Recycle center contract settled

South Bay Recycling will operate the new Shoreway Environmental Center — the recycling facility in San Carlos — after two-thirds of the South Bayside Waste Management Authority agreed to the recommendation.

Eight of the SBWMA’s 12 member agencies needed to approve the operation agreement. East Palo Alto signed off Oct. 6, leaving any remaining votes by the agency’s members moot. EPA joins the cities of Belmont, Foster City, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos and San Mateo and the town of Hillsborough. The remaining cities will consider the agreement in upcoming weeks as the contract must be approved by Nov. 30. However, with a majority in the same corner, those votes will only greater cement the overwhelming favor for South Bay Recycling.

SBR is a joint venture between Community Recycling and Resource Recovery and Potential Industries, Inc.

The facility it will operate is a major overhaul of the current recycling and disposal center, transforming it into the Shoreway Environmental Center. Demolition began this month on the current building and construction of the new center is slated for early 2011. When complete, it will include single-stream recycling, an expanded transfer station for more recycling and customer convenience, major traffic improvements, "green building” features and a new environmental education center.

The revamp includes $25.42 million for building and traffic improvements and $16.87 for the recycling processing equipment. The cost is being born through the sale of $53.5 million in bonds and a $3 million loan from the city of Burlingame.

While the current facility is operated by Allied Waste of San Mateo, its contracts for both it and waste collection ends Dec. 21, 2010. SBR, who begins its contract the following day, estimates first-year operating revenue at more than $13 million.

The approval of SBR and a different contract with Bulk Handling Systems for single-stream processing equipment follows a two-year effort which SBWMA Executive Director Kevin McCarthy called "the last remaining piece” to the capital improvement effort at Shoreway.