Ann Arbor City Council approves contracts for single-stream recycling
The Ann Arbor City Council continued a process of switching the city over to single-stream recycling at its meeting Monday night, approving two contracts.
The first, with RecycleBank, is for $227,400 in the first year. The company will provide vouchers and coupons for city residents based on the amount each household recycles.
Company officials said Monday night that on average, a household could earn about $240 in the coupons, which can be gift cards or other coupons. In addition, those dollars earned can be donated to a charity, which would receive cash from the company.
A worker separates recyclable items at the city's Materials Recovery Facility.
File photo
The moves Monday night cap several months of work on switching the city over from a dual-stream recycling model to a single-stream one.
Before the council vote, several residents expressed reservations about the switch and about the incentive program being offered by RecycleBank.
“If the present recycling system is deficient in some way, I’m unaware of this,” said resident Kathy Boris, pointing out the already high participation rates among Ann Arbor residents in the program.
Resident Glenn Thompson pointed out that Berkley has recently decided to maintain its dual-stream system and suggested Ann Arbor should continue with its as well.
However, city staff members said they expect to see a rise in recycling use with the switch.
In a report, they projected that recycling rates would rise from about 357 pounds per year per household to 752 pounds per household per year with the incentive program in place.
The switchover is expected to begin in July.
David Jesse covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com.
Comments
Snarf Oscar Boondoggle
Thu, Mar 18, 2010 : 2:13 a.m.
single streaming is a dumb idea. more later, but, first of all it creates a terrible environment for raising children who, growing up, are not involved with the knowlege that 'stuff' comes from somewhere and needs to go back to somewhere. a single slushbucket of trash cannot 'teach' the next generation that 'let george do it' is a regression of civilization.
breadman
Wed, Mar 17, 2010 : 8:15 p.m.
Gee! somewhere I missed all this! I rent, I recycle each week, my trash cart goes out each week with one 13gal bag. There is only two of us, watch what we buy and how it is packaged. There are times in the winter I will not roll my cart too the curb, because I do not worry about smell. (cold) Plus in the winter I shovel a spot on the curb for my cart so when it is empty its got a clean spot for return and not in the street. The City must think about residents on main roads with carts placed in the street, Bacause the driver leaves them lay.
Seasoned Cit
Wed, Mar 17, 2010 : 4:29 p.m.
What comes around!,... I remember attending a presentation several years ago where a private contractor who was collecting trash/garbage in the Whitmore Lake area was operating a true single stream system that included trash as well as recyclable.. and was questioning Ann Arbor's plans to go to the multiple-stream process (which of course involves two collection vehicles) vs one truck for a true single stream. I'm not sure where the coupons monopoly money comes from. If they have a value... does it mean that we'll be getting a "tax" rebate,or will the sale of recycled materials create so much income?
a2baggagehandler
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 5:12 p.m.
I think it's great. I don't recycle now because I don't want the nosy neighbor lady across the street eyeing my trash to see all the liquor bottles.
Karen Sidney
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 5:03 p.m.
The recycle carts cost 1,428,620 for 33,000 carts. The payment will come from the solid waste fund balance. Nearly all of the revenue in the solid waste fund is from the solid waste millage paid by Ann Arbor property owners. The city will also have to purchase 4 new recycle trucks. I don't think the truck purchase has come to council. Garbage trucks cost $200,000 to $250,000 each. The resolution is attached to the 12/21/09 council agenda
Dan
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 1:35 p.m.
I can't wait for single stream recycling.
aes
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 1:24 p.m.
I am just wondering whether there is any citizen anywhere in AA who approves of anything the Council members and Mayor are doing? I have never read so many negative remarks and complaints about what is going on in our city before (and I have been here many years). If we feel that our "representatives" are not representing us and not providing the basic services we need but are getting carried away by their sense of power and overspending when money is already in short supply, I think some radical housecleaning is in order.
kkichikawa
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 12:25 p.m.
How about reading the blog at A2Politico.com to see just how "great" this new single stream process is going to be for Ann Arbor...sarcasm intended!! Another A2 City council brilliant decision.
Rita Mitchell
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 12:18 p.m.
Recycle Bank is a marketing scheme, tied with many national manufacturers. Coca Cola is a leading supporter. Check out the site: RecycleBank.com where the slogan is "Recycle, Reward, Redeem." The selection of coupons will track your shopping preferences. Did we really need to add any kind of incentive to the recycling process? I don't think so. With new RRR approach, the outcome will be an ever-increasing amount of material to recycle, which will be directed to the tonnage collected on which our Ann Arbor recycling business is based. Will this new process avoid placing materials in landfills on our planet? How will we know? We should be guiding ourselves into an approach tied with the original process: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and aiming closer to zero waste. I am sorry that our council has adopted the new process. We could have spent the money on things that are actually in need of funds.
Phil Dokas
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 12:16 p.m.
