Quincy City Council set to change recycling program

QUINCY (WGEM) - If you recycle in Quincy, you will have to do it differently come next year.

The city council officially voted to change the current recycling program. It’s going from a curbside pickup to a drop-off system.

“This does open up recycling to a lot more people,” said Quincy’s Public Works Director, Jeffrey Conte.

The current curbside program has a fee for those in Quincy who want to recycle.

Conte said the new drop-off system will start March 1 and will be free for everyone to take their recyclable’s to a near by drop-off location.

With the city changing the recycling program, some residents said they’re not happy with the change.

“I feel like over the last few years we have been, we have been disincentive recycling,” said Quincy resident Jamie Friye. “First, by charging people to recycle, which I agreed to do because I think it’s important, but now were asking people, with the cost of gas being what it is, to drive to three recycling sites.”

Conte said 40% of people in Quincy recycle.

He believes that percentage will increase once they change to the new drop-off system.

“With there being a charge, it has stopped a lot of people from recycling,” said Conte. “We think that based on the amount of recyclable materials in Quincy that being able to collect them at no charge, it’ll show an improvement in more recyclables.”

As of now, homeowners can still use the curbside service.

City officials said it is possible that a private company will continue to provide curbside recycling service, but nothing is confirmed.

Conte said they’ll send a letter soon attached to your water bill with further instructions about the change.

City officials said they have an idea of where the collection sites will be, but nothing it yet finalized.

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