Why are special multi-family dwelling (MFD) waste

reduction programs necessary?

The U.S. has nearly 97.7 million occupied residential units, 15.9 million of which are

located in buildings or complexes with five or more units.1

Residents in these

households are often left out of community curbside recycling programs because (1)

programs where each household places materials at the curb for collection are not

suited to many MFDs, and (2) commercial waste haulers, not local government, typically

provide waste management services to MFDs. Yet, residents in MFDs often want the

opportunity to participate in waste reduction programs and desire the convenience of

curbside collection.

What is a MFD waste reduction program?

There is no single model for a MFD waste reduction program because of variation in

building size, layout, resident characteristics, and trash disposal systems. Some

programs collect both yard debris and other recyclables. Others collect only recyclables.

Some require residents to deliver materials to a central location. Others provide

collection from doorways or at curbs. In general, successful programs provide residents

with the convenience of curbside collection while fitting into existing waste

management systems.

Benefits of MFD waste reduction programs

■ Decrease waste disposal costs for building owners and households;

■ Bring buildings into compliance with applicable MFD recycling

laws/regulations;

■ Help achieve local and state recycling goals;

■ Make recycling accessible to more of the community.

Complex Recycling

Issues

Strategies for Record-Setting

Waste Reduction in MultiFamily Dwellings

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Solid Waste and

Emergency Response

(5306W)

EPA-530-F-99-022

October 1999

www.epa.gov/osw

The Waste Reduction Record-Setters Project fosters the

development of exceptional waste reduction programs by

documenting successful ones. These programs can be used as models for

others implementing their own programs to reduce waste. This fact sheet packet is oriented

toward recycling coordinators, building managers and owners, and highlights recordsetting multi-family dwelling (MFD) waste reduction programs.

1, 2, 3 BR APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 (800) 555-RENT

20%

25%

30%

50%

55%

60%
Numerous strategies, policies, and

procedures contribute to the success

of the record-setting MFD waste

reduction programs profiled in this fact

sheet. These include:

Enacted state and local

laws or requirements

State and local laws have encouraged

communities to institute waste reduction

programs among MFDs served by

municipal trash programs and encourage

buildings and complexes served by

private companies to develop their own

waste reduction programs.

■ California’s law requiring all cities to divert

50% of their solid waste by the year 2000

spurred San Jose to start its Recycle Plus

Program in 1993. Under this program, the

city offered recycling services to residents

of MFDs for the first time.

■ Leisure World, in Laguna Hills, California,

instituted its waste reduction program the

year after the state passed its law.

■ The Syracuse Housing Authority instituted

recycling in apartment buildings under its

jurisdiction in response to state and local

regulations.

Encourage resident

participation

Just a few people who do not recycle

correctly, contaminating recycling bins

with the wrong items or throwing away

recyclables, can greatly influence others.

This is especially true in buildings with

common recycling areas. Contaminated

recycling bins, may send the message that

the program is not serious.

The profiled record-setters have used

fines, education, lease requirements, and

incentives to encourage individual

tenants to reduce waste.

■ If the management at Blossom Hills Estates

in San Jose, California, finds a lot of

recyclables in trash from a particular

household and the household does not

begin to comply with the recycling

program, the complex can fine the residents

$30.

■ Syracuse Housing Authority (SHA) uses

both fines and one-on-one education to

encourage residents to reduce waste. For

the first improper recycling offense, SHA

fines residents $5. SHA often dismisses

appealed fines, but uses the opportunity to

explain the importance of recycling and

how to do it correctly.

■ Saint Paul and Seattle both recommend

that building managers require residents to

recycle in all leases. San Jose Green Team

staff provide building managers with model

lease agreements incorporating recycling

requirements.

■ The University of Michigan sponsors

competitions among residence halls to

reward conservation efforts, including

waste reduction.

Seek management

participation

Waste reduction programs need

management commitment to succeed.

Communities with record-setting MFD

waste reduction programs use both

incentives to encourage participation and

disincentives to discourage noncompliance with program requirements.

■ Both Seattle and San Jose charge volumebased fees for trash collection and provide

recycling services at no additional charge.

MFDs with successful waste reduction

programs can save money on trash

disposal.

■ East Orange’s local recycling ordinance

allows the city to fine apartment

management and/or discontinue both trash

and recycling services for failure to comply

with the city’s requirements. Discontinuing

service would force management to pay a

private hauler for a service they have

already paid for through city property taxes.

What qualifies as a record-setting MFD program?

This fact sheet packet profiles three types of MFD recycling programs; (1) community-wide

programs, (2) single-building or -complex programs, and (3) a university residence hall program.

Waste reduction levels vary within each profile type.

Of the nine profiled programs, the four community record-setters report waste reduction levels

from 22% to 25%. A selected representative building participating in the Syracuse Public Housing

MFD recycling program reached a diversion level of 20%. A recent U.S. EPA-funded study of

municipal MFD recycling programs completed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors reported the

average program diverted 15% of residents’ waste from disposal through recycling.2

Only 11 of

the 40 communities studied achieved recycling rates of over 20%.3

Individual buildings and complexes have been able to achieve higher waste reduction levels than

entire communities. The three building and complex programs profiled here are recovering

between 50% and 65% of their waste, impressive recovery rates in any setting.

The one profiled university program, the University of Michigan, is achieving a 30% waste

reduction level. This program is one of the oldest university residence hall recycling programs and

may have the highest dormitory waste reduction level.

Implementing a record-setting MFD waste reduction program

The University of Michigan

uses these small recycling bins

in its dormitory recycling

program.
Make programs

convenient

Building layout and resident

demographics may help determine

program design. However, recycling

coordinators stress convenience as an

underlying theme for collection

methods.

■ The Commodore Club in Key Biscayne,

Florida, uses a chute for trash and

recyclables. Computer controls ensure

source-separated materials drop into

the proper receptacle. This system

allows residents to deliver both trash

and recyclables to the same place and

eliminates the need for a recycling area

on each floor of the building.

■ Saint Paul uses the same set-out system,

list of acceptable items, and instructions

for preparation of materials throughout

the city. This makes education easier,

and it means that a resident who moves

does not have to relearn recycling

requirements.

■ Syracuse Housing Authority has

brought the convenience of curbside

service to some of its public housing

residents. Where space allows, residents

receive door-to-door pick-up of both

trash and recyclables. In some highrises, residents receive door-to-door

pick-up of recyclables, but must bring

trash to a chute, which empties into a

basement compactor.

■ When buildings join the East Orange

MFD waste reduction program, a city

inspector evaluates the building and

helps management tailor the program

to the individual building layout and

trash collection system.

Educate

Education is an important tool to

encourage proper program

participation in any waste reduction

program. Because apartments have a

higher turnover than single-family

homes, education efforts must be

continual, and more intensive than

with single-family homes. Recordsetting MFD waste reduction

education programs use a variety of

media vehicles to spread messages,

repeat messages frequently, often use

pictures or multiple languages in their

outreach efforts, and spread the

message within buildings through

meetings and volunteers.

■ The University of Michigan spreads

waste reduction messages through

signs in recycling areas, a newsletter, its

Web page, displays on campus, and at

student meetings. These educational

efforts are on-going throughout the

academic year.

■ Managers at Blossom Hill Estates send

informational mailings about waste

reduction programs to every household

three times a year and provide residents

one-on-one training on an ongoing

basis.

■ Saint Paul’s educational materials

provide basic, clear guidelines and are

available in many languages (including

English, Spanish, Russian, Cambodian,

Hmong, Chinese, Vietnamese, and

Somali).

■ Seattle uses MFD resident volunteers to

spread recycling messages in their

buildings through the city’s “Friend of

Recycling” program. Program

volunteers attend a city training session,

then serve as recycling advocates in

their buildings.

Compost

Many MFDs have little landscaping but

those with lawns, trees, and shrubs

find composting can help them

achieve high waste reduction levels

and often saves money.

■ Leisure World is a sprawling residential

community where landscaping crews

collect yard debris for composting. In

fiscal year 1996, the complex diverted

30% of its waste through composting,

avoided more than $130,000 in disposal

fees for the diverted material, and cut

landscaping costs by using finished

compost and mulch on-site.

■ San Jose provides yard trimmings

collection services to all of the city’s

household, including MFDs. Yard

trimmings account for 66% of material

diverted from the multi-family waste

stream.

Provide feedback

Providing feedback to residents helps

them understand that their efforts do

indeed make a difference.

Communicating successes and failures

to building management in a timely

manner can alert them to potential

difficulties and help them solve

problems before low participation or

contamination jeopardize program

viability.

■ In Saint Paul, providing feedback is easy.

The city requires haulers to report

monthly pick-up information for each

account served. The Saint Paul

Neighborhood Energy Consortium

distributes posters that building

managers can use to graph these data

and display recycling achievements.

■ East Orange MFD recycling collection

staff note decreases in amounts of

materials recovered and increases in

contamination at buildings on an

ongoing basis. When collection staff

report problems, city management work

with building staff to rectify the

problem.

Implementing a record-setting MFD waste reduction program

Bins for recyclables at a

MFD complex in Saint,

Paul, Minnesota
Record-Setting

Program

Blossom Hill

Estates, San Jose,

California

Commodore Club

Condominiums,

Key Biscayne,

Florida

East Orange, New

Jersey

Leisure World,

Laguna Hills,

California

Saint Paul,

Minnesota

San Jose,

California

Seattle,

Washington

Syracuse Housing

Authority,

Syracuse, New

York

University of

Michigan, Ann

Arbor, Michigan

Model Programs — Some Numbers and Descriptions

# Households

736

187

6,236

12,736

27,114

80,440

54,900

2,600

5,000

Materials Recovered

ONP; OCC; OMG; mixed paper; glass

container; cans; juice and milk cartons;

plastic bags, bottles, and jugs;

polystyrene packaging; scrap metals;

empty aerosol cans; textiles; yard

trimmings

ONP; aluminum; steel cans; glass food

and beverage containers; #1,2, & 3

plastics 

ONP, OMG, phone books, cans; #1 & #2

plastics, glass containers

ONP, OMG, aluminum, glass food and

beverage containers, white goods, scrap

metal, laser cartridges, yard trimmings

ONP, OMG, OCC, phone books, mail,

paperboard, glass

ONP; OCC; OMG; mixed paper; glass

container; cans; juice and milk cartons;

plastic bags, bottles, and jugs;

polystyrene packaging; scrap metals;

empty aerosol cans; textiles; yard

trimmings

ONP, OMG, mixed paper, glass

containers, cans. Two out of four

contracted collection companies also

collect #1 and #2 plastic bottles

ONP, OMG, OCC, mixed paper, glass and

metal food and beverage containers,

aluminum foil and pans, aerosol cans,

milk and juice cartons

ONP, OCC, OMG, mixed paper, glass, #1 &

#2 plastics, aluminum, aerosol cans,

juice and milk cartons, ceramics, scrap

metal

Collection Strategy

sets of three 96-gallon recycling bins

(one for each: newspaper, mixed

paper, and other recyclables) 

chute in laundry room on each floor

empties into containers in basement.

Computer delivers container for

newspaper, cans, glass, or plastics

under chute as needed.

sets of two 90-gallon carts (paper

products in one; containers in the

other), approximately one set per 30

households

various methods for different building

types: curbside collection; common

collection containers; centralized

drop-off site

clusters of six 90-gallon wheeled carts;

at least one cluster for every 100

households

one set of three 96-gallon recycling

bins (one for each: newspaper, mixed

paper, and other recyclables) for every

25 households

each contractor has a slightly different

system but buildings joining now

require residents to sort materials into

four streams. Containers used

included dumpsters and toters.

buildings have different methods:

door to door pick-up; common

collection rooms on each floor of

building

common collection rooms on each

floor of residence halls. Students

separate OCC, mixed paper, mixed

other recyclables

% Waste Stream

Recovered

65% in one

complex

50% in second

complex

59%

22%

50%

23%

25%

23%

Not available for

all buildings:

20% for Toomey

Abbott Tower

(293

households)

30%

ONP = newspaper OCC = corrugated cardboard OMG = magazines and catalogs

Note: Comparisons of program data should be undertaken with care. It is not valid to compare different types of programs with each other.

For example, community-wide recycling rates are not comparable with rates in single-building programs. Furthermore, cost data presented in

the profiles are not meant to be comparable among programs. Data are presented in order to compare costs of waste management elements

in each individual program.
Q Can recycling help decrease my

costs?

A By disposing fewer tons, disposal

charges can decrease. Building

owners and managers often can save

money by reducing trash pick-up

frequency and/or dumpster size. In

addition, higher recovery rates lead to

lower per ton costs for recycling. A

recent study reported that as

community-wide MFD diversion levels

increased, per ton collection costs for

recyclables decreased.4

Q Will I have huge start-up 

costs?

A Not necessarily. Start-up costs

can vary considerably and need

not be large. Some community MFD

programs provide collection

containers and bins and/or provide

educational tools and assistance.

Some private haulers also provide or

rent collection containers. In contrast,

installing a new chute system or other

system with high equipment costs will

be more expensive in the short run

and may have a longer pay-back

period. In all cases though, the higher

your diversion, the shorter your payback period will be.

Q We just completed a big

educational program. When do I

need to do another one?

A Start tomorrow. Because of high

resident turnover in MFDs and

difficulty identifying individuals that are

not participating, education efforts

must be continual and more intensive

than with single-family homes. New

tenants will need concentrated

educational efforts to help them up the

learning curve. In-person contact is

best. Some coordinators spend time

with residents going through their trash

and going over what is and is not

recyclable.

Q Which MFD waste reduction

system works best?

A There is no one system that works

in every building or community.

Building layout and area fire and health

codes and zoning regulations may

dictate program design. Special

considerations may also need to be

made for typical residents. For example,

programs designed for senior citizen

housing should take into account that

residents often have limited strength

and mobility. Finally, the program may

need some adjusting to get it just right.

You may find that you need more

collection containers than originally

planned, or that your signs are a bit

confusing. Listening, evaluating, and

adjusting will help you create a high

diversion, cost-saving program.

Q Why is designing a convenient

program so important?

A Residents and staff may not want

to participate if they perceive the

program requires more time or effort

than just throwing materials away.

Placing recycling containers close to

trash containers and allowing residents

to commingle recyclables can enhance

convenience.

Q Our residents want to recycle but

the maintenance staff are

opposed. How can we sell the

program to them?

A Involve the staff in program

planning. If you already have a

program, ask the staff how they would

improve it. Collection staff may have

insight into how to solve problems,

increase participation, and make the

program more efficient. Asking for and

using staff advice can create program

buy-in, potentially save money, and help

you reach higher waste diversion levels.

Q My community offers waste

reduction programs for MFDs,

but many buildings and complexes

do not participate. How can we get

everyone on board?

A All of the profiled community

record-setters mandate waste

reduction in MFDs or provide financial

incentives for successful waste

reduction. Mandates can include state

or local community requirements that

MFDs offer waste reduction

opportunities to residents;

requirements that private waste haulers

provide waste reduction services to

their customers; or requirements that all

residents, including those in MFDs,

participate. Financial incentives for

building management and owners can

include charging for trash based on

weight or volume and providing waste

reduction services at a lower rate or no

extra charge or charging more for trash

services at buildings and complexes

that do not participate in waste

reduction programs.

Creating and maintaining a record-setting MFD recycling program

Some questions and answers
Tips from record-setters

■ Involve residents in program planning

and implementation.

■ Provide waste reduction education

and information to new residents when

they first move into units.

■ Educate people on what needs to be

done and why. Recycling will help the

environment in many ways.5

■ Provide clear, simple explanatory

materials.

■ Use multiple means of getting the

message out — including tenant

meetings, newsletters, lease clauses,

posters celebrating achievements, and

direct mailings.

■ Help people learn. Work with people.

Explain in person how and what to

recycle.

■ Re-educate whenever programs

change. For example, hand out flyers

whenever new materials are added.

■ Use in-building volunteers to

communicate with other residents about

program difficulties and successes.

■ Make participation simple and

convenient.

■ Reach residents by placing

information where the residents are, such

as on or near recycling containers.

■ Encourage or reward resident

participation.

■ Require that residents recycle

through their lease agreements.

■ Ensure management support and

long-term commitment.

■ Pay attention to the needs of your

collection staff; they are an important

element in a successful recycling system.

Be open to letting workers create systems

that work for them. Listen... listen... listen!

■ Pay attention to the ergonomics of

handling. Do not be afraid to go into

debt to capitalize equipment that

improves efficiency and safety.

■ Keep careful cost and tonnage

records in order to recognize true cost

savings.

■ Focus on recovering materials with

high volume and high value.

■ Provide feedback. Mail residents

letters and talk to them.

Tips for municipal

planners to promote MFD

waste reduction

■ Mandate waste reduction program

availability and participation.

■ Require haulers to provide recycling

services to MFDs.

■ Create a mechanism for encouraging

owners or managers of buildings to

comply with recycling requirements.

■ Be flexible in program design. Fit the

system to each building.

■ Consider using municipal employees

to implement the program because of the

opportunity for increased oversight.

■ Show owners that they can realize big

savings through recycling.

■ Educate building owners. Owners can

only use services they know about.

■ Accept the same materials and use a

consistent sorting system for all program

participants in your community.

■ Produce educational materials using

simple graphics.

■ Produce educational materials in

multiple languages if some of the local

population does not speak English.

■ Be persistent. Maintaining high

diversion levels at multi-family homes

requires ongoing efforts from recycling

coordinators and building managers.

■ Have a mechanism to deny service if

complexes consistently set out

contaminated materials.

■ Develop good relationships with the

processors of your recyclables.

Resources

Multifamily

Recycling: A

Golden

Opportunity for Solid

Waste Reduction (EPA530-F-99-10) and

Multifamily Recycling: A National Study

(EPA530-R-99-11). Both published by

the U.S. EPA and available from the

RCRA Hotline at (800) 424-9346 .

Success with Multifamily Recycling: A

Handbook for Owners and Managers.

1992. Produced by Metro Solid Waste

Department,

Portland, OR. (503) 797-1700.

Strength in Numbers. A 10-minute video

available from Association of New

Jersey Environmental Commissions,

(973) 539-7547.

Guide for Preparing Solid Waste

Reduction and Recycling Plans for Multifamily Residential Units. Produced by

OSCAR, the Rhode Island Department of

Environmental Management, (401) 277-

3434

Multi-Residence Recycling Guide.

Produced by the New York Department

of Environmental Conservation and the

Cornell Cooperative Extension. (518)

457-7337.

Notes

1 U.S. Census Bureau, 1995 American

Housing Survey. Available at

<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www

/ahs.html>.

