Single Bin Collection
Single Bin Collection – A Waste of a Political Position
It sounds like a win-win scenario for city leaders and citizens: a process that would collect all waste and recycling in one bin, then send it to a facility where recyclables would be sorted from residential waste (including food, pet waste, dirty diapers and compostable materials) using high-tech robotics and AI technologies.
Recyclables would be processed, while some of the remaining waste would be converted into alternative energy to power cars or office buildings, saving cities money and landfill space.
Households would no longer need to sort their waste from their recyclables, and communities would have fewer trucks on the road.
The process is called “mixed waste processing” or “one-bin collection.” City Leaders refer to it as “single bin waste / recycling system.”
The process emerged on the scene in the mid-2000’s, and while there are some success stories, it has proven to be a poor and costly solution for larger cities like Chesapeake where the recycling participation rate is high.
Yet, Chesapeake City Leaders are using the concept to “kick the recycling can down the road.”
In 2022, recycling was a big issue in the local elections, and several City Council Members made promises to bring back the curbside recycling program to get elected.
But, no action has been taken, and alternative solutions have not been successful.
To save face, our City Leaders are floating the idea of a slick, high-tech one-bin collection system when they know it will take FIVE or more years to implement.
Plus, it puts Chesapeake at a great risk.
Here are some concerning headlines from other similar communities who tried the one-bin collection system:
City Cuts Losses, Left Holding 20 Years of Debt Service Payments
Montgomery Alabama
Population 199,000
$37M Mixed Waste Recycling Facility Fails
Read the Story: Montgomery to end recycling service, sell $37M facility (montgomeryadvertiser.com)
County Council Seeks To Recover $8M In Payments From RePower All-In-One Recycling Facility
Berkley County South Carolina
Population 225,000
Read the Story: Update on Berkeley County’s recycling program | News | postandcourier.com
If the link requires you to subscribe, you can click here to download a pdf of the story.
NOTE: RePower says they are recycling 12 – 15% out of this facility. Virginia mandates 25% of our waste be recycled.
Lane County Oregon Sued on Behalf of Citizens
County Invests $35M in Mixed Waste Facility
The $150M facility is designed to process 80,000 tons which is smaller than Chesapeake (100,000 tons).
Read the Story: Local Companies Take Action to Protect Customers
Other considerations:
Studies show that while the collection rate is higher with a mixed-waste solution, the contamination rate is also much higher, and the net recycled material is between 10% and 30%.
When you consider the current U.S. recycling rate is 33%, this leaves a lot to be desired.
Paper and cardboard are highly recyclable materials, but they need to be clean and dry to be recycled. In the mixed-waste process, most paper and cardboard items are contaminated and end up in the incinerator or buried in the landfill instead of being recycled.
One of the best benefits of recycling is reducing the need for virgin material (trees for paper, petroleum for plastic) in the manufacturing stream. With a mixed-waste solution, less product is returned to the system, and more trees and petroleum are needed which impacts the overall environment.
We’re urging City Council to use part of the $160 million excess from 2023 to restore the curbside program which is the most efficient method of recycling materials.