Following the recommendation of the Solid Waste Advisory Board and the Citizens Advisory Committee, the Cache County Council discussed the controversial proposal for nearly 90 minutes before postponing their decision Tuesday night.
If approved on April 25, several communities that are already participating in a voluntary curbside recycling program will be required to recycle glass, plastic and paper, and pay between $1.85 and $5.70 per month more for garbage service, effective July 1. Other communities will come on board in the next year.
Issa Hamud, Logan City environmental director, said the program will save space in the landfill west of Logan by diverting an estimated 10,000 tons of recyclable materials annually. The $27 savings per ton will increase to $50 per ton when the current landfill is full and Cache County's waste will have to be transported out of town, Hamud said.
“If I have to haul it out of county, they will require me to recycle,” he said.
The program is expected to cost $700,000 per year over the next five years for fuel, trucks and personnel to run it, Hamud said.
“Not only will it save space in the landfill, it conserves natural resources,” he said. “More than that, recycling is the right thing to do.”
Councilman John Hansen said mandatory recycling will also benefit the local economy. Kim Allsop, co-owner of Mountain Fiber Insulation Company in Hyrum, pays to haul 800,000 tons of paper from Colorado each month. The company, which currently processes all of the recyclable material collected from 2,000 voluntary clients of Logan's curbside recycling program, is poised to expand the business to accommodate the increase.
Not everyone sees the program as a plus, though. The program's cost was repeatedly brought up at the public hearing. Cache County Council Executive Lynn Lemon said mandatory recycling doesn't add-up fiscally.
“I agree that it's the right thing to do. I don't agree that it's economically viable,” Lemon said.
Wayne Cardon, a senior citizen, also criticized the expense, saying what gives him “heartburn” is the word, “mandatory.”
“In Benson, I can identify at least 20 households or more who are senior citizens or widows who generate very little garbage. We recycle . . . I think you're putting an unjust burden on those that are least able to pay,” Cardon said.
When the council postponed its vote on the issue, Logan Mayor Randy Watts expressed frustration.
“It's about protecting the longevity of that landfill,” Watts said. “Why are we balking on this now?”
abrunson@sltrib.com
