.
Construction collects municipally generated construction and demolition
(C&D) debris under contract with the City. Two-thirds of municipally
collected residential waste is disposed of at Montgomery County Transfer
Station, 13 miles away where it is hauled to the Oak's Landfill; the
remaining residential waste is hauled to Prince George's County's Brown
Station Road Landfill, 15 miles away. In 1990 the City incurred $582,735
($132 per ton) to collect and dispose of 4,414 tons of residential waste
($221,910 for landfill fees, $261,472 for labor, $30,600 for maintenance and
fuel, $6,000 for vehicle insurance, and $62,753 for fringe costs).
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Residential Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight 1990)
Disposed 64% Recovered 36%
Residential Disposed 64%
Residential Recycled 18%
Residential Composted 18%
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative
Requirements:
In 1988 Maryland passed legislation requiring counties to develop
recycling programs by 1994. The State also mandated that counties with
populations under 100,000 recycle 15 percent of their waste stream, and
those with populations over 100,000 recycle 20 percent by 1994.
In July 1990, Montgomery County passed legislation requiring the County
to recycle 40 percent of its waste stream by 2000. In July 1989, Prince
George's County established a voluntary recycling program with a goal to
reduce its waste stream 35 percent by 1999. Prince George's County also
required all owners of residences with three or more units to provide
recycling opportunities to their tenants by July 1992. There are six such
buildings located in the Takoma Park portion of Prince George's County.
Although the County suggests that multi-unit buildings recycle
newspaper, glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, and plastics, collection of
these materials is not mandatory. All apartment buildings with 100 units
or more must submit recycling plans to the Prince George's County Office of
Recycling by July 1991.
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Goals and Legislative Takoma Park Ordinance 89-4, adopted in January 1989, requires persons
Requirements (conf d): who receive City trash service to separate newspaper, glass bottles, and
aluminum cans for recycling collection. Phase Two, implemented in June
1990, requires the separation of tin cans, corrugated cardboard, grass
clippings, leaves, and white goods. Phase Three, implemented in
September 1991, amended the Ordinance to include HDPE and PET plastic
beverage containers and mixed paper.
Residents in Takoma Park recycled newspaper at curbside in the early 1980's. Private haulers
collected the paper at no cost to the City and brought it to the Silver Spring Recycling Center.
Although the City Council passed a mandatory newspaper recycling ordinance in July 1986, this
ordinance was not enforced.
In 1987, a City-appointed Revenue Advisory Committee suggested that the City expand its
newspaper recycling program in order to reduce the impact of rising disposal costs. Later that year, the
Mayor and City Council appointed a Recycling Task Force to explore options for a citywide program.
The Task Force recommended that the City provide residents with recycling bins for weekly,
mandatory curbside recycling. The City decided that the Public Works Department would collect
recyclable materials, but to avoid hiring additional staff or reducing the number of refuse collection
days, the processing and marketing of materials would be contracted out. The Public Works Department
reorganized its Sanitation Division, reducing the number of refuse trucks and converting one of its three-
person refuse crews to a recycling crew. In September 1988, the City hired a recycling coordinator to
disseminate informational materials and coordinate upcoming recycling activities. On April 3, 1989,
Takoma Park began its mandatory weekly curbside collection of newspaper, glass, and aluminum cans
from 4,100 households. During the first year of the program, City residents recycled over 1,140 tons of
materials, reducing Takoma Park's landfill bill by $49,200 from the previous year.
Six months after the program started, the City began to enforce its recycling law. Enforcement
programs increased participation from 72 percent in 1989 to 88 percent in 1990. Phase Two of the
recycling program, implemented in June 1990, expanded the program to include year-round collection of
ferrous cans, corrugated cardboard, white goods, grass clippings, and leaves. Prior to Phase Two, only
leaves had been collected during the fall months. In the fall of 1990, the City set up a drop-off site for
HDPE and PET plastics and conducted mixed-paper drives every other month. Collection of these
additional materials proved very successful. Following the recommendation of the Recycling Task
Force, the City implemented Phase Three of the recycling program in September 1991. HDPE and PET
plastics and mixed paper, including magazines, paperboard boxes, and junk mail, are now collected at
curbside; refuse collection has been reduced to once a week; and the four sanitation crews are split
equally between recycling and refuse collection. The City purchased an additional vehicle for the
recycling route; one vehicle collects paper, and the second follows behind and collects glass, plastic, and
cans.
Takoma Park also composts a large portion of leaves generated in the City. Leaves collected during
the fall months are composted on a small pad in the Public Works Yard. Because there are many trees
in Takoma Park, and there is a local ordinance prohibiting residents from chopping down trees larger
than 26 inches in circumference four feet up the trunk, the City's trees generate a large quantity of
leaves each fall. Weekly curbside collection of grass clippings and leaves was initiated in June 1990 as
part of Phase Two of the recycling program. This yard waste is composted at the Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission Composting Facility in Prince George's County.
Takoma Park does not collect recyclables from buildings with more than 12 units, which house
approximately 40 percent of its residents. Although the Takoma Park Recycling Task Force
recommended various ways for the City to promote recycling in apartment buildings, the City does not
have any legislation requiring multi-family recycling, and only a few apartment buildings have
initiated recycling programs. (All Takoma Park apartment buildings are regulated under local rent-
control laws; therefore, owners are generally unwilling to spend time or money initiating recycling
Page 144
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Takoma Park, Maryland
programs.) In Prince George's County, where recycling in multi-unit buildings will become mandatory in
1992, eligible apartment buildings can receive grants to offset capital costs for initiating a program.
The City has not yet targeted its businesses or institutions for recycling.
In September 1991, Montgomery County opened a new intermediate processing center (IPC) in
Gaithersburg, Maryland, operated by New England CRInc. The center will process approximately 100
tons per day of glass, aluminum and ferrous cans, and HOPE and PET containers, in one 8-hour shift. The
facility will receive an estimated 140 tons of newspaper per day, which will be transferred to the
Southeast Recycling Center in Silver Spring. Takoma Park will bring all municipally collected bottles
and cans to the site. No tipping fee will be charged. Funding for the operation and maintenance of the
IPC will be generated through materials revenues and a portion of the landfill tipping fees.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency:
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
April 1989
Takoma Park Department of Public Works-Sanitation Division
Weekly
Yes, for many but not all parts of the city
4,100 households (2,784 in single-family residences and 1,316 in 2- to 12-
unit buildings)
In 1990 set-out was mandatory for newspaper, glass bottles, aluminum and
ferrous cans, and corrugated cardboard. In 1991 the set-out of HOPE and
PET plastic bottles and mixed paper became mandatory. White goods are
collected as requested.
72 percent in 1989, 88 percent in 1990 (based on a count of set-outs and an
average of recorded violations over a 6-week period)
Newspaper, glass, and aluminum cans were collected in 1989, and
corrugated cardboard, ferrous cans, and white goods were added in June
1990. HOPE and PET plastic bottles and mixed paper (magazines,
paperboard, junk mail, and high grade paper) were added in September
1991.
Residents place glass, aluminum cans, and ferrous cans in yellow 5-gallon
containers provided by the City. (Beginning 1991, plastics were also
placed in recycling containers.) Newspaper is tied or put in paper bags
and placed alongside the recycling container. Corrugated cardboard is
flattened, tape and staples are removed, and the cardboard is bundled.
Mixed papers must either be bundled or placed in paper bags. In 1991 the
City purchased 14-gallon containers to accommodate Phase Three of the
program. Residents may pick one up free of charge at the DPW.
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement:
Annual Tonnage:
Before implementation of Phase Three, a three-person collection crew
placed newspaper and cardboard in the back compartment and
commingled materials in the front of a Kann Sorter truck. As of September
1991, the City uses a 25-cubic-yard National Recycling vehicle for paper
collection. Newspaper is placed in one 12-cubic-yard area, mixed paper
in an 8-cubic-yard area, and corrugated cardboard in a 5-cubic-yard
section. The Kann Sorter truck is used for commingled bottles, plastics,
and cans. Residents must call the Public Works Department for pick-up of
white goods, which are collected in a compactor truck.
None
The Gty's Recycling Coordinator randomly inspects residential refuse. If
recyclable materials are found in refuse containers, a warning notice is
issued. After two notices the coordinator may issue a $20 fine. Four fines
have been issued.
1,265 tons in 1990:1,232 tons of recydables collected through the curbside
program, and 33 tons of white goods collected on request
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Materials Collected:
Pick-up Frequency:
Set-out and Collection
Method:
Incentives:
Annual Tonnage:
None
Federal Paper Stock (a private company) and Takoma Park's Building
Maintenance Division
Municipal offices
White and colored high-grade paper, corrugated cardboard, newspaper,
glass bottles, and aluminum and ferrous cans
As needed (paper is collected when the containers are full)
Municipal workers separate high-grade paper in deskside containers;
janitors empty bins into centrally-located Gaylord boxes. When these are
full, Federal Paper Stock is contacted and sends four employees to sort the
paper and put in mail bins. Takoma Park does not receive any revenues
from the paper, and Federal Paper Stock does not charge the City for
collection. Employees place glass and cans in bins located throughout the
building. When the bins are full they are carried out to a central storage
area and are picked up during the weekly residential recycling runs.
Corrugated cardboard is separated and flattened and the Recycling
Division collects it during the recycling runs.
None
4 tons in 1990
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type In 1990 one roll-off container (for plastics) and one tank (for oil) were
located at the Takoma Park Public Works Yard. (In 1991, when the City
began to collect plastic at curbside, it no longer offered the drop-off
container.) Beginning in October 1990, the City would set up a drop-off
site for mixed paper by locating a roll-off container in front of the City
Municipal Building one weekend every two months.
Public or Private: Public
Sectors Served: Residential
Materials Accepted: Motor oil, HOPE and PET beverage containers, and mixed paper for
bimonthly collection
Annual Tonnage Three tons of plastic, and 2 tons of mixed paper in 1990; tonnages for motor
oil are not included because it is burned as a fuel source.
In the fall of 1990, the City began bimonthly (once every two months) recycling drives for
magazines, phone books, and junk mail. Residents could drop off commingled paper at a roll-off
container located in front of the City Municipal Building. This program ended when the City's curbside
collection of mixed paper was implemented in September 1991. The City also sponsors a used clothing
drive twice yearly, in fall and spring. Volunteers box or bag the items. Clothes collected in the first
drive, in fall 1990, were sent to "Quest for Peace" in Nicaragua. Clothes collected in subsequent drives
went to local charities, such as Shepherd's Table and The Community for Creative Non-Violence.
Although the City does not collect batteries, the recycling office requests that they be dropped off
during Montgomery County's and Prince Georges County's household hazardous waste collection days.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Takoma Park contracts with private vendors to process and market the recyclable materials
collected through its municipal curbside program. In 1990 City crews delivered newspaper, mixed
paper, and cardboard to South East Recycling Corporation's 36,000-square-foot building in Silver
Spring, Maryland. (Mixed paper is now delivered to Georgetown Paper Stock in Bladensburg,
Maryland.) No tipping fee was charged. At this facility, twelve employees process materials for
market. Newspaper is sent loose to Southeast Paper in Dublin, Georgia, and re-manufactured into
newsprint. Corrugated cardboard is baled and sent to Richmond Recycling in Richmond, Virginia,
where it is recycled into cardboard. Mixed paper is shipped to seven different markets. BFI hauled
commingled glass and cans, first stored at the Public Works Department in a roll-off container, and
HDPE and PET plastics collected at the drop-off site to Georgetown Paper Stock in Bladensburg,
Maryland. The plastics were baled and sold to Polysource Inc. in Baltimore for further processing.
Takoma Park began to sell glass and cans to Eagle Maintenance Services in Capital Heights,
Maryland in 1991. It contracted with Waste Management Inc. to deliver recyclables to the facility. In
1991 Eagle charged a $30 per ton tipping fee. This privately owned regional facility handles materials
collected through many residential curbside programs. Materials are first unloaded onto the 50-foot by
100-foot tipping floor. Operators transfer the recyclables to a conveyor with a front-end loader.
