HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8553 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS NO. 8553
T December 16, 2003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Page 1 of 1
r�r SUBJECT: City of Fort Worth In-House Recycling Program
In July 2003, the City of Fort Worth's former in-house recycling services provider ceased to provide
collection and recycling services under its month-to-month contract. Subsequently City staff worked,
unsuccessfully, to negotiate a contract with Tarrant County to provide this service. Failing to raise interest
with the County, proposals were solicited for the provision of in-house recycling services. Beginning the first
week in January 2004, the city will implement its new paper recycling program for city facilities. This new
program will include the routine collection of paper and cardboard from 46 city facility sites, virtually
doubling the participation from the previous years' recycling program. Twenty-five departments have
indicated their willingness to take a part in this new program. The selected recycling contractor is Century
Disposal, Inc., with offices in Austin and Dallas. The term of the contract is for three years.
Similar to the previous contract, desk-side recycle bins will be used to collect waste paper and cardboard
from the employee's work area. The employee will consolidate this material into 96-gallon carts located in
strategic areas throughout City facilities. The recycle carts will be switched out or emptied on a monthly
basis (same day schedule), except in City Hall, where the carts will be collected and switched out weekly.
' City staff will empty their desk-side bins into the carts on an as-needed basis. Materials collected will be
transported to a recycling processor and not deposited into a landfill.
Desk-side recycle bins remaining from the previous recycling program will be utilized. Due to the program
expansion, additional bins will be purchased and delivered to departments by the Environmental
Management staff. Environmental Management staff will provide education and training to employees and
will market this program by providing posters and training information. Century Disposal will deliver carts
to the departments begimzing December 15, 2003. Servicing of the recycling carts will being the first week in
January.
As an added benefit in this contract, Century Disposal, Inc. will provide additional collection services, as
needed, such as Clean Out Your File day, annual library book sale and the telephone book recycling
program, "Project ReDirectory." It is anticipated that once the waste paper program is up and running,
additional materials (i.e. aluminum cans, etc.) will be included into the program. The not-to-exceed amount
for the contract is $24,924 per year and will be funded from the Solid Waste Budget. The cost of collection
will be reduced by the monies received from the revenue generated in the sale of the recyclable paper.
In a related matter for your information, City Council has previously inquired about recycling at Fire
Stations. Staff has been working with Waste Management Inc. to establish recycling collection at Fire
Stations just as they do for residential accounts. We are still waiting for them to give us a price for this
service so we can process an agreement and get started.
eary ac .on
anager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS