There is no question now of whether or not recycling will happen again in Santa Rosa County. Many citizens have been upset at the thought of throwing away reusable plastics, papers, and cans, but the wait for recycling is over. Approving a small change to the agreement between Santa Rosa County and Emerald Coast Utility Authority was the final step in restoring recycling services in the county.
As of this week ECUA began hauling recyclables from Santa Rosa County’s landfill.
However, three parts of the county are in different states when it comes to transferring recyclable material from citizens’ homes to the landfill. Those are the north end of the county, the south end, and the City of Milton.
According to Commissioner Don Salter, citizens in the north end will have to contact their trash hauler to request a container for recyclables at whatever cost the hauler charges.
“By the end of the year, we hope to have franchised the area north of the Yellow River,” Salter said. According to Salter, there would still be a quarterly charge for picking up recycling in a franchise arrangement, but it should be less due to the magnitude of service.
The south end of the county, according to County Attorney Angie Jones, Gulf Breeze and Navarre areas go back to the normal routine with Waste Management and Waste Pro.
Brian Watkins, Milton city manager, said, “At this point, the transfer stations are not open.” He said the city has not ruled out reopening them if curbside pickup doesn’t work, but the city is exploring options this month and next. Mayor Guy Thompson said, “We’ll probably be able to do it [curbside pickup]; we’re just working out the logistics. We’re not going to stop because it reduces landfill tipping fees and it’s important. We will have a plan.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Recycling options return to SRC