MMBC: Multi-Material BC – Debate Thursday at Regional Board table
#1 Option: Construction of Mega-Bag Depot for All MMBC Products
A mega-bag depot structure will be developed to house the MMBC paper, container and plastic bag recycling materials. The remaining MMBC polystyrene packaging and glass recycling materials will continue to be housed in overturned front end bins. The depot structure will include a roof and paved area to help with ease of use, protection from the elements, containment, wind reduction and overall safety. The structure design would minimize movement of heavy material mega-bags by landfill staff. Landfill staff would be required to monitor and lay down new pallets and mega-bags within the structure and to remove the polystyrene mega-bags from the front end bins to storage. The glass mega-bag will remain in the front end bin until collection. This is expected to add minimal additional staff time. The paved area would allow the movement of heavier mega-bags by pallet jack. RDOS Engineering Staff estimate the structure would cost $23,600 to develop.
There would be no additional staff time needed with this option as the RDOS employee would move materials as part of their standard shift.
The mega-bag depot would require cardboard be diverted to commercial recycling bins, lowering the amount of material receiving MMBC revenue. The commercial ‘Fibre’ bins would accept cardboard, books and office paper.
Due to the diversion of cardboard and the additional diversion of materials to the Oliver Bottle Depot, the financial calculation is based on an estimate of receiving only ¼ of the current MMBC revenue.
Estimated MMBC revenue per year (1/4 of current revenue)
$1600
MMBC Depot Top-Up for Curbside Customers per year (25 cents per home)
$920
Develop mega-bag depot structure
($1573) per year at $23,600 cost over 15 year life
Estimated ‘Fibre’ only collection of cardboard, books and office paper
($3000)
Net revenue (cost) per year
($2053)
Benefits: Provides full recycling option at the Oliver Landfill, additional $920 a year revenue from MMBC as depot incentive, allows for easy removal of contaminants, lowest net cost while providing recycling service.
Detriments: Requires new monitoring by Staff to ensure new bags are placed down when mega-bags full, continued separation of Paper and Containers, collection events require MMBC contractor scheduling, may remove some revenue from local recyclers.
Option: Construction of Roll-Off Depot
The infrastructure for two separate roll off containers will be installed; one for ‘Fibre’ such as cardboard and paper and another for ‘Containers’ such as paper cups, plastic jugs and metal cans. The costs for building and maintaining this infrastructure is below.
Due to the Oliver Bottle Depot commencing collection of recycling, Staff has assumed ½ of the current recyclables will be diverted from the Oliver Landfill.
The RDOS will reduce commercial ‘Fibre’ service and more cardboard and paper will enter the MMBC stream than with the mega-bag option. There will be an additional source of revenue from a transport incentive from Green By Nature but higher costs related to the construction of a roll off depot, rental of bins and transportation of bins to Penticton.
Estimated MMBC revenue per year (1/2 of current revenue)
$3200
Estimated GBN revenue per year (1/2 of current tonnage at $105 per tonne)
$4875
MMBC Depot Top-Up for Curbside Customers per year (25 cents per home)
$920
Creation of stairs, bollards and concrete pad for roll off containers
($2800) per year at $42,000 cost over 15 year life
Estimated roll off rental and hauling costs per year
($11,100)
Estimated ‘Fibre’ only collection of cardboard, books and office paper
($1500)
Net revenue (cost) per year
($6405)
Benefits: Provides full recycling option at landfill, additional $920 a year revenue from MMBC as depot incentive, full control over collection events
Detriments: Stairs needed for use, continued separation of Paper and Containers, unable to remove contaminants, may remove some revenue from local recyclers
Option: Reducing Service to Plastic Bags, Polystyrene Packaging, Container Glass
MMBC service at the Oliver Landfill would be reduced to residential polystyrene packaging, container glass and residential soft plastic packaging such as plastic bags. The RDOS has managed these items with a mega-service since May 2014. Currently a loader is required to move the mega-bags containing plastic bags. This is averaging at $230 per month or $2760 per year. These mega-bags need moving approximately 3 times a month and weigh just under 50 kg each. At other RDOS landfills two staff members can lift and move these mega-bags but only one staff member is available at the Oliver Landfill requiring contractor assistance.
If this option is chosen Staff recommend the purchase and modification of a shipping container. The shipping container would store the mega-bags and allow one person to move the mega-bags by pallet jack. There would be no additional staff time needed with this option as the RDOS employee would move materials as part of their standard shift.
Estimated MMBC revenue per year
$400
MMBC Depot Top-Up for Curbside Customers per year (25 cents per home)
$920
Purchase and modifications to metal seacan
($573) per year at $8,600 cost over 15 year life
Estimated yearly cost of bin rentals, transport of materials and processing of all ‘blue bag’ recycling (same as above)
($7500)
Net revenue (cost) per year
($6753)
Benefits: Provides recycling option at landfill for materials not collected by curbside, additional $920 a year revenue from MMBC as depot incentive
Detriments: May remove some revenue from local recyclers
Option: Eliminating Oliver Landfill as MMBC depot and Re-Establishing Commercial Recycling Service
Before the implementation of the MMBC program, the Oliver Landfill obtained commercial recycling services for ‘blue bag’ items. These services covered the majority of the MMBC program including cardboard, paper, tin cans and some plastic packaging. Education and maintenance of the site was performed by the RDOS Scale Attendant within the normal workday for the facility so no additional staff time is associated with this program.
Estimated yearly cost of commercial bin rentals, transport of materials and processing of all ‘blue bag’ recycling
($7500)
Benefits: Provides recycling options for majority of MMBC items, does not require sorting of ‘Fibre’ and ‘Containers’, would allow for plastic bags and books to be mixed into recycling
Detriments: Private recyclers may not have access to same recycling services for Styrofoam, plastic bags, container glass and mixed paper products (cups, tetrapaks…) requiring residents to sort those materials out of their landfill recycling, may remove some revenue from local recyclers
Option: Removal of All Recycling Depot Services at the Oliver Landfill and Direct Residents to Private Recycling Facilities
This option would require that the Oliver Landfill no longer accept cardboard, paper, containers, or other residential Paper and Printed Packaging (PPP) at the Oliver Landfill. Residents would be directed to local private recyclers, such as the Oliver Bottle Depot, for residential recycling services.
This option would remove all costs for rentals and capital upgrades related to the residential recycling program. Hidden costs may be incurred from residents and businesses placing more materials in to the garbage due to the inconvenience of having to go two separate places to drop off garbage and recycling. Although the Oliver Landfill would receive additional tipping fees for these recyclables in garbage, the net cost of losing landfill air space will result in the need to find a new landfill sooner.
As the amount of recycling that may end up in garbage is difficult to gauge, this option does not include financial cost or benefit. There would be no savings of staff time over current operations as the scale attendant must be onsite during hours of operation.
Benefits: No direct costs, additional recycling revenue to local private business
Detriments: Inconveniences residents taking recycling and garbage to landfill, potentially increases recycling hidden in garbage speeding up closure of Oliver Landfill.