01-03-1985 Council Packet Special Meeting

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Convenience and Reliable Servi,c Four factors can determine the level of convenience to the waste generator for separate collection of recyclables and yard waste: 1) frequency and time of pickup, Z) degree of preparation that the material requires, 3) provision of household containers, and 4) degree of reliability for pickup. Once -a -month frequency of collection for recyclables is the minimum that must be provided to achieve minimally adequate participation rates. Preference should be given to programs that can provide more frequent service. For instance, twice -a -month service can be optimal for separate collection of recy- clables, depending the specifics of the community and its program design. However, because of cost implications, once -a -month shall be the region -wide standard for those identified urban and suburban portions of the Metropolitan Area. Frequency for yard waste collection should be once a week during the growing - season months, especially spring and early summer. This material should not be allowed to sit unattended for any longer because of potential odor problems from grass clippings, which are defined as part of compostable yard waste. Drop-off sites may be provided as an alternative to on -route collection of yard wastes. However, these sites must be located conveniently enough to achieve comparable participation rates. Roll -off boxes used to collect yard wastes and then haul it to centralized composting facilities could be provided as an alter- native to permanently established bins or sites. Neighborhood composting bins, possibly in conjunction with neighborhood gardens, could also be an acceptable alternative. The amount of material preparation required of the generator depends on market specifications and what the intermediate processing is designed to do. The region currently has only minimal mechanized processing capacity for recycl- ables and yard wastes, and therefore the waste generator must prepare materials to a high degree (for example, removing metal and plastic contaminants from glass containers). The counties should place a priority on establishing inter- mediate processing centers for recy^lables and yard waste materials so that the level of convenience to their residents can be improved. Intermediate process- ing centers should be established or. a multicounty basis to optimize haul dis- tances, efficiencies of scale and cooperative marketing potentials. These intermediate processing facilities should be operating by 1988 to correpond to the mandatory source -separation requirement. In the meantime, residents must continue to separate and clean their materials as needed to provide adequate quality of supply. Providing household containers for recyclables add,. ' convenience and personal satisfaction for residents. It can also sr a publicity tool to remind neighbors to set out their materials. Count J municipalities should give consideration to providing household cc ..rs. Continuous Publicity Participation cannot be developed, increased or maintained unless a permanent and well -designed publicity campaign is established for each program. This essential factor can not be replaced by other means to achieve high participa- tion. Content, format and method of delivery are not as important as the con- tinuous nature of information about the particular program. For instance, it is desirable to deliver or mail a program noti-e once every six months, and preferably more often, for a year-round source separation program for recyclables.