HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESPONSE - RFP - 7160 RECYCLING OUTREACH PROGRAMecoo le
Working to Build Zero Waste Communities
0 P 0 7116 0
Prepared for The City of Fort Collins
8.9.2010
5. Vendor Statement:
I have read and understand the specifications and requirements for this
bid and I agree to comply with such specifications and requirements. I
further agree that the method of award is acceptable to my company. I
also agree to complete PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT with .
the City of Fort Collins within 30 days of notice of award. If contract is not
completed and signed within 30 days, City reserves the right to cancel
and award to the next highest rated firm.
FIRM NAME: !~ W —
EMAIL ADDRESS:
BIDDER'S NAME:
SIGNATURE
L'P
PRIMARY SERVICES ISSUES CONTACT:
TELEPHONE: 56f—f�� 17fS
EMAIL:
PRONE: 303—Llgq—Lc� YOS
FAX:
CELL: EMERGENCY:
BACKUP:
IV. Compensation and Contract Process
After contract award, progress invoices shall be billed in quarterly
installments, subject to review and approval by the City's Project
Manager. City payment terms will be Net 30 Days from receipt of invoice.
2. The City reserves the right to award directly as a result of the written
proposals. The City may or may not opt to conduct oral interviews. �'
3. The selected Contractor shall be expected to sign the City's
standard Professional Services Agreement prior to commencing
Services (see sample attached to this Proposal).
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eco•c c
Working to Build Zero Waste Communities
Brief History and Introduction:
Eco-Cycle® is one of the largest not -for -profit recyclers in the United States and has an international reputation
as a pioneer and innovator in resource conservation and Zero Waste. Founded more than 30 years ago, Eco-
Cycle started one of the first curbside recycling programs in the nation and created the first Center for Hard -to -
Recycle materials in the U.S. Today Eco-Cycle is the operator of the county -owned Boulder County Recycling
Center and has first-hand experience processing and finding viable recycling and recovery markets for both
conventional recyclables and "hard -to -recycle" materials. In addition, Eco-Cycle provides comprehensive
outreach, training, waste audits and site assessments to more than 800 Boulder County Businesses.
Eco-Cycle's mission is to identify, explore and demonstrate the emerging frontiers of sustainable resource
management through the concepts and practices of Zero Waste. We believe in individual and community action
to transform society's throw -away ethic into environmentally -responsible stewardship.
Project Scope:
The "Scope of Work" includes the development, training and initial implementation of education and outreach
-materials that�the City. of Ft. Collins can use to complement its current Climate Wise and Recycle This campaign
and Zero Energy Districts to help the commercial sector increase source reduction, waste. diversion, and
-recycling efforts. Based on the stated budget of $12,000 for this project, Eco-Cycle wouldliketo submit a bid for
deliverables 1- 4 as outlined in this RFP in orderto help,Fort Collins move forward omits community waste
diversion and Greenhouse gas emission goals with the limited funds available.
Eco-Cycle proposes a unique and strategic commercial waste diversion program that will be based on input from
Fort Collins City staff and select business members in order to create a turn -key tool kit of educational and
outreach materials to engage the commercial sector. The toolkit will include:the following and as outlined in
detail in the deliverables below:
• Training materials and information on how to set up internal "Green Teams"
• Training materials on how to engage and educate employees on waste reduction efforts
• Comprehensive waste audit and site assessment trainings and checklists
• Sustainable purchasing guidelines
• Purchasing resources for products such as recycling and compost bins
• Recycling and compost materials geared toward the commercial sector
• Tools to help the commercial sector announce their diversion goals
• Diversion reports for customers to track their goals and resources saved
Deliverables:
1. Provide "train the trainer" teaching for Climate Wise program staff team
2 5030 "Old" Pearl Street Boulder, CO Phone: 303-444-6634
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eco�c e
Working to Build Zero Waste Communities
a. Up to five hours of classroom, tutored interaction for approximately 10 employees to teach them how to
provide waste audits and advanced support to the commercial sector.
