Solid Waste Management Department - City of Mesa

Solid Waste
Management
Department
Annual Report FY 2009/2010

Solid Waste Management
Department
Mission and Vision
VISION ‐ Our Image of the Future
To be as effective, efficient, customer‐focused and financially stable as
possible by continually striving to improve.
MISSION ‐ Our Department’s Purpose for Being
The City of Mesa Solid Waste Management Department is committed to
providing excellence in the delivery of solid waste services to Mesa’s
residents, businesses and visitors.
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Department Operation:
Revenue: $46,379,326
Operating budget: $25,052,329
Number of staff: 132.5
Solid waste barrel customers: 117,203
Solid waste frontload bin customers: 2,185
Services provided:
�� Curbside collection
�� Black barrel
�� Blue barrel
�� Green barrel
�� Bulk item/appliance pick‐up
�� Bin collection
�� Commercial business
�� Multi‐unit
�� Recycling
�� Roll‐off collection
�� Commercial business
�� Residential
�� Clean Sweep/Green Sweep
�� Green waste
�� Specialty programs
�� Household hazardous waste collection
�� Appliance, computers & electronics
recycling (A.C.E. Express)
�� Paint reuse program
�� Homeowner landfill use program
�� Christmas tree recycling
SUMMARY
Solid Waste Management Department
Facts at a Glance
FY 2009/2010
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Collection statistics:
Trash:
Recycling
�� Black barrel: 110,990 tons
�� Metal bin: 86,351 tons
�� Blue barrel: 33,474 tons
Recycling revenue: $1,306,795
Avoided landfill costs: $791,729
�� Green barrel: 17,990 tons
Green barrel customers: 36,917
Service revenue: $2,431,361
Avoided landfill costs: $84,351
�� Appliances: 39 tons
�� Christmas trees collected: 3,802
�� Metal bin
Cardboard: 1,869 tons
Revenue: $156,994
Newspaper: 215 tons
Revenue: $35,119
Office paper: 816 tons
Revenue: $58,869

Year in Review
Despite the continued uncertainty of the global economic
environment, the Solid Waste Management Department
was able to continue to provide its assortment of
programs and services to residential and commercial
customers.
Automated Side Loader / Rear Loader
Operations
With more than 117,000 single‐
unit dwellings visited each week,
residential collection service
continues to be the core offering
by the Solid Waste Management
Department. Residents have the
option to select either 60‐ or 90‐gallon containers, de‐
pending on household needs, and may request additional
containers if needed. A monthly fee is assessed for extra
black barrels but additional blue barrels are provided at no
extra charge as an incentive to increase recycling
participation.
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2009/2010, Solid Waste disposed of
more than 110,000 tons of trash.
In addition to standard blue and black barrel service, a
variety of other services are available to residents,
including: appliance recycling, bulk item pick‐up, green
waste barrel service, a backyard composting program,
assisted stops, and household hazardous waste disposal.
Front Load / Roll-off Operations
During FY 2009/2010, front load
trucks collected more than
86,000 tons of trash and 2,900
tons of recyclables from busi‐
nesses and residential multi‐unit
customers. In addition to front
load collection, roll‐off service is also available to commer‐
cial customers as well as to Mesa residents who may be
undergoing a large renovation or remodeling project.
OVERVIEW
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Recycling
The City’s blue and green barrel
curbside collection service aver‐
aged more than 4,200 tons a
month during FY 2009/2010,
allowing Mesa to achieve a 32%
diversion rate. When broken
down individually, this translates to more than 33,000 tons
of material collected from the Blue Barrel Program and
nearly 18,000 tons of material from the Green Barrel
Program.
Administration
Under the direction of the Solid Waste Management
Director, the department meets its objectives and goals
with the assistance of the Management Team. Each
Management Team member oversees, and is responsible
for, various parts of the department. In addition to
management, administration is also made up of adminis‐
trative assistants, office assistants, an information special‐
ist, a routing specialist, solid waste service representatives
and community outreach specialists. Some of the duties
performed by the administration staff include: preparing
and maintaining the budget for the department; develop‐
ing and operating new and existing programs; setting
procedures; inputting, evaluating and disbursing
production information; ordering and maintaining inven‐
tory; handling public inquiries and educating customers
about the department’s programs; tracking expenditures
and growth in the area; and handling the day‐to‐day
operations for the department.

