HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.24.18 SWAC Minutes
JEFFERSON COUNTY
SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SWAC)
MEETING MINUTES – Thursday, May 24, 2018
Jefferson County Public Works Building, Conference Room
OPENING BUSINESS
Meeting called to order at 3:00 P.M by Bart Kale, Chair
Members Present:
Lisa Crosby District #1 Carol Cummins District #1
Bart Kale Citizen-at-Large Dave Zeller City of Port Townsend
Glenn Gately County Conservation District Alysa Russell Skookum Contract
Staff Present:
Tom Boatman Public Works SW Manager Jerry Mingo Public Works MRW Coordinator
Laura Tucker Public Health, Education Chris Spall Public Works Support Staff
Members Absent: Kathleen Kler, County Commissioner; Jenifer Taylor, District #2;
Chad Young, DM/Murrey’s Disposal; Chris Giraldes, Waste Connections
Guests: Ruby Irving, Director, Klickitat County Solid Waste; Averie Morgan, Recycling
Coordinator, Klickitat County Solid Waste; Steve Gilmore, Republic Service
There is a quorum.
Approval of March 23, 2018 minutes with these changes: Spell out ASP and TAP before using acronyms. For
‘Jefferson County’s Processing Options…,’ change ‘Most of what is collected…,’ to ‘Most of the yard waste
collected…’ Change ‘Viable in Jefferson Co. to expand organics recycling’ to ‘Viable in Jefferson Co. to include food
waste.’ Add Greg Lanning’s name to list of those who toured Roosevelt Landfill on 12/1/2017.
CORRESPONDENCE: None received.
INTRODUCTIONS
Ruby Irving, Director, and Averie Morgan, Recycling Coordinator from Klickitat County’s Solid Waste Department
attended the Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA) conference in Blaine, WA this week, and took the
opportunity to visit to attend our SWAC meeting since they were near us.
MANAGER’S REPORT
1. Washington State House Bill 1047 Unwanted Medication Disposal passed and takes effect June 7, 2018. In
January 2017 SWAC members sent letters of support for this legislation to Washington State representatives.
Jefferson County already has a medication collection program at the Sheriff’s Office. HB 1047 will help
improve and expand the current program.
2. Focusing on continuing changes in recycling markets, Tom reminded the committee that if changes are made to
the recycling program, the Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) will have to be amended. He handed out
information for SWAC to consider as it looks at possible changes to the recycling program, and then spoke about
some of the material.
Minutes from 3/28/2018 Washington State Department of Ecology meeting, which focused on problems
evolving in the state due to China’s National Sword.
Minutes from April 11-12, 2018 Washington Association of County Solid Waste Manager’s meeting.
Items mentioned were:
o Creating a statewide standardized list of recyclables
o Covered load messaging. Jerry Mingo created ‘Cover your Load’ educational flyers for
handout at the Jefferson County Transfer Station. June 6th is national ‘Secure Your Load day.’
o Press release which discussed reducing contamination rates. Tom said reducing contamination
raises value of recyclables, which is especially important as market prices for recyclables
continue to drop. Eventually there will be a new breakeven point; things will be more
expensive in the end. China was least expensive place to send recyclables. Industry continues
to search for other inexpensive solutions. Task force addressing what to do to reduce
contamination. Lisa concerned we might be going back to business as usual instead of making
changes.
o What’s going on in other states: Massachusetts reported its Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) issued more than 30 single-stream disposal waivers, harder to justify
spending extra to process recycling stream that roughly 70% of material has no value, and it is
slowing down lines at MRF. Similar experiences across the U.S. Many recyclers requesting
permission to dispose of recyclables they can no longer stockpile, then raise rates because they
have to pay disposal costs. Skookum’s contract does not allow for disposal, so all the material
is being recycled or stockpiled. Jefferson County looking at how to be fair with Skookum as a
result of shutdown of China markets for recyclables.
BUSINESS & DISCUSSION
Bart Kale and Laura Tucker attended the Washington State Recycling Association’s (WSRA) Annual Conference in
May 20-23 in Blaine, WA. Bart spoke about British Columbia’s recycling program’s high diversion rates and low
contamination rates. Everyone there recycles the same stuff, which is dictated at the state level, operated by industry,
and paid for by a generator tax. Laura said there are 30-40 collections centers all over the province. Material then goes
to one of ten baling facilities, and finally it goes to a single state-of-the-art MRF, with less than 5% contamination rate.
Standardized process from collection to processing. Bart said what makes it work is that everyone is recycling to the
same standards. We don’t have that here and it messes up our markets. Our goal should be to get a consistent product
out of the recycling process.
Carol Cummins asked Tom to explain what will happen at the next meeting in July. Tom said the committee will look
at changes that may need to be made to the recycling programs so we are seeking SWAC comments on what others are
doing. Seeing what is happening in the markets, part of the changes will be in outreach, and part of it has to emanate
out of this committee as authors of the Solid Waste Management Plan. Carol wanted to know if metals are more
valuable in the short term and if there was any way to push more separation in the Tin/Aluminum/Plastics (TAP) bales?
Will separation help Skookum? Mixed paper and cardboard is being comingled when it is being picked up? If it is, it is
separated before it reaches Skookum at the Transfer Station.
Lisa wanted to know if conversation at state and county level includes transparency as to where the plastics go, some
sense of what is being done with them. Laura said we are in a better situation because we source separate. Klickitat is
a comingled stream. Lots of cities have multi-stream systems. Tom said way recycling industry is structured, things
become opaque on industry side as to where recovered recyclables end up due to proprietary reason Question
regarding cheap places to take recycling. Steve Gilmore said the reason China was inexpensive because of back haul.
