NSWMA Opposes Waste and Recycling Franchise Proposal in Illinois

The National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) Illinois Chapter is opposing the decision by the city of Deerfield, Ill., to pursue a commercial franchise agreement for waste and recycling.

The state chapter of the Washington-based NSWMA said in a news release that municipal franchise agreements such as what Deerfield is proposing can lead to higher costs for residents and is inefficient for serving commercial customers.

“In these tough economic times, municipal leaders should not force businesses to pay higher prices to fund another quasi-governmental organization like the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) to provide services that are already provided by the private sector," said Peggy Macenas, regional manager of the chapter.

Officials from Deerfield did not immediately return a call for comment. Deefield is a village of about 18,000 north of Chicago.

The NSWMA chapter said the waste disposal costs can vary significantly from one business to another depending on what type of waste the business generates.

Also, the biggest barrier to commercial recycling is separating the waste and recycling. The NSWMA said recycling programs tend to be more limited under franchise contracts because businesses aren’t able to customize recycling.