Agenda - 09-18-2001 - 8k - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment C Memorandum 12 To: John Link, County Manager From: Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Management Director Subject: Governmental Building, Dry Cell Battery, and Electronics Recycling Proposal Date: September 6, 2001 This memorandum presents information about the proposed programs to collect recyclables in local government buildings, post-consumer electronics, particularly computers and related peripherals, and dry cell batteries. Staff recommends that the Board endorse these programs. Background Removing batteries and electronics from the current solid waste stream has potential to reduce toxicity by removing sources of lead, mercury, cadmium, other heavy metals and pre-cursors of acid forming leachate. Many states are considering programs to reduce landfilling or incineration of electronics but only Massachusetts and California have thus far banned cathode ray tubes (CRTs) from landfills and incinerators. In North Carolina, Wake County has effectively banned commercially generated CRTs from its landfill and begun collecting post-consumer electronics (September 3). They will charge commercial users, but residential use is at no charge. The Town of Cary has also initiated regular, residential curbside computer collection at no charge to the residents. Currently Orange County does not provide a computer recycling opportunity. In the adopted 2001-02 BOCC budget, funds were provided to initiate programs to collect residential electronics and batteries for diversion to reuse, salvage and recycling programs. Funds were also provided for consolidation of collection of recyclables from local government buildings. While the FY 2001-02 budget included funds for these three new programs, including the Recycling Materials Handler position, the programs were not authorized,pending further BOCC discussion. Implementing the programs as outlined in the budget document will create an opportunity to expand local government building recycling services, save money now spent contracting these services and make collections more efficient and consistent. Currently those materials are collected by a combination of two contractors and in-house forces from the Public Works and Solid Waste Management Departments (see Attachment A). The primary government building collection contractor charges $38 per collection for each new site added. There is no standardized collection system. Sites currently throughout the County are inconsistent in design, types of materials picked up, frequency, signage, etc.