2 Stevens, Barbara J., Ph.D., Multifamily recycling: The data are in.

Resource Recycling. April 1998, pp.

14-18.

3 Stevens, Barbara J., Ph.D., personal

communication, April 28, 1999.

4 Stevens, op. cit.

5 See the U.S. EPA publication Puzzled

about Recycling's Value? Look Beyond

the Bin (EPA530-K-98-008) for more

information about the benefits of

recycling.

The Waste Reduction RecordSetters Project was developed

under a U.S. EPA grant by the

Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). For

more information on the project, contact ILSR,

2425 18th Street, NW,Washington, DC 20009,

phone (202) 232-4108, fax (202) 332-0463,

Web site (http://www.ilsr.org).

The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Ecodata,

Inc. provided data and much of the program

information for the East Orange, Saint Paul,

and Seattle profiles. This information was

developed as part of a national study funded

by the U.S. EPA.
Program Description

I

n San Jose, Green Team, a local

company contracted by the city,

provides multi-family dwellings with

sets of three specially marked 96-

gallon bins: one for newspaper; one

for mixed paper; and one for other

mixed recyclables. At Blossom Hill

Estates,residents bring recyclables to

bins kept next to the trash containers

in outdoor trash corrals. Building

maintenance staff bring both trash and

recycling containers into the alley once

a week on pick-up day.

Since 1980, CMS Properties, a local

landscaping company, has taken care of

all the landscape work at Blossom Hill

Estates II. CMS brings yard trimmings to

a commercial composting company and

then buys back finished compost for its

landscaping work. There is no

landscaping at Blossom Hill Estates I.

When recycling began at Blossom

Hill Estates II,the first of two complexes

to recycle, building managers sent

residents information about what and

how to recycle. After two months,

managers sent letters to every

household that had not recycled

properly. Letters explained that

residents should recycle, what they should

recycle, and how and where to do it. Staff

identified “violators”by going through trash

bags and finding an item with the resident’s

name on it. Reaching a 50% diversion rate took

a year.

When the program began at the second

complex (Blossom Hill Estates I), whenever the

trash container was full and recycling

containers were not, management staff sent a

letter to every resident in the complex as well

as to the landlord explaining the recycling

program and encouraging residents to recycle.

After two months, managers began a new

tactic. Now, if they find a lot of recyclables in

1, 2, 3 BR APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 (800) 555-RENT

Blossom Hill Estates

San Jose, California

50% and 65% Waste Reduction Rate

A California law requiring all cities to divert 50% of their solid waste

by 2000 led the managers of Blossom Hill Estates to city hall to try to

fight recycling. When they realized they could not,they decided to

implement a strong model program. Now, working with the

recycling program is one of the highlights of their job. Residents of

the two complexes that comprise Blossom Hill Estates recycle over 50% of their

solid waste. The first complex began recycling in 1993; the second began in April 1997. Since

implementing recycling, Blossom Hill Estates I and II have reduced total disposal costs by 40%

and 41% respectively.

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Solid Waste and

Emergency Response

(5306W)

EPA-530-F-99-022a

October 1999

www.epa.gov/osw

>50

Materials Collected

Newspaper

Corrugated cardboard

Mixed paper (magazines, catalogs, paper

bags,telephone books, paperboard,

colored and white paper, envelopes,

mail, paper egg cartons)

Glass containers

Cans

Juice and milk cartons

Plastic bottles and jugs

Polystyrene packaging

Scrap metals (including aluminum foil

and pie pans, metal can lids,small

metal appliances, hubcaps, metal pots)

Textiles

Yard trimmings

This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in MultiFamily Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
trash from a particular household,they

send that resident and the landlord a

letter. The letter contains notice of a

$30 fine for not recycling as well as an

explanation that if a resident can

recycle properly for 90 days,the

resident does not have to pay the fine.

Residents reached a 50% diversion rate

within 90 days of program

implementation.

Outreach Activities

A

t both complexes, building

managers spend time with residents

going through residents’trash,

explaining what is recyclable, how to

prepare it, and where to put it. In

addition, building management staff

send informational mailings to every

household and the landlord three times

per year.

Costs/Benefits

S

tart-up costs were minimal.

Operating costs, including mailings

to every resident three times per year,

are also low. The city provides recycling

collection containers, and does not

charge extra for recycling services. The

trash fees MFDs pay cover recycling

services. Trash fees have been fairly

consistent from 1993 to 1997. During

the first year of program

implementation at Blossom Hill Estates

II, building management spent $2,000

on stamps sending letters to all

residents.

Total disposal and composting

costs at Blossom Hill Estates II were

$77,500 per year before the recycling

program; total trash and waste

reduction costs dropped by 41% to only

$45,300 in 1997. Disposal costs at

Blossom Hill Estates I were $67, 000 per

year before the recycling program; trash

and diversion cost $40,000 in 1997,

representing a 40% reduction in costs.

In total, Blossom Hill Estates avoids

almost $60,000 per year on disposal

costs and diverts more than 50% of its

waste at a cost of less than $14,000.

Of the money that Blossom Hill

Estates pays for landscape services,

approximately $1,100 per month is for

composting services.

Tips for Replication

■ Show owners that they can realize

big savings through recycling.

■ Educate people on what needs to

be done and why. Explain that nobody

is making more land for landfills.

Recycling will help the environment.

■ Help people learn. Show them

how to prepare recyclables. Work with

people.

Contact:

Bill Holman

Jane Holman

Building Managers

Blossom Hill Estates 2

5533 Snell Avenue

Suite 203

San Jose, CA 95123

(408) 281-3771

Start Date

Type of Multi-Family Buildings

Households Served

Total Waste Generated (Tons)

Disposed

Diverted*

Total Diverted (%)

Recycled*

Composted*

Average Generation

(lbs./HH/day)

Disposed

Diverted

Fees per Year

Disposal

Diversion

Net Costs per HH per Year

Disposal services per HH

Diversion services per HH

Savings per HH

Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Bill and Jane Holman, Blossom Hill Estates; 1999.

Program Summary

Blossom Hill Estates I

1997

4 units per building, 98

buildings in complex

392

Before 

Recycling 1997

624 624

624 312

0 312

0% 50%

0% 50%

0% 0%

8.7 8.7

8.7 4.4

0.0 4.4

$67,200 $40,133

$67,200 $39,504

$0 $629

$171 $102

$171 $101

$0 $2

$69

HH = household

Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.

*ILSR estimated tons recycled and composted. Recycled tonnage was set equal to the reduction in trash disposal at

Blossom Hill Estates during the period studied. IlSR converted volume of yard trimmings to weight using the

following conversions:1 cubic yard brush = 300 lbs.;1 cubic yard of grass clippings = 702 lbs.

Blossom Hill Estates II

1993

4 units per building, 86

buildings in complex

344

Before 

Recycling 1997

595 595

520 208

75 387

13% 65%

0% 52%

13% 13%

9.5 9.5

8.3 3.3

1.2 6.2

$77,472 $45,336

$64,272 $32,136

$13,200 $13,200

$225 $138

$187 $93

$38 $45

$87
Program Description

Residents of Key Biscayne Commodore

Club condominiums in Key Biscayne,

Florida (population 8,854, 1990

census), have been recycling using a

modified trash chute system since

1992. Residents separate newspaper,

aluminum cans, glass food and

beverage containers, and #1, #2, and

#3 plastics for recycling. Each

material goes down the chute into its

own receptacle.

The system, designed by Hi-Rise

Recycling Systems, Inc., works as

follows: a computer panel with buttons

for trash, newspaper, glass, plastics, and

cans is located next to the door of a

chute in the laundry room on each floor.

Bins corresponding to each type of

material sit on a rotating platform under

the chute opening in the basement.

When a resident wants to throw away

trash,she pushes the trash button on

the panel. This causes the platform in

the basement to rotate the trash

container directly under the opening.

When the container is in place, a light

appears on the computer panel,the

chute door unlocks,the resident

opens the door and throws away

her trash. Next,she may push the

button for newspaper recycling. The platform

in the basement rotates so that the newspaper

container is under the chute opening, and the

system is ready for her recyclable newspaper.

The platform contains two containers for trash

and four for recyclables.

Waste Management of Dade County picks

up trash every Monday through Saturday, and

recyclables once a week. The company picks

up trash more frequently than recyclables to

avoid odor and vector problems. There is very

little contamination of recyclables. Although

Waste Management can charge the building for

contaminated loads, Commodore Club

Condominiums has never been charged. The

building manager, in charge of running the

recycling program, believes that the fast, easy

collection system encourages high

participation rates and high-quality separation

of recyclables.

Building staff service the basement

trash/recycling room twice a day to switch bins

if necessary and ensure the system is running

properly. They pressure clean the bins monthly.

Materials Collected

Newspaper

Aluminum

Steel cans

Glass food and beverage containers

Plastics # 1, 2, & 3

1, 2, 3 BR APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 (800) 555-RENT

Commodore Club

Condominiums

Key Biscayne, Florida

59% Waste Reduction Rate

Residents of the 187-household Commodore Club Condominiums

in Key Biscayne, Florida, an island suburb of Miami, have been

recycling since 1992. Using a modified trash chute system, which

accommodates trash and separated recyclables,residents recycle approximately 59%

of their solid waste. This saves the condominium approximately $1,500 per year in disposal costs

and an estimated $3,000 per year in indirect costs,such as pest control.

