Committee on Environmental Protection & Energy Chicago City Council Meeting February 19, 2020
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Better Government Association report that Waste Management is the only recycling hauler operating a for-profit landfill where a large portion of Chicago's garbage and recycling is dumped; and,
WHEREAS, members ofthe Chicago City Council and the Illinois Environmental Council have demanded a thorough review of the managed competition for garbage and recycling services; and,
WHEREAS, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has asked the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation to launch a waste management study to find ways to improve Chicago's dismal 9% recycling rate; and,
WHEREAS, reports from the Better Government Association found that 90% of all City of Chicago recycling bins tagged "grossly contaminated" came from Waste Management even though Waste Management only services half of the City of Chicago; and,
WHEREAS, the foregoing causes the City ofChicago to pay Waste Management twice, once when Waste Management tags a recycling bin and a second time when Chicago trash crews take the bin to a Waste Management landfill; and,
WHEREAS, Waste Management marks recycling bins as contaminated 20 times more than other crews combined; and,
WHEREAS, the City ofChicago currently recycles at a rate of only 9%, the lowest of all major cities in the United States; and,
WHEREAS, after Waste Management's merger with USA Waste, Waste Management raised Waste Management's tip fees 40% to 138%; and,
WHEREAS, prior to the Waste Management/ USA Waste merger, Waste Management's CEO stated that "with some weaker companies gone from the industry in recent years and continuing consolidation, disposal prices can be increased without losing competitors"; and,
WHEREAS, Waste Management now intends to acquire Advanced Disposal, one ofthe largest recycling companies in the United States; and,
WHEREAS, Waste Management would own 42% of all transfer stations in the Chicagoland area if it acquires Advanced Disposal; and,
Committee on Environmental Protection & Energy Chicago City Council Meeting February 19, 2020
WHEREAS, Waste Management would own 55% of all landfills in the Chicagoland area if it acquires Advanced Disposal; and,
WHEREAS, this would give Waste Management an unfair economic advantage over its competitors; and,
WHEREAS, Waste Management's acquisition of Advanced Waste would have a significant economic impact on the residents of the City of Chicago and cause the City of Chicago's already dismal recycling record to continue to decrease; and,
WHEREAS, the acquisition of one of the largest recycling companies by one of the world's largest waste haulers would be detrimental to the citizens ofthe City ofChicago and their pocketbooks; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO, that the City of Chicago City Council conduct a public hearing at the Committee on Environment Protection and Energy, to hear testimony from the CEO, President, General Counsel and any other executives of Waste Management and Advanced Disposal with knowledge or oversight of the proposed acquisition to answer questions; and invite representatives from the Illinois Attorney General's office to provide testimony at the Hearing; and,
BE IT FURTHERE RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO, that the City of Chicago City Council hereby requests the Illinois Attorney General's Office and the United States Department of Justice to investigate Waste Management's acquisition of Advanced Disposal.