During an interview on NewsRadio 1620 yesterday, Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward apologized for the recycling debacle that was uncovered earlier this month. He also intimated that he wasn’t aware the city had stopped sending its recyclables in September 2017 . (Read Trash Talks)
“One of the things I want to say on this show, Andrew (McKay – the show’s host), I want to apologize to the citizens of Pensacola that I serve,” said Hayward when the host brought up recycling. “You know, I was angry and most importantly upset that we weren’t … ’cause I believe in recycling more.”
The mayor then began talking about the declining international market for recyclables, citing New York Times article by Livia Ripka. The May 29 article reported that plastics and papers from dozens of American cities and towns are being dumped in landfills after China stopped recyclables.
The mayor said, “January 1, (China) banned imports, so it’s been very difficult for America and a lot of these small towns and of course big cities to find a place to put this and its become a hazard.”
Hayward didn’t explain why the city renewed its agreement Tarpon Paper in Loxley, Ala. last year, even though the ECUA facility at the Perdido Landfill was closer and cheaper. Plus, ECUA would handle glass, while the Loxley facility wouldn’t.
He didn’t discuss the city’s decision to not immediately switch to ECUA last September—three months before China announced its decision.
However, Hayward did admit that it has cost the city more to send the recyclables to the dump rather process them at ECUA’s Materials Recycling Facility.
McKay said: “It’s been costing more to send it to the dump, right?”
Mayor Hayward replied, “Yeah, absolutely.”