Eco-Cycle will provide a "train the trainer" program to Fort Collins Climate Wise program staff on how to provide
commercial waste audits and site assessments for existing Climate Wise Commercial partners in addition to new
businesses that display an interest in waste reduction. Eco-Cycle will provide "lessons learned" from its 30 years
Of experience with the commercial sector in Boulder County and the City of'Boulder. The train the trainer
program will include up to five hours of classroom instruction, with at least one hour at each of the three
locations chosen devoted to hands-on site visits to existing Climate Wise partnersas selected by the Climate
Wise program staff.
,The "train the trainer" program will consist of:
• How-to conduct a site assessment and waste audit of'a new business vs. an existing business
• Implementation of site assessments of an existing Climate Wise partner, providing recommendations
within the company to reduce waste and contamination of existing recycling and composting efforts
• How to help businesses reduce their waste upstream through evaluating purchasing decisions
• Providing recommendations and steps for a business to create their own "green teams"
• How to create customized marketing and PR programs both internally and externally to help the
commercial sector announce its efforts both to the community as well as internally
• Conducting customized employee recycling and compost.trainings that speak to the company's culture
in order to reduce contamination and increase recycling and compost rates
• Understanding barriers to implementing a successful recycling or composting program andlools to
overcome these barriers
Lb In addition, take staff team on three'on-site waste audits at the workplaces of three Climate Wise partner
volunteers (business locations will be recruited by the City team) to demonstrate specialized auditing
techniques for: retail business; industrial; and office workplace.
b. Eco-Cycle believes it is critical to extend the "train the trainer" program outside the classroom by taking staff
to a hands-on waste audit and site assessment at three different Climate Wise partners and recommends that, if
possible, the following types of commercial establishments be included in this demonstration to illustrate how
each business must be approached based on the service or product that it provides: restaurant-j6dustry facility,
and office or retail environment.
Budget for deliverables 1.a and 1.b: $3,600
2. Create a toolkit of outreach materials on waste reduction/diversion/recycling to be made available. to,
commercial entities at no charge by the City
3 1 5030 "Old" Pearl Street Boulder, CO Phone: 303-444-6634
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lecooc.y�
Working to Build Zero Waste Communities
2. Eco-Cycl'e'will- create a toolkit of outreach materials on'reduction/diversion/recycling to.be,made available to
commercial entities at no charge by the City. Eco-Cycle will develop this toolkit that will include the deliverables
as outlined in the introduction, in addition to the following:
Reduction:
Guidelines for how to reduce waste upstream in addition to purchasing guidelines that include an organizational
assessment to identify ways waste can be.reduced at all levels within the organization. Also included.will be a
do-it-yourself waste audit checklist.
Diversion (includes recycling, composting and hard to recycle items):
Within the toolkit under the diversion section, there will be a guide to help select a recycling and compost
hauler, including questions to ask prior to selecting a service provider, a recycling resource guide on purchasing
recycling and compost bins, and sample recycling and/or compost guidelines and stickers that can be
customized to meet that business's unique needs*. Additional resources will include: self -guided training for
--employees, awareness:campaigns, how -to -guides on. motivating employees to participate and information on
regulations concerning -hazardous -materials disposal and resources.to:address this-and:the.hard-.to-recycle waste
stream.
*Depending on the City's budget the stickers and guidelines could -be provided. to the business ora•print-ready,
file.
Eco-Cycle would also provide consulting on how to.effectively distribute the toolkit and a marketing.strategy for
ensuring that businesses know that these tools are available.
2. a Consolidation of general campaign theme materials (City is able to provide its own current "Recycle This"
campaign material as an option if desired) including graphics, slogan, and tag -lines, with instructions for how
to effectively apply them at workplaces
The strategy for the waste diversion toolkit supplied by Eco-Cycle as outlined above will be to consolidate. these
materials within the current City "Recycle This" campaign and to modify the materials to directly meet the needs
of the commercial sector. In order to understand the unique needs of the Fort Collins business community, Eco-
Cycle recommends a survey and an in -person focus group of 5-7 selected businesses to gain insights on how the
guidelines and campaign materials should be formatted to provide content relevant to the commercial sector
that would result in increased recycling and compost rates while reducing contamination.