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Solid Waste and

Emergency Response

(5306W)

EPA-530-F-99-022b

October 1999

www.epa.gov/osw

59

This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in MultiFamily Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
Outreach Activities

Many residents were involved in

choosing this recycling system and

became interested in participating.

Once they chose the system, a

representative from Hi-Rise Recycling

conducted a workshop at the complex,

explaining how the system worked,

what the county accepted for recycling,

how materials should be separated,the

plastics coding system, and what

residents needed to do to ensure a

successful program.

During the program’s first three

months,the Hi-Rise representative

visited Commodore Club at least everyother day to check the containers in the

basement and talk to residents as

needed. She put a new reinforcement

poster in each chute room every two

weeks. After three months,she sent

every resident a letter congratulating

them on their recycling efforts.

On an ongoing basis,Hi-Rise

supplies literature, which building staff

leave in common areas, including

instructions for how to recycle at the

chutes.

Costs/Benefits

I

n 1991, before implementing the

recycling system,Commodore Club

paid an estimated $2,130 per month in

trash hauling charges. The

condominiums also paid approximately

$7,300 in labor costs per year relating to

trash collection and removal. Hauling

and labor costs before the recycling

program were approximately $32,900

per year.

In 1998,Commodore Club paid

$714 per month for the Hi-Rise system.

This included installation and

maintenance. This is a lease-to-own rate

and, in 1999,Commodore Club will have

paid for the system. Although

Commodore Club will continue to pay a

monthly maintenance fee,this will be

much lower than its current monthly

rental charge, and savings over previous

trash costs will increase. In addition to

the monthly fees,Commodore Club pays

$1,750 in hauling charges per month,

based on a per container pick-up charge

for both trash and recyclables.

Commodore Club also pays

approximately $1,800 per year in labor

costs relating to trash and recycling

services. Because building services staff

used to pick up trash on each floor,

concentrating all trash and recyclables in

one place has greatly reduced labor time

for pick-up and maintenance. In total,for

trash and recyclables service,

Commodore Club pays approximately

$31,400 per year.

Since implementing its recycling

program,Commodore Club has saved

approximately $1,600 per year in trash

costs in addition to an estimated $3,000

per year in indirect costs such as reduced

cleaning and pest control in the trash

rooms on each floor.

Tips for Replication

■ Make recycling easy. In order to

reach high recovery rates,recycling has

to be easy for residents.

■ Simplify separation and recovery

procedures.

■ Ensure management support.

Management support makes a huge

difference in program success.

Contacts:

Joe Bier

General Manager

Key Biscayne Commodore Club 1

177 Ocean Lane Drive

Key Biscayne, FL 33149

(305) 361-1656

Amy Creekmur

Hi-Rise Recycling, Inc.

16255 N.W. 54 Ave.

Miami, FL 33014

(305) 624-9222 fax (305) 625-4666

Start Date 1992

Type of Multi-Family Building 12-story building, built circa 1972

Households Served 187; 139 2-bedroom units, 24 3-bedroom

units, 24 1-bedroom units

Total Waste Generated (Tons) 89

Disposed 37

Diverted 52

Total Diverted (%) 59%

Materials Recovered (Tons) 52

Newspaper 42

Mixed glass 4

Aluminum cans 1

Plastics 6

Average Generation (lbs./HH/day) 2.6

Disposed 1.1

Diverted 1.5

Cost per year*

Before recycling program $33,000 (estimated)

With recycling program $31,400 (estimated)

Cost per HH per year

Before recycling program $176 per HH per year (estimated)

With recycling program $168 per HH per year (estimated)

HH = household

Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.

* Costs represent labor costs for Commodore Club employees who spend time handling trash and recycling,

hauling contractor costs,and Hi-Rise system rental fees (with recycling program).

Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Joe Bier, Key Biscayne Commodore Club; 1999.

Program Summary, 1998
Program Description

E

ast Orange,New Jersey (population 73,000),

is located about 15 miles west of New York

City, and is a highly urban community.

Well over 50% of households in East

Orange reside in multi-family

buildings. All multi-family

households receive curbside

recycling service, with a combined

single-family/small multi-family

service provided under contract, and

a separate recycling collection to

complexes with 50 or more units

provided by municipal employees. A

private firm, under city contract, collects

trash for the entire city.

East Orange instituted single-family

recycling in 1989, and followed with a

MFD recycling program three years later.

Recycling is mandated by state law which

requires communities to offer recycling

services and residents to separate

recyclables from trash. East Orange’s

local recycling ordinance allows the city

to fine apartment management for

failure to comply with the city’s

recycling requirements and allows the

city to discontinue both trash and

recycling services for noncompliance. The city has fined some

complexes but has never

discontinued service to a building.

The single-family program and

the multi-family recycling programs

each recycle the same materials, in a two

separation set-out. The city provides its multifamily customers with sets of 90-gallon carts,

with each set of two carts serving about 30

households. Paper products go in one cart and

commingled containers in the second. These

carts are typically placed near trash receptacles

in complexes with common trash areas. In

buildings with trash chutes, city staff usually

place small recycling containers on each floor

and building maintenance staff are responsible

for emptying these containers into the central

containers for collection by city crews.

City crews use six-cubic-yard rear-loading

packer trucks to provide weekly collection

service to East Orange’s MFDs. They collect

paper on one pass and commingled containers

on a separate pass. City crews deliver collected

recyclables to a materials recovery facility

(MRF), which a private firm operates. The city

pays no tip fee at the facility and receives 10%

of revenues from the sale of its paper.

1, 2, 3 BR APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 (800) 555-RENT

East Orange,

New Jersey

22% Waste Reduction Rate in Multi-family Dwellings

East Orange,New Jersey, offers recycling services to all its residents. The

city-run program serving residents of multi-family households in

complexes with 50 or more units began in 1992. Residents receive

weekly collection of newspaper, magazines, phone books, aluminum

and ferrous cans, #1 and #2 plastics, and clear, green, and brown glass bottles and

jars. In 1996,residents served by this recycling program diverted 22% of their waste from

disposal.

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Solid Waste and

Emergency Response

(5306W)

EPA-530-F-99-022c

October 1999

www.epa.gov/osw

Materials Collected

Newspaper

Magazines

Phone books

Aluminum and ferrous cans

#1 and #2 plastics

Glass bottles and jars

22

This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in MultiFamily Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
Outreach Activities

E

ast Orange staff closely monitor each

building’s participation in the

recycling program so educational

resources can be targetted where they

are most needed. When buildings join

the program, a city inspector evaluates

the building and helps management

tailor the new program to the individual

building layout and trash system. City

staff also distribute a brochure on the

city’s MFD recycling program to each

household when a new building joins

the program.

Collection staff note decreases in

amounts of materials recovered and

increases in contamination at buildings

on an ongoing basis. When collection

staff report problems, city management

either issue a clear, courteous letter,

with a name and phone number to

contact to rectify the situation or

personally visit the building. As a result

of this close monitoring of recycling setout quality and quantity, East Orange

has few problems with contamination

of recyclables and maintains its high

waste reduction level among its MFDs.

Costs/Benefits

Recycling from large multi-family

complexes in East Orange cost the

city $13 per household in 1996. This cost

includes the costs of collection (on a fullcost accounting basis, including

depreciation of capital equipment such

as vehicles and carts), costs of processing

(to the city), less revenues remitted to

the city by the processor. Per household

costs for trash management were $92.

Trash costs reflect payments to the city’s

trash contractor and trash tip fees. The

overall cost of trash disposal and

recycling collection in East Orange’s

multi-family program averaged $106 per

household in 1996. If the city did not

recycle and disposed of all waste

generated in MFDs, conservative

estimates indicate that total costs per

multi-family household would be $111.

On a per ton basis,trash cost $154

per ton in 1996 compared to only $81

per ton for recycling services. Recycling

is cheaper on a per ton basis because

the city pays no tip fee for recyclables

delivered to the MRF while trash disposal

tip fees were nearly $75 per ton.

East Orange finances all trash and

recycling services from regular property

tax assessments.

Tips for Replication

■ Mandate recycling program

availability and participation.

■ Provide education and outreach

materials to all residents on a regular

basis.

■ Create a mechanism for

encouraging owners or managers of

buildings to comply with recycling

requirements.

■ Be flexible in program design. Fit

the recycling system to each building.

■ Consider using municipal

employees to implement the program

because of the opportunity for

increased oversight.

Start Date 1992

Type of Multi-Family Buildings All buildings and complexes in East Orange

with 50 or more units are eligible to

participate. In 1996, approximately 75

buildings and complexes were enrolled in the

program.

Households Served 6,236

Average Persons per HH Served 1.58

Total Waste Generated (Tons) 4,772

Disposed 3,729

Diverted 1,043

Total Diverted (%) 21.9%

Average Generation (lbs./HH/day) 4.2

Disposal 3.3

Diversion 0.9

Average per ton SWM costs $137.94

Trash collection and disposal $153.99

Recycling $80.60

Cost per HH per year $105.56

Trash collection and disposal* $92.08

Recycling $13.48

Estimated Costs per HH per Year $111.21

without Waste Reduction**

SWM = solid waste management HH = household

Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding. Data represent buildings in the city MFD trash and

recycling program.

* The city paid a trash tip fee of $74.72 per ton for disposal in 1996.

