WS Chronicle

BY TODD LUCK 

THE CHRONICLE

Forsyth County commissioners are preparing to vote on mandatory universal curbside recycling and garbage service for the unincorporated parts of Forsyth County.

The move comes after a voluntary subscription service for curbside recycling in incorporated areas ended last month. Waste Industries didn’t renew its contract with the county because it was providing the service at a loss. It was the second contractor to do so.

Minor Barnette, director of Forsyth’s environmental assistance and protection office, said the county has received more than 200 calls about the end of curbside recycling.

“Everyone who used the service is disappointed they lost it,” he told commissioners during a briefing on Thursday, Jan 19.

He presented commissioners with several options, including combining recycling and garbage collection into a single subscription service or making just recycling a mandatory service. Commissioners wanted to act on a third option: combining both garbage and recycling into a single universal service for all incorporated households who pay for it with a fee on their annual tax bill. All 22,000 incorporated households in the county would receive bins for garbage and recycling that would be collected regularly.

confident that he could negotiate the cost down to $15 a month or less per household.  Barnette will present a plan to commissioners in their Feb. 2 briefing, which they could ratify on Feb. 13. After approval, it would take several months before implementation but there may be a way to make some curbside recycling services available before then.

“We need to do something soon,” said County Commissioner Chair Dave Plyler.

Plyler said he would vote for a universal plan, as did commissioners Everette Witherspoon and Walter Marshall, who have been vocal in their support of universal curbside recycling.

“I think it is something we need to do,” said Marshall.

Commissioner Gloria Whisenhunt asked if the item could be put on the agenda to vote on it this week, but commissioners Richard Linville and Don Martin wanted to see a detailed plan before voting on it. No commissioner voiced opposition to a move to mandatory recycling and garbage services during the briefing.

The curbside recycling service that ended had 2,600 customers, while the optional garbage subscription service has 19,000 subscribers currently. Right now, the garage service alone costs $14.29 a month. The county has had problems for years with households that don’t subscribe to the garbage service letting trash build up on their property or illegally dumping it.

Barnette and several commissioners said that a universal mandatory service will greatly reduce that problem.

Barnette told commissioners that curbside providers have been very interested in serving all 22,000 unincorporated households in a universal program. It’s possible the county may let its current garbage pickup contractors provide recycling collection or it may open the new combined service up for bids.