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PART 2: BACKGROUND <br />INTRODUCTION <br />This section describes the waste management system now operating in the Twin <br />Cities and its history. It describes the evolution of change in federal, state <br />and regional waste management policy over the past two decades and provides an <br />assessment of the consequences of continuing current waste management prac- <br />tices. These factors are the context within which the regional strategy (Part <br />3) and its policies were developed. <br />EXISTING WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM <br />MIXED MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE <br />The Metropolitan Area generates nearly 5,500 tons of mixed municipal solid <br />waste daily --roughly 5.3 pounds per person. Mixed municipal solid waste con- <br />sists of paper, food waste, yard waste, glass, metals and miscellaneous other <br />materials collected from residential, commercial and industrial sources. About <br />two thirds is generated by households and businesses; industry generates the <br />remainder. <br />While most local governments regulate collection of solid waste --restricting <br />hours of collection, roadways travelled or requiring other actions for public <br />health or nuisance control --few communities operate collection services and <br />only a handful contract for waste collection. Most of the region's mixed <br />municipal waste is collected under an "open" arrangement where each waste <br />generator purchases collection service directly from a waste hauling firm. <br />More than 150 private collection companies serve the region, ranging in size <br />from small family businesses to local offices of multinational waste management <br />corporations. <br />Ninety-five percent of the region's mixed municipal waste is landfilled. It is <br />estimated that eight percent goes to landfills in counties bordering the <br />region. About 87 percent or 1.7 million tons is disposed of annually in the <br />eight landfills currently operating within the Metropolitan F. ,. <br />Estimates of the amount of the region's mixed municipal wasL, -ecovered range <br />from three to seven percent, but little reliable data is available. Surveys <br />indicate that over 40 percent of the region's residents recycle some portion of <br />their household waste. The Council's 1984 Recycle It! directory lists 254 <br />sites in the region that accept recycled materialsT. —These facilities operate <br />either as drop-off repositories, taking in one or more types of recyclable <br />materials, or as redemption centers where cash is paid for the more valuable <br />materials such as aluminum or corrugated cardboard. <br />Table 2-1 shows communities with solid waste recovery activities. Twenty have <br />city wide recycling pickup services. There are several examples of leaf <br />composting and office paper recycling programs currently in the region. Leaf <br />composting projects include drop-off locations and curb -side pickup. They are <br />generally operated as a free public service. Several commercial and govern- <br />mental offices recycle office paper. <br />10 <br />