SUFFOLK, Va. — Suffolk is ending curbside recycling on July 1, moving to a single-bin collection system that combines trash and recyclables, which will then be sorted using technology.
The new program, called SPSA Sort, replaces the current two-bin trash and one-bin recycling system. Under the change, all materials will be collected together and separated later.
Caitlyn Bunch, a lifelong Suffolk resident, said the change is personal.
"It's kind of one of those things your mom teaches you growing up," Bunch said.
Bunch said she has been recycling as long as she can remember and has been passing that habit on to her young son. The two regularly watch for the recycling truck on pickup days.
"Explaining to my three-year-old why recycling isn't coming anymore is going to be fun," Bunch said.
Michael Benedetto, president and owner of TFC Recycling, raised concerns about what happens when recyclables and trash are mixed.
"When you mix trash with good recyclable products, it compromises the whole process. Clean material gets dirty and becomes non-recyclable," Benedetto said.
Benedetto said materials like paper and glass are especially vulnerable to contamination when combined with household trash.
Zach Trees, public information officer for SPSA, said the system is designed to find value in materials even when they are too contaminated to be recycled in traditional ways. He pointed to paper as one example, saying it can be converted into bio-char, a type of charcoal made by burning organic material.
"They are finding the value where the trash is if that item is so far gone that you can't even recognize it well maybe there's something else you can do before going to the landfill," Trees said.
City leaders say the change will save money for residents. Neighbors who want to continue separating recyclables can drop them off at the regional landfill.
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