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Committee renews Pratt Recycling contract as contamination falls but rates rise
Summary
DeKalb County approved a second renewal with Pratt Recycling despite a proposed rate increase from $65 to $80 per ton; staff reported contamination rates have fallen from roughly 36% to about 20% and said they will pursue competitive options in the next procurement cycle.
DeKalb County’s Public Works sanitation staff on Oct. 7 asked the PWI committee to exercise the second renewal option with Pratt Recycling for processing residential single-stream recycling, commercial cardboard and mixed paper, and commissioners approved the renewal.
Director Lemke told the committee that Pratt proposed a per-ton rate increase from $65 to $80. He said the county’s recycling contamination rate — material that is not actually recyclable and creates processing cost — has dropped substantially over the last year, from about 36% in early 2024 to roughly 20–24% in recent quarters, which improves net revenue and offsets part of the increased rate.
Commissioner Terry asked how the rate rise would affect the overall budget and whether Pratt could improve efficiency by hauling cardboard directly to its freight-recycling lines; staff said they will explore changing RFP criteria and consider alternatives next year to increase competition and system efficiency.
What it means: the renewal preserves recycling processing capacity while staff reviews procurement options that could secure lower rates or more efficient collection strategies. Staff said the county may request a future RFP that explicitly considers cardboard-only collection and direct hauling options.
Next steps: Public Works will return with procurement plans and a possible revised RFP next year; commissioners asked staff to provide continued tonnage and contamination reporting to monitor budget impact and program performance.
