CITY OF HALLANDALE BEACH
MEMORANDUM
DATE: August 8, 2007
TO: D. Mike Good, City Manager
FROM: Earl S. King III, Acting Director of Public Works, Utilities and Engineering
SUBJECT: Citywide Recycling Program Proposal AR# 060/05
PURPOSE:
The City Commission requested that staff provide a report for a curb side recycling program.
BACKGROUND:
Over a decade ago, the Sanitation Division designed a recycling program structured around the collection of curbside newspaper, condo and commercial paper, and recycling stations for commingled products (plastic, glass and aluminum cans).
Currently, curbside newspaper collection is scheduled bi-weekly for single family homes utilizing recycling bins. One operator collects all curbside newspaper with a ten yard compaction truck, which must be dumped numerous times.
In addition to the aforementioned collections, recycling stations are strategically placed throughout the city for the collection of commingled products. The utilization of dumpsters at these stations has proven to be the safest and most effective way of collecting this material. However, these stations have demonstrated various disadvantages. First, it has been difficult to maintain the aesthetics of these stations. Some residents have used the stations for prohibited disposal of trash and garbage; others have placed items beside, rather than inside, the containers. Another disadvantage of the recycling stations is the fact that they are very labor-intensive. Some stations must be serviced several times a day to assure they are serviced sufficiently.
DISCUSSION:
Staff recommends improvements to the City’s current recycling program. The proposed program is designed first to promote recycling in the community and to encourage residents to become more responsible stewards of our environment. Additionally, it is intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the City’s recycling program. The following discussion provides a more thorough explanation of the proposed program.
Program Description
The proposed Recycling Program will operate (6) days a week, Monday through Saturday. During the work week, staff will schedule and route the collection of
commercial and residential recycling. The scheduled days of service would correspond with the days of garbage service for residential and commercial accounts. This scheduling would enable customers to set out both garbage and recycling conveniently on the same day.
The commodities of choice would be commingled and newspaper products. Commingled material would include plastics, glass, and aluminum cans. Thanks to technology and modernization, those who recycle will be able to combine commingled with newspaper products all in one source. This will eliminate the inconvenience of separating the material, as we currently do at the City Recycling Stations.
Equipment and Personnel
The following is a list of costs to initiate and operate the program:
1. Specialized Equipment (Carts) $287,130.00
2. Recycling Truck $200,000.00
3. Heavy Equipment Operator $ 50,576.00
4. Maintenance/Fuel $ 15,641.00
5. 5% Contaminated Disposal $ 13,565.00
6. Liability Insurance $ 7,500.00
7. Flyer Advertisement $ 1,500.00
Total Initial Costs: $575,912.00
Benefits
The program will be beneficial for the environment. The Hallandale Beach community will be acknowledged as a participating member of a countywide effort to reduce solid waste and recycle. Secondly, most commercial accounts or condos will be able to reduce their garbage service bill while helping the environment with their involvement. Thirdly, the City will have both a disposal and operational expense savings. Disposal savings will be accomplished by the removal of these recyclables from the waste stream, therefore resulting in an estimated savings of $271,000 per year, based upon anticipated
tonnage of recyclables. Operational expenses will be reduced by the reassigning of workload from the newspaper route and recycling stations. Furthermore, the savings will increase on an annual basis due to rising disposal and personnel costs.
Another benefit will be the elimination of the recycling stations, which have drawbacks. The City will become the first city in South Florida to provide a “single stream” recycling service to its community.
Staff recommends the City charge a fee for collection of recycled goods from single family homes, condominiums, and commercial establishments in order to recoup the operational costs for the program. Single family homes would pay a charge of $2.00 per month for recycling services. Staff based these figures on 4500 homes and the cost of serving them. Recycling service charges from other cities range between one to two dollars per month. The monthly service charge for condos and commercial establishments would be $25 to $100 depending on the number of units and the
tonnage. While all single family homes would be charged for participation, the
commercial and condominium establishments would be charged according to use. The combined revenue funds would provide an estimated annual revenue of $ 350,000 per year which covers operational costs and equipment reserve expenditures.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the implementation of a comprehensive recycling program conducted in-house which includes the residential and commercial monthly service fees as described in this report.
Prepared By: ______________________
Mike J. Fernandez
Sanitation Superintendent
Reviewed:
_______________________________ __________
D. Mike Good, City Manager Date
_____Approved _____Disapproved _____Hold for Discussion