Strategic Initiatives
Regional Leadership
The Solid Waste Management Depart‐
ment is pleased to offer a variety of
services to City of Mesa residents and
businesses. To remain a leader in the
solid waste industry, the Department
accomplished a number of objectives in
FY 2009/2010:
�� Hosted the annual Solid Waste Association of North
America State Road‐E‐O and Arizona Solid Waste
Management Seminar at the City of Mesa Public
Training Facility
�� Piloted the RecycleBank Rewards Program in six select
areas throughout Mesa to determine its effect on
Mesa’s diversion rate
�� Approximately 9,000 households participated
in the year‐long study
�� Completed the Mesa Public Schools district wide
recycling implementation project by introducing blue
barrel recycling to all junior and senior high school
campuses
Community Engagement
�� Partnered with the Boy Scouts of America on America
Recycles Day for Project R.E.A.C.T. (Recycling Educa‐
tion Achieved by Community Teamwork)
�� Distributed recycling information to all Mesa
single‐unit households with blue barrel service
�� Partnered with Mesa Public Schools and Bashas’
supermarkets to promote the 2010 Earth Day Plastic
Bag Round‐up Recycling Challenge
�� More than 535,000 plastic bags were collected
from 34 participating schools
�� Partnered with Rhodes Junior High School students to
create a reduce, reuse and recycle plastic bag public
service announcement
COLLECTIONS
�� Partnered with the Arizona Center for the Blind and
Visually Impaired to host a document shredding event
�� Attended the following community events to promote
solid waste programs:
�� Mekong Plaza City Hall Event
�� Boeing Earth Day Event
�� Falcon Field Open House
�� Mesa Community College Dumpster Dive
�� Council District Pancake Breakfasts
�� City Hall @ Mall
�� Building Strong Neighborhood Meetings
�� Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods
(G.A.I.N.) Night
�� Provided presentations to educational institutions,
businesses, professional organizations and internal
City departments
�� Promoted solid waste programs in various City media
outlets including Channel 11, OpenLine, Across the
Back Fence and the City’s Web site
�� Initiated the ‘Real People, Real Recycling’ truck sign
outreach campaign to promote programs and services
Financial Stability
�� Reduced operation overtime by nine percent from
previous year due to route reductions and balancing
�� Purchased eleven new automated side loaders (ASLs)
to replace existing fleet and maintain operating
efficiencies
�� Current fleet size: 44 ASLs
�� Cross‐trained numerous operators on different types
of collection equipment to broaden staff versatility
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Quality of Life
�� Implemented a Citywide barrel placement procedure
to keep sidewalks clear for pedestrian traffic and to
comply with ADA requirements
�� Improved household hazardous waste collection
events
�� Expanded program to accept prescription and
non‐prescription medication
�� Switched to an online post event survey to
reduce paper consumption
�� Created a public service announcement to
promote event to Mesa residents
�� Created A.C.E. Express to minimize wait time
�� Created an online form to report missed containers
�� Initiated the Future Foreman Training Program to
ensure a strong pool of available talent for future
advancement opportunities within department
�� Started Green Sweep container refurbishment project
Budget
The Solid Waste Management Department continues to be
one of the many revenue sources for the City of Mesa. In
FY 2009/2010, the Department generated $46,287,704 in
revenue and had an operating budget of $25,052,329.
Budget FY 2010/2011
The budget for FY 2010/2011 is approximately
$22,143,735.
COLLECTIONS
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Collections Overview
The City of Mesa’s current collection system consists of
two types of operations, each providing an assortment of
alternative recycling options.
Automated Side Loader / Rear Loader
Operations
Automated side loader collection is fully automated, using
geographical information system (GIS) software to effi‐
ciently route collection equipment throughout the city
which is divided into three collection zones. The fleet of
collection vehicles includes two types of automated side
loader (ASL) trucks and rear loader trucks. The ASLs are
used for the collection of both recycle and trash barrels.
The City offers many specialty services in addition to its
standard once‐per‐week recycling and once‐per‐week
trash pick‐up services. This includes the Appliance and
Bulk Item Collection Program. Rear loader trucks are used
to collect bulk items such as furniture, brush and other
items not able to fit into the black trash barrel while flat
bed trailers are used to collect appliances which are
recycled.
