Trash agency plans to stop taking mixed recyclables

TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. » The Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency board on Wednesday announced plans to stop accepting single-stream, or commingled, recyclables in 2019 and proposed doubling the fees for single-stream loads until the new policy is in place.

A public hearing on the proposed change was scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 23 at the agency’s offices, 999 Flatbush Road (state Route 32).

The policy change could have a significant impact on the city of Kingston and other municipalities where residents put all their recyclables into a single container for collection. Because recycling is not covered by the Ulster County law that gives the county control over trash collection within its borders, the city Department of Public Works and other haulers might have to look elsewhere to dispose of commingled recyclables.

City officials were not available for comment late Wednesday afternoon.

Discontinuing the practice of accepting singlestream recycling was proposed after Resource Recovery Agency officials said the $20 per ton that the agency charged to accepted commingled loads covers only about one-third of the disposal cost. They also noted that two collection centers in the region closed recently and there is concern that the remaining facility in Beacon will stop accepting the materials.

“We’re just reacting to a global situation where the rest of the world is saying the quality of [singlestream materials[ has got to go up,” said agency board member Jack Hayes.

Agency officials said the problem with singlestream recycling is largely the contamination of materials, which prevents sorting centers from selling them. Among examples cited were broken glass becoming mixed with paper, which then becomes solid waste instead of an item that can be reused.

“You can’t unscramble an egg,” said agency Operations Manager Charlie Whittaker.

Board member David Gordon said the intent behind single-stream recycling was good, but the execution was poor.

“We’ve got to keep contaminants out of it,” he said. “Right now ... once it gets to [single-stream] stage, it’s worthless. So that’s just the unfortunate reality — that we’ve taken that vision ... and screwed it up.”

Estimated single-stream disposal costs were $53,197 for the first three months of the agency’s 2018 budget, which was adopted without estimates of what those costs would be for the year.

Agency board Chairman Fred Wadnola said the failure of single-stream recycling is not an indication that officials are giving up on recycling programs.

“I don’t think we should lose money, and I don’t think we should subsidize,” he said.

“Dual stream is really the way to go if you’re really going to be supportive of recycling programs,” Wadnola said. “If we need to make a statement, I think we should make a statement by increasing the cost of single stream ... and let [haulers] know we can’t afford to subsidize them.”