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Home My WebLink About2002-07-22 City Council (13)City of Palo Alto CRy Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DATE:JULY 22, 2002 CMR: 325:02 SUBJECT:SUNNYVALE MATERIALS RECOVERY AND TRANSFER STATION ANNUAL REPORT This is an informational report and no Council action is required. BACKGROUND On October 7, 1991, Council approved a long-term refuse disposal agreement with Waste Management, Inc. of California. At the same time, the Council also approved a Memorandum of. Understandi.ng (MOU) creating a partnership with the cities of Mountain View, Palo Alto and Sunnyvale to construct and operate the Sunnyvale Materials Recovery and Transfer (SMART®) Station, in Sunnyvale, on a ten-acre site. These two agreements assured Palo Alto solid waste capacity for 30 years (until September 30, 2021). Per this MOU, the City of Sunnyvale was and is taking the lead in the construction and operation of this station. In October 1993, the SMART Station® began operation on time and within budget. It was designed and is permitted to handle a maximum of 1,500 tons per day of solid waste. DISCUSSION The City of Palo Alto delivers approximately 53,000 tons of solid waste per year to the SMART Station. This is approximately 60 percent of the total waste stream generated within the city. The Palo Alto Sanitation Company/Waste Management delivers the majority of the waste. In Fiscal Year 2000-01, the SMART Station i~ecovered approximately 6,500 tons (or 12percent) of recyclables from the Palo Alto waste stream delivered. Please see "A Report to the Community about the SMART Station cooperative venture 2000-2001", Attachment A. ATTACHMENT Attachment A:"A Report to the Community about the SMART Station cooperative venture 2000-2001." PREPARED BY:Michael Jackson, Deputy Director, Public Works/Operations Russell Reiserer, Solid Waste Manager, Public Works CMR:325:02 Page 1 of 2 DEPARTMENT HEAD: GLENN S. ROBERTS Director of Public Works CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: EMILY HARRISON Assistant City Manager CMR:325:02 Page 2 of 2 SMART® Partnerships A Report to the Community about the SMART Station@ cooperative venture 2000 - 2001 MaRT from the start The Sunnyvale Materials Recovery and Transfer (SMART) Station began operation in October 1993 on a 10-acre site in northern Sunnyvale. It was built by the City of Sunnyvale, in partnership with the cities of Mountain View and Palo Alto, to serve five main purposes: Receive and recover recyclable materials from garbage collected in the three cities Transfer the unrecycled portion of the garbage to the Kirby Canyon Landfill for disposal Receive, process, and ship yard trimmings collected by the cities to composting facilities Receive, sort, and prepare for market the recyclables collected at curbside Provide a recycling center where residents can drop off a number of recyclable materials and receive cash for bottles and cans covered by California’s "Bottle Bill" system. At the SMART Station, residents of the three cities may also dispose of "self haul" refuse, pick up free ground yard trimmings suitable for composting or mulching, and drop off specific hard-to- recycle items at no cost. Individuals and groups are invited year-round to tour the facility to see how their city’s participation in this cooperative venture is helping to divert huge amounts of valuable and useful resources from the landfill. It’s a SMART operation Using innovative technology and dedicated labor of more than 100 employees, the SMART Station has the capacity to process 1,500 tons of solid waste per day, and to recycle as much as 25% of this material through a variety of techniques. Separation Materials recovery operations include both mechanical and-manual separation of recyclables from the waste stream. Dry loads - such as wood, scrap metal, cardboard and concrete - are sorted manually on a designated area of the tipping floor. Other solid waste loads are sent through sorting rooms on conveyors where sorters pull out cardboard, paper, glass, plastic and cans. Following the manual sort is a series of mechanical sorts that use magnets and eddy currents to recover additional materials. After sorting is completed, the remaining solid waste is compacted and loaded onto a transfer truck for the 27-mile trip to Kirby Canyon Landfill. On the average, 10 transfer trucks each take four loads to the landfill each weekday. Yard Waste (r Wood Yard waste and wood are processed for various uses and markets. The yard waste that is collected from residents in Sunnyvale and Mountain View is ground and sized. (Palo Alto has a separate yard waste operation.) Some of the material is marketed for compost feedstock or made available at the SMART Station for residents of the partner cities to pick up and use in their own composting efforts. Scrap wood sorted from solid waste is chipped and marketed to wood fuel power plants. Convenient Public Recycling The SMART Station Drop-off Recycling Center serves as a public drop-off recycling center for paper, glass, plastic and metal cans as well as a buy back center for those who want to participate in the California redemption program and receive cash for recycling accepted bottles and cans. This center is also a collection point for some products that are classified as hazardous and/or require special handling. This service was expanded in 2000/2001, so residents of the three cities may now deposit in specially marked containers used motor oil and oil filters, antifreeze, automotive batteries, needles and lancets, alkaline and rechargeable batteries, and fluorescent lights bulbs or tubes. Diverted 58,730 tons from the landfill During the 2000/2001 fiscal year, the SMART Station received approximately 1,200 tons per day of municipal solid waste, yard waste and public haul from the cities of Mountain View, Palo Alto and Sunnyvale, and successfully diverted 58,730 tons away from the landfill. The average recovery rate, at 15.6% for the first 6 months with the new contractor, is comfortably above the 14.52% minimum required by the agreement with the SMART Station operator. Projected $3°3 million annual savings in operating costs .... GreenTeam/Zanker of Sunnyvale was awarded a seven-year contract to operate the