A request made by the county to enter into an interlocal agreement with the four cities to bid out a future unified solid waste agreement contract has been approved by the state Attorney General’s Office. Now it will be filed with the clerk’s and Secretary of State’s offices. For residents of the unincorporated areas of the county (who chose to have trash pickup) and for the cities of Auburn, Adairville, Lewisburg and Russellville (whose service is mandatory), this will mean curbside recycling at no additional cost and the possibility of lower monthly rates.
The plan to come together under one contract came about after the success of a pilot program the county launched with the help of Scott Waste Services to offer curbside co-mingling recycling for 350 plus residents last year. The program was very successful prompting Magistrate Thomas Bouldin to push for the recycling to be offered to everyone at no additional cost. The only thing that would have to be done to keep the costs low for trash pickup and offer the recycling, is to come together as one bid.
The way it is now Adairville, Auburn and Lewisburg bid with the county and Russellville bids on its own. By adding more customers together, it makes the rates competitive. Plus the county wants to see all those who receive trash pickup services get curbside recycling as well, which will be part of the bid.
Scott Waste Services, who currently holds the contracts in Logan County, has agreed to offer the curbside recycling to everyone of its customers if they are awarded the future bid, which will not begin until the current agreements have run out in 2015. Scott reps have said, however, if they are awarded the future agreement they will begin right away providing curbside recycling to its customers at no additional cost.
According to Judge Executive Logan Chick, Magistrate Bouldin and Tommy Mosley from Scott Waste, the recycling was a huge success.
The recycling portion of the agreement is expected to call for a separate 96 gallon container, called a tote, which is just like the trash containers Scott customers already use - except it has a different color lid. The containers hold recyclable materials like cardboard, plastics, paper products and aluminum. They would most likely be picked up once a month by the provider in lieu of regular trash pickup.
Some concerns have been expressed about what would happen if a customer had an excess of trash by not getting it picked up that week the recycling is picked up. Mosley explained that by organizing your waste and using the recycling bin you will have room left in your waste bin and should not have an overflow of garbage, but if a customer did, say at Christmas time, they could call Scott and would get it picked up.
The respective cities and county will now get together and draw up an agreement that will suit all parties and then put it out for bid.
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