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Juneau could have a pilot recycling program in place by December 2010, though some Assembly members expressed concern about high estimated consumer costs.

First, however, the city needs to get control of its waste stream, said project director Marc Rogoff of the consulting group SCS Engineers. Rogoff presented recommendations on trash collection and recycling at an Assembly work session meeting Monday night.

By February, the Assembly plans to submit an application for that control to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska. Arrow Refuse currently holds the state-granted monopoly rights for trash pickup in Juneau; the city has been negotiating with Arrow for the rights transfer for months.

The transfer is "the first step" before the city can change anything else regarding the waste stream, Rogoff said. Grace Salazar, spokeswoman for the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, said the commission will make a decision on transferring the license based on the city's financial ability to provide the service. The decision would happen by August.

Assembly members also voted in support of several other measures establishing a timeline for trash collection and recycling goals. By January, they plan to have a draft agreement for curbside collection of trash and recyclables with Arrow Refuse. They also voted to support preparing a draft ordinance on universal trash and recycling collection by the same date.

Rogoff said universal collection would cost less per house and would minimize illegal dumping. A switch from manual to automated trash pickup, which he said Arrow is currently pursuing, would minimize costs and safety risk.

Public Works Director Joe Buck said, however, that given bear codes and the need for tight trash can lids, he expects that unless the city could find a new kind of trash can, only 40 to 60 percent of Juneau could have automated service.

The committee also voted to support developing and implementing a pilot recycling program by December 2010.

In his presentation, Rogoff estimated the cost of trash collection would be negligibly different from current prices. Recycling, however, would add an additional $13 per month per residence, $82 for commercial customers with a Dumpster, and $59 per commercial customer with a cart. Some Assembly members expressed concerns over those costs.

"If it doesn't come down significantly, (recycling) will be a very hard sell," said Mayor Bruce Botelho.

Recycling "is not free," Rogoff said.

"There is a cost to collect, to process," he said. "There is no free ride unless you want to subsidize the program."

Rogoff also said estimated recycling costs could be substantially lowered.

Buck called the estimate "just a snapshot of what it could be like" and said several variables, such as fluctuating costs of recyclables, whether or not residents sort recyclables and how much recyclable material is reused or incinerated could affect costs.

"It's all part of an integrated program," he said. "It's a complicated thing. There are a number of factors in there that could reduce costs."

Rogoff also said the city could use "pay as you throw" rates for trash, which would charge differently for different size trash containers and could have the effect of encouraging recycling.

Buck also announced the city has hired a new waste management coordinator, Jim Penor, who most recently has worked in waste management in Richland, Wash. He is expected to start Nov. 16.

The Assembly will wait until Penor starts to decide on specific possibilities like implementing a waste-to-energy disposal facility, which could reduce trash to 10 percent of its original volume, provide up to 2 megawatts of energy per day and extend the life of the landfill from a currently estimated 25 years to 50 or 60 years.

Assembly members said they had understood previously that a waste-to-energy facility would require all of Juneau's trash, including recyclables, but Rogoff said a waste-to-energy facility could operate simultaneously with recycling.

"Even the best recycling possibility is still only 25 percent of your waste stream," he said.

According to a 2007 public works presentation, Juneau recycles 4 percent of its trash.

Buck said some recyclables, such as paper and plastic, could be burned for energy in a waste-to-energy facility, whereas other recyclable material, such as aluminum and steel, could not.

"In an integrated solid waste program, it's a balance as far as how much of the waste stream is going to any certain type of disposal method," he said.

• Contact Mary Catharine Martin at maryc.martin@juneauempire.com.