** In order to estimate what per household costs might have been if East Orange had no recycling program,

Ecodata assumed that all waste generated would be handled as trash and the marginal collection cost per ton of

material that was recycled would be equal to 50% of the per ton trash collection cost in the present system.

Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Barbara Stevens, Ecodata; 1999.

Program Summary, 1996

Contacts:

Dominick D’Altilio

Municipal Recycling

Coordinator

Department of Public Works

Solid Waste and Recycling Division

44 City Hall Plaza

East Orange,New Jersey 07019

(973) 266-5337 fax (973) 266-5367

dom_daltilio@email.com

Ecodata, Inc.

97 N. Campo Road

Westport, CT 06880

(203) 454-1700 fax (203) 227-5289
Program Description

L

eisure World is a sprawling residential

community located on more than 700 acres

of land with approximately 18,000

residents. Building types range from

single-family units up to 24-unit

buildings. This poses an unusual

challenge for management who has

devised a combination centralized

collection for commingled materials,

drop-off system for newspapers, and

curbside program for the single-family

units.

Varied building configurations

result in three different trash collection

systems. Residents of three-story

buildings use trash chutes. Residents of

other multi-family units bring their trash

to three-cubic-yard containers in

enclosures located throughout the

premises. Residents of single-family units

put their trash at curbside for collection.

Outside contractors collect trash twice

per week.

While Leisure World has a strong

recycling program of typical homegenerated recyclables, what drives its

recycling rate to 50% is its composting

operation. This program began in

1990. Leisure World's landscaping

staff collect all landscaping debris

and grind, process, and compost it

on site. They use the finished compost as

potting soil in the on-site nursery, and mulch

for landscaping purposes. Staff use several

source reduction techniques, including direct

mulching when cutting grass, and planting

drought resistant species.

Leisure World's residents recycle beverage

containers, magazines, and telephone books at

one centralized drop-off site at the

maintenance service center, driving distance for

most residents. At this site there are nine

recycling collection containers, one or two for

each commodity. The containers are threecubic-yard metal bins.The material collected

here accounts for less than 5% of the total

recyclables diverted.

In-house staff collect newspapers curbside

from the single-family units. The remaining

population, who reside in multi-family

structures, place their newspaper in one-cubicyard covered metal bins. Approximately 450 of

these bins, custom designed for Leisure World,

are distributed throughout the complex

1, 2, 3 BR APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 (800) 555-RENT

Leisure World

Laguna Hills, California

50% Waste Reduction Rate

Thanks to an aggressive program installed, maintained, and

encouraged by property management,the Leisure World residential

community in Laguna Hills, California, has cut its waste stream in

half. One of the keys to Leisure World's success is its composting

program. Landscape trimmings account for 25% of the

community's waste stream, with mixed residential recyclables (newspaper and

commingled containers) accounting for another 25%.

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Solid Waste and

Emergency Response

(5306W)

EPA-530-F-99-022d

October 1999

www.epa.gov/osw

Materials Collected

Glass

Aluminum

Newspaper

Magazines

Yard trimmings

White goods 

Scrap metal 

Laser printer cartridges

50

This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in MultiFamily Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
alongside trash containers. Private

contractors collect this material.

Other materials collected for

recycling including white goods,scrap

metal (such as old hot water heaters,

sinks, and other fixtures generated by

the maintenance department), and laser

cartridges. Management also plans to

implement a cardboard collection

program using one four-cubic-yard

container on the premises.

Staffing needs for the recycling

program are met with existing staff.

Because outside contractors handle the

collection of recyclables (except yard

trimmings), only a small amount of staff

time is devoted to cleaning the

centralized collection location. The

composting program has two

dedicated staff: one for materials

collection,the other for tub grinder

operation.

Outreach Activities

T

he program involves community

residents through governance

committees that oversee all aspects of

operations on the premises. This direct

involvement gives residents a direct

stake in the success of the program.

Interested residents often bring

contamination issues to the attention of

the program manager.

All recycling containers are labeled

with stickers indicating which materials

to deposit. Management promotes the

program through articles in the

community newspaper and bulletins on

the community cable channel.

Costs/Benefits

T

he centralized collection program

minimizes costs. Leisure World also

receives top dollar for its newspaper as it

is clean and uncontaminated. For

instance, in 1996 management spent

$95,000 on newspaper pickup,but

received $123,000 in revenue for this

newspaper and saved $82,000 in tipping

fees, netting an overall savings of

$109,000 for newspaper alone. Savings

are passed on to residents through

lowered operating costs. As of 1996,

nine years after implementing the

recycling program, Leisure World realized

$80,445 savings in operating expenses.

All program costs include equipment

(tub grinder and tractor to turn

windrows),start-up costs (grading of

compost site), and labor (two staff for

composting program).

The yard trimmings collection

program results in lower hauling and

tipping fees,reduced need for soil

amendment purchases, and reduced

water needs. Careful records of the flow

of materials and costs allow staff to

understand the true cost savings of

recycling. The program coordinator

tracks tonnage by requiring waste slips

from the contractor who has a scale on

its truck. The in-house composting staff

also weigh yard trimmings with an onboard scale.

Tips for Replication

■ Ensure a committed management

staff is on hand.

■ Encourage residents to make the

extra effort to recycle.

■ Keep careful cost and tonnage

records in order to recognize true cost

savings.

■ Focus on recovering materials with

high volume and high value.

Contact:

Cindy Cramer

Management Analyst

Landscape Division

Professional Community

Management, Inc.

Leisure World

P.O. Box 2220

Laguna Hills, CA 92654

(714) 597-4669 fax (714) 470-0148

Start Date 1987 (yard trimmings added 1990)

Type of Buildings 318 single-family buildings and 2,231 multifamily buildings; multi-family buildings range

from 2 to 24 units and from 1 to 3 stories

Households Served 12,736

FY86 FY96

Total Waste Generated (Tons) >14,500 15,755

Disposed 14,500 7,800

Diverted NA* 7,955

Total Diverted (%) NA 50%

Materials Recovered NA 7,955

Yard trimmings 0 4,711

Newspaper NA* 3,043

Other recyclables 0 201

Average Generation (lbs./HH/day) >6.24 6.77

Disposed 6.24 3.35

Diverted NA* 3.42

Fees per Year >$815,522 $735,077

Disposal $815,522 $562,077

Diversion NA* $173,000

Net Costs per HH per Year >$64.03 $57.71

Disposal services $64.03 $44.13

Diversion services NA* $13.58

Net Costs per Ton >$56.24 $46.66

Disposal services $56.24 $72.06

Diversion services NA* $21.75

FY = fiscal year HH = household NA = Not available

Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.

*Leisure World had a newspaper recycling program before 1986,but did not track tonnage or costs.

Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Cindy Cramer, Leisure World; 1999

Program Summary,FY96
Saint Paul, Minnesota

23% Waste Reduction Rate in Multi-family Dwellings

Program Description

R

ecycling came to Saint Paul in 1986. The

program was established by a not-for-profit

neighborhood coalition — the Saint

Paul Neighborhood Energy

Consortium (NEC). From the start of

the program, planners decided to

offer on-premises recycling to all city

residents, regardless of whether they

lived in single-family houses,

condominiums, high-rise apartments,

or even houseboats.

Originally multi-family properties

had to sign up to participate in city

recycling programs. In 1992,the

program became mandatory, in that all

complexes must offer the services.

Participation by individual residents is

voluntary.

NEC contracts with Super Cycle to

provide collection services. The firm

collects source-separated recyclables

using sets of six ninety-gallon wheeled

carts at each recycling station. One

recycling station, which receives weekly

or every other week pickup,serves up

to 100 households.

A key to the success of the

program is city-wide uniformity of

the program — there is the same

set-out system, list of acceptable

items, and instructions for preparation of

materials throughout the city. This makes

education easier, and it means that a resident

who moves does not have to relearn recycling

requirements.

Saint Paul’s multi-family recycling program

is truly a group effort with the city providing

the containers,NEC managing education and

the contract with the hauler, and Super Cycle

doing the collection. NEC works with the

manager of each complex to be sure the

property manager understands his or her

responsibilities (keep containers accessible,

clear away snow, provide move-in packages to

new tenants),signs a contract with the owners

of the complex, and recommends recycling be

included in all leases.

Outreach Activities

NEC actively manages the outreach for Saint

Paul’s multi-family recycling programs. NEC

provides educational materials including flyers,

posters, displays and leadership for resident

1, 2, 3 BR APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 (800) 555-RENT

Saint Paul,Minnesota, began its multi-family recycling program in 1986.

Local ordinance requires that all apartment complexes offer residents

recycling services. City-sponsored multi-family recycling services are

available to buildings with twelve or more dwelling units. As one of the

oldest programs in the United States, it is also one of the most

developed. In 1997, over 27,114 units in 1,056 buildings received the

recycling service and the program collected 3,418 tons of recyclables,

representing a greater than tenfold increase from the 290 tons collected in 1988.

In 1997, Saint Paul achieved a multi-family waste diversion rate of 23%, collecting 22 pounds

of recyclables per multi-family unit per month.

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Solid Waste and

Emergency Response

(5306W)

EPA-530-F-99-022e

October 1999

www.epa.gov/osw

Materials Collected

Newspapers

Telephone books

Mixed paper (including mail, office paper,

magazines and catalogs, and

paperboard)

Glass Containers

Cans

Corrugated cardboard

23

This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in MultiFamily Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
mailings. Most educational materials

provide basic, clear guidelines and are

available in many languages (including

English, Spanish, Russian, Cambodian,

Hmong, Chinese,Vietnamese, and

Somali).

