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SUBJECT: <br />DATE: <br />SOLID WASTE SERVICES DISCUSSION <br />APRIL 11, 2017 <br />PAGE2OF6 <br />Pricing Structure and Pricing Incentives <br />Pickup Schedule <br />Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine Adherence <br />Large Item Pickup Services <br />Street Faire Services <br />Using Boulder County grant funding, and through services provided under the Western <br />Disposal contract, the City performed outreach to residents in 2015 and performed a <br />trash composition study in 2016. In addition, the City's Citizen Survey asked questions <br />related to compost pickup schedule and sustainability importance in relation to other <br />City activities. <br />These efforts indicate that: <br />Residents believe sustainability is important. <br />Residents are happy with weekly trash pickup and biweekly recycling and <br />compost pickup. <br />Recycling rates are relatively high but composting rates are lower. <br />The City is a regional leader in diversion for residential specific trash, recycling, <br />and compost. <br />Refuse Bin Pricing Structure and Compost/Recycling Bin Pricing Incentives <br />The City currently uses a curbside "Pay as you Throw" (PAYT) pricing system that <br />charges more for each incremental increase in trash bin size while providing free <br />curbside recycling bins of any size. The price increment of $8.36 from the base bin size <br />of 32 gallons to each larger size is 80% of the base bin cost. This pricing structure is <br />based on historical studies showing PAYT significantly increases rates of recycling and <br />that the 80% increment is the minimum price point needed to influence people to <br />choose smaller bins. <br />In addition, the City provides curbside PAYT composting services through an <br />incremental price increase of $3.62 or 100% of the base bin cost of a 32 gallon compost <br />bin. The incremental cost of a larger trash bin of $8.36 is larger than the incremental <br />cost of $3.62 for a larger compost bin or a larger recycle bin at no cost. The current <br />PAYT pricing structure incentives less waste, unlimited recycling, and economical <br />composting. <br />The Utility Committee and staff recommend keeping the existing PAYT pricing structure <br />and clearly outlining the parameters for pricing in the upcoming RFP. In addition, the <br />RFP will request a bid alternate to provide PAYT that provides for recycling of any size <br />and composting of any size for no additional cost, regardless of the size of container <br />selected. <br />CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION <br />4 <br />