This informational update will highlight present conditions of the Cinder Lake Landfill and the City’s efforts to extend the life of the landfill through various initiatives to employ innovative management practices while maintaining affordable rates for customers. Staff will also discuss strategies being used to prevent and divert waste, the plan for the transition of the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), Pay-as-you-Throw volumetric pricing pilot, and Residential Food Scraps Drop-off Pilot Program.

Cinder Lake Landfill - The Cinder Lake Landfill is a 343-acre municipal solid waste landfill providing disposal services to the City of Flagstaff and Coconino County. The City has operated the landfill since the late 1960s under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. The Landfill receives an average of 385 tons per day of material and the current planned cells are anticipated to close in 2063. This date is based on the industry standard of 3 percent volume growth projection. In comparison the landfill closure date would extend to 2072 based on 1 percent volume growth projection. Historical volume growth over the last 15 years is less than 1%.

Staff is exploring two strategies to extend the closure date:

• Geosynthetic Cover (Tarp) system for Daily Cover: Tarps use no airspace and extend the life of the Landfill at least 5 years
• New Cell Design Depth: Results in an additional 10 years

The Landfill is also home to the Hazardous Products Center which is projected to divert 66 tons of Household Hazardous Waste and approximately 17,250 pounds of electronic waste from being landfilled annually.

Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Planning – Current Council direction is to transition the MRF into a transfer station and ship the material to a modern MRF that would recycle more materials and produce a higher quality product. Next steps include working with a consultant to a develop strategic plan for this transition and designing a facility that meets Flagstaff's needs.

Pay-as-You-Thow Pilot - In August 2021, the "Trash Less, Save More!" volumetric pricing pilot program launched in Ponderosa Trails. Through this 6-month pilot, residents select a reduced size trash cart in exchange for a rebate on their city services bill. This creates a direct economic incentive to recycling more and generate less waste.

There are currently two additional sizes available:

• 48-gallon trash cart = $4.19 savings/month
• 64-gallon trash cart = $2.21 savings/ month

Staff are monitoring the impacts of the pilot program by conducting recycling audits at MRF, tracking bulky pick-up participation, administering residential recycling bin checks, and recording recycling and trash tonnage changes. As of November 2021, 200 households registered for the program.

Residential Food Scraps Drop-off Pilot - From July to October 2021 community members were able to drop off food scraps and other acceptable materials at two participating locations, the Market of Dreams and Flagstaff Community Market on a weekly basis. Nearly 275 community members regularly participate, diverting 1,770 pounds of compostable materials. Drop off locations were staffed by compost experts to educate participants and weigh, sort, and transport materials to several small-scale farms in northern Arizona. In addition to the drop off participants were asked to take a survey, 73% of participants said that they would be interested in a city-wide residential compost collection program.

In October 2021, two self-service drop off composting stations were established at the Flagstaff CSA and Hal Jensen Recreation Center. Community members are able to bring acceptable materials to either of two drop-off stations at any time during the week after taking a short online survey onsite to educate participants and deter contamination of unacceptable materials. Stations are serviced on a bi-monthly basis by community partners who weigh, sort, and transport materials to several small-scale farms.