City’s single-stream path seems strange
I began paying closer attention to Fayetteville’s recycling expenditures in October 2013 when staff requested the City Council bypass the bid process and pay $25,000 to a solid waste district for educational purposes. I asked why bidding was being bypassed and what the deliverables were? An alderman suggested council members pull up the answers on their computers. What followed was an uncomfortable silence, and the item was tabled.
In September 2014, the City Council approved paying Kessler Consulting $264,890 to create a 10-year solid waste (garbage and recycling) plan. In August 2015, the council approved paying Kessler an additional $39,980 for composting and single-stream pilots. We have yet to see that 10-year plan.
In October 2015, the City Council (with two opposing votes) approved spending over $3 million to renovate the solid waste facilities/offices. Until we have the 10-year plan from Kessler, how will we know operational, staff and office needs, and thus proceed with multimillion dollar renovations?
The multimillion dollar renovations are underway at the 15th Street facility. I doubt we’ll hear anything negative about single stream from staff receiving over $3 million in upgraded facilities.
Meanwhile, Atlanta, Houston, Chattanooga and Little Rock have been outed for their single-stream messes. Taxpayers thought glass was being recycled. Much, if not all, was landfilled. Nashville recently decided glass should be kept separate.
Single-stream contamination is so serious the glass industry recently formed a new association just to deal with it. I wish the public and other remanufacturers (plastic, paper and metals) would come together and stand up to politicians and haulers, who’ve hijacked and trashed our nation’s recycling programs.
Because of intense competition to gain control of the volumes of material put out at the curb, (remember, haulers make money by hauling large volumes) two major paper companies have built single-stream facilities. Imagine the time, fuel, equipment, labor, energy and money required to clean up paper that has been mixed with “God only knows” what in the single-stream (single compartment) recycle truck.
With single-stream collection, very few curbside containers get checked for contamination. Do you want to handle grocery sacks, newspapers, hand towels, food container boxes, etc made from paper mixed with used diapers, kitty litter or rotten food?
Contamination always increases when the public is placated rather than educated. When citizens were engaged as volunteers in local recycling programs, education occurred via hands-on experience. Mixing recyclables together, while reducing citizen engagement, has resulted in contaminated materials instead of usable feedstock.
Hopefully in January 2017, with Fayetteville’s new City Council, common sense will prevail when making financial decisions about recycling. Filing deadline to run for City Council was Aug.29. Four council positions and the mayor’s seat are open. Alan Long in Ward 4 has my vote. He and I may not agree on everything, but he does listen, and has respect for institutional memory and experience. He educates himself on issues. He doesn’t simply rubber stamp the latest magic bullet idea.
LOUISE MANN
Fayetteville