HomeMy WebLinkAbout041425 Paul Quinn - Audience Comment Submittals1 | P a g e
SMART Disposal
Proof Of Concept Plan
Objective: To prove the feasibility of weighing single-family residence containers when they're emptied
for disposal without, in any way, slowing down or delaying the garbage truck pickup time.
Weighing each container can be done with reasonable accuracy.
The truck driver does not need to take any special actions to make the system work.
The residence container’s number can be accurately read by the optical character
recognition (OCR) system.
The container's number and its weight can be transmitted from the truck-based system
into a cloud database. These records can then be accessed for analysis and for postcard-
type reports.
Requirements of the Proof of Concept:
1. The city will:
a. Procure a rented side-loader garbage truck, with the manufacturer and model type
provided by Loadman (the manufacturer of the scale).
b. Provide a truck driver.
c. Pay Loadman to install a scale on the rented truck, provide on-site support during testing,
and de-install the scale from the rented truck.
i. The rented truck will first be delivered to the Loadman offices for two weeks to install
the system and test it prior to proof-of-concept testing.
Loadman / Creative Microsystems, Inc.
15224 SE Renton Issaquah Road
Renton, WA 98059
ii. When the truck is delivered to Loadman, loan them five disposal containers matching
the types used within the city for single-family residences.
d. Provide an independent scale to obtain verified weights of each container and, separately,
its contents.
e. Provide an unused lot where the rented garbage truck can simulate a disposal pickup of
the five containers.
f. Provide several bags of sufficient weight to effectively simulate disposal weights at single-
family residences.
g. Conduct multiple-trial disposal runs for both types (with scale inactivated and with scale
activated) during the days of testing. This will help assure statistical significance.
2. Cost Estimate:
a. Loadman installation/deinstallation of the scale on rental truck plus support as needed:
$17,800
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b. Big Truck Rental of a Heil Python side-loader garbage truck (4-week minimum):
$13,900
3. Video filming:
a. The testing process will need a videographer.
i. Video recording within the cab of the truck to demonstrate:
1. What the driver is doing during the baseline test run (when the scale is not
activated).
2. What the driver is doing when the scale is activated.
ii. Video recording of the truck picking up the containers. The video image will include a
timer to demonstrate the time required to process the containers, both when the
scale is not activated (establishing a baseline) and when the scale is activated.
iii. Video production would consist of:
1. a 2- to 3-minute video suitable for showing at a City Council meeting.
2. a 20- to 30-minute video demonstrating in detail the testing process and
providing conclusive evidence of a comprehensive and compelling proof of
concept. This video would also include interviews with key constituents.
iv. Proposed bids from local videographers are available.
b. Cost Estimate:
i. Up to 3 days of on-site videoing, approximately 6 hours per day @$200 per hour -
$3,600
ii. Interviews of key constituents up to 6 hours @200 per hour: $1,200
iii. Post-production editing, music licensing, etc… up to $4,500.
iv. Total Video costs: $9,300
4. Testing process for each trial:
a. Scale not Activated (baseline)
i. The truck will pick up each of the five containers, with the video showing the elapsed
time for each pickup. This will establish the baseline time without the scale being
activated.
b. The bags will be removed from the truck and returned to their original containers so the
scale-activated test will measure each container with precisely the same setup.
c. Scale Activated
i. The truck will pick up each of the five containers, with the video showing the elapsed
time for each pickup, this time with the scale activated.
Handout #1 - Analysis of City Tonnage and Diversion Rates
City of Renton YTD Feb-25
Tonnage (total all types)YTD Feb-24 % of
Total YTD Feb-25 % of
Total
Single-Family 4,526 41%4,322 40%
Commercial 4,714 43%4,765 44%
Multi-Family 1,693 15%1,656 15%
Total 10,932 100% 10,743 100%
Tonnage (by how disposed)YTD Feb-24 % of
Total YTD Feb-25 % of
Total
Garbage (landfill)7,236 66%7,244 67%
Recycle 2,262 21%2,148 20%
Food Scraps / Yardwaste 1,434 13%1,351 13%
Total 10,932 100% 10,743 100%
Diversion Rate YTD Feb-24 YTD Feb-25 vs Prior
YR
Single-Family 58% 58%-0.1%
Commercial 17% 15%-1.4%
Multi-Family 15% 15%-0.7%
% of tot. waste put in recycling
& food scraps / yardwaste bins 33.8% 32.6%-1.2%
Missed Opportunity^YTD Feb-24 YTD Feb-25
Tons of Recycle & Food Scraps /
Yardwaste in Landfill 4,848 tons 4,853 tons
Garbage
Container
No
Recycle
Container
Single-Family 24,598 (9) (346)
Commercial 1,261 (381) (1,246)
Multi-Family 377 - (377)
Each month Renton sends to landfill 2427 tons ................ that could have gone here
^ estimate based on King County 2022 Waste Characterization and Customer Survey; 2/3's of what is put in landfill could have been diverted
* Roll-off tonnage data, if provided, are applied to the primary-source category. Roll-off tonnage is typically generated by open-top dumpsters, at some
businesses & apartments, and at sites of construction or home renovation.
