SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 Seminole County is expected to allocate an additional $1 million to address a shortfall in recycling processing costs caused by declining commodity values in the recycling market.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, commissioners are scheduled to vote on an amendment to transfer $1 million from the Solid Waste Fund reserves to increase the budget for recycling processing.<\/p>\n
Nasim Hatami is a Seminole County homeowner and said the county\u2019s recycling program is a valued service worth protecting.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese days, everything you buy is in plastic or a lot of paper,\u201d Hatami said. \u201cIt\u2019s good that we have that service. We can recycle these things.\u201d<\/p>\n
The county\u2019s current Solid Waste budget for processing recyclable materials was set at $1 million, based on recent annual costs. However, the department has already expended the full budget, and projects the need for an additional $1 million to cover the remainder of the fiscal year, bringing the total to $2 million.<\/p>\n
Recycling commodity values \u2014 the market value of recyclable materials \u2014 have been significantly lower this year compared to recent years. As a result, the actual cost of processing has been much higher than projected, according to Environmental Services staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe recycling commodity market can vary greatly from year to year, and month to month,\u201d said Timothy Jecks, Management & Budget Director. \u201cThe net cost of transporting and processing of recyclable materials is the processing and transportation fee minus Solid Waste\u2019s commodity revenue share.\u201d<\/p>\n
The $1 million transfer will come from Solid Waste reserves, which are currently budgeted at $13.7 million. Staff noted that the next fiscal year\u2019s budget has already been adjusted to account for changes in market averages.<\/p>\n
Hatami said she sees the investment as money well spent and understands the tradeoff to keep weekly curbside pickup.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is good money that\u2019s going to the benefit of the environment,\u201d she said. \u201cSome people like me working 12 hours a day, they don\u2019t have time to take the recycling. We appreciate that they come and they pick it up,\u201d Hatami said.<\/p>\n
While additional funding is expected to be transferred for recycling services, commissioners have not yet weighed in on the future of the program or an option to increase rates.<\/p>\n
Commissioners will vote on the budget amendment during their meeting on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.<\/p>\n
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