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Comprehensive Review of S olid W aste Collection and Disposal Options v2.1 37 10/22/12 3.2.1 Curbside Recycling Collection for Single -Family Homes and Duplexes Based on SWANA’s “The Benchmarking of Residential Solid Waste Collection Services: FY 2008 Report”, the average number of residential units served by a collection crew using a fully- automated collection method in North Carolina was 121 homes per hour. For the purposes of this financial analysis, SCS has assumed that each collection crew would spend approximately 6.5 hours per day collecting recyclables and 1.5 hours a day transporting recyclables, thus a collection crew can collect from about 4,000 homes during a 5-day workweek. SCS notes that under the Town’s current task-based performance structure, the staffing necessary to operate this program would likely have different performance metrics than the residential or commercial collections staff. While SCS recognizes innumerable scenarios exist pursuant to configuring collections staffing, routing, and equipment to implement a Town-operated recycling operation, our assumption of a 5-day workweek appeared to be the least cost option, requiring the least capital investment. Under this scenario, SCS anticipates the Town would need at least three front line automated collection vehicles to perform weekly collection at all single-family households during this 5-day schedule. Compressing the collection schedule to 2 days to match the Town’s current MSW collections schedule would likely double this capital investment to provide additional trucks and crews to staff simultaneous collections routes. Apart from program costs, other intangible factors may influence program configurations. Capital costs necessary to implement a Town-operated recycling program assuming a 5-day workweek are presented in Exhibit 3-1. Capital costs presented herein do not include an aggregation facility where material is aggregated into a larger trailer for transport to market. These discussions are presented further in Section 9. Similarly, the Town may elect to establish a solid waste transfer station with an aggregation area for recyclables or build a concrete pad similar to the one used by the County. It is assumed that the Town would need to purchase four collection vehicles (three for weekly operations and one spare vehicle). The capital costs were amortized at 5% interest for 7 years. Operating expenses are based on three full-time drivers (assuming backup drivers can be provided from existing staff when needed) for the fully-automated collection vehicles at an annual loaded salary of $55,000 each, or $165,000 in total salary. Operating costs are presented in Exhibit 3-2. Based on SWANA’s “The Benchmarking of Residential Solid Waste Collection Services: FY 2008 Report,” the average maintenance cost of fully-automated collection vehicles is about $40,000 per vehicle per year.