Fifteen employees process approximately 20 tons per day. Ferrous cans are first magnetically removed
from the conveyor belt. Plastics, brought in by other curbside programs, are separated and baled. Green
and brown glass are separated and dropped down a chute into Gaylord boxes. Aluminum and ferrous
cans are densified into blocks. Glass is shipped to Owens Brockway in Clarien, Pennsylvania or
Winston Salem, North Carolina. Aluminum cans are sold either through a broker or directly to
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Reynolds Aluminum in Richmond, Virginia. Ferrous cans are stored until a large enough volume is
generated for market. One percent of glass collected is broken by the time it reaches the IPC. An
estimated 11 percent by weight of recyclable materials are rejected during processing and subsequently
landfilled.
In September 1991, Takoma Park began to haul 2 tons of glass, plastic, and aluminum and ferrous
cans daily to Montgomery County's new IPC in Gaithersburg, Maryland, 13 miles from the City. The
IPC, operated by New England CRInc, employs West German Bezner technology. It was built to process
140 tons per day of newspaper and 100 tons per day of commingled recyclables in one 8-hour shift. The
IPC employs 24 people with 10 employees sorting recyclable materials. The capital cost of the plant
was $85 million, including building construction and machinery. The County pays CRInc. a flat fee of
$844,000 per year for processing recyclables (newsprint in addition to food and beverage containers) at
the IPC, plus additional monthly payments. In the first year of operation, the County will pay an
estimated $2.3 million to CRInc., equivalent to $37 per ton (assuming 240 tons processed each of 260
days). Materials revenue is shared between CRInc. and the County: CRInc. receives 25 percent of gross
revenue, and the County receives 75 percent. As an incentive to use local and regional markets, CRInc. is
responsible for 25 percent of the cost of transporting processed materials to market. If CRInc. exceeds its
projected residue rate of 10 percent of recyclables (excluding paper) it will have to pay the landfill
tipping fee for disposing of all residue. Takoma Park avoids paying both hauler and tipping fees, since
the City self-hauls all materials and the processing center does not charge a tipping fee. The IPC
accepts residential recyclables only, and will be funded through recyclable materials revenues and
landfill tipping fees.
Composting/Mulching Activities
Backyard Composting
The Recycling Office publishes flyers on backyard composting, organizes annual workshops on
backyard composting led by the Cooperative Extension Service, and has produced a backyard
composting demonstration video for Takoma Park cable television. In 1990 the City's Recycling
Coordinator surveyed residents to determine how many intended to set out yard waste at curbside for
the upcoming Phase Two of the program; 11 percent of respondents claimed that they were already
composting yard waste in their backyards.
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date: Prior to 1980 for fall leaf collection, June 1990 for weekly collection of
grass clippings and leaves
Service Provider: Takoma Park Public Works Department
Households Served: 4,100
Mandatory: Yes, for leaves and grass clippings
Materials Collected: Leaves, grass clippings, and Christmas trees
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Set-out Method:
Collection Vehicles &
Method:
Collection Frequency:
Economic Incentives:
Annual Tonnage:
Grass clippings and leaves are set out in trash cans or in 30-gallon paper
bags that residents can purchase at area stores. Yard waste in plastic
bags will not be picked up. In the fall months, leaves can be raked loose to
the curbside. Christmas trees are set out at curbside.
A 3-person crew loads bags of grass clippings and leaves into compactor
trucks. Four 5-person crews collect loose leaves in the fall. One
individual drives the truck, one prepares leaves for vacuuming, one
operates the vacuum, and two workers rake leaves into the vacuum.
Leaves are then blown into a leaf collection box pulled behind the vacuum
loader.
Bagged grass clippings and leaves are collected each Wednesday year-
round. Loose leaves are collected from November through January.
Christmas trees are collected each Wednesday during January.
None
1,206 tons in 1990
Composting/Mulching Site
Leaves collected during the fall program are brought to the City's compost site. All leaves are
piled on an asphalt compost pad and turned a maximum of three times per year. Odor problems have
arisen due to poor aeration of piles. Finished compost is moved to a site on an adjacent hill where
residents can take it free of charge. Since January 1989, Christmas trees have been collected and ground.
The resulting mulch is free to Takoma Park residents.
Bagged yard waste (grass clippings and leaves) is taken to the Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission Composting Facility in Prince George's County. The 44-acre County-owned site is operated
by Maryland Environmental Services (MES). No tipping fee is charged. Yard waste is shredded and
windrowed. Finished compost will be bagged and marketed through garden shops. The City is not
aware of the amount of yard waste rejected and disposed.
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
High-grade Paper
Mixed Paper
Commingled*
Glass*
HOPE and PET Plastic*
Aluminum Cans*
Ferrous Cans*
Appliances/White Goods*
Textiles
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Leaves (Loose)*
Bagged Yard Waste
Christmas Trees
Subtotal MSW Composted
Total MSW Recovered
Residential
(Tons, 1990)
771.76
17.45
0
2
445.53
NA
NA
NA
NA
33.35
NA
1,270.09
1,000
200
6
1,206
2,476.09
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons, 1990)
0
0
4.25
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NA
4.25
0
0
0
0
4.25
Total
(Tons, 1990)
771.76
17.45
4.25
2
445.53
NA
NA
NA
NA
33.35
NA
1,274.34
1,000
200
6
1,206
2,48034
Notes: Tonnages figures above represent recydables collected, including any contaminants brought to processors.
Takoma Park does not track construction and demolition debris, but believes that there is no recovery of C&D in the City.
'Glass, plastic, and aluminum and ferrous cans are collected commingled; a tonnage breakdown is not available.
A small amount of residential scrap metal is included with white goods.
^The City Recycling Coordinator estimated leaf tonnage based on the number of full truck loads of leaves multiplied by the
number of days leaves were collected. An estimated conversion factor of 500 pounds per cubic yard was used.
Publicity and Education
Takoma Park actively promotes its residential recycling and composting programs. Programs
featuring the City's recycling program, environmental shopping, and backyard composting have been
featured on the "The Green Show," aired on a local cable television channel. The Recycling Office also
writes news articles on its recycling program in the municipal newsletter. Forty volunteers and the
Recycling Office distribute brochures and flyers to city residents. The Recycling Office also sets up
recycling displays at fairs and other events.
Along with the Takoma Park Housing Providers Association, the City hosted a meeting on how to
establish recycling programs in apartment buildings. The Takoma Park Recycling Task Force sent all
city apartment building managers a survey inquiring about their waste disposal method and their
support for a recycling program. However, the City does not provide financial assistance to multi-
family housing owners who want to set up programs.
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Economics
Costs Coven The City of Takoma Park pays for all capital and operating and maintenance
costs for the collection of 1,232 tons of recyclable materials collected at curbside,
33 tons of white goods, and 1,206 tons of yard waste and Christmas trees. Costs for
drop-off collection of 3 tons of plastics, 2 tons of mixed paper, and processing of
recydables consist of contract fees paid to haulers and processors. Operating and
maintenance costs for yard waste collection include weekly collection of bagged
grass and leaves by sanitation employees and fall vacuum leaf collection by the
Streets and Parks Division with some additional temporary labor.
Capital Costs; Collection
Item
3 Compactor Trucks* @ 10%
recycling and 10% compost
collection
5,000 6-Gallon ROPAK
Recycling Buckets @ $2.29
Kann Curb Sorter Truck
400 7-gallon ROPAK
Recycling Buckets @ $2.19
1,500 14-gallon Buckhorn
Recycling Bins @ $3.65
1,500 7-gallon ROPAK
Recycling Buckets @ $2.10
NR-250 Recycling Truck
5 Leaf Vacuums
4 15-cubic-yard Leaf
Collection Boxes @ $3,000
Cost
$258,883
$11,450
38,000
876
5,475
3,150
41,699
63,695
12,000
Use
Rec/Comp
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
1983-1987
1988
1988
1989
1991
1991
1991
1983-1990
1989 & 1990
Note: The City has completely paid for all equipment.
*These trucks are also used for refuse collection and were owned prior to implementation of the City's recycling program.
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Capital Costs; Processing
Item
2 Glass Crushers @ $3,600*
Densifier*
Front-end Loader*
Forklift*
2 Conveyors @ $35,000*
Magnetic Head*
Wood Chipper*
Backhoe @ 20% of time*
Cost
$7,200
25,000
21,000
10,000
70,000
8,000
4,950
45,000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Composting
Composting
Year Incurred
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1980
1990
'Equipment was purchased and is owned by Eagle Maintenance Services. The City has completely paid for all other equipment.
^Owned by the City prior to implementation of composting.
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Cost Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
Recycling Subtotal $182,360 1,270 $144
Curbside Collection $122,130 1,265 $97
Drop-off Collection and Processing* 830 5 166
Processing Curbside Recyclables* 17,600 1,265 14
Administration 36,800 1,270 29
Education/Publicity 5,000 1,270 4
Composting Subtotal $108,400 1,206 $90
Collection $91,700 1,206 $76
Processing 2,700 1,206 2
Administration 13,000 1,206 11
Education/Publicity 1,000 1,206 1
Recycling & Composting Total $290,760 2,476 $117
Collection $213,830 2,476 $86
Processing* 21,130 2,476 9
Administration 49,800 2,476 20
Education/Publicity 6,000 2,476 2
Notes: Numbers may not add up to total due to rounding.
Of the total O&M costs for recycling collection, $95,200 was spent on collection crew labor costs. (Collection crews earn $11 per
hour.)
'Represents $500 in hauling and processing fees for mixed paper, and $330 in hauling fees for plastic
tCost represents (1) $16,100 paid to BFI for hauling plastic, glass, and cans to processors, and (2) $1,500 hauling fees for scrap
metal.
$ Includes $830 for hauling and processing recyclables collected at drop-off.
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Takoma Park, Maryland
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Fart-time Employees:
$350 was paid to Takoma Park for scrap metal. No revenues were
generated through the curbside recycling or composting programs.
A State grant paid for the Kann Curb Sorter recycling vehicle. City taxes
cover all other expenses.
13. Three Sanitation Division employees collect recyclables, 9 employees
collect grass clippings and leaves weekly, and 1 Recycling Coordinator
administers the recycling and composting programs.
21. One half-time supervisor manages 10 employees during fall leaf
collection, and 10 temporary employees.
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
In winter 1991, the Recycling Office will write a City procurement policy. The Recycling Task Force
will be looking into implementing recycling in the commercial and institutional sectors and increasing
recycling in multi-unit buildings. The City's FY 1991 budget includes funds for several pilot apartment
buildings slated to begin in the winter of 1992. The funds will be used toward the purchase of recycling
bins, production of flyers, and technical assistance from the City's Recycling Coordinator. Prince
George's County plans to expand composting operations at the Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission Composting Facility.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Composting Facility is expanding its operation
and is allowing Takoma Park to include brush and branches with its weekly yard trimmings collection.
The City plans to begin collecting brush and branches in February 1992. By the end of 1991, Montgomery
County plans to have regulations in place to require businesses to recycle.
Contacts
Daryl Braithwaite
Recycling Coordinator
Takoma Park Department of Public Works
31 Oswego Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912
Phone (301) 585-8333
Fax (301) 270-8794
Frank Johnson
Plant Manager
Eagle Maintenance Services
5941 Old Central Avenue
Capital Heights, MD 20743
Phone (301) 336-0800
Jeff Kibble
Division Manager
Southeast Recycling
9001 Brookville Road
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone (703) 370-8004
Carol Kennedy Hurl
Recycling Coordinator
Project Manager
Montgomery County Processing Center
101 Monroe Street
Rockville,MD 20850
Phone (301) 217-2380
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Takoma Park, Maryland
References
Braithwaite, Daryl, "Recycling Program Pays Off," Municipal Maryland, May/June 1990.
Glenn, Jim, "New Generation of Materials Recovery Facilities," BioCycle, February 1992, pp. 48-53.
Page 154
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West Linn, Oregon
West Linn,
Oregon
Demographics
Jurisdiction;
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
City of West Linn
16,557 in 1990
7 square miles
6,165 (5,240 single residences and 925 multi-unit dwellings)
379 businesses (including home businesses such as Avon distributors) and 6
institutions (five schools and one nursing home)
West Linn is a suburban commuter community in the Portland metropolitan
area with a growing population and a small commercial sector. The only
industrial establishment is a paper mill. The 1988 per capita income of
Clackamas County, in which West Linn is located, was $16,961; the 1989
median household income was $30,111.
