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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 05/23/2017 - COMMUNITY ORGANICS RECYCLING PROJECT.DATE: STAFF: May 23, 2017 Caroline Mitchell, Environmental Planner Susie Gordon, Environmental Program Manager Lucinda Smith, Environmental Sustainability Director Jackie Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager WORK SESSION ITEM City Council SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION Community Organics Recycling Project. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to share an update regarding options for collection of organic waste (food scraps and/or yard trimmings) for composting. In September 2016, Council unanimously approved the Community Recycling Ordinance. Consideration of organics/composting, originally part of the discussion, was postponed to 2017 allow more time for detailed analysis. Staff has conducted initial analyses of waste diversion, greenhouse gas reductions and financial costs for multiple scenarios, as well as potential locations to accept compostable materials. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED What feedback does Council have about diverting organics from landfill disposal in Fort Collins? BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION In 2013, City Council adopted Zero Waste goals for composting or recycling 75% of Fort Collins’ discards by 2020. The Road to Zero Waste report called for steps to be taken to divert organic material (food scraps and/or yard trimmings) from landfilling. Reducing the amount of yard trimmings and food scraps decomposing in the landfill also represents an important strategy in the City’s Climate Action Plan for reducing methane emissions. Recent analysis of the waste stream from Fort Collins, detailed in Attachment 1, confirm that 48% of the material currently landfilled by residents, and 68% of the material landfilled by restaurants, is methane-generating organics. When City Council adopted the Community Recycling Ordinance in September 2016, staff was directed to investigate options for collecting food scraps and yard trimmings from single-family households and restaurants, for further consideration in 2017. This work session is intended to give City Council a preliminary look at the factors influencing the availability of organics collection in Fort Collins, and options for increasing the amount of organics diverted from the landfill. The Community Organics Recycling Project (CORP) focuses on the short-term options available for increasing composting, while the concurrent Regional Wasteshed Planning Project (which includes Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park, and Larimer County), is focused on policy and infrastructure needs for the long-term. Essential element: end destinations / processors for organics A fundamental aspect of providing organics collection service is the availability of locations to accept and process the material. The landscape of organics processors available in northern Colorado has changed over the last 12 months and continues to evolve. Attachment 2 outlines the details of the locations available to accept and process organics, as well as facilities that are under consideration in the Regional Wasteshed Planning Project or other planning projects. May 23, 2017 Page 2 While many factors influencing the availability of end destinations for organics are out of the control of the City of Fort Collins, three options could be influenced or undertaken by the City: 1) Modifying the Drake Water Reclamation Facility to accept pre-processed food scraps  Would require a food pre-processing facility, which could be constructed onsite or elsewhere nearby  Would provide local waste-to-energy use for food scraps, and energy would be utilized onsite  Would offer a very short hauling distance, which would have a significant impact on the cost for the private sector to provide collection service 2) Creating a publicly-owned transfer station  A transfer station on the site of the current Larimer County Landfill is an option under consideration in the Regional Wasteshed Planning Project  Larimer County recently released a request-for-proposals (RFP) for a service provider to grind and haul away wood and yard debris delivered to their site. The RFP states a preference for a provider that also has experience operating a transfer station for food scraps.  Would allow organics to be compiled into larger, more-efficient trucks for hauling longer distances to end-processors  Is a more cost-effective option than hauling organics directly to distant end-processors 3) Facilitating / supporting a privately-owned transfer station  A privately-owned transfer station is operational in Frederick, Colorado  Could have the same cost-reducing benefits as a publicly-owned transfer station (due to the decreased distance for collection trucks to haul materials) Program Options Once end processors are available within a reasonable distance from Fort Collins, options to expand collection of organic waste would be more cost-effective. Staff modeled scenarios for collecting organics from residents and from restaurants, and included three types of analysis: waste diversion potential, greenhouse gas reductions, and financial costs. Details of this modeling, as well as operational considerations for any of the options, are included in Attachment 3. Peer Communities Perspective Residential Programs Of the 25 peer communities identified by the City’s Finance Department, 84% include organics collection/composting in with basic trash and recycling services. Food scraps and yard trimmings collection is provided by 25% of the communities, and yard trimmings-only service is included in 59% of them. Six Colorado communities provide organics collection/composting options for residents of single-family homes. Five (Denver, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville, Boulder) provide food scraps and yard trimmings service; Loveland provides yard trimmings-only collection service. Additional details of peer community programs are included in Attachment 4. Restaurant Programs One community in Colorado requires restaurants to compost food scraps: the City of Boulder requires all businesses, apartment complexes, and special events to have compost collection service. Five states require composting from large food generators. Details are included in Attachment 4. May 23, 2017 Page 3 Key Drivers for Programs The analysis conducted has uncovered key drivers for the following important factors that would affect restaurants and residential generators of organics, and could play a role in determining which potential scenarios would most effectively apply to waste diversion programs and services. Outcome Key Driver Amount of material collected Type of service delivery:  universal / bundled results in more material collected  opt-in results in less material collected Cost of service Distance to end processor  a transfer station or end processor near