Agenda - 12-05-2011 - 9a - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 MEMORANDUM To: Frank Clifton, County Manager From: Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Management Director Subject: Single Steam Recycling Transition Date: November 18, 2011 The purpose of this memo is to provide a description and brief analysis of Orange County's transition to single stream recycling scheduled for implementation in July, 2012. Currently, Orange County Solid Waste provides a variety of collection services to single family homes, multifamily homes, businesses, both school districts, government buildings, and ten drop-off facilities. Each program collects traditional recyclables dual stream, meaning bottles and cans are collected in a separate container than all paper products. Single stream collection allows all of the recyclable material (glass, aluminum cans, steel cans, plastic, junk mail, newspaper, magazines, office paper, etc.) to be combined in the same receptacle. It has been the national trend over the past 5-8 years to collect recyclables single stream due to several factors. The markets that purchase material, known as MRFs (Material Recovery Facilities) have improved their technology to separate the material when it enters their facility. Thus, the revenue from the single stream has become more stable and predictable. Local governments and private haulers have begun collecting single stream because the efficiencies that are gained when collecting and hauling material, i.e. collection becomes less expensive. Furthermore, communities are seeing higher participation rates and overall volume has increased because it is more convenient for residents when they do not have to sort and the carts that the material is collected in are often easier to maneuver and hold more material. For these reasons, starting July 2012 each County program will be collected single stream. The move to single stream is consistent with recommendations from the Solid Waste Planning Work Group, County Staff and the Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB). The Towns have been requesting consideration of single stream for some time. The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) authorized this programmatic change by its inclusion in the Fiscal 2011/12 budget adoption. Orange County has had a recycling collection program since the late 1980's. The program first started with drop-off sites and then contracted out for curbside collection for all three municipalities in 1989. In the beginning residents could only recycle aluminum cans, glass, and newspaper at the curb and the five drop-off sites, "source separated." Source separated means there was a bin for each commodity at the drop-off sites (aluminum, green glass, clear glass, amber glass, and newspaper). And curbside, residents could throw this material in one bin at the curb and the drivers would be responsible for separating each commodity into compartments in the truck as they collected. As markets became more prevalent, steel cans, plastic bottles, and magazines were added to the collections through the 1990s, still source separated. In addition to materials added at the curb and at drop-offs, source separated government buildings, rural curbside, multi-family, and commercial programs started in the early 1990s. In 2006-2007,