With a new 10-year solid waste management contract with Casella Waste Systems approved by the City Council, the future of recycling remains uncertain for the city. The existing contract with the company includes no additional cost to collect recyclable materials, but the new contract comes with a hefty price tag for recycling. The contract includes a phased transition from manual curbside collection to automated collection and the usage of totes, casting doubt on the fate of the city’s distinctive purple bags.
Under the new agreement, which begins on July 1, 2024, Casella will transport the city’s waste to the Wheelabrator waste-to-energy facility in Penacook, owned by WIN Waste Innovations, rather than the North Country Environmental Services landfill in Bethlehem, which is over 80 miles away. The 10-year contract includes a provision that mandates the city adopt an automated collection system by July 1, 2028, following a two-year pilot that starts on or before July 1, 2026, as proposed by Casella.
“The industry has moved to automated rather than manual collection, which makes sense simply looking at the labor market challenges that all industries have experienced,” said Chip Chesley, the director of General Services. “We believe that this is the last contract that the city will have that includes a manual curbside collection for at least part of its term.” During the pilot program, four trucks will be designated for curbside waste collection from over 12,000 residences within the city. One of these trucks will be equipped with an automated collection mechanism with an extended arm, which will pick up bins and empty them. Residents will continue using the purple pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) bags during the pilot phase.
To read the full story, visit https://www.concordmonitor.com/Concord-City-Council-approves-solid-waste-contract-50587675.
Author: Sruthi Gopalaskrishnan, Concord Monitor
Image: Geoff Forester, Concord Monitor