Solid waste and recycling collection: 2009 solid waste management update [2010]

Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2009 Solid Waste Management Update

Waste Collection

This update will focus on the level and type of solid waste collection, processing and recycling methods available throughout the State. How these services are provided, or even if, depends greatly upon a community's size, density and demographic profile. The data contained in this report is obtained mainly from the Annual Solid Waste Management Survey and Full Cost Report. This data is used to acquire an over-all "annual snapshot" of solid waste and recycling activities in the State. Before applying any analysis to this data it should be noted that annual response rates vary greatly and may contribute to the variations in trends.
In the table entitled Residential Waste & Recyclables Collection the changing role of local governments as solid waste collection service providers is highlighted. One trend appears to be the decreasing availability of recycling services. In FY 2006 66% of local governments who provided or arranged for residential waste collection for their residents, also made recycling services available, in FY 2009 this number fell slightly to 65%. However, collections for individual commodities has dropped off significantly; see the tables on page C-3 for details.
Local governments can partner with the private sector to manage the waste generated within their communities by using permits, ordinances, franchise agreements, and/or contracts. Permits and ordinances governing the collection of solid waste are typically the least restrictive tools local governments use to manage solid waste collection in their community. Collection ordinances typically establish general standards by which a private sector service provider must operate. Franchise agreements, either exclusive or open, generally establish a minimum level of services that must be provided by all service providers and usually stipulate the specific operating standards. A contract between a local government and private waste service provider provides the greatest degree of management control over the waste stream, with the local government setting forth specific performance measures and standards to be met by both parties.

The number of local governments

reporting they use ordinances fell

Private/Public Partnerships for Residential Waste Collection

slightly (373 in FY 2007 to 362 in FY 2009). This drop is likely due to slightly reduced reporting for FY 2009. Percentage-wise, ordinance use has hovered in the mid-50% range for several years.

Private collection does not exist Issue permit or license Local ordinance

FY 2007 - 2009

2007

2008

City County City County

199

58

199

58

68

41

69

41

278

95

279

95

2009

City County

181

60

68

37

272

90

Franchise agreement

149

42

150

42

141

40

As can be seen in the Residential

Governments contract

274

64

275

64

263

64

Waste and Recyclables Collection

Open competition -- no local

151

74

151

74

153

72

table (C-1), the types of residential

government oversight

solid waste collection services range from "green box" or Dumpster drop-off service to curbside or backdoor pick-up. One trend DCA has

Yard Trimmings Management FY 2007 - 2009

been tracking for several years is the use of

2007

2008

2009

Dumpsters. They are often placed in unsupervised

City County City County City County

areas, usually in rural communities, for trash

Promote home

22

29

28

21

26

29

collection and frequently become dumping grounds

composting

for everything from household trash to disabled vehicles, tires, and animal carcasses. They can

Provide for collection 326

56

304

45

304

45

and disposal

Collection Options

become an eyesore in a community and attract

Staffed drop-off

21

28

12

31

14

27

waste from neighboring jurisdictions. In 1994, 74

facilities

cities and 99 counties reported using them for residential waste collection. In FY 2009, just 21 cities and 21 counties reported using green boxes. This steady decline is direct evidence of improving waste management in the state.

Unstaffed drop-off

10

3

10

3

6

2

facilities

Curbside collection

302

21

295

17

297

21

Accepted at

23

31

15

24

11

20

landfill/transfer station

C - 1 Revised August 6, 2010

Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2009 Update

Recyclables Collection
During FY 2009, 385 local governments reported they provided or arranged for residential recycling services in their communities. As can be seen in the Residential Recycling Services Providers graph, the strong tradition of public, private, and non-profit partnerships used to provide recycling services throughout Georgia continues, however it appears that the public sector maybe taking a stronger role in providing collection services.

Residential Recycling Service Providers

450

FY 2006 - 2009

400

350

300

250

200

150

The number of local governments whose

100

residents have access to recycling services

has dropped off after making steady gains

50

through the 2000s. The recycling industry is not

0

immune from the economic recession, and

commodity prices dropped in the fall of 2008 as

global demand slumped. Some local

governments, having grown accustomed to the

revenue their recycling programs brought, cut

collections. Since the public sector recovery

will likely lag behind the private sector, Georgia

2006

2007

2008

2009

Governments with recycling services available to residents Provided by public sector Provided by private vendor

will once again see our strong end-use markets clamoring for more material from a supply chain disrupted at the local level.

