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4 <br />recycling collection trucks into the 40 cubic yard containers, then hauled to market. The <br />current system is operating at capacity. <br />Discussion <br />Analysis conducted by the County's staff and the Work Group's technical advisor,ltRSI, <br />and presented at the November 28th Work Group meeting, showed that converting the <br />drop-off program and commercial program to two-stream (as the multi-family and rural <br />curbside programs are currently), then loading and shipping out the commingled cans and <br />bottles in tractor trailer loads of about 110 cubic yards each, instead of 40 cubic yard roll- <br />offs used presently, would eliminate the current use of labor to bale the plastics and metal <br />cans and further clean up the glass and reduce the number of hauls to market. While this <br />commingling of cans and bottles would reduce revenue from selling more `refined', <br />separated products, those revenue reductions would be exceeded by the savings in fuel <br />and time efficiency from shipping larger loads, and reductions in processing labor. It has <br />been noted that changes to two-stream from six-way sorting in programs elsewhere have <br />resulted in more materials being recycled, just by simplifying the nature of public <br />participation. <br />Moving to a commingled system would solve various logistical problems, creating higher <br />collection efficiency, thus freeing labor to enable the improvement and expansion of <br />County programs to meet local waste reduction goals and growing demands for more <br />recycling. Currently we handle about 2,700 tons of cans and bottles per year and these <br />changes could readily enable an increased volume of at least 10% with no new labor. For <br />example, the new state statute requiring recycling by bars and restaurants has resulted in <br />new customer demands for our program and allowing these establishments to switch to <br />commingled containers will address their current interior space constraints and multiple <br />containers for sorting. The addition of mixed paper to curbside recycling did not result in <br />a commensurate reduction of tonnage delivered to the drop-off sites, thus overall <br />recycling program tonnages that we collect continue to increase. For instance, rural <br />curbside tonnage has grown 42% and multifamily 5% compared to last fiscal year. <br />Improvements in processing and hauling efficiency are ways to meet this growth without <br />increasing staffing. <br />Creating the loading capability to handle the materials in 110 yard tractor trailers would <br />involve some modest improvements to our existing recycling without expanding its <br />current footprint. A concrete `push wall' and storage area would be constructed on the <br />existing recycling pad, under the covered area, to enable a loader to scoop up materials <br />and dump them into the higher-walled trailers needed to deliver materials efficiently to <br />market. Some minor modifications to the coverall structure doors and improvements to <br />the gravel area to enable a wider turning area for the trucks would make movement of <br />materials safer and more efficient. A new rubber tine loader would be required to scoop <br />these materials off the pad and into the transfer trailers. Staff has also just completed a <br />hauling analysis that confirms projected efficiencies. <br />4 <br />