HF&H Consultants, LLC

City of San Jose

Commercial Solid Waste High Diversion Systems Redesign

2007 - 2010

In 2007 HF&H was selected through a competitive process to assist the City of San Jose in the redesign of their commercial system. HF&H was selected again in 2008 to assist in the procurement process needed to implement the new system.

Client Needs

The City of San Jose adopted a Zero Waste goal and Green Vision goal of diverting 100% of municipal solid waste from landfills. The City quickly realized that to achieve such a goal requires significantly increasing commercial diversion performance. The non-exclusive commercial collection system, which includes approximately 20 haulers, was yielding a diversion level of 10% (excluding construction and demolition debris). San Jose was interested in redesigning the system with a focus on supporting higher diversion levels, stabilizing revenues to the City’s General Fund and providing expanded, more efficient collection services.

HF&H Solutions

The City of San José chose HF&H to assist them in identifying options for redesigning the commercial solid waste management system. The City’s objective was to identify how best to increase commercial recycling activities to support their Zero Waste goal. HF&H analyzed the current collection system to understand the level of each hauler’s involvement in collection activities and the current diversion level. The City was also interested in examining the opportunities to improve the quality of commercial collection and to stabilize rates. As part of our evaluation of options for improving the commercial solid waste system, HF&H surveyed commercial solid waste operations in five major U.S. cities. We participated in the City’s commercial team and evaluated a range of commercial system options. We prepared the initial draft report documenting the commercial team’s evaluation and range of options and recommendations for the future commercial collection system. This phase of the commercial redesign process resulted in the City Council’s approval of a plan to implement an exclusive franchise system that will grant two to three haulers rights to collect in two to three individual service districts.

As part of the second phase of the commercial redesign project, HF&H prepared the RFP documents that were recently issued to solicit collection and processing services for the commercial sector. As part of this effort, HF&H assisted the City in defining the scope of services the selected contractor(s) are to provide. The scope of services was designed to offer collection programs to commercial customers that will increase diversion in support of the City’s Zero Waste goals. In addition, the RFP process will solicit recyclables and organics processing services, yet the procurement strategy keeps open the possibility for the City to implement organics conversion technologies and arrange for the necessary organic feedstock to be collected and delivered to the facility. As part of the RFP documents, HF&H is preparing two agreements: one for collection services, and a second for composting services.

More Information

If you would like to learn more about the work that HF&H is doing for San Jose, please do not hesitate to give us a call.