Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
compostable. The trays are essentially Styrofoam and cannot be composted in our current <br />program. After our initial meeting, the schools are aware of this issue and may be looking <br />at alternatives. <br />The Solid Waste Department left both meetings with the schools feeling very positive <br />that we were on the verge of moving toward implementation of some initial pilot <br />program. We had requested some additional information and had assumed that each <br />school system were beginning internal discussions and planning necessary to proceed. <br />We had worked closely with our food waste collection contractor in some preliminary <br />pilot program planning expecting that within a few weeks each school system would be <br />ready to move to more detailed planning and implementation. We provided all <br />information to the schools that was requested of us. <br />Due to a number of Solid Waste Department vacancies and other workload demands we <br />did not aggressively follow-up in a timely manner with either school system. On <br />December 13, 2010 the Solid Waste Department sent afollow-up letter to each school. <br />The purpose of the letter was to renew communication regarding food waste collection <br />and stated that the Department of Solid Waste is ready to further discuss the possibilities <br />of a pilot program. To date, the Solid Waste Department has not heard from either district <br />and can only assume that interest in food waste recycling is not currently a priority for <br />either system. No funds are currently appropriated in the Solid Waste Management <br />Department budget for funding of food waste collection in the schools and staff does not <br />anticipate recommending this funding to the County Manager in the Fiscal 2011/12 <br />budget request, absent some level of commitment or intentions on behalf of the school <br />systems. <br />Currently the Department of Solid Waste Management collects food waste at 221ocations <br />around the County. Adding the schools would be an additional 28 to 301ocations. Orange <br />County is currently contracting the collection service with Brooks Contracting, but will <br />be going out to bid in the spring of 2011. Each existing location either has carts or six <br />yard front end load dumpsters that collect the waste. Each time a receptacle is collected <br />they are rinsed out and put back in place. If the schools begin a food waste program, the <br />County will need to work closely with the collection contractor because it may have to <br />obtain additional resources to accommodate such a significant collection program <br />expansion. The annual tonnage for our existing food waste collection program is about <br />1,800 tons. Our annual food waste program expenditure is about $160,000. <br />The Solid Waste Management Department stands ready to reengage the local schools <br />systems on the issue of food waste recycling at any time. While implementation of a <br />comprehensive program in both school systems would be a challenge in many ways, <br />there would also be an opportunity to divert substantial quantities of organic waste from <br />the landfill and move forward toward meeting the County waste reduction goals. We <br />welcome any additional guidance or direction that the County Manager or Board of <br />Commissioners may have on this matter. <br />3 <br />