Eco-Cycle recommends that, based on the budget constraints of this project, materials are developed within the
existing language and graphics of the current campaign. However Eco-Cycle will provide additional consulting
advice on how to modify or add additional slogans or tag -lines, layout and design based on focus*group,and
survey responses that will integrate into the current "Recycle This" campaign. If additional graphics are needed,
Eco-Cycle can provide this support at a reduced rate of $50 per hour, but will be in addition to this proposal:
4 � 5030 "Old" Pearl Street Boulder, CO Phone: 303-444-6634
eco.� gle!
Working to Build Zero Waste Communities
2. b. Sign 'age and stickers, how-to flyers; brochures, and website. contents for commercial entities. and their
employees to use
2. b Eco-Cycle will provide graphic support and content for the layout of a new indoor recycling sticker and a
compost sticker, recycling and compost guidelines and one brochure that announces the "toolkit," including
writing copy for the website on this commercial waste reduction initiative as needed and determined by clearly
understanding the needs of the commercial sector in Fort Collins. All graphic and copy will be integrated within
the existing "Recycle This" and Climate Wise campaign in order to create a consistent message to capitalize on
the current awareness of these brands.
Due to the budget constraints of this proposal, additional signs and brochures will be at an additional cost
outside of this proposal.
2. c. Concept and instructional materials for how to hold an effective waste reduction challenge among
employees `in"the�workplace
2. c. Eco-Cycle will provide recommendations based on its experience with the commercial sector on how to
create motivational and awareness campaigns to increase employee participation of waste reduction efforts:
This is covered in the toolkit that will be developed as outlined in the first section of deliverable 2.
Budeet forYdeliverables 2.a - 2.c.: $4,800
3. Produce a PowerPoint presentation on waste reduction in the workplace for use by City staff in outreach to
the business community of Fort Collins
a. Complete a professional -quality presentation of —15 minutes in length for use by City staff to present to
employers and employees
4. Develop presentation and workshop with City staff assistance (can be similar to other deliverables
mentioned), for the City's Business Environmental Program Series (REPS) entitled, "Beyond the Bin —
Advanced Recycling; in partnership with City staff. .
3.a - 4 Eco-Cycle will create a professional quality PowerPoint presentation, along with speaker notes that will
cover how to reduce waste in the workplace and the importance of waste reduction for City staff to present to
employers and employees, in addition to helping develop up to two additional presentations and workshops
with City staff assistance. The City will provide the templates for the PowerPoint presentation with its preferred
branding for this initiative and Eco-Cycle has budgeted into this scope of work the needed edit and review cycles
for staff input on each presentation.
Budget for.deliverables 3.a — 4: $3,600
Budget and Assumptions:
5 � 5030 "Old" Pearl Street Boulder, CO Phone: 303-444-6634
ecooevele
Working to Build Zero Waste Communities
4IZ1A20.09
The budgets`for deliverables 1-4 are based on an hourly rate of $75 per hour estimating-160.hours for the
completion of the proposal as described above. This is a fixed priced budget and hours are estimated.based on
the stated deliverables, including meetings, trainings, edit and review cycles.
Deliverable 5 is not factored into Eco-Cycle's proposal due 1to,the limited funds available within.this'RFP-The
typical budget to develop a video presentation of 5 minutes in length is a minimum of $6,000.
In addition, outside of the scope of this RFP, Eco-Cycle. can provide strategic planning and consulting advice in
order to help Fort Collins enhance its recycling, composting and hard -to -recycle infrastructure in order for it to
meet its waste diversion and greenhouse (GHG) goals and to provide its residence and commercial sector with.
more waste diversion options.
