Solid Waste and Recycling Program Development for
Exploring opportunities to improve waste collection services, increase recycling opportunities, and reduce the carbon footprint of downtown Columbus, Ohio
Solid Waste and Recycling Program Development for
Cleve Ricksecker, Executive Director, Capital Crossroads SID Michael Greenberg, President, GT Environmental, Inc.
Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District • 38 Square-block area • Voluntarily funded by 500+ property owners • Purpose: To make downtown the cleanest, safest and most attractive commercial area in Central Ohio
Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District • Downtown ambassadors • Pearl Market • Capital Square kickball league • Downtown Live • Downtown Recycling
Downtown Recycling Who Wants to Recycle?
Why Do They Want to Recycle?
• • • •
• Commitment to environmental sustainability: “It’s the right thing to do” • Feeling of responsibility • Set an example of environmental stewardship • Reduce waste disposal costs
Businesses Employees Residents Restaurants & Hotels • City of Columbus
Downtown Recycling The Plan • Formation of Waste Consortium • 35 Waste Assessments • Recommendations for waste reduction and recycling program implementation • Contract negotiation for “menu of services” • Promotion of preferred haulers
Downtown Recycling Recycling Plan Partners • The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio • The City of Columbus • The Ohio Department of Natural Resources • The Short North Business Association
Challenges • Lack of Knowledge on how or where to recycle • Different types of buildings – Sizes – Ages – Loading docks – Waste generated
• There is no single solution
Solid Waste and Recycling Assessments • • • • •
Phase I Waste Consortium establishment Data Collection Findings/Recommendations Phase II
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Participating Buildings Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus
107-109 S. High Street
Sixty Spring
City View at 3rd
Fifth Third Center
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC
Residence Inn
The Exchange Urban Lofts
937-951 N. High Street
Columbus Athenaeum
Huntington Bank Building
LeVeque Tower
Southeast Mental Health
The Yukon Building
175 S. Third Street
Barrio Tapas & Lounge
Downtown YMCA
Huntington Center
Lofts at 106
Surly Girl Saloon
Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails
Bricker & Eckler, LLP
Due Amici Restaurant, Ltd.
Huntington Plaza Building
Mary Catherine’s Antiques
The Continental Plaza
Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease, LLP
Carriage House Place
Eclextion Lofts
Hyatt on Capitol Square
One Columbus
The Del Monte Building
Wall Street Nightclub
280 Plaza
51 North High Street
Data Collected from Each Building • • • •
One year of waste hauler invoices. Waste hauler contracts. Number of businesses in building. Estimated number of employees/tenants/customers using the facility (daily).
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Data Collected During Site Visits
Solid Waste and Recycling Receptacle System
Movement of Materials Through the Building
Data Collected During Site Visits
Recyclable Materials
Collection Containers
Findings • Average rate of recycling for all buildings: 14.5% • Materials recycled: Office paper, mixed paper, cardboard, and mixed recyclables (including plastic bottles and aluminum cans)
• Efforts are coordinated by building management and/or individuals • If there is no building program individuals will take home recyclables or take them to SWACO drop-off • Confidential document destruction separate
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Findings • Average monthly cost for trash and recycling: $1,074 • Average monthly cost for recycling alone: $398 • Annual disposal cost per person: $46.81 (not including restaurants)
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Recommendations • An average rate of 50% recycling could be achieved in the 35 buildings Office buildings: 60% Restaurants: 66% Condos: 10% - 25%
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Recommendations Collected data was used to make recommendations on: • Materials to be Collected in a Recycling Program • Type of Recycling Collection Program • Types of Recycling/Solid Waste Containers • Appropriate Locations and Signage for Collection Containers • Education Programs for Staff/Residents • Opportunities to Reduce Waste Disposal Costs • Economic Incentives for Waste Reduction
Recommendations Containers • Locate recycling containers at each desk • Trash and recycling containers should be paired together • Use uniquely colored bags for housekeeping/janitors to differentiate
Recommendations Signage • Distinguish between trash and recycling containers • Use text and illustration
Recommendations Education • Train housekeeping/janitors about system • Inform tenants how to gather recyclables • Coordination and cooperation between building management and housekeeping • Building tenant involvement
Recommendations to Reduce Waste Disposal Costs • Monitor dumpsters – Size, # of collection days % full when collected
• Incentive Program – Pizza parties, charitable donations, coupons, “Get Caught Recycling”
• Organics Recycling • Waste Assessments • Re-TRAC program participation
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Recommendations • Do-it-yourself waste assessment template and instructions available • Re-TRACTM web-based data management system – Standard & Environmental Reports – Track waste division – Calculate disposal costs – Generate environmental footprint
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Phase II • Eastman & Smith, Ltd. • Negotiate “menu of services” for consortium • Preferred service providers to be identified and recommended to consortium
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Recycling Around Ohio and the US What’s New What’s Hot
GT
Environmental, Inc.