Fort Collins would substantially reduce costs Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions Taking action that creates any alternative to landfilling would significantly decrease GHG emissions. All scenarios modeled by Fort Collins’ staff show significantly fewer GHG emissions than landfilling. Stakeholder Input Public outreach that has been conducted for this project is described in Attachment 5, and includes City boards and commissions, a public meeting held on May 2, 2017, and meetings with private haulers. Next Steps Depending on feedback from Council, next steps include: • Continue to engage in Regional Wasteshed Planning Project • Explore additional end destinations if directed by Council • Continue to engage with Fort Collins haulers • Return for work session in September or October • Support small-scale innovations through Innovate Fort Collins, foster partnerships ATTACHMENTS 1. Fort Collins Waste Composition (PDF) 2. End Destination Options for Organics (PDF) 3. Greenhouse Gas and Financial Analysis of Potential Options for Organics Programs (PDF) 4. Peer Communities Perspective (PDF) 5. Public Engagement Summary (PDF) 6. Boards and Commissions Minutes Summary (PDF) 7. Powerpoint presentation (PDF) 1 Composition and Amount of Organic Material from Fort Collins Waste diversion goals in Fort Collins will not be achieved unless systems are created for collection and processing of organics (food scraps and/or yard trimmings). Residential A combined 47% of the material currently being landfilled by residents is made up of bio-degradable organic material, according to a 2016 study of materials from Fort Collins that were delivered to the Larimer County Landfill. A total of 44,701 tons of waste was landfilled by residents in 2016. Commercial A 2016 analysis for the Larimer County Landfill showed that the commercial sector’s waste stream was composed of: • 31% food scraps and wet paper • 17% yard trimmings and wood • 35% recyclable materials • 17% materials trash • Total of 47,555 tons of material landfilled by businesses and apartment complexes in 2016 Restaurants As a subset of the commercial waste stream, restaurants dispose of a significant amount of compostable material. Staff verified the actual composition and amount of waste generated by restaurants by conducting 10 physical, on-site “waste sorts” at Fort Collins restaurants in late 2016 and early 2017. The sampling included a variety of restaurants (full service, fast casual etc.) in different areas of town, with diverse menu offerings. The resulting data confirmed an average waste composition much higher in organics than the general profile for commercial sources, as shown here. Composition of Material Landfilled by Fort Collins Residents, 2016 Composition of Material Landfilled by Fort Collins Restaurants, 2016 & 2017 ATTACHMENT1 1 End Destination Options for Organics A primary factor in considering organic waste diversion is the end destination for materials. There are two primary ways materials can be managed: 1) Directly delivered to a composting facility or an anaerobic digestion plant o A collection vehicle drives all the way to end destination 2) Taken first to a consolidation site (known as a transfer station) from which materials are shipped to a composting facility or anaerobic digester. o A collection vehicle drives to the transfer station; consolidated materials are then driven to end destination by a semi- truck or other long-haul vehicle o Transfer stations maximize the benefit of two different types of vehicles:  Collection vehicles are most efficient at the stop-start-stop type driving when collecting materials  Long-haul vehicles can carry more material and are more efficient at driving long distances Nine potential end destinations were included in the life-cycle assessment and financial analysis for the Community Organics Recycling Project. Local dairies are also a possible destination for composting yard trimmings (but not food scraps), and are currently used by one hauler in Fort Collins. However, details were not available for staff to include local dairies as a modeled end destination. End Destinations Modeled for Community Organics Recycling Project Facility Location and One-Way Mileage Materials Accepted Comments A1 Organics Eaton (22 miles) Permitted for Food Scraps + Yard Trimmings Private entity in current operations; only accepting yard trimmings although permitted also for food scraps A1 Organics Keenesburg (66 miles) Food Scraps + Yard Trimmings Private entity in current operations with full permitting; accepting all food scraps and yard trimmings McDonald Farms Transfer Station Frederick (37 miles) Food Scraps + Yard Trimmings Privately-owned and operated transfer station. Accepting materials from haulers in Fort Collins, Denver, and elsewhere in Front Range. Consolidates material and hauls to A1 Organics in Keenesburg. Hageman Earth Cycle Fort Collins Yard Trimmings only Currently accepting small volumes of yard trimmings from residents and landscapers Doug Weitzel Inc. Fort Collins Yard Trimmings only Currently accepting small volumes of yard trimmings from residents and landscapers Transfer Station - conceptual Larimer County Landfill (6 miles) Potentially food scraps 2 KERSEY KEENESBURG Larimer EATON County Landfill (6 miles) Drake Water Reclamation Facility (4 miles) Heartland Biodigester (44 miles) A1 Organics (66 miles) A1 Organics (22 miles) FORT COLLINS McDonald Farms Transfer Station (37 miles) FREDERICK Modeled Potential End Destinations for Organics 34 14 85 25 76 Potential transfer station (could accept yard trimmings + food scraps) Potential composting facility (could accept yard trimmings + food scraps) Potential anaerobic digester (could accept food scraps only) (a form of waste-to-energy) Currently operating composting facility (accepts yard trimmings + food scraps) Currently operating transfer station (accepts yard trimmings + food scraps) Legend Hageman’s & Weitzel’s Currently accepts small amounts of yard trimmings only ATTACHMENT 2 1 Greenhouse Gas and Financial Analysis of Potential Options for Organics Programs Residential Options Service delivery options: “bundled” or “opt-in” service An important feature of organics collection programs is how the service is charged; it can either be included in the price of basic service (bundled price) or it can be offered as a separate for-a-fee service to which customers may elect to subscribe (opt-in). As of 2017, Fort Collins trash/recycling haulers must offer yard trimmings-only service to residents of single-family homes, for which they may bill a separate charge. In contrast, Fort Collins customers who elect to use their hauler’s curbside recycling programs receive it every-other-week as a combined, bundled service along with weekly trash collection. Research shows that in communities where recycling is an optional service at a separate charge, 10-20% of households subscribe to the service. In comparison, in communities with bundled recycling