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City considers options to recycle hazardous waste
Tom Munds
Should the Household Hazardous Waste Roundup be continued in its existing form or should the city adopt an option such as paying a company to pick up items at residents’ homes, or paying the fees so residents can drop off items at a Lakewood facility?
Those options, along with either keeping the program as it is or discontinuing it, were discussed at the Nov. 16 city council study session.
The general agreement was to keep the roundup in its same form for 2009 while the other options are explored and, if the council wants to go a different route, put the plan into action possibly as early as 2010.
As the name indicates, the annual event offers an opportunity to safely dispose of common household items, such as pesticides, solvents, oil-based paints, petroleum products and even those containing mercury. City officials agree the event is useful and most likely keeps the items out of the landfills. But, for the past few years, the increased costs have raised the question of whether or not there is another way to provide the service to residents.
“The Household Hazardous Waste Roundup is a joint effort of the cities of Englewood and Littleton, the Keep Englewood Beautiful Commission and the cooperation of the Safety-Kleen hazardous material recycling company,” said Alan White, community development director, to the city council as he introduced the discussion at the Nov. 17 study session. “The issue has been raised each year about whether or not there are options that will keep the items out of the landfill by still providing the service to residents.”
Audra Kirk, planning technician with community development, told the council that, in 2008, it cost about $33,000 to open the roundup to Englewood and Littleton residents. Part of the cost was covered by $12,000 from Littleton plus about $5,000 received in fees paid by those dropping off materials.
She said hiring the company Curbside Inc. would provide a service at a cost of about $36,750 a year.
Another option is to join a group of municipalities using the services of Rooney Road Recycling.
“The company offers a choice between having the items picked up or dropping them off at the company’s facility on Rooney Road in Jefferson County,” Kirk said. “The city would pay an initial fee to be part of the program of $13,000 to $15,000 and then the annual cost is about $13,700 a year.”
There is a fee of $20 for the once-a-year pickup service or a cost of $15 to drop the material off at the company facility.
“The Keep Englewood Beautiful Commission favors moving to use of the Rooney Road services and focusing commission efforts on promoting the environmental awareness among city residents,” White said.
Councilman John Moore said contracting with Rooney Road Recycling would be good for residents because the service would be available all year, but he said the down side is the annual roundup event wouldn’t be there to remind people to take advantage of the service to recycle household hazardous waste.
The council gave consensus approval to continue the household hazardous waste roundup in 2009 while community development determines what it will require for the city to offer the Rooney Road Recycling services to resident by 2010.
Residents need way to safely dispose of household hazardous waste
City looks at contracting service to Jefferson County firm
Should the Household Hazardous Waste Roundup be continued in its existing form or should the city adopt an option such as paying a company to pick up items at residents’ homes, or paying the fees so residents can drop off items at a Lakewood facility?
Those options, along with either keeping the program as it is or discontinuing it, were discussed at the Nov. 16 city council study session.
The general agreement was to keep the roundup in its same form for 2009 while the other options are explored and, if the council wants to go a different route, put the plan into action possibly as early as 2010.
As the name indicates, the annual event offers an opportunity to safely dispose of common household items, such as pesticides, solvents, oil-based paints, petroleum products and even those containing mercury. City officials agree the event is useful and most likely keeps the items out of the landfills. But, for the past few years, the increased costs have raised the question of whether or not there is another way to provide the service to residents.
“The Household Hazardous Waste Roundup is a joint effort of the cities of Englewood and Littleton, the Keep Englewood Beautiful Commission and the cooperation of the Safety-Kleen hazardous material recycling company,” said Alan White, community development director, to the city council as he introduced the discussion at the Nov. 17 study session. “The issue has been raised each year about whether or not there are options that will keep the items out of the landfill by still providing the service to residents.”
Audra Kirk, planning technician with community development, told the council that, in 2008, it cost about $33,000 to open the roundup to Englewood and Littleton residents. Part of the cost was covered by $12,000 from Littleton plus about $5,000 received in fees paid by those dropping off materials.
She said hiring the company Curbside Inc. would provide a service at a cost of about $36,750 a year.
Another option is to join a group of municipalities using the services of Rooney Road Recycling.
“The company offers a choice between having the items picked up or dropping them off at the company’s facility on Rooney Road in Jefferson County,” Kirk said. “The city would pay an initial fee to be part of the program of $13,000 to $15,000 and then the annual cost is about $13,700 a year.”
There is a fee of $20 for the once-a-year pickup service or a cost of $15 to drop the material off at the company facility.
“The Keep Englewood Beautiful Commission favors moving to use of the Rooney Road services and focusing commission efforts on promoting the environmental awareness among city residents,” White said.
Councilman John Moore said contracting with Rooney Road Recycling would be good for residents because the service would be available all year, but he said the down side is the annual roundup event wouldn’t be there to remind people to take advantage of the service to recycle household hazardous waste.
The council gave consensus approval to continue the household hazardous waste roundup in 2009 while community development determines what it will require for the city to offer the Rooney Road Recycling services to resident by 2010.
Residents need way to safely dispose of household hazardous waste
City looks at contracting service to Jefferson County firm
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