INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Solid Waste Disposal District (SWDD) Board approved the 2014 Solid Waste Master Plan on Tuesday, Sept. 23. One of the key elements of this update was a commitment from the Board to reach the Florida Legislature’s 75 percent recycling goal by the year 2020.
This is an opportunity for all residents, businesses and other municipalities of Indian River County to rethink what traditionally has been regarded as garbage and to instead treat all materials as resources.
An exciting future is ahead for recycling 75 percent in five years, an effort commonly referred to as simply “75 in 5.”
One of the first steps in reaching 75 percent
recycling in five years is to increase the participation and collection of recyclable materials. A 2014 waste composition study of all the garbage brought to the landfill for burial revealed that 46 percent of materials can be diverted using the recycling system in place today.
In addition to meeting the Legislature’s requirements, reaching 75 percent by 2020 will prolong the useful life of the landfill by 43 years thereby delaying the $20 million investment needed for more landfill space.
The County, in participation with all the other local municipalities will be looking to divert as much recyclable material as possible from the landfill with a coordinated effort to educate and inform residents of the various ways they can play an active role in this process.
Through targeted outreach programs to all sectors, County residents will learn about the reliable and efficient operations that manage the solid waste and recycling systems and how best to separate the recycling material from the garbage.
The County is strongly considering switching from using our two blue bin dual stream recycling program to a one-cart single-stream system. The single cart allows more volume, has a lid for keeping the rain out and reducing wind-blown litter, and wheels to make it easier to take to the curb. The Board will consider the single stream recycling system and other operational improvements as part of the waste collection services contracts that expire in Sept. 2015.
Please visit County Administration Building A located at 1801 27th Street to see various sizes of single-stream cart options and to provide your input on the cart size.
In order to target other recyclable materials, County staff will be initiating a procurement process to look at proven technologies that handle construction and demolition debris (C&D), organics and mixed-waste materials in a technically feasible and financially responsible way.
The County will be using a comprehensive approach involving all residents, businesses, schools, and other municipalities working together towards this common goal to reach “75 in 5.” This approach not only makes sense but reduces costs, increases efficiency, and provides residents with a high quality of life that makes Indian River County such a great place to live.
Stay tuned for more information on how to increase recycling, extend the life of the landfill, reduce costs and achieve a higher standard of environmental stewardship for the benefit of current and future residents of Indian River County.
One simple question to ask is, “What have I done today, to help achieve the 75 in 5?”