service, 80-90% of households typically subscribe to the service. Fort Collins haulers report that 96% of their residential customers are signed up for recycling service. Communities with opt-in organics collection service (for an additional fee) follow the same participation pattern including Denver (20%) and Longmont (20%). In Fort Collins, a hauler that has been providing optional yard trimmings collection service reported that 13% of customers subscribe to the service. Data will be available in July regarding the number of customers that have opted for the service after the recently-adopted Community Recycling Ordinance requirement for all residential haulers to offer curbside yard trimmings collection/composting. End destination considerations: yard trimmings only or yard trimmings + food scraps While the City of Fort Collins likely wouldn’t require the haulers to use a specific end destination, there are more locations available to accept yard trimmings only than there are to accept yard trimmings and food scraps combined. Please see Attachment 2 for details about end destination options. If collecting both yard trimmings and food scraps, combining them into one bin for collection is typical, due to the efficiency of collecting materials in one truck instead of running two separate routes. * It is very important to note that actual rates are set by private haulers. Costs that were modeled for this analysis are only intended to provide a comparative look at financial impacts for potential scenarios. Actual rates charged by private haulers can/would vary from these calculations. Potential Residential Organics Scenarios Bundled service; yard + food Opt-in service; yard + food Bundled service; yard only Opt-in service; yard only Annual tons composted (% progress toward 2020 waste diversion goal) 12-16.5k (21-27%) 2-3.5k (6-8%) 5-6.8k (8-11%) 800-1.5k (3-6%) Annual GHG reductions MTCO2E (% of tons needed to meet 2020 GHG goal) 5.3-11.8k (2-4%) 870-2.6k (0.5-1%) 2.2-4.8k (1-2%) 360-1k 2 Restaurant Options Service delivery options: “universal” or “opt-in” service Fort Collins restaurants already have opt-in service options available: they currently can subscribe to food scraps collection service offered by at least two service providers. However, due to low participation among restaurants, and therefore the inefficiencies of a dispersed, small route, organics collection/composting service can be costly. If the City was to modify the municipal code to require participation by restaurants, and if services were therefore universally subscribed-to, the per-business cost would be likely to be lower than current prices. Potential Restaurant Organics Scenarios Universal Service Opt-in Annual tons composted (% progress toward 2020 waste diversion goal) 4.8-7k (8-12%) 800-1.5k (1-3%) Annual GHG reductions MTCO2E (% progress toward 2020 GHG goal) 2.8-7.9k (1-3%) 460-1.7k (0.3-0.6%) Modeled potential monthly cost* 50% increase in service cost 100% increase in service cost New jobs created 2-3 1 * As noted previously, actual rates for organics collection/composting services are set by private haulers. Costs that were modeled for this analysis are only intended to provide a comparative look at financial impacts for potential scenarios. Actual rates charged by private haulers can/would vary from these calculations. Operational considerations Food scraps need to be collected weekly from restaurants at minimum. Twice a week is a likely service frequency for some establishments and as much as daily service is appropriate for large, high-volume restaurants. The analysis for this project calculated twice per week collection. Concern about increased pests often arises regarding food scraps collection but discussions should factor in that the food scraps that would be collected in a separated program are already being thrown away in the trash, with about the same exposure to pest issues. Furthermore, separated food scrap collection service for composting would allow restaurants to decrease the size and/or service frequency of their trash bin. Methodology for Calculations Life-cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions A Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) focused on greenhouse gas emissions was conducted that encompassed all aspects of the system once organic waste materials were ready for disposal. (Calculations were not made for “upstream” impacts such as agricultural activities inherent in growing food, transporting food to Fort Collins, etc.) The LCA does capture detailed impacts of collection/hauling vehicles, activities for processing/composting organic materials, and end use of the final product (such as when compost is applied to soils). Financial analysis The financial analysis captures a rough estimation of the cost for the private sector to provide collection service. Information for the assumptions was gathered from three municipalities in Colorado that provide organics collection (Denver, Longmont, Loveland), and one private hauler in Boulder County. The assessment includes a base-case scenario, made up of the average of the inputs received from these sources, as well as a worst-case scenario, which selected the most expensive input received from each of the data sources (such as most expensive truck, least efficient mileage per gallon, most maintenance costs, etc.). The assumptions and financial analysis developed by staff were then shared individually with three primary haulers in Fort Collins (Ram Waste, Gallegos Sanitation Inc., and Waste Management of Northern Colorado) for discussion and input. Data gathered:  Truck cost, lifespan, fuel efficiency, maintenance  Bins cost, lifespan  Stops per route, pounds collected per load  Employee (FTE) cost 1 Yard trimmings only 59% Yard trimmings + food scraps 25% No organics program 16% Peer Communities’ Residential Organics Collection Peer Communities Perspective Residential Organics Collection Programs Colorado Communities Program type Materials collected Service provided Cost/month per bin size Boulder Bundled Yard + food Year-round Bundled into basic service Denver Opt-in Yard + food Year-round $9.75 – 64 gallons Lafayette Bundled Yard + food Year-round $7.70 – 64 gallons Longmont Opt-in Yard + food Year-round $6.60 – 96 gallons Louisville Bundled Yard + food Year-round Bundled into basic service Loveland Opt-in Yard April - October $8.00 – 96 gallons Peer Cities Across the U.S. (25 peer cities identified by City of Fort Collins Finance Department) 84% of Fort Collins’ 25 identified peer cities collect organics from all residents bundled together as part of their regular suite of trash and recycling services. Residents of these communities are not required to subscribe or pay an additional fee for this service. Yard Trimmings Only Collection Anaheim, CA Garland, TX Asheville, NC Irving, TX Athens, GA* Norman, OK* Burbank, CA Olathe, KS Coral Springs, FL Richardson, TX Denton, TX Santa Barbara, CA Gainesville, FL Food Scraps + Yard Trimmings