Agenda Item Wording:
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Presentation of Solid Waste Recycling Updates - Presentation of Solid Waste Recycling statistics.
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Deadline for Action: 10/21/2024
Submitting Department: Public Works
Contact Name and Phone Number: Jason Serpa, Public Works Manager, jason.serpa@visalia.city, 713-4533; Nick Bartsch, Public Works Director, nick.bartsch@visalia.city, 713-4052
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that Council receive the presentation on the City of Visalia Solid Waste and Recycling update.
Summary:
The short presentation enclosed with this staff report first shows the City's total waste tonnages as compared to previous years and how they play into the City's diversion rate. The diversion rate is the total amount of material that does not go to landfill divided by the total amount of material the City generates. The higher the diversion rate, the better the City and its citizens are recycling. The City has seen improvements from year to year in this regard.
In addition to the diversion rates, the City has also seen a large improvement in the residential sector according to the amount of residuals in its recycling waste. In the waste industry, residuals are items that end up in the recycling stream that cannot be recycled, or in most cases, trash that ends up in the wrong can or bin. The City's contract with our local Material Recycling Facility requires a semi-annual audit of how much residual there is in each commercial and residential waste stream. The City achieved its best (lowest) residential residual percentage of 25.01% for the last 6 qualifying months. This represents a lower amount of tonnage of residuals being sent to our recycler, and immediately impacts the rate the City pays to process the material.
Background Discussion:
The City of Visalia provides solid waste and recycling service to approximately 146,073 residents. Since 2012, the City has had three wast...
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