Title
Resolution to Appropriate Funds and Approve Contract with Recycle Ann Arbor for Multi-Family Recycling Incentive Pilot Program ($95,694.00) (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
In 2013 City Council approved Resolution R-13-309 adopting the WASTE LESS: Solid Waste Resource Plan. The plan recommends evaluating methods to increase recycling participation through pilot programs, such as introducing a recycling incentive program for multi‐family dwellings. A waste sort conducted in the fall of 2012 found that recyclable materials comprised only 12% of the trash that single-family residents threw away but 26% of the trash that multi-family residents threw away.
The purpose of the pilots is to test various methodologies to encourage increased recycling behavior by residents in multiple-family units, with results that would be quantifiable and measurable.
The cost of the contract with Recycle Ann Arbor is $95,694.00 over a two-year period. Funding for this program is available in the Solid Waste Fund fund balance. The program start date is September 2014, with an expected completion date of December 2016.
Recycle Ann Arbor’s proposal includes:
1) Gather information on best multi-family recycling practices in North America.
2) Survey and/or interview key multi-family constituencies in Ann Arbor to better understand the challenges and opportunities for recycling in this sector. Based on feedback received, develop 3 to 5 methodologies for further testing and analysis.
3) Identify pilot parameters and measurement protocols.
4) Identify pilot communities to involve in the pilot programs (ultimately targeting approximately 1,000 units) and ramp up pilot start-up.
5) Implement pilot programs.
6) Analyze results of pilot programs.
7) Provide detailed recommendations to the City on best practices and report results to participating multi-family communities.
Methodologies that will be tested as part of the pilot will include the following:
• Recycling rewards program: Evaluate if a recycling rewards program would be effective in improving recycling participation rates in multi-family locations
• Indoor collection bins: Most multi-family locations share outdoor recycling bins. Determine if the provision of indoor recycling bins would help increase recycling rates.
• Multi-family recycling leader program: Determine if the use of recycling leaders at individual locations would help increase recycling rates.
• 300-gallon recycling cart: Determine if the use of 300-gallon carts instead of the standard 96-gallon cart would help increase recycling.
Staff issued RFP #888, a request for Multi-Family Recycling Incentive Pilots. Three companies attended the mandatory pre-proposal meeting on March 17, 2014, but only Recycle Ann Arbor submitted a proposal in response to the RFP. A three-member City staff evaluation committee reviewed the proposal and recommended awarding the contract to Recycle Ann Arbor.
Recycling is financially beneficial to the City. Each ton of waste that the City landfills costs $25.87 in transfer and disposal costs. In comparison, the City pays $17.21 per ton for recyclable materials. This is usually offset by the revenue that the City receives from the sale of recyclable materials.
Staff
Prepared by: Tom McMurtrie, Systems Planning Unit
Reviewed by: Craig Hupy, Public Services Administrator
Approved by: Steven D. Powers, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, On October 7, 2013, City Council approved Resolution R-13-309 adopting the WASTE LESS: Solid Waste Resource Management Plan;
Whereas, One of the action items in the plan was to increase recycling participation through pilots, such as introducing a recycling incentive program for multi‐family dwellings;
Whereas, A waste sort conducted in the fall of 2012 found that approximately 26% of the material that was in the multi-family waste was recyclable;
Whereas, Recycling more can save the City money in addition to being environmentally beneficial;
Whereas, Staff issued RFP #888, the Multi-Family Recycling Incentive Pilot program;
Whereas, Staff received one response to this RFP from Recycle Ann Arbor;
Whereas, The staff evaluation committee recommended awarding the contract to Recycle Ann Arbor;
Whereas, Recycle Ann Arbor received Human Rights approval on August 7, 2013 and Living Wage approval on May 12, 2014; and
Whereas, Funding for this contract is available in the Solid Waste Fund balance;
RESOLVED, That City Council authorize a contract with Recycle Ann Arbor for the multi-family recycling incentive pilot substantially in the form on file in the City Clerk’s Office;
RESOLVED, That the total paid to Recycle Ann Arbor for this pilot not exceed $95,694.00;
RESOLVED, That $95,694.00 be appropriated from the Solid Waste Fund fund balance and that the funds be made available for the life of this project, without regard to fiscal year;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized to sign this contract approved as to form by the City Attorney and approved as to substance by the City Administrator; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take any additional steps necessary to implement this contract.