Sep 18, 2018 By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 3 min read

Mt. Lebanon will maintain its current schedule for collection of solid waste and recycled materials.

Commissioners voted 3-2 at a special morning meeting Sept. 18 to award a five-year contract to Waste Management calling for solid-waste pickup each week and recyclables every other week. Steve Silverman, commission president, and Kelly Fraasch opposed the measure, saying they would prefer recyclable materials to be collected on a weekly basis.

The vote was scheduled for Sept. 12, but John Bendel was not present at the meeting and discussion among the other commissioners indicated a 2-2 tie would occur. Craig Grella and Steve McLean joined Bendel in favoring biweekly recyclable collection.

The cost of the contract as approved was $11.035 million, with a per-unit fee for both solid waste and recycled. The fee for weekly collection of recyclables would have been per ton, with an estimated overall cost of at least $262,000 above the contracted amount.

Ian McMeans, municipal planner and assistant manager, said at the Sept. 12 meeting that the estimate is based on current recyclable collection amounts of about 2,300 tons each year throughout the municipality, minus 20-plus percent to account for glass no longer being accepted for recycling after Jan. 1.

“The contractor, based on market conditions, has the option to add things back into or take things out of the recycling stream at each year during the five-year contract,” he said. “As an example, if the glass market were to explode in a few years, they could add glass back in as a recyclable. But we have no way of projecting that or knowing that.”

At the special meeting, Fraasch said she frequently hears from residents who would like to have recyclables picked up each week. Silverman has received similar comments and said he thinks more frequent collections would promote additional recycling throughout the community.

Bendel pointed out, though, that more materials would mean higher costs for the municipality under a per-ton system.

The vote at the special meeting ensured that Mt. Lebanon will meet the Sept. 24 deadline set in conjunction with the South Hills Area Council of Governments’ bidding process on behalf of its member municipalities.

In the meantime, SHACOG and municipal officials are seeking possibilities that will allow residents to continue to recycle glass products, which are being eliminated from collection because no viable market for them currently exists.

Several types of plastic also are to be kept out of the recycling bin at the start of the new year. The exceptions are those made of polyethylene terephthalate, such as water and soft-drink bottles, and high-density polyethylene, including milk jugs and detergent bottles.