Agenda - Council - 08/14/1984 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Page Four Waste reduction information and education as a waste abatement strategy involves the providing of information and training sessions to persons who have an interest in solid waste abatement. Such activities might be conducted through community groups or schools. Waste source separation, as an abatement strategy, includes methods and procedures for extracting from the solid waste stream at the point of generation useful materials that could be returned to the economy (newspaper, gloss~ iron, aluminurn~ cardboard). Such activities accomplish the conservation of naturaJ resources and energy, reduce consumer expense~ reduce landf il ling cost and land disposal needs, and facilitate preparation of refuse to provide fuel for energy recovery systems. There are three basic types of waste separation systems= collection/drop off centers, curbside pickup~ and salvaging. A collection or drop off center is a facility usually operated and staffed by a volunteer organization which would provide bins or other containers in which individuals place their source separated materials. The organization in turn would market the materials, To be effective such recycling/drop off centers must be located close to the point of waste generation so that they are convenient to individual residential generators. Because of the inconvenience of separating and transporting recycled materials, a high degree of individual motivation is required. For this reason, this.strategy may be of limited value in reducing the County*s landfill disposal needs. Curbsicle pidcsJp, on the other hand, is a system which is built into the general solid waste collection system for the community whereby the individual residents place the separated materials on the curb so that the recyclable materials are separate from the waste to-be disposed of. Curbside programs can accomplish a larger reduction in the County's land disposal needs but still will require a high degree of motivation to accomplish separation. Because curbside pickup programs are so closely tied to the collection system~ it is believed that curbside programs can be better implemented by the city as a part of their municipal solid waste management services. Other elements critical to the success of a curbside program are population density and the availability of municipal collection or municipal contract collecticxq. Currently only the communities of Blaine, Anoka, Columbia Heights, Coon Rapids, Fridley, Hilltop and Spring Lake Park have population densities conducive to this strategy. Of the above communities only Anoka, Blaine, and Columbia Heights currently have municipal collection or municipal contract col lection.