Adopt Resolution #18-226 Approving 2019 Municipal Recycling Funding Request to Anoka County

Each year, Anoka County receives funding from the State of Minnesota pursuant to Minnesota Statute § 115A.557. The County distributes these funds, known as SCORE (Select Committee On Recycling and the Environment) funds, to municipalities within the county. In 2019, the allocation includes a base of $10,000 plus $5.00 per household. Ramsey’s base allocation for 2019 is $55,390.00.

The funding is intended to help municipalities achieve their recycling goals as established by the Anoka County Board of Commissioners. Ramsey’s 2019 recycling goal, established by Anoka County, is 2,777 tons (this is up 81 tons from the 2018 goal). The goal is based on 215 pounds per person (single family households, up to four [4] units) and 160 pounds per person for multi-tenant households (five [5] or more units). The City of Ramsey has traditionally used these funds to promote recycling and waste reduction education and awareness, notifying new residents of the recycling program components, to offset costs of the spring and fall recycling day events and other collection events/opportunities, and to fund the recycling coordinator position, which duties are a component of the City Planner position.

To receive the SCORE funding, each municipality must enter into an agreement with Anoka County that outlines required components of a municipality’s recycling program. These required components include providing households an opportunity to recycle at least four (4) broad types of materials, a public information program, recycling drop-off opportunities, and notifying new residents of the recycling program. Furthermore, municipalities are encouraged, but not required, to look at opportunities to expand its recycling program by offering additional drop-off events, implement and/or enhance recycling at community events, enhance multi-family recycling opportunities, and/or develop opportunities for source separated compostables/organics collection.

For the second consecutive year, the tonnage goal, which is based on both single family and multi-family homes, is being increased (increasing by five [5] pounds per person in single family homes; no change to the multifamily homes, which will once again be 160 pounds per person). The increase is the County's attempt to incrementally move toward the State's goal of recycilng 75%, by weight, of total solid waste generated by 2030, which is a very challeging benchmark.

Other challenges to recycling have been growing throughout the year. China has implemented very restrictive thresholds for contaminants in bales of recycled materials that it will accept (0.5% contamination, about the equivalent of 9 pounds in an 1800 pound bale). Furthermore, China has stated that by 2020 it will no longer import any recyclable materials. This is primarily impacting recycling of plastics and certain fiber (paper) products.

The downturn in the plastics recycling markets has also brought into question what is truly recyclable. At this time, things like 'clamshell' plastic containers (e.g. the clear plastic container that strawberries are in) and the black, plastic frozen dinner 'trays' no longer should be put in the recycling as there is no longer a market for this material.

Due to the day to day changes in the recycling world, there needs to be a greater emphasis on the basic tennets of recycling, which would be to focus on fiber (paper and cardboard), aluminum and steel/tin cans, glass, and plastic containers, tubs, bottles and lids that have a #1 or #2 stamped on them.

It is now more important than ever to focus on recycling education to avoid the 'wish-cycling' mentality. Wish-cycling is the thought (or hope) that by placing a material or product in the recycling cart, that somebody will find a way to recycle it. This is leading to excessive contamination. The recycling motto has now shifted to 'when in doubt, throw it out'. This is where our efforts should be focused. Staff recently met with ACE Solid Waste and it was agreed that we need to work together on properly educating the public so they are equipped with the knowledge to not only recycle but to recycle the correct items.

Funding Request

In addition to the base allocation ($55,390), there are four (4) broad funding categories where additional funds can be requested (Drop-Off, General Enhancement, Organics, and an Open-Grant option for general program expansion). Staff is proposing requesting an additional $2,700 for the Summer Recycling Event (Drop-Off), $12,800 for General Enhancement (covers parks recycling, event promotion, etc.), and $1,600 for the Organics program. While there is the potential for up to $20,000 for the Open-Grant option, it is clearly not intended to be long-term funding (County information clearly notes that the City must be willing to support and sustain any new services before implementation) and therefore, Staff has not included that in the current request.  Thus. the total funding request for recycling in 2019 is $72,490 (base funding of $55,390 plus $17,100 for drop-off events, general enhancements, and organics).

Ramsey's recycling program and related staff time are funded with SCORE funds received from Anoka County annually and recorded under the Recycling Enterprise Fund.

The Environmental Policy Board recommends submitting the 2019 Recycling Funding request to Anoka County. 

Motion to adopt resolution #18-226 approving 2019 Municipal Recycling Funding Request to Anoka County.