Target Organics (TOC) Follow Up Survey

Question Title

* 1. Does your municipality currently have a program in place to collect and process the following organic material, other than food scraps, which is addressed in a separate question (check all that apply).

Yard waste

Land clearing debris

Untreated wood

Manure

Biosolids

Animal mortalities

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 2. Does your municipality currently have a program in place to collect and process food scraps?

Yes

Question Title

* 3. If you answered YES to question #2:
How do you want to improve your organics collection & processing program? (check all that apply):

N/A - selected no to Question 2

Expand customer base / increase participation

Increase or improve marketing & outreach to general public

Increase hauling capacity

Increase compost facility capacity

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 4. In a previous survey, 57% of respondents cited cost as a key factor in limiting organics collection and processing. What three economic barriers are most limiting your ability to implement a program for collecting and processing food scraps and other organic materials (select up to three).

Hauling costs

Lack of participants and route density for haulers

Cost of processing equipment

Cost of land

Permitting costs

Regulatory cost

No state rules to make assumptions about the regulatory costs to run a facility

Costs for managing the program by solid waste staff

Lack of compost manufacturing investors with knowledge to provide affordable options

Low landfill rates that make composting unattractive or not financially feasible

Cost of education and outreach

Other (please describe)

Question Title

* 5. What tools would be most helpful for you in establishing a program to collect and process food scraps and other organic material (select up to three).

A "best practices" overview that describes the general steps to implement successful programs for collection and processing.

Public versus private versus public/private partnership options and case studies of successful implementation

List of professional resources and case studies of successful programs

Model documents: model RFPs for municipalities seeking to design or operate a compost manufacturing facility

Model documents: model contracts for municipalities seeking to operate a compost manufacturing facility or establish relationships with haulers

Model documents: model rules for establishing compost facilities (e.g. solid waste definitions, operating requirements, etc.)

Model documents: other model language (e.g. procurement documents and contracts for compostable food service ware for integration into organics recycling or as part of solid waste plans). Please describe needs in last section.

Financial modeling tools or assistance: help to determine costs of a new facility or program

Financial modeling tools or assistance: help to assess leasing arrangements (e.g. equipment, land, etc.)

Financial modeling tools or assistance: help making the case for an organics processing operation

Event facilitation guidance or resources: meetings with state policymakers to discuss capacity development

Event facilitation guidance or resources: visioning events and/or tours of established programs or facilities

Event facilitation guidance or resources: meetings to engage haulers in expanding collection

Event facilitation guidance or resources: meetings with investors to explore or encourage grant funding

Outreach and educational support to help gain stakeholder support for organics collection programs and increase participation

Policy resources (e.g. templates for food waste landfill bans, templates for municipal revenue sharing or compost buy back programs, siting legislation and guidance, permitting regulations)

Contamination reduction tools and best management practices

Other regulatory barriers

Other needs (not listed), please specify

Question Title

* 6. Other than economic barriers, what three key factors are most limiting your ability to implement a program for collecting and processing food scraps and other organics (select up to three)

No existing facilities within out service area

No facilities that can process food scraps

Not enough capacity at existing facilities that could expand to process food scraps

Not enough consumer demand for the finished compost

Not enough hauling services to justify citing a facility

Lack of bidders responding to RFPs for services

Lack of political support for program development

Lack of public/consumer support for programs, including NIMBY issues when trying to site a facility

Lack of available land sited strategically

No regulations or rules to oversee compost operations

Cannot get a timely permit

Concerns about contamination (plastics, persistent herbicides, PFAS, etc. )

Other (please describe)

Question Title

* 7. What feed stock sources would you prioritize for a new organics collection and processing program for your community (select top three that apply)?

Residential curbside only

Residential drop off only

Commercial collection- only pre-consumer/back of the house food scraps

Commercial collection- front of the house, as well as pre-consumer/back of the house food scraps

Commercial AND residential collection

Commercial AND residential drop off

Community composter development

Closed loop venues, schools, universities and corporate campuses

No feed stock sources. Instead, supply residential compost bins to manage food scraps on site.

Question Title

* 8. Regardless of customer type (e.g., residential, commercial), are you interested in accepting and/or processing the following (check all that apply):

Food

Compostable bags (paper)

Compostable bags (plastic)

Compostable paper

Compostable food serviceware (compostable plastic or plastic-lined items)

Compostable food serviceware (paper)

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 9. Are you familiar with, or have you utilized, any existing US Composting Council and/or CCREF resources that may be helpful to your efforts (check all that you have used or would like to use)?

CCREF Curb to Compost Toolkit

CCREF Compostable Plastics Toolkit

CCREF Compost Operations Training Course

USCC Model Compost Rule Template

Webinar: Using Compostable Plastics to Enhance Food Scrap Collection

USCC Annual conference

USCC Certifications: Compost Operations Managers or Compost Professionals

USCC Marketing and Certification: STA Certified Compost

USCC Buying Compost Map

USCC directory of State Compost Regulations

USCC Advocacy Resource Materials

Other (please describe)

Question Title

* 10. What other input would you like to share regarding your challenges with increasing organics collection and processing (open response).

Question Title

* 11. Are you interested in learning more about the NRDC Save the Food campaign and how your municipality can get involved?

Yes

Question Title

* 12. Are you wililng to provide additional input or help the USCC's Target Organics Committee in the future as priority projects are identified?

Yes

Question Title

* 13. Please provide your contact information. We will only reach out to you if you'd like additional information from the NRDC or are willing to help us in the future. Otherwise please provide at least your City and State so we know which communities are represented in the survey results.

Name

Organization

City/Town *

State/Province *

ZIP/Postal Code *

Email Address

Phone Number

Target Organics (TOC) Follow Up Survey

USCC Target Organics (TOC) - Follow Up Survey

Question Title

* 1. Does your municipality currently have a program in place to collect and process the following organic material, other than food scraps, which is addressed in a separate question (check all that apply).

Question Title

* 2. Does your municipality currently have a program in place to collect and process food scraps?

Question Title

* 3. If you answered YES to question #2:How do you want to improve your organics collection & processing program? (check all that apply):

Question Title

* 4. In a previous survey, 57% of respondents cited cost as a key factor in limiting organics collection and processing. What three economic barriers are most limiting your ability to implement a program for collecting and processing food scraps and other organic materials (select up to three).

Question Title

* 5. What tools would be most helpful for you in establishing a program to collect and process food scraps and other organic material (select up to three).

Question Title

* 6. Other than economic barriers, what three key factors are most limiting your ability to implement a program for collecting and processing food scraps and other organics (select up to three)

Question Title

* 7. What feed stock sources would you prioritize for a new organics collection and processing program for your community (select top three that apply)?

Question Title

* 8. Regardless of customer type (e.g., residential, commercial), are you interested in accepting and/or processing the following (check all that apply):

Question Title

* 9. Are you familiar with, or have you utilized, any existing US Composting Council and/or CCREF resources that may be helpful to your efforts (check all that you have used or would like to use)?

Question Title

* 10. What other input would you like to share regarding your challenges with increasing organics collection and processing (open response).

Question Title

* 11. Are you interested in learning more about the NRDC Save the Food campaign and how your municipality can get involved?

Question Title

* 12. Are you wililng to provide additional input or help the USCC's Target Organics Committee in the future as priority projects are identified?

Question Title

* 13. Please provide your contact information. We will only reach out to you if you'd like additional information from the NRDC or are willing to help us in the future. Otherwise please provide at least your City and State so we know which communities are represented in the survey results.

* 3. If you answered YES to question #2:
How do you want to improve your organics collection & processing program? (check all that apply):