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DPW reports 2024 recycling gains; MRF not rebuilt, long-term processing contract sought
Summary
The Department of Public Works reported a 5.8% increase in recycling tonnage in 2024, the city will not rebuild the previously damaged materials recovery facility and intends to seek a long-term processing contract with a private operator.
The Public Works Committee received the Department of Public Works’ 2024 Residential Recycling Annual Report and a staff presentation on operations, outreach and next steps.
Laura Stevens, resource recovery program manager, said recycling tonnage rose 5.8% in 2024 to about 25,700 tons, an increase of roughly 1,400 tons year-over-year. The average pounds recycled per household increased from 260 to 275. Stevens credited expanded outreach and partnerships for the gains and noted that the city’s two drop-off centers combined served roughly 280,000 visitors during the year.
DPW staff reported that Waukesha County and the City of Milwaukee commissioned consultants and decided not to rebuild the city’s damaged materials recovery facility (MRF) at its current location. Instead, the city will continue transferring recyclables to Waste Management’s Germantown processing facility and plans to release a bid for a long-term processing agreement.
Stevens described new and expanded outreach programs: a redesigned compost-bin pickup event with partner Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful (KGMB), an art-based recycling-contamination program for Milwaukee Public Schools students, a free food-scrap drop-off pilot launched in 2025 through a USDA-funded Feed MKE partnership, and a fall sanitation mailer with multi-lingual print materials.
Committee members asked about service to multifamily properties and enforcement. Rick Myers, sanitation services manager, said DPW provides collection service to one- to four-unit properties and some limited exceptions; most multifamily and commercial properties are required to secure private hauler service. He said enforcement for multifamily noncompliance is complaint-driven and handled through inspection and notice processes that can lead to fines if properties remain in noncompliance.
Committee action: Alderman Brower moved to place the 2024 residential recycling report on file; the motion carried without objection.
What happens next: DPW plans to issue a request for long-term processing proposals and continue outreach programs; staff said printed Spanish-language materials are available on request and the free food-scrap pilot seeks additional host organizations.
