Sterling Heights

Getting closer to curbside

By Cortney Casey
C & G Staff Writer

A subscription-based curbside recycling service for Sterling Heights is moving full-steam ahead, with initial signup commencing now and service slated to start by fall.

Waste Management Public Sector Solutions representative Patrick Greve said the company was prepared to begin fielding calls from interested residents Feb. 22, the day after City Council voted unanimously to grant the trash hauler a six-year license to handle curbside recycling for the community.

Council also voted to introduce an ordinance amendment necessary to facilitate the addition of curbside recycling service to the city code. The amendment is set for formal adoption, per the usual two-step ordinance process, March 6.

Department of Public Works Director Sal Conigliaro described the service as the optimal compromise. It adds a curbside option without saddling the city with additional cost — administrators had estimated $840,000 to implement an across-the-board program — or burdening uninterested taxpayers with a new fee against their will, he said.

“We didn’t feel comfortable recommending an enhanced or new program during the hard financial times,” he said.

Yet many longtime residents and new ones coming from cities where curbside recycling was standard have continued to clamor for the option, he said.

Administrators have been in the process of implementing the subscription plan since last year, and Conigliaro said he’s fielded much positive feedback since the intentions were announced in spring 2011.

The city reviewed the two “quality” proposals received and interviewed both firms before selecting low bidder Waste Management, Sterling’s refuse collector since 1998, he said.

Under the program outlined by Greve Feb. 21, residents, who are required to commit to a minimum one-year term, will pay an initial $5 account setup fee, then $59.40 when opting to pay on an annual basis, which works out to $4.95 per month.

Quarterly billing is available with an additional administrative fee and fuel surcharge, the amounts of which fluctuate, he said.

In response to queries from council, Greve acknowledged that it’s unknown what the monthly cost will be after the first year, as it depends on participation levels.

“With the more people that sign up, the more cost effective we can make it,” he said.

When feasible, the service also will be offered to multifamily, commercial and industrial locations, with the cost multiplied per bin, added Greve. Waste Management will bill customers directly and field all inquiries.

Retrieval will occur every other week, and will ideally coincide with residents’ regular refuse pickup day, he said.

If the program fails to attract the declared 5,000-participant minimum, Greve noted, Waste Management reserves the right to move forward with service, but may collect recyclables on days other than traditional trash pickup days. However, he said he did not anticipate having difficulty meeting that minimum threshold.

The company plans to initially dedicate one truck to the endeavor, which Greve insists is adequate to serve more than 5,000 people. Even if the entire community enrolled, only three or four trucks would be necessary, he said.

Participants will receive a wheeled, lidded 96-gallon bin to collect recyclables, which can be “commingled,” as they'll be separated by type at Great Lakes Recycling in Roseville, said Greve.

Accepted materials include cardboard, paper bags, phone books, junk mail, magazines, catalogs, pizza boxes, newspapers, clear glass, grocery bags, cans, metal pots and pans and plastic containers.

As an incentive, Waste Management is partnering with Recyclebank, which allows residents to earn points redeemable for gift certificates to local eateries and retailers based on the volume of materials recycled. An affiliated awards program was one of the requirements set forth in city’s request for proposals.

“Our mission … is to help individuals and communities realize a world where nothing is wasted,” said Andrew Korman, Recyclebank’s director of account management. “And we believe that you can offer people incentives for positive environmental actions, like recycling.”

According to Korman, the average active Recyclebank participant saves $165 annually on shopping and dining out via the rewards. Most perks require “co-spending” from recipients; for example, some of the most popular deals include $10 off a $30 purchase at Bed Bath & Beyond and $6 off a two-entree dinner at Olive Garden, he said.

“If you think about the savings that you can see from the rewards program, it’s very popular, because it can offset some of the fees associated with the service itself,” said Korman. “It essentially pays for the program and then some.”

According to Korman, each pound recycled generates 2.5 points. Greve explained that Recyclebank points are distributed to customers based on the total weight of materials collected in the community, not by household.

“We want neighbors to encourage neighbors — ‘Hey, join the recycling program, because we can all benefit from this,’” he said.

Recyclebank is an inextricable component of the overall program and will be supplied for free for the first two years, said Greve. After that, the cost will depend on the recycling service’s success and participation rate, he said.

According to Waste Management's timeline, a promotional/signup campaign will occur this spring, with the expectation that the minimum 5,000-participant threshold will be reached by summer. The company then will order containers and deliver them to residents, with service beginning in the fall.

While the city will continue to review data for its three drop-off recycling centers, Conigliaro said there are currently no plans to shutter any of the facilities, which are located on 15 Mile and on Clinton River Road, both west of Schoenherr; and at the DPW building on 18 Mile, west of Van Dyke.

“Our volumes continue at a high, steady rate, and at many times, seasonally, we find it difficult to keep up with the demand,” he said.

According to figures supplied by Conigliaro, the centers collected 2,118 tons of paper and related products, 190 tons of glass, 25,008 cubic yards of plastic, 95 tons of tin cans, 382 car batteries, 24,977 tons of mixed metals and 30,550 tons of motor oil last year.

Residents in attendance at the meeting appeared generally receptive to the subscription plan, though several expressed concern about the potential for a 96-gallon bin to become unwieldy.

Council members were, for the most part, brimming with enthusiasm for the plan.

“This is very easy for me to vote on, because being out in the community, the one thing that I hear most is, ‘When are we going to curbside recycling?’ Or, ‘Please don’t do curbside recycling,’” said Councilwoman Maria Schmidt. “People are either passionate one way or another. And if people are willing to pay for this, I’m willing to give them the opportunity to do that, because this costs the city absolutely nothing.”

For more information on the subscription recycling program, or to be placed on the preliminary signup list, contact Waste Management at (866) 797-9018 or miohcustomerservice@wm.com.

Additional information is available by calling Community Relations at (586) 446-2489 or emailing cityhall@sterling-heights.net.
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Cortney Casey at ccasey@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1046.