*YORKTOWN, Va. — Residents across Virginia’s Peninsula are facing major changes in how they recycle, or whether they can recycle at all.
As of Sept. 30, the Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority (VPPSA) officially ended its contract with Tidewater Fibre Corporation, the region’s main recycling provider. The decision affects curbside recycling for several localities, including York County, James City County and the City of Williamsburg.
For Yorktown resident Walter Cackowski, the change came with a tough choice.
“We had a choice today, either putting it out for trash or dropping it off here,” Cackowski said.
He said he received a letter from York County explaining the termination of the contract. But for him, tossing recyclables in the trash isn’t a viable option.
“I don’t like dropping off recycling stuff in the trash. It’s not good for the environment. It’s not good for us as people,” Cackowski said.
While some counties have lost service altogether, the City of Poquoson has managed to strike a short-term deal.
John Anderson, Director of Public Works for Poquoson, said the city entered into an emergency renewal with Tidewater Fibre, which means residents there will continue on their regular recycling schedule, at least for now.
“That means people will stay on their regular red and blue recycle on Fridays for the next two months,” Anderson said.
VPPSA cited performance concerns as the reason for the contract termination and is now exploring new options for regional recycling service. Poquoson officials say they are doing the same.
In York County, local leaders are offering alternatives in the meantime. Susan Goodwin, who works with York County’s waste management team, said several drop-off sites are available for residents who want to continue recycling.
“We have a recycling drop-off center at the York County Waste Management Facility. We also have two other convenience centers located in James City County that are available to our residents," Goodwin said.
Kelli Tatum, the public affairs manager with York County, says their county has about 17,000 customers who use the recycling services. Cities like Poquoson and Williamsburg serve about 2,000 customers.
WTKR reached out to James City and sent us the following statement:
James City County is actively working to contract with a new provider and will provide more information as it becomes available. We encourage residents to use our 3 Convenience Centers [jamescitycountyva.gov] where they can drop off their recyclables for free. We know that this is a sudden change for everyone, and we are committed to doing everything we can to continue curbside recycling. We ask that residents hold on to the recycling container until further notice. If residents need additional information, we ask that they visit our website where we are updating information as it becomes available. They can also call 757-253-6700 or email jccrecycling@jamescitycountyva.gov.
News 3 also reached out to Williamsburg officials for comment and has not heard back.
Goodwin says restoring full recycling service is a top priority for the county.
“Over 65% of our residents participated in the recycling service. We’re working as hard as possible to find solutions," Goodwin said.
As communities across the Peninsula navigate these changes, many residents are hoping for a swift resolution.
