The City Commission is scheduled to vote on a piece of legislation that would allow the city to stop its biweekly recycling collection service. The proposal gives the Solid Waste Department director 鈥渢he power to establish the type, frequency and amount, if at all, of City-serviced recycle pickup in all areas of the City.鈥�
If the City Commission gives its approval, the legislation would need to come back for a final vote at a later date. In explaining its reasoning for wanting to eliminate recycling services, the city has cited high contamination rates of recycled materials, as well as an 鈥渁ging fleet and outdated machinery鈥� that needs to be replaced.
According to city spokesperson Kenia Fallat, the city has conducted audits across different neighborhoods. 鈥淯nfortunately, findings show that contamination levels in some areas exceed 70%,鈥� Fallat said in a statement. 鈥淭his means that more than two-thirds of the materials placed in recycling bins cannot be processed. The high contamination rates suggest a widespread misunderstanding about what can and cannot be recycled.鈥