Title
A Resolution for the Support and Commitment for a Baldwin County Recycling Cooperative
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Foley, through a dynamic Recycling Program, recognizes the importance of protecting and preserving our natural resources, and works to make the world a better place by adopting conscientious living habits that will improve our daily lives and bring about a cleaner, safer and healthier environment; and
WHEREAS, the City of Foley has undertaken many positive and successful waste reduction programs that have helped make the City of Foley a recycling leader, however, we can further reduce waste and recycle even more; and
WHEREAS, although there has been a significant increase in the amount of recycling in the City of Foley we must continue to focus on other initiatives such as waste reduction, composting, the reuse of products and materials, and purchasing recycled products and packaging; arid
WHEREAS, by encouraging businesses, County and State agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, citizens and visitors to actively recycle we can further promote recycling as an environmentally efficient and economically smart way of life; and
WHEREAS, local community and county recycling leaders have come to the realization that we have advanced our individual recycling programs in our respective communities as far as possible as separate stand-alone franchises; and
WHEREAS, being reliant on third-party, out-of-state recycle processors/brokers/buyers has become costly, inefficient and unsustainable for the long-term success of each municipality and the County’s respective Recycling Program; and
WHEREAS, local community and county recycling leaders have come together to join in a discussion of a concentrated cooperative effort to share resources to maximize the environmental
• and economic value of county-wide recycling; and
WHEREAS, local community and county recycling leaders, working together, will need to conduct a feasibility study and develop a draft business plan for the possibility of forming a Baldwin County Recycling Cooperative; and
WHEREAS, the City of Foley desires to work with Baldwin County Solid Waste as the lead agency along with the cities and towns of Daphne, Fairhope, Bay Minette, Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Robertsdale, Loxley, Summerdale, Silverhill, Elberta, Magnolia Springs, Perdido Beach and Spanish Fort to expedite the critical need to maximize our recycling efficiency and commodity value through a cooperative effort.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF Foley, ALABAMA that:
SECTION 1. Supports the concept of a Baldwin County Recycling Cooperative.
SECTION 2. Authorizes City Staff to work with Baldwin County and our sister communities to conduct a feasibility study, develop a business plan for an effective and productive county-wide recycling cooperative.
SECTION 3. Commits and acknowledges that the service to be provided by the Baldwin County Solid Waste Department will be an operating expense to be funded by a published tipping fee not to exceed the disposal rate of household garbage; however, market fluctuations and conditions will need to be evaluated and recognized on an ongoing basis to determine the level of service the MRF can support.
SECTION 4. Report back its findings for possible future legislative action.