By Mike Augustin
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
The roots of the current recycling scene in Minnesota stretch back to the 1960s and 70s. At that time, our society was awakening to the contamination of water, soil and air caused by the most common approaches to dealing trash - burying them in the ground.
In 1989, legislation drawn from the Statewide Committee on Recycling and the Environment (SCORE) provided framework, funding and wings to the fledgling recycling industry in Minnesota.
Curbside recycling in Rochester was implemented soon after. Since then, collection and handling processes have been refined, and innovative uses for recyclable commodities have been found. Household recycling is something many take for granted.
But not everyone. The county government agency pays close attention to what Rochester households recycle. Olmsted County Public Works, empowered by the state of Minnesota to oversee solid waste handling, and the following four waste haulers are licensed and ready to pick up your household recycling. Together they begin the recycling flow in Rochester.
Olmsted County Public Works
Most Rochester residents could probably sing the tune to go with the familiar tag line "There's a proper place for your waste in Olmsted County." Perhaps verse two of the song should mention that managing those proper places is a big job, considering each Olmsted County residents produces about six pounds of waste per day - that's about one ton of waste per person annually.
What's the best way to reduce that number? According to John Helmers, solid waste manager at Olmsted County Public Works, the top priority is source reduction.
"The County emphasizes programs and education that help residents eliminate the creation of waste," Helmers said. For Olmsted County, it's the familiar call to 'reduce or reuse,' and a less familiar word - abatement.
"Abatement means taking as much trash out of the waste stream as possible," said Scott Martin, solid waste abatement manager at Olmsted County Public Works. Abatement can mean not creating the trash to begin with, or making beneficial use of waste that shouldn't end up in the incinerator or landfill. Examples include composting grass clippings, leaves and food matter. Finally, Martin said abatement also means proper handling of hazardous waste to reduce the toxicity of trash.
What doesn't fit the abatement categories winds up in your rolling, curbside waste cart and is incinerated at the Olmsted County Waste To Energy facility or landfilled at the county's Kalmar Landfill located between Rochester and Byron. County residents of Olmsted and Dodge Counties produce more trash than the Waste To Energy facility can currently handle - to the tune of 164,000 tons over five years. This is waste that could have been converted to energy explains Helmers. With the current incinerator expansion, the amount of unprocessed waste ending up in the landfill will be greatly reduced.
Waste Management, Inc.
Green rolling carts with golden yellow lids parked curbside in Rochester neighborhoods aren't a tribute to Mayo High School colors, or a neighboring state's football team. They're new recycling bins rolled out recently to customers of Waste Management, Inc. for their single stream recycling program, the first in the city.
"It allows consumers to place all recyclables in one easy, convenient wheeled cart," said Julie Ketchum, public affairs representative for Waste Management's Northland Region. "We've implemented the approach city-wide for our Rochester customers, with the exception of a few neighborhoods who will get their carts in early 2009."
Advantages of single stream recycling, according to Waste Management?
"Convenience. They don't have to sort their recyclables," said Ketchum. "People who ordinarily might not recycle at all may start recycling, and people who already recycle start recycling more material. We feel it's the best way for cities like Rochester to increase its recycling rate," said Ketchum,
Sunshine Sanitation
Tory Keefe, owner of Sunshine Sanitation, takes pride in keeping his recycling and waste hauling operations local.
"It's fine if the big companies want to go single stream with their recycling. I get more business from people who don't like it and want customer service, not streamlining," Keefe said. "They know my business dollars and payroll stay local - that's important for Rochester."
Keefe's approach employs a two-sort system. He does not intend to follow suit as larger firms change to single stream. He feels their 'one size fits all' recycling approach isn't what his customers are looking for and results in lower quality commodities for the end markets.
In addition, "A lot of the households we serve don't have space for a second giant rolling cart in their garage on top of the one they already have for garbage," Keefe said. "If they have concerns about recyclables that don't fit in their tote bins, they can call us up and we'll work with them."
"Our operators go through the recycling at the curbside," Keefe said. "Paper, cardboard and plastics are sorted into their own bins right away. When the truck reaches our facility, the only thing that isn't sorted is glass bottles and cans."
The final separation is done via conveyor belt with a combination of magnets for metal cans and hand sorting.
Veolia Environmental Services
We've been evaluating recycling approaches for the past year," said David Schneider, Rochester area general manager for Veolia Environmental Services. "For residential pickup we've been looking into a single stream system," he said, "but we want to share the cost-saving benefits with our customers while ensuring we don't put at risk the volume of recyclables."
Veolia currently employs a two-sort recycling system requiring curbside separation of some items, but is putting plans in place to implement a single-stream approach - with a twist, after the first quarter of 2009. The twist involves a national company that specializes in promoting recycling behavior by rewarding customers who recycle via an earned point system.
Schneider explains that as recycling carts are dumped into trucks at the curb, special equipment scans a chip in the cart and records households who recycle and are eligible to earn points.
"People can go online and track their accumulating points," said Schneider. "After a number of weeks or months, they can redeem points for dollars toward a meal out at local restaurants or other goods and services." Schneider said they will be canvassing local businesses looking for opportunities to offer people rewards for recycling.
Green Planet Disposal, Inc.
"We're a couple guys working hard to make a go of it and keep it local," said Green Planet co-owner Steve Lee. He and his business partner, Chris Chilson, are the newest entrants in residential service, providing curbside waste and recycling pickup in Rochester.
Lee recognizes that Green Planet's operations are small in scale compared to the large waste haulers in town, but feels he can pay better attention to the needs of his customers. Regarding the recent ups and downs in the recyclables commodity markets, Lee said, "On that one we're basically all in the same boat."
Green Planet uses a two-sort method, with partial commodity sorting done curbside. It offers customers two different recycling tub options: a 15 gallon open-top tote, or for customers looking for a larger, covered option, they have a 35 gallon rolling cart.
It's the law
If you don't recycle, you're breaking the law. It became mandatory in 1990 by Olmsted County ordinance in support of State of Minnesota requirements.
Don't expect enviro-police to write you a ticket if you toss that milk jug in the wrong bin - its sort of an honor system. However, don't belittle your role in the process. Handling, recycling and end markets developed around renewable materials are all dependent on arguably the weakest link in the recycling chain - consumers doing the right thing.
Milestones in Rochester's recycling history
1983 - County-sponsored recycling begins. Recycling drop boxes placed throughout community.
1984 - Olmsted County drafts its first integrated waste management plan.
1986 - Recycling Center facility opens at 305 Silver Creek Road N.E.
1987 - Olmsted Waste-to-Energy Facility begins operations.
1990 - Curbside pickup of recycling begins in Rochester.
1995 - Management of self-hauled garbage added to Silver Creek Road N.E. Recycling Center facility.
2007 - 42 percent of waste generated in Olmsted County is recycled (this includes a five percent state credit for composting and a three percent state credit for waste reduction education programs)
2010 - Olmsted Waste-to-Energy Facility expansion scheduled to be on-line. Capacity will be doubled from current 200 tons per day to 400, extending lifetime of existing County landfill by 20 years.
Source: Olmsted County Public Works
Mike Augustin is a Rochester freelance writer.
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