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West Linn, Oregon
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (1990)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed
Incinerated
Landfilled
Generated
Residential/C
omm/Inst*
3,398 •
1,846
1,552
3,988
I 0
3,987
7,386
Deposit
Containers*
519
519
0
0
0
0
519
Total
MSWt
3,917
2,365
1,552
3,988
0
3,987
7,905
Construction
& Demolitions
593
NA
NA
1384
0
1384
1,977
Total
Waste
4,510
NA
NA
5,371
0
5,371
9,881
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
46%
25%
21%
Percent by Weight Recovered
50%
20%
30%
NA
NA
46%
NA
NA
Note. Tonnage figures include waste disposed and recovered from 60 households on the outskirts of West linn. The tonnage of tires
recovered is not tracked and is thus excluded from the above figures.
'Excludes deposit containers. Residential waste cannot be separated from commercial/institutional waste. Both sectors are
serviced by the same hauler. Ed Druback, former Recycling Coordinator, estimates that 13 percent of MSW disposed is
commercial/institutional waste and 87 percent is residential waste.
t Represents glass, plastic, and aluminum beverage containers recycled as a result of the State bottle bill.
} MSW recycled includes bulky items such as white goods. MSW generated is based on Ed Druback's estimate that 80 percent of
total waste generated is MSW.
§ Ed Druback estimates that of the total waste generated in West linn, 20 percent is construction and demolition debris. Of the
estimated 1,977 tons of C&D generated, he estimates that 30 percent is recovered. The actual tonnage of C&D debris recovered
and generated is not tracked.
Transfer Station Tipping
Fee:
Refuse Collection and
Disposal:
$19.90 per ton in 1987, $45.75 in 1988, $55.75 in 1990, and $68.00 as of July
1,1991
The City has a franchise agreement with West Linn Disposal, a private
hauler, for collection of residential and commercial solid waste. The
franchise agreement entitles West Linn Disposal to be the only municipal
solid waste hauler in the City, and requires the hauler to pay the City a
flat yearly fee for this privilege. Keller Drop Box has a franchise
agreement to collect C&D debris in drop boxes.
The Portland Metropolitan government (Metro) operates the area's only
general purpose transfer station, and has authority over solid waste
planning and disposal. West Linn retains control over local refuse
collection. Waste generated in West Linn is transported to a transfer
station owned by Metro, located within 2 miles of the City. Metro then
transports the waste from the transfer station to a privately owned
landfill in Arlington, Oregon, 140 miles away.
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West Linn, Oregon
Total Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1990)
Disposed 54% Recovered 46%
Residential and Comm/lnst Recycled 19%
Residential and
Comm/lnst Composted 16%
C&D Recovered 6%
Deposit Containers Recycled 5%
C&D Disposed 14%
Refuse Collection and
Disposal (cont'd):
West Linn Disposal incurred a cost of approximately $144 per ton for
refuse collection and tipping fees in 1990. The costs of transporting the
refuse to the landfill and the landfill's operation costs are covered by the
transfer station tip fee.
Landfill tipping fees have increased significantly in recent years and are
expected to continue to rise. Metro is considering other options for waste
disposal. At this time, West Linn has decided not to utilize the new
municipal waste composting facility, which opened in the Portland Metro
region in 1991, because of its distance from the City. West Linn prefers to
concentrate on recovering its discarded material through source-
separation recycling and composting programs.
Refuse is collected from residents once a week. Most businesses and
institutions have their refuse collected once a week, but some need it
picked up 3 times a week. West Linn Disposal charges businesses
according to size of refuse receptacle and the number of times that it gets
picked up a week. Businesses and institutions can also sign up for monthly
and on-call collection.
Pago 157
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West Linn, Oregon
Refuse Collection and West Linn Disposal charges residents by volume for collection of their
Disposal (cont'd): refuse. Weekly collection of one 32-gallon container of refuse costs $13.70
per month. Collection of two containers costs $27.40 per month. Residents
can choose a reduced rate of $11.55 per month for weekly pick-up of a 20-
gallon mini-can. Currently, only about 25 households, mostly senior
citizens, have chosen this option.
In addition to the flat fee for the franchise, West Linn Disposal must pay
the City a monthly fee for each household according to the number of cans
the household sets out: $0.95 per month for one 32-gallon can, $3.60 for
two cans, $6.25 for three cans, $8.70 for four cans, and $1135 for five cans.
The hauler pays a slightly lower amount for every 20-gallon mini-can.
The City uses this money to fund its recycling activities (drop-off center,
publicity/education). According to Ed Druback, the City's former
Recycling Coordinator, total waste disposed increased from 5,164 tons in
1989 to 5,371 tons in 1990 due to population increase. The amount of waste
disposed per person per day has actually decreased.
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative In 1983 the State of Oregon adopted the Recycling Opportunity Act,
Requirements: which requires cities with more than 4,000 people to set up either a
curbside program or a drop-off center for recyclable materials. Cities must
also inform each person about the opportunity to recycle and encourage
them to source-separate recyclables. In September 1988, the Oregon State
Environmental Quality Commission identified yard debris as a principal
recoverable material in the Metro region. Local governments were
required to submit plans to the Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) describing the opportunities they would offer residents to recover
yard debris. DEQ approved West Linn's plan in April 1989. Oregon
Senate Bill 66 sets a 50 percent State recycling goal to be met by 2000, and
a 45 percent goal for jurisdictions that compost mixed waste to be met by
1995; only 5 percent of the waste stream may be diverted through MSW
composting for the purpose of meeting the 45 percent goal.
In the early 1980's, the Portland Metropolitan government (Metro) proposed building a garbage
incinerator in a town adjacent to West Linn. In response to citizens' concerns, the West Linn City Council
withdrew its support for the incinerator and instead established a Solid Waste Reduction Task Force to
recommend ways to reduce the City's solid waste output by 50 percent. In June 1983, the Task Force
presented 15 recommendations, including implementation of a curbside collection program.
Each recommendation fell into one of four general categories: (1) implementing programs, (2)
education and promotion, (3) funding, and (4) supervision. The primary goal of these recommendations
was to provide a quality service that was constant in the types of materials collected and the days of
collection. Another goal was to support the service with sufficient promotion, education, and staff time
to guarantee its success.
In July 1983, West Linn Sanitary, the franchised solid waste hauler, began offering free curbside
collection of residential recyclable materials including newspaper, corrugated cardboard, kraft paper,
three colors of glass, tin, and motor oil. In December 1984, West Linn Sanitary began placing
multimaterial recycling collection boxes at multi-unit buildings in the City. By the end of 1986, just
Page 158
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West Linn, Oregon
under 90 percent of all residents living in complexes of ten or more units received collection of
recyclables. Since 1987 the hauler has been serving the multi-unit buildings in the course of collection
from single residences on the same routes. By March 1985, the hauler began collecting corrugated
cardboard and bulk quantities of other materials from commercial sources. The only institutions that
recycle are schools, which recycle paper. Curbside recycling service is provided to all residents and all
commercial establishments in West Linn, whether or not they are customers of the hauler.
The City of West Linn operates a drop-off center for recyclables once a week at its composting site.
The truck that collects recyclables at curbside picks up the same types of materials from the drop-off
center. In addition to these materials, the center accepts magazines, white and colored ledger paper,
computer paper, HOPE plastic milk jugs, and polystyrene. Leaves and yard debris are accepted for
.composting. The City sponsors two clean-up days a year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Any
recyclable materials collected from the clean-up days are taken to the drop-off and composting site;
from there, they are sent to local brokers. The Lions Club of West Linn has placed large trailers for
newspapers at three shopping centers. The Boy Scouts and other groups have four smaller drop boxes for
newspapers across the City. These groups collected 240 tons of newspaper in 1990.
The State of Oregon has had a beverage container deposit system since 1972. West Linn's former
Recycling Coordinator reports that 519 tons of aluminum, glass, and PET plastic beverage containers
were returned for deposit refund to grocery stores in the City in 1990. This tonnage represents 22 percent
of municipal solid waste recycled in the City.
Residents have three options for recycling appliances: (1) to haul them for no fee to the drop-off
center during the twice-yearly City clean-up days, (2) to haul them for no fee to the regional transfer
station any day of the year, and (3) to call West Linn Disposal, which collects appliances in a flat-bed
truck for a $10.00 fee. Similarly, residents may dispose of tires by taking them to the drop-off center
during the semiannual clean-up days, or by hauling them to the regional transfer station. The tires are
taken to Waste Recovery Systems. The company burns 85 percent of the tires for fuel and 15 percent of
them are retreaded.
In April 1989, West Linn Sanitary was bought out. The new owner changed the name of the
company to West Linn Disposal. Tonnages recovered were 6 percent higher in 1989 than in 1987—an
increase that Ed Druback, West Linn's former Recycling Coordinator, attributes to the new owner's
aggressive recycling activities. In April 1990, West Linn Disposal began providing 14-gallon buckets to
residents for source separation of recyclable materials. Tonnages of recyclables (excluding deposit
containers) increased by 28 percent between 1989 and 1990, from 1,445 tons to 1,852 tons. Ed Druback
believes this increase was due to the buckets, because items collected in the buckets (tin cans and glass)
increased significantly while the other materials did not. Another contributing factor could be
population growth.
In December 1990, the City of West Linn initiated a 12-month pilot program to recycle mixed paper,
funded by a $24,000 Metro Grant. Five hundred families participated in the program on a volunteer
basis. Each family received a plastic bag for storage of mixed paper (magazines, high-grade paper,
colored paper, corrugated cardboard, paperboard, and phone books). Mixed paper is collected with the
rest of the curbside material and brought to the drop-off center, where it is dumped on a conveyor belt.
Three people who are required to do community service separate and recover three different grades of
paper; a paid employee oversees them. The costs for recovering mixed paper are less than the costs for
disposing of it. In the first 8 months of the program, 79.5 tons of mixed paper were recovered. Dennis
Koellermeier, the Director of Public Works in West Linn, reports that this mixed paper was
contaminated with mixed waste (including envelopes with plastic windows, plastic in general, and
trash), making it difficult and time consuming to separate. He does not think that the program will
continue after the trial period ending in December 1991 because of the contamination levels (about 10
percent of paper was contaminated) and the minimal profit associated with this low-grade paper.
The League of Oregon Cities has commended the West Linn recovery program for reducing waste
disposal costs and improving the overall quality of life of the community.
Page 159
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West Linn, Oregon
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date:
Service Provider:
Pick-up Frequency:
Same Day as Refuse:
Households Served:
Mandatory:
Participation Rate:
Materials Collected:
Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Multi-Unit Collection:
1983
West Linn Disposal, the City's hauler, provides curbside collection of
recyclable materials as part of its franchise agreement with the City.
Weekly for all materials except appliances, which are collected on an on-
call basis
Yes
6,165 in West Linn in 1990 (5,240 single-family households and 925
households in multi-unit dwellings); recyclable materials are also picked
up from 60 houses on the outskirts of West Linn.
In July 1983 it became mandatory for the City's refuse hauler to offer
collection of newspaper, corrugated cardboard, kraft paper, glass, tin,
aluminum, and motor oil in accordance with State law. Resident
participation is voluntary.
86 percent of all single-family households (estimated by counting the
number of stops in a month)
Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, kraft paper, three colors of glass, tin,
aluminum, and motor oil. PET and HOPE plastics were collected
beginning in the summer of 1991.
Materials are bagged or bundled separately and placed at least 5 feet
from nonrecyclables. Newspaper is placed in one bag on the bottom of the
14-gallon container, each color of glass in a separate bag, and tin and
aluminum in a third. The bags of glass, tin, and aluminum are placed on
top of the newspaper.
West Linn has two vehicles for pick-up of recyclables: a modified 16-
cubic-yard garbage truck equipped with ten bins for recyclables and a 3-
cubic-yard compactor for plastic attached, and a Kann curbsorter/
purchased in 1991 and also equipped with a 3-cubic-yard compactor. One
worker operates the Kann Curbsorter, while two—a driver and a
collector—operate the modified garbage truck. The bins on the garbage
truck have a capacity of 1/2 to 2 cubic yards and can be removed with a
forklift. Appliances are collected in a flat-bed truck.
Beginning in December 1984, West Linn Disposal began collecting
recyclable materials, including newspaper, corrugated cardboard, glass
containers, tin cans, and motor oil, from multi-unit buildings. Residents
set out materials in separate 14-gallon buckets or other containers, placing
them in outdoor shelters. Beginning the summer of 1991, residents set out
material in 14-gallon buckets only. Multi-unit buildings in West Linn
range from 4 units to 135 units and cannot be higher than 2 stories. The
participation rate is unknown because materials are picked up
collectively from the shelters. West Linn Disposal wants residents of
multi-unit housing to set out their recyclable materials in the 14-gallon
containers, just as single-family households do.
