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City of Missoula, Montana Item to be Referred to City Council Committee Committee: Conservation Item: Recycling in Missoula Date: October 23, 2009 Prepared by: Pam Walzer Initiated by: Pam Walzer Action Required: Informational only at this time Recommended Motion: NA Timeline: Referral to committee: October 23, 2009 Committee discussion: Council acts to set hearing: Public Hearing: Deadline: none Background and Alternatives Explored: I would like to investigate options the city has to overcome obstacles and encourage and/or mandate waste minimization and recycling efforts. As progressive as Missoula appears, we are not very with respect to certain public utility services. Unlike several other cities in Montana (and Portland & Seattle), Missoula has only one public utility, the waste water treatment system. Many similar cities have drinking water, electricity and garbage public utilities. Missoula does not own or operate the solid waste landfill nor does it provide waste pick-up service. It is my understanding that the city has extremely limited regulatory or oversight abilities, if any, for the activities at the landfill (DEQ has oversight) or waste transport (PSC has oversight). Without having City “ownership” of the solid waste disposal, any City recycling/waste minimization program would be funded from the General Fund – with no obvious benefit to the residents. The waste hauler (Allied Waste) could voluntarily implement a waste minimization program, one that rewards households for reducing the amount of wastes generated, rather than charging a flat fee per household for up to 5 waste containers. I would like to investigate whether or not the City or the PSC, via a request from the City, can require the waste hauler to provide a tiered pricing system that truly reflects the quantity of wastes transported. Incentivizing or requiring waste recycling may be more difficult as recycling depends on a ready market and a commitment of the waste generators. Some of the issues that help prevent Missoula from achieving the recycling rates one would expect are: 1. Missoula's distance from many markets restricts the types of materials to be recycled due to transportation costs. Are there innovative alternatives to getting the recyclables to distant markets at lower transportation costs? Are there ways to encourage local economic development involving businesses that utilize waste products? What ways can we use waste glass: road additive, decorative landscaping, building material, other? 2. Allied Wastes' Blue Bag efforts, for many reasons do not meet the recycling needs of many of its customers. Is there a better system that will get customers to recycle? Building permit requirements for multifamily waste enclosures do not require recycling containers or require accommodations for such. 3. Many recyclers place inappropriate items in recycling bins at Allied Waste and Pacific Steel, causing the entire bin to be sent to the landfill or at a minimum, handled as a less valuable commodity. How can the general public be better informed and who should do it? Is it more feasible to have all recyclables collected together with separation by the recycling facility, and who would pay for the additional costs? 4. Is the City able to compel waste producers within City and Allied Waste to create a better waste recycling system? ---PAGE BREAK--- Financial Implications: Unknown – could be negative, positive, or cost neutral Attachments: none