Front Load / Roll-off Operations
City of Mesa front load and roll‐off collection is a full
service automated operation offering standard trash pick‐
up and specialty services to more than 2,185 customers.
While Solid Waste is the sole provider of trash services to
multi‐dwelling communities, the department competes
with commercial service providers in an open market for
Mesa businesses.
Roll‐off trucks deliver and service 20‐, 30‐, and 40‐yard
roll‐off containers, which can be rented by both businesses
and residents. In addition, customer owned compactors
are also serviced. Front load trucks service 2‐, 3‐, 4‐, 6‐
and 8‐yard metal bins and are used in commercial and
business locations, as well as multi‐unit communities.

The City’s neighborhood beautification efforts are aided by
the Solid Waste Management Department’s Clean Sweep/
Green Sweep Program. Under this program, Mesa
residents may request delivery of a roll‐off box to assist
them with their neighborhood clean‐up projects. Clean
Sweep materials are then landfilled, while the Green
Sweep materials, consisting of lawn clippings and tree
prunings, are mulched and composted. Residents are
eligible to participate once per calendar year.
Recycling
With diminishing natural resources and limited landfill
space, the City of Mesa is committed to playing a major
role in minimizing our community’s imprint on the envi‐
ronment. The City’s recycling program diverted nearly 32
percent of Mesa’s curbside solid waste from area landfills
during FY 2009/2010. This was accomplished through the
availability of various recycling programs and community
outreach efforts.
Recycling Programs
The Blue Barrel Recycling Program is part of the City’s
standard solid waste barrel service. More than
33,000 tons of recyclables were collected curbside during
FY 2009/2010.
Acceptable items for this barrel include:
�� plastic cups & containers #1‐#7
�� aluminum and metal food cans
�� newspaper
�� corrugated cardboard and paperboard
�� glass food and beverage containers
�� office paper, junk mail
�� telephone books and magazines
�� milk and juice cartons
COLLECTIONS
The Green Waste Barrel Program
is another recycling option for
residents and is intended for un‐
bagged yard trimmings such as
grass, leaves, plant clippings and
tree branches. Collected mate‐
rial is transported to a special processing area at the Salt
River Landfill and converted into nutrient rich mulch. This
voluntary program continues to be popular with more
than 36,000 current subscribers.
The residential Multi‐unit Recycling Program provides
residents of apartments and other multi‐dwelling commu‐
nities the opportunity to recycle on site. Recyclable items
vary by location, but may include cardboard, aluminum
and newspaper. Blue recycle barrels have become an in‐
creasingly popular option that many multi‐unit communi‐
ties are embracing because it allows residents to recycle
additional items such as plastic and glass bottles.
Drop‐off recycling centers are currently available at two
locations: Dobson Ranch Park and the East Mesa Service
Center. Both locations accept aluminum, newspaper,
cardboard, plastic cups and containers, metal food cans,
and glass and continue to be popular among residents.
Household hazardous waste
collection events are held four
times per year, alternating be‐
tween the west and east sides of
the city. These events allow
Mesa residents to dispose of
items such as paint, tires, automotive fluids, electronics,
appliances, batteries, etc., in a safe and environmentally
friendly manner. Newly added this year is the acceptance
of prescription and non‐prescription medication.
Because of the popularity of the household hazardous
waste collection events, a new appliance, computer and
electronics collection event was created to minimize wait
time. Known as A.C.E. Express, residents now have an‐
other opportunity to recycle their no longer needed items.
Scheduled A.C.E. Express events are held one week prior
to a household hazardous waste collection event at the
same location. If a resident does not have the means to
transport an appliance to either of these events, curbside
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collection is available for a nominal charge through Mesa’s
Appliance Recycling Program.
Christmas tree recycling is provided for approximately
three weeks after the holiday season via five 24‐hour
drop‐off locations. The program is provided free‐of‐charge
to Mesa residents and the collected trees are mulched
on site at the Salt River Landfill. The City also offers
curbside collection of trees for a nominal fee. More than
3,800 Christmas trees were collected during the
2009/2010 season.
Backyard composters are available upon request for a
small deposit to allow residents the ability to compost at
home.
