CHESAPEAKE — As city leaders work to expand drop-off recycling sites for residents, they are also discussing the development of an advanced sorting and processing facility as a long-term solution for recycling services.
Last year, Chesapeake ended its contract with TFC Recycling, which provided curbside recycling services for residents, as a cost-saving measure to fund other priorities, such as pay raises for public safety workers. Since then, the city has provided eight drop-off sites scattered throughout the city, and some subscription-based vendors set up shop in the city as well.
Since the nixing of curbside services, some council members have expressed an appetite for restoring them. But staff are exploring what they believe will be the future of recycling for the city.
In an Aug. 15 work session with City Council members, Public Works Director Earl Sorey said an integrated materials recovery facility would use advanced technology like artificial intelligence to more efficiently sort and process both solid waste and recyclables in a “single bin system.” Such a facility, he said, would eliminate redundant truck trips as materials would be transported via a single fleet of vehicles.
Additionally, it’s estimated such a facility would see a 50% recovery rate — defined as the amount of materials recycled out of everything collected through trash and recycling services. By contrast, city staff say traditional curbside services in Chesapeake deliver a recovery rate between 5% and 7%.
Sorey said a city team visited such a site in South Carolina earlier this year and that others are scattered throughout the U.S.
“The best way I can describe a facility of this nature is it’s an all-in-one solution,” Sorey said. “There is some human manpower involved. But it all leads to greater operational efficiencies and significantly higher processing capacities.”
City Manager Chris Price told council members the integrated materials recovery facility would meet all of the desired outcomes they’ve identified: reduced costs, improved quality of the recycling stream, additional choices for residents, convenience and preserving space in the landfill.
But since it’d take around two or more years to be up and running, Price said staff in the meantime will continue to expand and rely on drop-off sites, as it’s still a “cost-effective” option that improves the recycling stream.
“We recognize that that’s not likely the future,” Price said. “That’s to bridge the gap between now and what the future is.”
Council member Amanda Newins, however, said her concern with pursuing the integrated facility is the time it would take to build and be in operation. She’s a proponent of bringing back curbside services, which she called “essential” for residents. Newins said she wants more feedback from the public on the integrated facility.
But to restore the old system of curbside recycling, Price said City Council would have to enact a 4-cent hike in the real estate tax or levy a $7 monthly fee. If it did so as part of the 2024-25 fiscal budget next year, Price said there’d still be a turnaround time of nearly a year or more. A short-term contract would be more costly as well.
Price said use of the advanced facility would effectively restore curbside services without a tax or fee hike.
City staff say the switch from curbside service to using eight drop-off locations has exceeded expectations. Though a lower volume has been collected, the contamination rate has dropped to 10%, making the stream cleaner. More than 3,000 tons have been collected through drop-off sites between July 2022 and June, with 2,733 tons recycled. By contrast, 12,389 tons of recyclables were collected through curbside in fiscal 2022, with only 58%, or 7,185 tons, of that ultimately recyclable.
Sorey said the switch to the drop-off sites has saved the city about $2.2 million.
Sorey said among the lessons learned is that recycling subscription vendors haven’t been successful in Chesapeake. Recyclops is now the only subscription vendor still providing services, Sorey said. City staff say Happy Planet has cancelled all Chesapeake subscriber agreements and is no longer providing services. TFC Recycling ceased subscription services for Chesapeake residents in July.
“I think we should be looking at putting our efforts and our resources into what’s going to be the future, not a part-time solution,” said Mayor Rick West, who added that he visited the site in South Carolina and “knows that it works.”
Sorey said the free drop-off sites will cost the city around $2.2 million, apart from roughly $252,000 spent one-time to prepare the sites. By contrast, the city’s previous contract for curbside services was about $4.5 million, and Sorey noted that price would’ve increased by 5% in November had the city kept the contract.
Sorey said Total Fiber Recovery, an $80 million recycling paper and cardboard plant, is scheduled to open by the end of 2023 off Bainbridge Boulevard. Sorey said the city is working to haul paper products collected at the city’s drop-off sites directly to the facility, reducing transportation and handling costs for the city. It will be able to process up to 450,000 tons annually, he said.
Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, [email protected]