Resources:
Eco-cycle has a staff of 65 employees and subcontractors with dedicated resources on retainer that will be
helping with the creation and implementation of this program.
Staff Biographies of key.personal that will be directly involved in this contract:
Marti Matsch — Eco-Cycle Communications Director
Marti Matsch has worked with Eco-Cycle since 1991. She is the Communications Director and Eco-Cycle
International Media Director. Marti; is considered -.an international,expert in creating words, images, and
communication tools to.change a.community's environmental behavior and to increase recycling and waste
reduction participation. She has created much of the communications.material that is used nationallyand
internationally to frame the Zero Waste movement, including videos, national reports, website design and
content, "un-ads," social media campaigns, newsletters and more.
Locally, she creates all of Eco-Cycle's educational communication tools which.include the company's website,
www.ecocycle.org, the Eco-Cycle Times newsletter, brochures, press, videos and print advertisements. For four
,years she wrote a biweekly newspaper column called Ask Eco-Cycle published in the Daily Camera in Boulder
County. She currently writes a weekly environmental column in the Daily Times -Call in Longmont and is a
frequent contributor to the Boulder Weekly.
She is also a professional mediator. Before coming to Eco-Cycle, she was a campaign coordinator and organizer
for the Public Interest Research Groups in both Oregon and Michigan. She is a writer, -director and on -air talent
for advocacy film and video productions she creates for ecoPixel Productions, Ilc.
Catharine Lurie —Commercial Zero Waste and Sustainability Consultant
Catharine Lurie brings over20 years of corporate sustainability, marketing, and project management experience
in Fortune 500, small business, and governmental organizations. Throughout her career, Catharine has been
6 1 1 . 5030 "Old" Pearl Street Boulder, CO Phone: 303-444-6634
ecooeve e®
Working to Build Zero Waste Communities
focused on sustainability issues and corporate responsibility and has worked to advance corporate waste
reduction initiatives in a variety.of companies including Nike, Sun Microsystems,. H u nter Douglas and others.
Prior to starting her consulting company, Catharine was hired by Eco-Cycle to help strengthen its commercial
Zero Waste, outreach.and educational training programs on commercial recycling, composting and hard -to -
recycle materials. She -also created and implemented a volunteer outreach program for the commercial. sector
to help increase training resources and reduce contamination in the recycle and compost programs.
Having led numerous recycling and compost outreach training programs for both large and small organizations
as well as corporate site assessments and waste audits, Catharine has become known as a leader in commercial
Zero Waste. Catharine currently represents Eco-Cycle in a taskforce with the City of Boulder and Boulder County
to develop and improve their commercial diversion program.
References:
Will Toor, Boulder County Commissioner - 2025 14th St.; Boulder CO 80302 303-441-3500
wtoor@bouldercounty.org
Kara Mertz - Local Environmental Action Division Manager for the City of Boulder -1300 Canyon Blvd. Boulder,
CO 80302:
303-441-3153 MertzK@bouldercolorado.gov
Dan King-7, Dan King, CHA Owner, The Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites — 800 28th St. Boulder, CO 80303 303-443-
3322 dkini@boulderoutlook.com
Kai Abel kis`Sustainability Coordinator Boulder Community Hospital - 4747 Arapahoe, Boulder, CO 80301 303-
440-2265z`kabelkis@bch.org
3. List up to three (3) similar projects from the past five years, description, and your assessment of your
success with these projects. (Need input,on your assessment of the success of each of these projects).
Experience:
Highlights
Eco-Cycle has been involved in commercial and residential waste diversion outreach and educational programs
for more than 30 years. There are many relevant programs we've created over the last five years. Some
examples include:
In 2006 Eco-Cycle started the CHaRM-on-the-Road program across Boulder County, which provided Hard -to -
Recycle collection services and training at businesses. This program, one of•the'first of its kind in the U.S.,
provides collection for many materials that the commercial sector has a difficult time recycling, including #2 and
#4 plastic bags, pallet wrap, electronics, #6 white block foam as well as scrap metal (just to name a few). The
program has been a:significant success, providing businesses with the opportunity to go well beyond the
7 5030 "Old".Pearl Street Boulder, CO Phone: 303-444-6634
eco*cy..glee
Working to Build Zero Waste Communities
standard recycling/compost/trash collection service, allowing them to -reduce some of the largest, and in the
case of'electronics; most toxic components of their waste stream. The service has enabled these businesses to. .
get much closer to their Zero Waste goals.