Collection Ann Arbor, MI* Palo Alto, CA Bellevue, WA Santa Rosa, CA Boise, ID ◊ Tacoma, WA Eugene, OR ∞ * Seasonal collection ◊ Vegetative food scraps; no meat, dairy products ∞ Pilot program underway 1 ATTACHMENT 4 2 Restaurant Food Scraps Collection Programs Cities with Universal Service •Boulder, CO •Austin, TX •New York City, NY (locations over certain size) • Seattle, WA • Locations in 5 states listed adjacent Cities with Opt-in Service •Asheville, NC •Athens, GA •Bellevue, WA •Cedar Rapids, IA •Charlottesville, VA • Eugene, OR • Lincoln, NE •Norman, OK •Portland, ME • Tacoma, WA State-wide Requirements for Composting at Certain Businesses •California •Connecticut •Massachusetts •Rhode Island •Vermont ATTACHMENT 4 Page 1 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY PROJECT TITLE: Community Organics Recycling Project OVERALL PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT LEVEL: Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop new policy recommendations based on community feedback. BOTTOM LINE QUESTION: Should Fort Collins expand collection of food scraps and/or yard trimmings, and if so, which system would work best for the community? PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CONDUCTED: Stakeholder Group Presentations / Meetings Climate Action Plan Citizens’ Advisory Committee, April 20, 2017 Fort Collins Sustainability Group, May 1, 2017 Chamber of Commerce LLAC, May 19, 2017 City Boards and Commissions Presentations Energy Board, April 13, 2017 Air Quality Advisory Board, April 17, 2017 Natural Resources Advisory Board, April 19, 2017 Economic Advisory Board, April 19, 2017 Water Board, April 20, 2017 Meetings with Fort Collins haulers Feb 23, 2017 Individual meetings April and May, 2017 Public Open House May 2, 2017, 4 – 6 p.m. 222 Laporte Colorado River Room, 20 attendees Other outreach Project website with updates and project documents Email updates to 600+ subscribers Press Release News articles Spotlight on fcgov.com RELEVANT FEEDBACK FROM 2017 AIR QUALITY AND RECYCLING SURVEY: Survey was a statistically-significant representation of Fort Collins residents. Question Somewhat or strongly agree Somewhat or strongly disagree Don’t know Restaurants should be required to have compost collection 70% 26% 4% Single-family households should have the option to pay a separate charge for curbside collection of food scraps and yard trimmings 72% 21% 7% Single-family households should get curbside collection of food scraps and yard trimmings bundled as part of basic trash and recycling service (i.e. no separate charge) 79% 15% 6% The City should ban the disposal of “green waste” in the trash (e.g. food, wood, leaves, branches, paper products) 45% 51% 4% ATTACHMENT 5 Page 2 SUMMARY OF FEEDBACK FROM 2017 OUTREACH Audience Supportive Comments Concerns Boards and Commissions • Since costs for landfilling are likely to increase when Larimer County Landfill closes, makes sense to get ahead of it and start composting now to soften the impact of higher trash costs • Could find synergy with Innovate Fort Collins projects • Interest in options with greatest greenhouse gas reduction potential • Could potentially lead to trash only needing to be collected every other week from residents • Consider locations where residents could drop off food scraps • Odor potential in bins and at end processing destinations • Restaurants having enough space inside and outside for compost bins • Potential for pests • State regulations make construction of compost sites difficult • Need to also continue education about backyard composting • Cost of service Public Open House • Interest in bundled options for residents o Most significant greenhouse gas impacts o Makes participation easy for residents • Interest in restaurant composting • Offer even smaller carts for trash • Regionalize trash collection • Cost of service • Doesn’t address construction and demolition waste, which is a huge amount of material • How residential collection would impact small start-up compost collectors Climate Action Plan Citizens’ Advisory Committee • Could develop coalition with restaurants and agricultural producers to collect food scraps, process, and use compost – similar to the Glass Recycling Coalition • Composting important to meeting goals • How can compost hauling service and processing be profitable? • Could look at cost/benefit analysis in comparison with more methane capture at Page 1 Boards & Commissions Minutes Fort Collins Utilities Energy Board Minutes (ABRIDGED) Thursday, April 13, 2017 Energy Board Chairperson City Council Liaison Pete O’Neill, 970-223-8703 Ross Cunniff, 970-420-7398 Energy Board Vice Chairperson Staff Liaison Nick Michell, 970-215-9235 Tim McCollough, 970-305-1069 Roll Call Board Present: Chairperson Pete O’Neill, Vice Chairperson Nick Michell, Stacey Baumgarn, Alan Braslau, Bill Becker, Greg Behm Late Arrivals: None Board Absent: Phil Friedman, Marge Moore Others Present Staff: Travis Paige, Honore Depew, Jason Graham PRPA: Paul Davis Members of the Public: None Community Organics Recycling Project Honore Depew, Environmental Planner (attachments available upon request) Council adopted a waste reduction plan in 2013, known as the Road to Zero Waste. By 2030, the City hopes to be a zero-waste community. Goals of the Zero Waste vision include 90% waste diversion by 2025 and 75% waste diversion by 2020; as of 2016 the City is measured at 51% waste diversion. The 2016 composition of Fort Collins’ Landfill waste shows that over half of garbage in the landfill could be composted or diverted into some other organics recycling (true for residential and commercial customers), and approximately 30% of the waste is could be traditionally recycled. Mr. Depew noted that 54% of residential waste is compostable, and approximately half of that waste is food scraps. Additionally, the Larimer County landfill is expected to reach capacity by 2025. Managing organic recycling on the Road to Zero Waste is crucial to meeting the City’s 2020 Climate Action Plan goals. In September 2016, City Council approved updated rules for trash and recycling collections. The update mandates grocery stores to divert all food scraps from landfill disposal by the end of 2017; by 2020 there will be bundled recycling service to multi-family and commercial customers. Staff included options for organics collection service requirements for residents and restaurants in their initial presentation to City Council, but Council did not see the feasibility at that time and asked staff to return within a year with more options and in-depth analysis. Some service options considered in the Community Organics Recycling Project (CORP) include curbside collection of food scraps and/or yard trimmings (for single family homes only), as well as restaurant collection of food scraps. Staff is analyzing the financial impacts, climate impacts, and conducting waste sorts at restaurants. Staff is analyzing a few decision points for Council to consider, such as