Important changes to wood and yard debris at cleanups
Metro announces disposal voucher program changes for 2010
Metro’s disposal voucher program (which helps SWNI fund the spring and fall cleanups) has undergone changes in 2010. The program uses solid waste rate-payer funds to provide disposal vouchers to non-profit and community groups for neighborhood and natural area cleanup events. The vouchers cover the disposal costs of bulky waste and non-recyclable materials that are collected during cleanup events. The program will continue to support community and natural area cleanup events, but residential yard debris will no longer be eligible for disposal vouchers because curbside yard debris collection services are available to residents.
In addition, organizations that receive disposal vouchers will now be required to submit an event summary, that includes information about waste disposed, recycled or reused as a result of the event, within 30 days of the event or be subject to a one-year disqualification from the program. The program started January 1, 2010. Metro started the voucher program in 1994 to support community and natural area cleanup events that enhance the appearance and safety of neighborhoods and contribute to the livability of the region The Metro Council considered changes to the program in 2009 due to declining solid waste revenue. Community and neighborhood organizations expressed strong support for the program and urged Metro to continue the program. The Metro Council decided to maintain the program with reduced funding. The council directed staff to clearly define the qualifying criteria for organizations and events; to continue to call for waste reduction, education and recycling at cleanup events; to improve program user accountability and administrative efficiency; and to increase outreach about the availability of the program. For more information about the program changes, visit: www.oregonmetro.gov/neighborhoodcleanups. For information about additional Metro grant and community support resources, visit www.oregonmetro.gov/grants.
What this means to you!
Since Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. (SWNI) will no longer be able use Metro vouchers to pay for disposal of wood and yard debris at our cleanups we are given the choice of: 1. Paying for both the hauling and disposal or 2. Eliminating this part of the cleanup all together. After much thought and discussion, SWNI has decided that due to the large tree canopy in Southwest Portland it is difficult for residents to easily recycle large pruning efforts in their curbside containers. Therefore, we will accept yard debris at our Spring Cleanup on Saturday, May 8th at the Portland Christian Center, 5700 SW Dosch Rd from 9 am to 1 pm We have been looking into various options including paying the full cost of the disposal at Metro plus the hauling fee, or paying the hauling fee and locating an organization that could recycle the materials at a nonprofit discount. Either of these options will raise the cost of holding our cleanup events. One option we are considering is raising the suggested fee from $10 per car-load (each trip) to $12 per car-load depending on the amount of material being brought to the cleanup or it has been suggested that we try to estimate the weight of the yard debris you bring and charge accordingly. Please note there will not be a charge for recycling electronics, prescription drugs, or houshold items donated to Community Warehouse. Watch the SW News for updates on the final decision on this problem.