CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Recycling in Chesapeake is back in the spotlight.
A group called ‘Chesapeake Recycles’ is pushing for residents to show their support for city curbside recycling services at upcoming city council budget public comment sessions.
Chesapeake city leaders replaced free curbside recycling services with free recycling drop-off sites in July 2022.
“We are very ambitious to bring back curbside recycling,” Chesapeake Recycles Co-founder Lacy Shirey said. “We think now is the time.”
Chesapeake City Council has public budget discussions on April 11, April 25 and May 9.
Chesapeake Recycles co-founder Lacy Shirey hopes members consider bringing curbside recycling back.
“Many of these city council members that were running for election last year ran campaigns on recycling,” Shirey said. “So, we want to hold them accountable.”
The group urged council members to keep the service before they cut it last summer. Shirey said subscription services and drop-off sites aren’t doing the trick.
“We have a drastically reduced amount of people recycling because it is simply not convenient,” Shirey said.
Chesapeake resident Ute Cherry tries to swing by a site every two weeks.
“We fill up and then we come here and drop it off,” Cherry said. “It hasn’t been an issue.”
But Chesapeake resident Herb Tatem doesn’t think enough people utilize the drop off sites.
"I am a hardcore recycler, so I use it, it’s here,” Tatem said. “But I don’t think it does that much good. The taxpayers are not getting their money’s worth.”
There are several drop-off sites, but a few veterans who live by city hall said that the site nearby is noisy during pickup.
“The facility is open 24 hours a day, so there is trash that ends up in our yards and the sound is so horrific that it rattles our windows,” Chesapeake resident Steve Supchak said.
Shirey is surveying to see what recycling method people prefer. She now has nearly 2,000 responses and plans to present the data at the April 25 council budget session. Here is a link to the survey.
“We are collecting data like how are you recycling, how would you like to be recycling, what is working what is not and what would you be willing to pay for recycling,” Shirey said.
In a statement, Public Works Director Earl Sorey said the drop-off sites are exceeding expectations.
“The Chesapeake recycling drop-off sites continue to exceed original expectations as far as quantity and quality. We're seeing that for the most part, those who use these sites are recycling often and recycling right, which is the key to a successful program. Subscription-based recycling is still available through three approved vendors for those who choose to participate in collection right from their home. We are currently pulling data about the recycling program that we will present to City Council in a work session on April 25, which we encourage everyone interested to watch or attend.”