At the March 9th Leon County Board of County Commissioners meeting, the Commissioners approved an agreement with Marpan Recycling to maintain the County’s single-stream recycling program’s sustainability. For fiscal year 2022, the proposed contract with Marpan is anticipated to result in an upswing in conservation costs by about $80,000.
“As discussed during the Nov. 17, 2020 meeting, a comprehensive study of the County’s recycling program conducted by SCS Engineers concluded that negotiating a new agreement with Marpan Recycling is the most financially advantageous and best value option among all other alternatives,” according to the meeting agenda.
The revised contract promotes a Strategic Initiative and Five-Year Goal for FY2017-FY2021 to develop policies to maximize the amount of waste that is recycled and reused and lessen the carbon footprint.
Marpan Recycling told the County and the City of Tallahassee on Dec. 9, 2019, that its recycling plant was running at a loss attributable to a continuing downturn in global demand for synthetic content and that it may be forced to close as a result of these factors.
According to the meeting agenda, “The Board authorized the County Administrator to engage SCS Engineers, an industry-leading consulting firm, in partnership with the City of Tallahassee to assess current and projected market conditions, review recycling industry best practices, evaluate any potential regional approaches to recycling and identify a range of policy options to maintain a viable recycling program in the long term.”
The County’s processing fee would significantly raise to $115 per ton under the implemented tentative arrangement, but profits obtained from the sale of compostable currencies would be distributed on a continuum between Leon County and Marpan.
The implemented contract would be for a five-year initial duration, with a provision for a further five-year renewal if both the County and Marpan consent. The proposed collective bargaining agreement further stipulates that no side will break the deal for accessibility without giving the other 12 months’ notification.
County Commissioners Approve New Marpan Recycling Agreement added by Rachel Daniels on
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People take for granted their garbage and recycle systems. And they shouldn’t. We are very fortunate to have them. Otherwise our standards of living would plummet.
I’ve been out there. They’ve got quite an operation. A lot of hard work going on and with some very expensive equipment. I agree that much of the stuff isn’t worth anything. Aluminum is possibly profitable. Cardboard and other paper products can be recycled. I think one of their biggest benefits is keeping as much stuff as possible out of he landfill. You probably don’t want them to fill the one they’re using now and put another one near your house… It would be interesting if someone would do a series of stories on how all this works in Leon county. What’s getting recycled and what’s not? What’s profitable, break even, and what recycling do we lose money on? From what I’ve seen out there raising the cost by $80,000 is nothing. They’ll lose more than that in additional fuel costs, thanks to the Dems.
SO, I guess I should expect an increase in my Bill in my Bill next month………