Return to Source Separated Recyclables Fairfax County Solid

Return to Source Separated Recyclables Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program Department of Public Works and Environmental Services Working for You! A Fairfax County, VA, publication Monday, October 26, 2015

Fairfax County, Virginia Large suburban county outside the Nation’s Capital 2015 population 1. 1 million residents 411, 963 housing units Lots of haulers – both commercial and residential Currently have two MRFs and a recycling transfer station within 20 miles of the Government Center • Fairfax County runs a MSW transfer station. Covanta will take control of the WTE facility in February 2016. • • • Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 2

Environmentally-Sound Disposal Emergency Response 20 tons of solid waste is transported and disposed of every 10 minutes (about 1, 000 tons per year). (Hurricanes, tornadoes, snow, flooding) Renewable Energy Production We generate enough power for 80, 000 homes or about 90 MW of electricity. Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Pollution Prevention and Community Engagement Refuse Collection of 10% of household waste and recyclables Recycling The countywide recycling rate is about 50% 3 100 community events per year

Residential Collection (Trash & Recycling) Commercial Collection (Trash & Recycling) 90% Private 10% Public Yard Waste Processing 100% Private Trash Disposal 100% Private Waste Transportation 75% Private 25% Public Fairfax County Solid Waste Management: A Public/Private Partnership 40% Private 60% Public Construction / Demolition Debris Disposal 100% Private 4 White Goods / Tire Recycling 100% Private Engineering / Consulting Services 100% Private Recyclables Processing 100% Private Household Hazardous Waste / E-Waste Processing 100% Private Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program

Recyclables Processing • Collect 15, 000 tons of single stream recyclables from 44, 000 homes annually • IFB in 2013 – lack of competition in area • Processing fee of $89 per ton for single stream, $60 per ton for dual stream, formula for revenue sharing • Spending as much as $40. 18 per ton to process single stream recycling • Spending as much as $11. 16 per ton to process dual stream recycling • Would this be sustainable? Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 5

The County Agency Recycling Route Project • Collect recyclables from about 225 different sites throughout the County • Collect about 5, 000 tons of recyclables per year • Sites include rec centers, libraries, fire stations, satellite government centers, parks, and health centers • Project required us to visit each site and determine their individual needs • Materials came out of most buildings as dual stream • Developed recycling plans for facilities by type, reconfigured collection containers, mixes, frequency • Worked with site managers and janitorial contractors Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 6

Fire stations Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 7

Paper and OCC at the loading dock Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 8

Sorted Office Paper! • Sorted Office Paper consists of baled paper, as typically generated by offices, containing primarily white and colored groundwood free paper, free of unbleached fiber. May include a small percentage of groundwood computer printout and facsimile paper. Prohibited materials may not exceed 2%, total outthrows may not exceed 5% • Clean loads are critical if you are working with a paper broker – there is little tolerance for contaminants • Generated in office buildings, courts, health centers • Used books are recyclable as mixed paper – libraries receive a huge number of unusable books as a donations from residents. Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 9

Historical pricing for SOP Pricing History Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 10

Historical Pricing for Mixed Paper Pricing History Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 11

Old Corrugated Cardboard Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 12

Historical Pricing for OCC Pricing History Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 13

Old Corrugated Cardboard • Generated almost everywhere – fire stations, health department, offices, anywhere with food service • Issues with breaking down boxes • Easily removed from the rest of the waste stream • Price fluctuations, but still valuable • Can be mixed with paper – reduces value, but may be necessary due to collection constraints. Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 14

Food and Beverage Containers • Collected separately from paper and cardboard to maintain the quality of the paper • Large quantities at locations with food service and places like rec centers and parks. • Taken to transfer station and sent to processors in tractor-trailer with material from drop off centers Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 15

Fiscal Impacts of the Changes • By marketing some of our recyclables ourselves, we greatly reduced the overall per ton cost for recyclables processing. • Improving the quality of materials – delivering materials as dualstream rather than single stream made a significant difference. • Using the transfer station for recyclables allowed us to ship materials to markets that were further away • Used existing equipment and personnel Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 16

Processing costs per ton Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 17

The take-away • Start in your own backyard – what kind of recyclables does your organization generate? • Keep it clean! Educate your customers about what goes into their recycling containers. • Do some research – either an actual waste sort, or a survey of your collection practices and customers • Look for opportunities – you don’t have to do it the way you’ve always done it! • Network to find new markets and send a few test loads. 18

What’s next? • • • Buy a baler? Find markets for hard to recycle items, especially plastics Build a MRF? Drop off sites for glass? Food waste composting? Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 19

Additional Information For additional information, please contact Erica Carter, Recycling Coordinator 703 -324 -5313 Erica. carter@fairfaxcounty. gov www. fairfaxcounty. gov/dpwes Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program 20