Orange County's Regulated Recyclable Material Ordinance

Orange County's Regulated Recyclable Material Ordinance

Presented to the Municipal Waste Management Association Operations Committee teleconference

By Dave Ghirardelli

BackgroundBackground Orange County: 125K population

Rapid development pace – University, RTP suburbs County C&D disposal unit near capacity. Disposal facilities in neighboring Counties.

But not convenient to most citizens / customers. 2001: 35K tons total C&D

28K tons at County facility; 7K elsewhere County’s 61% Waste Reduction Goal

C&D Recycling Task ForceC&D Recycling Task Force

County Commissioners appointed C&D Recycling Task Force 1999

Task force studied ways to reduce waste Recovery Facility vs. Separation Ordinance

Final Report issued August 2000Decided not to build expensive facility but mandate recycling of certain materials (wood, metal, cardboard) that make up large portion of C&D

Goals of Change in PolicyGoals of Change in Policy Procure additional C&D disposal capacity but

ensure it lastsDifficult-to-find landfill space being squandered on readily recyclable materialLikely long range MSW strategy will be waste transfer

Sustainable development - Environmental impact of local building practices

Large use of natural resources in buildingC&D waste landfilled is one third, by weight, of County’s waste disposal problem

Ordinance DevelopmentOrdinance Development

Solicitation of feedback from the regulated community – Absolutely critical

Regular group and individual meetings– Builders and Developers (and HBA)– Waste Haulers – big and small– Chambers of Commerce

Preparation for capital, facility, and staffing needs

Key Elements of OrdinanceKey Elements of Ordinance Mandates separation and recycling of scrap

metal, clean wood waste, cardboard, pallets Permits required before Building Permits issued

Administered jointly with Inspections Depts. Hauler’s Licenses with conditions required Sorting facilities Certified by the County

Gives generators an option other than source-separation

Other Features of OrdinanceOther Features of Ordinance Ordinance designed for future addition of

materials to “regulated” listCreates framework for future policy

Demolition projects delayed under some circumstances to maximize recycling

Prohibits open burning of C&D debris Requires covering of loads “Upstream” education promotes deconstruction

Staffing Staffing

Staff (1) for education efforts aimed at builders, developers, and haulers - Constant Outreach!

Staff (2) and equipment (>$1M) to inspect and manage loads of recyclables

Staff (1) in County Planning Department

EnforcementEnforcement Enforcement of separation at landfill using

penalty fees and incentives/lower fees Enforcement with civil citations at jobsites,

recyclables hauled for illegal disposal, burning, failure to secure, illegal dumping*

Verification Tags on mixed loads 5 violations in 12 months OR 2 violations in

30 days = loss of haulers’ license for 1 year

Challenging Issue 1 Challenging Issue 1 Demolition waste

It is more difficult to separate regulated materials from demolition than from new constructionDemolition waste more likely to contain hazardous materials such as wood with lead paint

“Health and safety” “Reasonably possible to separate”

Causes inquiries, enables enforcement flexibility

Promote deconstruction; Give job-specific goals

Challenging Issue 2Challenging Issue 2

C&D material in the MSW streamWood, cardboard and metal significant in commercial MSWSome customers would be required to recycle, others not; a problem with drawing a ‘C&D’ line

No enforcement on S-F Residential MSWC&D First, commercial next

Aluminum can ban example, 57 MPH example

Implementing the OrdinanceImplementing the Ordinance

Passage by BOCC Dec 11, 2001 Present to Municipalities (3) Prepare facilities, market relationships Licensing, Permitting and Certification

procedures Enforcement began on October 1, 2002

Goals for 1 Year Review

Promised to the Regulated Community Cost and tonnage figures

FY 2002/03 figures include 9 mos. of ordinance Continuous solicitation of feedback from

regulated community – giving a voice Recommendations for revision Proposals for addition to regulated recyclable

material list

Measuring Performance – TonsMeasuring Performance – Tons

FY 2001/02 FY 2003/03

Disposed (Co. facility) 27,729 tons 19,085 tons

Disposed (Elsewhere) 7,352 tons 7,035 tons

Subtotal 35,081 tons 26,120 tons

Recycled (Co. facility) 1,099 tons 3,311 tons

Recycled (Elsewhere) 0 tons 6,653 tons

Subtotal 1,099 tons 9,964 tons

Measuring Performance – DollarsMeasuring Performance – Dollars

FY 2001/02 FY 2002/03

Disposal Tipfees $1,274,985 $972,995

Recyclables Tipfees (<) $7,506 $22,415

Recyclables Sales (<) $7,810 $40,137

RRMO Fees (P,L,C) $0 $48,795

Total $1,290,301 $1,084,342

Measuring Performance – Impacts on the local economy

Measuring Performance – Impacts on the local economy

Building permit fees increased an average of $50 per single family home

Hauling fees up, but less than 5% 2 new (small, primarily manual) recycling facilities Large C&D processor got $350,000 tip-fee boost 5 new “jobsite recycling” businesses created No (feared) increase in illegal dumping / burning

Documenting AppreciationDocumenting Appreciation

One-stop-shopping at Inspections Departments Facility Improvements Availability of more earth products Regular outreach efforts Reduced / eliminated tip-fees for recyclables

Documenting FrustrationsDocumenting Frustrations

“But I’m not going to your facility. Why should I have to get this <&*% permit or have to recycle?”

Permits required for smaller projects Permit fees AND tip-fees; paying twice Unauthorized use of dumpsters Not enough attention paid to hazardous materials

dumped on or near jobsite

Ordinance ImprovementsOrdinance Improvements

Permits: Identification of licensed hauler License provisions: Requiring identification,

numbering, and signage on containers Certifications: Potential tonnage ceilings Illegal dumping: Explicit enforcement authority

for more than just recyclable material Potential addition of drywall and electronics