CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — As the City of Chesapeake prepares to end its curbside recycling program, the city’s public works department is preparing drop-off sites for people to take their recycling going forward.
Last December, city council voted to eliminate curbside recycling starting July 1, 2022.
The city says: “The drop-off program will start basic and will gradually grow as we determine the best way to accomplish our recycling goals. Success of the residential drop-off recycling sites depends on everyone in the community using them properly and responsibly.”
These are the drop-off sites that will open July 1:
- Russell Memorial Library – 2808 Taylor Road
- Chesapeake Central Library / Municipal Center – 298 Cedar Road (East Parking Lot Between Albemarle Drive and Library)
- Indian River Library – 2320 Old Greenbrier Road (Old Greenbrier Road and Providence Road)
- Department of Human Services – 100 Outlaw Street (Outlaw Street and Bainbridge Blvd)
- Toll Plaza Road – Cul-de-sac at 168 Toll Plaza Road (Chesapeake Expressway Administration Building)
- Chesapeake City Park – 900 City Park Drive
- Deep Creek Park – 437 George Washington Highway South
Meanwhile as the curbside program winds down, residents have told 10 On Your Side they’ve gone weeks without having their recycling picked up. The city’s blamed the delays on staffing and equipment shortages.
Here’s are FAQs from the city on the drop-off program:
What will be accepted at the drop-off sites? There will be two separate containers at each drop-off location.
Container 1:Plastics #1-7 Metal cans (aluminum, tin, steel) Mixed paper (newspaper, office paper, magazines, catalogs, mail, NON-shipping box cardboard, i.e., cereal box) Container 2:Corrugated Cardboard (shipping box material only)
What is NOT accepted at the drop-off sites? Anything not explicitly listed above is not accepted. For example, items such as glass, yard waste, food waste, construction materials, hazardous waste, tires, household items, and electronics are strictly prohibited at the recycling drop-off sites, just to name a few specifics.
Does shape of plastics still matter? Curbside recycling required that the accepted plastics be in the shape of a bottle, or have a spout. The plastics accepted at the drop-off sites (#1-7) can be any shape or size.
Do I need to wash my recyclables before bringing them to the drop-off site? Yes. Please wash/rinse out cans and bottles before recycling.
Where will the recycled materials be going? Each recycling drop-off site will be serviced by GFL and Recycling & Disposal Solutions of Virginia (RDS). GFL will collect the materials and transport them to RDS for disposal and processing.
How will the site be set up and secured? Each drop-off site will have two containers: one for cardboard only and the other for mixed recyclables. The sites will be gated but will be available 24/7. Security lighting and cameras will be set up. Signs will be posted to help direct users.