CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Chesapeake citizens haven’t had curbside recycling for nearly a year after the city ended its recycling contract with TFC Recycling last June.
Before that, many residents told News 3 that their recyclables had been sitting at their curbs for weeks, leaving many citizens frustrated. Since then, locations have been established across the city for citizens to drop off their recyclables at no cost.
At the City Council’s work session on Tuesday, May 16, Earl Sorey, Chesapeake’s Director of Public Works, provided an update on the state of the city’s drop-off sites that have now been in place for about 10 months.
Sorey said the drop-off sites have allowed the city to reduce costs by $2 million. Additionally, he said the sites improve the quality of the recycling stream and provide additional choices to customers.
He explained that more Chesapeake residents are able to recycle now, since those living in townhouses, condos and apartments did not have a curbside recycling option, but they are able to bring their recyclables to a drop-off site.
Over 1,900 tons of recyclables have been collected to date, leading to a contamination rate of about 10%, according to Sorey. He said this has led to a much lower contamination rate in comparison to curbside recycling.
However, he said the costs for the drop-off sites in the city are high compared to other cities in the Commonwealth. He said this is due to a lack of competition, noting that the city currently has just three providers authorized for subscription-based recycling services.
Sorey acknowledged that there have been a lot of inquiries about the potential return of curbside recycling in the city. He estimated that implementing a curbside recycling program would cost roughly $4.9 or $5 million to $6.7 million a year, or $5.89 to $8.02 per month for each eligible household. This estimate does not include any attached fees.
He said another option to enhance the city’s recycling program is expanding drop-off locations or increasing the capacity at current locations.
He also noted the possibility of a regional curbside contract and noted that Virginia Beach’s contact is expiring next June.
For now, Sorey said activity at the drop-off sites will continue to be monitored and evaluated. He added that Chesapeake Recycles Days will continue as well.
A complete one-year recap of the drop-off recycling program will be presented later this summer.
