The current recycling program was implemented years ago. Over the years, it has become inefficient and needs to be improved. Habersham County Landfill Director Johnnie Vickers presented to the County Commissioners the benefits of improving the recycling program in the county. During his presentation at the work session, Vickers explained how the current program works in the county and the costs associated with recycling the commodities they receive.
The cost of recycling
Habersham County receives very little revenue on the commodities they recycle and in some cases, lose money. Vickers gave examples where the county is losing money on commodities they collect.
- Plastics are collected and taken to Hall County and no revenue is received.
- The county doesn’t have the ability to process aluminum properly and has no place to store the aluminum in a dry area to capitalize on market fluctuations.
- Cardboard is processed by the county but is hauled off by a vendor. The county only receives half of the revenue and is penalized if the cardboard is wet.
- Metals are hauled to a recycling facility by a vendor and pays the county the market rate for the recycled metal but subtracts a fee for hauling it to the facility.
- It costs the county money to recycle paper and glass due to the low volume the county receives, something Vickers is working to correct.
The turn around
Vickers explained to the commission that a turnaround is possible to increase revenue and reduce costs that the county is having to pay for recycling. He states that the commodities market is like a roller coaster with highs and lows. The county could capitalize on the highs in the market for their recyclables if they had a place to store the materials to keep them dry.
The key is having a building at the landfill large enough to store the bailer they currently have. The building has to be large enough so citizens have the ability to drop off loose recyclables that can be bailed. It also has to be big enough to store the bails they generate to keep them dry.
Vickers explained that Habersham County could process their own plastics and sell it on the commodities market instead of giving it to Hall County. The potential annual revenue would be approximately $36,000.
He explains to the commission that the county could haul their own cardboard and not use a vendor to haul it off. Vickers explains to the commission that having the ability to keep cardboard dry is paramount. He tells them that if the cardboard is wet when sent to the recycling facility, the county is penalized at least 25%.
The county could receive better pricing for their aluminum recycling if they had a place to keep it dry and store it when the market is low. Vickers estimates that the revenue from aluminum would be approximately $16,000 annually.
Moving forward
Vickers told the commission that he has begun the process of improving the recycling program to generate revenue and reduce costs.
The county is in the process of purchasing a roll-off truck so the county could begin hauling recyclables to facilities. This will remove the reliance on vendors that charge a significant fee for hauling or take a significant percentage of the revenue generated.
The county has moved forward with putting out bids to purchase two 30 yard-self contained compactor units as well. These units will replace the large trailers at the recycling centers. It will remove the steps that citizens must climb when dropping off recyclables. This will also keep the cardboard dry. Once full the county would haul off the cardboard without having to pay a vendor.
The costs for the roll-off truck and the two compactor units are in this year’s budget. They will be paid for through the landfill’s enterprise fund capital improvement program.
Vickers explained that the county is in the early stages of discussion with various vendors for clothing/textile recycling. This would divert those materials from being discarded in the landfill. He tells the commission that a lot of clothing is dumped in the landfill each year.
The county is talking to vendors to handle the glass recycling that would be at no cost to the county. The vendor would supply the containers and haul off the material at no cost. There is also the potential of generating a little revenue for the county.
Schools and education
Vickers suggested that the county start a pilot program with the school system to teach students about recycling. The program would start small with just a few schools and purchasing a few recycling trailers for cardboard and paper.
He told the commissioners that a successful school recycling program will divert recyclables from going to the landfill. In some cases, the program reduces the size of the dumpsters needed at the schools. It can also reduce the frequency garbage has to be picked up, saving the school system money.
He concludes that the county will have to start the recycling program on a small scale until they reach their goals. In the mean time, generate additional revenues to help offset the costs.
