HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 11/8/2022 - Memorandum From Caroline Mitchell And Molly Saylor Re: 2021 Community Diversion RateEnvironmental Services
222 Laporte Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6600
fcgov.com/environmental services
1
MEMORANDUM
Date: November 3, 2022
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Thru: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Lindsay Ex, Environmental Services Director
From: Caroline Mitchell, Waste Reduction and Recycling Program Manager
Molly Saylor, Lead Waste Reduction and Recycling Specialist
Re: 2021 Community Diversion Rate
Bottom Line: The 2021 Community Diversion Rate stayed relatively constant at 51.5%. This is a
decrease of 0.5 percentage points from the 2020 rate of 52%. The Community Diversion Rate measures
the percentage of residential, commercial and industrial materials recycled or composted rather than
landfilled. It is the primary metric for progress toward the goal of zero waste by 2030.
2021 Results: Primary changes seen in Fort Collins waste and recycling in 2021:
The Community Recycling Ordinance was implemented (improved diversion rate)
o More businesses and multi-unit housing complexes (apartments and condos) had recycling
service. This generated 2,500 tons more recycling, a 44% increase from 2021. By comparison,
multi-unit housing and business materials landfilled only increased by 4% over the same time.
Fluctuations in the amount of industrial materials recycled (mixed impacts to diversion rate)
o Industrial materials are heavy and tend to fluctuate from year to year, so are almost always a
driver for changes in the Community Diversion Rate. In 2021, concrete, asphalt and soils
recycled decreased while scrap metal recycling increased.
Landfilled roofing materials from the 2019 hailstorm tapered off (improved diversion rate)
o In July 2019, over 10,000 Fort Collins homes were impacted by a massive hailstorm. Many
roofs were replaced in 2021, but far fewer than in 2020, resulting in a decrease in industrial
waste from the roofing sector. The roofs that were replaced fell under the 2019-adopted Class 4
impact-resistant shingles requirement, which is intended help prevent roofing waste due to
hailstorms in the future.
Increase in self-hauled materials to the landfill (decreased diversion rate)
o During the COVID period, many homeowners conducted remodels, house cleanouts and yard
projects, generating more residential waste in 2021.
The attached Waste Reduction and Recycling Annual Report includes more details.
Diversion Rate Calculation: At the October 11 Work Session, Councilmembers inquired about the
Community Diversion Rate methodology and weight-based approach. The following information is
provided for further context: The Community Diversion Rate is a calculation based on total tons of
materials landfilled and recycled. The most accurate information available is by weight, and weight-based
measurements are the industry standard that also enable Fort Collins to benchmark to other
communities. To further understand local recycling and landfilling behavior, the City tracks residential,
commercial, and industrial materials separately, monitors landfilled pounds per capita per day, and
conducts periodic waste composition studies.
2021 FORT COLLINS WASTE REDUCTION & RECYCLING REPORT 1
2021 FORT COLLINS
WASTE REDUCTION & RECYCLING REPORT
Community Diversion Rate
A diversion rate compares the amount of material
that was recycled or composted with total waste
generated by the community. Fort Collins tracks
trends in the community by measuring diversion
rates as well as per-capita volumes of trash
generated.
The overall community-wide diversion rate includes
residential, commercial, and industrial trash and
recyclable materials. The Fort Collins Community
Diversion Rate in 2021 was 51.5%.
COMMUNITY DIVERSION RATES SINCE 2010
CHANGE IN COMMUNITY DIVERSION RATE FROM
2020 – 2021
0.5 percentage points
CHANGE IN POUNDS OF LANDFILLED MATERIAL
PER CAPITA PER DAY FROM 2020 – 2021
From 5.42 to 5.38
Drivers for change in Community
Diversion Rate from 2020 – 2021
Community Recycling Ordinance increased
recycling from multi-unit housing and
businesses
Fluctuations in the amount of industrial
materials recycled (concrete, asphalt, scrap
metal, soil)
Landfilled roofing materials from the 2019
hailstorm tapered off
Details are included in the text on page two.
