I read with great interest a recent article in Recycling Today about waste management in the U.S. Virgin Islands. They have put out a request for a management solution to their solid waste collection. They currently have a landfill in St. Croix and one on St. Thomas with a transfer facility on St. John. The landfills have reached capacity and, as anyone familiar with the islands knows, land is limited for the use of burying waste. These islands have a tourist driven economy and land is at a premium when you are in the middle of the ocean.
As a visitor to these islands I have looked at their recycling availability and programs and found them woefully lacking. This always came as a surprise because ships bringing in provisions are leaving empty. Why not fill those with bales of recycled materials destined for U.S. markets? This would go a long way to solve the waste problem and is a known job creator. Well, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention, and now they have come up against the inevitable closure of the landfills. For many years incineration has been used as well but smoke-filled acrid air is not conducive to a relaxing vacation experience for tourists.
In truth, we are on an island as well – albeit a much larger one – and we can also look at each of our communities as an island that we are responsible for when it comes to disposal of our waste. Sedona as an island finds itself in a state with no plan in regards to integrated solid waste management, mandated recycling, and proper disposal of hazardous waste. We can look at this as a golden opportunity. Sedona has the chance to show the other islands in our state what can be done to extend landfill life, create jobs, and, best of all, serve as the model of rural recycling. We already have the infrastructure in place and the willingness to do the work to reduce noise pollution, diesel emissions, and road damage and provide the highest quality recycling available.
The City of Sedona is in the process of exploring the pros and cons of franchised trash hauling. This system contracts with a single hauler to provide trash collection. This eliminates multiple trucks travelling the city streets nearly every day of the week. I had a call just yesterday and the caller counted five diesel-powered trash trucks in her neighborhood on one day. Three trucks were picking up trash and two trucks were picking up recycling. The trucks picking up recycling were off to locations far removed from Sedona for the processing of the material collected here and, as a result, no jobs associated with this material remained in our local economy.
Now the argument you will hear from those that oppose franchised hauling include the most common one – that freedom of choice is removed from the equation. In most states where the cities and towns handle their own services this is never an issue, it is a given. One hauler provided by the cities and towns does the collection in most cases of both trash and recyclables. We don’t have that in Sedona; so franchised hauling would be the next best thing.
Another argument is that it does away with the free market, which keeps prices lower through competition. This could also be true, but in this case the city has the power to control what the contract calls for. This, along with the volume of homes serviced can result in a lower price per household. All in all, the franchise system provides the best opportunity for continuity and transparency.
The study of franchised hauling is underway. Although the final analysis is some time off in the future, keep in mind the intended goals:
• Extend the life of the regional landfill.
• Lower fees for trash collection and include curbside recycling for all.
• Greatly reduce truck traffic, resulting in less wear and tear on public and private roads.
• Expand services provided to include green waste collection and dumpster days for larger items that won’t fit in a standard trash can.
• Provide accountable and transparent recycling collection and processing.
• Reduce air pollution.
• Reduce noise pollution.
These are all laudable goals to keep our red rock island the most beautiful place on earth.
Please support local recycling by becoming a member of Sedona Recycles. Visit www.sedonarecycles.org or call (928) 204-1185 for more information.
by Jill McCutcheon, Sedona Recycles
Sedona Red Rock News
September 16, 2015