NY Town Set to Eliminate Recycling Program

The town of Cheektowaga, N.Y., is moving closer to eliminating the city’s curbside recycling program. If the city does eliminate the program it will follow a trend by local municipalities to either sharply curtail or eliminate recycling programs. Most of the cities that have opted to eliminate the program cite budget woes as a reason for the decision.

The move is not a complete surprise, because the Town Board eliminated money for recycling in the 2003 budget. But it was unclear what residents would do with the paper, glass, plastic and metal that had been collected by the town.

The town council held a public hearing Dec. 16 when it laid out the possible options for the city. At the present time the cost to the city to pick up the commingled recyclables is $33.26, while the cost to dispose of the solid waste is $39.76. However, the city also pays a local company to take in the collected recyclables, making the recycling program not cost efficient.

This difference in cost makes the program legal under the state’s solid waste mandate.

Chis Kowal, the town’s Highway superintendent, said that the town is looking at making a final decision by the end of this month. If the town of Cheektowaga goes ahead with the new solid waste plan it would change the town code for source separated materials.

The proposed amendments to the town's solid waste ordinance delete references to recyclable and nonrecyclable items. In effect, those items deemed recyclables today, such as newspapers, cardboard, glass, metal and plastic, would be considered rubbish and picked up by crews who pick up the garbage.