Agenda - 04-25-2001-4 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

D1SCi1SS10Il Solid Waste management staff strongly supports the use of PAYT programs as a proven way to reduce the amount of waste landfilled and create incentives to recycle. Staff believes that implementation of PAYT programs will be most effective if they are done in the sequence of the adopted Orange County solid waste plan. Staff believes that targeting a single sector in only one jurisdiction, as is proposed in the attached memorandum from the Town, may present unintended consequences, operationally and financially, and compromise the overall effectiveness of planned efforts at waste reduction. In June 1997, all the local governments in Orange County endorsed goals and a solid waste management plan designed to reduce the total amount of Orange County's waste that is landfilled per capita by bl% by 2006. They reaffirmed that approach in the state-required 2000 update to the plan. That plan included consideration of regulatory/incentive measures such as "pay as you throw" or mandatory recycling only after implementing the two significant previous steps of implementing universal recycling collection and expansion of materials processing capability. Given a different recycling infrastructure, as proposed in the adopted solid waste plan, more materials from more sectors are potentially recyclable at the curb as well as at drop-off sites. Thus, potential impact on reducing the overall County solid waste landfilled is projected to be considerably greater using the proposed plan rather than implementation of PAYT in only one jurisdiction in one sector. The currently adopted plan was the result of several years of work by all jurisdictions and could result in significant reductions to Orange County's solid waste stream by systematically providing alternatives to landfilling by targeting more recyclable materials in more sectors, jointly in all jurisdictions. Once these new enhanced recycling collection and expanded processing services are in place, the regulatory approaches such as PAYT or mandatory recycling could reach their maximum effectiveness. Staff also believes commercial recycling collection must be included because of the high, but as yet unrealized potential for recycling in that sector. Orange County Solid Waste Management Department staff has detailed some key issues below that we believe are best resolved prior to the Town proceeding with its planned PAYT program. Staff has previously raised these issues in its discussions with Town of Chapel Hill staff A. Impacts of PAYT on curbside recycling services Operational Impacts • Current program users adding more materials to their bins thus increasing the weight/volume per bin collected and decreasing the number of homes served per z