DIVERSION RATES BY SECTOR IN 2020
RESIDENTIAL 29%
COMMERCIAL / MULTI-UNIT 32%
INDUSTRIAL 66%
PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL COMMUNITY WASTE AND
RECYCLING GENERATED BY SECTOR IN 2021
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
'10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '20 '21
Landfilled Recycled/Composted
Commercial &
Multi-family
17%
Residential24%Industrial58%
200,000
300,000 54%58%59%
68%68%68%
63%58%51%57%56%53%52%52%
2021 FORT COLLINS WASTE REDUCTION & RECYCLING REPORT 2
CHANGES IN 2021 COMMUNITY DIVERSION RATE
Community Recycling Ordinance
The Community Recycling Ordinance came into
effect in summer 2021 and required Fort Collins
waste haulers to provide a minimum level of
recycling collection to all multi-unit housing and
commercial properties. The 2021 diversion data
reflect this change. Recycling from these sectors
increased by 44%, meaning an additional 2,500 tons
of material was recycled compared with 2020.
This is particularly notable considering the amount
landfilled by the multi-unit and commercial sector
only increased by 5% in 2021.
Self-Hauled Landfill Waste
Residents continued to clean out their homes and
do home renovation projects in 2021, generating
3,000 more tons of waste that residents took to the
landfill themselves compared with 2020.
Industrial Waste and Recycling
Industrial materials are heavy and so changes in
these materials impact the Community Diversion
Rate significantly. The following industrial material
changes are reflected in the 2021 Community
Diversion Rate:
Municipal industrial waste (including wet soil,
rock, and other materials) fluctuates with the
types of projects completed each year.
Fewer waste-generating projects in 2021
meant there was 5,600 less tons of waste
landfilled from this source than in 2020.
There was an overall increase of 6,700 tons
of construction and demolition waste
landfilled in 2021 compared with 2020 as
some construction projects moved past the
initial COVID impacts and got back
underway.
There were 10,000 tons less asphalt and
concrete recycled at the City’s Hoffman Mill
Crushing Facility in 2021.
Over 2,500 tons of additional scrap metal
was recycled in 2021 compared with 2020.
Food Scraps Recycling
While not a driver for the diversion rate, it is notable
that the residential food scraps collected by two
small local food scraps-only haulers increased by
over 150% compared with 2020. They collected a
total of 260 tons of food scraps for composting.
Roofing Waste
In July 2019, over 10,000 Fort Collins homes were
impacted by a massive hailstorm, requiring many
roof replacements in 2020 and 2021. Many roofs
were replaced in 2021, but far fewer than in 2020,
resulting in a 6,600 ton decrease in industrial waste
from the roofing sector. Fort Collins now requires
Class 4 impact-resistant shingles, which will
hopefully help prevent roofing waste due to
hailstorms in the future.
Residential Trash & Recycling Carts
Cart size Residents
subscribed
Change
from 2020
Intermittent /
pay-by-the bag 0.5%
0.5
percentage point
32 gal trash cart
38%
1
percentage point
64 gal trash cart
40%
2
percentage points
96 gal trash cart
21%
1
percentage point
18 gal
recycling tub 9%
4
percentage points
32, 64 or 96 gal
recycling cart 91%
4
percentage points
64 or 96 gal
yard trimmings
collection cart
17% 2
percentage points
2021 FORT COLLINS WASTE REDUCTION & RECYCLING REPORT 3
2021 PROGRAM UPDATES
Plastic Pollution
In 2021, City Council adopted the Disposable Bag
Ordinance and referred it to voters who approved it
by 59%.
The Disposable Bag Ordinance will go into effect on
May 1, 2022. It will ban plastic carryout bags and
require a 10-cent fee on paper bags at large grocers.
Later in 2021 the Colorado State Legislature
adopted a plastic pollution reduction bill that
imposes fees on paper and plastic bags at large
stores in 2023, bans plastic bags at those stores in
2024, and bans the use of expanded foam food
packaging at restaurants in 2024.
The Waste Reduction and Recycling (WR&R) team
engaged with community members to understand
potential impacts of the Disposable Bag Ordinance
in the fall of 2021 for updates to incorporate prior to
the ordinance roll out.
At the end of 2021, staff held meetings with all major
Fort Collins grocers in preparation for the
Disposable Bag Ordinance implementation and sent
out reusable cloth shopping bags to 1300 low-
income households.
Community Recycling Ordinance
The Community Recycling Ordinance brought
recycling services to all commercial and multi-unit
properties in Fort Collins in 2021. Recycling from
these sectors increased by 2,500 tons, an increase
of 44% compared with 2020.
