Rutherford County committee approves single‑stream recycling deal with WM Recycle America

Rutherford County’s Purchasing Committee voted Dec. 22 to set a contract with WM Recycle America to process the county’s single‑stream recycling, moving the program from a pilot to a negotiated processing agreement.

County staff and WM representatives told the committee the agreement would bring mixed recyclables — cardboard, paper, plastic bottles and metal — to WM’s sorting facilities, where WM would charge a processing fee and share revenue from sales of the recovered commodities. "My name is Troy Vaughn. I’m with WM Recycle America," said Troy Vaughn, introducing the company’s team. Paul Farley, who manages WM’s recycling operations in the region, explained the pricing mechanics: "Our processing fee is typically a $125 per ton, and we have a $65.35 share," and that revenue splits and final county credit would vary with fluctuating commodity prices.

Staff said negotiations cut the county’s previously quoted price and that, using the agreed formula, the committee’s working figure "came out to $50.16," though members asked whether that represented a locked‑in rate or an index tied to market prices. WM staff said commodity prices will affect the county’s net and described audits — both scheduled and random — to measure contamination and set pricing. Farley told the committee the company will waive certain environmental/fuel fees in the revised proposal and invited county staff to participate in audits.

Committee members pressed WM on what counts as acceptable material and how residents should be instructed. WM recommended a simple public message: collect bottles and jugs (consumer PET and HDPE) rather than relying on residents to read resin numbers stamped in a triangle. WM acknowledged low‑value items such as polypropylene (number 5) have limited markets now; some of that material may be sent to other processors or landfilled until demand rises.

A committee member moved that the contract be set contingent on county attorney approval; after a roll call the motion passed. Carter called the roll, and commissioners recorded affirmative votes (Commissioner Peay, Mister Boyd, Mister Gooch, Mister Phillips, Mister McAdoo, Mister Johnson and Chairman Joe Carr). The committee’s approval allows staff to finish contract terms with WM and finalize signature pending attorney review.

Next steps: county staff will complete attorney review and finalize the contract language and pricing mechanics with WM. The committee also discussed outreach and audits to keep contamination low and to improve commodity value over time.