PARADIGM CHANGE: WASTE IS A RESOURCERamey/Washington County Resource Recovery Project

Victoria Reinhardt, Ramsey County Commissioner

WELCOME TO THE EAST METRORamsey and Washington Counties, MN• 2 of the 7 counties of the

greater Saint Paul - Minneapolis area• Population of 764,000

• 14% of the population in State of MN

• 392,000 people employed• Racially diverse community• Fully developed county

working in close partnership with a suburban/rural county

RAMSEY WASHINGTON COUNTY RESOURCE RECOVERY PROJECT

• Joint Powers Board• 5 Ramsey County Commissioners• 4 Washington County Commissioners• Staffed by members of respective

Counties Public Health Department

• Formed in 1982

• Responsible for administering joint county solid waste activities

• Refused Derived Fuel Facility• Currently owned and operated by

Resource Recovery Technologies (RRT)

SUCCESSFUL SYSTEM READY FOR CHANGE

• Robust waste management system but now we are looking forward

•Paradigm Change: Waste is a Resource• Critical shift in thinking and policy• Why?

• Manages resources locally • Keeps value of resources local• Ensures flexibility• Embraces new technology

MAKING THE CASE FOR CONVERSION

• Community has high recycling rates• Engaged elected officials• Investing in engineering, legal and

financial analysis• East Metro economic prosperity

goals• Focus on “Big Picture Question” of

how do we manage carbon• New State Laws require commercial

recycling

What’s Next?

SOLID WASTE SYSTEM RESULTS – ~90% DIVERSION

1988 – 2012 Diversion Rates

• Recycling rates moved from near 0% to 41%

• Organics recovery moved from 0% to 7%

• Processing recovery moved from 0% to 41%

• Development of extensive system to handle yard waste by public and private sector

• Significant development of risk reduction activities related to hazardous waste regulation and household hazardous waste management

1998 – 2012 Processing Total Tonnage

• 9.1 millions tons of MSW delivered to Facility

• 6.8 millions tons of RDF converted to electricity

• 294,000 tons of ferrous metals recycled

6 KEY POINTS THAT DEFINE EAST METRO

1. Waste is complex – • There are many types of waste and how it is handled has environmental and public

health consequences

2. Waste is inefficiency: • Reducing waste in our communities and recovering resources can help the East

Metro area be more competitive and resilient

3. The system is accountable, primarily through solid waste master plans

4. An effective and integrated waste management system is working in the East Metro area

5. Reducing risk to health and the environment is a key element of the system

6. The system is operated by a combination of private sector and public sector participants

HOW DID WE GET HERE?IT BEGAN WITH A QUESTION

Question:

Is a merchant approach possible, or is there a determination that the solid waste market will not support a merchant approach?

Answer:

A determination was made in 2012 that the market has failed, and the Counties need to examine other options.

• Established guiding principles for waste processing system changes

• Why? • To serve as a touch

stone as specific issues are debated and decided – allowing the Counties to test the integrity of decisions.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

1. Plan for a 20‐30 year horizon;

2. Build on the current system and allow changes in processing to emerge over time;

3. Assure flexibility;

4. Manage risks; and

5. Pivot the view from “waste” to “resources” to add value to the local economy and the environment.

EXTENSIVE ANALYSIS (2011 TO 2014)

• Technology alternatives and combinations of alternatives

• Policy and governance alternatives

• Financing opportunities and alternatives

• Ownership

• See our work: http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/recovery

THE POLICY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN 2015

Looking ahead to the future

(20‐30 years):

1. How should processing of MSW be integrated into the solid waste system in the East Metro area?

2. What should be the role of the Counties with regard to integrating processing into the solid waste system?

TIMELINE THOUGHTSWaste conversion technologies will be integral in our success

KEEP IN TOUCH• Visit our website:

http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/recovery/

• Talk to our team at the Conference today!• Zack Hansen – 651.796.8359• Judy Hunter – 651.398.8235