From:
To: Sandra Maurer; Neysa Hinton; Phill Carter; Jill McLewis; Stephen Zollman; City Council; Mary Gourley Cc:
Subject: Solid Waste Agreement Award Presentation
Date: Tuesday, January 7, 2025 1:05:21 PM
Hi all,
I just read through the Sebastopol Solid Waste Agreement Award Presentation (R3) and had to reach out again in advance of the meeting. I cannot honestly believe that anyone thinks this proposal is indeed a good choice for our residents and businesses. Quite frankly it is an insult to everyone's intelligence to suggest that businesses and residents should simply create less waste to pay less. Especially as a certified green business and owner/operator who is incredibly familiar with waste and waste reduction, this is downright offensive. Are you also justifying your 60% increase in water and sewer rates by asking people to simply shower less or drink less water? Should we lower our PGE cost by simply not using electricity? Give me a break.
Recology offers the same exact service as what you're touting SCRR does in regards to bin sizing, I have used it for my compost and recycling. As a green business, my goal is waste diversion from the landfill with zero waste being another top goal. Running a business is not that simple - literally everything every business receives is in a package whether you're a retail business or serving food, we all have that in common.
My building in particular (which is facing a $700 increase with SCRR) serves a handful of businesses including my own. Our bins are full, to the top, every single time they are picked up. I know this first hand because I take out the trash and help manage the area for our building to keep it clean. Insinuating that we are all willingly paying more for larger bins from Recology and should just "produce less waste" is not a practical solution to the cost increase.
If we are producing less waste, that means we are losing business and on our way out. Not a solution.
What I would appreciate is an actual quote from SCRR with real numbers that show the actual cost of my services compared to Recology. So far, SCRR has denied every single business who has asked for one and are incapable of providing that. We are grateful to Recology for doing this work for us (and really for them).
I am also failing to see, literally anywhere, the environmental and economic impact of switching to SCRR. At the end of the day, keeping money in Sonoma County is the goal and SCRR's corporate structure is not based in Sonoma County. Just like how their recycling facilities are not based in Sonoma County, thus increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The failure to address these concerns is also absolutely baffling to me.
I'll see you tonight.
--
photo Danielle Connor, she/her
Co-Founder, Head of Operations,
Retrograde Coffee Roasters
www.retrograderoasters.com