Page 160
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West Linn, Oregon
Economic Incentives:
Annual Tonnage
The variable can rate is an economic incentive for residents to generate as
little waste as possible and to recycle as much as possible. West Linn
Disposal does not charge for picking up recydables.
The tonnage of residential recyclables collected at curbside is not
available. In 1990 West Linn Disposal collected 1,338 tons of recydables
from both the residential and commercial sectors.
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Legislative
Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Pick-up Frequency:
Materials Collected:
Set-out and
Collection Method:
Incentives:
Annual Tonnage:
West Linn Disposal is required to pick up recyclable materials from
businesses and institutions within the dry limits of West Linn.
West Linn Disposal
33 businesses recycle corrugated cardboard, and 50 businesses recycle one or
more of the following materials: newspaper, corrugated cardboard, kraft
paper, mixed paper, three colors of glass, tin, motor oil, and PET and
HDPE plastic containers.
Large businesses, such as grocery stores; small businesses, including
lawyers' and dentists' offices, and institutions including churches and a
preschool
Weekly, except for high-grade computer and ledger paper, which is
collected on an on-call basis with the weekly cardboard route. Weekly
collection of corrugated cardboard is separate from collection of the
newsprint, cans, and bottles.
Corrugated cardboard, newspaper, kraft paper, mixed paper, three colors
of glass, tin, motor oil, and PET and HDPE plastic containers
Corrugated cardboard is bundled, bagged, or baled (supermarkets). Other
materials are source-separated into 14- or 40-gallon containers depending
on the volume produced. The large producers of corrugated cardboard, such
as the supermarkets, have their own compactors. A 20-cubic-yard packer
truck is used for the weekly collection of corrugated cardboard. The other
recyclable materials are collected along the residential curbside collection
routes free of charge.
Businesses can save money by redudng the volume of refuse generated.
Approximately 98 tons of corrugated cardboard at curbside
Drop-off Center
Number and Type
Public or Private:
Sectors Served:
One drop-off center known as the Recycling Depot, open on Saturdays
Public
Residential and commercial/institutional. Residents and 35 businesses self-
haul their recyclables to the drop-off center. Some people from outside of
West Linn bring their materials to the drop-off center, and according to Ed
Druback, this tonnage is negligible.
Page 161
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West Linn, Oregon
Materials Accepted: Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, kraft paper, three colors of glass,
aluminum, ferrous cans, motor oil, leaves, brush, magazines, white and
colored ledger paper, computer paper, HDPE plastic milk jugs (#2), garbage
bags (#4), and polystyrene (#6), Christmas trees
Employees: One full-time and one part-time employee operate the drop-off site.
Annual Tonnage: 240 tons of recyclables were collected by civic groups at drop boxes throughout
the City and 1,552 tons of organic waste were collected at the West Linn
Recycling Depot.
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
Materials collected through the curbside program are unloaded from the 10-bin truck with a
forklift. Since materials are separated at curbside, the hauler usually delivers them directly to K&B
Recycling, a buy-back center that has processed materials since 1984. However, West Linn Disposal
does not have a binding contract with K.B. Recycling, so it often sells its recyclable materials to
processing facilities that offer better prices. K.B. Recycling, located 10 miles from West Linn, processes
167 tons of materials every day. Of this amount, an estimated 2 percent by weight is rejected as
nonrecyclable.
The K.B. Recycling Facility pays West Linn Disposal for all materials it delivers except mixed
paper. Eight to ten people separate different grades of paper from three conveyor belts. A magnetic
sorting system separates ferrous from nonferrous cans; another separates tin from plastic. Ten people
work in the rest of the facility, performing various processing or administrative tasks.
The City markets the materials collected at its drop-off center and receives any revenues. Many of
the scrap buyers are located in Oregon and Washington, but mixed paper is marketed overseas to
Taiwan and South Korea. The Environmental Learning Center at Clackamas Community College grinds
the City's HDPE plastic milk jugs and polystyrene with a granulator free of charge. Students deliver
the polystyrene to Denton Plastics, where it is manufactured into items such as flower pots. The HDPE
is delivered to Partek in Vancouver, Washington. The Environmental Learning Center retains any
revenue from plastic sales. Much of the polystyrene received at the drop-off center is reused for
insulation and foam packaging pellets.
Composting Activities
In 1983 it was estimated that yard debris constituted 25 percent of the total waste generated in
West Linn. Based on recommendations made by the Solid Waste Reduction Task Force, the City
encouraged home composting, arranged for the franchised solid waste hauler to provide on-call
collection of yard debris, and set up a drop-off/composting site for yard debris. In cooperation with the
private hauler, the City made set-out of yard debris for disposal more expensive than set-out for
composting.
Backyard Composting
Since 1984 West Linn has offered 2-hour seminars on how to compost at home, taught four times a
year by the staff of the local community college. Attendance has dropped off in recent years. It is
estimated that 15 to 20 percent of all yard debris was composted in backyards in 1990.
Page 162
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West Linn, Oregon
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date: May 1985
Service Provider: West Linn Disposal
Households Served: 5,300 households (multi-unit buildings are not served)
Mandatory: The State of Oregon recognizes yard waste as a recyclable material and
requires West Linn to offer a curbside collection program for yard waste or
an acceptable alternative. It is not mandatory that residents comply.
Materials Collected: Leaves, brush, and Christmas trees.
Set-out method: Leaves must be bagged (less than 60 Ibs.) and brush must be bundled (not to
exceed 3 feet by 4 feet).
Collection Vehicles and One worker with a pick-up truck collects leaves and brush together.
Method:
Collection Frequency: On-call, year-round
Economic Incentive: It is more expensive to set out yard waste for disposal than to set it out for
composting.
Tonnage West Linn Disposal, estimates that less that 4 tons of yard waste was
composted in 1990.
West Linn Disposal offers year-round on-call collection of source-separated yard debris for a
nominal charge: $3.50 for each bag of leaves (not to exceed 60 pounds) and $7.50 for each bundle of brush
(not to exceed 3 feet by 4 feet). This is less than the charge for refuse collection but more expensive than
self-hauling yard waste to the composting site. West Linn Disposal claims that the curbside service is
rarely used.
Composting Site
The City's 0.9-acre drop-off center for yard waste is open on Saturdays, from February through
November. Materials accepted include leaves, grass clippings, brush, wood waste except for lumber,
and all the materials collected at curbside. West Linn residents tend to haul their yard waste to the
drop-off center, because doing so costs less ($050 per bag of leaves and $3.00 per cubic yard of brush)
than having the private hauler pick up these materials. On Saturdays there is a person who
supervises people dropping off yard waste and collecting fees for the composting service.
All wood material is ground in a tub grinder and composted into four windrows. Two people turn the
pile every 6 weeks using a front-end loader. The finished product is ready in 6 months. The composted
material is sold to residents for $5 per cubic yard or 50 cents per 3 cubic feet bagged in recycled feed bags.
It is also used by the City in parks. The City also sponsors a yearly Christmas tree drop-off program.
The Christmas trees are chipped. An estimated 2 percent of yard waste collected is rejected as
noncompostable, usually because it is lumber. This material is turned away by a monitor at the
composting site. The tonnage of yard waste is estimated using a conversion factor of 250 pounds per cubic
yard.
In September 1987, Oregon's Environmental Quality Commission adopted rules requiring all
jurisdictions in the area to develop a recycling plan that provides either curbside collection or drop-off
centers for yard debris. The State has banned the burning of yard waste unless the resident is unable to
transport the material due to location or because he/she fits into an extremely low income bracket.
Page 163
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West Linn, Oregon
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
High-grade Paper
Magazines
Phone Books
Glass
Aluminum Cans
PET Plastic
HOPE Plastic
Motor Oil
Tires
Appliances
Ferrous Cans
Scrap Metal
Subtotal Recycled
Yard Waste
Christmas Trees
Subtotal Composted*
Subtotal Recovered
Deposit Containers
Total MSW Recovered
Total
(Tons, 1987)
616
103
2
0
0
80
0
0
0
7
0
18
19
845
1,100
23
1,123
1,968
400
2,368
Total
(Tons, 1989)
840
413
3
5
0
129
0
0
0
15
4
10
26
0
1,445
1,454
26
1,480
2,925
495
3,420
Total
(Tons, 1990)
1,107
483
3
9
2
174
0
0
1
20
0
5
43
0
1,847
1,507
45
1,552
3,404
519
3,923
'The tonnages of oompostable material were converted based on 200 pounds per cubic yard in 1987 and based on 250 pounds per cubic
yard in 1989 and 1990. This change in conversion factors caused the tonnages to appear to increase significantly when actual
volumes did not change that much.
Page 164
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West Linn, Oregon
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
High-grade Paper
Phone Books
Magazines
Glass
PET Plastic
HOPE Plastic
Aluminum Cans
Ferrous Cans
Appliances/White Goods
Motor Oil
Subtotal MSW Recycled§
Leaves and Brush
Christmas Trees
Subtotal MSW Composted**
Total MSW Recovered
Total C&D Recovered**
Total Materials Recycled
Total Materials Composted
Total Materials Recovered
Residential
(Tons, 1990)*
1,085.93*
168.56
0
1.69
9.17
174.39
0
1.20
0
42.63
5.40
17.56
1,506.53
1,429.25
44.87
1,474.12
2,980.65
--
1,512.53
1,474.12
2,980.65
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons, 1990)
20.63
314.40
2.84
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2.00
339.87
77.58
0
77.58
417.45
--
339.87
77.58
417.45
Other*
(Tons, 1990)
--
—
~
• --
384.06
4152
—
93.42
--
—
--
519.00
—
--
—
519.00
593.00
NA
NA
1,112.00
Total
(Tons, 1990)
1,106.56
482.96
2.84
1.69
9.17
558.45
41.52
1.20
93.42
42.63
5.40
19.56
2,365.40
1,506.83
44.87
1,551.70
3,917.10
NA
NA
NA
4,510.10
* Includes recyclables collected at curbside from 50 small businesses and recyclables delivered to the drop-off site from 35 small
businesses. This represents a small portion of recyclables collected at curbside and at the drop-off site.
* The glass, plastic, and aluminum tonnages included in this category are collected as a result of the bottle bill
$ This includes 240 tons of newspaper collected by the Boy Scouts and the Lions dub.
§ Of the 2365 tons recycled, 1,338 tons were recycled by West Linn Disposal, 51 tons were collected at the West Linn Recycling
Depot, 519 tons were collected as bottle bill tonnages, 240 tons were collected by civic groups, and 217 tons were self-hauled to end
users by commercial businesses.
The former recycling coordinator estimates that commercial/institutional waste is 5 percent of total MSW composted.
** Ed Druback estimates that 30 percent or 593 tons of the C&D generated is recovered. Specific breakdowns of materials are not
available.
Page 165
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West Linn, Oregon
Publicity and Education
Residential
The State's Recycling Opportunity Act requires that municipalities send out notices of their
recycling programs every 6 months. The former Recycling Coordinator, Ed Druback, believes that the
success of West Linn's recycling program is due to more aggressive programs than the State requires.
Promotional activities have included direct mail fliers, utility bill inserts, City newsletter
features, stickers placed on garbage lids, yard signs, buttons, handbooks distributed through Welcome
Wagon (an organization sponsored by local businesses to orient newcomers to various businesses and
their services), and an exhibit booth at the City fair. The program has a commercial on the local cable
television channel, and program staff have given presentations to all kindergarten through fifth grade
classes.
Citizen input has also contributed significantly to the success of West Linn's materials recovery
program. The original Solid Waste Task Force polled the residents on the type of materials recovery
program they wanted, and shaped the programs accordingly. The City recognizes individuals and
organizations that support recycling through a Certificate of Appreciation awards program.
Commercial
The City directs extensive publicity encouraging recycling at businesses and community groups, much
of it through The Most Livable City Program," which began in June 1991. At the request of a business or
community group, a City staff person visits the organization to perform a waste audit. Kit Seeborg, the
Program Director, designs a program to reduce, reuse, and recycle a large portion of the organization's
waste stream based on the waste audit findings. The City of West Linn encourages these businesses and
community groups to meet waste reduction "standards," which include implementing recycling,
procuring recycled products, and promoting waste reduction to clientele. If the organization meets these
standards developed by the City staff, it is labeled a "Model Business" or "Model Community Group."
