Texas City Tables Bid on MRF

The city of Austin has opted not to award contract to any vendor to build MRF to handle the city’s single stream recyclables.

The Austin, Texas, City Council has closed the issuance on a proposal to award a 20-year contract to a vendor to build and operate a materials recycling facility that will handle the single-stream recyclables collected by the city. The RFP had sought a 20-year contract

The City Council’s decision to reject all the proposals comes over the city’s solid waste department, which had recommended awarding a contract to Allied Waste. The decision means that City Council will likely put out a directive at its next scheduled meeting June 24.

A spokeswoman for the city says that the city has a range of options, including issuing another RFP or opting to negotiate with one particular vendor. In the meantime, the city of Austin will continue to work with Greenstar, which presently handle the recyclables for the city.

According to a local press report, Council Member Randi Shade, who proposed rejecting the bids, says, "We're trying to find (a solution) that's cost-effective for citizens and the city, and I don't think any of the proposals were strong enough to move forward."