So the answer to my question from the "A2 Recycling Collection Program to Roll Out July-August 2010" page at http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/fieldoperations/solidwasteunit/Pages/NewSingle-StreamRecyclableItems.aspx is: As part of the upgrade of the citys Materials Recovery Facililty (MRF) in mid-2010, Ann Arbor will add and recycle all clean plastic bottles and tubs marked #1, #2, #4, #5, #6, and #7. Bulky plastic HDPE #2 items such as buckets, crates, trays, and outdoor furniture will also be accepted. Please note that the plastics to be accepted must have a bottle (check for a neck) or tub shape (such as a yogurt tub, carryout plastic tray, microwave freezer food tray, berry box, etc.) The plastics meeting the shape criteria must be marked with a recycling number. No #3 (PVC for PolyVinyl Chloride--used for some shampoo and food bottles), polystyrene foam (aka Styrofoam), biodegradable plastics (marked PLA or compostable), or plastic bags. There's more to it of course, but there's the answer regarding which plastics will be recyclable. That's a real shame about styrofoam and especially plastic bags though. Wonder why they still won't able to handle these incredibly common items.
DeeAA
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 10:02 a.m.
My daughter lives in another city where they have one big container for trash and another for ALL recyclables. It seems to work well. Easier to manage than then small individual residential ones we have here for paper sorted from cans, etc. However, that does limit you to only that amount per pickup. What will we do with the cardboard that must be bundled? Like boxes, that might not fit into the bin. My neighbor across the street has never, ever, recycled anything. I doubt that this will reform him. Everything will still so into the trash container.
PhillyCheeseSteak
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 9:58 a.m.
Does anyone know who is going to pay for the new "single stream" carts? Are residents to pay, or will the City (taxpayers) pick up the tab? I assume they will be similar to the city's trash carts, so that they can be mechanically picked-up, reducing human labor. I don't like the "coupon" idea; just another thing to keep track of, plus it seems like people (in my neighborhood) either recycle or they don't. Finally, I question the decision of Council for the City to pay "RecycleBank" $227,400. To "provide vouchers and coupons for city residents based on the amount each household recycles"? A quarter of a million dollars for coupons? And...the actual "sorting" of the recyclables will still be done by "Recycle Ann Arbor"?
a2grateful
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 9:18 a.m.
May I use the "gift card" to apply to my tax or water bill?
Phil Dokas
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 9:13 a.m.
Non-politically charged question: what sort of plastics will be recyclable after this is in place? Currently we can only recycle 1 & 2. I've heard before that this will allow 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. Can this be confirmed and publicized?
jeffsab
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 8:55 a.m.
I am doubtful whether those who do not recycle now are going to decide to do so based on coupons. Ann Arbor has had curbside recycling forever, and if you haven't figured it out by now, you're likely never going to, regardless of the number of bins or incentives. The City Council has its priorities completely confused on this issue.
xmo
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 8:42 a.m.
I like the "single stream recycle", put everything in a trash can and put it out by the curb. If recycling is so good why doesn't the trash company sort it? It could be paid out of the profits generated by the recycled goods, if there are any. If not, skip recycling all together.
Awakened
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 8:06 a.m.
@BornNRaised. I think 'arrogant' is the word you are searching for...
Nerak
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 7:59 a.m.
While I hope this move does, indeed, increase the rate and amount of recycling, as a practical matter, I'm running out of room to put all my carts. And because I won't be able to stack the totes on top of the trash cart any longer when taking them to the curb, I'll have to make two trips -- an inconvenience in the winter. Plus, I'll still need totes so I have a way to store my recyclables indoors before transferring them to the cart.
BornNRaised
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 7:45 a.m.
AAresident: Are you serious? Do you really believe this city council really gives a crap on what YOU want done with YOUR tax money? Attend a council meeting. Watch how they'll open the meeting talking about how broke they are, then proceed to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. Council is a joke. Just haven't figured out if their stupid, or incompetent. I mean, they could be stupid and just not understand how you STOP SPENDING WHEN YOU'RE BROKE, or they could be incompetent and think that residents will just continue to throw more money at them to do with as they wish. Either situation is easily corrected when you go to vote. Easily corrected.
AAresident
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 7:17 a.m.
I agree with Bruce Amrine. I'm also concerned about the city spending $6 million on single stream. Our Council shouldn't be making new capital expenditures until they get the city budget under control.
jmac
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 7:17 a.m.
Bruce, you might be very surprised at how 'full' your recycling cart might get! We switched to single stream in Pittsfield. The recycling is picked up every two weeks and our cart is totally filled. Meanwhile, the garbage cart is practially empty. I just hope the recycling really is recycled; not clear on what actually happens to all this stuff.
Bruce Amrine
Tue, Mar 16, 2010 : 6:42 a.m.
I can see why the city would prefer to use a cart rather than the totes since they can automate the pickup and avoid having the driver manually emptying the totes. But there is no way that my recycling could possibly double in weight no matter what incentive is offered. All my glass is currently recycled, and with less newsprint these daays, my paper volume has gone way down. I actually don't even need to empty the totes every week. Will I need to put out an almost empty cart each week in order to be "rewarded"? That seems counter-productive. I'm a little dubious about the comparison of Ann Arbor to Westland. Do we really have that much in common? And I'm just mildly insulted that our city thinks I need to receive a "Cookie" for recycling!