Curbside contamination bill progresses in Florida

The Florida House of Representatives has passed a bill, which specifies how resident’s contaminated recyclables will be managed in recycling contracts between municipalities and haulers or material recovery facilities (MRFs).

Under the bill, haulers would not be required to collect or transport contaminated materials, and MRFs would not be required to process contaminated material.

The bill requires each contract to include the following:

• strategies and obligations of the county or municipality and the residential recycling collector to reduce the amount of contaminated recyclable material being collected; 
• procedures for identifying, documenting, managing and rejecting residential recycling containers, truckloads, carts or bins that contain contaminated recyclables; 
• remedies authorized to be used if a container, cart or bin contains contaminated recyclables; 
• education and enforcement measures that will be used to reduce the amount of contaminated recyclables; and
• a definition of the term "contaminated recyclable material" that is appropriate for the local community.

The Florida Senate recently passed the bill, which will now go to the governor’s office for signature. If the bill is signed, the new requirements take effect in October and will affect all new or renewed municipal recycling contracts.