ADMINISTRATION- Clark Arneson, City Manager
Title
AGREEMENT FOR COLLECTION OF SOFT RECYCLABLES WITH SIMPLE RECYCLING
Background
The City has been approach by Simple Recycling to collect soft recycling goods (clothing and household goods) in Blaine. Simple Recycling is a company in Ohio that provides free year-round curbside textile collection on the same day our regular recycling pickup days. WasteZero markets the program in the Twin Cities metro area. There is no cost to the City for the program. The City will be paid $20 per ton of material collected.
Program elements:
• Simple Recycling mails out a postcard announcing the program, followed by a mailer with two plastic collection bags with instructions to residents for used clothing, textiles, and other small household goods.
• Residents then put the bags out on recycling collection day and Simple collects the bags in a Ford Transit van.
• Simple Recycling then weighs the material at its local facility and pays $20 a ton to the city.
• The program is free, and waste haulers are usually fine with the program because it keeps textiles out of their recycling facilities.
• Average annual collection usually starts at seven pounds per household.
• Terms of the arrangement and service standards are laid out in a five-year contract.
• You can see their web site at http://www.simplerecycling.com.
• This is a turnkey system so that the city staff does not need to administer the program. Simple Recycling has a customer service hotline and bags and mailers have the 800 number, e-mail, and web site on them to direct residents for questions.
The contract with Simple Recycling would not prevent any resident from donating material to their favorite charity. In addition, Simple Recycling is a private company so it cannot give a receipt for a tax deduction; therefore, residents seeking that deduction can still contribute to a charity.
Simple Recycling has already launched the program in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, and Minnesota. In the Twin Cities, 160,000 households have access to the service in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, New Hope, St. Louis Park, Shorewood, Mounds View, Shoreview, Robbinsdale, Stillwater, Ham Lake, Lakeland, White Bear Township, Arden Hills, Spring Lake Park, and Coon Rapids in addition to customers of Tennis Sanitation in Maplewood, Cottage Grove, Inver Grove Heights, Lake Elmo, Newport, Oakdale, St. Paul Park, South St. Paul, Woodbury, and West Lakeland.
Recommendation
By Motion to approve the agreement with Simple Recycling.