Florida Counties Aim to Increase Recycling

The science of recycling is changing in Seminole and Orange counties.

The new Seminole County programs get started right away and the Orange County program begins in January 2002.

Both counties' recycling programs are expanding their capabilities to include more products. Seminole County will add products like magazines, catalogs, cardboard boxes, and plastic bottles made from more than two kinds of plastics to their list of recyclables.

Colleen Puglisi, recycling coordinator for Seminole County, said the expanded program will include all plastics from 1-7.

Orange County's program will also start accepting magazines, catalogs, and cardboard boxes. But the types of plastics the county accepts will remain the same, staying with bottles having only a No. 1 or No. 2 on the bottom.

Seminole County’s program expanded partly due to necessity. The county had outgrown its county-owned MRF, and ended up awarding a bid to Waste Management/Recycle America. The county expects to sell off the equipment in the MRF to a neighboring county. Puglisi said the county has been researching options for the past six to nine months.

Waste Management began the program Oct. 23.

While WMI will be processing and marketing the recyclables, Seminole County will continue to operate its transfer station

While the Seminole County recycling program began its expanded program late last month, Orange County will be expanding its curbside collection program this coming January.