if the program should be mandatory or voluntary; should residential ATTACHMENT 6 Page 2 collection include yard trimmings only, or also include food scraps; and how the end destination for materials collected impact costs and environmental benefits. Staff’s internal analysis includes input from other Colorado communities as well as private sector haulers that serve Fort Collins. The estimated residential capture rate of diverted waste could be up to 16,000 tons a year, depending on the type of capture (i.e., mandatory yard and food vs. voluntary yard and food), but the potential monthly cost does not vary drastically regardless of the collection scenario. Annual greenhouse gas reductions were between 1,000-12,000 CO2e tons, depending on the collection scenario. Board member Becker asked what the difference is between letting the waste decompose in a landfill as opposed to a composting scenario. Mr. Depew clarified in a landfill methane is released due to the anaerobic conditions—the waste breaking down without oxygen. Conversely, composting is aerobic (with oxygen), and there is very little release of greenhouse gases as the waste breaks down, if managed correctly. Board member Behm asked if there were no changes to the rate of diversion and the landfill is at capacity by 2025, what will the cost expectation be for customers? He believes that no matter what, an additional cost is coming, whether that’s for composting or hauling garbage. Mr. Depew briefly explained the Regional Wasteshed planning process, which addresses what might happen post-landfill-closure. There will definitely be increased costs for disposal, so how does the community at large want to redistribute those costs and address that issue. Anaerobic digestion produces biogas, which is combusted to generate electricity and/or heat. The Drake Water Reclamation Facility (DWRF) currently has the capacity to anaerobically digest some of the organic material that comes through the sewer to produce biogas and heat the facility, but by the end of 2017, DWRF will also have co-generation capability to create electricity onsite. The option of increasing food waste processing at DWRF is currently being considered as possibility for restaurants and/or other commercial facilities that produce source-separated organics, but a receiving or preprocessing station (on or offsite) would be required. Mr. Depew reviewed some Lifecycle Assessment Research conducted to compare the environmental impacts of between two scenarios for routing food waste to DWRF. One possible residential scenario analyzed was using garbage disposals to transfer food waste to the wastewater treatment plant via the sewer; this equates to approximately a 74% reduction in GHG from landfilling baseline. Mr. Graham noted that there would need to be a lot of public outreach to make this an effective strategy, including what food waste can go down the disposal (no fats, oils and grease) as well as the potential negative impacts of increased disposal on service lines and sewers. In a possible commercial scenario trucks would haul food material to DWRF for onsite preprocessing at a new (hypothetical) receiving station; this scenario provides approximately 98% reduction in GHG from landfilling baseline. A food waste reduction education campaign is expected to roll out in the fall of 2017. It will be focused on residents and providing them tools, a website and infographics. Vice Chairperson Michell asked how sensitive staff’s analysis is to contamination. Mr. Depew said in general, the contamination rate is much lower (in comparison to other communities) and they hope to continue to see low contamination rates. The numbers do reflect an expectation for a certain amount of reject materials, regardless of the processing facility (2% or less to landfilling). Approved by the Energy Board on May 11, 2017 MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS ATTACHMENT 6 Page 3 AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD DRAFT Date: Monday, April 17, 2017 Location: Colorado River Room, 222 Laporte Ave. Time: 5:30–8:00pm For Reference Mark Houdashelt, Chair Ross Cunniff, Council Liaison 970-420-7398 Cassie Archuleta, Staff Liaison 970-416-2648 Board Members Present Board Members Absent Mark Houdashelt, Chair Tom GriggsGregory Miller Robert Kirkpatrick Harry Edwards Jim Dennison Chris Wood Vara Vissa, Vice-Chair Staff Present Cassie Archuleta, Staff Liaison Caroline Mitchell, Senior Environmental Planner Guests Alan Braslau, Energy Advisory Board member Asma K. Henry, Citizen AGENDA ITEM 1: Composting – Organic Options Caroline Mitchell, Sr. Environmental Planner, provided an update regarding the analysis of options for composting food scraps from restaurants as well as options for food scraps and yard trimmings from residents of single family homes. Caroline introduced the Community Organics Recycling Project (CORP). The Community Recycling Ordinance (CRO) updated rules for trash and recycling, but did not include organics. Services being considered in the CORP include curbside collection of food scraps/yard trimmings for single family homes and restaurant food scraps collection. Important decision points for the CORP are: mandatory or voluntary programs, collection of yard trimmings only or with food scraps, which would impact the end destinations for materials. Caroline showed predicted summary results for several scenarios. A food waste reduction education campaign is under development and expected to be available in Q3 2017. There will be a public meeting on May 2nd, and a Council work session on May 23rd. Discussion • Is there an odor problem with organics collection? o For smelly bins, mixing yard trimmings absorbs the smell. For facilities, enclosed buildings for disposal are a pretty standard practice. Odor should not be a problem. • Will there be collaborative model between other cities that have municipal haulers? o This has been considered in Fort Collins twice in the past, with little interest. • Would collection be seasonal or year-round? o Year-round. • Are multi-family residences considered for CORP? o No, but could be a future consideration following residential and commercial. • Are there any comparisons between CSU’s and the City’s strategies for recycling and composting? o CSU is doing a great job at composting, hands-down. CSU has a pulper, and material from the pulper was used in an informative pilot project at the Drake Water Reclamation Facility to test being able to ATTACHMENT 6 Page 4 accept food scraps there. CSU also just built a windrow composting site on the foothills campus. The City and CSU have talked several times about working together on organics, but the size of the new compost facility and the type of permitting for it prevent materials from outside CSU to be composted there. MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS ECONOMIC ADVISORY COMMISSION Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2016 Location: Colorado River Room, 222 Laporte Ave. Time: 