Waste and Material Management In Lake County

Presented to theLake County Property Investors Association

January 12, 2010

Walter Willis, Executive Director

Overview of Presentation

• Overview of SWALCO and its programs

• Legislation affecting waste management– Construction and demolition (C&D) debris– Food Scraps

• How can SWALCO assist the Lake County Property Investors Association

• How can the Association help SWALCO

Overview of SWALCO and Its Programs

SWALCO MUNICIPAL MEMBERSApproximately 653,000 population > 95% of the County

AntiochBeach ParkDeer ParkDeerfieldFox LakeGrayslakeGurneeHainesvilleHawthorn WoodsHighland ParkHighwoodIsland LakeKildeer

Port BarringtonRiverwoodsRound LakeRound Lake BeachRound Lake HeightsRound Lake ParkThird LakeTower LakesVernon HillsWadsworthWaucondaWaukeganWinthrop HarborZion

Lake BarringtonLake BluffLake CountyLake ForestLake VillaLake ZurichLibertyvilleLincolnshire LindenhurstLong GroveMundeleinNorth BarringtonNorth ChicagoPark City

SWALCO’s MISSION• Plan for and implement an efficient, reliable and

environmentally sound waste/material management system

• Advise and assist SWALCO members regarding solid waste management issues

• Educate the public regarding the implications of solid waste management options

• Provide programs and facilities to reduce the amount and toxicity of the municipal waste stream

MAJOR PROGRAM AREAS

• Recycling/Refuse/Yardwaste Programs• Public Information and School Education• Residential Electronics and Household Chemical

Waste Collection Programs• Public Private Partnerships• Legislative Initiatives

– Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris

– Food Scraps

Legislation Affecting Waste Management

What Is The Municipal Waste Stream?Composition of landfilled Urban Residential/ICI MSW

Inorganics 2.9%

Beverage Containers 0.2%

HHW 0.5%

Organics 21.5%

Glass 3.1%

Metal 4.7%

Textiles 8.8%

C&D 20.0%

Paper 24.7%

Plastic 14%

Source: DCEO, Illinois Commodity/Waste Generation and Characterization Study. May, 2009

C&D Debris Recycling LawOverview of Public Act 096-0611

• Exempts C&D recycling facilities from the State’s siting process in Lake and Will Counties, instead local zoning will apply

• Requires permit from the Illinois EPA • Enhances development of infrastructure to manage

C&D debris from construction/remodeling projects• One existing facility in Zion, American Recycling and

Roll-off Systems, Inc., has permit application pending.• SWALCO has met with two other developers interested

in developing C&D recycling facilities in Lake County

Food Scrap Composting LawOverview of Public Act 096-0418

• Defines “food scrap”, which includes biodegradable packaging, utensils and food containers

• Exempts composting sites that accept food scrap and other organic materials from Illinois’s local siting law

• Requires separate permit from the Illinois EPA• Enhances development of infrastructure to handle food

scrap from grocers, restaurants and ultimately households

• Midwest Organics Recycling LLC has submitted grant application to develop an anaerobic digester in Lake County to co-digest livestock waste with food scraps

How Can SWALCO Assist the Lake County Property Investors Association

SWALCO Assistance Includes

• Waste audits• Residential Household Chemical Waste (HCW)

Program – inform residential tenants• Residential Electronics Recycling Program –

inform residential tenants• Commercial Franchise• C&D recycling and food scrap composting

infrastructure

Waste Audits

Waste audit serves two purposes:– Establish baseline data

– Identifies waste reduction options

Conduct a waste sort:– Collect a waste sample to be sorted and weighed

– Sort waste into categories (paper, plastic, glass etc..)

– Weigh each category to determine percent of sample

– Calculate weight of waste generated annually

– Target categories for waste reduction

Waste Audits

Additional things that can be done:• Discuss collection options with waste hauler

– Determine size, frequency and location for recycling

– Consider reducing waste container size and /or freq.

