The State of Recycling: Change is Coming to the City's Recycling Program

Recycling is part of the Virginia Beach lifestyle, but change is coming! The City’s recycling contract with Tidewater Fibre Corp. (TFC Recycling) expires June 2024, and costs for services are expected to increase. Before changes are made, City leadership wants to hear from residents about how recycling fits into their life.

Residents are invited to learn more about “The State of Recycling,” which details the City’s current status and available options for moving forward at SpeakUpVB.com/recycling. A survey will launch in October for residents to provide feedback on the future of recycling in Virginia Beach, which will help inform a policy decision and assist the city manager in determining the funding allocation for recycling in the proposed FY24-25 budget.

Due to changes on the global commodities market, recycling costs are going to increase. However, recycling is not going away, and City leadership is using the end of the contract as an opportunity to hear from residents. This contract only covers curbside pick-ups that are part of the solid waste collection fee on the combined services bill, with approximately 125,000 homes in Virginia Beach receiving this service.

Starting on Oct. 2, residents will be able to take the survey and provide input on the following curbside recycling options:

• Option 1:  Same services, increased costs. Increased costs are estimated to be between $2.50-4.00 depending on results of the procurement process.
• Option 2:  Eliminate curbside service and increase the number of convenience centers. The City currently has two recycling centers (West Neck and the Landfill). This option would look to develop five additional locations at a cost of $400,000 per center. The cost would likely be absorbed through the current waste management fee and the City would work with a subscription-based service to help establish a market.
• Option 3: Develop an opt-in/opt-out recycling program. Those who opt in would continue to recycle and it would be collected by a contractor. The cost will be determined by the number of residents who opt in. Those who opt out would put their recycle material into the black waste cart, which would be collected by the City and delivered to SPSA.
• Option 4: Open to suggestions for recycling options not yet considered.

The survey will remain open until Friday, Nov. 17.

To learn more, subscribe to updates, and take the survey (once open) to guide recycling plans, visit SpeakUpVB.com.

Share your thoughts at SpeakUpVB.com. The City of Virginia Beach invites residents to participate in any of our active surveys. The feedback provided is given to elected City officials and leaders to include in their policy and decision making process.