Reuse Assistance Grant Progress Report

City of Lakewood's Reuse Assistance Grant Project
(Part 4: November 1, 2003 to April 30, 2005)

Project Description

The City of Lakewood used their grant funds to divert the Bulky Item Collection donations to reuse facilities; materials included construction and demolition debris, electronics, and household bulky items. The project focused mainly on the residential sector with disposal alternatives through the Bulky Item Collection system. The City worked with the local hauler to divert the collected materials to local charitable organizations in need of the items, and diverted 67.5 tons on average per month for reuse purposes.

As indicated on their Work Statement, there were a total of three main tasks, and related sub-tasks, to complete this project.

The steps required to accomplish their project are as follows:

Task 1.1: Identify Items for Reuse Activity. (Reimbursable Services)
City and Contracted Staff reviewed the list of items collected from the City's Dial-A-Dump program from January through September 2003 to determine which items would be targeted for the new Dial-A-Donation program. The list did not provide any description as to the condition of the items collected and the estimated 750 tons diversion per year was based on the types of materials that could reasonably be recovered if in good working condition. Task 1.1 is 100 percent complete.

Task 1.2: Software Program to Track Reuse Items. (Reimbursable Services)
The City's franchised hauler installed new software to track items collected under the bulky item collection program. Items are tracked based on type of item (e.g., couch, table, Queen mattress) and if the item is functional or not functional. A summary of the items collected is provided at the end of each month. Task 1.2 is 100 percent complete.

Task 1.3: Sort Collected Items. (Matching Services)
Each day, the driver takes the day's dispatch tickets, which note which items are slated for reuse. The City has found that many times, the items on the dispatch ticket do not match the items at the curb and that there are new items out for pickup. The driver makes note of what items are actually collected, but no changes were made to the system until April 2005. Therefore, the totals below are the totals that were called in, but not necessarily picked up. In order to calculate the amount of scavenging occurring, staff reconciled a random sampling of tickets and found that about half of the reusable items on the tickets were replaced with new items. The City assumes, therefore, that the majority of the items that are truly reusable or easily repairable are being collected by scavengers and so there is little left for the hauler to collect for reuse.

From the table above, it is apparent that at best, seven percent of the items to be picked up were deemed to be reusable by the owner at the time of the appointment. If half are being scavenged, then only about 3 and a half percent are actually available for reuse through this program. An item of note from the above table is the decrease in items deemed to be reusable by residents about five months after the program started. Form the audit, the City found that many residents were calling other organizations to donate their items prior to calling Dial-A-Dump. The City believes that this increase in calls to reuse organizations can be attributed to the outreach done at the beginning of the program to encourage residents to call elsewhere and use Dial-A-Dump as a last resort.

The main highlight of this program was the collection of mattresses that were donated to a company that makes and sells remanufactured mattresses. Unfortunately, this is the only company of its kind in the vicinity and the market for mattresses is inconsistent, so not all of the mattresses collected by this program could be diverted. Two hundred ninety mattresses were collected during the grant term. This portion of the program will continue, as long as there is a market for the mattresses.

 Task 1.3 is 100 percent complete.

Task 1.4: Coordinate Collection with Reuse Organizations. (Reimbursable Services)
The city's hauler continues to use the contact list to coordinate pickups with the various organizations. The list is included on the city's Web site, www.lakewoodcity.org/r3, to encourage residents to contact the organizations directly in the future. The City will keep this list available after the grant term ends.

A positive byproduct of this program is that organizations now call both the City and the hauler to find out if there are particular items available for donation. The City has also found that residents are starting to call various organizations first and will donate their items prior to calling Dial-A-Dump. Task 1.4 is 100 percent complete.

Task 2.1: Create Reuse Pamphlet. (Reimbursable Services)
A four-page brochure was created to promote the City's program. This brochure has been distributed to residents when a bulky item pickup has occurred, and is available at City Hall and at all community events where Public Works staff has been present. Task 2.1 is 100 percent complete.

Task 2.2: Printing Reuse Pamphlet. (Reimbursable Services)
Task 2.2 is 100 percent complete.

Task 2.3: Write and Submit Newspaper Articles. (Reimbursable Services)
An article was written for inclusion in the City's recycling guide, published at the end of October 2004. Based on the recent publication of the guide, staff did not pursue a second article for publication. The items that have been produced are still in circulation and are used consistently to promote awareness of the program. In addition, the City's e-newsletter often contains a reminder message about the donation aspect of the Dial-A-Dump program. Task 2.3 is 100 percent complete.

Task 2.4: Develop Flyer for Reuse Stores. (Reimbursable Services)
This task was incorporated in to Task 2.1.

Task 2.5: Printing of Flyer. (Reimbursable Services)
This task was incorporated in to Task 2.2.

Task 2.6: Participate in Community Events. (Reimbursable Services)
In the original scope for this project, it was estimated that staff would attend ten community events over the course of the grant term. However, there were only four events where recycling and other environmental topics were appropriate for promotion. The summary is as follows:

Task 2.6 is 100 percent complete.

Task 3.1: Manage Funds. (Matching Services)
City staff has created a separate budget item in the City's budget to track the finances of this program. Task 3.1 is 100 percent complete.

Task 3.2: Planning, Tracking Milestones, Record Keeping. (Reimbursable Services)
City staff performed an audit of the city's contracted hauler to evaluate the process used to collect information about the items to be collected under the bulky item program and make modifications to improve the program. The program was evaluated under three phases: initial call by resident, collection of items, and contact with reuse organizations.

Initial Call
From the audit, it appears that the initial call by the resident is well handled by the contracted hauler's customer service staff. The customer service representative asks the resident the type and quantity of each item to be collected, as well as the functionality of the item - if it is reusable, repairable, or is truly a discard. The driver is then given a dispatch ticket with information regarding the items at the residence to be collected.

Collection of Items
From the audit, it was discovered that more often than not, the items at the residence are not the same as what is on the dispatch ticket. Staff believes that scavengers are taking the majority of the reusable or repairable items and leaving the discards. The driver does make note of which items were missing and if they were replaced with something else, although there has been no tracking of what is on the ticket compared to what was actually at the residence. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate the amount of material being diverted by the program. Staff is working with the hauler to make changes to the software in order to reconcile the collections in order to accurately reflect what was at the residence and what was collected for reuse or recycling in order to estimate program diversion totals.

Contact with Reuse Organizations
There have been some difficulties with timely coordination between the contracted hauler and the reuse organizations. The hauler has not been contacting the organizations on a routine schedule, claiming that most items cannot be reused. The hauler claims that the only items being sent for reuse at this time are mattresses. Staff will continue to work with the hauler to contact existing program partners and locate new partners and to facilitate coordination of collection activities. Task 3.2 is 100 percent complete.

Task 3.3: Submission of Monthly Progress Reports. (Matching Services)
Due to difficulties in obtaining information on items slated for reuse, monthly progress reports have not been completed. Contracted staff continues to work with the City's hauler to provide program totals. Task 3.3 is 100 percent complete.

Task 3.4: Submit Final Report to CIWMB. (Matching Services)
Task 3.4 8s 100 percent complete.

Submitted by Michelle Nicholls, Solid Waste Consultant
May 10, 2005

*Permission was obtained from grant recipient to publish project profile.

Back to Top | FY 2002/2003 Recipients | FY 2003/2004 Recipients | Reuse Home

Last updated: June 25, 2008