Recycling fees could double over the next four years as a city initiative works to extend the life of Juneau’s landfill.
The City and Borough of Juneau’s RecycleWorks program provides recycling and waste removal initiatives to minimize the environmental effect of the city’s waste and divert waste away from the quickly-filling landfill. The program is facing a budget shortfall in the coming years.
According to a memo from Recycleworks Manager Michele Elfers, the funding for the program is about $1.1 million but expenditures are estimated at about $1.3 million. The Waste Management Enterprise fund balance is covering the shortfall, Elfers said, but it’s clear that the program needs further funding.
The program’s funding comes from a fee of $4 per month on residential utility bills and a Motor Vehicle Registration Tax (MVRT) of $22 per year charged on non-commercial vehicles. The MVRT is not expected to rise anytime soon, but the utility fee could double by 2021.
On Monday night, the CBJ Committee of the Whole directed city staff to write an ordinance that would raise residential rates up to $8 per month over the next four years. The ordinance will also propose a mandatory rate for commercial customers.
Elfers said it’s time for commercial customers to pull a little more weight as opposed to residents.
“We believe that about 50 to 70 percent of our volume of recycling is from commercial entities, and right now it’s being paid for by residential users,” Elfers said, “and that doesn’t seem appropriate to us.”
Elfers, who spoke to the Committee of the Whole on Monday, said there should be a tiered level for commercial entities. Most commercial businesses, she said, fit into the category of recycling three tons or less. Those businesses would pay $100 per year. Proposed rates would mean businesses that recycle up to 20 tons per year would pay $500 per year, businesses that recycle up to 50 tons per year would pay $2,000 per year and businesses that recycle over 50 tons per year would pay $5,000 per year.
The additional funds, Elfers said, could also help start a composting program.
In addition, the Committee of the Whole voted to begin negotiations that could lead to consolidating Recycleworks facilities.
Alaskan Brewing Company has expressed interest in purchasing four CBJ lots in order to expand. Two of these lots currently house the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility, and CBJ staff would be in favor of completing that sale and moving the HHW facility elsewhere.
Moving the HHW facility to a more central location would improve the program’s operational efficiency and making waste disposal more convenient for residents. The most suitable location, Elfers wrote in her memo, is a 5.4-acre lot on Anka Street that is currently owned by CMI, LLC.
[Brewery expansion could indirectly aid Juneau recycling efforts]
“This parcel meets current and future RecycleWorks needs,” Elfers wrote in her memo to the committee. “It is paved, has adequate room for growth and is centrally located for the public.”
The lot is also located near the junk vehicle processing location in conjunction with Skookum Sales &Recycling.
The Committee of the Whole voted Monday night to begin negotiations both for the sale of the property to Alaskan Brewing and the purchase of the Anka Street property from CMI, LLC.
Elfers hopes that with a more centralized location, more people in Juneau who want to recycle will be able to recycle easier. She said that since Recycleworks installed drop boxes around town (making the recycling process a little more convenient) the program has seen a 10 percent increase annually in volume.
“It’s amazing,” Elfers said. “There’s a huge desire in this community to recycle.”
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com.