11:00am–1:00pm For Reference Wade Troxell, Mayor & Council Liaison Josh Birks, Staff Liaison 221-6324 Dianne Tjalkens, Minutes 221-6734 Commission Members Present Commission Members Absent Sam Solt, Chair Denny Otsuga Alan Curtis Ted Settle Connor Barry John Parks Ann Hutchison Linda Stanley Craig Mueller Staff Present Dianne Tjalkens, Admin/Board Support Josh Birks, Economic Health Director Katie Ricketts, Economic Healthy Analyst Caroline Mitchell, Senior Environmental Planner Katy Bigner, Environmental Planner Victoria Shaw, Senior Financial Analyst Guests Dale Adamy, citizen AGENDA ITEM 4— Citywide Organics Composting, Caroline Mitchell Council adopted goals around waste reduction. We throw away a lot of material that could be composted. Study of Larimer County Landfill materials from Fort Collins—about ½ of materials coming from residential, commercial and industrial could be composted. About 1/3 could be recycled. Only about 15% of materials don’t have a diversion option yet. Over last two years worked on Community Recycling Ordinance—adopted in September—options that were moved forward include yard trimming service for single family homes (opt in service with all haulers), all multifamily complexes and businesses will have recycling by 2020, and all grocers composting by end of 2017. Giving more review to other options and taking them back to Council this year—includes curbside collection of food scraps and yard trimmings, and collection of food scraps at restaurants. Doing series of waste sorts at restaurants in Fort Collins—65–80% of waste is compostable food scraps. These generate a lot of methane in the landfill—very potent GHG. Elements looking at: mandatory vs. voluntary, where materials would go (dependent on materials collected), etc. Existing potential destinations: A1 Organics has location in Eaton (yard trimmings only) and Keensburg (yard trimmings and food scraps). ATTACHMENT 6 Page 5 Other potential options that could be built: Build a transfer station at Larimer County Landfill, composting facility at LCL, food scraps to Drake Water Reclamation facility (would require additional facility), Heartland Biodigester in Kersey. Cost model methodology—Collected input from peer communities and one private entity. Broke down information into per mile cost (hauling cost, tipping fees, personnel, etc.). Base-case reflects average, worst-case reflects most expensive input received. The more who participate, the lower the cost. Calculated GHG reduction, job creation, monthly cost/person, and tons composted. Ex: Residential bundled yard and food scraps=$10–20/mth. Still working on cost/mth for restaurants based on required vs. opt-in models. Also rolling out this year a food waste reduction campaign— starting with residents, then will build program for restaurants. Public meeting May 2, Work Session May 23. Members can send comments to Caroline. Discussion/Q & A: • Infrastructure costs for restaurants—Where will they store scraps until picked up? Pest control? Etc? o Bins are calculated into cost, but pest control and training are not included. Incremental marginal costs of collection itself. Haven’t yet looked at “right sizing” bins. Will interview business and refine model. o Talking about another bin, but not any new material. This waste is already being generated and stored outside, collected, hauled, etc. Nothing about separating food scraps that increases pests compared to having it mixed with other trash. • How many people use yard trimming collection? Are people opting in? o Nationwide, recycling programs that are opt-in get subscription rates of 10–20%. Rates are about the same for organics when opt-in. When bundled, higher. Ex: 96% of Fort Collins residents participate in recycling. • Loveland has yard waste pick up? More integrated system. o Municipal hauler—different rate structure. • There are communities that require food waste recycling? o Many communities offer the service, either as bundled or opt-in. Cannot force people to use it unless ban the materials from the landfill. • Opportunity for CAP Pilot Project Competitive Process. MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 Location: Colorado River Room, 222 Laporte Avenue Time: 6:00–8:00pm For Reference Bob Overbeck, Council Liaison 970-988-9337 Katy Bigner, Staff Liaison 970-221-6317 Board Members Present Board Members Absent Jay Adams John Bartholow Nancy DuTeau, Chair Bob Mann Elizabeth Hudetz Luke Caldwell, Vice Chair Drew Derderian Ling Wang Katherine de Leon Staff Present Katy Bigner, Staff Liaison, Environmental Services Donnie Dustin, Fort Collins Utilities Water Resources Manager ATTACHMENT 6 Page 6 Lance Smith, Fort Collins Utilities Strategic Finance Director Honoré Depew, Environmental Planner Victoria Shaw, Senior Financial Analyst Guests: David Tweedale, Land Conservation and Stewardship Board Tucker Cunningham, CSU Student Trevor Donnelly, EnergyLogic, Inc. Call meeting to order: 6:03 pm AGENDA ITEM 2— Community Recycling Ordinance and Organic Update Honoré Depew, Environmental Planner, provided an update on the Community Organics Recycling Project (CORP). Staff will be going to a City Council Work Session on May 23rd and is seeking feedback prior to that meeting. Community Organics Recycling Project (CORP) is a new project that has stemmed out of the Community Recycling Ordinance (CRO). Over ¾ of what ends up at the Larimer County Landfill is recoverable through composting or recycling. The CRO updated rules for trash and recycling collection; it was unanimously approved by Council in September 2016. Council delayed a decision on organics and asked for a more in-depth analysis. CORP decision points include: should organics collection be mandatory or voluntary, should collection be for yard trimmings only or yard trimmings and food scraps combined, and where should the end destination for materials be? Current operational end destinations: A1 Organics in Eaton or Keenesburg. Theoretical options: Transfer station in Larimer County, new regional/local composting facility, Drake Water Reclamation Facility, Heartland Biodigester (if re- opened). Financial modeling evaluated cost inputs and variables and estimated monthly impacts for the tons of material composted, greenhouse gas reductions, potential cost, and jobs created. Residential results included bundled or opt-in options for yard trimmings and yard plus food collection. The model showed that the more material is diverted, the cheaper the cost per ton diverted. For restaurants, they are working on converting numbers to percentages because it would be more meaningful than dollar amounts. Only 2-3 additional pick-up routes would be required to pick up food scraps semi-weekly from restaurants. Developing a food waste reduction education campaign. Potential branding could be “Save Your Food” or “Food Too Good to Waste.” Changing where our waste goes does not solve the root problem: about ¼ of the average American’s food is wasted. Next steps: Continue to refine analysis, continue outreach to boards and commissions, public meeting on May 2, Council work session on May 23. Discussion/Q&A: • Data on residential food scraps measured in weight or volume? o Weight. 