SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Mayor D.C. Reeves, in a press conference on Tuesday, announced that Penascola will end mandatory curbside recycling with effect from October this year.

The decision follows notification by the Emarald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) of its decision to double recycling fees at its Material Recycling Facility (MRF). Furthermore, the ECUA also informed that it will charge additional fees if the recycling loads contained trash above certain limits.

The Mayor assured that the City would come up with alternative recycling options for residents. In the meantime, it has decided to switch back to a twice-a-week trash pickup schedule, he added. The return to the old system will not immediately change the cost for garbage pickups. However, there will be a marginal increase next year, he noted.

The hike in fees by ECUA would have resulted in significant rate increase for city residents. The higher rate doesn’t make sense, especially due to rising volumes of contamination in recycling and declining commodity prices.

No replacement has been proposed yet, though the city has made it clear that the existing program will come to an end by end-September 2023. A decision on whether to negotiate a contract with ECUA depends on the response by city residents to a survey on their willingness to pay higher fees for curbside recycling services.