Note: For information on James City County, York County, Williamsburg and Poquoson's respective curbside recycling situations as of Oct. 1, scroll to the end of this article.
Some Peninsula residents may no longer have curbside recycling for the time being following the cancellation of a contract with the company that provided services in James City County, York County, Williamsburg and Poquoson.
The Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority (VPPSA) Board of Directors voted last Tuesday to end its contract with Tidewater Fibre Corporation (TFC), a local business that's been contracted by VPPSA since 2018. This went into effect on Sept. 30.
As of Oct. 1, York County and James City County officials do not have an active curbside recycling contract. Residents are being directed to use drop-off centers.
Not all residents will have service disruptions: Poquoson officials say they've signed an emergency contract with TFC, while Williamsburg contracted the company that already provides the city's garbage pickup services.
VPPSA and TFC shared statements with WTKR News 3, both placing blame on the other party. VPPSA said its decision to end the contract was due to performance issues, listing the following allegations against TFC: "missing records; property damage incidents without proper notification to residents; failure to meet customer service performance standards, indicated by a high number of misses," and more.
However, TFC is accusing VPPSA of "unreasonably scrutinizing TFC's performance and, in some cases, making demands well above the required contractual terms and conditions." In response to certain contract terms not being met, TFC claims VPPSA did not provide "necessary information in a timely manner."
Both sides are also disagreeing on payment issues. TFC claims VPPSA withheld payments dating back to January 2025, creating hardship for the company. However, VPPSA leaders are accusing TFC of not submitting "satisfactory documentation" when they requested records to verify billing accuracy, prompting them to withhold payment of the "disputed portions of invoices."
TFC further claims that VPPSA demanded the company to modify the contract by significantly lowering payments made to TFC. VPPSA did not address this accusation in its release.
Information on each area's current curbside recycling situation is as follows:
James City County
The following information was taken from James City County's announcement:
The County is actively exploring alternative solutions for curbside recycling and we ask that you hold on to your cart until we have more information.
Customers should stop adding recyclable items to their cart and use the Convenience Centers while we continue to look for another curbside recycling provider. The Centers will continue to accept drop-off recycling at no cost to residents.
If we are unable to find a new provider, refunds will be issued for the Oct. 1- Dec. 31, 2025 payment.
A list of FAQs is available here.
York County
The following information was taken from York County's announcement:
Recycling bins should be placed at the curb on your regular trash collection day for pickup.
We understand that some bins were not collected today (Oct. 1) as expected. Please leave your recycling bin at the street—it will be picked up as soon as possible.
A list of FAQs is available here.
Poquoson
The following information was taken from Poquoson's announcement:
The City of Poquoson has entered into an emergency contract with TFC to continue recycling services as regularly scheduled through the end of November so that there will be no interruption in service. Please continue to place your recycle bins curbside on your designated pick-up day. Maintaining existing services for citizens is the number one priority at this time. The City will oversee and manage this emergency contract internally to ensure any concerns or issues are promptly addressed with TFC. The Public Works Department will continue working to find a long-term solution that best meets the needs of Poquoson residents. For questions or concerns, please contact the Public Works Department at 757-868-3598.
Williamsburg
The following information was taken from Williamsburg's announcement:
City of Williamsburg residents will not experience any disruption to their curbside recycling schedule. The City is contracting with Republic Services, which already serves as the curbside garbage provider for Williamsburg, to begin curbside recycling service on Oct. 1. Recycling collection will follow the same Monday/Tuesday, every other week schedule.