The WR&R team worked with Fort Collins haulers,
businesses, and multi-unit property owners/
managers to ensure that not only was recycling
available but also successful.
Businesses and multi-unit complexes can apply for
a variance from recycling service for certain
circumstances. Over the summer of 2021, the
WR&R team received 194 variance requests and
conducted a site visit for each one. A total of 99 were
approved.
The City’s WR&R and Code Compliance teams
partnered up in fall of 2021 to conduct a compliance
sweep to ensure businesses and multi-unit
complexes had recycling, which uncovered 125
locations out of compliance. The WR&R compliance
team member then worked with haulers to get those
properties into compliance.
Waste Reduction and Recycling
Program (WRAP)
In 2021, City staff supported over 100 businesses
and multi-unit properties (apartment and condo
complexes) to understand new requirements and
start or improve recycling programs. To support the
implementation of the Community Recycling
Ordinance, WR&R staff created toolkits for
businesses and multi-unit properties and provided
other tools to improve their recycling programs
independently.
Our Climate Future
Our Climate Future (OCF) is an equity-centered
combined update to the City’s Climate Action Plan,
Energy Policy, and Road to Zero Waste Plan, which
was adopted in 2021.
OCF identified the following strategies for waste
reduction in the first two-year implementation cycle:
Strategy Status
Expand recycling education
campaign
Underway
Explore additional
community-needs donation
options
Seeking community
partner
Explore Universal
Composting Ordinance and
Related Composting
Infrastructure/Facilities
Partnering for
compost
infrastructure via
Regional
Wasteshed
collaboration
Identify barriers to accessing
recycling services
Underway
Implement universal recycling
ordinance
Implemented
Community
Recycling
Ordinance
Facilitate the sharing of
commonly needed items
through libraries
Led by Poudre
River Library
District; Tool share
through Eco-Thrift
Implement Disposable
Grocery Bag Policy
Adopted in 2021;
implementation in
2022
Support work on a digital
marketplace for industrial
waste
Working with
Recycle Colorado’s
ReCircle project
Continue to explore ways to
further reuse and recycle soil
from City projects
Underway, led by
Fort Collins Utilities’
Water Field
Operations
department
2021 FORT COLLINS WASTE REDUCTION & RECYCLING REPORT 4
Barriers to Recycling
The “Our Climate Future” waste, energy, and climate
plan highlighted that historically underrepresented
groups in Fort Collins experience barriers to
recycling. To better understand these barriers and
identify areas for action, City staff partnered with
community members on a “Barriers to Recycling”
project. The project uncovered challenges such as
language accessibility in signage, access to trucks
and trailers to haul bulky objects to the recycling
center, and representation in materials and on-site
at the recycling center. City staff will begin
implementing project recommendations in 2022.
Timberline Recycling Center (TRC)
The City of Fort Collins’ Timberline Recycling Center
celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2021. The
Everyday Recyclables yard receives over 400
recyclers per day and recycled over 3.3 million
pounds of recyclables. Over 11,000 recyclers
utilized the Hard-to-Recycle Materials yard and
delivered over 1 million pounds of material to be
recycled.
In 2020, a significant increase in online shopping
resulted in residents generating much more
cardboard. This trend continued in 2021, as nearly
800 tons of cardboard was recycled at the TRC in
2021, a 12% increase from 2020.
The TRC website is one of the most used City
websites, with an average of 3,000 visits per month.
Recycling Ambassadors Volunteer
Program
The Recycling Ambassador volunteer program
includes 31 volunteers who answer visitor
questions and support the Timberline Recycling
Center. Since the program was founded in 2017,
Recycling Ambassadors have volunteered over
3,600 hours and engaged with over 15,500
community members.
Definitions and Notes
Non-industrial diversion rate: includes waste
generated by single-family residential, multi-family
residential, and commercial sectors.
Industrial diversion rate : includes materials such as
waste generated by City government operations,
concrete and asphalt recycled at crushing facilities,
construction and demolition waste, brewery wastes,
and biosolids that are land-applied.
Community diversion rate : the combined total of
industrial and non-industrial wastes – provides an
overall view of waste generation and waste
diversion for the entire community.
Note about Alternative Daily Cover (ADC): Each
day, landfills are legally required to cover the day’s
contents with soil or another approved material.
