South Bayside Waste Management Authority (RethinkWaste) today approved Request for Proposals (RFP) for franchised solid waste and recycling collection services and for operation of the Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center in San Carlos. Separate RFPs will be released on November 1st for franchised collection services and Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center operations, respectively. The release of the RFPs will initiate a competitive procurement process for one of the largest municipal services areas in the United States and is expected to draw responses from potential contractors throughout California and nationally. Responses to the RFPs will be due back to the RethinkWaste by March 4, 2008. New services will be initiated in 2010 and 2011.
Allied Waste of San Mateo County currently provides franchised solid waste and recycling collection services for 91,000 residences and nearly 10,000 businesses in the RethinkWaste service area comprised of the cities of Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos and San Mateo along with the County of San Mateo and the West Bay Sanitary District. Allied Waste also is under contract with the RethinkWaste to operate the Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center. The annual revenue associated with Allied's existing contracts is $70 million for collection services (for the entire service area) and $36 million for Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center operations. These contracts all expire on December 31, 2010.
"This is major milestone in moving forward with the future rollout of a comprehensive array of modern, convenient, and environmentally superior recycling and solid waste services for local residents and businesses," remarked Larry Patterson, Chair of the RethinkWaste Board of Directors. "We are excited to be starting the procurement process and getting potential contractors engaged in designing high quality and cost effective services and programs for our customers."
RethinkWaste is also moving forward with implementing a $20 million masterplan to guide substantial building and traffic improvements at the Shoreway facility in San Carlos. This facility currently serves as the hub for receiving all trash and recyclables from the service area. These improvements are necessary to handle an expected increase of over 50,000 tons of recyclables and organics from rollout of new collection services in 2010/11 and improve traffic circulation and customer convenience. The facility has not undergone any major renovations since opening in 1982. RethinkWaste will incorporate green building features into the building improvements.
"The end result of this procurement effort and completion of the Shoreway masterplan will be the most environmentally sustainable solid waste and recycling collection and processing system in the United States," stated Kevin McCarthy, Executive Director of the RethinkWaste.
For more information on the RethinkWaste's RFP process for future services, please visit our website at www.rethinkwaste.org and click on the link for "Contractor Selection Process."
Formed in 1982, the RethinkWaste is a joint powers authority comprised of 12 member agencies in San Mateo County and is a leader in implementing innovative waste reduction and recycling programs. RethinkWaste also owns and manages the Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center consisting of a permitted solid waste transfer station and a materials recovery facility.
