Chicago Issues Recycling RFP

The City of Chicago has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to parties interested in handling the collection and processing of recyclables from throughout the city.

The RFP says that the city has the right to modify the contract by adding or deleting service levels as required, and adding or deleting locations and will amend the contract as needed.

The RFP requires the winning bidder to perform the following:

• Collect and recycle material from blue carts collected from residential locations, city facilities, and up to 200 additional city-designated collection points throughout each service area.
 
• Empty blue carts from exterior areas at designated service locations. Contractor shall remove all materials from blue cart containers under the proposal.
 
• Collect material from a maximum of six blue carts per city facility.
 
• The contractor will not be required to provide equipment such as plastic recycling bins, recycling containers at individual desks, or any other equipment normally used to collect recyclables inside a facility as part of the specification.
 
• Take material to a MRF or Intermediate Processing Facility for separating and recycling.
 
• Obtain written approval from the city for facilities used by the contractor where residuals will be disposed of. Contractor shall submit any requests for approval a minimum of 45 days prior to the initial use of the facility. 
 
The RFP also requires parties to provide the following:

• Regulatory compliance history for the facility for the last ten years

• Copies of all applicable permits
 
• Copies of all Notices of Violation in the past ten years
 
• Copies of all Non-Compliance Notices in the past five years
 
• Approval will not be unreasonably withheld. 
 
Material from city facilities shall be collected every two weeks. More frequent collection will be at the discretion of the contractor.

Collection will be from blue carts only. The collection of recyclables from city facilities with dumpsters, compactors, or other recycling containers is not included in the agreement.

To view the RFP, click here.