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Board hears limits of single‑stream recycling and timeline for solid waste master plan
Summary
City staff said Lawrence’s contract with a materials recovery provider ("Ham, now Republic") and single‑stream trucks limit separated recycling and that the city's solid waste master plan should wrap up in the next three to four months; staff warned switching systems would require investment and community education.
City sustainability staff told the advisory board that the city's recycling system is single‑stream and that changing to separated collection would require major investments in different trucks and receiving facilities. "The city has signed a contract with Ham, now Republic, for not only landfill services, but our material recovery facility services where we drop off our recycling," the director said, noting the receiving facility does not accept fully separated streams.
Staff emphasized that a different collection system would require new trucks and receiving capacity plus a substantial outreach effort because residents like single‑stream for ease. The board discussed aligning any recycling recommendations with the city’s solid waste master plan, which staff said is working its way to wrapping up in a few months and could be the right near‑term vehicle for detailed recommendations.
