A plan to change the way DuPage County recycles has gotten the recommendation from a private firm, but it has also begun to run into political opposition from county leaders who fear it may be too expensive and could lock the government in to overseeing recycling for years.
The new system, which is estimated to cost $3 million, would allow residents to toss all their recyclable materials into one bin, rather than to separate paper from the other recyclables such as plastic, metal and glass.
But at least two members of the County Board, which would have to approve the change, have expressed concerns about the new system.
Roger Jenisch (R-Bloomingdale) said he has doubts about the county government’s continuing role in recycling.
Spending $3 million for new equipment at the county’s recycling center in Carol Stream would only ensure the county’s future role, he said.
“Before we spend any more huge sums of money, I think we need to decide if the county should remain in the recycling business or not,” Jenisch said.
“I think we should seriously consider that this facility be run as a free enterprise,” he added.
Jenisch has been a consistent critic of expanding the county’s role in recycling, but newly elected board member John Noel (R-Glen Ellyn) said he agrees with much of what Jenisch has said.
Noel said he has not heard good enough arguments for spending the $3 million, including how much it would cost if the new equipment broke down.
“I think the business of operating a recycling center can be done better by a private entity,” Noel said.
Last year, County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom said he also wanted to examine the possibility of the county getting out of the recycling business and selling or leasing the recycling center to a private waste-hauling company.
Jenisch said if the county vows to spend the $3 million, there will be little question that the county will stay very much involved in running the recycling center.
“If we spend $3 million in taxpayer money for this, we aren’t just going to then turn it over to somebody,” he said.
But many have said county government played a pivotal role in getting recycling going in DuPage and that its leadership may still be needed.
Gregory Wilcox, head of the county’s Public Works Department, said if the county sells the center it may lose control of recycling in DuPage.
“If we sell it, there is the possibility that the company we sell it to could just take all the equipment inside and move it somewhere else,” Wilcox said. “The fear is: Will recycling then erode?”
It was with those potential fears in mind that the county in November paid Oak Brook-based Harding ESE Engineers $15,000 to analyze the county’s recycling system and prepare price estimates for changing the system or keeping it the same, except with new equipment.
The group found that repairing the current system, which requires people and trash haulers to separate paper from other recyclables, would cost about $2.5 million. Though more expensive, the agency concluded changing to the so-called single-stream system would best meet future recycling needs.
“Market conditions and hauling trends may render dual-stream obsolete, and therefore limit the county’s ability to secure a favorable contract,” the report said.
The county’s Solid Waste Committee is expected to discuss the matter further at its February meeting. Members will examine specific figures for how much it would cost to change the system to single-stream, as well as what future role the county should play in the recycling effort.
