RIRRC Gives Woonsocket $60K for Recycling

Municipal officials were all smiles at an early morning ceremony at Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) headquarters at the Central Landfill on Wednesday. Michael OConnell, RIRRC executive director, distributed $1,866,562 to the 39 R.I. cities and towns for profits realized from the sale of recyclables.

“We are delighted to announce that the profit-sharing checks are about triple in size compared with last year,” said OConnell. “The recycling markets performed very well in 2010 and early 2011, which translates to more dollars that RIRRC can share among our municipal partners.  Better still, the improved performance by the municipalities helped to prolong the life of the Central Landfill and divert valuable recyclables from being buried there.”

He continued, “Next year, RIRRC will allow a greater variety of plastics to be recycled. While we can’t predict how the markets will perform next year, we do know the changes in our statewide program will give the municipalities the ability to deliver more material, and thus be able to increase their share of the profits.” 

OConnell reminded the audience of 90 this is the last year that municipalities will be allowed to spend the profit-sharing funds as they wish.  Starting in FY12, the recycling profit-sharing monies must be earmarked for recycling efforts. 

“With the new recycling rules just months away, this is a perfect time to earmark these funds toward educational efforts to further boost recycling participation and volume,” he said.

DISTRIBUTION OF RIRRC FY 11 PROFIT-SHARING

Municipality

Share of Profit

Tons Delivered in FY11

Barrington

Bristol

$  44,106.99

$  29,467.89

2,186

1,460

Burrillville

Central Falls

Charlestown

Coventry

Cranston

Cumberland

East Greenwich

East Providence

Exeter

Foster

Glocester

Jamestown

Johnston

Lincoln

Little Compton

Middletown

New Shoreham

Newport

North Kingstown

North Providence

North Smithfield

Pawtucket

Portsmouth

Providence

Richmond

Scituate

Smithfield

South Kingstown & Narragansett¹

Tiverton

Warren

Warwick

West Greenwich

West Warwick

Westerly & Hopkinton²

Woonsocket

$  28,619.95

$  23,343.25

$   6,908.19

$ 75,217.67

$146,939.27

$ 62,240.94

$ 34,254.22

$ 86,526.57

$ 13,000.13

$ 11,302.85

$ 26,734.39

$ 15,095.35

$ 46,085.17

$ 40,297.33

$ 10,531.60

$ 31,658.55

$ 11,835.58

$ 44,768.67

$ 63,838.95

$ 52,961.48

$ 28,498.07

$ 99,816.48

$ 41,086.54

$205,717.04

$ 12,271.26

$ 24,747.53

$ 41,465.31

$ 74,925.88

$ 38,016.66

$ 25,290.76

$190,868.48

$    6,962.07

$  52,917.89

$  58,171.38

$  60,071.67

1,418

1,157

342

3,727

7,282

3,084

1,697

4,288

644

560

1,325

748

2,284

1,997

522

1,569

587

2,219

3,164

2,625

1,412

4,946

2,036

10,194

608

1,226

2,055

3,713

1,884

1,253

9,459

345

2,622

2,883

2,977

Average/Total

     $1,866,562.00

     92,499

Shares are determined by the amount of recycled tonnage trucked to the Materials Recycling Facility in Johnston during fiscal year ending June 30, 2011.  Cumulatively, the cities and towns delivered 92,499 tons of recycling to RIRRC.

All recycling commodities except glass experienced a strong year with very few seasonal dips.  Last year, the average value of recyclables collected in Rhode Island was $20 per ton, compared with $7.80 per ton in FY10.