DEPARTMENT: Solid Waste Management Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: David W. McCary
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Proposed Fee for Diapers in Recycling and Organics Carts
SUMMARY:
This ordinance would amend Chapter 14 of the City Code, Solid Waste, to establish a $50.00 contamination fee for customers placing diapers in the blue recycling and green organics carts. This new fee will not affect the current $25.00 contamination fee for general contamination in the blue recycling and green organics carts and will be administered utilizing the same process. The fee is estimated to generate approximately $3,700.00 in additional revenues annually within the Solid Waste Operating and Maintenance Fund.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio's Recycling Program began with a pilot program in 1993, and went city-wide in 1995. Customers were provided manually collected 18-gallon green recycling bins. At that time, contamination (such as trash and other non-recyclable materials) was not an issue. Between 2007 and 2010, the City converted to an automated collection system and provided residents with a 96-gallon garbage cart and a 96-gallon recycling cart. As a result, recycling tonnages and contamination have increased. SWMD began an education campaign to ensure that residents knew how to recycle correctly.
While contamination was acknowledged in the recycling stream, the market was more forgiving and the revenues from the recyclable commodities were enough to cover the cost of processing contaminates out of the recycling stream. The market for the recyclable commodities was strong and recycling revenues were steady. Since 2013, the recycling commodity markets have seen a long-term, sustained depression. The industry has become much more sensitive to the quality of materials.
Today, the recycling market standard is demanding high quality commodities, so contaminated recycling is being rejected and sent to landfills. San Ant...
Click here for full text