Community: Virginia Beach, Virginia

Number of residents: 436,270

Amount of paper collected for recycling in 2009: 23,798.45 tons

Grades collected: Corrugated (cardboard) Containers, Newspapers, Magazines, Mixed Paper, Paperboard, Kraft Bags, Office Paper

When and why was the recycling program established?

To reduce the amount of solid waste sent to the landfill, the City of Virginia Beach began its recycling efforts in 1988. The city collected newspapers at drop-off recycling centers at public schools and introduced a regional, dual-stream curbside collection service.

In 1997, officials from the City of Virginia Beach contracted with TFC Recycling to create an automated single-stream recycling service for its residents. This service not only provided a more convenient voluntary curbside collection method for residents, it allowed Virginia Beach to greatly expand its recycling program to include service to city schools, municipal buildings, and public-use drop-off sites. This expanded service also facilitated compliance with the 1995 Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Environmental Quality mandate to recycle 25 percent of the waste stream.

How is the community recycling program administered?

The city's Public Works Waste Management Division is responsible for the development and coordination of the recycling program and the administration of the recycling services contract. Curbside collection services are provided every other week utilizing 95-gallon wheeled recycle carts. In addition to the curbside recycling service - and the recycling carts that are provided to residents for free - five public-use recycling drop-off sites are strategically located throughout the City to allow easy access for residents. The same materials that are accepted in the curbside recycling programs are also accepted at the drop-off sites.

When requested by a city department or office, additional pickups for large amounts of paper are provided in addition to the regular weekly service. City offices also contract with private companies or utilize the Sheriff's Workforce Program for paper shredding.

How are residents educated about the community recycling program?

Virginia Beach residents are educated through the use of promotional materials, communication tools, and various events and activities such as:

What partnerships have been formed to increase paper recycling?

To accommodate Virginia Beach's request, TFC Recycling constructed one of the first automated single-stream materials recovery facilities in the United States. The organizations maintain a collaborative relationship that fosters the continuing success of a system that maximizes convenience to residents and the capacity to collect, sort, and process recyclables.

Since the recycling program is strictly voluntary, residents, schools, and municipal offices who participate are considered essential partners.

The City of Virginia Beach Clean Community Commission is also considered a partner, and is responsible for organizing large-scale community events like the Annual Earth Day Celebration. During the event, residents have the opportunity to learn more about the recycling program and its significance for the community and the environment.

How do you measure improvement to your program?

Virginia Beach measures the program's improvements by both the amount of recyclable material collected and the percentage of the residents who participate. In 2009, 67 percent of Virginia Beach's residents participated in the city's recycling program, resulting in the collection of more than 23,500 tons of paper and paper-based packaging.

The number of households serviced by the recycling program continues to increase and the city expects to see a boost in the participation rate as it continues to roll-out the educational outreach program.

How is your program's cost-effectiveness tracked?

The City of Virginia Beach Recycling Program cost-effectiveness is tracked by fiscal year on a monthly basis by the cost per ton, cost per residence, avoided disposal costs, and net cost per ton. Under the terms of the contract with TFC Recycling, the city pays a set amount per household per month for curbside collection service whether or not the cart is placed out for service. The city also pays a set fee, based on service frequency and container size, for school and municipal facilities and drop-off sites. The recycling program becomes more cost-effective with every ton of recyclables collected because of the avoided waste disposal costs.

Additional Resources: Contact:

John Barnes, Waste Management Administrator (jcbarnes@vbgov.com)

Mary Richmond, Administrative Specialist (mrichmon@vbgov.com)

did you know...

  • In 2010, 63.5 percent of the paper used in the U.S. was recovered for recycling. This represents an 89 percent increase in the recovery rate since 1990.
  • Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
  • 87 percent (268 million) of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs.
  • In 2010 the amount of paper recovered for recycling averaged 334 pounds for each man, woman and child in the United States.

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