In 2005 Eco-Cycle initiated the "Earn your Stripes" campaign for the commercial sector as a way of gaining
community recognition for a business's Zero Waste efforts. This program includes a marketing element where
each business is supplied with a window decal identifying them as a Zero Waste Community Partner, and then
subsequent "stripe" decals they post beneath the window cling to identify for their customers and employees
each element of Zero Waste they're pursuing. The stripes they can earn include We Recycle, We Compost, We
Recycle Hard -to -Recycle Materials, and We Purchase for Zero Waste. The artwork for the clings are also included
for use by the company for their website, print material and ads. The intention behind the program is to give the
company credit and visibility for their efforts and even to create competition among businesses for how many
stripes each company has earned. In addition to the clings, the businesses receive PR support (press releases,
inclusion on Eco-Cycle's website and newsletter, videos featuring the best -of -the -best, etc.) as well as inclusion
in an award ceremony that is held every two years for businesses who have made substantial gains in reducing
their commercial waste. Today Eco-Cycle has more.than 800 Zero Waste Community partners: participating in
this. program. The campaign. has been successful in that there are some. businesses who are VERY eager to use
their "stripes" in their-marketing,materials and it has worked well for them to reach their customers with their
green ethic. For some, like the Outlook Hotel, being a "Zero Waste hotel" and using their stripes to prove it has
been the cornerstone of their marketing angle. For other businesses still learning the value of marketing
themselves as "green,".the campaign has been less successful. Eco-Cycle is working to create additional tools to
increase the visibility of the "stripes" at participating businesses, and to better implement the program.
Sometimes the lack of participation. by a business is due to something as simple as the company getting around
to putting the decals up. A simple fix is for our staff to pay a visit and affix the decals ourselves. Eco-Cycle still
views this campaign as growing and as having tremendous potential, and new ideas for visibility are planned for
implementation at the beginning of 2011.
Since 1987, Eco-Cycle has coordinated the Boulder/Broomfield County School Recycling and Environmental
Education Program, currently funded by Boulder County, Boulder Valley School District, Broomfield County, City
of Boulder, and Town of Superior. Using age -specific group discussions, activities, and field trips, Eco-Cycle puts
on more than 1,400 educational presentations annually to help students understand the relationship between
solid waste issues and many other environmental problems such as pollution, resource depletion and
deforestation. In the past ten years, the schools department has created a "Green Star School" program —
essentially a Zero Waste Schools program. Schools voluntarily sign up for compost collection to supplement their
existing recycling collection. In addition, Eco-Cycle works with the purchasing departments in the school and
implements programs and challenges such as our "Waste -Free Lunch" program where schools compete among
each other to be the school to do the best job at reducing lunchtime waste. The program has been wildly
successful. The demand from schools wanting to participate is so high we've had to add additional staff and
dedicate one member of the education team to the program full-time. Schools want the visibility of the
program, they're eager to compete with each other. The Zero Waste purchasing approach has led to successes
8 � - 5030 "Old" Pearl Street Boulder, CO Phone: 303-444-6634
eco*cYcle!
Working to Build Zero Waste Communities
such as purchasing milk in bulk using reusable glasses and reusable lunch trays to replace Styrofoam disposables.
The children emerge from their elementary and middle schools expecting that their high schools step up and
become Zero Waste schools, as well. The other measure of success is that the students take the Zero -Waste
ethic home with them and morph their own homes into Zero Waste Zones, changing the environmental habits
of their family members.
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9 I 5030 "Old" Pearl Street Boulder, CO Phone: 303-444-6634