The Models are mentioned in advertisements paid for by the City of West Linn, and may also refer to
themselves as "Models" in their own advertising. So far, 2 commercial buildings and 11 businesses have
been participating in the program, which, according to Kit Seeborg, will be expanding a great deal in
the future. This is a voluntary program sponsored by the City and funded by a "1% for Recycling" grant
from Metro.
Economics
Costs Cover: The capital and operating and maintenance costs given below cover (1) the
curbside and drop-off collection of 1338 tons of recyclables from households and
businesses, (2) the collection and processing of 51 tons of recyclable material and
1,552 tons of yard waste at the municipal Recycling Depot. Curbside collection
costs are incurred by West Linn Disposal, and drop-off costs are incurred by the
City.
Page 166
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West Linn, Oregon
Capital Costs: Collection
Item
16-cubic-yard, 10-bin Recycling Truck
3-cubic-yard Compactor^
20-cubic-yard Packer Truck @ 20% of use
5300 14-gallon Collection Containers*
Kann Curbsorter with a 3-cubic-yard
CompactorS
Cost
$14,000
10,000
20,000
15,794
70,000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Year Incurred
1985
1990
1990
1990
1991
'West Linn Disposal purchased and owns the trucks.
^Donated by the Council for Solid Waste Solutions to West Linn Disposal
iPaid for from a grant from Metro.
§The Council for Solid Waste Solutions is leasing this truck with the compactor to West Linn Disposal for $1 per year as long as
the company continues to collect and recycle plastic.
Capital Costs: Processing
Item
Front-end Loader @ 20% of use
Composting Equipment
Land Improvements
Tub Grinder/Power Unit
2 Drop Boxes* ® 3,250 each
Drop Box*
Sorting Conveyort
Cost
$40,000
10,000
22,000
33,000
6,500
Donated
2,000
Use
Recycling
Composting
Composting
Composting
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Year Incurred
1985
1985
1985
1989
1990
1990
1990
Note: Since the front-end loader is only used for recycling on Saturdays, the recycling program only paid 20 percent of its total
cost of $40,000. The Public Works Department paid the remaining 80 percent. The recycling program also receives in-kind labor
from other departments, and occasionally has inmates from correctional facilities work several hours at the drop-off center.
*Paid for through a grant from Metro
tDonated by the Environmental Learning Center
^Donated by Metro as long as it is used for recycling purposes
Page 167
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West Linn, Oregon
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs (1990)
Cost
Recycling Subtotal NA
Curbside Collection and Processing* $ 0
Drop-off Collection and Processing* NA
Administration/Educations 45,000
Composting Subtotal NA
Curbside Collection** $0
Drop-off Collection and Processing N A
Administration/Education§ 15,000
Recycling & Composting Total $109,464
Curbside Collection and Processing $0
Drop-off Collection and Processing* 49,464
Administration/Education 60,000
Tons Covered Per Ton Cost
1,389*
1338
51
1,389
1,552
0
1,552
1,552
2,941
1338
1,603
2,941
NA
$0
NA
32
NA
$0
NA
10
$57
$0
31
20
This tonnage includes the 1,338 tons of residential and commercial/institutional tonnages collected at curbside and 51 tons
collected at the drop-off site, but excludes the 240 tons of newspaper collected by civic groups.
•Ht cost West Linn Disposal, the City's private hauler, $153,109 in 1990 to collect 1,388 tons of recydables. This is equivalent to
$114 per ton. Of this, $114,348 was spent on labor.
$In 1990, $47,464 was budgeted for the collection and processing of 1,552 tons of compostable materials and 51 tons of recydables
collected at the municipal recycling depot. The cost for collection and processing of recyclable materials is included with
composting costs as no breakdown was available. An additional $2,000 from grant monies was spent on recycling in the last 3
months of 1990. This cost is included under recycling and composting total
§ln 1990, $60,764 was budgeted for an estimated 75 percent of the recycling coordinator's time, which was spent on recycling
administration, education and publicity and 25 percent on composting.
**Although on-call collection of leaves and brush is available, Ed Druback and West Linn Disposal say that the service is very
rarely used because it is much more expensive than self-hauling these materials to the drop-off center.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
Full-time Employees:
Part-time Employees:
West Linn Disposal (the City's private hauler) received $22,500 in
materials revenues from October 1990 to September 1991. In 1989 the City
received $16,000 from sales of composted materials, and West Linn
Disposal earned $21,700 from sales of recyclable materials. In 1987 the
City earned $10,000 from sales of composted materials.
Funding for the City comes from several sources: income from sales of
compost; franchise fee paid by the solid waste hauler ($6,000); surcharge
on multiple-can customers of the solid waste hauler; and general funds.
General funds supplied 8 percent of the total recycling budget in fiscal
year 1987 and 18 percent in 1988 but none in 1989,1990, and 1991.
Funding for West Linn Disposal's recycling program comes from revenues
received for refuse collection in West Linn and in four other jurisdictions
that also have variable can rates.
3 employees of West Linn Disposal for the curbside program
3 (2 employees at the drop-off center on Saturdays and 1 employee at the
compost site during the week)
Page 168
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West Linn, Oregon
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
The State has mandated a solid waste management hierarchy of reduce, reuse, recycle, recover,
and, as a last resort, landfill. Oregon has several laws that encourage recycling, including bottle bill
legislation, a requirement that local jurisdictions provide the "opportunity to recycle" to all residents,
and a law requiring that metropolitan Portland develop a regional plan to achieve the maximum
extent of solid waste reduction that is economically feasible.
Gladstone and Oregon Gty, Oregon are planning to join the Gty of West Linn in a joint venture. In
the future these three cities will have one contract with West Linn Disposal for curbside collection,
reducing costs for all of them. They will also use the same promotional materials. In October 1991, the
City of West Linn laid off Ed Druback, who had served as the City's Recycling Coordinator for 6 years.
According to Druback, the City terminated the position because there was no need for a Recycling
Coordinator.
Contacts
Pamela Bloom Dennis Koellermeier
West Linn Disposal Operations Director of Public Works
820 7th Street City of West Linn
Oregon City, Oregon 97045 4100 Norfolk Street
Phone (503) 654-4048 West Linn, OR 97068
Fax (503) 656-0320 Phone (503) 656-6081
Fax (503) 656-8756
Kit Seeborg
Most Livable City Program Rob Gutheridge
Multi-Family Recycling K.B. Recycling
4100 Norfolk Street 815 Washington Street
West Linn, OR 97068 Oregon City, OR 97065
Phone (503) 635-8085 Phone (503) 659-7004
References
Solid Waste & Recycling in West Linn, Oregon, City of West Linn, Oregon, March 1989.
Ed Druback, Former Recycling Coordinator for West Linn, West Linn, Oregon, personal communication,
1990 through 1991.
Page 169
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Page 170
-------
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach,
Florida
Demographics
Jurisdiction: City of West Palm Beach
Population:
Area:
Total Households:
Total Businesses and
Institutions:
Brief Description:
62,530 in 1990
44 square miles
24,442 (18,306 single- through three-family residences and 6,136
households in buildings of four or more units)
2,778 (2,732 businesses and 46 institutions)
The City of West Palm Beach is a middle-income residential community,
located west of the oceanside resort Palm Beach. It contains a large
retirement population and numerous restaurants, hotels, and shopping
malls. Although West Palm Beach is the largest city in Palm Beach
County, its population has increased only 8 percent since 1980 compared to
a 50 percent increase countywide. The County's 1990 population was
863,518.
Page 171
-------
West Palm Beach, Florida
Solid Waste Generation and Recovery
Annual Tonnages (April 1990 to March 1991)
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Disposed*
Incinerated
Landfilled
Generated
Recovered
Recycled
Composted
Residential
15,244
2310
12,434
54,470
21,573
32,897
69,714
22%
4%
18%
Commercial/ Total Construction
Institutional MSW & Demolition
174
174
0
50,830
21^57
28,973
51,004
Percent
t
t
0%
15,418
2,984
12,434
105^00
43,430
61,870
120,718
by Weight Recovered
13%
2%
10%
0
0
0
11,966
0
11,966
11,966
0%
0%
0%
Total
Waste
15,418
2,984
12,434
117,266
43,430
73,836
132,684
12%
2%
9%
Notes: Waste generated includes bulky items such as furniture and tires.
Numbers may not add up to total due to rounding.
Tonnage recovered by private buy-back centers and scrap yards is not included.
*Prior to October 1990, all waste generated in the City was landfilled. Bulky items are currently landfilled, but residential and
commercial waste is now incinerated. The SWA estimated 43 percent of MSW waste disposed from April 1990 through March
1991 was incinerated. Residential waste landfilled also includes 4,299 tons of refuse-contaminated yard waste collected and
disposed.
Less than 1%.
Incinerator/Landfill
Tipping Fee:
Refuse Collection
and Disposal:
$26.50 in 1988, $47.00 in 1989, $83.50 in 1990, $88.50 in 1991. (Landfill and
incinerator tipping fees are identical.)
The City of West Palm Beach collects all refuse from the residential,
commercial, and institutional sectors. Residential refuse is collected two
times per week. In 1990, the SWA estimated that each household generates
1.64 tons of refuse per year. Based on this waste generation value, the SWA
charged a flat rate of $137 per household per year (the product of 1.64 times
the tipping fee, $83.50). In 1990 the cost of refuse disposal, including the
assessed cost charged to residents, totalled $102 per ton. Waste Management
Inc., under contract with the City, collects all construction and demolition
(C&D) debris. Until October 1990, waste was disposed at the Dyer Boulevard
Landfill. Municipal waste is now incinerated at the North County Regional
Resource Recovery Facility in West Palm Beach. Bulky items and incinerator
ash are disposed at the 1,300-acre landfill site, next to the incinerator.
In 1962 West Palm Beach passed a local ordinance, Chapter 13, which places
the responsibility for refuse collection exclusively on the City, and requires
private haulers to submit proposals to collect recyclable materials in the
City.
Page 172
-------
West Palm Beach, Florida
Total Waste Recovered and Disposed (Percent by Weight, 1991)
Disposed 88%
Residential Disposed 50%
Recycled 12%
Residential Recycled 2%
7 Residential Composted 9%
C&D Disposed 9%
Comm/lnst Disposed 30%
Note: Due to rounding, numbers do not add to percent disposed and percent recovered.
Materials Recovery Overview
Goals and Legislative
Requirements:
In 1988 Florida passed the State Solid Waste Management Act, which
required counties to establish recycling programs by July 1, 1989, and
established a State recycling and composting goal of 30 percent by 1994.
According to the Act, construction and demolition debris must be
segregated from the solid waste stream and disposed at a separate
permitted disposal site. Yard waste, white goods, C&D, and tires cannot
account for more than half of the waste recycled. The Solid Waste
Management Act prohibits the landfilling of tires, motor oil, lead-acid
batteries, and white goods. Yard waste may not be disposed in lined
landfills after January 1992.
The Solid Waste Authority (SWA) of Palm Beach County, created in 1974 by the Florida State
Legislature, is responsible for managing Palm Beach County's solid waste. In the 1980's, the SWA
reviewed landfill sites and waste incinerator options, but because of Florida's ground water concerns, it
took 7 years to site a new landfill. Large bond payments and operating costs for the North County
incinerator and landfill, and for the interim recycling processing center, caused tipping fees to nearly
double from $47 per ton in 1989 to $83.50 per ton in 1990. Because of high disposal costs and legislative
requirements, recycling, composting, and source reduction have recently become a focus of the SWA.
Page 173
-------
West Palm Beach, Florida
In 1989 West Palm Beach initiated a pilot curbside recycling program. The City collected glass,
aluminum and ferrous cans, newspaper, and HOPE and PET plastic containers in a modified refuse truck
from 200 single-family residences. Shortly afterwards, the City added 288 residences to the collection
route, and the SWA of Palm Beach County assumed control of collection. By April 1991, all single-
family through three-family households were serviced with weekly collection of recyclables. In 1991
households in single-family residences paid $1.70 per month for this service, and households in
buildings with more than three units paid $1.35 per month. This fee, which reflects collections costs
only, is charged in residents' utility bills, and is paid to the SWA.
The SWA is expanding its program to include more multi-unit residences and commercial
establishments. Thirty restaurants and bars in West Palm Beach are participating in a 1-year pilot
recycling program.
