Dive Brief:
- Hartford, VT is considering dropping its city-sponsored curbside collection program as it eyes privatization as a money-saving option.
- A state law mandates that private haulers pick up recyclables starting in July, rendering the current residential collection unnecessary.
- The Hartford Selectboard co-chairman, Ken Parker, said that less than half of the town’s residents participate in the curbside recycling program.
Dive Insight:
If contracted waste firms implement the required recycling services, Hartford taxpayers could save $180,000 by eliminating the city-funded program. Parker said residents are paying for a program they do not use. One in five residents drops off recycling at a transfer station; the cost to deposit an unlimited number of recyclables is $20 annually.
Hartford’s municipal recycling program has been in effect for 15 years, and the town's recycling rate is well above the state average. Vermont’s rate is about 36%, while Hartford’s rate is about 45%.
