Out of Sight - Out of Mind

Central Business District Sealed Compactor Program

APWA Mid-Atlantic Chapter Conference

May 5, 2016

City of Roanoke

Downtown Roanoke Incorporated

Out of Sight - Out of Mind

START AT THE BEGINNING

Motivation

• Remove unsightly trash set-out on curbs, sidewalks,

and public spaces

• Trash lingered waiting for collection

• Remove unpleasant odors

• Discourage scavenging

• Reduce pest problems (insects, bees, raccoons,

rodents, etc.)

• Specific problem area

How Could This Look?

• Keep our street scape beautiful, safe, clean and odor -free

• Encourage outdoor dining and local events

• Encourage citizens to visit all the downtown businesses

• Lessen impact on infrastructure (waste stains, stormwater

pollution)

• Increase recycling rates

• Exceed customer expectations, best in class!

HISTORY

• Trash was collected at the curb or deposited at a

dumpster

• Three daily collection times 3:00, 5:00, 10:00 p.m.

• Costly service to Solid Waste Management

• Fees were based on the number of bags

collected

• Growing interest in outdoor dining

• Potential safety liability to vehicles and pedestrians

• Poor recycling participation

The Tipping Point

• Problem area - the dumpster area had two

grease traps.

• One was rented by the city for the market building

• second was rented by one other restaurant

• Grease traps developed into a problem

situation

• 15 years ago the area was eliminated

• This was the start of the compactor conversation

First Steps

• Set new collection times

• Introduced a recycling collection program

• Streamlined trash collections to

o 3 times per day – 6 days a week

o Added weekend collection on Sunday

Downtown Roanoke Incorporated

• Non-profit downtown

development organization

• Advocates for merchants

• Aware of rapid growth in the

Central Business District

• Trash collection continued to

be on everyone’s radar

• A new compactor

movement began

Planning Together

Exploratory Compactor Committee Headed by

Downtown Roanoke Incorporated (DRI)

Comprised of: Merchants

Police

DRI

City of Roanoke

Out of Sight - Out of Mind

MAKING IT WORK

Compactor Zones

Sealed Compactor Service

• The sealed compactor is available 24 hours per

day and seven days a week for trash and

recycling disposal

• Each registered user receives a fob (electronic

key) for access to the unit

• For each registered account - the first two uses

per week are free

• Each subsequent use is $1there is no charge for

recycling

Market Area Compactor (MAC)

• Accessible location

• Partnership with local property owners

• Fully enclosed/FOB accessible

• 24-7 monitored/lighted area

DRI contacted a property owner in Historic District

MAC Feedback

Complaints:

o Balked at the location and access

o Worried - it would be too costly

o Questioned employee safety

Successes:

o Trash off of the street

o Accessible 24 hours / 7days a week

o Costs were lower than expected

Campbell Court Compactor

• Build on the success of the MAC

• City owned building

• Overlap of the service area

• Merchants had a choice of locations

Kirk Avenue Compactor

Progress continues…

Church & Luck Compactors

• 4th compactor at the Hampton Inn on Church

Ave

• 5th and final compactor – soon to be under

construction

• Completes the elimination of curbside trash

collection

Compactor Success (MAC)

Before Compactor

Trash - 1038.336 tons per year

Recycling - 59.64 tons per year

After Compactor

Trash - 576.44 tons per year

Recycling - 337.558 tons per year

Success

Trash volume

decreased by

55.5%

Recycling

volume

increased by

565%

Compactor Success• Typical cost to a restaurant before compactor,

$120 per month

• The average cost to a restaurant can be reduced up

60% per month

• Economic Development – Downtown is Cleaner!

“McGinn (owner Roanoke Dawgs) was curious to check out several

other things that for him were key indicators of whether Roanoke

would be a good place to do business.

One of them was to see how clean downtown was…But as he

described his May visit to us, he kept coming back to the part about

downtown — and how impressed he was that it was so clean.” Roanoke Times, November 23, 2015

Key Compactor Facts

• DRI relationship key for community acceptance

• Negotiation of property can be challenging

• Continuing outreach necessary for success of

the program

• Cost of the finished units approximately $150,000

Out of Sight - Out of Mind

SERVING THE MARKET

Getting the Word Out

• Changing dynamics of downtown

• What is important to the CBD customer?

• Clean & Safe & Beautification Programs

Communication

• Websites

• Video

• Community

Outreach

• Customer Service

• Ongoing Training: for

business owners and

event planners

Satisfied Customers

Cornerstone Bar and Grill paid $120 per month for curbside collection,

now they pay on average $70 per month due to separating recycling

from trash, saving themselves $600 per year with the new service

**************

"We love having it readily accessible and the recycling option is perfect

for us."

-John, Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op

**************

"I think it is wonderful and beneficial to all. It beautifies the streets,

encourages recycling, and provides a positive opportunity for us to

come together for a better Downtown Roanoke."

-Maya, On the Rise Bread Co.

•

Recognition

The City of Roanoke Wins the 2015 Recycler of the Year!

The Virginia Recycling Association (VRA) recognized the City of Roanoke’s

innovative approach to waste and recycling collection by naming the City

the 2015 Recycler of the Year for its Downtown Sealed Trash Compactor

Program. Each year the VRA recognizes the best waste reduction and

recycling programs in the state at an annual awards ceremony.

Representatives from Roanoke’s Solid Waste Management Division and

Downtown Roanoke Incorporated (DRI) will accept this top award on May 6,

2015 at VRA’s annual conference held in Virginia Beach.

Panel Discussion

Skip Decker – Solid Waste Management

Billy Basham - Solid Waste Management

Tina Workman - Downtown Roanoke Incorporated