By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The cost of recycling is 3.5 times per ton more than the cost to send trash to the landfill for the city of Bowling Green.
As of September, the price for curbside recycling a ton of materials was approximately $142 – compared to about $42 for landfilling a ton of trash. But city officials have no plans to discontinue the curbside pickups of recyclables
Bowling Green Public Services Director Joe Fawcett presented the upswing in recycling costs to City Council’s finance committee earlier this month.
The costs have jumped by nearly 30% since May, when the cost per ton was $107.92.
“There’s a pretty drastic swing,” Fawcett said.
The reason is the recyclables market, he explained. Bowling Green has a cost sharing arrangement with Republic, the company contracted with for selling the recyclables picked up curbside by city services in Bowling Green.
The price per ton fee is offset by the average commodity revenue from the recyclables, Fawcett said. So when the average commodity revenue is low, Bowling Green’s costs are higher.
The current ACR is $37.63 per ton.
The city experienced higher recycling expenses in May of 2020, when the cost per ton peaked at $156.
Since May of this year, the average commodity revenue has been trending downward, Fawcett said.
“I would not be shocked to see the cost per ton return to 2020,” when it peaked, he said. “We’re preparing for that possibility” and budgeting accordingly.
Despite the expense, city officials are committed to the curbside recycling program.
“There’s been no discussions I am aware of about discontinuing recycling,” Fawcett said.
The information presented to the finance committee showed that in the first nine months of this year, the city has collected 3,630 tons of trash and 670 tons of recyclables. The costs during that period have been $163,000 for the landfill, and $94,000 for recycling.
“I applaud Councilman Robinette for requesting these reports. It’s good for us to track these numbers so that everyone’s aware,” Fawcett said.
Bowling Green switched over to Republic Services in 2020, after the BG Recycling Center said it could no longer accept curbside recycling items. The center still operates a 24-hour drop-off site.
The city requested bids for a recycling service. “Republic was the only company that responded,” Fawcett said.
