1. “Reducing Green Waste from the MSW Stream”
STAR Summit 2013
“Reducing Green Waste from the MSW Stream”
Harry J. Hayes
Director of Solid Waste Management
City of Houston, Texas

2. Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit
Overview
Houston’s Problem
The Task Force
Implementation
Savings
Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit

3. Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit
Houston’s Problem
SWMD operates without a garbage fee.
No city-owned landfill.
Expensive and restrictive waste disposal contracts.
Political MMA Cage Fight to make changes to programs.
Constituents spoiled and flush with services.
Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit

4. Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit
The Task Force
Appointed by then Mayor Bill White in 2004 to review Houston’s rich, yet inappropriately funded solid waste programs.
Chaired by current Mayor and then Controller Annise Parker.
Compared Houston’s Solid Waste System with other Texas cities and large national cities to establish opportunities for best standards.
Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit

5. Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit
Task Force Report
SWMD operates without a garbage fee and has no city-owned landfill.
Unbelievably, 40 cubic yards per home per month of heavy trash.
Unlimited yard waste disposal with poor to no enforcement on small businesses.
Highly expensive and restrictive waste disposal contracts.
Political will not present to make changes to programs.
Constituents spoiled and flush with services (and believe they already pay a fee for service).
No citywide recycling program.
And most glaringly, “Recycling and yard waste programs need to be greatly increased to benefit the environment and conserve valuable landfill airspace.”
Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit

6. Implementation – Tree Waste
The department annually collected approximately 300,000 tons of heavy trash (junk waste).
Estimated that up to 40% of annual volume was clean tree waste.
Department gained mayoral/council approval for following changes:
Reduction in the amount per home per collection.
Amended schedule to promote waste generation reduction; hence, 6 green waste and 6 junk waste.
Stricter enforcement of private businesses that were previously subsidized by city services.
Implemented changes resulted in direct disposal savings of approx. $3.0 million.
Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit

7. Implementation – Yard Waste
City’s annual collection was approximately 60,000 tons in petroleum bags.
More than 90% of material collected went directly to landfill.
Department tested and gained approval of compostable bags only .
Private partner LETCO, pays department for yard waste to make compost and mulch.
Let it lay or take it away!
Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit

8. Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit
Yard Waste Results
The department realized virtually no increase in “black can” tonnage.
More than 55% (35,000 tons) of previously collected material disappeared from the curb.
Overwhelmingly, customers voluntarily complied with changes. No major enforcement actions necessary.
All landscaping companies were placed on notice to haul their own material and were encouraged to compost or grass-cycle as well.
The department saved $1.5 million in avoided disposal while earning over $100,000 in revenue from “grass” sales AND reduced operations crews by 12 trucks (28 employees - $1.3 million).
Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit

9. Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit
Savings
Recycling Tree Waste saves more than 50% per ton recycled.
Recycling Yard Waste avoids all disposal costs while earning revenue.
Grass-cycling and composting is exactly what occurs naturally in our planet’s “Carbon Cycle”.
Houston saves more than $6 million annually by harvesting and recycling green MSW “commodities”.
The savings have been reinvested in the system to implement and expand single-stream recycling services to more than 140,000 active customers.
The department is currently working expansion plans for 70,000 in late October, with another 60,000 during the 1st Quarter of 2014.
Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit

10. Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit
Questions
Houston Green Waste - STAR Summit