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Old Corrugated Cardboard (OCC) Screen Proposal
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Requested Action(s)
recommendation
Review and approve Waste Connections recommendation to not proceed with installation of an old corrugated cardboard (OCC) screen at the Tehama County/Red Bluff Landfill Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
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Financial Impact:
Estimated increase to tipping fee of $7.40 to $8.10 per ton.
Background Information:
The Agreement (Agreement) between the Tehama County Solid Waste Management Agency (JPA) and Waste Connections of California, Inc., and Madera Disposal Systems, Inc. (Contractor) requires “By the effective date of this Agreement, Contractor shall furnish a cost estimate, and its impact to the Contractor Tipping Fee, and project plan, which includes a completion date, to install an old corrugated cardboard (OCC) screen in the MRF for JPA consideration. Upon approval by the JPA, Contractor shall execute project plan in its entirety within the project timeline.”
Agency staff received the initial proposal for the OCC screen on February 29, 2024, a day prior to the new agreement taking effect. However, due to various circumstances the Agency did not present the proposal for Board consideration at that time. The proposal from Waste Connections remains mostly unchanged, as material inflows have been relatively consistent over the last two years.
Additionally, the request for the OCC screen proposal was included in the Agreement at a time when very little was known about the impact to the MRF from SB 54, the Plastic Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act. CalRecycle restarted the formal rulemaking process for SB 54 in August 2025, and staff are currently reviewing the regulations to determine future impacts on the MRF. Some potential benefits of SB 54 include the infrastructure improvements that will be paid for by the stewardship organization to increase recycling rates for plastic and packaging materials. Staff will be providing additional updates on SB 54 at either the April or June Full Board meeting depending on how the rulemaking process goes.
Given all these factors, staff agree with Waste Connections recommendation to not proceed with installation of the OCC screen and are asking for the Board to approve that recommendation.
Waste Connections staff will be present to answer any questions.