CCP 09-14-1987 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. Minutes of Solid Waste Management Committee, August 17. 1987 . bill customers accordingly. Before making this a requirement, we'd probably need to resolve where the material is to be tipped, because transporting it to Newport would result in no net gain. Other options also present themselves, such as having the City contract for yard debris pickup and either charging households individually, through utility bills, or via licensing fees charged through the haulers. Although problems remain to be solved, it would seem that removing yard waste from the refuse stream is an avenue that merits close examination. Recyclin~ The BFI representatives agreed that recycling could be very effective if implemented properly. They said their experience had shown the keys to a good program were frequent pickups, consistent (regular) service, good communication, and the provision of containers. - Twice a week pickup of recyclables is said to be ideal, and areas with this frequency enjoy participation rates approaching 70%. On the other hand, monthly pickup usually yields participation rates of around 10%. A reasonable compromise is probably twice a month- bi-weekly, actually - where rates usually run in the range of 20% to 40%. . - Consistency is important because residents must feel confident that materials placed for pickup will be picked up, and at a time that is easy to remember (i.e. every Thursday morning). - It is important, especially with a new program, that residents clearly understand what the program is, and how it will work. They also need to be reminded to participate. As many media as possible should be used to promote the program (i.e. mailings, newspapers, broadcast, public and private group newsletters). - Containers help make participation easy for residents as they provide an easy way to classify and store recyclables. They also help promote participation as their presence at the curb on pickup day generates peer pressure among others in the neighborhood. BFI does not offer curbside pickup programs in this area as yet. However, they plan to be an active player in our market. In fact, Mr. Nordby is newly assigned to this area, and his purpose is to establish recycling and other innovative waste handling programs. Volume Based Pricin~ Both gentlemen agreed that pricing incentives have the potential of playing a large role in motivating individuals to recycle or otherwise . . limit their waste production. Volume-based pricing would tend to help provide this incentive. At this point, the problem is that few workable mechanisms exist to provide volume-based pricing. This is likely to change in the future, though, and it was suggested that we let the market take its course. -7-