Sparta Closing in on Waste Management Choice

By Michael Daigle

Officials taking on waste is always something applauded by the public. In this case, the Sparta Township Mayor and Council are literally working on waste management.

Last week, Sparta Township Administrator David Troust presented the Township Council with four options for framing a bidding round for the next solid waste and recycling contract through the solid waste utility.

Troust said the bid specifications need to be ready for advertising six months before the end of the current contract.

The current contract expired in April 2014, so the goal is to get the bid specs ready by September.

Troust said the  four proposed options are:

• Weekly curbside pick-up for solid waste and single-stream curbside recycling;
  
• Weekly curbside pick-up for solid waste and dual stream recycling;
  
• Weekly curbside pick-up for solid waste with a opt-out clause for single-stream recycling;
  
• Weekly curbside pick-up for solid waste with and opt-out clause for dual steam recycling.

In the spring, when the contract needs were first discussed, Deputy Mayor Molly Whilesmith asked for an opt-out clause because she felt many residents don’t use the service.

At that time, Councilman Jerry Murphy said the bid specs could list suggested service levels based on all 6,700 homes in Sparta for one price; reducing the number of homes serviced from one to 200; and so on.

Troust said the bid specifications could mean some smaller trash haulers might not bid because they don’t have the facilities to handle single-stream recycling.

According to the website Recycling NJ, single stream refers to a recycling collection system where all recyclables are mixed together in one single collection container (paper, plastic, metal, glass). Dual stream recycling collections require mixed paper (paper/paperboard and cardboard) to be separated from the commingled recyclables (plastic, glass and metal).

Troust said more single-steam recycling facilities are online.

Eight Sussex County towns use single-stream, 11 use dual-stream and in five towns, residents contract privately for garbage and recycling collection.

Morris County contracts with a company that converted its facility to single-steam recycling and many other New Jersey counties have followed suit.

Large trash haulers such as Waste Management operate regional single-stream recycling facilities.