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Press release from The Zero Garbage Alliance (ZGA)

02/26/02
In the spirit of fair and open dialog and to encourage informed public participation we have answered the 'most commonly asked questions' posed by the Solid Waste manager, Jon Shannon (JS).

Goals of the Zero Garbage Alliance for San Juan County.

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Redesign with the ultimate goal of Zero Waste in San Juan County
  
  
• Emphasize public education programs
  
  
• Implement a model 'Reduce, Re-use, Re-cycle and Redesign' program within all San Juan County departments
  
  
• Institute a viable plan to pay off the debt without jeopardizing the ultimate goal
  
  
• Assure successful redesign of San Juan and Orcas transfer stations and continue upgrades on Lopez
  
  
• Assure local control and local jobs
  
  
• Aim towards the highest environmental standards
  
  

JS: WHY DID THE DEPARTMENT SEEK TO DEVELOP A CONTRACT FOR GARBAGE AND RECYCLABLE MATERIALS HAULING?

ZGA: We believe the county sought a contract because they are looking for ways to reduce debt. The Solid Waste Program has had long and short term debt for many years, set in motion by the forced closure of the Orcas Island land fill and due to a glitch in the system when San Juan Sanitation left. Debt has not incurred because of recycling.

When the Solid Waste Department came under new management in July 2000 short-term debt was just over $200,000 and falling. By May 2001 short-term debt had climbed to nearly $400,000. Unfortunately, the county is choosing a shortsighted, quick fix approach through the proposed contract with Waste Management Inc. (WMI). The Zero Garbage Alliance in November of last year introduced a proposal that is close to Waste Management's bid. The proposal was ignored. Once our present infrastructure and system, at the transfer stations, is seriously altered as it would be with the co-mingling program it will be extremely difficult to revert to the system we now have.

JS: WHAT WILL CHANGE FOR SOLID WASTE CUSTOMERS UNDER THE NEW CONTRACT?

ZGA: The immediate change will be that citizens no longer separate recyclable materials. Long term changes will be disastrous for Zero Waste goals, which even the U.S. Army, Xerox Corp. have adopted. WMI has a history of demanding costly infrastructure changes in areas where they control both garbage and recycling, thus eating up any revenue that could be spent on public education. WMI knows that more garbage equals more profit and undermines the goal of Zero Waste.

There are three elements necessary to achieve Zero Waste: 1) tremendous efforts from citizens, i.e. community responsibility 2) vision in industry i.e. industrial/corporate responsibility, 3) enlightened leadership from government officials, i.e. government responsibility. How will we accomplish the State of Washington's goal of a 50% reduction of solid waste, let alone Zero Waste, without active involvement by all of us?

JS: WHAT IS CO-MINGLING?

ZGA: Co-mingling means either to mix all recyclables together or mix recyclables in with garbage. In the 1970's sorting recyclables was introduced to the citizenry. Now, decades later the citizenry is moving towards a much more sophisticated understanding of recycling that will ultimately lead to no waste at all. Co-mingling is known among recycling experts as a step backward, leading citizens further away from their recyclables and thus further from achieving Zero Waste. Co-mingling means we send our co-mingled mess to a factory where low paid workers don masks, goggles and earplugs and sort through our melange.

JS: WHY DID THE CONTRACT SPECIFY HAULING RECYCLABLE MATERIAL CO-MINGLED?

ZGA: By specifying co-mingling, Solid Waste eliminated all but Rabanco and Waste Management as bidders. These two companies are the only ones in the state that have built facilities to manually sort co-mingled recyclables. At least 11 other bidders were displaced from the bidding pool. ZGA does not know exactly why the contract specified co-mingling.

ZGA asks Jon Shannon why he has not followed through with the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) to enact its mandated 2001 six-year plan prior to going out to bid? The SWAC plan calls for citizen participation. ZGA charges Jon Shannon with pushing forward a contract with WMI prior to establishment of a six-year plan so that he can effectively stop citizens from participating in the creation of a locally controlled Solid Waste program.

JS: WHY WAS WASTE MANAGEMENT OF WASHINGTON SELECTED AS THE CONTRACTOR?

ZGA: Waste Management was selected as the contractor because they issued the lowest bid of the two bids that qualified. Rabanco ($105/ton) and Waste Management ($45/ton), of which $17.46 was ferry fees. ZGA believes that the county should have rejected both bids because the specifications were too vague and the low bid appears predatory. ZGA suggests SWAC write the mandated comprehensive six-year plan, then initiate the bid process again if needed.

JS: WILL THE CONTRACT RESULT IN THE LOSS OF COUNTY JOBS?

ZGA: Yes. Waste Management's bid means that San Juan Sanitation will lose a chunk of their business and lay people off. It remains to be seen how the county can possibly keep local jobs and manage to pay contract costs with WMI.

JS: HOW CAN WE GUARANTEE THAT THE PRICE WILL NOT ESCALATE AFTER THE CONTRACT IS AWARDED?

ZGA: With Waste Management there is no guarantee that the price will not escalate. There are numerous citations regarding WMI and lack of ethics and contract violations. If you want to learn more about the company that many compare to Enron go to www.stopwmx.org

JS: HOW CAN WE BE SURE OUR MATERIALS WILL BE RECYCLED AND NOT JUST BURIED IN A LANDFILL? We cannot be sure unless we maintain local control. It has been documented that WMI has a practice of dumping recyclables into the landfill if it proves more profitable. WMI has been fined across the country for illegal dumping.

