Cleveland issues RFP for waste reduction and recycling project

The city of Cleveland’s Department of Public Works has issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking a long-term waste management solution for the city. The RFP is soliciting proposals from qualified firms interested in proposing to design, build, own and operate a Waste Reduction and Recycling (WR&R) project for Cleveland.

Proposals are due June 12, 2014, after which the city will evaluate the proposals and finalize a selection in early September 2014. Legislation required for the project will be subject to review and approval by Cleveland’s City Council.

“With this RFP, we are seeking to increase our recycling rates, reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill and do so in a way that is sustainable and economically beneficial to the city and our residents,” says Mayor Frank Jackson. “It is an effort that helps the city move forward towards our zero waste goals.”

The RFP outlines the scope of services to include design, permitting, financing, operating and maintaining the WR&R project. The service contract in the RFP seeks to require all proposals to agree to a full 30-year term of operation with two 10-year renewable options at the city’s discretion.

• receive waste collection from residents and commercial businesses in Cleveland as part of municipal solid waste collection (MSW) activities and potentially additional MSW from other communities in the region; 
• manage and process the waste received from the city’s MSW collection to recover recyclables not collected in the city’s curbside recycling program and possibly use other processes for organic materials;
• produce MSW engineered fuel to be sold as a coal substitute to Cleveland Thermal, a local company that supplies steam to the city, county and other downtown businesses, as a long term purchaser of the municipal solid-waste engineered fuel produced by the project; and
• design and operate in such a manner as to provide for public tours for educational purposes.

“Our goal is to find a solution to provide the highest quality of services to our city,” says Council President Kevin Kelley. “Council looks forward to working with the administration to find a long-term waste management solution that will create a greener city that is not only healthy for the environment but [also] for our residents.”

The RFP is designed to work in concert with the ongoing expansion of automated waste collection and curbside recycling pickup, efforts to improve recycling habits by residents and the city’s Climate Action Plan.

The city of Cleveland entered into a professional services contract with Gershman, Brickner & Bratton Inc. (GBB), Fairfax, Virginia, for assistance with this project. GBB helped draft the RFP and define the proposed system, which includes waste stream quantities and characteristics; waste collection system; existing and proposed waste reduction and recycling programs; site(s) available for a proposed system; acceptable technologies and approaches; performance standards; and, ownership options. The team will also assist the city during the procurement process, the evaluation of proposals and contract negotiations. Joining GBB for this assignment is Ohio-based GT Environmental Inc.