Various materials can be used as ADC, including
wood, drywall or yard waste. Because many of
these materials have “higher and better” uses, the
City does not include ADC as diversion in its
calculations, unlike some other entities, including
the State of California.
Notes about Appendix 1 (detailing Fort Collins’
waste and recycling):
Data are updated over time as new
information becomes available or new
methodologies emerge. Appendix 1 is
updated yearly, which may result in the data
in this appendix not matching the initial
report.
Yellow-shaded boxes are included in the
Non-Industrial (MSW) totals
Orange-shaded boxes are included in the
Industrial totals.
Report Prepared By
Molly Saylor, Caroline Mitchell and the rest of the
Waste Reduction and Recycling Team
Environmental Services Department
City of Fort Collins
970-221-6600
recycling@fcgov.com
fcgov.com/recycling
2021 Fort Collins Community Waste & Recycling Summary
Recyclables Organics
Non-Industrial Totals
(MSW)Residential Commercial Overall
Lbs /
Capita /
Day
Residential Curbside Recycling Tons Residential / Commercial Organics Tons Total Landfill 64,064 41,237 105,300 3.35
Single-stream 9,221 Food Waste (Residential)261 Total Organics Composted 8,033 9,844 17,877 0.57
Curbside Total: 9,221
Food Waste (Commercial)917 Total Recycling 11,102 11,052 22,154 0.70
Multifamily & Commercial Recycling Yard Waste (Residential)7,772 PAYT Source Reduction "tons" 4,992 n/a 4,992 0.16
Commercial single-stream 6,225 Yard Waste (Commercial)8,927 Total Disposed 88,191 62,133 150,323 4.78
Multi-family single-stream 872 Total MSW Organics 17,877 Diversion Rate 23.0% 33.6%27.5%
Paper Mix (ONP, OMX, etc)88 Industrial Organics Diversion Rate w/ Source Reduction 27.4% n/a 30.0%
Office paper 3 Spent brewery grain 489
Corrugated Cardboard 1,531 Wood waste (Commercial)22,172 Industrial Totals Tons Lbs/Cap/Da
y
Glass 2,040 Other organics (Industrial)7,306 Total Landfill 68,140 2.17
Commingled containers (aluminum, steel, glass, plastic)83 Biosolids 2,055 Total ADC 3,336 0.11
Multi-Family & Commercial Total: 10,842
Total Industrial Organics 32,021 Total Organics Composted 32,021 1.02
Drop-off Centers TOTAL ORGANICS TONS 49,898 Total Recycling 108,000 3.43
Corrugated cardboard 931 Total Disposed 211,497 6.73
Paperboard, low-grade paper 0 Landfill Diversion Rate 66.2%
Mixed Paper 408 Tons of Solid Waste Landfilled Tons Diversion Rate, ADC as diversion 67.8%
Commingled containers 134 Residential 64,064
Glass 360 Multi-family 5,988 Combined Totals MSW Industrial Overall
/Day
White Office Paper 23 Commercial 35,249 Total Landfill 105,300 68,140 173,440 5.52
Hard-to-recycle items from Timberline Recycling Center 26 Industrial 68,140 Total ADC n/a 3,336 3,336 0.11
Drop-off System Total: 1,881
Alternative Daily Cover (soils used to meet
landfill cover needs)3,336 Total Organics Composted 17,877 32,021 49,898 1.59
Other Recyclables TOTAL LANDFILL TONS 176,776 Total Recycling 22,154 108,000 130,155 4.14
Electronics 121 PAYT Source Reduction 4,992 n/a 4,992 0.16
Plastic bags / shrink wrap 89 Recycling Participation Total Disposed 150,323 211,497 361,821 11.51
Textiles 0 Customer Type % of Customer
w Recycling Diversion Rate, no Source Reduction 27.5% 66.2%50.5%
Total Other: 210 Residential 97%Diversion Rate with PAYT Source Reduction 30.0%51.1%
TOTAL MSW RECYCLING TONS 22,154 Residential yard trimmings collection 16%
Diversion Rate with PAYT Source Reduction,
ADC as diversion 52.1%
Industrial Recyclables Multi-family 117%
Scrap metal (ferrous) -- iron, steel 25,376 Commercial 61%
Concrete 17,100 Industrial 12%
Asphalt 43,347 Total customers with recycling 92%
single stream recycling totals reduced by 13.7% to account for contamination (and
trash totals increased commensurately)
10/7/2022