City of Deltona to suspend recycling program

DELTONA, Fl. — Officials in Deltona will look to suspend the city's recycling program in the near future.

The city said it will be suspending their recycling service because the demand for raw recyclable materials has dropped.

Beginning February 1, residents will be required to do away with recycling, instead discarding items into trash cans.

Residents will have to find a way to adjust to the change.

"It's a second nature thing, we have our recycle bins and we automatically put it there and put it out," said Lisha Colon.

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Mayor Hedi Herzberg said the the decision came down to money and effectiveness. The price of recycling was slated to increase and there was no guarantee the recycled materials wouldn't have made their way to a landfill.

"It's going to be an issue for a lot of cities, especially cities the size of Deltona with a huge residential base," Herzberg said.

City officials said the demand for recycling has dwindled in recent years and that the city has been paying more each year to separate the trash. "The cost has risen from around $50 a ton to over $77 a ton," said Herzberg.

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