Finance Committee Agenda and Packet 2023 02 16

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SUBJECT: BAG TAX FUNDED WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAMS DATE: FEBRUARY 16, 2023 the Ridwell subscription. Ridwell is offering Louisville businesses a 10% discount on monthly service. Estimated Program 2 Staff Impact The staff impact of program 2 is low. Staff will be required to communicate with businesses, pay the Ridwell invoices, and track and report program data. Estimated Program 2 Waste Reduction Impact The waste reduction impact of program 2 is high. Both business employees and residents will be able to drop off hard -to -recycle materials year round at commercial locations in Louisville, which will divert these materials from the landfill. Additionally, if Ridwell and the City of Louisville advertise the businesses participating in the program, it will likely increase resident participation in the programs. Program 2 Overall Recommendation Program 2 is a good option for businesses that want to take an extra step, but do not want to administer the waste reduction program themselves. Program 3: Commercial Recycling Incentives The City of Louisville will work with an existing program through Boulder County Resource Conservation Division (RCD) and Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) to provide a business with a one-time financial incentive to begin commercial recycling or composting services. Currently, there is no universal recycling or composting ordinance in Louisville and the business community is not required to recycle or compost. Through Green Business Program feedback, the City of Louisville has received feedback that businesses are interested in commercial recycling and/or interested in a shared recycling bin for a group of geographically close businesses. This program may be attractive to businesses that have a shared area for waste collection and/or are centrally located (downtown, McCaslin). PACE currently provides $150 coupons for businesses that start commercial recycling programs, so this program would "incentive stack" on the existing program to provide bag tax businesses with a $1,150 rebate to start services. It should be noted that the PACE program has limited annual funding and is administered on a first come, first served basis. To redeem the coupon, the business must commit to at least one year or new recycling or composting services or both. The business contacts recycling and composting haulers to receive quotes for services that meet the needs of the business. When the service is finalized, the business completes a form and submits it to the hauler, who submits it to Boulder County. Boulder County reimburses the hauler $1,150 towards the new service(s). PACE also provides businesses with up to $350 worth of recycling and compost bins and signage for their business, so after the service has been set up, the business would also be eligible for this funding to support the project. Business sectors this may impact: Food, Service, Retail, Grocery Estimated Program 3 Costs The estimated cost to set up a commercial recycling service is $125. The estimated monthly service charge for a commercial recycling service is $130 - $200/month for weekly pickup service, depending on the size of the container the business requires. This program would cover $1,150 in costs related to setting up this service for each business that selected program 3. Groups of 11 /57