A groundbreaking next week will both help Placer County comply with state law on waste diversion, and plan for a future with a larger trash-production population.
On April 13, the Western Placer Waste Management Authority will mark the start of work on a three-phase, $120 million recycling facility at the site of a current one on Athens Avenue outside of Lincoln.
"We anticipate Placer County's population to double in the next 30 years," said Emily Hoffman, public information officer for the waste management authority. "This will allow us to comply with a mandated 75% reduction in organic materials going into the waste stream."
Hoffman said the new facility is part of a newly adopted master plan for waste services in much of Placer County, from Roseville to nearly Lake Tahoe.
Senate Bill 1383, which took effect last year, requires a 75% reduction in compostable materials in landfills by 2025. While many jurisdictions are asking customers to put their food waste into a green waste bin to comply, Placer County uses a "one big bin system" where customers put all their trash into one bin and management authority workers sort it after pickup.
The new recycling facility will allow WPWMA to expand that sorting and comply with SB 1383, as well as account for population growth, Hoffman said.
FCC Environmental Services, which is handling project design, selected Cambridge Companies Inc. as the project's general contractor.
In the first phase, workers will build a new facility to recycle construction and demolition debris, followed by a new materials recovery facility and then a new composting facility.
Hoffman said the project needs to be done in phases so the existing facility can continue to operate while work is underway. "This was designed in a way so that operations are never stopped," she said.
All three phases are scheduled to be completed by early 2025. The project won't result in any planned changes in collection for residents, Hoffman said.
"There will be substantial changes at the facility," she said.