The program provides ongoing

feedback to residents — via monthly

data on quantity of materials recycled

by complex (the hauler is required to

provide NEC with monthly pickup

information for each account served).

These data can be graphed on a poster

provided by NEC, and displayed for

residents to see. NEC staff also attend

tenant meetings to speak about the

MFD program upon request.

NEC also encourages residents of

MFDs to reuse household items. It has

helped complexes set up exchange

tables where residents leave items for

free retrieval by other residents. NEC

also publishes lists of drop-off locations

where residents can donate used

clothes, furniture, and other reusable

items.

Costs/Benefits

Recycling in multi-family dwellings in

Saint Paul is financed by a city tax of

$13 per dwelling unit per year, billed to

MFD property owners on their property

tax bills. In 1996, Saint Paul paid the NEC

$12.17 per household served,NEC in

turn paid Super Cycle $9.81 per

household for recycling collection and

marketing and used the remaining

monies to fund its outreach and

educational programs.

The per ton cost of MFD recycling is

approximately $94 in Saint Paul,

compared to $119 per ton for trash

(collection averaged $70 per ton and

disposal cost $49 per ton). Although the

per ton cost of the recycling program is

greater than the per ton cost of

collecting trash,total trash costs are

higher because of disposal tip fees.

Furthermore, if recycling were eliminated

and all discards were collected as trash,

conservative estimates indicate that total

costs per multi-family household would

essentially be unchanged. In 1996,the

total cost of the trash collection and

disposal and recycling programs was $64

for multi-family households;the costs for

trash collection and disposal of all waste

generated at MFDs would have been at

least $63. Saint Paul has designed a

system where recycling programs are

delivered at essentially no additional

cost to the community, and where

significant diversions prolong the life of

disposal facilities.

Tips for Replication

■ Accept the same materials and use

a consistent sorting system for all

program participants in your

community.

■ Produce educational materials

using simple graphics.

■ Use multiple means of getting the

message out — including tenant

meetings, newsletters, lease clauses,

posters celebrating achievements, and

direct mailings.

Contact:

Rick Person

Solid Waste Manager

800 City Hall Annex

Saint Paul, MN 55102

(651) 266-6122 fax (651) 298-4559

rick.person@stpaul.gov

AND

Pat Schoenecker

Multifamily Recycling Manager

Neighborhood Energy Consortium

623 Selby Avenue

Saint Paul, MN 55104

(651) 644-7678 fax (651) 649-3109

pats@spnec.org

AND

Ecodata, Inc.

97 N. Campo Road

Westport, CT 06880

(203) 454-1700 fax (203) 227-5289

Start Date 1989,reached 100% of MFDs served in 1995

Type of Multi-Family Buildings All buildings and complexes in the city with

12 or more units

Households Served 27,114

Average Persons per HH Served 1.44

Total Waste Generated (Tons) 15,371

Disposed 11,849

Diverted 3,522

Total Diverted (%) 22.9%

Average Generation (lbs./HH/day) 3.1

Disposed 2.4

Diverted 0.7

Average per ton SWM costs

Trash Collection* $70.50

Trash Disposal $49.00

Diversion** $93.69

SWM Cost per HH per Year $64.39

Disposal* $52.22

Diversion** $12.17

Estimated Costs per HH per Year $63.14

without Waste Reduction***

HH = household SWM = solid waste management

Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.

*Ecodata estimated costs based on discussions with private haulers serving the MFD sector in Saint Paul.

**Represents $12.17 per household fee paid by the city to the Saint Paul NEC.

***In order to estimate what per household costs might have been if Saint Paul had no recycling program,Ecodata

assumed that all waste generated would be handled as trash and the marginal collection cost per ton of material

that was recycled would be equal to 50% of the per ton trash collection cost in the present system.

Program Summary, 1996

Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Barbara Stevens, Ecodata; 1999.
San Jose, California

25% Waste Reduction Rate in Multi-family Dwellings

San Jose, California’s multi-family sector recovered 25% by weight of its

solid waste in FY97. By contracting with private haulers,the city of San

Jose offers weekly collection of more than 26 recyclable materials,

including yard trimmings,to every multi-family household in the

ethnically diverse city. In order to maximize participation, San Jose

offers financial incentives to its haulers and MFD building owners for

waste reduction, and the city and its contractors conduct on-going

education programs aimed at building managers and residents.

Program Description

Driven by a California law requiring cities to

divert 50% of their waste by the year 2000,

San Jose added multi-family dwellings to its

residential recycling program. It began

yard trimmings pick-up in 1991 and pick

up of other recyclables in 1993.

Green Team, a local company,

collects trash and recyclables other

than yard trimmings from multifamily dwellings. Green Team

provides buildings with

approximately one set of three (one

for each: newspaper, mixed paper, and

other recyclables) 96-gallon recycling

bins for every 25 households. Building

managers usually place bins near

dumpsters and in other convenient

locations.

Occasionally, when bins are

contaminated with trash or the wrong

recyclables,the collection driver leaves a

sticker on the bin explaining why

materials were not collected. The driver

also sends a non-collection letter to the

building contact, with tips on how to

correct the problem.

Yard trimmings account for 66% of

material diverted from the multi-family

waste stream. Building maintenance

staff put yard trimmings either in the

street along the curb or in burlap

tarps. Crews from one of two

companies bring yard trimmings to two

privately owned composting sites. Trimmings

are either windrow composted or ground into

mulch. Finished compost and mulch are sold or

used as soil amendment on farms and city parks.

Outreach Activities

Outreach activities comprise two main

components: providing educational and

instructional material, and conducting on-site

visits. Outreach activities have essentially two

audiences: building managers and residents.

For managers, Green Team staff provide

building managers with tools to help them take

an active role in recycling. These include signs,

information on volume-based trash fees, model

lease agreements incorporating paragraphs

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Solid Waste and

Emergency Response

(5306W)

EPA-530-F-99-022f

October 1999

www.epa.gov/osw

Materials Collected

Newspaper

Corrugated cardboard

Mixed paper (magazines, catalogs, paper

bags,telephone books, paperboard,

colored and white paper, envelopes,

mail, paper egg cartons)

Glass containers

Cans

Juice and milk cartons

Plastic bottles and jugs

Polystyrene packaging

Scrap metals (including aluminum foil

and pie pans, metal can lids,small

metal appliances, hubcaps, metal pots)

Textiles

Yard trimmings

25

1, 2, 3 BR APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 (800) 555-RENT

This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in MultiFamily Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
about recycling, and a service

agreement packet containing

brochures listing services provided and

tips for dealing with contamination.

The city produces all outreach

materials, including posters and

informational brochures, in English,

Spanish, and Vietnamese. In addition,

Green Team makes site visits and

presentations whenever requested, and

puts on recycling carnivals for children.

The Environmental Services

Department (ESD) runs a recycling

customer service line.

Costs/Benefits

T

he ESD’s operating costs for multifamily waste management services

include payments to Green Team for

trash and recycling services; payments to

haulers and processors for yard

trimmings collection and composting;

landfill fees for trash disposal; billing and

customer service; and overhead costs for

rent,staff salaries and benefits,

administrative support, and supplies. In

FY97,these multi-family waste

management costs totalled $11,000,000.

Of this, disposal services cost

approximately $6,300,000 and diversion

services cost approximately $4,500,000.

ESD incurred no capital costs for

the program, as contractors provide all

equipment.

One of the main goals of the San

Jose recycling program is to divert trash

from the landfill, extending its life. To

maximize diversion, ESD charges

building owners volume-based fees for

trash pick-up and nothing for

recyclables pick-up. Building owners

with high participation rates save

money by reducing their trash. One

building complex, for example,saves

over $10,000 in disposal costs per year

by recycling 62% of its solid waste.

Tips for Replication

■ Involve building management.

Programs improve significantly when

managers actively promote recycling.

■ Educate building owners. Owners

can only use services they know about.

■ Sell program economics to

building owners.

■ Keep it simple. If the program is

intuitive, higher recovery and

participation rates usually result.

■ Be persistent. High diversion

recycling programs at multi-family

homes require energy from recycling

coordinators and building managers.

■ Reach residents by placing

information where the residents are,

such as on or near recycling containers.

Contact:

Robin Moore

Associate Environmental

Specialist

City of San Jose Environmental

Services Department

777 N. First Street, Suite 450

San Jose, CA 95112

(408) 277-5533 fax (408) 277-3669

Start Date Yard trimmings phased in Sept. 1991 to 

Sept. 1992; other recyclables July 1993

Buildings in Program 3,400 buildings

Type of Multi-Family Buildings All buildings with 4 households or more,

mobile homes, condominiums, and 

townhouses

Households Served 80,440

Households per Building 2,400 buildings have 4-10 households

650 buildings have 11-50 households

150 buildings have 51-100 households

200 buildings have 101 or more households

Total Waste Generated (Tons) 103,124

Disposed 77,544

Recycled 8,714

Composted 16,866

Total Diverted (%) 25%

Recycled 8%

Composted 16%

Average Generation (lbs./HH/day) 7.0

Disposed 5.3

Recycled 0.6

Composted 1.1

Net Costs per HH per Year* $133.55

Disposed $77.73

Diverted $55.82

HH = household

Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.

