A unanimous vote set the stage for New Haven to rescue its “embarrassing” recycling system by making recycling easier, throwing out trash harder, and rewarding green citizens with cheap groceries.
Chief Administrative Officer Rob Smuts described the new plan as a “win-win-win” for all involved. The Board of Aldermen saw it similarly Thursday night, voting unanimously to approve the measure.
The rescue plan arrives as New Haven’s recycling rate has dropped below 10 percent.
Currently, city residents haul their 96-gallon city-issued garbage “toter” (pictured) to the curb for pickup on trash day. When the new plan takes effect early next year, they’ll still be hauling that container, but it will be filled with recycling, not garbage.
It will also have a new “chip” tracking their recycling prowess.
Before the meeting Thursday night, Smuts stood in the hallway outside the Aldermanic Chamber and explained the plan, which has been in the works for years.
The plan will encourage recycling by reducing the size of the trash pick-up barrels issued to homes by the city, and increasing the size of recycling containers.
The recycling containers will be weighed by garbage trucks and tracked by computer. Residents who recycle a lot will be rewarded with discounts at local stores.
Smuts (pictured) said the plan comes at no financial risk to the city, because the cost of implementation will be borne by a private business, RecycleBank. The nationwide company will pay for the initial infrastructure needed for the new system. The company will not earn any money unless it can increase recycling in the city.
“The risk is on the company,” Smuts said. “They’re paying for the toters.”
RecycleBank will earn money only if recyclables exceed the city’s current average recycling level of 4,500 tons per year.
Single Stream, & An Octomom Exception
New Haveners will no longer need to sort paper and cans and bottles, Smuts said. The city will convert to “single-stream” recycling, in which residents can pitch all their recyclables into one barrel. And they’ll have a bigger place to put it all. Residents will no longer use their existing 96-gallon toters (pictured) for garbage. Instead they’ll use the toters for recycling. No more little blue bins.
Instead of the current 96-gallon trash bin, residents will have new 48-gallon toters for garbage, paid for by RecycleBank.
There will be a provision for households that need more room for trash, Smuts said. If, for example, “Octomom moves to New Haven,” and she can’t fit all her dirty diapers in the 48-gallon bin, she would be able to get another bin.
RecycleBank will also pay for the installation of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag on all the 96-gallon recycling toters, along with new scales and RFID readers on each of the city’s four garbage trucks. As the recyclables are loaded into the trucks on trash day, the weight of each house’s haul will be recorded and tracked.
People who recycle a lot can earn points, which they can trade in for rewards, like money off at the grocery store. The average household could save $15 – 20 per month on groceries, Smuts said.
People will be able to check how many points they’ve earned by logging into the RecycleBank website or by calling a 1 – 800 number.
Not only will individual households save money; the city will also save money, Smuts said.
The New Haven Solid Waste Authority currently pays $76.50 per ton to have its garbage removed. Since recyclables are a commodity, the authority misses out on $28 of potential revenue for every ton of recyclables thrown away as garbage. That means every new ton of recyclables diverted from the garbage represents a total value of $104.50.
During the first five years of its contract with RecycleBank, the city will pay the company $70.40 for each ton recycled over the current average of 4,500 tons per year. That leaves $34.10 per ton, added back into the city budget.
According to city estimates, total savings could represent a $370,000-$607,909 value each year, depending on the level of recycling.
During the second five years of the contract, the city will pay RecycleBank $.50 per month per household. With the anticipated increase in recycling, this could represent a $613,160 value to the city.
“The bottom line,” said Smuts, “is we’re aligning the public’s interest and the city’s interest in an innovative way.”
“A Great First Step”
The RecycleBank plan passed the Board of Aldermen with little discussion. East Rock Alderman Roland Lemar (pictured) was the only representative to speak on the measure. He combined words of praise with a plea for more action.
“As we all know, our current recycling rates are abysmal,” Lemar said. “This agreement certainly positions us to do dramatic things.”
Lemar later said New Haven recycles only around 9 percent of its trash, compared with 27 percent in New York and a whopping 70 percent in San Francisco. “It’s embarrassing,” he said.
Lemar warned aldermen that “there will be hiccups, there will be challenges” as the new system gets underway. He praised the efforts of a supportive citizens group calling itself the New Haven Master Recyclers.
“This is a great first step,” Lemar said of the RecycleBank plan. New Haven needs to take more steps to improve recycling in the city, he said.
After the meeting, Lemar elaborated. “We need to have full-time staff dedicated solely to improving the city’s recycling initiative,” he said.
A full-time staff person would be able to do “targeted outreach” to increase recycling at commercial operations, small businesses, and apartment buildings, Lemar said. He said the RecycleBank plan does not address these trash sources.
A staff person would also be able to track the data collected by RecycleBank and do outreach in neighborhoods where there is not a lot of recycling.
“This will be a great thing for folks who are already doing it,” Lemar said of the plan. But it will not necessarily reach people who aren’t recycling now, he said. “I don’t know that the incentives are really enough to compel people,” he said.
Lemar said having a full-time staff person to work on tracking recycling data and increasing participation is indispensable. “It’s an imperative to make any recycling program work,” he said. “Otherwise it’s not a strong commitment.”
Lemar said he is will continue “to pressure the mayor and CAO [Smuts]” to include funding for such a staffer in the city’s budget.