Recycling program updates to Broward County's Climate Change Task Force 12-2011.

1. Single-Stream Recycling in Broward
County: Fall 2011 Update
Presented to the Broward County
Climate Change Task Force
By Phil Bresee, Recycling Program Manager, Broward County
December 1, 2011

2. Background & Overview
 Cities provide for “municipal solid waste”
(MSW) and recycling collection services
 All 31 Broward cities provide some level
of residential recycling service
 Commercial MSW collected by private haulers
– most with exclusive franchise agreements
 Large construction and demolition debris
collection and processing infrastructure
 Broward County’s Solid Waste and Recycling
Services (or SWRS – part of Public Works
Dept.) administers recyclables processing
contract on behalf of 26 Resource Recovery
System cities
 SWRS manages other programs and services
for cities, County agencies, the Broward
County School Board
 SWRS also collects & analyzes MSW data and
trends; responsible for reporting to FDE

3. Broward County Climate
Change Action Plan Recycling Goals:
RZ-2.1: Fully implement single-stream
recycling.
 To include roll-out carts
RZ-2.2: Achieve 50% recycling rate in
collaboration with cities.
 Implement recycling rewards programs
(RecycleBank)
 Improve recycling at multifamily
communities
 Green waste collections from residences
 E-Cycling drop-off network
 Increase business, institutional and C&D
recycling
All actions ranked “High” by CCTF.

4. The Evolution of Curbside Recycling…
Photo courtesy of City of Minneapolis

5. Program Recyclables
• Paper - newspaper, inserts, catalogs,
magazines, junk mail, office paper,
soft-covered books, file folders, soda
cartons and flattened cereal, tissue,
rice and pasta boxes
• Plastic containers – narrow-neck only
such as bottles, milk, water, detergent
and shampoo containers
• Glass - food and beverage containers
• Aluminum and steel food and
beverage containers
• Cardboard - from non-food items such
as shipping boxes
• Milk/juice cartons and drink boxes

6. Technology Makes Sorting Possible
 Materials Recovery Facility (a.k.a. MRFs) technology greatly
improved
 Recyclables processed using screens, trommels, optical sorting,
eddy currents, etc.
 Staff still needed to pull some materials, QA/QC, maintenance, etc.
 Residue rates decreasing (<10%)

7. Single-Stream Timeline
January 2009 February 2010 Fall 2010 June 2011
MRF contract Hollywood begins Collections Single-stream
amendment. Begin single-stream efficiencies grant program
workshops for cities recycling with carts workshops for begins
RRS cities
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
April 2008 October 2009 March 2010 January 2011
Parkland single- Official single- Coconut Creek West Park begins
stream startup stream startup begins single- single-stream
stream recycling recycling with carts
with carts

8. Phased-in Approach:
 MRF contract allows for dual-
stream and single-stream
recyclables
 Residents with traditional 2-bin
program advised to mix all
recyclables in both containers
 Allows cities and residents
flexibility and options
 Has allowed cities to rebid or
renegotiate hauling contracts
 Program outreach focus on zero-
sort vs. cart

9. Results To Date:
 All cities collecting recyclables Residential Recyclables Tons Per Year
single-stream 80,000
 16% increase in residential
70,000
recyclables since FY 2009; further
increases in FY 2012 60,000
 County agencies and School Board
50,000
recycling programs up by 30% and
25% since FY 2009 40,000
 Six cities (70,000+ households) have 30,000
transitioned to automated
pickup/roll-out carts 20,000
 Recyclables revenues to cities have 10,000
remained stable ($58.50 per ton for
0
FY 2012)
FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012*
* FY 2012 budget projection

10. Carts are Key
 Wheels make it easier to recycle
 New carts have RFID tags for future Recyclables Per Household Per
recycling rewards program (e.g. Year (in lbs.)
RecycleBank™)
 Standard carts (64 or 96 gal.) hold 2-3
x more recyclables than two 18 gallon 450
recycling bins 400
 Footprint of carts equal to 18 gallon 350
bin 300
 Lids keep materials dry and prevent 250
litter 200
150
 Lower collection costs
100
 Broward cities with carts are 50
collecting an average of 35% more 0
recyclables
Bins programs Carts-based
programs

11. Broward County Resource Recovery System
Recycling Grants Program
 Unprecedented $20 million investment for
cities from RRS reserves
 Eligible expenses:
 Roll-out carts purchases (direct or through
franchise hauler; for single-family and
multifamily communities
 Program upgrades (e.g. incentive
programs, public place recycling)
 Capital equipment (trucks, roll-
offs, retrofits)
 Program outreach
 Professional services/reports related to
increasing recycling
 Seven RRS cities have applied for $ to-date
 $9.1 million as of 12/1/2011 (approximately
$7 million towards recycling carts)

12. What’s Next?
75% Goal
 Additional 100-120,000 homes move 80%
to carts in FY 2012
 County developing new Request for 70%
Proposal for MRF services. 60%
 Add additional recyclables
 Cities can lead through new contract 50%
approaches, ordinances, etc. 40%
 1x week garbage pickup?
30%
 Green waste collection?
 “Pay as You Throw”? 20%
 Change Broward County’s MSW
10%
management paradigm
 Achieve State’s recycling & diversion 0%
goals 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020

13. Closing Thoughts
 Solid waste’s impact on GHG
U.S. GHG Emissions –
emissions underestimated… “Systems-Based”
Infrastructure
 Recycling is a “low-hanging fruit” for Other 1%
Transport
Prov. of
Goods
GHG reductions: Uses infrastructure 9% 29%
already in place…
Local Prov. of
Transport Food
 “Gateway” to other positive 15% 13%
Building
environmental behaviors… HVAC &
Lighting
25% Appliances
/Devices
8%
Contact: prbresee@broward.org
Website: www.broward.org/WasteAndRecycling/Recycling
42% of GHG emissions from
“stuff”