September, 2009

We are posting this info to share our concerns about the recycling situation in Leavenworth, and to provide more detail than the recent mailings and ads which needed to be brief.

Where we were
As you may recall, in September of 2008 the City mailed all residents a newsletter, which promised a curbside single stream recycling program and expanded garbage program to begin in Leavenworth around January 1, 2009. We have posted the city newsletter to our website. They said the City’s plan was to get out of the garbage business, saving $400,000 by not purchasing a new city garbage truck to replace the old one which will need to be replaced soon.

Instead it was going to sign a seven year contract with Waste Management, which has been providing garbage and recycling to most of Chelan County for years. Under the contract, the amount City residents would have paid for both garbage and recycling would have been very close to what they pay now for garbage alone, and they would have had the option to pay less than they do today by choosing a smaller, less expensive garbage can, the so-called “variable can rate”, which encouraged greater use of the free recycling component that was built into the contract. Waste Management would also have assumed responsibility for the North Road recycling drop site, which volunteers with Leavenworth Recycles have been running since December 2005, and has since recycled over one million pounds of material.

Why it would have been a great program
That recycling service would have been the same as the comprehensive and convenient service enjoyed by Seattle, not to mention many Chelan County residents right outside City limits. The kinds of things you could have recycled would have been much greater than was or is currently the case at any of the drop-off recycling centers in the county. Essentially, every kind of paper, glass, juice box, can, scrap metal, cardboard, and plastic you can think of would have been recycled in the same “tote” container, and it would have been picked up at your curb every two weeks, for free. It couldn’t get any easier than that. And Waste Management’s garbage service would have been every week, just like the City service. We thought it was a great deal!

Where we are now
Later the City changed its mind without public explanation. To ask why, Leavenworth Recycles and about 80 concerned citizens, most of whom have nothing to do with the non-profit Leavenworth Recycles organization, attended at a City Council meeting in May. Weeks later we were told the City was reluctant to give up responsibility for garbage primarily because it generates revenue which pays for three to six public works employees.

A recent article in the local paper indicated that the City allocated $125,000 for a city-run drop-off point. This sounds promising, except for a several problems the article did not mention, including:

a) the cost estimate given to the City and Leavenworth Recycles several months ago, which was provided by the Countywide Solid Waste Coordinator who knows from experience what a facility would cost, is $236,500 just for a building and necessary equipment;

b) this does not include the cost of land to put it on;

c) this does not include the cost of operation;

d) it would not be able to accept or collect many kinds of things that superior recycling service do accept or collect, specifically glass and most plastics;

e) it would not be as convenient as a curbside recycling collection service; and

f) it is inconceivable that the City could actually get this up and running anytime soon.

It’s also worth noting that the local papers reported that City of Cashmere recently greatly scaled back the services provided at their drop-off recycling center, which is run by paid city staff. Cashmere is strongly considering only offering a curbside recycling program in the future, and hiring Waste Management to do it.

What this means for the future of recycling in the area
Leavenworth Recycles will continue to operate the North Road site through the end of 2009. We regret that we cannot indefinitely provide this service, which when it began nearly four years ago was intended to be a stop gap while the city figured out a way to provide the community with basic recycling services. We notified the City of this several months ago, and although we have not heard what their plan is, supposedly they want to keep it running. We have not seen the plan, but hope they are working on it.

Where can we go from here?
Leavenworth Recycles believes the best option for the City, considering how much revenue the City generates through the current city-operated garbage program, is to retain their garbage service, but give Leavenworth Residents the option to pay less if they choose to put out only one can per week, compared to the current flat-rate charge for two cans whether or not you actually need two cans. In other words, the City should offer a “variable can rate”. Although residents who chose this option would pay the city less every month, overall the City might actually benefit financially if they agreed to this because if residents threw out less trash, the City would be charged less at the landfill because the City has to pay based on weight or volume dumped. And the city public works staff would spend fewer hours on garbage, because for many residents, there would be less of it. They would then have more time to do other important work.

But people can only throw out significantly less garbage if they are offered a comprehensive curbside recycling program as part of a package. Leavenworth Recycles has communicated with Waste Management, and the local County Solid Waste Coordinators, and based on those conversations we know that in as little as a few weeks all residents could have basically the same curbside recycling program that was in the original contract. And the city could retain its garbage program, and keep its revenue stream. The hurdle is that for jurisdictional reasons, the City must give Waste Management, or some other recycling provider, permission to serve City residents. It would require a simple City request for proposals, which could literally cut and paste info from the web, based on the already-in-operation Waste Management curbside program right outside City limits. But it cannot happen unless the City agrees. Although Waste Management’s recycling trucks are already driving through the City to service the Ski Hill and Icicle Valley, those areas are technically in the County, not the City. So as it is today, City residents can’t call Waste Management and sign up for the recycling program, which costs $6.80 per month.

Leavenworth believes this is the best plan for the community. The City keeps its garbage program, and if they agreed to offer a variable can rate City residents could save money on their garbage bill whether they recycled or not. Those who wanted to recycle could pay Waste Management separately less than $7.00 every month. No more worries about where to recycle glass now that local places quit taking it, no more trips to Cashmere or Wenatchee to get rid of steel cans, no more need to sort recyclables, etc. And no residents would be forced to do this. It’d be optional, just like it is in the County. We believe many would gladly sign up, however, and pay the small fee. Then, if the City came up with a better recycling plan down the road, it could phase out the curbside recycling program. But at this time, and as far as we can see into the future, there is no viable option beat the convenience and comprehensive nature of the current Waste Management curbside recycling program.

What can you do?
Contact City Hall and our elected officials, and ask them specific questions about what they intend to do about recycling. If you don’t think their answers make sense, or that they are being vague, follow up and tell them why.

If you have questions feel free to contact Leavenworth Recycles through our website Leavenworthrecycles.org or our P.O. Box 1031. Or come to a monthly board meeting, which is the first Thursday of every month from 630 to 800 at the Leavenworth PUD building behind the fire station.

The end of the year is not far away, and we are concerned that at that time even the limited recycling program currently available to the community might come to an end. Instead, let’s replace or compliment it with something superior!