FeedsWestland looks into recycling
Curbside recycling may soon be available in Westland after city council members voted Monday to begin the bid process for implementation.
Council members met Monday at Westland City Hall for a study session regarding the previously commissioned feasibility study for curbside recycling.
“We’re kind of at a crossroads with this,” said Mayor Bill Wild. “Recycling is mainstream now more than it ever was before. There’s not another service we can offer our citizens they want more than curbside recycling. I’m convinced this is the right thing to do.”
Jim Frey, CEO of the Ann Arbor-based Resource Recycling Systems, went through the options available to the community. Afterward, the majority of the council voted to move forward, including requests for proposals to better determine hauler costs, the various fees paid for goods collected, and to ascertain the costs for necessary recycling carts.
“We’ll have to approve any bids that come in,” said City Council President James Godbout. The first phase of the proposed program would target only single-family homes that have individual trash pick-up. Multifamily homes will be added in a later phase.
Councilman Bob Stottlemyer voted against going ahead with the requests for proposals.
The proposal recommended by Frey called for the city to consider adopting a ‘single stream’ recycling system in which all recyclables are collected out of one collection container.
“Single stream recycling is much easier,” said Frey. “It reduces barriers to recycling.”
Currently, he said, Westland is diverting about 14 percent of its 41,541 tons of waste away from the landfills. At 5,848 tons, yard waste makes up the bulk of the diversion; recycling accounts for only 130 tons. Frey said that Westland is poised to benefit from offering a curbside recycling as a result.
“You are in a situation where you have always paid for disposal,” he said.
With the value recycled materials have in the market today, however, Frey said that offering a significant recycling program could not only reduce the amount of trash the community sends to the landfill—and subsequently reduce the amount paid for disposal—but the sale of the recycled materials can also raise money to help offset the cost of the program.
Frey also suggested that the city hire a contractor to haul the goods to one of several suitable recycling centers in southeastern Michigan and partner with Recycle Bank to encourage residents to participate.
“Recycle Bank is basically an incentive program,” said Tom Hernandez, regional manager of Recycle Bank. “We motivate individual households and individuals to recycle. We’re going to reward each household for participating and doing the right thing.”
Details vary depending on the program selected, but Reward Bank essentially offers inducements for recycling, either in the form of coupons and discounts to area businesses or even in cash. The weekly rewards can be based either on the number of pounds of recyclables submitted by an individual household or evenly divided between all participating households based upon the total amount of recycled materials generated by the community as a whole. Businesses would be able to become involved with no charge other than whatever they choose to offer as a reward.
The Reward Bank program does come at a cost, based upon either a flat monthly rate or as a percentage of the savings generated by reducing landfill costs, but Frey said that the program has a track record of paying for itself in terms of greatly increased participation and, in turn, more recycled items diverted and sold.
All told, Frey said that a curbside recycling program could be offered for about $2.48 per household per month including the costs of the collection cart for each home, a contractor to haul it away, and the Recycle Bank option.
The program is expected to have a gross cost of about $1.3 million in the first year. That amount is expected to be reduced by about $500,000 in offset costs, such as avoided waste costs and material sales with the remaining $800,000 to be paid for utilizing funds from the city sanitation budget. According to Wild, the council included $700,000 in the current budget earmarked for curbside recycling with a $1 million surplus also available in the sanitation budget.
Although he stressed that he does recycle and did support the RFP portion of the recycling plan, council member Charles Pickering told the council that he had concerns that the participation rates wouldn’t be as impressive as described if the city does make the significant financial commitment.
“We’re asking our taxpayers to pay for a service that may not be used,” said. Pickering. “I support recycling, but I’m not sure our residents will. If we get these numbers, I’d be very happy.”
