POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Reduce, reuse, recycle. It’s a concept that many households in Polk County practice.
“It’s a chore in our house. Anything plastic, anything cardboard goes in the recycling bin,” said Summer Shweil.
So, it comes as a surprise to some residents that the county is ending curbside recycling next October.
“That’s not a good idea. I don’t feel it’s a good idea,” said Arleene Martinez.
The change will impact about 140,000 households in unincorporated Polk County.
“The fact of the matter is recycling is not working. It's not achieving the desired results,” said George Lindsey, Polk County Commissioner for District 1.
Lindsey told ABC Action News what is meant to be recycled ends up in the landfill anyway.
“If you follow the trail from curbside to the ultimate destination, so much of it is either contaminated and can't be used in a recycle mode, or it’s simply winding up in a different landfill,” Lindsey said.
County leaders say it’s a financial decision. It now costs twice as much to recycle as it does to haul everything to the landfill. The recycling process costs the county $100 a ton.
“We were receiving some reimbursement for recycled material, but that is long gone. That helped offset some of the collection cost,” said Lindsey.
Residents who wish to continue recycling will be able to take items to the Polk County Landfill in Winter Haven or pay private companies to pick them up at the curb.
