Dive Brief:
- A recent survey of 2,000 residents found support for changing the way St. Paul, MN collects its waste. Roughly 14 city-licensed private carters currently collect waste on a home-by-home basis.
- Private carting companies are concerned about how this change could affect them. Issues include the role of union labor, the division of routes and the billing system.
- Residents have expressed concern with the volume of trucks from different companies on the street at one time and also the discrepancies in fees. Some people reported paying $19 per month while others pay $60 per month.
Dive Insight:
This survey is part of an ongoing reevaluation of how the city handles its waste. The City Council allocated $330,000 in its 2016 budget for the survey and will be discussing the results next week. New recycling collection will begin in January 2017 and the city also plans to issue a request for proposals later this year to establish an organics collection program. Another goal is to reduce illegal dumping and truck traffic.
While the study doesn't fully represent the city's population of 300,000, elected officials say the message from residents is clear.
St. Paul's interest in a franchise zoning system comes as other larger cities are moving in that direction. Los Angeles received numerous bids for waste franchises in 2014 and New York is in the midst of a contentious debate over whether to establish a similar system for commercial collection.