In September 1990, West Palm Beach began to haul its yard waste to the County landfill for
mulching. (Previously, yard waste had been landfilled.) Leaves, grass clippings, and brush set out at
curbside by City residents are collected by the City's Bulk Waste Division, ground, and used for
landscaping purposes on the new landfill site.
The City contracts with Waste Management Inc. to collect all construction and demolition (C&D)
debris generated in the City. Waste Management Inc. began to recycle a portion of this C&D in April
1991. Construction and demolition debris recycled includes concrete, asphalt, wood waste, and metals.
The SWA finances its incinerator, landfill, and intermediate processing center bond payments
through tipping fees and an annual residential waste stream assessment. In 1991 per capita county
waste disposed was calculated at 1.64 tons per year, down from 1.86 tons per year in 1990. The 1991 tax
bill will reflect this reduction.
In 1991, The National Recycling Coalition awarded the SWA the "Beth Brown Boettner Award"
for outstanding government leadership.
Recycling Activities
Residential Curbside Recycling
Start-up Date: April 1990
Service Provider: Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County
Pick-up Frequency: Weekly
Same Day as Refuse: Yes
Mandatory: No
Households Served: 18,306 single- through three-family residences. In March 1991, 888 four-
plex garden apartments were added.
Participation Rate: 79 percent in 1990 (based on average monthly set-out rate multiplied by
1.5)
Materials Collected: Newspaper, glass, aluminum cans, HOPE and PET plastic food and
beverage containers, phone books, and white goods
Page 174
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Set-out Method:
Collection Method and
Vehicles:
Economic Incentives:
Enforcement
Annual Tonnage:
West Palm Beach, Florida
Single-family residents commingle all recyclable materials (with the
exception of white goods) in an 18-gallon rectangular bin provided by the
City. Newspaper and phone books are placed on one side of the bin.
Phone books are set out with recyclables 6 weeks each year. Garden
apartment tenants place recyclables in 95-gallon containers adjacent to
garbage dumpsters.
The driver places newspaper and phone books on one side and commingled
materials on the other side of a 30-cubic-yard Labrie recycling truck.
Materials collected from garden apartments are loaded separately onto
flat-bed trucks. All residents can set out white goods on yard waste
collection days or arrange with the Department of Public Works for pick-
up. City crews collect white goods with lightning loader trucks.
None
Not applicable
2,526 tons commingled recyclables from April 1990 through March 1991
The SWA implemented a curbside phone book recycling program in fall 1990 to coincide with the
distribution of new telephone books. Inserts placed in the new phone books inform residents of the
approaching collection process. During a 6-week period, phone books will be picked up at curbside
along with other recycled materials. Residents can also bring their phone books to SWA drop-off sites.
Commercial & Institutional Curbside/Alley Recycling
Public Collection Private Collection1
Legislative Requirements:
Service Provider:
Number Served:
Type Served:
Materials Collected:
Pick-up Frequency:
Set-Out and Collection
Method:
None
Solid Waste Authority
30
Restaurants and bars
Glass, HOPE and PET plastic
food and beverage containers, and
corrugated cardboard
Varies; most recyclables are
collected twice per week.
Businesses segregate glass and
plastic in 95-gallon containers
supplied by the SWA.
Cardboard is set out in 4-cubic-
yard containers. The SWA loads
the recyclables onto a flat-bed
trailer equipped with a lift and
a digital scale. Cardboard is
collected in a truck compactor.
Waste Management Inc.
8
Restaurants, supermarkets, and
office buildings
Corrugated cardboard (initiated
January 1991) and high-grade
paper (begun April 1991 for office
buildings)
Weekly
Businesses store cardboard in 2-,
4-, or 8-cubic-yard dumpsters sup-
plied by Waste Management.
Businesses store high-grade
paper in a 96-gallon toter also
supplied by WML
Page 175
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Incentives: The service was free to
participating businesses during
the 1-year pilot.
Tonnages: 160 tons (114 tons of glass and 14 tons collected from January
plastic plus 46 tons of cardboard through March 1991
from September 1990 through
January 1991)
In August 1990, the SWA initiated a 1-year restaurant/bar recycling pilot program. Most of the
participating bars and restaurants are located in West Palm Beach. At the conclusion of the study, the
SWA will provide each participant with a cost analysis showing how recycling can enable businesses
to reduce disposal costs through such measures as choosing smaller dumpsters or decreasing disposal
frequency. The SWA will continue recycling pick-up service for a fee, which will vary based on the
type and size of container used.
In 1987 the SWA began its "Cash for Cans" aluminum recycling program in West Palm Beach
schools. The igloo collection program is offered countywide; two-thirds of West Palm Beach's public
schools participate. The SWA covers all expenses, and schools retain revenues. The schools notify the
SWA when containers are full. Between April 1990 and March 1991, 4 tons of aluminum cans were
collected through the program.
In April 1991, West Palm Beach implemented an office paper recycling program in all City offices.
Each employee receives a desk container for high-grade and computer paper. Janitors bring the paper
to centrally located bins, and City crews bring the materials directly to a local vendor.
Drop-off Centers
Number and Type 8 (The SWA operates three drop-off centers and one igloo; Palm Beach
Metals, Reynolds Aluminum, United Metals and Iron, and Liberty Scrap
Metal each operate one buy-back center.)
Public or Private: Public and private
Sectors Served: Residential and commercial/institutional. Most materials brought to the
SWA drop-off centers are from the residential sector.
Materials Accepted: Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper, telephone books,
aluminum cans, glass, and HOPE and PET plastics are collected at the
three Solid Waste Authority sites in the city. The SWA collects
commingled glass, aluminum cans, and plastic at an igloo located at a
recreation area. Aluminum cans and ferrous metals are collected at the
four private buy-back centers. In addition to these materials. Palm Beach
Metals accepts newspaper, corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper,
glass, and HOPE and PET plastics. Motor oil is accepted at the North
County incinerator/landfill and at several service stations in the City.
The SWA Hazardous Waste Facility accepts lead-acid batteries.
Annual Tonnage: Four tons were collected at the four SWA drop-off sites. West Palm
Beach does not track private sector tonnages.
In December 1990, the SWA set up recycling igloos at parks and recreation centers throughout the
County, into which park patrons deposit commingled glass bottles, aluminum cans, and plastic beverage
containers. One igloo, located at the Curry Boat Ramp in West Palm Beach, is emptied as needed,
usually on a monthly basis; tonnages recovered are low.
Page 176
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Processing and Marketing of Recyclables
In 1989 Goodwill Industries processed the first recyclables collected through County curbside
programs at the old transfer station in West Palm Beach. Commingled materials were hand-sorted.
However, this facility proved too small to handle the increasing volumes collected. In 1990 the SWA
built an open, unwalled 15,000-square-foot interim processing facility at the Dyer Boulevard Landfill
in West Palm Beach. While the SWA did not charge a tipping fee, haulers were charged $83.50 per
ton for highly contaminated loads, which comprised about 2 percent of the total.
The interim facility, which served the entire County, was designed to process 50 tons per day; it
processed approximately 150 tons per day. The facility operated two 8-hour shifts a day> 312 days a
year. Eight SWA employees and up to 25 day-laborers hand-separated newspaper and commingled
materials on the first shift, and newspaper only on the second. Glass was color-sorted and broken
rather than crushed to prevent injury to employees from glass chips blowing in the open pavilion.
Aluminum was flattened and blown into a trailer for transporting. Plastic was sorted by resin type and
baled. Although some newspaper was baled, most was marketed loose. Approximately 7 percent by
weight of material accepted at the facility was disposed of as residue.
A new Materials Recovery Facility (SWA/MRF), owned by SWA and operated by Resource
Recycling Technologies/Empire Technologies (RRT), opened in April 1991. The new facility cost $6.3
million; their cost was incurred in May 1991. The SWA pays RRT $26 per ton to process all recyclable
materials collected through its curbside and drop-off programs throughout the County. The SWA/MRF
is highly automated, with 18 employees processing 220 tons per day on one 8-hour shift. The facility
was designed to process 540 tons per day in two shifts per day. The SWA delivered 2,526 tons of
materials collected from West Palm Beach to the facility in fiscal year 1991. Less than 4 percent by
weight of materials entering the SWA/MRF are disposed of as residue, largely because the facility
has secured a market for mixed glass cullet broken in the course of processing. The cullet is used as a
drainage material, roadbase, or concrete additive.
Many recycled materials are marketed in Florida or elsewhere in the southern United States.
Corrugated cardboard is re-manufactured into cardboard containers at Container Corporation in
Jacksonville, Florida and at two manufacturing companies in Georgia. Newspaper is sent to Georgia,
sold to local brokers, or made into insulation at Suncoast Insulation in Tampa, Florida. High-grade
paper is processed into drywall by National Gypsum in Jacksonville, Florida, recycled into toilet paper
by Fort Howard in North Carolina, or shipped overseas by local brokers. Until April 1991, Owens
Brockway in Florida accepted all colors of glass; currently, however, it accepts only flint. The SWA
sells green and brown bottles to a broker in Miami. Aluminum cans are sold to Reynolds Aluminum in
Miami. HOPE and PET plastics are sold to Wellman Plastics in Johnsville, South Carolina. Brass and
copper are recovered from the white goods; freon is removed and discarded at a hazardous waste site;
and the scrap is sold to Miami River Recyclers, along with some scrap metal separated from refuse
loads prior to incineration. Motor oil is re-refined and used as a lubricant. Batteries are recycled at the
SWA Hazardous Waste Facility.
Composting Activities
Curbside Collection
Start-up Date: September 1990
Service Provider: City of West Palm Beach, Residential Bulk Waste Division
Households Served: 18,306 single- to three-family residences
Page 177
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Materials Collected:
Mandatory:
Set-out Method:
Collection Vehicles and
Method:
Collection Frequency:
Economic Incentives:
Annual Tonnage:
Leaves, grass clippings, brush, wood waste, and Christmas trees
No
An estimated 50 percent is set out loose at curbside; the other 50 percent is
set out bagged.
Up until July 1991, City employees collected yard waste in three 20-cubic-
yard compactor trucks using five cranes. Two employees operated each
crane truck. (In July 1991, the City switched to one-person-operated
cranes.) The Residential Bulk Waste Division collects Christmas trees
and brings them to six SWA drop-off sites in the City.
Twice per month, year-round.
weekly yard waste collection.
None
In July 1991, West Palm Beach began
An estimated 16,733 tons of yard waste and Christmas trees were
collected at curbside from September 1990 to March 1991.
Composting/Mulch Site
City crews bring yard waste and Christmas trees to a 5-acre plot operated by SWA at the North
County landfill. Municipalities throughout the County also deliver yard waste to the site. No tipping
fee is charged. Yard waste is ground in a tub grinder and used as a mulch for landfill management,
including road bed stabilization, side slope erosion control, landfill cover, and "Xeriscape" landscaping
(planting of native shrubs and trees requiring minimal moisture). Although yard waste mulch is not
available to residents, Christmas tree mulch is available free of charge. In 1990 the mulch operation
costs the SWA $20 per ton.
West Palm Beach made an agreement with the neighboring Town of Riviera to have Riviera
compost 70 percent of its yard waste for $25 per ton. Although West Palm Beach will receive finished
compost free of charge, the City has not determined how the compost will be distributed. The SWA
opened its 32-ton-per-day compost facility in October 1991 and contracted International Process Systems
to co-compost yard waste and dewatered sewage sludge. The County charges a tipping fee of $37 per ton
for clean yard waste. The finished compost from this process is used by the County, or sold to
construction sites, parks, and sports facilities. Composting at the Riviera facility costs the-City of
West Palm Beach $12 less per ton in tipping fees.
Page 178
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Amount and Breakdown of Materials Recovered
Material
Newspaper
Corrugated Cardboard
Glass
PET and HDPE Plastic
Aluminum Cans*
Appliances/White Goods
Batteries
Other*
Subtotal MSW Recycled
Christmas Trees
Yard Waste*
Subtotal MSW Composted
C&D Recovered§
Total MSW Recovered
Residential
(Tons, 1990-91)
2,029
0
290
105
57
274
2
53
2,810
30
12,404
12,434
0
15,244
Commercial/
Institutional
(Tons, 1990-91)
0
61
112
1
0
NA
NA
0
174
0
0
0
0
174
Total
(Tons, 1990-91)
2,029
61
402
106
57
274
2
53
2,984
30
12,404
12,434
0
15,418
Notes: Figures provided above represent tonnages collected from April 1990 through March 1991.
