SUBJECT: Communitywide Waste Hauler Discussion
Title
Communitywide Waste Hauler Discussion
Body
DEPARTMENT: Environmental Services
Department
PRESENTERS: Emma Marino, Sustainability & Water Conservation Specialist I
Eryka Thorley, Sustainability Manager
David Frank, Director of Environmental Services
POLICY ISSUES:
Working collaboratively with Haulers, HOAs, and Town residents to implement a better system of waste collection that reduces truck traffic, provides more service options, reduces the amount of recyclable and compostable waste going to the landfill, and achieve economies of scale that reduce the cost of waste collection services for most Town residents.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Informational Only
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
The Town of Erie is exploring strategic waste diversion opportunities for the Town. This includes Pay As You Throw enforcement, a Town-managed communitywide waste hauler contract and/or a Universal Recycling Ordinance that engages multi-family and commercial accounts.
Erie received a Front Range Waste Diversion grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in 2020. This grant supported efforts at the Erie Recycling Center and began research and outreach regarding a communitywide waste hauler contract for the Town. After community engagement and outreach efforts, the Town released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a communitywide waste hauling contract in 2022. The request received three bids, but because the prices offered by haulers were more expensive than what most residents were currently paying, staff decided to not pursue a contract at that time. Instead, staff conducted additional research on what led to the haulers high-priced bids and how the Town might structure a new RFP to address those issues.
As part of that research, in the Town’s 2023 Community Survey, we asked a question intended to gage interest in curbside trash, recycling, and compost services at specific price points (set to be equal to the price residents of Louisville pay for the service). We also asked a follow-up question for respondents who said they would prefer to keep the waste service they currently have, why they would opt out of Town contracted service at those price points. Of those who said they would opt out, only 15% said they had lower cost trash, recycling, and compost service, while 55% said they did not have a choice because their HOA provides waste service.
Building on that information, staff conducted interviews in 2023 with six other municipalities to learn more about their waste diversion strategies. And just recently, interviewed all six haulers who operate in Erie to ask questions about their operations and pricing and hear their comments and concerns. Currently staff is meeting with HOA representatives and engaging the community through a survey and in person interviews with additional outreach events coming soon.
Staff’s presentation during this Council study session will review the information gained from research and interviews with other municipalities and waste haulers, and then discuss potential strategies we could use in Erie to implement a better system of waste collection that reduces truck traffic, provides more service options, reduces the amount of recyclable and compostable waste going to the landfill, and achieve economies of scale that reduce the cost of waste collection services for most Town residents.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Presentation