Sylva leaders likely to rescind mandatory recycling tonight

By Lynn Hotaling

Last week's notification that hauler Country Collections, which has contracted with Sylva officials to provide collection of commercial recycling since the ordinance was enacted in 1999, can no longer provide that service, triggered tonight's special meeting, said Sylva Manager Richard McHargue.

Businesses have been notified that town-subsidized commercial recycling collection will be discontinued as of Friday, May 16, and given a list of four haulers licensed to provide the service, McHargue said.

"We deeply regret having to take this action but maintaining an efficient, cost-effective program is no longer possible at this time," said the notice signed by McHargue. "We continue to encourage all residents and businesses to recycle."

Sylva's solid waste committee (board members Danny Allen, Anne Cabe and Audrey Tritt) discussed the matter May 7, but the full board will not consider the matter until today, McHargue said.

Rather than rescind the mandatory recycling ordinance today, board members could choose to suspend it for a year or table it until June, he said.

"I'd like to see us offer recycling at a later date," McHargue said Monday.

Though commercial recycling collections will cease Friday, residential recycling pickup will be provided through June 30 as part of the town's agreement with GDS, McHargue said.

February discussions of the future of mandatory recycling in Sylva produced a consensus among town board members that budget constraints would force an end to curbside recycling when Sylva moves to in-house garbage collection July 1.

Residential trash collection in Sylva has been problematic since last fall when a falling out between Country Collections co-owners Bud Boynton and Bobby Gunter resulted in a disruption in the town's garbage pickup schedule. Town officials told Country Collections in October that if service did not improve in three months the town would cancel its agreement with the trash hauler.

Town leaders informed Country Collections in February that its services would not be needed after June 30.

Country Collections' woes continued, and by mid-April the hauler was unable to fulfill the terms of its contract with the town. After town employees were forced to step in and provide trash collection, town officials contracted with former hauler GDS to continue residential trash and blue-bag recycling pickup through June 30.

After Country Collections notified him that the company could not fulfill its business recycling obligations either, it was not cost effective for the town to continue the service, McHargue said. GDS quoted $160,000 annually to provide weekly commercial recycling pickup, a service Country Collections performed for $46,000 per year.

Citing continued problems with contracted trash collection, Sylva leaders in March approved purchase of a compactor truck to enable town personnel to provide in-house garbage pickup. Discussion around that time led to a board consensus that continuing to provide recycling pickup would be cost prohibitive and that the town's mandatory recycling ordinance would have to be suspended or rescinded.

Board member Maurice Moody voiced his objection to discontinuing recycling collections.

"I'd really hate to see us back off from recycling when we led the charge (toward mandating recycling)," Moody said. "In the long run, even though it costs more, recycling will save taxpayers money by saving landfill space."

Estimates provided by McHargue placed the cost of curbside recycling at $56,000 per year on top of the $40,000 in increased trash costs. Board members Tritt, Allen and Eldridge Painter said in February that cost is higher than the budget can bear.

Back to Archive: 05/15/03.