Seminole County seeks $1 million to cover recycling shortfall
Seminole County moved to cover a recycling shortfall with another $1 million from reserves after commodity values fell and processing costs climbed. Officials said the county will absorb the hit for now rather than cut curbside service or raise fees immediately.
Seminole County commissioners were asked Tuesday to approve another $1 million transfer from Solid Waste Fund reserves to keep recycling processing funded through the rest of the fiscal year. The county’s original recycling budget was set at $1 million, but that amount had already been spent as commodity prices dropped and the cost of moving and processing recyclables climbed.
Management and Budget Director Timothy Jecks said the net cost comes down to the processing and transportation fee minus the county’s share of commodity revenue, and that the recycling market can swing sharply from month to month. Environmental Services projects recycling processing will cost about $2 million for the year, doubling the original budget amount. The county planned to draw the extra money from reserves, which are budgeted at $13.7 million, rather than pass the cost straight to households.
Weekly curbside recycling remains a regular county service for unincorporated Seminole County residents and commercial customers served through contracted providers. Resident Nasim Hatami said the program is valuable because households generate plenty of plastic and paper and many people do not have time to haul recyclables themselves.
The budget strain lands inside a wider solid-waste system that already moves a large share of the county’s trash and recyclables. About 80% of all solid waste generated in the county is delivered to the Central Transfer Station for redirection to the proper disposal site. Residents can request up to four recycling bins, with new or replacement bins typically delivered within about two weeks on recycle day, and recyclables can be brought to the Central Transfer Station in Longwood.
The Seminole County Landfill is a Class 1 landfill spread across more than 6,000 acres, with a natural clay liner and gas recovery and leachate systems. Tipping fees at the Central Transfer Station and landfill are set annually by the Board based on short-term operating and long-term capital needs.
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