United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-017I
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
Fitchburg,
Wisconsin
50% Residential Waste Reduction
Overview
Fitchburg instituted the first mandatory recycling
ordinance and the first multi-family recycling ordinance in
Wisconsin and was the first city in the U.S. to implement
curbside polystyrene collection. The city's Solid Waste and
Recycling Ordinance requires all occupants of residential and
commercial property to separate 16 recyclables from trash,
details proper preparation methods, requires the
implementation of multi-family recycling programs, and
prohibits delivery of recyclables to any disposal facility.
Fitchburg contracts with a private hauler to provide trash
collection and disposal, weekly curbside recycling collection,
and curbside collection of non-woody yard debris four times
a year. City crews collect brush from the curb eight times a
year. Residents pay an annual base rate for trash, recycling,
and yard debris service and pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) rates
for excess trash. From 1992 to 1996, total residential trash
disposal dropped despite a 20% increase in households served.
In 1996, the city diverted 50% of its residential waste from
disposal (29% through recycling and 21% through
composting).
Keys to High Waste Reduction
Fitchburg achieved its high waste reduction through the
recycling of many items, composting, and PAYT trash fees.
Residents can recycle 21 types of
materials: 17 through weekly curbside
collection, two through monthly curbside
collection, one at the drop-off, and one
by special appointment. Yard debris
collection and drop-off programs accept
leaves, grass clippings, and other yard
and garden trimmings. A separate
program collects and processes brush.
PAYT trash rates serve as an incentive
for decreased disposal. In FY97
Fitchburg charged each household
DHALU
POPULATION: 1 6,254
(1992); 17,266 (1996)
HOUSEHOLDS: 6,685(1990);
3,057 single-family
households and duplexes,
3,628 multi-family units.
7,500 (1996); 3,860 units
in buildings with 1-4 units
1992
1996
Tons Per Year
3,644
4,147
Percent Diverted
Recycled
Composted
35%
24%
11%
50%
29%
21%
Average Ibs./HH/day
6.16
5.89
Net Program Costs/HH $126.48 $108.12
Disposal Services $72.08 $52.51
Diversion Services $54.40 $55.61
Notes: 3,243 households served in 1992; 3,860 in 1996. 1992
dollars adjusted to 1996 dollars using the GDP deflator.
Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance, 1999.
This profile is part of the fact sheet Cutting the Waste Stream in Half: Community Record-Setters Show How (EPA-530-F-99-017).
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$82 for recycling and yard debris
services, and collection and
disposal of one 32-gallon trash
can per week. The city also
provided each household with
10 tags which could be attached ^
to extra containers of trash. The
weekly collection cost of a 64-
gallon container was an extra $34.68 per year
and a 95-gallon container was an additional
$60.96 annually. Additional tags for trash bags
cost $1.50 each at local retail stores.
Cost-Effectiveness
Fitchburg's net solid waste management
budget rose from 1992 to 1996, but so did the
city's population and number of households
served. When the cost of inflation is taken
into account, average per household costs for
waste management services have decreased
from $126 in 1992 to $108 in 1996. During
the same period, landfill tip fees increased by
RESIDENTIAL WASTE GENERATION
PER HOUSEHOLD PER DAY
MATERIALS RECOVERED
CURBSIDE:
newspaper, magazines and catalogs, corrugated cardboard
mixed paper (including mail, white paper, brown paper bags, paperboard,
and phone books)
cans
glass containers
all plastic containers and #4 plastic container lids
rigid and foam polystyrene
reusable household items (e.g., clothing, books, small appliances,
housewares, and toys)
white goods
grass clippings, leaves, brush, holiday trees, and other yard and garden
debris
DROP-OFF:
all materials accepted
at curbside except:
cans
glass containers
plastics
reusable items
white goods
1992 1994 1996
| Trash ^ Recycling ^Composting
Source: institute for Local Se!f-Re!iance, 1999.
17% in real dollars. On a per-ton basis, trash
cost $100 and waste reduction cost $101
(recycling cost $ 117 per ton and yard debris
recovery $78). Fitchburg's low-cost drop-off
composting program helps the city contain
costs. In 1996, residents delivered 534 tons
of yard debris (13% of their waste
stream) to the city drop-off site.
City staff land spread the material [/
over city land, avoiding higher cost
processing of the material.
Tips for Replication
Listen to your line employees.
Workers know the system and its strengths and
weaknesses.
Get your hands dirty.
Don't reinvent the wheel. Talk with
other recyclers when faced with problems.
Most likely someone else has encountered a
similar problem and can offer advice.
Optimize. Never stop striving to
improve; there's always room for improvement.
Contact
Kevin Wunder
Project Manager
Public Works Dept., City of Fitchburg
2377 South Fish Hatchery Road
Fitchburg,WI 53711
PHONE: 608-270-6343
FAX: 608-275-7154
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