In 2009, Sanitation collections in Baltimore City had remained unchanged for over 30 years. Mixed refuse was collected twice a week and recycling was collected twice a month. Baltimore remained one of the only cities of its size still collecting household trash twice per week.
With only 650,000 residents and approximately 210,000 households, the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Solid Waste, decided it could deliver service more effectively and more efficiently with significant cost savings. For 18 months, Public Works evaluated all aspects of service delivery with an intense focus on Solid Waste collections.
The economic climate at that time was threatening cuts to service so the goal was to proactively create efficiencies – and take the opportunity to promote effective and sustainable waste management and protect the environment by producing less waste and recycling more. To do this, Public Works decided to implement One PLUS ONE collections in Baltimore City – one mixed refuse and one recycling pick up each week.
It was hoped that instituting “One and One” collection would benefit the increasing number of households already recycling and encourage more participation by providing recycling collection more frequently.
In addition, plans were developed for a complete overhaul of collection routing to optimize crew performance as well as increase fuel and other cost efficiencies. More efficient routing would reduce fleet costs, fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
A four day/ten hour workweek was proposed to give residents a break from frequent missed collection days due to many Monday holidays. This would also provide for Saturday make-up collections for those communities impacted by holidays falling later in the week.
This schedule would give crews more time off from a physically demanding job and lead to fewer injuries. A new 6 a.m. collection start would get crews off major roadways before rush hour traffic – reducing accidents, improving driver and crew safety and increasing route efficiency.
Though volume studies indicated that a 64-gallon limit of mixed refuse each week would work for most households, especially if they recycled, a 96-gallon limit was included in One PLUS ONE legislation down from the pre-One PLUS ONE limit of 160 gallons. That limit did not include recycling or yard waste.
One PLUS ONE also provided for increased and improved services in other areas. For the first time, the Bureau of Solid Waste could dedicate crews that had been providing recycling collection to full time to street, alley and seasonal cleaning and collections. These crews allow for a quicker response to citizen service requests and proactive cleaning in their assigned zones.
Increased enforcement needed to be a component of One PLUS ONE. Proactive enforcement was planned for the most litter-challenged communities. The purpose of this increased enforcement to change behavior and not increase revenue. It was hoped enforcement would create a level of compliance that would make it difficult to find violations of sanitation laws.
To institute this tremendous change, the Department of Public Works launched a comprehensive communications and community outreach campaign. Community meetings had been held in every council district before One PLUS ONE commenced on July 14 and postcards on proper waste disposal rules had been mailed to every City household. These cards were followed up with another mailing after legislation passed to tell residents what their new trash and recycling days were.
Automated telephone calls with a message from the Public Works Director were made to every City household and a media blitz got out the word through major radio, television and print media. Messages were placed on water bills and street banners. Summer YouthWorks participants visited 33 communities and distributed 3,000 flyers in each one. Information was posted to the websites of Baltimore City and CleanerGreenerBaltimore. Special outreach efforts provided flyers and maps to community organizations looking for information through the Council representatives and through the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods who also aided the effort.
Though there was a brief transition period where residents AND sanitation crews adjusted to all the changes in collections, routes and schedules, the results we see today have exceeded expectations. Residential mixed refuse tonnage has decreased. From July through December 2008, Solid Waste collected 100,620 tons of mixed refuse. From July through December 2009, after One PLUS ONE was implemented, it collected 74,813 tons, a 25% decrease. Recycling is up and the goal of increasing it by 55% has been achieved. Before One PLUS ONE, the bi-weekly average was 646 tons. Now it is 1,007 tons.
Alley cleaning has been enhanced to the point that 311 service requests are completed in four days or less and proactive work is now being performed. Proactive Alley cleaning is taking place in five specific zones since the start of the program and the backlog has been practically eliminated. In addition, there is less than 48 hours response time and an 80 percent increase in Graffiti proactive cleaning.
In the seven-week period after One PLUS ONE was implemented, the Department of Housing and Community Development generated 14,620 citations of which 77% were for One PLUS ONE-related offenses. This is 473% increase over the same period in 2008 and of those 66% were in 69 targeted, litter-challenged neighborhoods. Enforcement continues as neighborhoods now recognize the “orange sticker” as a sign that an investigation has been conducted and citations have been issued.
The Baltimore Housing Special Investigations Unit (SIU) during that same period issued 434 citations directly related to dumping violations compared to seven citations during the same period in 2008. The unit also is aggressively pursuing illegal dumping cases in Baltimore City District Court.
Sanitation Enforcement has increased with more Housing Code Enforcement Officers and with citations being issued for using trash bags and illegal dumping. The effective enforcement work of DHCD with the ubiquitous “orange tags” on trash bags indicating an investigation has taken place has become a well-known symbol to residents that illegal dumping and sanitation code violations will no longer be tolerated in Baltimore City.
Communications efforts continue to emphasize using trashcans and recycling more. The RecycleMORE contest launched this year in conjunction with RecycleMORE Grants haD 39 communities in a recycling competition. The Radnor Winston Community won the contest which Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced at the start of this year’s Spring Cleanup on April 17. They received a citation from the Mayor and will have a block party sponsor for winning. For the first time, we are able to track individual communities to see how much they are recycling.
Comments from Citizens on One PLUS ONE
Christine - “As a citizen of Baltimore City, I have to say that…the new One Plus One plan is a great idea.”
Dave – “Trash/Recycling is working well...I generally have 3 barrels of trash each week (vs. 4 on the twice a week schedule) and 2 full containers of recycling each week.”
Natalie – “Hi! YES!!! the new 1 + 1 has definitely changed the way we handle our trash - which has helped us do a better job recycling!”
One PLUS ONE will continue to have a lasting and positive impact on Baltimore City. Reducing trash and increasing recycling saves landfill space and forces residents to look at their waste from a different perspective - as something they have to manage. Many individuals who had never considered recycling did so at the inception of the program.
And, those residents who were already recycling welcomed the opportunity to RecycleMORE!
One PLUS ONE has the added benefit of increasing resources devoted to street and alley cleaning and allowing the Bureau of Solid Waste to be more proactive in combating litter and waste. These benefits will have long-term effects to the overall cleanliness and livability of Baltimore City.