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Seminole County weighs recycling costs as net recycling bills top $1M; landfill life tied to diversion
Summary
Environmental Services reported recycling processing costs near $170/ton and a recent three‑year trend of roughly $1M annual net recycling cost, with a projected $1.7M this year; staff recommended retaining recycling while evaluating fees and expanding diversion programs to extend landfill life.
Kim Orinberg, director of environmental services, told commissioners that recycling processing costs and low commodity values have flipped recycling from a revenue source to a structural cost for the county. "This equals the cost of transportation and processing of recycled materials which currently costs us $170 a ton," Orinberg said, describing the gap between processing cost and commodity revenue.
She said recycling historically produced net revenue but, in recent years, net annual recycling costs have been about $1 million; if the current trend continues this fiscal year the department projects about $1.7 million in net recycling costs. Orinberg outlined options the county could consider, including setting a recycling tipping fee (the county currently charges for regular solid waste and has historically split commodity revenue with a vendor) and expanded diversion programs such as textile and foam recycling and composting.
Orinberg also stressed the connection to landfill airspace: the county estimates roughly 37 years of remaining airspace in the current permitted landfill; halting recycling would shorten that lifespan by several years, while increased diversion could extend it significantly. She described an upcoming central transfer‑station expansion tied to county property purchases to improve traffic flow and capacity, and noted continued capital needs for landfill gas collection and potential renewable‑energy uses of landfill resources.
Next steps: staff will refine cost projections for recycling options, update interlocal discussions with cities and include landfill gas and transfer‑station project cost/benefit details in upcoming budget briefings.
