Committee discusses pilot to bale cardboard and higher‑value plastics; approves overtime transfer for hauling operations

County Department of Public Works staff presented a proposal to pilot baling of cardboard and higher‑value plastics at one or more transfer stations to reduce disposal costs and capture revenue, and the committee approved a budget transfer to cover overtime associated with recent hauling operations. Scott, a solid‑waste program staffer, told the committee the working group recommends starting with cardboard — the most uniform commodity at transfer stations — and then evaluating plastics No. 1 and 2. He said the county pays roughly $90 per ton to transfer recyclables now and that connecting directly to buyers or using a third‑party marketplace could reduce that cost and produce revenue. Staff said the county applied for an EPA grant for a larger recyclables facility (application amount referenced as $1,400,000) and that, if awarded, the…