The City of Logan has provided
curbside recycling to the residents of Cache
Valley for over 10 years. In rural areas of the
county, as well as in outlying towns, the
efficiency of recycling collection is lower
than in the rest of the service area. This is
largely due to the fact that residences, and
thus recycling bins, are more dispersed.
Combined with the generally lower
utilization rates in rural areas, the collection
cost per ton of recyclable waste is greater
there than in urban areas of Cache Valley.
In an effort to make the existing
program more efficient and cost effective,
City Mayor Craig Petersen requested,
through CBI, that USU conduct a costbenefit analysis of the current rural recycling
routes.
In the fall of 2015, eight students
from Dr. Ryan Dupont’s Solid and Hazardous
Waste Management class worked together
with Conservation Coordinator and
Recycling Educator, Emily Malik, to analyze
expenses from the 1078 miles of rural
recycling routes, in terms of fuel, vehicle
maintenance, contaminated loads, new
recycling containers, and employee costs.
Two complete reports (page 25)
were delivered to the City, which include a
detailed cost-benefit analysis of the rural
recycling program, as well as seven different
options to be considered in making
decisions about the rural recycling program.
Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.
Community Bridge Initiative Contact Info
University Faculty Contact
Ryan Dupont
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Local Government / Community Contact