For the last several years, Orange County residents have paid for a curbside recycle pick-up service via three separate county-regulated funds.
However, the future of this program is at risk. As Orange County Commissioners prepare for their Feb. 4 meeting and ultimately the July deadline for renewing the program, they should strongly consider an opt-in curbside removal program in addition to improved and expanded convenience centers which allow residents to dispose personally of their trash and recycle.
The county’s curbside removal program currently receives funds from a $47 per resident fee, convenience center fees and the county’s solid waste fund.
Of the 13,700 rural homes in Orange County, only 57 percent actually use the program. The rest of the rural homes find the service impractical. Such residents often instead choose to deliver their recycle to nearby convenience centers.
County Commissioners, it’s time to read the writing on the wall. Orange County residents are sending a clear message as to what works and what doesn’t in recycle disposal.
An opt-in curbside removal program could be funded by a $58 fee for subscribers.
The funds currently provided by other sources could then be diverted to improve Orange County’s recycling system.
The county should look to improve or expand the convenience centers regularly used by citizens living in rural Orange County. County investment in these centers would show a nuanced understanding of the recycling issue as it applies to the sometimes ignored rural demographic. Improving these centers would be a tangible and noticeable benefit to rural citizens.
As the July deadline approaches, commissioners should vote to implement an opt-in curbside removal program.
