The Fayetteville City Council voted 5-1 to approve moving to weekly, all-in-one recycling and increasing rate fees over the next two years. The council began discussions at its July 15 meeting about changing the city’s recycling program and increasing recycling and trash fees following a solid waste cost of service study conducted by Raftelis, a local government and utility management consulting company.
The study found the city’s operating expenses are outpacing operating revenues and a fee increase is needed in order to keep up. The consultant then evaluated Fayetteville’s current curbside-sorting recycling program, the challenges that come with it and how much fees would need to increase in order for it to be sustainable.
The study concluded curbside recycling can create hazardous conditions for employees who drive recycling trucks in addition to resulting in a high driver turnover rate.