What Factors Impact Recycling in Ohio and the U.S.? What are the costs associated with the alternatives?
• Landfills • Incineration and Waste to Energy • What is the supply of the alternatives?
Source: Ohio EPA Draft 2009 Solid Waste Plan
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Source: Ohio EPA Draft 2009 Solid Waste Plan
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Solid Waste in the U.S.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Source: US EPA
Landfill Capacity • In 2007, Ohio had 42 operating landfills. • Disposal capacity of 592,000,000 cubic yards. • Equates to 31 years of disposal capacity.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Landfill Capacity • Its cheap $30 - $40 per ton. • Its plentiful.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Waste-To-Energy • Disappeared in Ohio in the 1990’s. • Clean Air Act Retrofit. • Environmental Impacts. • Supreme Court Flow Control Decisions in 1990’s. • Why are the majority of the waste-to-energy facilities located on the coasts?
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Waste-To-Energy
GT
Environmental, Inc.
RECYCLING IN OHIO & U.S. What’s New Automation Why Automation? • Reduces injuries dramatically. • Saves substantial workers compensation insurance costs. • Reduced Labor Costs • Carts Provide a convenient storage bin for recyclables through the week. • Carts provide an opportunity to track weights.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
RECYCLING IN OHIO What’s New
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Environmental, Inc.
RECYCLING IN OHIO & U.S. What’s New Automation: In Columbus, an old but good idea but only manages refuse.
In Akron, Lorain County and many other communities it is a wholesale change to the collection business. Both refuse and recycling automated.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
RECYCLING IN OHIO & U.S. What’s New Automation: Recycle Bank – Programs in Lorain County, Pilot in City of Montgomery in Hamilton County and the City of Toledo is evaluating. Two ways to Recycle-Redeem-Reward • By household • By Community
GT
Environmental, Inc.
What is on the Horizon? Food Waste and Organic Material Curbside Recycling Both Commercial and Residential Needs for success: • Programs for commercial milk runs. • Pilot projects with Kroger’s and others are starting. Increased infrastructure to manage the food and organic material.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
What is on the Horizon? Infrastructure in Ohio: • 30 Class II Compost Facilities • Central Ohio has at least two facilities that are permitted to manage this material
GT
Environmental, Inc.
RECYCLING AROUND THE U.S. What trends are we seeing? • More automation and investment from the large private sector haulers. • Three cart systems (trash, recycling, organics (yard waste and food) on the west coast
GT
Environmental, Inc.
West Coast Regulatory Environment Seattle, Washington bans and enforcement.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
SEATTLE’s Recycling Collection Program • Administrative Rule SPU-DR-01-04 apply to residential and commercial customers? • Residential (both single-family and multifamily): Residents are prohibited from putting significant amounts of paper, cardboard, glass and plastic bottles and jars as well as aluminum and tin cans in their garbage containers as of January 1, 2005.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
SEATTLE’s Recycling Collection Program • Administrative Rule SPU-DR-01-04 Does it apply to residential and commercial customers? • Yard debris has been prohibited from residential garbage since 1989. Exception: Contaminated and food soiled paper.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
SEATTLE’s Recycling Collection Enforcement Program • • Single-family Residents: The City’s contractors will not pick up garbage cans that have significant amounts of recyclables (as is done now with yard trimmings). A tag will be left on the can instructing the customer to separate out the recyclables and place the container out at the curb for collection the following week. • • Apartment Owners or Property Managers: City inspectors will mail to the garbage account holder up to two warning notices before a $50 surcharge is added to the apartment building’s garbage bill. • • Business Owners or Property Managers: City inspectors will mail to the garbage account holder up to two warning notices before a $50 fine is imposed. • • Recycling and Disposal Station Customers: Self-haul customers will be asked to separate out recyclable paper and cardboard as well as yard debris from their loads and not to dispose of such material in the garbage pit.
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Questions • Why don’t we have Seattle style systems across the U.S.? • Why don’t we have mandatory curbside programs in Ohio? • What are typical annual costs for trash and recycling to a homeowner. Is that cost out of line for the importance of the service?
GT
Environmental, Inc.
Questions Why don’t we have automation in the central Ohio suburbs? Why don’t we have curbside service in all of our communities?
GT
Environmental, Inc.
