Recycling numbers described as ‘phenomenal’
Three-month stats show 50-percent plus jump in participation
Recycling stats for the first three months of the new automated program — May, June, July — showed a substantial jump of 50 percent in participation. Photo courtesy of RUMPKE
NORTH ROYALTON – Recycling numbers for May, June and July are in and show a substantial increase in participation, more than 50 percent, since the new bin’s implementation May 1.
Rumpke prefers to wait three months before doing any sort of formal comparison because recycling can be impacted by several variables: graduation and backyard parties, yard clean up, Christmas, even flooding.
Numbers were compared to the same three months of 2016 and indicate residents recycled 135.08 tons in May 2016 versus 212.62 tons in May 2017, a 57 percent increase; 148.43 tons in June 2016 compared to 225.43 tons in June 2017, a 52 percent increase; and 138.27 tons in July 2016 versus 221.25 tons in July 2017, a 60 percent upturn.
When the program was being considered, city officials were told participation could easily increase by 40 percent.
Sarah Mathews, municipal sales representative for Rumpke, called the numbers “phenomenal.”
“In the first three months alone, residents have surpassed what our safe prediction was when we talked to the city letting them know they would see an increase. It’s increased dramatically, and that’s just the first three months. Even the first month out of the gate was incredible,” she said. “It’s safe to say everyone is acclimated to their cart now and numbers should stay consistent.”
The new five-year contract, which includes manual rubbish and automated recycling with the cart, was approved at a cumulative cost of $7.7 million, but this price assumed flat recycling numbers. If residents increase recycling by 15 percent, the contract will cost $7.3 million, the same price it would have cost to remain manual for both rubbish and recycling; but if recycling increases by 30 percent, the cost will be just under $7 million.
This cost decrease is dependent on rubbish numbers declining. The city must pay to dispose of trash per ton, so the rationale is the more that is recycled, the less the city will pay in rubbish fees.
Ward 2 Councilman Gary Petrusky and Ward 6 Councilman Dan Kasaris were the sole opponents of recycling automation, believing it would be problematic for seniors in rural parts of the city with longer, hilly driveways.
Kasaris said he is encouraged by the numbers but garbage stats have him scratching his head.
Though recycling has improved dramatically, rubbish numbers have not dipped as he anticipated.
“The numbers on recycling do not surprise me when I have seen recycle containers lining Bennett, Ridge, State and Royalton roads. It was pleasing to see that, because people are recycling more and that is obviously what we want and need and is really awesome,” he said. “What perplexes me is why the garbage numbers have actually increased instead of decreasing, at least in two of the months of our new program.”
But he encouraged residents to keep up the good work.
“Please keep recycling. We are doing a great job, and we will solve the riddle as to why our trash numbers have actually increased,” Kasaris said.
When looking at rubbish weights monthly dating back to 2013, trash can vary month to month, season to season dipping as low as 549 tons to as high as 1,409. The 2016 garbage weights were 1,028 tons in May; 1,068 in June; and 888 in July. This year’s numbers are 1,006 in May; 1,070 in June; and 907 in July.
Both Mayor Bob Stefanik and Mathews said the larger picture is what is important, not the smaller snippet of time.
By Stefanik’s calculations, rubbish totaled 1,977 tons for June and July of this year. He omitted May because residents were still getting acclimated.
“But the average for June and July the four previous years was 2,027 tons. So we are down 50 tons of rubbish since we started recycling for those two months. When it comes to recycling, this past June and July we averaged 446 tons, when the previous four years we only averaged 298 tons. That’s an increase of 50 percent,” he said.
Stefanik has stressed that if rubbish costs do not begin to decrease, the city may be forced to charge residents for their own trash pickup down the road as other communities have done. But he said so far so good with the program.
“I’m happy to see these numbers, but I know that we can do better if we get all the people to participate, including elected officials, but these are good numbers,” the mayor said.
Mathews agrees.