23% of residential waste is food. It is difficult to have people separate food into a different bin. Comingled recycling was successful because people didn’t need to separate. • Which end location showed the most greenhouse gas reduction? o Of the facilities that are constructed, Heartland. For composting, Larimer. For residential, Drake. • Can any of those potential future landfill sites have composting, too? o Potentially the site north of Wellington. Compost facilities are challenging to site. • Mandatory yard and food collection might lead to trash being collected bi-weekly in the long term. o Downsizing containers could be a more feasible option. We would need to gradually transition to bi- weekly, and the startup cost may be high. • Someone would need to supply a food waste bin of some sort? o We considered the cost of adding bins for residential and restaurants in the modeling. ATTACHMENT 6 Page 7 • Have you considered having grocers act as a drop off station for food scraps? o No, but that is a good idea. • Another idea is residents getting unused compost back for a fee. • Will the improved CDPHE regulations allow for more recycling facilities? o Integrated Solid Waste and Materials Management Plan analyzed the entire Front Range and provided geographical recommendations. There are stronger calls for unified statewide recycling goals. • Will there be continued promotion for composting at home? o To a certain degree. Staff resources and funding need to be directed strategically. CAP Community Advisory Committee Q2 Meeting 12-2:30pm April 20th, 2017 222 Laporte Ave. Colorado Room Attendees: CAC Members: Steve Kuehneman, Alan Strope, Dana Villeneuve, Marissa Bell, Hunter Buffington, Fred Kirsch, Steve Balderson, Ann Hutchison, Clint Skutchan, Trudy Trimbath, Chadrick Martinez Facilitator: Chris Hutchinson, Diana Hutchinson City Staff: Jackie Kozak Thiel, Lisa Rosintoski, John Phelan, Molly Saylor, Lindsay Ex, Carrie Frickman, Caroline Mitchell, Susie Gordon, Lucinda Smith, Katy Bigner, Emily Wilmsen Public Visitors: JD Murphy, Janice Lynn, Mark Houdashelt Action Items: • Caroline/Victoria: o Consider enhancing methane capture as an option within the organics work Meeting Notes Waste Deep Dive and Focus on Community Organics Recycling Project (Caroline Mitchell) • Road to Zero Waste goals: this project was identified in the original Road to Zero Waste plan • Study in 2016: Landfill Composition o Over ½ of the material we are sending to the landfill could be composted o Organics: means anything that will break down in a landfill o Common misconception: the landfill is a place for things to break down, but really landfills are designed as “dry tombs” where things are not supposed to break down  If things break down in this anaerobic environment it generates methane emissions o Instead of putting organics into a landfill where the anaerobic breakdown produces methane into the environment, options are:  Composting – produces very little methane and may sequester carbon • Industrial composting – can take more materials because temperatures are hotter, can break down meat, bones, dairy (this project would include industrial composting)  Anaerobic digestion – like at wastewater treatment plant, takes nitrogen rich materials like food – purposefully generate methane and burn it or capture it to use as natural gas ATTACHMENT 6 Page 8  Conducting research on the carbon sequestration benefits of using compost on the land • Community Recycling Ordinance: approved by Council September 2016 o Outcomes:  Updated rules for trash and recycling (yard trimmings pick up April- November, residents pay a fee)  Recycling service to multi-family homes and commercial  Grocers will have food scrap collection by end of 2017 o Organics collection was not initially included due to additional considerations and analysis needed (Organics collection from residents and restaurants) • Services Being Considered Now o Curbside collection of food scraps + yard trimmings (single family homes) o Restaurant collection of food scraps o Analysis: Financial impacts, climate impacts, waste sorts at restaurants • Decision points: o Should this be mandatory or voluntary? o For residential: should it be yard trimmings only, or add food scraps o End destination of materials (City’s role is to create the ordinance, haulers are private companies) • Analysis: received input from other Colorado communities & meeting with Fort Collins haulers • Modeled End Destination Options o A1 Organics in Eaton & Keenesburg (Currently operational) o Transfer station at Larimer County, Composting facility in Larimer County, Drake Water Reclamation Facility, Heartland Bio digester in Kersey (Theoretical options)  CSU composts materials from Campus, but can’t accept outside food scraps • Results of Modeling (see PowerPoint chart for detailed breakdown) o Financials: efficiencies of scale, the more people who participate, the less expensive it is overall (least expensive is the mandatory yard + food) o Opt-in services get about 10-20% participation; bundled in service gets about 95% participation and reduces per user cost by spreading out fixed costs • Developing a Food Waste Reduction Education Campaign o Starting with residents (beginning this year) o Goal is to reduce the amount of food waste created in the first place Questions:  Is this financially beneficial for the private sector? o Many composting businesses have started in Fort Collins and have gone out of business o Challenge because landfill fees are so low and haulers are having to charge high fees for these types of services o This should be leveraged in the policy realm, how can we make it profitable  CSU Facility: can this be expanded, or could the permit be changed? o Not large enough for the community, designed for CSU capacity  It would be beneficial to see a cost/benefit analysis of all of these options, including methane capture  Amount of land-use as a barrier (for private sector engagement)  What are the retail options when it becomes compost? Could this be profitable?  Glass Recycling Coalition (New Belgium) o Beverage brands working with communities to find a more efficient way to recycle glass o Could this be a model for working with agricultural producers and restaurants?  What about those who already backyard compost and don’t want to pay this additional cost? o Larger-scale composting can take more materials, diverts more materials from landfill  What questions do you think the stakeholders you represent would have about organics collections and the various approaches? o Need to evaluate thoroughly on the collection side, issues with attracting pests ATTACHMENT 6 Page 9 o Restaurants concerned about infrastructure and processing costs o Neighborhood composting model vs. large scale curbside pickup  Is this something we are considering? o Is this something CSA’s would consider helping with?  