Starting next year, recycling in Chesterfield will look different for thousands of households as county leaders move to privatize recycling by moving to a “subscription-based model.” The decision comes roughly 10 months before Chesterfield’s curbside recycling contract with Central Virginia Waste Management Authority ends on July 1, 2023.
Since 1991, Chesterfield has participated in the curbside recycling program with CVWMA, which was started to help localities meet the new statewide diversion requirement. The state requires 25 percent waste diversion annually. At the moment, county officials said the region achieves roughly 60 percent. “We think they can get a better price if they bundle their trash service with the recycling program,” said John Neal, director of general services for Chesterfield County.
Neal said county leaders were told the subscription service bid for CVWMA would be roughly $200 per year. According to the online presentation, research from the private sector identified multiple haulers for providing a subscription service at $82-$120 annually, which the county said would save residents more money compared to when CVWMA rebid the contract and offered a price of $202 per year. “What we’re planning to do is transition to have the four vendors, who have expressed interest in providing recycling services, to be able to work with the households directly,” Neal said.