Lower Burrell considers new recycling contract for bigger bins on wheels

With options from two companies providing six bids, Lower Burrell Council is favoring vendor-provided, 65-gallon bins with lids on wheels for residents to store recyclables and tote to the curb.

Shank Waste Service Inc. of Lower Burrell and Waste Management of Moon Township submitted bids with city-supplied and contractor-supplied bins for manual and automated collections.

Council discussed the new bids during their meeting Tuesday, July 5 and will likely cast their final votes on the recyclables collection service at Monday’s meeting.

Residents currently pay $11 per quarter for recycling collection by Waste Management. The city provides collection bins. Recycling collections occur every two weeks.

That contract expires at the end of the year. The state requires the city to recycle because its population exceeds the law’s threshold of 10,000 residents or more.

Council is considering Waste Management’s automated collections with contractor-provided bins.

Waste Management’s bid for automated, contractor-provided bins runs from $22,560 to $30,644 a month from next year through 2027.

Council did not pick Shank Waste Services, which submitted three bids, including one for automated, contractor-provided bins for the same period with charges ranging from $30,272 to $33,583 a month through the life of the contract.

The city will not calculate the cost to residents for the new recycling contract until they develop the 2023 budget, City Administrator Amy Rockwell said.

Councilman David Stoltz said he also liked the idea of providing residents with a recycling bin on wheels, which will make it easier for residents to move the bins to the curb for collection.

Councilwoman Rosina Albanese added, “At a minimal added cost, the new bins will have more capacity and will be easier to move on wheels.”

Another issue council considered for the new recycling contract is its policy to allow residents to pick their garbage haulers.

Councilman Chris Fabry said initially he was concerned that providers wouldn’t take the city on as a client because the city did not want to offer exclusivity for garbage collection with recycling.

“The more choices out there, the better it is for residents, as competition drives down prices and increases quality,” he said.