Florida study considers impact of discontinuing municipal recycling programs

The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation, Tallahassee, Florida, partnered with the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, to study the environmental and business impacts of discontinued municipal recycling systems in Florida.

According to the Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation, recycling processing costs at material recovery facilities have increased from about $50 per ton to more than $100 per ton, which has prompted some Florida municipalities to consider eliminating their recycling programs altogether.

The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation says it studied the impact of discontinued municipal recycling systems with the University of Florida over a five-month period to measure the impact of discontinued recycling programs on Florida municipal budgets and waste management-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The study also evaluated the influence of commodity prices on Florida’s recycling system and considered alternative recycling models for use in the state.

“We wanted to better understand the economics of recycling in Florida and the relationship between cost and environmental benefits,” says Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation Executive Director Keyna Cory. 

The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation says the study, “Investigating the Economics of Current and Future Recycling Programs in Florida,” has been released. According to the study’s key findings, discontinuation of recycling systems offered little cost savings for cities while increasing GHG emissions.

According to the study, eliminating recycling systems would save Florida municipalities only $1 to $12 per household per year while increasing annual household waste management-based GHG emissions one to 20 times the current average.

Instead of discontinuing recycling systems, the Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation says municipalities should consider market-based recycling systems that target high-value commodities such as plastic bottles, plastic jugs, plastic tubs, aluminum cans, steel cans, newspaper and cardboard to generate savings and mitigate the impact of waste on the environment. The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation says a market-based approach generates a cost savings of about $12 to $37 per household and reduces annual household waste management-based GHG emissions by about four to five times the current average.

“The recycling industry has reached a tipping point and going forward it will be important to determine a cost-effective recycling program that allows us to reduce our environmental impacts and make better use of our resources,” says Malak Anshassi, a researcher for the study and an assistant professor at Florida Polytechnic University.

The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation plans to showcase these findings during a webinar at 1 p.m. EST Jan. 12.