Citywide recycling in Miami could be eliminated by upcoming City Commission votes

Tess Riski, Miami Herald on Jan 21, 2025

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MIAMI — Recycling services could soon end in the city of Miami.

On Thursday, the City Commission is scheduled to vote on a piece of legislation that would allow the city to stop its biweekly recycling collection service. The proposal gives the Solid Waste Department director “the power to establish the type, frequency and amount, if at all, of City-serviced recycle pickup in all areas of the City.”

If the City Commission gives its approval Thursday, the legislation would need to come back for a final vote at a later date.

In explaining its reasoning for wanting to eliminate recycling services, the city has cited high contamination rates of recycled materials, as well as an “aging fleet and outdated machinery” that needs to be replaced.

According to city spokesperson Kenia Fallat, the city has conducted audits across different neighborhoods.

“Unfortunately, findings show that contamination levels in some areas exceed 70%,” Fallat said in a statement. “This means that more than two-thirds of the materials placed in recycling bins cannot be processed. The high contamination rates suggest a widespread misunderstanding about what can and cannot be recycled.”

Fallat said “common issues” include the mixing of plastic bags, food waste and other non-recyclables with recycled materials.

“When contamination is this severe, it can render entire loads unusable,” Fallat said.

She noted, however, that if the city does halt its recycling pickup service, “there will be [an] alternate location for residents to drop off the uncontaminated recycling items.”

The proposal would also scale back the city’s bulky waste pickup service, which currently happens on a weekly basis. Bulky waste pickup includes furniture, appliances and large tree trimmings. While the proposal states that “every other week is more than sufficient” for bulky waste pickup, it also allows for the service to be scheduled “in the manner determined by the Department.”

According to the city, bulky waste pickup “has become a source of abuse by outside entities” like contractors and landscapers who should take their waste to dumps, putting an “inordinate burden on City residents and City finances.”

The city has said that the changes will save money for residents and could allow the city to avoid raising its annual trash fee for residents — a move that the city’s elected officials generally want to avoid.

Meanwhile, the city’s annual household trash fees have stagnated. It’s remained at $380 per year since 2010.

In the summer, the City Commission voted to increase the cap on the annual fee per household from $380 to $440. Increasing the cap didn’t change the actual fee, but it gives the city permission to raise it at a future date.