Due to Tacoma’s strong economy, the City was able to absorb the extra costs for a short period. However, the City could not sustain its current service level without making changes. Therefore, City Council asked staff to gather community feedback on four proposals in order to find the best, long-term solution.

 

The City received over 6,100 survey responses from residential customers, which informed the recommendations and ordinance. 

No. Materials that were previously recycled by China are either being recycled domestically, or going to countries with processing capacity.

No. For the time being, JMK Materials Recovery Facility, the City’s contracted processing facility, is able to find outlets for recyclable materials in the global market.

In the past, American mills found it hard to compete with China. While American recycling mills appear to be increasing, it will take several years or more before these facilities are ready to process the amount of materials that we can provide. Whenever possible the City utilizes local markets and will continue to do so.

Problem items are materials that cause problems for the recycling processing facilities. Materials like plastic bags can jam equipment causing dangerous conditions for workers and increased labor costs for employers, and flat, plastic lids (ex: dairy tub lids) can be difficult to sort from paper and cardboard materials and end up as contamination.

 

Brent Bell 2019 Forum Video - #1 Contamination from Ngoc Ma on Vimeo.

A satellite drop-off station in a moveable container that allows people to drop off their recycling at a location other than the main Recycle Center (see image below). These sites will be staffed and plan to collect cardboard, scrap metal, glass, plastic bags and Styrofoam blocks.

 

A satellite glass drop box is similar to a satellite drop-off recycling center, but would only collect glass (see image below). The glass-only drop-off locations will be unstaffed, and be similar to Pierce County’s model of collecting glass for recycling.

 

The surcharge will take effect on January 1, 2020.

 

Customers can expect to see a "Recycle Reset Surcharge" of $2.82 per month on their bills. 

Below is a breakdown of how the $2.82 surcharge will be used:

• $2.32 will partially offset the increased costs of residential curbside recycling associated with processing, marketing, and shipping of recyclable materials. (To be reviewed on, or before, December 31, 2022)
• $0.50 will be used for increased education and outreach that will encourage residents to Recycle Right (empty, clean, and dry) and know what materials are accepted in the residential curbside bin. (To be removed on December 31, 2023)

The surcharge does not cover the entire cost of the recycling program.

The Tacoma City Council approved recommendations to waive the $2.82 surcharge for customers who participate in Environmental Services' utility affordability assistance program (Discount Rate Program or Bill Credit Assistance Plan).

 

The utility assistance program helps elderly, disabled, and/or other individuals who qualify based on income to receive help paying their utility bills. For more information about the utility assistance programs and to find out if you qualify, please visit mytpu.org or call (253) 502-8600.

In March 2019, Solid Waste Management hired a consulting company to conduct an internal evaluation of the City’s glass recycling operation. The assessment found only 25 percent of customers participate in the residential, curbside glass program on a given collection day. Due to the low customer participation and the pricing trends with glass recycling, curbside glass collection is not an economically efficient or environmentally friendly practice. It also poses safety concerns for solid waste workers.

 

Solid Waste Management believes a glass drop-off collection system is a better and more efficient collection option for residential customers. Solid Waste Management will continue to assess how to better partner with customers while being good stewards of resources and fiscally responsible. Solid Waste Management continues to be committed to recycling, including glass.

Glass that is recycled at the Tacoma Recycle Center, or drop-off centers, are source separated from other materials that may cause contamination, which makes it more desirable for recycling and can be hauled by one truck per day to Seattle. The curbside glass recycling program requires three to four trucks to collect glass, which increases the carbon footprint of the system.

 

While collection sites require individual customers to bring glass, the environmental impact is still reduced, because usually customers coordinate their trip to the glass drop off center with another trip, i.e. on the way to the grocery store or the dry cleaners.

There are limited applications for glass to be used as aggregate (road-based material), so demand for this is lower. While this would provide diversion from landfill, using glass for road base has little added environmental benefit.

More than ever, it is important to practice Recycle Right, which means to place only empty, clean, and dry recyclable items in the bin and separate glass. If you are unsure about what is recyclable, visit TacomaRecycles.org and use the "What Goes Where" feature to find out how to properly dispose of tricky items, and remember “when in doubt, keep it out.”