Eric Fuller, Office of Administrative Services – Solid Waste Division, presented the Annual Recycling
Report for fiscal year 2024-25. He provided an overview of the City's Residential Recycling Program,
including its basis in Section 380, Part 5 of the Ordinance Code. Mr. Fuller reviewed the list of accepted
recyclable items, including those that are household hazardous waste facility items, and summarized the
residential waste haulers contracted by the City and their respective service areas and that the urban core
is served by the City’s own haulers.
Mr. Fuller then explained that all recyclables are collected curbside every other week in a City-owned
recycling cart, either 64 or 96 gallons, and delivered to Republic Services' recycling processing facility
by the City's three subcontract haulers and its own haulers.
Mr. Fuller outlined materials that are accepted or not accepted for recycling due to either having no
market value or no feasibility to process/recycle by the recycling processing facility. He noted that the
City communicates with Republic Services regarding the market value of recyclables and potential new
markets.
Mr. Fuller gave an overview of the over 9400 complaints received for the 2024-25 fiscal year regarding
the recycling program broken down by service area and complaint type. He then outlined the percentage
and volume of collected recyclable materials by type.
Mr. Fuller reported that they have continued efforts to improve the recycling program through
collaboration with other City departments, Republic Services, and several third parties. He also gave an
overview of the division's public education efforts and outreach efforts to encourage recycling.
Mr. Fuller then provided a financial overview of the recycling program. Expenditures include
collections ($12,321,734), processing fee ($3,987,962), and contaminant disposal ($135,910) while the
City receives revenues from the sale of recyclables ($1,860,417) that are split 50/50 between the City
and Republic Services. Additionally, 30,360.78 tons of recyclables were diverted from landfill, resulting
in $714,371 in landfill air space savings. He also explained that the market value of each recyclable
commodity fluctuates, noting that glass was the only material with a negative market value.
Finally, Mr. Fuller provided a list of department recommendations including several ways to increase
outreach, compliance, and education efforts, maintain an appropriate recycle cart budget to provide carts
to new residents and repair/replace older carts, and continue monitoring commodity markets especially
glass.
CM Carlucci asked Mr. Fuller to elaborate on the glass market. Mr. Fuller explained that the City
currently pays $50 per ton to have glass recycled. He noted that other Florida communities have
abandoned glass recycling due to cost and that the company accepting the City's glass is also
experiencing difficulties. CM Carlucci emphasized the importance of continuing to recycle glass,
despite the cost, to prevent glass from ending up in landfills.
CM Amaro asked Mr. Fuller about the number of missing recycling carts, the department's recycling
participation goals, and who bears the cost of the $50 per ton glass recycling fee. Mr. Fuller informed
CM Amaro that the City had a backlog of cart requests and received funding to fulfill it. CM Amaro
then asked for further clarification on why there are 2,381 missing carts. Mr. Fuller explained that
recycling carts are intended to remain with the property when residents move, but are often taken by
departing residents. He added that carts also go missing for various reasons. Mr. Fuller then addressed
CM Amaro's question regarding glass costs, explaining that the $50 per ton glass recycling fee is split
