Fees for bagged garbage jump 100 percent

Bulk rates at the Sullivan County Landfill and transfer stations remain unchanged

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — On April 1, it will cost twice as much to dispose of bagged garbage at the landfill or a transfer station in Sullivan County. The rate for bagged garbage will climb from $1.25 to $2.50 per bag. For residents who purchase discount coupon booklets, the cost will rise from $1 to $2. The cost for bulk waste disposal remains the same.

Solid waste management director John Kehlenbeck said the price has been raised because “the rates of bagged garbage haven’t increased in 10 years, and have been kept low for a long time.”

Public Works Committee chair Kathy LaBuda said she received just a couple of complaints. The increase was implemented now, she said, because “we want to make sure the landfill pays for itself.”

In September 2004, tipping fees for bulk garbage went from $55 to $75 per ton for household waste, and from $55 to $125 per ton for demolition and construction debris. Costs were raised higher, to $85 and $135 per ton respectively, at the transfer stations to compensate for the cost of shipping the garbage to the landfill.

At the time, area garbage haulers complained that the county kept the bagged rate artificially low, and it hurt their businesses. Shirley Felder-Morton, proprietor of a hauling business called Sullivan County First Recycling, said, “It’s about time the county came up to a more realistic price.” She said that the move was not likely to help her business because the people who take their own garbage to the dump tend to be very “cost-conscious.”

Keeping the costs low

For people who want to continue to take their bagged garbage to a transfer station or the landfill, collecting garbage for a few weeks might save a few dollars. For example: a resident with 10 bags of household trash could dispose of the garbage for $20 under the new rate schedule, with the use of coupons. However, customers have the option of paying a bulk rate at the landfill and some transfer stations. This is accomplished by driving a vehicle onto the scales where it is weighed. After the garbage is unloaded, the vehicle is weighed again. The difference between the two figures is the weight of the garbage.

The weight of the 10 bags might be under the 250 pounds, which means the payment would be $9.75 at the landfill, and $10.75 at the Ferndale and Rockland stations.

The Highland, Mamakating and Western Sullivan transfer stations do not have scales, so garbage at those facilities is still charged per cubic yard. Again, in that situation the bulk rate may often be cheaper than the per-bag rate, depending on the contents and size of the bags.

Kehlenbeck said he isn’t really concerned whether residents use the per-bag rate or the bulk rate. “The question,” he said, “is how they’re going to store the garbage until they get it to the landfill.

Recycling saves money

Another way to lower the price of taking bagged garbage to the landfill is to make full use of recycling. Bill Cutler, the county recycling coordinator, said county residents only recycle about 30 percent of the materials in the waste stream that should be recycled. He said residents who make full use of recycling could cut their trash bills in half.

It costs nothing to dispose of most recycled materials at the landfill and transfer stations. However, fees are charged for some items such as tires and refrigerators. A new minimum fee of $5 is being instituted for scrap metal; large amounts cost $35 per ton.

Private haulers are required by state law to take away recycled materials for their customers.

Sullivan County Recycling Program

Mixed paper

Accepted: magazines, junk mail, telephone books, cereal boxes, TV dinner cartons, envelopes, books with hard covers removed, note pad backer board, paper towel tubes, school and office paper.

Not accepted: Waxed paper, blue prints, and carbon paper.

Newspaper

Accepted: all regular newsprint and glossy inserts.

Not accepted: soiled newsprint and inserts.

Cardboard and Kraft paper

Accepted: Brown shipping boxes and cartons, and brown paper bags.

Not accepted: very wet or soiled cardboard.

Glass

Accepted: glass bottles of any color, glass jars, and plate glass.

Not accepted: light bulbs, auto glass, and mirrors.

Mixed containers

Accepted: numbers 1 through 7 plastic containers, aluminum beverage cans, and cans made of iron, steel, tin and bimetal (labels may be left on).

Tires

Accepted: rubber tires, removed from rims if possible.

Not accepted: tires filled with soil.

Used motor oil

Accepted: noncommercial amounts of used motor oil and transmission fluid.

Not accepted: vegetable oil, grease, and unknown fluids.

Antifreeze (landfill site only)

Accepted: noncommercial amounts of used antifreeze.

Not accepted: industrial solvents.

Scrap metal

Accepted: metal appliances, iron aluminum, copper, brass, tin, aluminum foil, pie tins, and metal containers.

Not accepted: appliances with doors still intact.

For more information call the Sullivan County Division of Solid Waste at 845/794-4466.