Single Sort RecyclingWashington Brings Recycling In
House and Converts to Single Sort
Hallie ClemmActing Solid Waste Collection Chief
Solid Waste Management Administration
MWCOG Recycling Committee MeetingSeptember 2005
Solid Waste Services
• Garbage, Recycling and Bulk/Appliance Collection
• 110,000 residential customers• Street & Alley Cleaning• HHW and E-cycling• Seasonal Services• Transfer Stations• Enforcement Division
Recycling CollectionThru 2004
• Curbside/Alley Collection• Two-Sort Paper &
Containers + OCC• Once-a-week collection
with bins• Contract Collection• Poor Service-Repeated
Missed Collections• High Contract Cost• Low Participation/
Recycling rate
Factors Pushing For Change
• Alley Collection never mastered by contractor
• Repeat misses • Equipment Problems-Type,
Size & Reliability • Supervision/Customer
Service Problems• High Employee Turnover• Low Participation Rate• Low Recycling Rate
What To Do?• Move to Public Collection• Convert to Single Stream • Use Carts where possible• Reduce missed service• Increase participation and recycling rates• Stabilize cost• Opportunity to change recycling collection days • Improve Labor/ Management Relations
How Did We Get There?
• Labor/Management Partnership “Pot Hole”
• Looked at Alternatives• Studied Single Sort• Implemented a Pilot• Rebid Private Collection
Contract• Cobbled together funding• Filled in the gaps
DC In-House Program
• Purchased 100,000 recycling &15,000 garbage 32 Gallon Carts
• Purchased 22 semi-automated rear loading 16 cy packers
• Added 22 Three Person Crews. Total of 72 FTEs
• Used GIS to develop 16 to18 daily recycling routes
DC In-House Program
• DC In-House Crews began collections Jan 24, 2005
• About 100,000 customers now have recycling carts
• Do to space limits, about 10,000 remain using bins in Georgetown and center city
• Complaints of missed service down 90%
• Set Out rate up to as high as 75% weekly in cart area
• Tonnage collected up 12%
DC In-House Program
Alley Bin Collection
DC In-House Program
Alley Cart Collection
DC In-House Program
Street Cart Collection
Results So FarRecycling Tons Trash Tons Waste Stream
FY 2004 FY 2005 % Change FY 2004 FY 2005 % Change FY 2004 FY 2005 % Change
February 1642 1644 0.12% 7424 8316 12.02% 9066 9960 9.86%
March 1720 1907 10.87% 10590 7973 (24.71%) 12310 9880 (19.74%)
April 1754 1890 7.75% 9508 9770 2.11% 11322 11660 2.99%
May 1656 1943 17.33% 10416 10306 (1.06%) 12072 12249 1.47%
June 1830 1957 6.94% 12439 9560 (23.14%) 14269 11517 (19.29%)
July 1427 1729 21.16% 10798 3291 (14.51%) 12225 10960 (10.35%)
August 1472 1835 24.66% 11594 9953 (14.15%) 13066 11788 (9.78%)
TOTAL 11501 12905 12.21% 72829 65109 (10.60%) 84330 78014 (7.49%)
Contact Information
Hallie ClemmActing Assistant Solid Waste Collection Chief
Public Works Department2750 S Capitol Street SEWashington, DC 20032
202-645-0744
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