*Costs represent the ESD’s payments to contractors for disposal and diversion services,landfill tip fees,billing,

customer service,overhead costs for rent,staff salaries and benefits,administrative support,and supplies.

Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Robin Moore, City of San Jose Environmental Services Department; 1999

Program Summary,FY97
Program Description

S

eattle started its single family recycling

program in 1988, and initiated the multifamily recycling program a year later. Recycling

in Seattle is completely voluntary — each

household or multi-family complex must

request service. To encourage

recycling, Seattle offers a variable

fee trash service (with fees based on

the size of the container for trash) to

both single- and multi-family

customers, and provides recycling

service at no additional charge.

The city contracts with four private

companies to provide multi-family

recycling services; two companies

serve residences in the north of the city,

two others serve residences in the

south. Each collection company uses a

different sorting and container system

but the companies largely collect the

same materials (all of the contractors

collect newspaper, other mixed paper,

glass containers, and cans but only two of

the four companies accept #1 and #2

plastic bottles). The city is trying to

standardize the system; all buildings

joining the program now require

residents to sort materials into four

streams: separate toters for clear,

green, and brown glass, and a

dumpster for all other materials.

Contractors provide the dumpsters

and/or 95-gallon carts used in the program.

Collection frequency also varies by

material, complex, and hauler. For example, a

hauler may collect paper from a complex every

week but only collect glass bi-weekly or even

monthly.

Haulers deliver collected recyclables to

material recovery facilities (MRFs) or directly to

market. Contractors report the tonnages

recycled each month by commodity. The

contractors are paid a fixed amount for their

collection and processing services. Seattle

assumes the risk for market variation in

commodity prices by reimbursing the

contractors if prices fall below a set level and

reducing payment by the amount prices rise

above the same level.

Although the city relies on the private

sector to deliver the recycling services,the city

staff enforce the contracts and enroll the

individual complexes in the recycling program.

City staff also collect and compile program

data.

1, 2, 3 BR APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 (800) 555-RENT

Seattle, Washington

23% Waste Reduction Rate in Multi-family Dwellings

Seattle,Washington, is a large urban, metropolitan center with a long

history of recycling programs. The city contracts with private firms to

provide multi-family trash and recycling services. Apartment complexes

must request recycling services, and as of 1997, complexes representing

more than half of multi-family households had done so. Residents

must deliver recyclables to centrally located areas. In 1996 residents

participating in Seattle’s multi-family recycling program diverted

approximately 23% of their household waste from disposal.

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Solid Waste and

Emergency Response

(5306W)

EPA-530-F-99-022g

October 1999

www.epa.gov/osw

Materials Collected

Newspaper

Mixed paper (including catalogs,

magazines, mail, paperboard, phone

books, paperback books, office paper,

and paper bags)

Glass containers

Cans

#1 and #2 plastic containers*

23

This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in MultiFamily Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).

*Plastics collected by only two of the four haulers serving

multi-family residences.
Outreach Activities

S

eattle tries to use incentives rather

than enforcement to encourage

recycling. The city also maintains an ongoing education program about the

apartment recycling program. One

component of this education program

is the “Friend of Recycling” volunteer

program. Program volunteers attend a

city training session,then serve as

recycling advocates in their buildings.

Volunteers also monitor recycling

containers for contamination. Seattle

issues an annual $100 rebate on trash

bills to the management of buildings

with Friend of Recycling volunteers.

Seattle uses multiple messages to

encourage recycling. The city

encourages MFD management to get

involved in order to protect the

environment and save money. The city

also reports that building managers

have found implementing recycling

helps keep trash areas clean.

In cases of consistently

contaminated recyclables at an

apartment building,the city has

terminated recycling service as a last

resort. Service has been terminated at

between 50 and 100 buildings.

Costs/Benefits

I

n 1996 recycling from MFDs in Seattle

cost an average $19 per household.

During the same period,trash

management costs averaged $64 per

household. These costs include fees paid

to the contractors for collection of trash

and recyclables, estimated tip fees paid

for trash disposal, and city

administration.

If recycling were eliminated and all

discards were collected as trash,total

costs per multi-family household would

be at most 6% lower. In 1996,the total

cost of the trash collection and disposal

and recycling programs was $83 for

multi-family households;the costs for

trash collection and disposal of all waste

generated at MFDs would have been at

least $79. Seattle has designed and

implemented a system where MFD

recycling programs are delivered at little

additional cost to the community, and

where significant diversions prolong the

life of disposal facilities,support local

economic development, and slow

resource depletion.

Tips for Replication

■ Use in-building volunteers to

communicate with other residents

about program difficulties and

successes.

■ Require that residents recycle

through their lease agreements.

■ Provide waste reduction education

and information to residents when they

first move into units.

■ Produce educational materials in

multiple languages if some of the local

population does not speak English.

■ Have a mechanism to deny service

if complexes consistently set out

contaminated materials.

Contact:

Liz Kain

Recycling Coordinator

Seattle Public Utilities

Department

Dexter Horton Building

710 Second Avenue, 5th floor

Seattle,Washington 98104

(206) 684-4166 fax (206) 684-8529

lizkain@ci.seattle.wa.us

AND

Ecodata, Inc.

97 N. Campo Road

Westport, CT 06880

(203) 454-1700 fax (203) 227-5289

Start Date 1989

Type of Multi-Family Buildings All residences in buildings with 5 or more

units are eligible to participate but they must

sign up for service

Households Served 56,025 out of 101,150 total units in the city

Average Persons per HH Served 1.69

Total Waste Generated (Tons) 35,856

Disposed* 27,729

Recycled 8,127

Total Diverted (%) 22.7%

Average Generation (lbs./HH/day) 3.5

Disposed 2.7

Diverted 0.8

SWM Costs per HH per Year** $83.43

Trash Collection $25.75

Trash Disposal $38.54

Diversion $19.14

Estimated Costs per HH per Year $78.88

without Waste Reduction***

HH = household SWM = solid waste management

Notes: Data represent only those households participating in the MFD recycling program. Numbers may not add

to total due to rounding.

*Contractors collect trash from single- and multi-family customers in the same vehicles on blended routes.

Ecodata estimated trash generation for single- versus multi-family residences.

**Trash and recycling collection costs reflect fees paid to collection contractors and city administration

costs. Trash disposal costs reflect a tip fee of $78,the prevailing rate charged at private transfer stations in

the Seattle area in 1996. In 1996, the city charged a per ton tip fee of $94 at its transfer stations,therefore;

trash costs may be underestimated.

***In order to estimate what per household costs might have been if Seattle had no recycling program,Ecodata

assumed that all waste generated would be handled as trash and the marginal collection cost per ton of material

that was recycled would be equal to 50% of the per ton trash collection cost in the present system.

Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Barbara Steven, Ecodata; 1999

Program Summary, 1996
Program Description

I

n 1990, responding to a number of local and

state regulations,the Syracuse Housing

Authority (SHA) instituted recycling in

apartment buildings under its

jurisdiction. In 1997, residents in

Toomey Abbott Tower, SHA’s largest

building (308 households on 22

floors),recycled an estimated 20% of

their solid waste.

Because SHA buildings vary in

size,type, age, available space, and

resident make-up,recycling programs

are different in each building. Where

space allows,residents receive door-todoor pick-up of both trash and

recyclables. In some high-rises,

residents receive door-to-door pick-up

of recyclables, but must bring trash to a

chute, which empties into a basement

compactor.

In 1997, Toomey Abbott Tower

residents brought trash and recyclables

to a common collection room on each

floor. In this building and similar highrise buildings,residents put mixed

containers in 95-gallon bins, mixed

paper in brown paper bags either next

to or in the larger container, and

flattened corrugated cardboard next

to containers. Maintenance staff

collect containers and bring them

outside for SHA’s contractor to pick up. SHA

contracts with Raite Rubbish Removal, a local

company, for trash and recyclables pick-up

from all SHA buildings.

Before the program began, SHA distributed

5-gallon pails for recyclables to apartments and

14-gallon bins to town homes. These

containers, paid for by the Onondaga County

Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA), are

labeled by unit number.

SHA buildings have little landscaping.

Grounds crews leave grass clippings on lawns;

they put the small amount of raked leaves and

the occasional downed branch into buildings’

regular trash bins.

Outreach Activities

Before program inception, SHA

representatives attended tenant meetings

where they announced and explained the

1, 2, 3 BR APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 (800) 555-RENT

Syracuse, New York

Public Housing

20% Waste Reduction Rate at Toomey Abbott Tower

Residents in Syracuse Housing Authority’s (SHA) public housing have

been recycling since 1990. Programs are designed uniquely for each

building and include door-to-door pick-up of both trash and

recyclables in some high-rise buildings. In 1997, an estimated 80-90%

of all SHA households recycled. At Toomey Abbott Tower, SHA’s largest

building,residents recycled an estimated 20% of their solid waste in 1997, allowing

SHA to avoid over $6,000 in disposal charges.

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Solid Waste and

Emergency Response

(5306W)

EPA-530-F-99-022h

October 1999

www.epa.gov/osw

Materials Collected

#1 and #2 plastic bottles

Glass food and beverage containers

Metal food and beverage containers

Aluminum foil and pans

Aerosol cans

Newspaper

Mixed paper (office paper, greeting cards,

magazines, wrapping paper,single-ply

cardboard)

Milk and juice cartons

Corrugated cardboard

20

This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in MultiFamily Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
forthcoming recycling program. In

many buildings, SHA began new trash

collection procedures at the same time

it began recycling. At the program

outset, SHA created outreach materials

by adapting some of the county’s

literature and writing some of its own

materials. (SHA now uses Onondaga

County-produced outreach literature.)