“The city’s goal was to increase recycling, and we have done that,” Mathews added. “You are collecting more as a whole and more of that is going to the recycling and that is where you are winning. This is tremendous for North Royalton, and I expect next year’s numbers to be awesome.”
Rumpke prefers to wait three months before doing any sort of formal comparison because recycling can be impacted by several variables: graduation and backyard parties, yard clean up, Christmas, even flooding.
Numbers were compared to the same three months of 2016 and indicate residents recycled 135.08 tons in May 2016 versus 212.62 tons in May 2017, a 57 percent increase; 148.43 tons in June 2016 compared to 225.43 tons in June 2017, a 52 percent increase; and 138.27 tons in July 2016 versus 221.25 tons in July 2017, a 60 percent upturn.
When the program was being considered, city officials were told participation could easily increase by 40 percent.
Sarah Mathews, municipal sales representative for Rumpke, called the numbers “phenomenal.”
“In the first three months alone, residents have surpassed what our safe prediction was when we talked to the city letting them know they would see an increase. It’s increased dramatically, and that’s just the first three months. Even the first month out of the gate was incredible,” she said. “It’s safe to say everyone is acclimated to their cart now and numbers should stay consistent.”
The new five-year contract, which includes manual rubbish and automated recycling with the cart, was approved at a cumulative cost of $7.7 million, but this price assumed flat recycling numbers. If residents increase recycling by 15 percent, the contract will cost $7.3 million, the same price it would have cost to remain manual for both rubbish and recycling; but if recycling increases by 30 percent, the cost will be just under $7 million.
This cost decrease is dependent on rubbish numbers declining. The city must pay to dispose of trash per ton, so the rationale is the more that is recycled, the less the city will pay in rubbish fees.
Ward 2 Councilman Gary Petrusky and Ward 6 Councilman Dan Kasaris were the sole opponents of recycling automation, believing it would be problematic for seniors in rural parts of the city with longer, hilly driveways.
Kasaris said he is encouraged by the numbers but garbage stats have him scratching his head.
Though recycling has improved dramatically, rubbish numbers have not dipped as he anticipated.
“The numbers on recycling do not surprise me when I have seen recycle containers lining Bennett, Ridge, State and Royalton roads. It was pleasing to see that, because people are recycling more and that is obviously what we want and need and is really awesome,” he said. “What perplexes me is why the garbage numbers have actually increased instead of decreasing, at least in two of the months of our new program.”
But he encouraged residents to keep up the good work.
“Please keep recycling. We are doing a great job, and we will solve the riddle as to why our trash numbers have actually increased,” Kasaris said.
When looking at rubbish weights monthly dating back to 2013, trash can vary month to month, season to season dipping as low as 549 tons to as high as 1,409. The 2016 garbage weights were 1,028 tons in May; 1,068 in June; and 888 in July. This year’s numbers are 1,006 in May; 1,070 in June; and 907 in July.
Both Mayor Bob Stefanik and Mathews said the larger picture is what is important, not the smaller snippet of time.
By Stefanik’s calculations, rubbish totaled 1,977 tons for June and July of this year. He omitted May because residents were still getting acclimated.
“But the average for June and July the four previous years was 2,027 tons. So we are down 50 tons of rubbish since we started recycling for those two months. When it comes to recycling, this past June and July we averaged 446 tons, when the previous four years we only averaged 298 tons. That’s an increase of 50 percent,” he said.
Stefanik has stressed that if rubbish costs do not begin to decrease, the city may be forced to charge residents for their own trash pickup down the road as other communities have done. But he said so far so good with the program.
“I’m happy to see these numbers, but I know that we can do better if we get all the people to participate, including elected officials, but these are good numbers,” the mayor said.
Mathews agrees.
“The city’s goal was to increase recycling, and we have done that,” Mathews added. “You are collecting more as a whole and more of that is going to the recycling and that is where you are winning. This is tremendous for North Royalton, and I expect next year’s numbers to be awesome.”