[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6083946,"mediaKeyId","2925492-8c2438b517298b3be53e4e7a61ee28d2","parentId",2925492,"title","Raleigh council leans toward enhancing yard-waste collection; staff to return with costs and options","audioSeconds",2127,"startMs",2225000,"endMs",4352000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2925492-8c2438b517298b3be53e4e7a61ee28d2&start=2225&end=4352","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2925492-8c2438b517298b3be53e4e7a61ee28d2/thumbnail_2225000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6083946/Raleigh/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Raleigh-council-leans-toward-enhancing-yard-waste-collection-staff-to-return-with-costs-and-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083946-857b10b3e905f53db750e705619af6c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771050663&Signature=I9zYH4BwVG0oTzKLMworZVCUBMmYbE~WjguUGtI~74SMOcOBSziOZDcXSq0CocAGmO2oZZBn10iof5TwVQlgwieJUjhMTxWhP1YybmZ2sIuJCTn0IpNgBVnEM6YjYiPh1kAkZG2VDYu0OFhr1uhvdCKarH5PN4evNiTfAOgt12G1WAsHeH~EzndgdLRI0PqRFIFcTi3CK5nmHjrwu1by-40y3UUT0izXu7vZeDwDvNwCFUYFCec2ay9-tOzrRQTMbN4H2gdmw0y4sXDO0vSVetMvGhtZEIKWNulswzyAYvjWYl0dLDv9tuNMQg1KwE-~hcr6t-C~3SQtQcOgffk~eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-09T09:13:42Z","article","Steve Halsey, assistant director for Transportation maintenance, told the City Council the loose-leaf collection program has not seen significant changes since 2011 and that growth in the city has lengthened collection schedules and created resident dissatisfaction.

Halsey said the program currently uses 61 total staff (48 of whom are flexed from other transportation duties) and 23 specialized pieces of equipment; the program runs November through March and averages roughly 64,383 cubic yards collected across the last two seasons. He said continuing the program as currently structured diverts transportation staff from sidewalk repair, pavement patching, street sweeping and stormwater maintenance.

Halsey presented four options: make no change; enhance the existing program (three enhancement options were in a 2022 budget note); privatize the service (a Henrico County, Va., model uses a call-in on-demand contractor); or transition loose-leaf collection into an enhanced, weekly yard-waste collection run by Solid Waste Services (Greensboro implemented such a transition in 2024). Halsey said an enhanced yard-waste program would require about 15 additional staff and five trucks to provide weekly collection to all residents and would need strong communication and enforcement during transition.

Council discussion ranged across cost, equity and operational trade-offs. Councilor Branch and others favored a hybrid pilot between multiple drop-off sites and contracted curbside to build data without immediately taking on full curbside responsibility. Several councilors said weekly city-run collection was preferable to doing nothing; Councilor Brauch said she favored Option 4 because Solid Waste already manages yard waste and could determine appropriate pickup frequency.

Councilors asked for specific follow-up: updated cost estimates (both startup and ongoing), an analysis of options for weekly versus biweekly service, feasibility of a paid on-demand bulky-load pickup, potential temporary offsets for biodegradable bags, and additional comparisons to other municipalities (Greensboro, Henrico). Halsey said recent total program cost including staff and fixed equipment is about $3.1 million, with roughly $2 million of that being fixed staff and equipment costs, and that older budget memos (2022) contain higher historical estimates that need updating.

No formal vote was held; councilors directed staff to return with detailed financials, staffing plans and an implementation timeline for any recommended transition.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Raleigh City Council Work Session - April 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Transportation staff outlined challenges with the city's loose-leaf collection program and presented four options including no change, enhancement, privatization and transition to an enhanced yard-waste program; councilors generally favored exploring an enhanced yard-waste model and asked staff for detailed cost and implementation analysis.","taxTitle","Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina","taxId",4736,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6083952,"Raleigh staff propose pilot at Yard Waste Center to test food-waste composting options",1433,768000,2201000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2925492-8c2438b517298b3be53e4e7a61ee28d2&start=768&end=2201","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2925492-8c2438b517298b3be53e4e7a61ee28d2/thumbnail_768000.jpg","/articles/6083952/Raleigh/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Raleigh-staff-propose-pilot-at-Yard-Waste-Center-to-test-food-waste-composting-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083952-06a954b5c6afe3c65c1ec1c37d626587/orig.mp4?Expires=1771050663&Signature=nvX~Cq-e5ntJYanmiRP-B4OqwHLSOjgCUMqT1nwfLhP5rIBW~fn8awjbWKhnw7Am1XXWU30vnIfi2RgxXU-5ZctJ4-ygdwPhzBopOLJdbao7hG73L8AkGuBB0yVxRmbjNhWZ02yfQGsqKFSAmcDtOoWsYR7yIeXXkTRlYXwzpI4lh4U7Umx4yfLlAUZ7xu5M8-atGow8qfzDTTviLuujpdcIVrl~JZyEcJLQyRZda82orPgxkzQ7czo-~a5l2WSWgx74HJyiMsx9kz5xFuuPtYQerMh-vZq~8DoxQdAPOT-pI8uoY0nrnfJaxlxs1Zj-vUSs798shyh9iowkHlenqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gregory Jenkins II, interim director of Solid Waste Services, told the City Council the city began a formal feasibility assessment in 2024 to study adding food-waste composting to Raleigh's solid-waste operations.

The study found the city's landfill accepts over 99,000 tons a year and that \"nearly 25% of the waste is food waste, and that's based off of information from Wake County and the EPA,\" Jenkins said. Staff estimated a conservative annual diversion of about 6% of food waste could extend landfill life and provide financial and environmental co-benefits.

Jenkins described two operational needs for composting: collection (how waste moves from residences or public sites to processing) and processing (where and how food waste is treated). He identified the city's Yard Waste Center as a likely local processing site but said the facility would need permit modifications and site improvements; staff recommended starting with a small pilot before committing to larger upgrades or capital outlays.

The study reported current regional processing capacity is limited. Jenkins noted several local processors accept food waste only at limited capacity, NC State processes university-related volumes only, and many local haulers transport material about an hour to Brooks (Goldston) for processing. He said a Yard Waste Center pilot would allow staff to test quantities, mix recipes and final product quality and that the center's current permit would allow a short-term pilot.

Council members generally supported testing limited, lower-cost options before a full program. \"That's 25,000 tons per year. It's crazy,\" Councilor Harrison said, describing the scale of food waste the study attributed to the landfill. Several councilors favored a hybrid approach that pairs multiple drop-off sites with third-party curbside subscription options rather than immediately adding city-run curbside collection.

Councilor Silver asked where any compost from a pilot would go; Jenkins answered the city would probably use compost internally in parks and community gardens during the pilot because the city does not yet know production volumes. Councilors also raised operational concerns about contamination, labor intensity and neighborhood proximity to composting operations; Jenkins said the pilot would help quantify those risks.

Council discussion produced no formal vote. Councilors asked staff to return with more detailed cost estimates, a pilot design, and information on permitting and site upgrades for the Yard Waste Center before the city commits to larger collection or processing investments. Staff also was directed to compare regional case studies and coordinate with existing third-party collectors in Wake County.","City staff presented a feasibility study showing food waste composes roughly a quarter of Raleigh's landfill inputs and recommended a small pilot at the Yard Waste Center to test collection and processing options before any large capital investment.","actionData","errors"]

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Raleigh council leans toward enhancing yard-waste collection; staff to return with costs and options

Raleigh staff propose pilot at Yard Waste Center to test food-waste composting options