Technology
A number of continuous improvement projects relating to
technology occurred during FY 2009/2010. Bulk item
collection services that were routed using existing solid
waste services data and ArcGIS were among some of the
automation improvements made, along with developing
reports previously created manually, or semi‐manually, to
such an extent that no interaction beyond a button click
and parameter entry is now required.
Enhancements related to data entry included the addition
of user interface error messages which are designed to
prevent commonly made mistakes from being entered into
the solid waste services database as well as other depart‐
mental databases. In addition, the barrel inventory data‐
base was expanded to enable the use of multiple pricing
structures and to track contract and budget data inde‐
pendently of one another.
In the area of new technology, focus was placed on pre‐
paring to pilot a GPS tracking system. This system will
collect vehicle related data and make it possible to locate
COLLECTIONS
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and monitor vehicles in the field from any web‐enabled
computer. Engine specific data will include oil pressure,
coolant temperature, crank case pressure, and emissions
data at given points in time. General vehicle data will in‐
clude mileage, speed, and idle/stop times with the location
of the vehicle at the time of data collection. Information
provided by the system is expected to assist decision mak‐
ers with process analysis and improvement. Beyond
operations support, potential uses for the system could
extend into communication and account monitoring.
Safety
Due to the increasing number of preventable injuries that
were being reported, Solid Waste partnered with the
Safety Services Department to implement an Injury
Prevention Program. Phase one began in January 2009
when operators participated in the Injury Prevention
Health/Wellness Training Program by Dr. Tom Renner from
Corporate Injury Management Associates (CIMA). Opera‐
tors participated in a four‐part training program, cumula‐
tively equaling two hours, which was completed in March.
Phase two began in May for administration and support
services staff, quality assurance inspectors, solid waste
service representatives and the Management Team. All
training included topics on accountability, wellness,
preparing for your day and recovery. In addition, pre‐shift
and postural conditioning techniques were demonstrated
to improve range of motion and core strength.
As a result of this program, department injuries were
reduced. Only one OSHA recordable injury was reported
from December 2009 – June 2010 in comparison to five
OSHA recordable injuries during the same time period one
year prior.
Awards & Recognition
In March 2010, the SWANA Arizona State Road‐E‐O was
held at the City of Mesa Public Training Facility. Contest‐
ants from more than ten municipalities showed up to
compete in a timed obstacle course for solid waste
collection vehicles.

The City of Mesa was represented by ten operators
competing for a chance to go to the International
Road‐E‐O in Glendale, AZ, and the following contestants
took honors in their respective categories:
Jerry Gonzales: First place roll‐off
Jimmy Quintero: First place front loader
David Cable: Second place front loader
Frank Saavedra: Second place automated side loader
Bill Cummings: Third place front loader
Randy Manshaem: Third place rear loader
Sammy Schoolcraft: Third place roll‐off
All first and second place winners will be invited to
participate in the International Road‐E‐O during
FY 2010/2011. In addition to these honors, the Solid
Waste Management Department was also awarded the
Larry Knight Award for the second year in a row for
receiving the most overall points in the competition.
In FY 2009/2010, the following administrative staff also
received honors from the SWANA Arizona Chapter for
their contributions to the solid waste industry:
Kelli Collins: Recycling Professional of the Year
Danny Ochoa: Administrator of the Year
The department was also awarded the Municipality of the
Year award.
COLLECTIONS
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The City of Mesa sponsors an Exceptional Customer
Service Awards program and five staff members were
recognized for their contributions to the organization for
developing the following programs:
�� A.C.E. Express: Brad Frisk, Mariano Reyes and
Sandy Stechnij
�� Solid Waste Injury Prevention Program: Erin Romaine
and Pat Raidy (Pat’s award was accepted by his widow,
Teri Raidy, and sons, Pat Jr. and Brandon)
What is in store for the Solid Waste
Management Department?
While the department is proud of its successes this past
year, the professional and dedicated staff will continue to
pursue new and innovative ideas to enhance its programs
and services.
To work toward these goals, the Solid Waste Management
Department continues to work on key issues such as:
�� Piloting an in‐mold label barrel study to
evaluate its effect on increasing the City’s
recycling diversion rate
�� Seeking new ways to improve operating
efficiencies while exceeding customer
expectations
As we begin a new decade, we look forward to implement‐
ing advancements made in the solid waste industry which
will further strengthen our ability to maintain a sustainable
environment for our customers.