JS: AREN'T WE THROWING AWAY A VALUABLE HUMAN RESOURCE WHEN PEOPLE DON'T SEPARATE THEIR RECYCLABLE MATERIALS FROM ONE ANOTHER?

ZGA: If you mean 'valuable human participation', the answer is YES! There is much value in the act of separating recyclables of different materials at home. Our awareness of what we generate in each category is instrumental if we are truly committed to reducing waste. In order to achieve Zero Waste, community responsibility is crucial.

JS: WHAT ARE THE OTHER ADVANTAGES OF THIS CONTRACT?

ZGA: The Alliance fails to see advantages with WMI:s bid. A major disadvantage is that public process has been subverted. ZGA believes that county managers who do not respect the public process are unworthy of holding positions where public process is necessary. Another disadvantage with the contract is that local control of our recyclables is handed over to WMI in addition to the control they now have of our waste. WMI is in business for profit. Waste is currently more profitable than recyclables. Zero Waste is our goal and a contract with WMI will never allow us to reach that goal.

Ake Stroede 468.2267 email stroede@rockisland.com

County Public Works issues press release in response to garbage and recyclable hauling contract concerns

posted 02/20/02
Over the past several months the Public Works Department has responded to questions and concerns about our proposal to develop a contract for hauling garbage and recyclable materials from San Juan County to the mainland. Many of these concerns are the result of some misinformation and consequent misunderstanding of the changes that have been proposed. Some of the most commonly asked questions are answered here for the benefit of our customers on San Juan and Orcas islands who will be affected by these changes. Lopez Island customers will not be affected by the proposed changes. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please call Jon Shannon at 370-0519. We are happy to answer your questions and receive your comments regarding this proposal.

WHY DID THE DEPARTMENT SEEK TO DEVELOP A CONTRACT FOR GARBAGE AND RECYCLABLE MATERIALS HAULING?
The San Juan County Solid Waste Program has been in serious financial trouble for many years. The overall cost of operating the solid waste system has routinely exceeded the revenue collected from garbage tipping fees. The accumulation of these operating losses had resulted in almost $400,000 of short-term operating debt by the beginning of fiscal year 2001. The decision to develop the contract was made in an effort to reduce the costs of operating the solid waste system without cutting services.

WHAT WILL CHANGE FOR SOLID WASTE CUSTOMERS UNDER THE NEW CONTRACT?
Recyclable materials on San Juan and Orcas Islands will be collected and hauled co-mingled in a single container rather than transported in many different containers. There will be no changes on Lopez Island. Nothing will change at any of the facilities with respect to garbage. The Department has never proposed closing any transfer stations or the "Exchange" and "Take it or Leave it" facilities.

WHAT IS CO-MINGLING?
Customers on San Juan and Orcas islands will still need to "source separate" their recycling from their garbage, but will no longer need to separate their paper, cardboard, newsprint, tin cans, aluminum cans or plastic from each other. They can bring the material to the recycling center mixed in a single container. Glass and steel will still need to be separated.

WHY DID THE CONTRACT SPECIFY HAULING RECYCLABLE MATERIAL CO-MINGLED?
For three important reasons:

1. It costs less. The bid received by the County for hauling and recycling these materials will cut the current cost by more than 50 percent.
2. It will increase the rate of recycling diversion. History has shown that in communities where recycling changed from separated to co-mingled recycling diversion rates increased dramatically.
3. It will enhance the current recycling program for no additional cost. Customers on San Juan and Orcas islands will be able to recycle ALL of their plastic containers #1 through # 7, instead of just #1 and #2.

WHY WAS WASTE MANAGEMENT OF WASHINGTON SELECTED AS THE CONTRACTOR?
They submitted the lowest bid. Waste Management of Washington, Incorporated is a subsidiary of Waste Management Incorporated. Waste Management of Washington has been hauling San Juan County's garbage for many years under an existing agreement and has established an excellent service record with the County.

WILL THE CONTRACT RESULT IN THE LOSS OF COUNTY JOBS?
Current staffing could be reduced in the future providing additional cost savings. However, the Department will not cut any existing jobs and no existing employee will lose wages. Employees may be shifted to other divisions within the department.

HOW CAN WE GUARANTEE THAT THE PRICE WILL NOT ESCALATE AFTER THE CONTRACT IS AWARDED?
The contract specifies the price for garbage and recyclable materials for a period of 10 years.

HOW CAN WE BE SURE OR MATERIALS WILL BE RECYCLED AND NOT JUST BURIED IN A LANDFILL?
The contract requires that all recyclable materials collected from San Juan County are actually recycled. Several Counties, including Snohomish and King, routinely monitor the recycling activities of Waste Management of Washington.

AREN'T WE THROWING AWAY A VALUABLE HUMAN RESOURCE WHEN PEOPLE DON'T SEPARATE THEIR RECYCLABLE MATERIALS FROM ONE ANOTHER?
No. There is nothing intrinsically valuable in the act of separating a tin can from an aluminum can, or #1 plastic from #2 plastic. What matters is that people continue to practice "source separation" by separating everything that can be recycled from their garbage.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER ADVANTAGES OF THIS CONTRACT?
One of the most important additional benefits of the contract is that it will reduce traffic congestion at the San Juan Island and Orcas Island Transfer Stations because it will take customers less time to deposit their recycling.

Waste Management contract to include garbage and recycling

List of stories about solid waste operations in San Juan County