Longboat Key's recycling rates to increase in August

Longboat Key will increase its recycling rates starting in August as part of a three-year contract extension with Waste Management Inc.

The agreement includes a $1.03 prorated increase for the single-family residential and multifamily commercial monthly recycling rates.

“This was originally a seven-year initial term that is expiring, and in that agreement, there (were) provision for two renewals,” Town Manager Tom Harmer said. “So, this is the first opportunity for renewal.”

The town’s agreement with Waste Management for recycling and trash collection now expires on June 30, 2024.

The increased rates start on Aug. 1. The town and Waste Management will then continue under the contract’s terms of July 1 every year thereafter.

Harmer said Waste Management would not seek an increase for the Consumer Price Index or fuel costs until June 30, 2022.

“There is a provision in their agreement for (an) adjustment each year for CPI and for fuel costs, and so they’re not making requests this year for that increase that is available for them,” Harmer said.

In a town meeting, District 2 Commissioner Penny Gold asked Public Works Director Isaac Brownman whether the town had given notice to condominium associations about the increased rates. Town commissioners first heard about the possibility of a contract extension with Waste Management in June.

“It’s a pretty short window when these rates start,” Gold said.

The town has posted about the rate increases on its website. Also, Brownman said he would give notice to the condo federation to explain the reasons for the increased rates. He said the town received documentation from Waste Management indicating changes in the law that make it more expensive to recycle throughout the country.

In May, Waste Management Government Affairs Manager Bill Gresham wrote Brownman a letter about the impacts. Gresham said China adopted new standards in 2017 that “have had a devastating impact on the recycling industry.”

“The biggest impact of this standard was that it established a new quality specification of 0.3% contamination by weight for any imported wastepaper,” Gresham wrote about paper recyclables. “The prior standard had been 10% contamination.”

China also increased its specifications for plastics.

“For plastics, the contamination specification was established at 0.5%,” Gresham wrote. “The prior standard had been 10% contamination.”

Plus, a Florida law passed in 2020 also requires that new contracts have some language added that requires waste collectors to “make the best efforts possible to reduce recyclable contamination.”

In November 2014, the company transitioned to single-stream recycling from its dual-stream system. Waste Management replaced the red and blue bins with 65-gallon wheeled carts. The single-stream method allows customers to place all recycling items in one cart, eliminating the need for sorting materials.

Earlier this year, the 1,524 Longboat households that responded to the town’s annual citizen survey indicated they were pleased with Waste Management’s service. Residents gave a 93% satisfaction rating for solid waste services.

Waste Management makes its collections on Mondays and Thursdays in Longboat Key.

Brownman said the town spoke with other municipalities that use different services recycling and trash collection. However, he said the town is satisfied with Waste Management.