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• November 12, 2003 To: Mayor Gehrz, Councilmembers Kuettel, Lamb, Lindstrom and Talbot From: Deborah Jones, Planning & Zoning Coordinator Re: Two-sort recycling Summary: On November 21, 2002, the Solid Waste Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the City extend for one year its recycling contract with E-Z Recycling, Inc., with two changes. First, clothing and household textiles would be added as a new item. Second, the City would phase in a 2-sort system of collection in 2003. The first change was launched earlier in 2003; we are overdue to set the second in motion. As some of you have observed, some residents are unofficially switching already. Right now we have several excellent opportunities to educate Falcon Heights residents about the planned change, so Staff would like to move ahead • right away with the introduction of the two-sort recycling method for Falcon Heights residents. • The fina12003 City newsletter is in preparation to go out in late November; it may be several months until the next one. Items for this newsletter are already due. • There will be a City-wide flyer drop on November 25. • E-Z Recycling, Inc. has offered to distribute informational tags to resident at the November 21 or December 5 recycling pick-up. • The City website can be updated at any time. • Finally, and most important, the City Council needs to confirm the change and announce it at their televised meeting. This should be our "launch." The Council meets next Wednesday, November 12, the day before the Solid Waste Commission, and they do not meet again until November 26, the day after the flyer drop and well after the newsletter goes to press. Last Thursday I met again with Chris Reinhardt of E-Z Recycling and toured their plant on Prior Avenue off Pierce-Butler. I had never been there before, and I found it fascinating. E-Z has installed over half a million dollars worth of new sorting and baling equipment to separate cans, glass and plastic. I saw the new equipment in operation; it was impressive. Aluminum pop cans are separated from ordinary cans; glass is sorted by color. I also watched the paper sorting and baling operation, where some of the sorting is still done by hand. All of the material collected in Falcon Heights is sorted and baled the same day. Very little material is stored on the premises. Almost everything goes straight into semi-trailers for shipping out to manufacturers who buy the • materials from E-Z. 3a