Okaloosa County BOCC — September 6, 2016 — ISP Report Solid Waste — reading text

as well as private C&D owners have opposed mandatory recycling due to the potential for increased operational costs due to capital investments and labor required to sort out materials. Unless C&D recycling is mandated in adjacent counties (and the border state of Alabama) then the industry can choose to take it to an out of county or out of state facility where costs may be less expensive. (Currently municipal recycling programs in the Panhandle are struggling due to poor markets for recyclables.) • Okaloosa County currently operates the yard trash processing operation for materials generated from residential pickup and from commercial landscapers. This material is 84 Ready Avenue, Fort Walton Beach, FL32548 Office (850) 609-6168 rn.- ro~o, £~1 ~~o~  ground into mulch and used within the inactive landfills for cover and erosion control. The County Recycling Office offers back yard composters at a reduced rate as an incentive for residents to compost at home. This effort is supported by the Master Gardeners through the County Extension Office. While the County has experimented with composting via innovative technology grants through FDEP, the County does not have the finances or manpower to add another process into its yard trash operations. • The County developed an ordinance in 2013 to franchise commercial collection of waste beginning in 2016. This would have been coupled with the advertisement of residential waste collection and disposal along with 1-1-1 recycling. It was expected that in reviewing RFP responses that the selected vendor would outline a plan to promote commercial recycling through price incentives, etc. In August 2015 the Board reversed its decision to franchise commercial and jointly advertise with residential service. So County staff is in the process of bringing back to the Board bid specs for residential waste collection, disposal, and recycling. Additionally, staff is drafting a non-exclusive franchise ordinance that will select a pool of qualified vendors to service commercial establishments. Staff will look to establish incentives within the non-exclusive language that will encourage recycling. • Without a viable commercial recycling program it will be difficult to approach the State goal of 60% in 2016 or 75% in 2020. County staff was optimistic that a mixed waste processing facility with a parallel single-stream line would be included in its 2015 Requests for Proposals that it was preparing, but that appears to be questionable for the immediate future. This would have drastically increased the volume of recyclables collected. Hopefully, the technology mentioned will become a reality in the region in the next few years. Until a regional recycling or mixed waste processing facility is established in or near the Panhandle transportation of recyclables to market will pose a significant financial deterrent to cost effective recycling. Please let me know if you need additional information. Sincerely, Jim Reece Recycling Coordinator 84 Ready A\'enue, Fort Walton Beach, FL32548 Office (850) 609-6168