Town Will Request Information From Trash Haulers On Capacities To Meet Solid Waste Disposal Needs

The Town Services and Outreach Committee (TSO) gave Town Manager Paul Bockelman the green light, at their meeting of July 13, to submit a Request for Information (RFI) to area trash hauling companies. The RFI seeks general information on the capabilities of the haulers to meet the specific trash disposal and recycling needs of the town.

This is a major step in what has been a four-year process to change the town’s hauler bylaw and would move it from the current subscription service, where each household subscribes individually for hauling services (USA Waste and Recycling currently serves all residential customers in Amherst) to a framework where the town contracts with a hauler through a competitive bidding process. The sponsors of the bylaw argue that this would give the town more control over services provided and allow the town to mandate expanded services such as curbside composting.  Zero Waste Amherst, one of the sponsors of the bylaw, estimates that incorporation of curbside composting could reduce Amherst’s waste stream by 50%. They have also argued that based on the experience of other communities, a competitive bidding process is likely to save Amherst residents money over the burgeoning costs of USA’s services.

The RFI is limited to basic questions about scope of service and general capacities. Detailed questions will be posed in a subsequent Request For Proposal (RFP). The aim of this inquiry is to determine whether each company has the capability and the interest to bid for Amherst’s business. The RFI does ask questions about companies’ recycling and composting services, which are key elements of the proposed bylaw change. These questions include:

• Is recycling collected as a single stream or dual stream system?
• Is recycling monitored to conform to current DEP rules and bans?
• Does the company have experience contracting with a public entity for curbside compost collection? 
• How does the company collect compost, in auto load trucks or manual load?
• Are compost and yard waste collected together?

The RFI was developed largely by Superintendent of Public Works Guilford Mooring with input from the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Regional Solid Waste Coordinator Susan Waite. Waite is advising the town under a DEP technical assistance grant. TSO and the sponsors of the bylaw also contributed to the RFI.

The draft of the RFI can be found here.

A draft of the proposed new solid waste bylaw can be found here.

Mooring said he hoped that at least three haulers will respond to the RFI and that the turnaround for responses will be quick. The town will  use the responses to compose an RFP that will include details of the town’s needs. Waite and Mooring said that they will study other town’s contracts for hauler services while waiting for responses in order to get a better sense of how details are addressed in such contracts. 

Waite said that she was happy with the draft and cautioned that “you don’t want to dive into the weeds on what is being asked. The RFP is the place where you ask for what you want and get really detailed.”

Background On The Process (from the RFI)
Years ago, the town’s Recycling and Refuse Management Committee submitted a Draft Solid Waste Master Plan [ Amherst Solid Waste Master Plan ] to the Amherst Select Board. The plan looks at the challenges of managing solid waste in Amherst in the 21st century, taking into consideration the existing regulations and practices, along with broader environmental concerns. The plan’s stated goal—and the underpinning of many of its recommendations—was to make the town  a ‘zero waste’ community. Although the plan was never adopted by the  Select Board, it was recognized by local environmentalists as an ambitious goal that should guide Amherst’s long-range efforts. Later, the Climate Action, Adaptation, and Resilience Plan (CAARP) recommended that the town implement policies that move Amherst closer to zero waste. (page 72)

That plan identified several goals:

• Reduce the municipal solid waste generation per capita by at least 15% by 2030 compared to 2015 

• Reduce the amount of municipal solid waste disposed of in landfills and incineration by at least 50% by 2030 compared to 2015, and increase the diversion rate away from landfill and incineration to at least 70% by 2030.
  
• Adopt a zero waste bylaw establishing targets and timelines to minimize local waste streams.
  
•  Reduce Scope 3 emissions.

•  Encourage re-use of materials.
  
•  Develop a local circular economy. (see also here)

A key element in a zero waste bylaw is creating and supporting alternative disposal options that go beyond Board of Health Regulations and state-mandated waste bans. To do this, the town would explore the option of replacing the current resident subscription system with a system where the town contracts with one hauler to provide disposal options for all residents. The key parts of the proposed service changes are:

• Implementing a pay as you throw program
• Implementing a curbside composting pickup
• Reducing overall waste
• Reducing overall cost
• Providing a clear method and pricing plan for waste disposal
  

It is likely that if the town were to contract out for waste services, it would begin with the single-family homes and small rental properties that currently use trash totes for their waste and recycling. It is also understood that residents would have an option to opt out of the service.

The town is exploring the option of either revising the Board of Health regulations or adopting a new general bylaw.