Portsmouth Solid Waste Disposal Critical Decisions June 26, 2017

Town Solid Waste Enterprise Fund Sale of Diversion Items (metals, etc.) Sticker Fees Share of Recycle Sales Town Solid Waste Enterprise Fund Recycle % Rebates Tipping Fees Transfer Station Operation & Maintenance Hauling Landfill

Cost of Solid Waste Disposal is Going Up $K ?? Total Cost Tipping Fee 54% The Bottom Line Transfer Station Sticker Fees will be going up. 30% We know that Tipping Fees will be going up 54% in the next two years Hauling and Station Operation Fees will also be going up resulting in total solid waste cost going up. $100 $150 $200 $250 $300 ?? Sticker Fee Transfer Station Operation WE KNOW Tipping Fees Are Going Up (30% in July 2017 and 54% in July 2018 from the current rates) The Cost of Hauling Trash is Going Up (just based on inflation) The Cost of Operating the Transfer Station is Going Up (because we have to negotiate a new contract that will start in Jan 2018) WHAT WE DON’T KNOW How Much More is Will Cost to Operate the Transfer Station with a New Contract (preliminary estimate is that bids will come it at 60% increase over the current contract) How Much More is Will Cost to Haul Trash to the Landfill (trucking cost are expected to go up 10-15%) How Much More our Citizens Decide to Recycle Offsets the cost of tipping fee increase Recyclables have no tipping fee Town Could Receive Rebates for Meeting Recycle Percentage Goals (between $1 and $3 per ton) The more we divert from the trash bins means less cost to haul trash to the landfill and, potentially, more $$ by revenue from diversion recyclables) The bottom line is that sticker fees are going to go up Hauling Tipping

What Are the Options? Status Quo – Keep the Station as it is Now Pay As You Throw – Transfer Station Town-Contracted Curbside Pickup Pay As You Throw Curbside Option We, clearly, have to look as better options

What Are the Options? Status Quo – Keep the Station as it is Now Pay As You Throw – Transfer Station Town-Contracted Curbside Pickup Pay As You Throw Curbside Option We, clearly, have to look as better options

What Happens if we Maintain the “Status Quo”? Tipping Costs will go up 54% in the next two years Operation and Hauling Cost will Go Up To Make the Enterprise Fund Solvent Sticker Fees Will Have to Go Up Estimates run as high as $300 per year

What Are the Options? Status Quo – Keep the Station as it is Now Pay As You Throw – Transfer Station Town-Contracted Curbside Pickup Pay As You Throw Curbside Option We, clearly, have to look as better options

Pay As You Throw – Transfer Station Keeps the Transfer Station as it is now Requires the use of a Pay As You Throw (P.A.Y.T.)  method. Citizens purchase P.A.Y.T. Bags* Mixed Recyclables (Paper and plastic containers) are free Allows citizens to control costs by better recycling and better “filling” of P.A.Y.T. bags. Good recyclers benefit People with less trash benefit by less bags = less cost 2018 COST ESTIMATE: The cost of a Transfer Station sticker is expected to be significantly less than the “Status Quo”. Estimated to be about $100 per year less that the “Status Quo”.   Purchased 33 gallon P.A.Y.T. bags* would be REQUIRED for non-recycle trash at about $2 each.  Separated recyclables would be free to dispose at the Transfer Station.  Diversion bins (metals, etc.) would still be available. (either with “per item” stickers or annual Transfer Station sticker (nominal charge of about $25). * There is an option to use special “bag stickers” to save administrative costs

What Are the Options? Status Quo – Keep the Station as it is Now Pay As You Throw – Transfer Station Town-Contracted Curbside Pickup Pay As You Throw Curbside Option We, clearly, have to look as better options

Town-Contracted Curbside Pickup Curbside pickup with Transfer Station only for diversion items.  Town would contract with a private trash operator for curbside pickup.   Participation would be optional, but cost would be reduced by a large number of households being offered to a single contractor. No special bags would be required. Placing mixed recyclables at the curb would be required. Transfer Station woujld be ONLY for diversion items (metals, etc.) 2018 COST ESTIMATE: The cost per participating household is expected to be significantly less than each household contracting with their own contractor (projected fee is expected to be about $300 per year). The Transfer Station would remain open for bulk and diversion items only by specially-purchased per item stickers or optional Transfer Station sticker. Transfer Station sticker fee is expected to be significantly reduced (to a nominal charge of about $25 per year.

What Are the Options? Status Quo – Keep the Station as it is Now Pay As You Throw – Transfer Station Town-Contracted Curbside Pickup Pay As You Throw Curbside Option We, clearly, have to look as better options

Pay As You Throw Curbside Option  P.A.Y.T. Curbside pickup with Transfer Station only for diversion items.  Town would contract with a private trash operator for household curbside pickup.     Purchased P.A.Y.T. bags* would be REQUIRED. Participation would be optional, but cost would be reduced by a large number of households being offered to a single contractor. 2018 COST ESTIMATE: The cost per participating household is expected to be about $2 per special P.A.Y.T. 33 gallon bag*.  Mixed recyclables would be picked up at the curb. The Transfer Station would remain open for bulk and diversion items only by specially-purchased per item stickers or an optional Transfer Station sticker. Transfer Station sticker fee is expected to be significantly reduced (to a nominal charge of about $25. * There is an option to use special “bag stickers” to save administrative costs

There is a Final Option Although we don't expect to completely do away with Town solid waste disposal in the near term, it is a long-term option that must be considered.  There is a long-range (> 5 years) consideration for the Town to eventually get out of the trash business altogether and have each household arrange for trash disposal on their own. This would eliminate any Town involvement or citizen taxes in operating any solid waste program or facility. The State would most probably maintain some bulk waste, "Eco-Depot" program for diversion and hazardous materials. The cost of this option is, obviously, unknown.

What Can We Do Now?

Be Better Recyclers Middletown 2016 – 39% Tiverton 2016 – 31% Newport 2016 – 31% Portsmouth 2016 – 21% Portsmouth Recycle Rates are Shamefully Low Recycling benefits Sale of diversion materials (metals, etc.) Reduced Tipping Fees (per ton) for meeting goals $1 for 25%, $2 for 30%, $3 for 35% No Tipping Fees for Recycle Loads Rebates from RIRRC from their sale of recyclables

Help the Town Make Informed Choices Get Informed. Solid Waste Information on Town Web www.PortsmouthRI.com Give the Town Your Feedback Town Solid Waste Survey www.surveymonkey.com/r/SolidWaste2017 Fill out survey at Library or Town Hall Contact Town Solid Waste Coordinator Ray Antaya RAntaya@PortsmouthRI.com 643-0359