Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/08/2015

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Strategies to I mprove Communities example from Cartersville, GA embodies parts of each of the action themes. A Case Study in Resident - friendly Recycling Cartersville, Georgia The City of Cartersville, GA had a robust program in place for garbage collection and disposal. Sincethe mid- 1970s, standard services such as curbside pick- up, large item pick -up, and dumpster services had been augmented by extras like bulk leaf vacuuming and grass clipping removal. The City had conducted a pilot recycling program in the late 1990s, but low participation and high costs made further implementation prohibitive. Although there was a rising sensethat the city should provide recycling services, staff were concerned that recycling would require a rate increasethat could upset customers and cause further difficulty. In 2009, Cartersville added aquestion about recycling to its fourth administration of The National Citizen Survey. The survey revealed that 67% of residentswere supportive of including recycling in the city's waste disposal program, even if that change required an additional cost. Based on results from The National Citizen Survey, Cartersville decided thetime was right to implement a recycling program, and set a goal to havethe program in place by the beginning of 2012. Before implementing the new recycling program, Cartersvi Ile went through a multi -step planning and implementation processto ensure its su ccess. Envision: The City first identified seven major questions that would need to be resolved: How will recyclable materials be received? What type of containers do you want to use? What type of vehicle will it take? Can our regular collection routes be utilized? How much manpower will it take? How much will this program cost, and how will we pay for it? The Public Works department met with its processing partner, Bartow County Solid Waste, to answer thefirst question. It wasdetermined that a dual stream collection system —with one stream for paper and a separate stream for containers — could be easily integrated into the current structure and would also be sustainable for the foreseeable future. The 2009 National Qtizen Survey asked residents of Cartersville, "To what degree do you support or oppose adding a curbside recycling program, even if it meant an additional collection fee ?" Strongly Strongly Oppose Support 17% 33% 33% Somewhat Oppose 16% Somewhat Support 34% Earmark: Next, the Qty needed to determinewhat type of collection containers should be used. Instead of choosing the standard 18- gallon open tubs, Cartersville opted for a container that would be easier for residents and collection staff to handle. The City decided on a smaller version of their garbage collection containers in two colors — dark bluefor containers and light gray for paper. Because recycling wasscheduled for collection every other week, the bins selected were large enough to hold two weeks' worth of recycling for the average household. A complementary recycling vehiclewas selected for its ability to dump these units into a divided body for paper and containers. Educate: The publicwas informed that recycling would be availableto all residentson an opt -in basis, and they were encouraged to sign up to receivethe collection bins. Information about the new program was distri buted in the City's newsletter and sent to residents along with their garbage bills. To facilitate easeof use, asticker displaying thefull year's collection schedule was displayed on the top of each container. Thisway, residents would only have to glance at thetop of their trash binsto determine their next datefor pick -up. Engage: Cartersville's Solid Waste Fund operates as an enterprise fund, and is therefore solely dependent on funds collected within that department to operate. Public Works increased fees by a reasonable $2 per month to generate the funds needed to implement the program. The City also looked at its current five -day pick -up schedule and determined that a biweekly pick -up schedulewould enable the Qty to implement recycling pick -up with minimal additional staff. To add value for this i ncrease, the City also developed and publicized a program called "Reside with Pride." The program includes specific times each year in which solid waste customers can leave © 2014, National Research Center, I nc. Page 7