WasteSmart Plan Update to WasteSmart Open House October 16, 2018 Helen Lee Environmental Program Manager Transportation & Environmental Services City of Alexandria, Virginia
Agenda • Overview of Solid Waste Services in the City of Alexandria • Existing Conditions Around Waste • WasteSmart Planning Process • Community Engagement • Technical Papers by HDR • Environmental Action Plan Alignment • Vision & Values of the Strategic Plan • Framework and Short, Mid, Long Term Actions • Questions & Answers 10/18/2018 2
Overview of Solid Waste Services in the City T&ES Collection Services • Residents living in detached, single-family homes, duplexes, and some townhouses with three or fewer units; ~20,200 households served • ~250 small businesses and commercial accounts • 65 schools and government buildings and 150 non-profit organizations Commercial Collection • Commercial properties, multi-family buildings, Homeowners Associations are required to provide trash and recycling to tenants • Commercial properties are required to fill out the Recycling Implementation Plan every year • Accounts for more than 70% of the City’s waste stream 10/18/2018 3
T&ES Waste Services • 20,200 households served • Residential recycling, yard waste composting, and trash curbside collections • Leaf/Brush Collection • Metal and appliances collection • Spring Clean-Up • Bulk Trash Pick-Up • HHW & Electronic Waste Recycling Center • Recycling Drop-Off Centers • Public Space Trash & Recycling Bins • Composting at Farmers’ Markets 10/18/2018 4
FY18 Resource Recovery Achievements • Composting program – 5 year anniversary. Hit 100,000 th household served milestone and composted over 816,000 lbs. • Public space trash and recycling bins mapped with new efficient routing. • Residential recycling and trash ‘waste - audit’ completed. • Distributed 1,000 new 64-gallon black trash carts and repurposed green bins for yard waste only. • HHW & Electronics Center - 11,000 visitors and recovered ~230,000 lbs of HHW and 191,000 lbs of electronics. 10/17/2018 5
Existing Conditions Around Waste • Evolving Global Recycling Market • Changes in packaging design • Confusion of What Goes Where and Graphic courtesy How2Recycle increasing contamination • China’s National Sword Policies • Limitations on sorting technologies and finding end markets • Changes in the Financial Landscape • Trash - $0.00/tip fee starting 2025 • New Environmental Challenges 10/17/2018 6
WasteSmart Strategic Plan 20 Year Plan for the Future of Sustainable Solid Waste Management in the City of Alexandria 10/17/2018 7
Planning Process Ongoing Stakeholder Engagement HDR's Memorandums EAP Goal Alignment Develop & Adopt WasteSmart Implement, Monitor & Track Progress Revisit & Update Goals 10/17/2018 8
Stakeholder Input 370 comments & questions received on the online Feedback Form • 9 Civic Association Presentations • Online Feedback Form • Letter to the Editor • WasteSmart Open House + Facebook Live • Dedicated WasteSmart Website • eNews / Social Media • Eco Café participation on solid waste planning • Employee town hall meeting • EAP Public Meetings • EPC Retreat & Working Group Presentation 10/18/2018 9
HDR White Papers • Tasks 1 & 2 Evaluate current services and benchmarking with other communities • Task 3 - Costs and benefits of collecting solid waste by private contract • Task 4 - Opportunities to increase revenue by offering new services • Task 5 - Evaluate the collection and processing of recyclables separate from regular trash • Task 6 - Evaluate the environmental benefits of current waste collection and processing practices • Task 7 - Evaluate feasible alternatives to operating a waste-to-energy facility in Alexandria after 2038 and recommend a general planning schedule for managing Alexandria’s solid waste beyond 2038 10/18/2018 10
Vision & Environmental • Greenhouse gas emissions Values • Avoided waste sent to WTE/Landfills (Diversion Rate) • Residue/Contamination Waste Smart Social Benefits Economic • Customer satisfaction • Program cost • Public Perception • Avoided disposal cost • Equity • Revenue opportunity • Safety • Opportunity cost • Job Creation 10/18/2018 11
The WasteSmart Framework Education & Reduce & Outreach Reuse Effective Resource Time Frames for Action Items Government Recovery Operations Short-term actions: FY2019 – FY2021 Recycling & Organics Medium-term actions: FY2022 – FY2025 Long-term actions: FY2025 – FY2038 End Disposal 10/18/2018 12
Effective Government Operations Short Term (FY18-21) • Resource Recovery Special Revenue Fund to self-fund programs • Route Optimization Study • Review Solid Waste Fees Mid – Long Term (FY22-38) • Evaluate public space trash and recycling bins and make recommendations on optimizing routes and other operational changes. • Establish sustainable purchasing guidelines to include for recycled content • Fleet Greening (CNG vs. electrification) *Green – EAP goals 10/18/2018 13
Education & Outreach Short Term (FY18-21) • Refresh website to be mobile friendly • Develop digital resources (recycling/trash signs, social media kits) for schools, commercial and multifamily properties Photo courtesy Zero Waste DC • Implement How to Sort Search Tool & Collection Notification Tools • Increase social media presence • Recycle Right Campaign Mid-Long Term (FY22-38) • Improve accessibility of content (translations) • Resource Recovery Ambassadors Volunteer Program Photo courtesy The Recycling Partnership *Green – EAP goals 10/18/2018 14
Reduce & Reuse Short Term (FY18-21) • Reuse/Repair/Donate Directory • Evaluate PAYT feasibility • Share a Bag Pilot • Support the regional development of a bottle bill & bag law Mid-Long Term (FY22-38) • Support building material reduce, reuse and recycling through regional partnerships • Support the regional development of Product Stewardship Legislation for electronics, mercury containing products, paints and pharmaceuticals • Work with surrounding jurisdictions to reduce plastic waste *Green – EAP goals 10/18/2018 15 Photo courtesy Zero Waste DC
Recycling Short Term (FY18-21) • Implement special drop-off sites for glass recovery and implement a glass recovery awareness campaign • Continue monitoring the recyclability of glass, potentially expand glass drop-off centers, and make recommendations for changes to the single stream program • Conduct an annual Material Recovery Facility (MRF) sort • Review recyclability of #3-7 plastics in the marketplace to determine whether to include in the City's recycling list and update City Code Mid-Long Term (FY22-38) • Conduct a waste characterization study • Expand the support for commercial and multifamily recycling education and enforcement • Consider establishing business rebates, resource recovery grants *Green – EAP goals 9/24/2018 16
Organics Short Term (FY18-21) • Continue to meet and grow public awareness of food composting at farmers’ markets • Evaluate whether to privatize composting program • Improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness of yard waste collection program Mid-Long Term (FY22-38) • Evaluate organics processing market readiness • Evaluate curbside organics collection feasibility • Develop an organics haulers license list to support commercial and multifamily organics collection • Support growing local composting efforts such as backyard composting and community composting *Green – EAP goals 10/18/2018 17
Short Term (FY18-21) End Disposal • Continue to closely monitor Covanta’s preventative and corrective maintenance Mid to Long Term (FY22-38) • Develop options and recommendation for budget savings with $0 Covanta tip fee from 2025-2038 • Complete regional comprehensive alternative disposal study • Evaluate long term end disposal options, knowing that significant time will be needed for any potential planning and implementation *Green – EAP goals 10/18/2018 18
Thank You alexandriava.gov/WasteSmart 10/18/2018 19
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