As shown in the Number of Jurisdictions Collecting Materials for Recycling tables on page C-4, there has been a steady increase in the number of local governments making residential recycling services available in their jurisdictions. Nationally and regionally, market prices for recycled materials have risen steadily. Over the past year we have seen a stabilization of the price for recycled materials. This price stabilization along with local residents demand has prompted local governments to add recycling services and to increase the number of materials they accept in their program.

This report does not address the scale of the individual local recycling operations, which would be difficult to quantify. Rather, it focuses upon the level of recycling services being offered throughout the state. Since 1992, newspaper has been reported as the residential recyclable material most widely collected in Georgia, followed by aluminum cans. During FY 2008, the most popular commodities recycled from residences were newspaper (307 jurisdictions reporting collection); aluminum (310); and PET (# plastic, 244.) It should be noted that there was a decrease in the number of jurisdictions collecting these materials.

We will continue to monitor this decrease.
The tables on page C-4 tally the number of local governments collecting commercial and residential materials for recycling.

Processing of Residential Recyclables

FY 2007 - 2009

2007

2008

2009

City County City County City County

Source-separated

77

92

74

71

72

65

Commingled

31

13

78

21

86

27

Both

9

8

23

20

23

17

C - 2 Revised August 6, 2010

Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2009 Update

Recyclables Processing

In FY 2009 137 local governments reported processing residential recyclables as source separated materials, or reported that they collect source-separated materials from their customers. Source-separated means the materials are separated before being collected, typically by the consumer. For example, a homeowner may have to place glass, plastic and metal in separate containers before collection. Commingled collection means the consumer places all the material in one container and the material is sorted after collection, often by paid staff, inmates or probationers. The chart below labeled `Processing of Residential Recyclables' reflects Georgia's shift toward single-stream processing. While source-separated processing fell from 169 local governments in 2007 to 137 in 2009, single-stream processing rose from 44 to 113 local governments.

Use of Solid Waste

Transfer Stations

FY 2006 - 2009

City

County

2006

157

72

2007

157

77

2008

106

82

2009

108

84

Georgia continues to have adequate collection and processing capacity for recyclable material; the demand for more material remains constant.

Transfer Stations
With fewer, more regional-sized landfills in the state and a wide array of solid waste collection programs, solid waste transfer stations continue to be a popular method of streamlining solid waste collection services. Transfer stations are especially effective when collection routes are farther than 50 miles from a landfill. Combining several conventional rear-loader garbage truck loads into a single tractortrailer for the trip to the landfill saves fuel costs, vehicle wear and tear, and means fewer trucks can service more customers. Only 70 counties reported that they or their contractors used transfer stations for the collection or disposal of residential waste in FY 2005. By FY 2009, 84 counties and 108 cities or their contractors were using transfer stations to manage residential waste.

Number of Jurisdictions Collecting

Commercial Materials for Recycling

by Type

FY 2006 - 2009

2006 2007 2008 2009

Automobile components

tires

54

47

31

24

auto batteries

38

13

26

23

motor oil

36

14

24

24

Metals

aluminum

196

187

74

83

scrap metal

94

94

49

52

Paper

newspaper

254

252

69

83

magazines

84

67

48

75

corrugated cardboard

177

174

83

88

white paper

66

66

*

*

phone books

71

71

60

69

other paper Misc.

50

31

35

54

plastic

181

162

*

*

glass

57

47

56

54

Number of Jurisdictions Collecting

Residential Materials for Recycling

by Type

FY 2006 - 2009

2006 2007 2008 2009

Automobile components

tires

142

127

224

108

auto batteries

100

88

167

81

antifreeze

21

24

78

23

motor oil

95

100

187

79

oil filters

28

25

75

29

Metals

aluminum

452

463

448

310

steel cans

226

228

289

160

scrap metal

208

204

294

173

aerosol cans

39

35

101

39

Paper

newspaper

509

507

492

307

magazines

378

381

430

266

corrugated cardboard

368

386

431

254

phone books

322

324

415

233

paper board

72

105

293

148

other paper

236

253

339

200

Misc.

