Chesapeake official says drop-off recycling has ‘outperformed’ expectations despite fewer collections

CHESAPEAKE — Though some Chesapeake City Council members still have an appetite for restoring curbside recycling services, city staff say the public drop-off sites have “outperformed” expectations, saved the city money and expanded access for residents.

The city ended its curbside recycling program in June as a cost-saving measure to fund other priorities, such as pay raises for public safety workers.

City staff say the switch from curbside service to use of eight drop off locations has resulted in the collection of fewer recyclables — about 1,900 tons collected through drop offs between July and March compared to 12,389 tons collected through curbside in fiscal 2022. But a greater percent of the items collected are able to be recycled as the contamination rate has been reduced, said Public Works Director Earl Sorey, who provided City Council members with a third quarter update on recycling services Tuesday during a work session.

Sorey said the city is on target to save $2 million as collections at drop-off sites have “overperformed,” which has also resulted in a cleaner recycling stream.

During fiscal year 2022, curbside recycling collections totaled 12,389 tons, with about 7,185 tons of that actually recycled. City staff anticipate collecting 2,762 tons by the end of June — more than a third of last year’s recycling volume — with an estimated contamination rate of 10%. Sorey said that rate is low compared to industry standards. Contamination occurs when materials that cannot be recycled are mixed with items that can be processed.

Sorey said providing the free drop-off sites is poised to cost the city about $2 million for fiscal year 2023, not including roughly $239,000 used to prepare the sites. By contrast, the city’s previous contract for curbside services was about $4.5 million.

Additionally, he said the public drop-off sites have expanded access for residents as those living in apartments or condos, for example, were previously unable to participate in curbside recycling services.

The city now offers eight public drop-off sites for recycling services scattered throughout the city at locations including the Municipal Center, Russell Memorial Library, Department of Human Services and City Park. The site at Animal Services on South Military Highway only accepts aluminum cans. City staff say the sites are monitored daily and the city has collected 1,900 tons of recyclables across the sites since July, with the most — nearly 617 tons — collected at the Municipal Center.

Materials are currently transported to Portsmouth because the city’s container contract was unable to use TFC Recycling, Sorey said.

Residents can also choose to opt into several different subscription-based services, including Recyclops, Happy Planet Recycling and TFC Recycling. Sorey said those providers collected 169 tons between July and December. He added, however, that rates are higher in Chesapeake due to lack of competition, noting rates are as low as $9 per month in places like Chesterfield County. By comparison, Happy Planet is raising its monthly rate for biweekly collections to $100 per month, while Recyclops’ rates range between $26 and $29 per month.

Sorey said the success of the free drop-off sites has made it harder for subscription-based services to be economically feasible.

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But for at least a few City Council members, bringing back curbside services may still be on the table. Sorey said that would cost the city between $4.9 million and $6.7 million annually and individual households between $5.89 and $8.02 per month.

Council member Debbie Ritter said Tuesday it shouldn’t be lost on the city that curbside recycling services were popular among residents, adding she hopes the city will continue to consider options that could return such services.

Mayor Rick West said members should also remember not all residents are eager to pay additional fees for a service they don’t use and that providing those services at no cost previously limited investment in other services.

But the city has other options, too, Sorey said, such as expanding drop-off sites, exploring a regional contract or investing in new recycling technology that more efficiently diverts solid waste and sorts recyclables.

Council member Amanda Newins said another goal should be to maximize the amount of recycling.

Council member Ella Ward has also previously signaled support for restoring curbside services.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com