GBB conducted an evaluation of waste and recyclables collection in the City of Plano, Texas (pop. 220,000) to determine whether the City should negotiate an extension of its commercial waste collection franchise agreement with the private service provider; undertake procurement for the commercial waste franchise; or expand its public collection program to include services now provided by the commercial franchise holder.

GBB’s evaluation also included a review of the City’s recycling system to determine ways to increase the level of diversion from commercial generators and an assessment of the C&D materials generated and disposed in the City to determine if there are feasible alternatives to increase recycling and diversion of these materials from the waste stream.  GBB’s work included field surveys, preparation of analysis and reports, and presentations and briefings of findings and recommendations to the City.

Following GBB’s evaluation, guidance, and report to the City, GBB assisted the City in negotiating a new commercial waste and recyclables collection franchise agreement with Trinity Waste Services, a subsidiary of Allied Waste. The new franchise agreement is estimated to save the City several hundred thousand dollars per year as compared to its costs under its previous agreement with Trinity.  The new franchise agreement included separate rates for commercial recyclables collection services that are lower than those for waste services; this expanded rate schedule encourages commercial accounts to right size waste services along with recyclables collection services.  The new franchise agreement also included a provision for Trinity to upgrade its dual stream Materials Recovery Facility with additional equipment so as to accommodate single stream recyclables flows from both the residential and commercial sectors in the City.  The capital cost for these improvements were estimated to be over $2 million and without charge to the City.

GBB also assisted the City by developing a business plan for a regional composting operation being developed by the City.  This addressed feedstock, capital and operations costs, independent product markets, and revenues.