Solid Waste Management in the City of South Tucson

Abstract

Local municipalities in the United States are increasingly concerned about how and where we are going to dispose of our trash without generating unmanageable costs. The phenomena of increasing land prices, stricter national environmental protection regulations and landowners that are unwillingly to live next to a dump are forcing costs through the roof, in turn, this is draining municipal budgets which are not prepared for the changing solid waste industry. These fiscal drains and stiffening regulation are forcing local legislators to modify the way in which they treat solid waste disposal. Cities and towns are setting up systems that treat waste as a utility that is paid for incrementally and based on usage. This report provides a broad overview of the solid waste disposal in the United States including a brief history, and a synopsis of solid waste disposal policies at the national and state level. Long-term solid waste management concerns and a discussion of current programmatic trends (including Enterprise Funds, Pay As You Throw (PAYT) systems) and complementary services (such as recycling and green waste pickup) are discussed in detail. The City of Tucson’s solid waste policies are used as a framework for the possible restructuring of the smaller municipality, the City of South Tucson’s Sanitation Services. Current sanitation practice in the City of South Tucson and preliminary findings for the FY 2002-03 Sanitation Services cost benefit analysis demonstrate the need for in-depth documentation of all revenues and expenditures. Programmatic and fiscal recommendations for the City of South Tucson include the tracking of all Sanitation Services revenues and expenditures (Base Study), the formation of a self-standing Sanitation Services enterprise fund, the implementation of once a week trash pick up with the integration of complementary services (recycling and green waste), and the eventual implementation of a Pay-As-You-Throw fiscal program. It is recommended that these fiscal and programmatic changes be actuated on an incremental basis, which is dependent on the findings of the Sanitation Services Base Study. An in-depth understanding of the long and short-term solid waste issues will guide the Mayor and Council of the City of South Tucson in making an informed decision on potential policy changes that could enhance the current program while ensuring the program’s fiscal accountability.