1. City and County of Broomfield Solid Waste Task Force
Process and Recommendation

2. Two Key Issues:
The number of trash trucks on neighborhood streets.
The amount of material recycled in Broomfield.

3. Number of Trash Trucks:
The current practice of trash collection in Broomfield with multiple trash haulers in many neighborhoods provides the following benefits:
choices of trash haulers for residents based on cost, level of service or other preferences;
the ability of residents to negotiate for customized services and rate structures;
the ability to change trash haulers as the resident prefers;
an ability for trash haulers to offer varying levels of customer service; and,
the ability for new and small haulers to develop a customer base.
… but with the following negative impacts:
increased costs for the trash haulers and their customers;
increased impact on Broomfield's roads;
increased safety concerns;
increased air and noise pollution; and,
increased visual clutter.

4. Recycling Rate:
The current recycling rates are low in Broomfield. Multiple communities in Colorado and elsewhere have implemented approaches that provided them a much higher recycling rate.
Estimates place Colorado tied for last place of all states in the percentage of materials recycled.
Overall, the United States ranks lower than most other industrialized nations in the percentage of material recycled.
Landfills are filling and will eventually leak, becoming costly cleanup issues
Natural resources continue to be depleted.

5. Investigation & Study Process:
The City Council appointed a Solid Waste Task Force to look at options for trash collection in Broomfield. The Task Force:
studied the current trash collection system in Broomfield;
reviewed programs in other communities;
conducted a survey of Broomfield residents;
reviewed a range of alternatives and with discussion with community members and trash haulers; and,
prepared a recommendation for the City Council to review.

6. Survey Results
General results of the survey were:
98 % of residents indicated quality of service at least somewhat important
98 % of residents rated inexpensive garbage collection at least somewhat important
83 % of residents rated being able to recycle/ availability of recycling at least somewhat important
81% of residents rated having many materials collected for recycling as at least somewhat important
77% of residents supported free enterprise in garbage collection as at least somewhat important
75 % of residents supported having recycling built into the base fee for garbage collection as at least somewhat important
74 % of residents rated supporting small hauling businesses as at least somewhat important
71 % of residents rated being able to choose from several garbage haulers as at least somewhat important
59 % of residents support a pay as you throw type billing system if it would increase the amount of recycling collected in the community.

7. Service topic
Option 1 - minimum changes to existing system
Option 2
Option 3
Option 4
Option 5 – high
Hauler / collection arrangement
Minimal ordinance, no special limit on haulers
Enhanced ordinance, limited haulers
Contract, limited haulers
Contract, one hauler
Curbside Recycling Collection
Optional
Required, embedded
Curbside Yard Waste Collection
None/optional
None/ optional
Required to be offered, separate fee
Required to be offered for fee for service above base
Curbside Bulky Waste Collection
Optional or none
Fee-based
Fee based
Pay As You Throw Collection No
Yes
Estimated Recycling Level
<5%
5-7%
12-17%
15-25%
>25%

8. Task Force Recommendation
Broomfield contract with multiple trash haulers by districts for service in the community
Curbside recycling be offered to all residents as a part of the base fee
Separate seasonal yard waste collection be offered to all residents as part of the base fee
Bulky item collection be offered
A "Volume Based Collection" fee program be implemented
A recycling goal of 30 % in three years be established.