School districts team up for waste removal services

The Waterford Schools Board of Education has approved a three-year contract with Waste Management, Inc. for waste removal and recycling services for all Waterford School District school buildings and support services buildings.

The district negotiated the agreement as part of a consortium with the Huron Valley and Walled Lake school districts.

“The districts thought there would be economies of scale and by putting our volume with them, the price became more attractive to vendors,” said Robert Brady, associate director of purchasing for food and auxiliary services for the Waterford School District.

Beginning in the 2011-12 school year, Waste Management, Inc. will receive $61,888 in the contract’s first year, $63,735 in the second year and $65,645 in the third.

Other providers bidding included Veolia Environmental and Republic Waste, Inc.

Brady added that Waste Management has been handling the district’s waste removal and recycling services during the current school year.

He said that the district’s previous waste removal service provider, Capital Waste, went bankrupt and was bought out by Waste Management.

Huron Valley joined the waste removal and recycling consortium with the Waterford School District and Walled Lake Consolidated School District six years ago and touts the collaboration as a win-win situation. Prior to the current incarnation of the consortium, the Huron Valley district was part of another waste removal consortium involving White Lake Township, among others, according to Janet Roberts, director of community relations and fund development for Huron Valley Schools.

“We have been part of a consortium for 10 years, so this is not something new for us,” she said. “In light of the governor’s budget where he cites best practices, consolidating services saves communities money.”

“There are savings because of the efficiency in volume and pooling all of our trash and recycling, and while there was a slight increase (approximately 3 percent), that is attributed to the carrier’s costs going up,” Roberts said.

She added that the district spends about $60,000 per year on trash removal and recycling.