SMART Station under an agreement that went into effect January 1, 2001. The GreenTeam/Zanker proposal projected $3.3 million annual cost savings as a result of its operational efficiencies. The agreement specifies that the contractor must divert from the landfill a minimum of 14.52% of municipal solid waste (not including source-separated yard waste and recyclables) that is brought to the SMART Station, and offers incentives to the operator.for recovery achievements beyond the minimum level. In addition to the garbage that is diverted, yard waste and the recyclables delivered to the SMART Station by cities are also diverted from the landfill. Introduced new processing system for curbside recycling A new Curbside Recyclables Processing System was completed in July 2001, allowing the SMART Station to process approximately 60 tons per day of recyclable materials from curbside collection programs in the partner cities. Previously, source-separated recycling materials were processed at other facilities. The new system is highly efficient and uses mechanical separation to sort glass and ferrous metal from mixed recyclables. Other materials, such as plastics and aluminum, are sorted manually. The new system upgrades the recyclable materials and increases their values. Addition of hard-to-recycle items A variety of hard-to-recycle items such as fluorescent light tubes, alkaline batteries, plastic film, and all types of plastic containers was added to drop-off recycling at the SMART Station in 2001, providing customers with more convenient recycling options. SMART partners exceed 50 % diversion goal All three city partners in the SMART Station - Mountain View, Palo Alto and Sunnyvale--were among the first jurisdictions in California to meet the mandate of AB939 and divert at least 50% of their solid waste from the landfill. Mountain View has achieved a diversion rate of 52%, Palo Alto is at 59%, and Sunnyvale is at 56%. Mountain View Palo Alto*Sunnyvale ¯ City Population 72,242 60,835 133,983 MSW delivered to SMART Station Yard Waste Public Haul Total Delivered MSW disposed at landfill Material diverted from the landfill at the SMART Station 76,003 52,909 127,483 5,442 i3,206 1,118 31 7,396 82,563 52,940"148,085 66,655 46,401 111,802 15,908 6,539 36,283 This i e i esents onl ! a Ol tlon mu* ; " P" 3 p " " of nicipaI solid ~vaste fi’om the City of PaIo Alto. Theremainder is landfilIed at the Palo Alto Landfill.NOTE: Starting in July, 2001, recyclable materials fi’om curbside collection programs are taken to the SMART Station for processing. Previously they were processed at other facilities. Market, To Market Scrap Steel 18%For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, the SMART Station diverted 58,730 tons of recyclable materials.~ These materials are sent to local, national and \ international markets through brokers/agents to \ secondary processors and direct to mills for end use,’\\ It is important for residents and businesses in the three communities to support "buy recycled" campaigns. Their efforts help to keep the demand strong for recycled content products using the feed stock of recyclable materials such as those generated at the SMART Station. Corrugated Cardboard 11% Population by City Cost Sharing Percentage (based on each city’s contribution of incoming solid waste) SMART Station Operating Costs Landfill Fees & Taxes Yardwaste Recycling Costs Capital Replacement Fund Host Fee Total Costs Recycling Revenues Public Haul Fees Total Revenues NET COSTS 72,242 60,835 133,983 267,060 30%20%50% COSTS $2,480 $1,726 $4,159 $8,365 $3,131 $2,180 $5,252 $10,563 $51 $0"$123 S174 $88 $79 $206 $373 $227 $158 $374 $759 $5,977 $4,143 $10,114 $20,234 REVENUES $458 $319 $768 $1,545 $119 $83 $200 $402 $577 $402 $968 $1,947 $5,400 $3,741 $9,146 $18,287 * The City of Palo Alto recycles its yard waste through a separate operation. NOTE: Future financial reports will reflect expenses and revenues i:rom curbside collection programs that are now brought to the SMART Station for processing. SMART Success Since its inception in 1993, the SMART Station cooperative venture has proven to be a smart decision for our communities. By working together, the three cities are able to share resources and reduce operational costs of solid waste management. As a result, residents and businesses of the three cities receive cost-efficient service and recycling opportunities. Together we have met the AB939 state mandate designed to protect and preserve our environment and extend landfill life for future generations. This three-city partnership is providing a long-term regional solution to managing solid waste. Equally as important, it allows us to enjoy reduced operational costs of solid waste management as a result of the equitable sharing of expenses. We are pleased to present this Report to the Community that summarizes the recent activities and achievements of our unique SMART partnership. Sincerely, Cathy R. Lazarus Cathy R. Lazarus Director of Public Works City of Mountain View Glenn S. Roberts Glenn S. Roberts Director of Public Works City of Palo Alto Marvin A. Rose Marvin A. Rose Director of Public Works City of Sunnyvale 2002 Sunnyvale City Council Mayor - Fred Fowler Vice Mayor -Julia Miller Councilmember - Manuel Valerio Councilmember - Pat Vorreiter Councilmember - Jack Walker Councilmember - Tim Risch Councilmember - John Howe City Manager - Robert S, LaSala 2002 Mountain View City Council Mayor - Sally J. Lieber Vice Mayor - Michael Kasperzak Councilmember - Ralph Faravelli Councilmember - Mary Lou Zoglin Councilmember - Rosemary Stasek Councilmember - Matt Pear City Manager- Kevin C. Duggan 2002 Palo Alto City Council Mayor - Victor Ojakian Vice Mayor - Dena Mossar Councilmember- Bern Beecham Councilmember - Jim Burch Councilmember - Yoriko Kishimoto Councilmember - Judy Kleinberg Councilmember - Nancy Lytle Councilmember - Hillary Freeman Councilmember - Jack Morton City Manager - Frank Benest SMART Station Directors City of Sunnyvale Marvin A. Rose Director of Public Works City of Mountain View Cathy R. Lazarus Director of Public Works City of Palo Alto Glenn S. Roberts Director of Public Works Water PollutionControl Plant SMART Station Nodh 301 Carl Road Sunnyvale, CA 94089 (408) 752-8530 Printed on recycled paper