2005 Recycling Pilot Program Report

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Profi�es of Tested Collect�on Method Areas Scenario A: Single-stream in demographically similar area Single-Stream Collection Schedufe Bi-Weekly Recycling Containers 64-gallon cart Number of Households 335 Participation Rate 86.2% Avg. Lbs Collecied per HH per Routel �g,�s Most Important Corr�ponent� Prtce 1.80 Resident Satisfaction 90% Wiiling to Pay More 48.8% Derived from Appendix ii Table 3 net average pounds per household calculations ZOn a sca�e of 1- 4 with 1 being the most important In this testing area residents were provided a single 64-gallon cart for the commuigled collection of all their recyclable material. This collection method measured the impacts oi a simplified sorting system for the residenis along with a different collection coniainer. Residents remained on the every other week collection schedu�e. When asked in the pre-survey what would motivate them to recycle more the number one response was bigger bins listed by 45.2% of the respondents. Residents in this area had the lowest paxticipation rate in th.e "before" period at 81.4%. There was an increase of 4.8% in people who participated in the recycling prog�ra,m in the "during" period. It was fourth largest increase iti the test areas, and at $6.2% was the lowest overall participation rate. However, the difference between the participation rate of 86.2% and the set out rate of 84.1 % is the smallest difference of any area. Recyclers in this area put their mater�al out almosi every coliection day. 'This area had the second highest increase in set outs (13.7%) and the second highest set out rate over all. T'he single-stream tesi areas had an ttnusual occurrence not found in any of the other areas — people who stopped puttzng out ma#erial for collection. In this area 1.8% of the participants Uecame non-participants in the "during" period. One homeowner who called the City said he would not use the single-stream collection method because he could "hear the glass breaking" when the carts were emptied into the truck. He was concemed that the glass wauld get mixed in with the ather material and would not be recovered. There was a statisticaily significant increase in the percentage of paper in the recycling sample. Paper made up 57% of the samp�e by weight in the "before" composition sorts. In the "during" period, paper made up 80% of the sampie. T'here was a corresponding increase in the percentage of newspaper from 35.7% to 45.3% and in the percentage of corrugated cardboard {OCC) in the samples from 7.8% to 18.1%. There was also a statistically significant increase in contaminar�ts in the single-stream areas that was discovered in the compasition sorts. Contaminant categories in the sorts included: beer, pop and water boxes; plastic bags at�d filrn, other paper trash, other trash and fi�zies. Data from the compositian sorts shows contaminants increased from 3.2% of the sample in the "before" period to 8.1% in fihe "during" perfod. 25