West Palm Beach collects motor oil, lead-acid batteries, and white goods; however, tonnages are only tracked on a County level.
Tonnages for white goods and batteries listed above are based on per capita figures.
The SWA requires that 90 percent of the ferrous cans processed at the incinerator, be retrieved for recovery. These tonnages are
not included.
Tonnages from private buy-back centers and scrap yards are not available.
Although 67 tons of tires were collected and burned, this tonnage is not considered recycled and is excluded.
Between April 1990 and March 1991, the SWA collected 2,526 tons of recyclables from the residential sector through its curbside
program. Four tons were recovered from the residential sector through the Cash for Cans program and another 4 tons were
recovered through the SWA drop-off sites.
Includes aluminum can tonnages recovered from the "Cash for Cans" program.
^Includes materials, such as ferrous cans, that are not designated for recycling, but are commingled with designated materials in
collection containers, and recycled.
t Although West Palm Beach collected 16,703 tons of yard waste for mulching from April 1990 through March 1991, 4,299 tons
were contaminated with bulky items or refuse and landfilled. The Qty applies a conversion factor of 600 Ibs. per cy to convert
yard waste from volume to weight.
§C&D was not recycled in West Palm Beach prior to April 1991.
rage 179
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Source Reduction Initiatives
The SWA promotes solid waste source reduction concepts through school curricula and
"environmental shopping" brochures. It distributes these brochures, including an "Environmental
Shoppers List" of products that use recycled materials in their packaging, in free reusable canvas
shopping bags. Residents can pick up the bags at the SWA's main office.
Publicity and Education
The SWA is responsible for recycling education and publicity programs in West Palm Beach. It uses
direct mail, newspaper ads, videos, workshops, and meetings to promote its programs. Its "Multi-
Family Recycling Guide" informs apartment building managers how to implement recycling in their
buildings. In addition, the SWA maintains a recycling hotline and publishes a quarterly recycling
newsletter.
The SWA leads processing center tours, gives school group presentations, provides teachers with
recycling curricula, including a "Recycling Study Guide," and offers a selection of eight recycling videos.
Revenues generated from the "Cash for Cans" aluminum can recycling program are used to fund field
trips and classroom science and arts projects.
The SWA has published an "Office Paper Recycling Guide" to encourage commercial recycling;
however, businesses must locate their own brokers. To publicize the pilot restaurant and bar program
and increase recovery rates, the SWA and Southeast Glass cosponsor a promotional program. Each
month they award cruise tickets to the business with the highest recovery rate increase over the
previous month.
Economics
Costs Coven
Operating and maintenance (O&M) costs listed below cover the City's costs to
collect and process 2,526 tons of residential recyclables collected at curbside
and the City's costs to collect 16,703 tons of yard waste (of which 4,299 were
landfilled) from April 1990 to March 1991. City costs for the collection of 30
tons of Christmas trees are not available.
West Palm Beach charges single-family residences $1.70 per month and
multi-family residences $1.35 for curbside collection of recyclables. This fee
is paid to the SWA and used to fund the SWA's collection expenses. West
Palm Beach pays for the yard waste collection, and some recycling and
composting administrative O&M costs.
The County pays for curbside recycling vehicles, processing of recyclables and
yard waste, publicity and education, and most administrative costs. The
County also covers all expenses to recover materials from the pilot restaurant
and bar program (160 tons), the City's "Cash for Cans" program (4 tons) and
from the SWA's West Palm Beach drop-off sites (4 tons). Costs for these
programs are not included.
Page 180
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Capital Costs; Collection
Item
18,306 18-gallon Bins
@ $3.99*
147 44-gallon Containers
@$35
74 95-gallon Containers
@$65f
26 4-cubic-yard Containers
@$380f
4 Labrie Trucks @ $83,965*
Flat-Bed Truck (40% of
time)1"
4-cubic-yard CMC Truck
Compactor''"
15 20-cubic-yard Compactor
Trucks @ approx. $32,000
5 Cranes
10 20-cubic-yard Lightning
Loader Trucks with self-
contained Crane @ $47,356
Cost
$73,040
5,145
4,810
9,880
335,860
29,410
80,054
480,000
NA
473,560
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Mulching
Mulching
Mulching
Year Incurred
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1989
1990
1978-89
1975
1991
Notes : West Palm Beach's capital equipment costs are paid off in full. Each year an average of 20 percent of a vehicle's value is
set aside, based on its depreciation value. At the estimated lifetime of the vehicle, a new vehicle is purchased.
Residential bins were purchased by West Palm Beach through grant funding from the SWA.
"^Purchased and owned by the SWA. All other equipment is owned by the City of West Palm Beach. SWA equipment was
financed through grant monies and has been paid off; it was amortized on a 5-year straight line depreciation basis.
rage 181
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West Palm Beach, Florida
County Capital Costs; Processing
Item
2 Bobcats
Bobcat Grapple Attachment
Toyota Forklift
Bobcat Sweeper Attachment
Ramp Master
2 Vertical Balers @ $6,800
2 Pallet Jacks @ $395
4 Glass Breakers @ $2,985
Interim IPC Buildings
Thirman Scale
5 Conveyor Belts
2 Aluminum Can Crushers
Horizontal Baler
1 Large Glass Breaker
Front-end Loader with
attached Hydraulic Top-
clamp Rake
R.S.I. Tub Grinder
Fuel Harvester Tub Grinder
Cost
$29,292
1,771
16,438
1,593
8,294
13,600
790
11,940
100,353
3,800
99,297
14,948
71,910
6,775
250,000
175,000
135,000
Use
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Recycling
Mulching
Mulching
Mulching
Year Incurred
1987 & 1990
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989 & 1990
1989 & 1990
1990
1991
1988
1990
1990
Note: All equipment, purchased and owned by the SWA, was financed through grant monies and has been paid off; equipment
was amortized on a 5-year straight line depreciation basis.
Page 182
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Annual and Per Ton Operating and Maintenance Costs
(April 1990 to March 1991)
Recycling Subtotal
Collection*
Curbside Collection
Drop-Off Collection
Processing^
Administration
Education/Publicity**
Composting Subtotal
Collection1"
Processing*
Administration
Education/Publicity
Recycling & Composting Total
Collection
Processing
Administration
Education/Publicity**
Cost
$408,774
$374,641
374,641
0
0
34,133
0
$693,091
$623,091
0
70,000
0
$1,101,865
$997,732
0
104,133
0
Tons Covered
2,526
2,526
2,526
4
2,526
2,526
16,703
16,703
12,404
16,703
16,703
19,229
19,229
19,229
19,229
19,229
Per Ton Cost
$162
$148
148
0
0
14
0
$41
$37
0
4
0
$57
$52
0
5
0
Notes: Costs listed above represent the City's operating and maintenance costs only. The City of West Palm Beach does not incur
any costs for processing or composting. Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.
Collection costs represent $373,442 collected from 18,306 single-family residences over 12 months at a cost of $1.70 per household
per month, plus $1,199 collected from 888 garden apartments over the last month in this collection period at $155 per unit per
month, totalling $374,641. The per household fee charged by the SWA represents the actual cost of collecting the recyclable
materials. Drop-off collection programs are County funded and costs are not included in the above table.
^Costs for Christmas tree collection are not available. Of the 16,703 tons of yard waste collected, 4,299 tons were contaminated
and disposed. Thus, the City actually spent $50 per ton of yard waste recovered.
^Processing recydables costs the SWA $26 per ton; composting costs the SWA $20 per ton.
**The County SWA pays for publicity/education programs. From April 1990 through March 1991, the SWA spent $46,898 ($0.75
per resident) on these programs.
Materials Revenues:
Source of Funding:
The SWA retains all revenues generated from the sale of recycled
materials. In fiscal year 1990, revenues from the sale of all County-
collected commingled materials totalled $1,267,714, and white goods and
other scrap metal revenues totalled $190,470.
West Palm Beach funds its program through City taxes and State grants.
(In 1991 the City received $155,000 in State grants.) The SWA covers
expenses through recycling revenues and incinerator tipping fees. The
collection program is funded through the $1.70 per household fee.
Page 183
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Full-time Employees: 37 (30 City employees collecting yard waste, 4 County employees
collecting residential recycled materials, and 3 County employees
processing yard waste)
Part-time Employees: 3 (1 full-time City employee working part-time on administration of
recycling and yard waste collection programs and 2 full-time County
employees spending approximately 40 percent of their time in West Palm
Beach, collecting recyclables from the commercial sector)
Future Solid Waste Management Plans
By September 1991, the SWA plans to bring on board 3,000 additional households in multi-unit
residences. Later that fall, it will add corrugated cardboard to the materials collected through its
curbside program. In July 1991, the SWA contracted with a consulting firm to set up multi-unit collection
programs. Some apartment buildings will receive 18-gallon recycling bins; others will place
commingled glass, aluminum, and plastics in 95-gallon containers beside the garbage dumpsters.
Newspaper will be set out in separate 95-gallon containers. The City has purchased additional
containers for the service.
In fall 1991, the SWA will pay for the installment and 1-year operation of a recycling system, to be
located in an apartment building in West Palm Beach.2 The system, developed by Hi-Rise Recycling
Systems Inc., is designed for apartment tenants who use refuse chutes. Residents will push a button
corresponding to the material to be disposed (newspaper, aluminum and ferrous cans, three colors of
glass, or refuse) and send the particular material down the chute. A wheel at the bottom of the chute,
housing the designated bins, will rotate to the item selected. The system costs approximately $20,000,
including installation and electronics costs of $8,000, and hook-up charges of $625 for each floor.
The SWA plans to build a County C&D recycling plant at its existing bulky waste landfill. Waste
Management has received a permit for a yard waste composting facility and is seeking a permit for a
C&D landfill and recycling facility. In September 1991, when the pilot restaurant and bar program
ends, the SWA plans to offer the service to businesses for a fee based on the type, size, and frequency of
of service.
Despite extensive plans to further develop the SWA's recycling and composting operations, budget
constraints may limit program expansion. In 1991 the SWA was forced to cut its general budget by $10
million. To help cover costs, it will keep revenues generated from the "Cash for Cans" program, .require
that all pilot projects be self-funded, and place more of the responsibility for refuse collection costs on
cities. West Palm Beach must trim its general budget by $1 million in 1991. As a consequence, no funding
will be made available for a proposed recycling coordinator position.
Page 184
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Contacts
Richard Holliday
Assistant Director of Public Works
200 2nd Street, P.O. Box 3366
West Palm Beach, Florida 33402
Phone (407) 659-8047
Fax (407) 659-8039
Kathy Duzan
Contract Compliance and
Waste Statistical Management
Solid Waste Authority
7501 North Jog Street
West Palm Beach, Florida, 33412
Phone (407) 640-4000
Fax (407) 68^4067
Deborah Thatcher
Senior Program Coordinator, Office of Recycling
Solid Waste Authority
7501 North Jog Street
West Palm Beach, Florida, 33412
Phone (407) 640-4000
Fax (407) 683-4067
Other SWA contacts:
Pat Byer, Assistant Director of Compost and Utility Services
Mark Eyeington, Director of Operations
Reggie Volkes, Assistant Director of Land Management Division
References
"Composting System Selected for Sludge, Yard Waste" Biocyde, April 1991.
Solid Waste Management in Florida, Department of Environmental Regulation, Miami Beach, Florida,
1989.
Endnotes
^ Information on WMI's collection services was obtained from Doug McCoy. (General Manager, Waste
Management Inc., West Palm Beach, Florida). Personal communication, July 1991.
^Shantzis, Mark (President, Hi-Rise Recycling Systems Inc., West Palm Beach, Florida). Personal communication,
July 1991.
