Analysis: Did the City Cave in to Republic Services over Curbside Recycling?

 

SAN ANGELO, TX — At first, it appeared the City of San Angelo was going to play hardball with Republic Services over their request to look at revising the curbside recycling program in light of a market crash in the recyclable markets.

Sorting recyclables at Republic’s selected vender Butt’s Recycling had increased from around $15,000 per month to around $55,000 per month to sort through 350 tons of recyclable materials residents in the city placed into those green, 95-gallon recyclable cans picked up every other week.

Mayor Brenda Gunter declared the $0.50 per month penalty the 2014 exclusive contract with Republic was in her crosshairs. The $0.50 per residential garbage customer is charged if San Angelo as a community doesn’t provide 500 tons of recyclable material monthly collectively. The city has never gotten close to 500 tons, especially since moving from weekly to every-other-week pickup of recyclables.

Tuesday, the City Council approved 7-0 to allow City Manager Daniel Valenzuela to negotiate a revision to the 2014 contract to account for Republic’s request for relief on recycling. The City intends to allow Republic to stop accepting mixed paper and all plastics except #1 and #2 (that is, allow discarded soda/water bottles and milk jugs plastics only). Everything else on the recyclable list is still allowed, including:

  • Flattened corrugated cardboard.
  • Boxboard, cereal and frozen food boxes.
  • Steel, tin and aluminum cans.
  • Empty aerosol cans.

Nothing was mentioned yesterday about doing away with the $0.50 per month penalty, however.

The truth is no revision to the contract is necessary. The town halls, the teeth gnashing, and the high drama was all for nothing. In the 2014 contract, the City gave Republic sole discretion on what recyclables it can accept or not.

“Selection of materials to be recycled, locations of recycling containers and selection of markets for the sale of such materials shall be at the sole discretion of Provider (Republic),” the contract states.

If there is a silver lining, despite dropping the subject of eliminating the $0.50 “You Don’t Recycle Enough” penalty, at least the City escaped the ordeal without a significant price hike.

In Indianapolis, Ind., the city there had to increase fees to retain Republic’s curbside recycling program. In Penn Hills, Penn. The city is considering a tax hike to pay for Republic’s recycling services.

Then there is the question of contamination of San Angelo’s recycling stream. Some residents use the green trashcan as an additional trash container and do not separate the recyclable materials. The City reported 20-30 percent contamination rates during 2017. Sources say that rate is higher now. Why wouldn’t it be? Republic told us in August that no one wants to buy our recyclables anymore.

The city proposes a simple enforcement mechanism for that from reading between the lines of their most recent press release.

“Customers who use their recycling bins as a second garbage can are subject to have the green containers removed. A second garbage bin is available for an additional monthly cost,” states yesterday’s City press release.

After all is said and done on the curbside recycling deal, the city accomplished three things. First, they learned that citizens want to keep the curbside program in place but don’t want to pay more for it. Second, we may not have gotten rid of the $0.50 recycling penalty, but there will be no price increase either, like other cities are enduring. And finally, the City is going to confiscate green cans from those who use those cans as an additional trash can.

Did the City cave? You decide.

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txkboy, Wed, 12/12/2018 - 12:13

This is just another in a long list of bad decisions made by the city. Decisions which not only cost the city, but the taxpayers money. This is croneism at it's finest.

Urlik, Wed, 12/12/2018 - 12:35

I think they made a reasonable accommodation that still allows me to recycle more than I send to the trash and my bill doesn’t change.

The only reason Republic got this contract to begin with is because they payed off the old Mayor and city council. I'm thinking ol Brenda got herself a nice Christmas bonus. Hey Brenda thanks for making it look like you cared about us citizens.

So, they wont take paper goods now. they dont take computers. They dont take batteries. They get a massive bonus if the citizens dont recycle a certain tonage of goods...sounds like a complete joke. Putting bondo on a massive crack in a fender will NOT fix the problem. Eventually, that bondo falls out down the road and takes out someones windshield.

you people need to look up Agenda 21, Agenda 2030, etc. There is a reason we see bicycle lanes being installed (for no reason, seriously...) and trash/recycling being dictated what can or can't be picked up. One day sooner rather than later you will be fined if the "wrong" type of trash is put into a green bin. Look up California. Gunter is nothing more than another stage puppet playing her part.

They penalize us for 'not recycling enough,' yet they change the game as far as what they'll accept, and cite the lack of market demand for the most common things to be recycled. I hafta raise the brown flag on this one - you can't have it both ways. Also must point the [middle] fingers squarely at the city council/government for accepting this rotten contract despite the overwhelming numbers of protests leading up to it, along with their lack of ability to represent the will of the people who elected them in the first place.

San Angelo should have bounced Republic right out of town and rebid the entire trash contract. They caved big time. Not surprised as this city always runs backwards and runs the costs to the citizens out the wazoo. San Angelo is a trashy city, both in reality and on paper. Keep San Angelo Backwards!!

Yes the city caved in again. Refund us the $.50 a month 'cause they are now picking up less recyclable material than before, so we will never reach the contracted tonnage amount, because they will not pick up ALL recyclable material, only what they want to and what is profitable for them. If they wont do it, VOID the contract and start over.

I would like someone with Republic or the Mayor herself to confirm this paper thing. It states no mixed paper. So does this mean no paper at all such as papers bags, shredded paper that is placed in a paper bag or in the clear plastic bag as I was told in the beginning. I personally recycle all my paper. With all the junk mail I get per week I sometimes have more paper than anything. It also mentions we can still recycle milk cartons, water bottles, cans etc. So does that automatically eliminate clean plastic fabric softener bottles, plastic vinegar containers etc? Without those item in the green container that will eliminate more than half I what I recycle. We only buy 5 gallon water and refill the same ones. We have 1 gallon milk carton a week and also coffee creamer plastic containers. But the name thing is paper, including newpapers. If I cannot recycle them then they might as well pick up by green container, lower my bill and go back to weekly trash pickup and I will put everything in the other container. But then will have to listen to them figure out how to make room at the landfill!!!!!!! San Angelo is certain areas is pathetic.

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