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Clearwater, Safety Harbor Reach Recycling Agreement

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: October 27, 2007

SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. - SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. - Safety Harbor commissioners can now breath a sigh of relief each time they – and other city residents – recycle.

On Oct. 18, Safety Harbor initiated its own curbside recycling program after canceling the city's contract with a private waste hauler that had been handling the service.

In connection with the switch, Safety Harbor asked Clearwater for an inter-local agreement under which Safety Harbor's recyclables would be processed at Clearwater's facility.

Safety Harbor commissioners, however, were concerned that an initial multiyear contract included a provision allowing Clearwater to raise processing fees by a potentially unlimited amount.

So, Safety Harbor asked that a price cap, based on the Consumer Price Index, be included in the agreement.

Last week Charles Brewer, Safety Harbor Public Works Director, reported Clearwater's solid waste officials would not support a price cap, since the cost to process recyclable materials from Safety Harbor is yet uncertain.

Clearwater officials, Brewer said, told him the financial impact from the increased tonnage received from Safety Harbor is unknown.

Staff from both cities worked out a compromise, he said.

The deal would allow Safety Harbor to opt out of the agreement if Clearwater were to propose a fee increase of more than 10 percent.

Mayor Andy Steingold said at least now the city has a safety net.

Safety Harbor commissioners unanimously adopted the agreement.

Under the new recycling program there will be no change in collection days, Sherri Kennedy, recycling coordinator, said.

The city is adding mixed paper to the list of items that can be placed at curbside to be picked up for recycling.

Mixed paper includes junk mail, magazines, phone books, soft-cover books, cereal boxes and fiberboard.

The city will continue to recycle newsprint and office paper. It will also still take metal containers and plastic bearing the 1 and 2 recycling symbols.

The city, however, no longer is accepting green or clear glass containers because they are not cost-effective to recycle, according to Kennedy.

Safety Harbor residents recycled more than 2,354 tons last year. That saved more than 7,062 cubic yards of landfill space. Kennedy said.

In addition, residents recycled 29 tons of aluminum cans, saving the energy equivalent of 90,625 gallons of gasoline or 19.836 kilowatt hours of electricity that would have been consumed creating new cans.

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