Estimate on costs of implementation
Ripple Glass Recycling Proposal

In January 2011, Ripple Glass sent the City Manager a glass recycling opportunity proposal for the Lawrence community. Ripple Glass proposed to pay for the transportation of glass from a City of Lawrence facility to their facility in Kansas City, Missouri. They would also provide some supplies, support, and assistance for the program. In return, Ripple Glass would like the City of Lawrence to place four collection containers for glass in the community and service the bins as needed by consolidating the glass into a City-provided bunker.  

 According to the US EPA, glass is 5 percent of the total Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Organic materials continue to be the largest component of MSW (paper and paperboard account for 28%, yard trimmings and food scraps account for another 28%). The City of Lawrence Waste Reduction and Recycling Division currently offers a recycling program for corrugated cardboard, newspaper, office paper, and mixed paper as well as a composting program for yard trimmings. Although the City does not offer a recycling program for glass, there are two recycling centers that accept glass: Wal-Mart Community Recycling Center and the 12th and Haskell Bargain Center. Also a few of the curbside recycling haulers accept glass as part of their service.

The following is an estimate of costs related to implementation of the glass recycling proposal.

Capital Expenditures

·         Collection Bin Purchase and Renovation (4 bins, includes assembly labor) - $ 20,485.60

·         Concrete Pad Construction and Materials ( 2,250 square feet, includes labor) - $7,662.40

·         Bunker Construction and Materials (35 ton capacity, labor not included) -  $ 2,100.00

·         TOTAL = $30,248.00

Monthly Operating Expenditures

·         Bin Servicing (2 hauls per week per bin) - $ 512.96

·         Truck Loading (once per week) - $ 89.32

·         TOTAL = $602.28 monthly

Monthly Landfill Diversion Savings

·         Currently the landfill rate is $24.50 per ton. The monthly landfill diversion savings would depend on how many tons of glass are collected. It also depends on how much of the glass collected in these bins is “new” glass that is not already captured for recycling at existing drop-off recycling centers (i.e. Wal-Mart Community Recycling Center and 12th and Haskell Bargain Center).