Author: mrwmd

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MRWMD budgetary constraints restrict non-essential services.

(Monterey County, CA) Monterey Regional Waste Management’s (MRWMD) popular Last Chance Mercantile re-use store will remain closed until further notice due to budgetary constraints. Last Chance Mercantile is a beloved institution and key to the District’s mission of “turning waste into resources” by fulfilling one of the seven R’s of sustainability—reuse. Unfortunately, the store has historically operated at a loss, a situation unlikely to change under current conditions of heightened health safety. Thus, the store will remain closed while the District reassesses the best path forward.

In recent months, the District has had to determine which programs and services are essential and comply with shelter in place orders. Now that the economy is slowly opening back up, they are seeing the financial effects of the shutdown and are making these assessments on a longer-term basis.

“The impact of COVID-19 has hit all sectors of our local economy, particularly in our local hospitality industry, and those downturns are impacting the MRWMD as well,” stated General Manager Tim Flanagan. “Our disposal and recycling volumes have decreased significantly. Since mid-March our revenues have dipped 15-20% below normal. This relates to a projected $4+ million reduction in revenue compared to last fiscal year. As such, we can no longer financially support non-essential programs that operate at a deficit. Like local government and industry, we have been forced to make difficult decisions in favor of the financial sustainability of the District and the essential disposal and recycling services we provide to the community.”

Part of the Last Chance Mercantile, the CRV-redemption Bottle and Can Buyback Center will also remain closed, but permanently. The District has offered CRV redemption to the community since 2011, but it was costing them to do so.

“Our hope is that we can aid the opening of one or more CRV redemption centers in local communities that are more accessible to customers than the one we had on-site was. Another entity would be able to access funding from redemption, which we are not eligible to receive. Thinking outside the box we realized it could be a win-win for the community and a non-profit looking for a source of revenue,” Flanagan commented.

In addition to closing the Last Chance Mercantile and Bottle and Can Buyback Center, MRWMD has also made budget cuts for FY 20/21 through offering early retirement packages to eligible employees, laying off non-essential positions, and senior and management staff have agreed to pay cuts and wage increase freezes. MRWMD is being creative in seeking new sources of revenue.

MRWMD Board of Directors and staff will examine possible paths forward to an eventual reopening of the Last Chance Mercantile with the store operating more economically, while fulfilling the District’s mission.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Monterey Regional Waste Management District (MRWMD) is located just north of Marina at 14201 Del Monte Blvd., Monterey County, CA 93933-1670, serving a population of approximately 170,000 in 853 square miles, including the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Sand City, Seaside, and the unincorporated areas of Big Sur, Carmel Highlands, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Corral De Tierra, Laguna Seca, Moss Landing, Pebble Beach, San Benancio, and Toro Park. Call 831-384-5313 for information or visit www.mrwmd.org

MRWMD is not the curbside service provider; contact GreenWaste Recovery, Waste Management Inc., or Monterey City Disposal for information about curbside pickup services.

Contacts:
Tim Flanagan                            Zoë Shoats
General Manager                      Director of Communications
831.264.6915                             831.264.6390
tflanagan@mrwmd.org           zshoats@mrwmd.org

Click here for a PDF of the press release.

It is with great sadness that we report a deceased infant was found on the recycling sort line at the Monterey Regional Waste Management District (MRWMD) north of Marina in Monterey County, CA. The infant was discovered at approximately 1:30 PM on April 28, 2020 by an MRWMD employee in the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where residential and commercial recyclables from the Monterey Peninsula region are sorted. Upon discovery, authorities were immediately alerted and arrived on the scene.

“We are beside ourselves with the news of this discovery. Our hearts go out to this young soul and deepest sympathies are with the family,” MRWMD General Manager, Tim Flanagan commented.

Human Resources staff at the District are providing grief counseling sessions for employees as they return to work. Continued counseling will also be made available through the District’s Employer Assistance Program (EAP) as a part of standard employee benefits to provide emotional support to affected employees.

MRWMD staff are cooperating with authorities to provide as much information about the child’s discovery as possible. Identifying information such as age, ethnicity and gender of the child has not been released.

We thank the Monterey County Sheriff’s office for their diligence in this investigation. This is obviously heartbreaking for everyone involved.

Press Contacts:
Tim Flanagan                                      Zoë Shoats
General Manager                               Director of Communications
831-264-6915                                     831-264-6390
tflanagan@mrwmd.org                    zshoats@mrwmd.org

We look foward to scheduling MRWMD Workshops as it is safe to do so. 

Workshop Descriptions:

Vermicomposting- This workshop covers the basics and benefits of composting foodscraps with the help of earthworms in a enclosed system or container. It is an effective means of composting for those who live in apartments and/or have small or no yards. The resulting compost or worm castings are also thought of as one of the best soil amendments around. You will learn how to set up and maintain a worm bin, along with how to harvest and use the worm castings.

Recycling 101:
Take a deep-dive into the world of recycling! In 2018, the opening of a new Materials Recovery Facility locally coincided with major changes in international recycling markets. Recycling continues to be an integral environmental strategy to conserve energy and resources. Learn how what you can put in your blue bin has changed. Tour the Materials Recovery Facility to see how the District sorts your recycling. Hear about global trends and what items are turned into. Understand how your purchasing decisions and which bin your use supports recycling efforts.

Zero Waste Living:
Every choice matters; positive actions big and small can result in personal and community transformation. Waste reduction in our homes can provide significant benefits for personal health and the health of our environment. By making less waste we save precious resources; energy, time, money and more. This workshop will provide an inside look at how MRWMD Reuse and Recycling Programs benefit you and our local communities and introduce you to sustainable practices and tips to help get you on your way of creating a Zero Waste Home.

Location of workshops (Unless Otherwise Noted):- MRWMD Facilities at 14201 Del Monte Blvd., Monterey Co. 93933 (2 miles North of town. Del Monte Blvd. Exit 412 )

The new 2019-2020 Disposal Fee Brochure is now available, effective 7-1-19.

Changes are coming to local recycling programs. Effective August 1, please include only the following recyclable materials in your local recycling collection bins. Changes within the global recycling economy have impacted the materials that MRWMD is able to accept,
process and market (see page 2 for National Recycling Coalition’s article “The China Crisis- Whose Crisis is It?” for more information).