• Ask tenants or staff to help:– Education (recycling captain or a green team)

– Monitoring (perform spot waste assessments)

– Suggestions (program improvements)

Waste Audits

Resources and assistance available:• SWALCO www.swalco.org

• USEPA Waste Wise www.epa.gov/wastewise

– Business Guide for Reducing Solid Waste

• Illinois Recycling Association www.illinoisrecycles.org– Grant programs

Household Chemical Waste (HCW) Collection Program

Program Inception – 1998 Total Collections Conducted – 183 Households Served – est. 78,825 Volume of Waste Collected - est.7.1 million lbs.

Intent of Program Reduce Volume & Toxicity of MSW Stream, Increase Public Safety

Treatment HCW sent to Recycling/Reuse Programs

Examples of Waste Collected Household Cleaners – Drain & Oven Cleaners,

Polishes etc. Automotive Products – Gas, Oil, Antifreeze etc.

Lawn & Garden Chemicals - Herbicides/Pesticides,

Fertilizers etc.

2009 HCW Events

MOBILE COLLECTION EVENTS PUBLIC DROP-OFF EVENTSFox Lake Vernon Hills Lake Zurich Deerfield 2 events each month, year roundWauconda Round Lake Beach Second Saturday and fourth MondayLake Forest Mundelein

Thirty Two Collection Events Conducted(approx 6,825 households served)

(est. 575,000 lbs of HCW collected)

SWALCO Residential Electronics Recycling Program

• SWALCO’s electronics collection program is the largest and longest running in Illinois

• To date the program has collected over 4 million pounds of electronics from over 40,000 Lake County participants

• In 2008 alone the program collected over one million pounds of electronics

SWALCO 2009 Residential Electronics ProgramCollection Locations

Village of DeerfieldVillage of Fox LakeVillage of GrayslakeVillage of GurneeCity of Highland ParkVillage of Lake BluffCity of Lake ForestVillage of Libertyville Village of LindenhurstVillage of Long GroveVillage of MundeleinCity of North ChicagoVillage of Round Lake

Village of Round Lake BeachVillage of Vernon HillsVillage of WaucondaVillage of Winthrop HarborCuba TownshipGrant TownshipVernon TownshipWarren TownshipWauconda TownshipLake County Farm BureauAbbot LabsBaxter HealthcareSiemens

Commercial Franchise Overview

Current System in most communities:• Businesses can contract with any hauler • Contract and pricing is negotiated individually• Prices vary significantly for same levels of service• Excessive surcharges, currently 15-20%• Access to recycling service is limited

Commercial Franchise Overview

Status in Northeastern Illinois• Over 20 municipalities in Chicagoland area have

franchises (Highland Park and Highwood in Lake County)

• Recent contracts in Highland Park, Evanston, Niles, Hoffman Estates, and Wilmette

• Lincolnshire has issued an RFP• Wauconda has recently completed a survey of its

business community

Commercial Franchise OverviewWhat’s the Difference?

Status Quo• Unregulated pricing• Pricing not uniform• Various surcharges• Unknown escalators• Disincentive to recycle• No reduction in cost for

business• Service issues between

business and hauler

Franchise• Fixed pricing• Pricing uniform• No surcharges• Fixed escalators• Incentives to recycling• Reduced costs for

majority of businesses• Municipal assisted

dispute resolution

C&D Debris and Food Scrap

• C&D Debris recycling facilities have proven to be a competitive option to landfilling in DuPage and Cook Counties

• As C&D recycling infrastructure develops in Lake County, requirements for recycling the material may become more widespread

• Initial focus of food scrap composting will be commercial sector (grocers, restaurants, banquet halls) then ultimately the residential sector

• As new management options for C&D debris and food scrap are developed, we need your support and involvement to make them work

How Can the Lake County Property Investors Association Assist SWALCO

How Can the Association Assist SWALCO

• Inform your residential tenants about SWALCO’s HCW and electronics recycling programs – Get on email blast list to learn about events and then inform tenants– Provide SWALCO’s website address to tenants

• Keep an open mind on initiatives such as C&D recycling, food scrap collection and composting, and commercial franchising

• Continue to evaluate and implement waste reduction programs for your commercial tenants (the property owner is often blamed for lack of recycling programs)

• Let us know about your success stories, we can all learn from real life examples

QUESTIONS?

Walter Williswwillis@swalco.org(847) 336-9340 ext. 2

WWW.SWALCO.ORG