Doug, a Waste Management representative, told the City of Destin City Council that local audits show recycling contamination rates higher than industry goals in several neighborhoods and laid out outreach steps the company and the city can take to improve diversion.

“Destin average is about 15% diversion,” Doug said, and contamination rates in specific areas were far higher when the company audited curbside carts: Indian Bayou about 40% contamination (16% bagged material), the Henderson Beach area up to 64% contamination (18% bagged), and West Destin about 47% contamination (12% bagged). “If you pull out the bagged material, you've cut a chunk out of your contamination already,” he said, urging residents to put recyclables loose in carts.

Doug described operational tools Waste Management can use locally: cart‑level audits that identify contamination by neighborhood and street, co‑branded education materials, door hangers or stickers on carts to explain why a container was not collected, and tours of the company’s Fort Walton Beach recycling facility (the “Murph”). The company also noted a recently opened $30 million recycling facility in Fort Walton Beach and a national sustainability fund the company is using to support projects.

Council members and staff discussed operational options such as swapping yard‑waste and bulk pickup days to better match residents’ weekend yard work patterns, and whether leaving carts uncollected for repeated contamination would change behavior. Doug said changing pickup schedules is possible but would require coordination with neighboring jurisdictions and contractors. He also said Waste Management can issue door hangers and use camera or truck photo records to document contamination for habitual cases.

Doug asked council partners to support a public education push and offered materials and a facility tour. No formal council vote or ordinance was proposed during the session; Waste Management’s briefing was informational and included an offer to collaborate on a local contamination reduction campaign.

Ending: Waste Management invited council and staff to tour the Fort Walton Beach recycling facility and said the company will coordinate messages with the city’s public information officer. “We would love to give you a tour,” Doug said.