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of program, the trash hauler is the one that collects the organics recycling and brings it to a <br />transfer station, which is a site where the organics is separated out and then brought to a <br />processing facility. This program is very convenient for residents as they can dispose of their <br />organics the same way they would their trash. The Blue Bag program does not require extra <br />trucks for hauling as the organics are picked up with the trash. This can be advantageous as it <br />is less disruptive for residents in densely populated areas and reduces the cost of hauling by <br />using fewer trucks. The cost of this program for residents is relatively inexpensive. In Elk River <br />residents pay a monthly fee of four dollars. This fee includes a year's supply of compostable <br />bags. Although the cost of this program is low in Elk River, the participation rate of residents <br />remains low at 4% of households utilizing this program (Bednar, 2017). The low participation <br />rate may be due to relatively few outreach methods used in the city. Mailers were sent out <br />quarterly but were deemed too expensive. Currently, Elk River uses online communication <br />methods through Facebook and a recycling application (Bednar, 2017). Outreach is shown to <br />be an important aspect for increasing participation. Many cities utilize SCORE funding for this <br />purpose. Elk River is located in Sherburne County where SCORE funding is based on project <br />type not population size. <br />Curbside Cart <br />The cart program is another type of curbside organics collection in which residents place their <br />organics recycling in a separate cart from trash and recycling. Organic materials are placed in <br />a compostable bag that is provided by the city or can be purchased by the citizen. This program <br />allows cities to contract with either their trash or recycling haulers. It is convenient for residents <br />as they have access to disposal at their homes. Cost to residents for this program is low. In <br />Saint Louis Park there is currently no additional cost to residents. To utilize this program, they <br />just need to request a cart and opt -in to the program. The City of Minneapolis is similar in that <br />residents opt -in for their cart and pay an additional $3 per month for the program. Resident <br />participation is high in both Saint Louis Park and Minneapolis, participation rates are 30% and <br />43.5% respectively (Fisher, 2017; Horner, 2017). Both of these cities have extensive outreach <br />and education programs established to inform resident about the organics recycling programs <br />available to them. Methods include direct mailers, Facebook and other online resources. The <br />City of Minneapolis utilizes the majority of its SCORE funding for outreach methods (Horner, <br />2017). <br />Drop-off Program <br />Drop-off programs are different than curbside collection. Residents bring their organics <br />recycling to a designated location where the city or county then collects it to be brought to a <br />processing site. Drop-off programs are usually free to residents living within the city. One <br />advantage of a drop-off program is that all residents are able to utilize the program. Because <br />multi -unit housing complexes contract for solid waste services independent of residential, these <br />residents are often unable to take advantage of the more convenient curbside programs <br />available to residents occupying single family homes. Drop-off sites require fewer trucks than <br />curbside programs and need less infrastructure to implement (Fonfara, 2017). Data for <br />participation rates are hard to measure as drop-off sites are available to residents within the <br />entire county. The City of Saint Paul offers free compostable bags to encourage use of the drop- <br />off locations. <br />Drop-off Site Evaluations <br />The City of Roseville selected three locations within its boundaries to be considered as <br />candidates for afuture Roseville -Ramsey County co-sponsored organics recycling drop -offsite <br />7 <br />