In addition,OCRRA and SHA staff

conducted one-on-one resident

training by going door-to-door and

explaining to tenants what to recycle,

how to prepare it, and where to put it.

Implementation went very smoothly.

SHA has a Property Care Ticket

program whereby SHA staff can ticket

residents for various offenses, including

not disposing of trash or recycling

correctly. For the first improper

recycling offense, SHA fines residents

$5. In the first year of recycling, SHA

issued 224 fines. Residents can appeal

the fine. Generally, any appeal will

result in fine dismissal. SHA believes

the opportunity to explain the

importance of recycling and how to do

it correctly is of more value than

collecting the $5.

SHA’s one recycling coordinator

works 9-1:30 daily. She inspects

recycling containers in buildings where

trash and recyclables are picked up

door-to-door. When she finds an

apartment where residents are not

recycling correctly she speaks to the

people who live there or leaves a

Property Care "reminder ticket." The

reminder ticket tells people what

they’ve done wrong and how to correct

it. If residents continue to recycle

improperly after numerous reminder

tickets and verbal warnings,the

recycling coordinator will report

residents to the Housing Authority,

which will then fine residents.

Buildings have a high turnover.

New residents get some recycling

training when they move in, but may

need more. The recycling coordinator

conducts individual training when she

finds problems, and encourages people

to continue participating.

Costs/Benefits

S

HA contracts directly with the hauler

for trash and recycling service. In

1990, SHA issued an invitation to haulers

to bid for a new,well-documented trash

and recycling contract. The winning bid

included a stipulation that SHA would

pay for services based partly on the

number of apartments rented each

month. This contract saved SHA

$120,000 per year over its previous trash

contract. Through most of 1997, 293 of

Toomey Abbott Tower’s 308 apartments

were rented.

At buildings with door-to-door pickup, SHA pays its contractor $0.30 per

container for recycling. For other

buildings, SHA pays from $0.70-$0.76 per

95-gallon container pick-up. At Toomey

Abbott Tower, SHA pays $0.76. The

recycling coordinator’s salary is included

in SHA recycling costs. Although not

included in recycling fees, SHA’s costs for

maintenance staff have not increased

since it began recycling.

For trash at Toomey Abbott Tower,

SHA pays the hauler a tip fee plus a $40

per dumpster pull. In summer 1998, SHA

paid an $81 per ton tip fee.

In 1997, SHA paid approximately

$26,180 for trash removal and

approximately $460 for recycling service

at Toomey Abbott Tower. Based on 293

occupied households,this translates into

approximately $187 per ton and $90 per

household for trash service. Recycling

service cost approximately $13 per ton

and $2 per household.

Tips for Replication

■ Involve residents in program.

■ Provide clear,simple explanatory

materials.

■ Interact with residents. Explain in

person how and what to recycle.

■ Hand out flyers when new

materials are added.

■ Provide feedback. Mail residents

letters and talk to them.

Contact:

Mark Liptak

Tenant Services

Supervisor

Syracuse Housing Agency

516 Burt Street

Syracuse,NY 13202

(315) 475-6181 fax (315) 470-4203

Start Date 1990

Type of Multi-Family Buildings 22 story high-rise

Households Served 293

Total Waste Generated (Tons) 175

Disposed 140

Diverted 35

Total Diverted 20%

Average Generation (lbs./HH/day) 3.3

Disposed 2.6

Diverted 0.7

SHA Costs (per Ton)

Disposal $187

Diversion $13

SHA Costs (per HH per Year) $91

Disposal $89

Diversion $2

HH = household SHA = Syracuse Housing Authority

Note: ILSR converted trash amounts from volume to weight using the conversion factor 2 cubic yards = 750

pounds. ILSR estimated recyclables tonnage from volume data using the conversion 1 cubic yard of recyclables246 pounds.

Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Mark Liptak, Syracuse Housing Authority; 1999

Program Summary,Toomey Abbott Tower, 1997 
Program Description

T

he University of Michigan (U-M) is one of the

largest academic campuses in the country,

with over 36,000 students. Approximately

10,000 students live in dormitories.

Students bring recyclables to

trash/recycling closets on their floor.

Each closet contains a shelf for

corrugated cardboard and separate

containers for mixed paper and

mixed containers. Housing Facilities

staff collect trash and recyclables on

each floor of the 15 student residence

halls on campus.

Housing Facilities staff bring the

material from recycling closets to

containers on the loading dock. They

collect from the loading dock once a

week and bring materials to the nearby

city-owned material recovery facility

(MRF). Grounds Department staff collect

yard trimmings and bring them to the

city-owned compost facility.

On residence hall move-in days,

students discard large quantities of

cardboard boxes. U-M instituted

special collections for this cardboard,

and in 1997 students recycled 52 tons

of material during move-in days.

When students vacate their

dorms for the summer or at

graduation they often discard loft

wood,toiletries, furniture, carpets, food,

clothing, and other items that they cannot store

or transport. Thus,these items often ended up

in the trash. Now the University collects and

donates these materials to charitable

organizations, except for loft wood and carpet,

which are stored on campus grounds. Ann

Arbor residents are encouraged to take these

materials.

Other campus recycling efforts include:

collection of pallets,scrap wood, and metals; a

worm bin composting project; a food discard

composting trial; and recycling at the football

stadium. In addition, a Recycling Task Force

works with the U-M Purchasing Department to

utilize and sell more recycled-content products.

Outreach Activities

One of the keys to program success is U-M’s

active outreach efforts, which include:

1, 2, 3 BR APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 (800) 555-RENT

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

30% Waste Reduction Rate from Residence Halls

Michigan law mandates a 30% waste reduction for "major waste

generators," including the University of Michigan. An enthusiastic

and involved student body, a program design that is flexible and

accommodates the needs of the collection staff and changes in

collected materials, and a very visible outreach program all

contribute to the success of the University of Michigan’s student housing

recycling program, which diverts 30% of the residence hall waste.

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Solid Waste and

Emergency Response

(5306W)

EPA-530-F-99-022i

October 1999

www.epa.gov/osw

Materials Collected

Mixed paper (including virtually all types

of paper: high grade, glossy stock,

mail)

Newspaper

Corrugated cardboard

Glass

#1 and #2 plastics

Aluminum

Juice boxes 

Ceramics 

Scrap metal

30

This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in MultiFamily Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
student town meetings,training

sessions with staff, a recycling

newsletter, an email address to answer

questions (recycle.help@umich.edu), an

extensive Web page, and the

Ecolympics, a competition between

residence halls that rewards

conservation efforts. Residence hall

outreach includes displays at new

student orientations and table tents in

dining halls, presentations upon

request, and signs in residence hall

trash/recycling closets.

Turnover of the student population

is an obstacle to even higher recycling

rates. New education efforts are

needed every year.

Costs/Benefits

When U-M's recycling program began

in 1989, its actual total cost for

disposal from the residence halls was

$239,200 per year. The University spent

$200,000 in 1989 to modify buildings to

create recycling closets and to purchase

containers. In 1997 its total cost for

residence hall disposal and recycling was

$245,900 (including move-out day costs

of approximately $11,000 per year and

equipment pay back). Adjusting 1989

figures to 1997 dollars,the University's

total solid waste management costs for

residence halls decreased approximately

$53,800 per year. This is explained in

part by improved collection systems and

in part by avoided disposal costs

through recycling.

In spring 1998, markets for

commingled containers were poor,so

the University paid a higher tip fee at the

MRF for these materials than trash.

Tipping fees at the MRF were $2.64 per

ton for paper (newspaper, old corrugated

cardboard, mixed paper), $18.92 per ton

for commingled containers, and $17.11

per ton for trash. Although the tip fee for

containers was higher than trash,the tip

fee for mixed paper was $15 per ton less

than trash disposal. Overall.recycling

costs averaged $35 per ton while trash

costs average $48 per ton.

Tips for Replication

■ Pay attention to the needs of your

collection staff; they are the most

important element in a successful

recycling system. Be open to letting

workers create systems that work for

them. Listen...listen...listen!

■ Pay attention to the ergonomics of

handling. Do not be afraid to go into

debt to capitalize equipment that

improves efficiency and safety.

■ Keep good records of material flow.

Keep track of costs.

■ Develop good relationships with

processors of your recyclables.

Contact:

Kristin Miller

General Information

Grounds and Waste Management

University of Michigan

1110 East Huron Street

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

(734) 763-5539 fax (734) 764-9390

Start Date September 1989

Buildings in Program 15

Type of Multi-Family Buildings 2- to 8-story residence halls

Households Served 5,000

Residents served 10,000

FY89* FY97

(Before program) (With program)

Total Waste Generated (Tons) 5,750 5,552

Disposed 5,750 3,893

Diverted 0 1,659

Total Diverted (%) 0% 30%

Fees per Year $299,700 $245,900

Disposal $299,700 $187,921

Diversion $0 $57,978

Net Costs per HH per Year $60 $49

Disposal services $60 $38

Diversion services $0 $12

Net Costs per Ton $52 $44

Disposal services $52 $48

Diversion services $0 $35

FY = fiscal year HH = household

Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.

*FY89 costs have been normalized to FY97 using the gross domestic product deflator.

Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Kristin Miller, University of Michigan, 1999

Program Summary,FY97