['age 185
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Index
Page 186
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Index
Index
Aluminum, 12,14,15,20,29,31,32,45,46,47,60,61,63,66, 79,80,82,95,96,97,108,
109,125,126,127,137,138,139,140,152,155,159,168,169,171,184,185,187,188,190,
195
animal bedding 48, 63
Antifreeze, 32
asphalt 63,99,105,113,114,121
Asphalt, 63,114,184
backyard composting 49,64,129
Backyard composting, 18,34,83,84, 111, 128,157,159,171
bans 129
Bans, 11,12,44,58,59,64,94,123,128,141,172
Batteries 113
Batteries, 12,14,20,32,45,58,59,62,66,87,94,97,108,110,114,123,127,187,188,190
beverage container 50,165
Beverage container deposit systems, 44, 45,168
Block leaders, 29, 36
bottle bill 50,165,174
Bottle bills, 168,179
Browning Ferris, Inc. (BFI), 28, 59, 61, 63, 93, 99,122,126,156
burning 144
Burning of waste, See incineration
buy-back 63,82,127,171
Buy-back facilities, 32,44,47,58,62,96,186,187
campus 36,102
Campus recycling, 32, 34,46
Capital costs, 23-24,37,51-52,67-68,88,100-101,116-117,131,145,154,157,160-161,175-
176,192-193
Christmas tree, 108
Christmas treees, 141
Christmas Trees 22,48,49, 51, 53,59,98, 111, 112,129,130,131,135,147,160,172,173,
174
Christmas trees, 18,34,35,37,44,64,65, 66,70,84, 85,86,98,112,113,114,129,140,157,
158,159,171,172,188,190
Collection, 139
co-collection, 13, 31
commingled, 12,14,30,46, 58, 59, 60, 61, 80,95, 96,124,126,155,156,185,195
containers, See Recycling containers,
contract, 30,95,107,121,124
costs, 23,25,37,38,43,51,52,67,69,81,88,89,100,101,116,118,131,132,145,146,
147,160,161,175,177,191,194,195
nonprofit, 29, 30, 31, 95, 96,123,127
private, 11,16,17,30, 31,43,57,59,61,81,93,96,126,136,151,156
privates, 80
Page 187
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Index
public, 11,12,16,17,43,139,155,156
refuse, See also Volume-based refuse rates 43
refuse, See also Volume-based refuse rates, 136
segregated, 12,46,64,125,153,169
vehicles, 14,19,30,31,46,60,64,80,85,96,98,109,112,125,126,129,139,141,158,
169,172,185,188
Commercial materials recovery,
economic incentives, 46, 61, 81, 96,127,139,155,170,186
materials targeted, 16,31,46,56,61,74,81,93,96,105,109,121,126,135,139,151,
155,165,171,182,186
Commercial waste 10, 28,105,151,182
Commercial waste, 82
amount generated, 56, 74,93,105,121,135,151,165,182
Commingling of recyclables, 12,14,17,30,33,46,58,59,60,61,80,82,95,124,126,155,
156,157,185,187,195
Composting, 18,20,30,34,59,64,83,95, 111, 128,153,157,171,188
costs, 25,38,52,69,89,101,118,132,147,161,177,194
curbside, 18,59,64,83,95,98, 111, 112,123,128,138,140,141,172,188
drop-off operations, 18, 34,64, 86,168,171
food waste, 34,70,78,84
"master", 84, 88
"master",volunteers to perform recycling outreach. Additionally, it spent $50,000
to research the potential for .i.Food waste, 78
site, 19, 65,86,98,112,129,141,158,172,188
telephone books, 65
Concrete, 22,184
construction and demolition debris 28, 42, 62
Construction and demolition debris, 28, 35,57, 76,93,114,122,151,165,183,184
recovery, 10,22,28,42,105,113,121,165,182,190
Containers, See Recycling containers,
Corrugate cardboard, 15
Corrugated 113
corrugated cardboard 14,16,22,35,49,50,87,99,114,125,130,142,169,173,174
Corrugated cardboard, 14,20,31,32,45,46,60,61,63,66,79,81,82,96,97,108,109,110,
125,126,127,137,138,139,140,155,156,159,167,168,169,170,171,186,187,190,195
Corrugated cardboard,.!.Aluminum, 154
Costs for materials recovery programs,
capital costs, 23-24,37,51-52,67-68,88,100-101,116-117,131,145,154,157,160-161,
175-176,192-193
collection costs, 23,37,38,43,51,52,67,69, 81,88,89,100,101,116,118,131,132,
145,146,147,160,175,177,191,194,195
operating and maintenance costs, 25, 38, 89,101,118,132,146,147,161,177,194
processing costs, 24,25,37,38,52,68,69,89,101,117,118,131,132,145,147,160,161,
176,177,193,194
Data gathering and methodology, 142
disposal costs 118,184
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Index
Disposal costs, 11,28,43,56,75,93,106,122,136,151,153,166,168,183,186
Drop-off centers, See also Composting,
drop-off operations, 110
Drop-off centers, See also Composting, drop-off operations, 12,13,32, 47,59, 96,123,
127,138,156,168,170,187
Drop-off facilities, 156
Eager Beaver 12,13,14,23,24,96,97,100
Economic benefits, 59,95,123,168,184
Economic Incentives 30
Economic incentives, 64, 85, 98,112,129,155,158,172,187,188
commercial sector, 16,31,46, 61,81,96,127,139,155,170,186
residential sector, 14,19,46,61,80,96,109,125,139,141,170,185
tipping fees, 17,45,59,123,157
volume-based refuse rates, 28, 30, 75,80,136,139,141,167,170
Education and publicity, 23,36,50,67,88,99,116,131,144,159,175,191
employees 17,25,39,47,53,63, 70,89,97,102,112,118,119,129,132,141,145,148,155,
156,157,160,162,171,177,187,188,195
Enforcement 14,31,46,61,96,109,125,139,153,155,185
Ferrous cans, 29,32,60,61,66, 79,80, 82,96,97,138,152,155,159,171,184,187
Food waste, 32,34,35,70,84,87,113,114
Funding 25,39,53,102,118,132,147,177,195
Funding sources, 29, 30,60, 78, 89,118,161,194
Future waste management plans, 90, 119,162,195
Glass, 12,14,15,29,31,32,45,46,47,61,62, 66,79,80,82,95,96,108,109,110,125,126,
137,138,139,140,152,154,155,156,167,168,169,171,184,185,186,187,188,190,195
Grass clippings 172
Grass clippings, 12,18,19,64,85,95,108,110, 111, 112,113,114,128,129,157,158,188
hospital 150
Hospital recycling, 41,46,96, 97
Hotlines, 36,39, 67, 81,191
Household hazardous waste, 39, 48, 59, 88,102,156,187,188
Incineration, 10,11, 57, 77,167,183,184,188
Institutional recycling, See also Hospital recycling and Campus recycling, 46, 96
Institutional recycling, See also Hospital recycling and Campus recyling, 32
intermediate processing 47, 82
Kann vehicles, 155, 161, 169
landfill 36, 42,48, 53, 63, 70,195
Landfills, 11, 28,42,43,63,76, 77,81, 93,94, 95,151,154,166,183,184,187
landscaper 48
Landscapes' yard waste, 19,44, 64,65,66
Landscapes' yard waste, 64
Legislation,
against backyard burning, 141,172
against landfilling leaves, 18, 44, 58, 59, 64,123,128
beverage container deposit, 44
commercial, 81
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Index
local, 12,44,46,58,59,70,77,83,152
state, 18,44,58,61,123,128,137,152,167,168,172,184
Mandatory 110,129,138,169
Mandatory programs, See also Enforcement, 12,13,15,17,18,60,61,79,90,108,109,
111, 137,153,154,157,172
manufacturing 83
Market development, 53, 77
Marketing, See also Processing, 17,33, 59,63,82,97,110,156,171,187
Materials recovered, 56
Mixed paper, 61,66,79,80,81,82,97,124,155,156,159
Motor oil, 14,20,32,44,45,87,94,97,108,110,114,156,167,169,187,188
Mulch, 30,34,44,63,65,86,130,158,188
Multifamily (multi-unit) recycling, 30,43,59, 78, 79,80, 81,93,124,125,127,151,154,
162,167,169,191
Multifamily (multiunit) recycling, 195
municipal solid waste 114
Newspaper, 80,82,126,140
Newspapers, 14,15,29,60,63,66,95,96,108,109,110,125,127,137,152,153,155,157,
167,169,184,185,190,195
Nonprofit groups, 29,30, 31,94, 95,96,123,127,187
operating and maintenance costs 38, 51,131
Operating and maintenance costs, 69
Operating and maintenance costs. 52
Pallets 47,48,49
Pallets, 63,110
Paper, 31,32,61,62,63,66,80,81,96
Participation Rate 13,30,45,50,60,79,80,95,109,110,124,138,154,169,185
Participation rates, 12,13,169
Pick-up Frequency 60, 79,95,109,138,154,169,185
Pick-up frequency, 19,64,85,98,112,129,141,158,188
commercial, 16, 31,46, 61,81,96,126,139,155,170,186
residential, 13, 30, 45, 95,124
pilot program 45,168
Pilot programs, 12, 32, 34,44,65,80,128,138,184,186
Plastic, 12,32,47,60,61,62,63,66,79,80,82,95,96,97,108,110,126,127,152,155,159,
168,184,185,186,187,188,190,195
Polystyrene, 168,171
precycling 50
Precy cling, 30
Prison workers, 97
processing costs 101,118
Processing, 97,110,156,171
commingled, 33, 157,187
contract, 157
costs, 24,25,37,38,52,68,69,89,101,117,118,131,132,145,147,160,161,176,177,
193,194
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Index
faculties, 17, 82
nonprofit, 187
Procurement 33,63, 83,88, 97,162
Procurement, 48, 77, 78, 83,102
Recovery levels,
commercial, 10,28,42,56,74,93,105,121,135,151,165,182
construction and demolition debris, 10, 28,42,105,121,165,182
of communities studied, 56, 74, 93,105,121,135,151,165,182
residential, 10,28,42,56, 74,93,105,121,135,151,165,182
recovery rate 70,151,191
Recycling,
containers, 14,31,61,125,126,169,195
bags, 31
bins, 45,185
boxes, 13
buckets, 13
stackable bins, 80
toters, 46
curriculum, 23, 88,116
goals, 12,58,78,94,137
revenues, 32, 59, 89,157,161,194
Refillable 87
Refillable containers, 45
Residential materials recovery,
recovery levels, 10, 28,42, 56, 74, 93,105,121,135,151,165,182
Residential waste generation, 56, 74, 93,105,121,135,151,165,182
reuse 47, 83,175
Salvage 17, 62
Salvage/Reuse 47, 62
Salvage/reuse, 97,179
Scavenging of recyclables, 46, 94,125
Scrap metals, 14,82,97,108,110,127,136,138,188,194
Scrap metals/p.i.Plastic, 15
Self hauling of refuse, 81
Self-Haul 87,170,174
Self-hauling of refuse, 172
Set-out of compostables, 18,64, 85, 98, 111, 158,172,188
Set-out of recyclables, 14,16,30,31,45,46, 61,80,81,95,96,109,124,139,155,170,185,
186
Source Reduction 36, 50, 67, 88,100,191
Source reduction, See also Volume-based refuse rates, Backyard composting,
Precycling, and Salvage/reuse, 44,88,184
Sources of funding, 59
Telephone books, 32, 65,156,185,187
Textiles, 87,113,114,159
tipping fees 53,102,146
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Index
Tipping fees, 10,11,28,42,45,56,74,89,93,106,107,112,121,123,135,151,154,157,
166,182,184,187,194
composting, 64,98,112,158,172,189
tires 17,20,22,42,48,62,63,93,94,105,113,119,135,151,165,173,182
Tires, 13,14,44,58,66,87,94,108,110, 111, 114,123,168,184
Volume-based refuse rates, 28,30,64,75,80,136,139,141,167,170
voluntary 169,175
Voluntary programs, 45, 60, 64,80,98,138,140,152,188
volunteer 140, 168
Volunteer groups, 78
Volunteers 36
Volunteers, 29, 36,123,156,159
Waste generation, 10,28,42, 74,93,105,121,135,151,165,182
Waste Management Inc., (WMI), 60
Waste Management, Inc. 79, 82
Waste Management, Inc. (WMI), 61, 81, 83, 93, 98,121,184,186
Weight-based refuse rates, 57
White goods, 14,44,58,66,93,94,97,136,138,155,159,184,185
Wood waste, 22,87,93,113,114,184,188
Yard waste, 14,19,20,34,35,58,59,64,66,87,88,95,98, 111, 112,122,123,128,129,140,
141,157,158,159,160,171,172,175,184,188,190
brush, 20,85,95,98,110,112,114,128,129,138,141,172,188
grass clippings, 12,18,19,64,85,95,110, 111, 112,114,123,128,129,158,172,188
landscapers' 66
landscapers', 19,44, 65
landscapers' 64
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