[email protected] brizendine May 16, 2008 9:54 am

Hi,

Is anyone aware of providing limited-scale (single cart) recycling service for sub-groups of apartment tenants in complexes with typical commercial-style (shared dumpster) garbage service? We have apartment tenants that would like recycling service, but their complex or property manager does not condone or offer it. Rates are structured so that the cost of recycling is built into the cost of garbage for our multi-family complexes, so there is no extra cost to the property to offer recycling. However, the complex can be charged if the recycling is contaminated - and this is one of the main reasons why property managers will not offer recycling - since contamination seems to occur despite all our education efforts (how to limit contamination in broader scale multi-family recycling programs will be the subject of another CBSM inquiry!). Now, we are considering allowing a single tenant (or group of tenants) to have their own recycling cart (at no charge) when the property manager does not want to take on the responsibility. We think the tenants would do a better job of 'policing' their 'own' cart than if the recycling containers get placed along-side communal garbage containers. Nothing in our contract says everyone has to have access to recycling in a complex, or that a threshold of service volume is required before rolling out recycling service to a complex. Of course, our contracted hauler won't like this approach because of the lack of route density, but that is another issue we can deal with in other ways. Is anyone aware of a place that has implemented or talked about a targeted program like this? Any pitfalls or suggestions for making it work?

Thanks,
Jeanette

Jeanette Brizendine
Recycling Project Manager
City of Federal Way
33325 8th Ave S
Mailing: PO Box 9718
Federal Way, WA 98063
P 253.835.2771
F 253.835.2709
[email protected]