That the City Council:
A. Authorize staff to issue a purchase order to Sure-Close, Inc. in the amount of $56,270 for the purchase of 12,600 food waste pails; and,
 
B. Authorize staff to issue a purchase order to The Walking Man, Inc. in the amount of $10,250 to deliver food waste pails and informational materials to La Habra households.

State Senate Bill SB 1383 requires that, effective January 1, 2022, all California residences, multifamily complexes, and businesses be required to separate organic waste from trash and participate in an organics collection program. Organics consist of food waste and "green" waste, such as lawn and shrub clippings.  Food waste is one of the largest components of trash sent to landfills and SB 1383 was passed in an effort to divert organics from local landfills to help further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Rather than place food waste into the trash bin, SB 1383, an organic recycling program, can allow households to place food scraps into their green landscaping waste bin. 

To increase the effectiveness of the City of La Habra’s food waste and organics collection program, staff recommends purchasing food waste pails that will be made available for single-family households in La Habra.  Food waste pails are small (approximately 2 gallons in size) and provide a convenient way for residents to separate food waste from trash. In this pail, residents can place food scraps such as eggshells, banana peels, old bread, meat, fish, and other food items either directly into the pail or residents can line the pail with a biodegradable bag.  The pail can then be emptied directly into the larger organics trash cart along with any green waste so it can be collected on trash service day. If a resident uses a biodegradable bag in the pail, the bag and its contents can be placed directly into the organics trash cart. 

One of the most common questions raised about the use of food waste pails is whether it will produce undesirable odors within the home.  For the past six months, staff have used and tested food waste pails in their homes and found that they generally produce no more odor than a typical kitchen trash can would.

To comply with State law, staff solicited quotes for the purchase and distribution of 12,100 food waste pails for single-family La Habra households, and 500 food waste pails for multi-family households, as-needed. 

For the purchase of 12,600 food waste pails, staff received two price quotes:
 

 

Sure-Close, Inc. was the lowest quote received, and came in $1,919.22 lower than that of Toter, Inc. While not a significant price difference, staff recommends the lowest bidder, Sure-Close, Inc., because its pails come with a pre-fixed instructional label, whereas the pails from Toter, Inc. do not come with pre-fixed labels and the labels would have to be purchased separately for an additional charge.  Sure-Close is also well established in North America and has provided food waste pails for many cities throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties. 

 

For the distribution of food waste pails (door-to-door), along with an informational flyer, staff received price quotes from the following three (3) companies:
 

 

Staff recommends the lowest bidder, The Walking Man, Inc., not only because their bid came in significantly lower than the other quotes received, but also because The Walking Man, Inc. has experience delivering food waste pails throughout Orange County. 

 

If approved by the City Council, the total combined cost to purchase and deliver food waste pails is $66,520.

The funds available for the purchase and delivery of the proposed food waste pails are included in the approved Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget under the SB 1383 grant. This grant has already been awarded to the City of La Habra in the amount of $83,399, so there are sufficient budgeted funds for the proposed $66,520 in purchase orders. The remaining grant funds will be spent at a later date on other required SB 1383 activities currently funded by the City.

GENERAL PLAN RELEVANCE:
1. WR 1.4 – Waste Diversion
2. WR 2.4 – Sustainable Products
3. WR 2.6 – Waste Hauler
4. WR 2.7 – Compost Markets and Distribution
5. WR 5.2 – Public Education
6. AQ 3.2 – Low-Impact Infrastructure
7. AQ 1.2 – Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets

CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

Goal 2 – Management of Public Revenues and Fiscal Assets
Objective H - Pursue grant funding where and when possible to supplement and/or replace direct City funding.
Objective J - Conduct periodic monitoring and submittal of grant reports and request for reimbursements for capital infrastructure projects.