How Many Pickup Sites Do Not have a Recycle or a
Food Scraps / Yardwaste Container
No Food Scraps /
Yardwaste Container
⅔ of what's
dumped in
landfill could
be diverted
to recycling
or compost^
1
2
3
4
5
40.1%38.6%37.4%38.1%
32.6%
66.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
50.0%
55.0%
60.0%
65.0%
70.0%
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
TOTAL DIVERSION RATE
23.1 23.5 24.0
24.7
28.5
30.2
31.9
33.6
35.3
37
38.7
$22
$24
$26
$28
$30
$32
$34
$36
$38
$40
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
INCREASE IN MONTHLY GARBAGE
CHARGES (30 TO 35 GAL)
2020 - 2025 ACTUAL PLUS 2026 - 2030 PROJECTIONS
(BASED ON 3-YEAR TREND)
Paul Quinn || 206-515-9165 || firstnonviolence@pm.me
Handout #2 - Recommended Actions to Improve City Diversion Rates
City of Renton
What We CAN do to Improve Diversion Rates NOW
CITYWIDE
1
2
Initiate a program to provide, to each household and
business both a free indoor recycling container and a
countertop kitchen-scraps container. (Typically your
disposal company will help defray costs.)
3
SINGLE-FAMILY
1
2
BUSINESS
1
2
3
MULTI-FAMILY
1
What We CAN do to Improve Diversion Rates In the Near Future
Pass a City Ordinance to require all 377 remaining multi-family locations to make available a food scrap /
yardwaste container.
Each container picked up must (a) be identified (using the number already on every container) and (b) be
weighed before and after being dumped into the truck. This SMART Disposal program would facilitate
improved diversion rates by pickup location. (This technology already exists, see handout #3).
In the next disposal contract or amendment, require this:
Once in place, this program would help each person understand how they are doing in comparison to their
neighbors (like PSE does now).
Pass a City Ordinance to require all businesses serving the public to make available a recycle container.
This would include some of the 381 remaining businesses.
Require each business to work with the disposal company to ensure that all public-facing disposal
containers match the colors used by residents. This will increase sorting accuracy by the public.
Include, in each newsletter sent to residents, the most current diversion statistics and tips to improve their
rates of recycling and composting
Pass a City Ordinance to require all businesses serving the public to make available a food scraps container.
This would include some of the 1246 remaining businesses.
Pass a City Ordinance to require all 346 remaining single-family homes to use a food scrap / yardwaste
barrel.
Start a pilot with 100 residents where diversion advisors review weekly contents of trash, recycle, and
compost containers and provide feedback to improve accuracy of material disposal.
Change pickup schedules to have garbage picked up every other week while retaining every week pickup
for recycling and compost.
Paul Quinn || 206-515-9165 || firstnonviolence@pm.me
Handout #3 - SMART Disposal and Why We Need It
City of Renton
Paul Quinn || 206-515-9165 || firstnonviolence@pm.me
Home Trash Reduction Report City of Tacoma
1234 Anywhere St., Renton, WA 98074 Composting Recycling Trash
food scraps / yard
waste
Your Average Pounds Last Two Pickups 5 lbs 10 lbs 20 lbs Improving!
Your Average Pounds Prior Mth (4 pickups)4 lbs 8 lbs 23 lbs
How you compare to others in your neighborhood (pounds of trash per week)
You
Your Neighbors
Tips on 3 items, among many, you can compost:
1 Paper take-out food containers (e.g. fast food)
2 Used paper towels
3 Pasta
Renton Supports Recycling and Composting!
Single Family Resident
1234 Anywhere St.
Renton, WA 98074
Handout #4 - Example Postcard Sent to Residents
17.0 17.5 18.0 18.5 19.0 19.5 20.0 20.5
Paul Quinn || 206-515-9165 || firstnonviolence@pm.me