Refuse commissioner proposes drop-off recycling sites, stronger enforcement on illegal dumping

Refuse Commissioner Ricky Breidenfeld told the Budget & Public Employees Committee he proposed shifting from alley recycling dumpsters to a network of centralized drop-off sites and using freed driver capacity to improve alley trash pickup and illegal-dumping response.

"Sixty percent of what we collect in recyclables has got to go to landfill anyway," Breidenfeld said, arguing contamination and single-stream curbside behavior make many alley recycling dumpsters ineffective.

What the department proposed

- Recycling drop-off sites: Breidenfeld said the city currently has about 30 drop-off sites and he would add 15 to 20 more to fill geographic gaps. He told the committee the plan would let 1 or 2 drivers pick up recyclables at those sites daily and free roughly 20 drivers previously assigned to alley recycling to perform trash pickup and dumpster maintenance.

- Cost and contamination: Breidenfeld told the committee the city pays about $185 per ton to process contaminated recyclables, and that prior experience during COVID had lower contamination and better outcomes. He suggested drop-off sites would increase the share of material actually recycled and reduce disposal costs (he contrasted $185/ton with a lower achievable cost near $40/ton under better conditions).

- Dumpster replacement and ward capital: Committee members discussed dumpster replacement needs. Breidenfeld said the city has roughly 36,000 containers (dumpsters and roll carts) and that a standard dumpster costs roughly $1,000 to $1,400 depending on size. He said an average dumpster lasts about 10 years and asked aldermen for ward-capital support to maintain replacements.

- Opt-outs and billing: The refuse division said it has a list of addresses that have opted out of city refuse services, and Breidenfeld proposed hiring a refuse route and safety coordinator to audit opt-outs and confirm private containers are in place. He said the budgeted starting salary for that position (about $30,340) likely would not attract qualified applicants and that he had asked Personnel for a job study.

- Illegal dumping enforcement: Breidenfeld said illegal dumping occurs frequently, often from repeat offenders. He described using ARPA-funded private contractors to clear alleys but said cleaned areas are sometimes re-dumped within a week. He proposed stronger enforcement measures, including seizing vehicles used repeatedly to dump illegally, arguing fines alone do not deter repeat dumping.

Why it matters: refuse collection and illegal dumping affect neighborhood health, public safety and perceptions of city services. Council members asked for better data on opt-outs, consistent dumpster inventories and a plan to fund needed container replacements.

Ending

Breidenfeld asked the committee to support filling a refuse route and safety coordinator post at a market-competitive salary, to back a phased move to drop-off recycling sites and to provide clearer ward-level inventories so replacement requests can be targeted. Committee members asked for written follow-up on dumpster counts and the proposed program timelines. No formal vote was taken.