RecyclingMonster - Craven County will end its weekly curbside recycling program on Friday, October 4, which will be the last day the old 18-gallon recycling bins will be collected. The county’s monthly curbside recycling collection will begin on Monday, October 7 using the new 95-gallon roll carts that have been distributed over the last several months. Recyclables placed in any container other than the 95-gallon cart will not be picked up after October 4.
The new curbside recycling program will affect all of Craven County and its municipalities except for Bridgeton, which manages its own curbside recycling pickup.
Waste Industries dba GFL has created an interactive schedule for residents to look up recycling collection dates by address. The interactive schedule can be found at www.cravenrecycles.com and is listed in the menu as Recycling Pickup Schedule App. Areas of Craven County have been organized into zones and each zone is assigned a color. Each residence participating in curbside recycling will be assigned a zone color and a pickup day of the week. The zone color and the pickup day of the week are stamped onto the top of the recycling cart.
The new carts also have a white stamp on the lid to help educate residents about what is, and what is not, recyclable.
“A large part of the problem with the recycling industry is residents are unknowingly contaminating mixed recyclables with items that should not be in the recycle bins such as plastic bags. This causes an increased price for material recovery facilities to sort and process recyclables,” said Rusty Cotton, Craven County solid waste director. “Just because an item says it is recyclable does not mean it can be recycled through Craven County’s recycling program. If a market for certain recyclables does not exist, then there is not a place to send them other than the landfill.”
Anyone who has not received the new 95-gallon lime green and black recycling roll cart by September 28 should call Waste Industries/GFL at 252-638-1366 to request one.
Residents are welcome to keep the current 18-gallon bins but can also place them curbside for pickup on regular trash collection days.
“The old recycle bins can be extremely useful for storing smaller amounts of recyclables to later be placed into the larger roll carts. They can also be used for a temporary recycle container during backyard cookouts or for storing items in the garage,” said Amber Parker, Craven County human resources director. “Due to the size and rigidity of the plastic bin, they cannot be recycled with the company that accepts Craven County’s recycled materials.”
Residents who do not wish to participate in the curbside recycling program can contact Waste Industries/GFL at 252-638-1366 and request the cart to be picked up; however, the $60 annual fee on the Craven County tax bill will still apply.
Residents who produce more recyclables than a 95-gallon roll cart will hold each month have the option of taking those recyclables to one of Craven County’s seven convenience centers at no charge.
The move to change the county’s recycling program began last April, when Commissioners learned that the cost to taxpayers for curbside collection would nearly double for the current fiscal year, which began July 1. Waste Industries said it was forced to raise collection prices due to changes in the market for recycled products. One of the largest purchasers of recyclables, China, recently announced that it would restrict imports of certain items, including mixed paper—magazines, office paper, junk mail—and most plastics.
“Waste Industries sells recyclables and the demand for recycled material is market-driven. At this time, buyers of recycled materials are not purchasing the same quantity the world is producing. As a result, recycle service providers are not able to sell the material for sufficient revenue and need to increase their service fee to continue providing services,” explained County Manager Jack Veit.
The country’s initial plan called for curbside recycling to end entirely on June 28 due to the rising costs. Public outcry led commissioners to change those plans and instead approve the new schedule.
Craven County residents currently pay $36 per year for weekly curbside recycling pickup with an 18-gallon container, the same price that has been contracted since the program originated in the 1990s. The new schedule will raise the price to $60 per year. Residents will see a recycling fee increase on their annual tax bill.