#1 plastic

360

363

378

244

#2 plastic

311

324

348

214

other plastic

69

72

238

99

glass

303

311

361

199

white goods

225

222

324

192

Christmas trees

262

254

363

206

C&D materials

48

45

0

37

agricultural chemical containers

10

8

37

12

electronics

76

102

221

119

Household Hazardous Waste

paint

29

27

93

44

cleaning products

2

0

44

17

pesticides

4

4

19

8

other

12

6

65

29

C - 3 Revised August 6, 2010

Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2009 Update

Yard Trimmings

Georgia banned yard trimmings from lined

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills in 1996, as part of an effort to extend landfill disposal capacity. Effective September 1st 1996, each city, county and solid waste management authority was required to

Yard Trimmings Management

FY 2007 - 2009

2007

2008

2009

impose restrictions on yard trimmings generated in

City County City County City County

or disposed within their jurisdiction. The restrictions required that yard trimmings:

Promote Home Composting and Beneficial Reuse

22

29

28

21

26

29

Not be placed in or mixed with municipal solid

Provide for collection 326

56

304

45

304

45

and disposal

waste;

Collection

Be sorted and stored for collection to facilitate composting or other handling;

Not available

189

96

203

98

193

100

Your government

245

8

254

36

252

30

Another government 12

9

4

0

6

0

To the maximum extent feasible be sorted, stockpiled or chipped for composting or used as a mulch or for other beneficial purposes; and

Solid Waste

7

8

1

1

0

2

Authority

Private vendor via

8

17

8

0

8

0

individual

subscription

Be banned from disposal at MSW disposal

Private vendor via

36

9

35

5

35

6

government contract

facilities having liners and leachate collection

Collection Options

systems.
The number of local governments providing for the collection and disposal of yard trimmings increased from 291 in FY 2006 to 349 in FY 2009. The number providing the service themselves has increased from 253 in FY 2006 to 291 in FY 2009. The type of collection service options ranged from accepting yard trimmings at solid waste management facilities like a solid waste transfer station to curbside collection programs.
Annually, DCA surveys local governments to

Staffed drop-off

20

29

12

31

14

27

facilities

Unstaffed drop-off

10

3

10

3

6

2

facilities

Curbside collection

277

22

295

17

297

12

Accepted at

23

54

15

24

11

12

landfill/transfer

station

Other

20

29

12

31

18

33

Processing Methods

Composting

35

9

9

1

10

1

Solid waste landfill

42

5

40

1

35

2

Inert landfill

104

30

63

16

64

11

Grind/chip into

158

30

99

12

91

14

mulch

Burning

26

0

21

0

25

0

Other

0

0

10

1

6

1

determine how they collect, process and use yard trimmings generated within their

Give away Sell

159

16

73

0

72

0

11

3

2

0

5

0

communities. During FY 2009, 26 cities and 29

Used by local

48

17

7

0

4

0

counties reported actively promoting waste

government

minimization practices such as home composting

Becomes property of 39 private contractor

21

15

0

15

17

or beneficial reuse of yard trimmings. During FY

2009, 304 cities and 45 counties reported

collecting yard trimmings for diversion from MSW landfills. It is not surprising, given lot sizes and population densities,

that cities lead the way in providing yard trimmings collection services. Most local governments also reported that they

provided the collection services with just a few indicating they contracted with a private vendor to collect yard trimmings.

In many areas, especially urban and suburban communities, the visible result of the yard trimmings ban has been the

presence of large paper bags of leaves and grass at curbsides. Collection of yard trimmings in paper bags enables

them to be ground into a mulch or feedstock for composting. The majority of local governments who reported collecting

yard trimmings either ground or shredded the collected material for use as mulch, however 75 local governments

reported disposing the collected materials into an inert landfill. Twenty-five cities report burning yard trimmings.

Composting and chip into mulch were also reported as common processing methods.

Yard trimmings, when processed properly, have numerous beneficial uses in a community. The use of compost and mulch is extremely beneficial for slowing storm-water runoff and retaining moisture around plants. Many local governments use processed yard trimmings as mulch for their landscaping and civil engineering applications or report offering the processed yard trimmings to their citizens for residential landscaping.

C - 4 Revised August 6, 2010