Empty container ships coming into Seattle Tacoma, Portland, and other places allowed us to pay only pennies on the
ton to ship our recyclables to China. Looking at Vietnam, these are places these ships do not normally go, so prices are
higher to ship there. Vietnam has said it is not going to take any more mixed plastics; they have a glut of it and ports
are at capacity. $400 million a month in business being lost. Steve said Republic is still sending material to China:
ones and twos still go if clean; three to seven are totally banned. Mixed paper is seen as having no value in the short
and as a changed mix in the long term. Capacity to recycle paper growing at 1 to 2 % per year. Supply of paper will
not meet demand. Steve said a new facility in Vietnam came on line that a Chinese company built in less than six
months. Mills and Chinese Government are not on the same page. China looking at other countries, including U.S.
Washington State’s clean air rules are not friendly to industry.
Lisa asked why we need to change the Solid Waste Management Plan. Tom said we are required to change our plan if
we make a significant change to any one part. If we talk about eliminating portions of recycling or if we change things
significantly, we have to give notice – a letter, or an amendment if bigger changes are made. Lisa asked if mixed paper
is the big problem. Alsya said Skookum can’t do anything with plastics. Lisa asked if it was due to the TAP bundles.
Alysa said Skookum would have to change their process to separate the TAP bundles. Would require change in
collection and information going out. If committee decides to significantly change the Management Plan with an
amendment, which is defined in Washington codes how big that is, we’d have to consult with ecology and we may be
required to do a public outreach. Lisa asked if we unbundle the TAP could we potentially recycle plastic ones and
twos. Tom said one way to get contamination out is to monitor at collection and educate the public. But you can’t
come back from this or any change easily. People get resistant to too much change. Manned drop off sites keep
contamination rates below 5%. Pass cost on to manufacturers discussed. Manufacturers would then move away from
using the material costing a lot to recycle or dispose of. Lisa would like people to be able to recycle their metals.
Carol said tin and aluminum used to be separated. Tom said he understood - put out another bin to take metal away
from plastics. That will be part of the discussion next time in July.
Laura Tucker spoke about presentation at WSRA Annual Conference by Dave Claugus, VP of Pioneer Recycling
Services He spoke about recycling problems as being systemic. Many of the MRFs’ equipment no longer adequate
for the massive amounts of separating; haulers have to see themselves as part of the whole system; municipalities
message delivery system not working partially because message is so complex; residents wishful recycling is not
recycling–put it in the bin hoping it will live another happy life as something else rather than contaminating the
recycling. Where can we improve: MRFs can invest in new sorting equip; haulers work with municipalities to develop
cart feedback program, which is most effective because it is personal, individual, and people learn and remember it.
Cart tags get the point across; but that takes humans and money. Research supports this. Municipalities need to
simplify list of acceptable materials, sponsor and pay for cart feedback, and ban plastic bags. Residents need to sort
correctly. Manufacturers need to choose to be part of the solution too. We all have work to do: processors investing in
new equipment; haulers helping with cart feedback; municipalities simplifying and paying for cart feedback and new
messaging; residents need to listen carefully; and manufacturers have to be careful to avoid making false claims.
Steve Gilmore agreed that processors need to invest in new equipment. Reason we are in the mess with China a lot of
sham recyclers sending garbage across the ocean. Laura said China’s symbol for solid waste is same as symbol for
recycling. Steve said you always have to invest in new technology and new capital because waste stream is always
changing. While certain items can’t be recycled because of China’s ban, quality of recycling can be improved by
reducing contamination, which will increase value of recyclables and reduce costs. Laura said addressing
contamination is priority one. That will make an impact right now as we move to the new standards. Steve said haulers
and municipalities have not been clear about actual cost of recycling: collections, processing, and commodities – now a
cost instead of a revenue. First step in trying to get a more uniform system is to get a state wide accepted list of
recyclables. People think we make money off recycling due to misinformation. Recycling is a cost not a revenue.
Jefferson County subsidizes every ton of material sent down the road. Skookum takes the hit not county.
Carol said Republic complimented Skookum on the quality of their recycling. Required to be 5% but it fluctuates up or
down. Bart asked what single thing would give the biggest return to make our recyclables more marketable. Answers
given were manned recycling centers and for curbside pickup, tags and leave contaminated items out of collection.
Bart asked if staff could come up with an estimate of what that would take so SWAC could look at it decide if it
something we want to promote. Without that info we can’t make any kind of decision; don’t know if it is practical.
Tom did this in Canada. Bart asked if he can bring that info to the group. Alyssa said it will have to be a collaboration
with the haulers. Port Townsend’s contract comes up next year and could consider change. Public outreach for reset
on contamination issue.
Is contamination problem keeping the bales there? Cleanup will be positive for system now and in the future. Trying
to get a system wide list of recyclables. In Republics’ hauling areas seeing contamination from commercial and multi-
family. Commercial taking advantage of municipalities where recycling is free by getting smaller garbage containers
and throwing garbage in recycling containers. Contamination from unmanned bins in the county more than what DM
brings in. Cleaner recyclables at manned sites. Year and a half to fulfill education grant. Get contamination down
now is the time to decide what we want system to be. Blitz has to include reducing contamination. That outreach
action does not have to wait. Anyone in Federal Gov’t talking about standardizing recycling? EPA is talking about
lifestyle but all conversation at the state-level.
Jerry presented on the Quilcene collection event. Outreach method that worked were community newsletters.
Volunteers managed traffic so paid staff could keep the flow of materials going. Number of aerosol cans keep going up
over time. Batteries keep going up. Good turnout, and people were appreciative of the event. Collecting more HHW
rather than less over time.
Next Meeting will be Thursday, July 26, 2018.
Adjournment at 4:30 PM