Clearwater Municipal Recycling Program Update

Published on January 13, 2023

Update on Jan. 24, 2023

• Since Jan. 12, the city has been collecting recycling from residents. We would like to thank our residents for continuing to recycle. 
• The city is collecting three or four semi truckloads of single-stream recycling each day, and we are taking one to two semi truckloads per day to Waste Management for recycling. 
• The remaining recycling materials are either being stored at our recycling facility for future processing or is being intermingled with garbage materials that are taken to Pinellas County for disposal. Managing this is an active and complicated process that can differ from day to day. 
• City administrators are working to secure a long-term contract with a recycling processor. 
• Finding markets to purchase recyclables isn’t just a problem that our region is experiencing. It is a national problem with no immediate short-term solution.

Update on Jan. 13, 2023

Dear neighbors. As you may have heard on the local news, we have not been good stewards of your recyclables or your trust. We recently found out that we have not been properly processing our recyclables. For this, we apologize.

This is unacceptable, and we are working to fix this and make it right for you. As of this week, we are taking recyclables to Waste Management for processing daily, and changes have been made in departmental administration. We are also working on a better and more economical long-term solution.

Read our complete statement that we sent to the media Jan. 12