Heavy regulated side to this process o If it is mandatory and costs go up, how would citizens feel about this? Excerpt from Unapproved Water Board Minutes – April 20, 2017 Community Organics Recycling Project (Attachments available upon request) Environmental Planner Honoré Depew summarized the project. Staff is researching options for diverting organics from the landfill, which is a significant step to meeting waste reduction and climate action goals. One of the options being researched is to accept food scraps from restaurants at the Drake Water Reclamation Facility (DWRF). Staff will be able to share environmental and economic analysis of this and the other options being researched, and appreciates feedback from Water Board. Discussion Highlights Board members inquired about various related topics including truck size and gas efficiency; greenhouse gas reduction; potential residential and commercial food scraps and yard trimming recycling; current collection services for food scraps and yard trimmings; and a food waste reduction campaign to reduce waste at the source. ATTACHMENT 6 1 Community Organics Recycling Project Jeff Mihelich, Jackie Kozak Thiel, Victoria Shaw, and Caroline Mitchell May 23, 2017 ATTACHMENT 7 Question for Council What feedback does Council have about diverting organics from landfill disposal in Fort Collins? 2 ATTACHMENT 7 Council-Adopted Waste Reduction Goals Road to Zero Waste Goals • 75% diversion by 2020 • 90% diversion by 2025 • Zero waste by 2030 3 Concurrent project: Regional Wasteshed Planning Project ATTACHMENT 7 Community Recycling Ordinance Approved – September 2016 • Updated rules for trash and recycling collection • Grocers subscribe to food scraps collection by end of 2017 • Recycling service to apartments and businesses by 2020 4 Initially included organics collection from residents, restaurants • Organics decision delayed for more in-depth analysis • Council requested follow-up on organics options in 2017 ATTACHMENT 7 5 Trash 18% Recyclable 35% Yard Trimmings 21% Food Scraps + Wet Paper 26% Residential Trash 11% Recyclable Food 21% Scraps + Wet Paper 68% Restaurants Material landfilled by sector, 2016 / 2017 ATTACHMENT 7 6 KERSEY KEENESBURG Larimer EATON County Landfill (6 miles) Drake Water Reclamation Facility (4 miles) Heartland Biodigester (44 miles) A1 Organics (66 miles) A1 Organics (22 miles) 85 76 34 14 25 FORT COLLINS McDonald Farms Transfer Station (37 miles) FREDERICK Modeled Potential End Destinations for Organics Hageman’s & Weitzel’s ATTACHMENT 7 Key Program Drivers Outcome Key Driver Amount of material collected Service delivery: universal / bundled vs. opt-in Cost of service Distance to end processor Greenhouse gas emissions reduction Any destination except landfilling 7 ATTACHMENT 7 Cost Model Methodology • Aligned to Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) • Enhanced with inputs from interviews • Modified with hauler feedback • Modeled 84 permutations • Base and Worst Case • Opt-in vs. Bundled • Materials Collected • End Destinations 8 Financial Model Haulers Peers LCA Distance to destination is most impactful variable ATTACHMENT 7 9 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 Landfill (status quo) Keenesburg Keenesburg w/TS Eaton Eaton w/TS MTCO2E / year Emissions for Residential Options Yard Trimmings Only Yard Trimmings + Food Scraps ATTACHMENT 7 -2,000 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 Landfill (status quo) Keenesburg Keenesburg w/ McDonald Keenesburg w/TS Drake MTCO2E / year Emissions for Restaurant Food Scraps Options ATTACHMENT 7 Peer Communities 11 Residential Collection in Colorado: • 5 communities collect food scraps + yard trimmings • Loveland: yard trimmings only Yard trimmings only 59% Yard trimmings + food scraps 25% No organics program 16% Peer Communities’ Residential Organics Collection Restaurants: • 5 states require composting from large food generators ATTACHMENT 7 Really cuts down how much we would have to landfill. Will residents and restaurants have space for another bin? Will there be odor or pests from the service? Distance to and reliability of end processors. Makes it easy for residents to participate. Higher cost of service. Feedback 12 Concern…………………………………………………………….Support Needs to complement backyard composting efforts. Important to implement options that would decrease greenhouse gas emissions the most. ATTACHMENT 7 Food Waste Reduction Education Campaign Under development, expected roll-out Q3 2017 “Save Your Food” • Focused on residents • Providing tools, website, infographic • Connect larger concepts with local relevance and action • Will build upon national campaigns 13 ATTACHMENT 7 Next Steps • Continue to engage in Regional Wasteshed Planning Project • Explore additional end destinations if directed by Council • Continue to engage with Fort Collins haulers • Return for work session in September or October • Support small-scale innovations through Innovate Fort Collins, foster partnerships 14 ATTACHMENT 7 Question for Council What feedback does Council have about diverting organics from landfill disposal in Fort Collins? 15 ATTACHMENT 7 Potential End Destinations Actions 1) Modify Drake Water Reclamation Facility to accept pre-processed food scraps 2) Create a publicly-owned transfer station 3) Facilitate / support privately-owned transfer station 16 ATTACHMENT 7 the landfill • How does residential service benefit those who already compost in back yards? • Could do food scrap composting on a neighborhood scale? Fort Collins haulers • Able to provide service to customers • Distance to and stability of end destinations • Potential contamination of bins (people putting the wrong materials in the bins) • High water content of food scraps make it hard to prevent leaking of trucks • Difficult to find employees with Commercial Drivers’ License (CDL) • Will residents have space for three carts? ATTACHMENT 5  Tip fees (cost to deliver materials to end destination ATTACHMENT 3 (0.3-1%) Modeled potential monthly cost* $10-20 $12-24 $12-25 $12-25 New jobs created 20-24 5-6 20-24 5-6 ATTACHMENT 3 + yard trimmings Being evaluated as part of Regional Wasteshed Planning Project Composting Facility - conceptual Larimer County Landfill (6 miles) Potentially food scraps + yard trimmings Being evaluated as part of Regional Wasteshed Planning Project Heartland Biodigester - currently closed Kersey (44 miles) Potentially food scraps only Privately-owned anaerobic digesters (a type of waste-to-energy): currently shut down; litigation in progress; potential re-opening unknown Drake Water Reclamation Facility - conceptual Fort Collins (4 miles) Potentially food scraps only City facility operating anaerobic digesters (a type of waste-to-energy): capacity available for accepting more food materials. Capital expenditures would be needed to inject directly into system and for pre-processing of food scraps. ATTACHMENT 2