The convenience of curbside recycling pick-up could soon become a reality for Langley citizens.

Not everyone is a fan, however.

During a city council meeting last week, Andrew Riggs, the site manager for Island Disposal, shared the company’s plan for expanding recycling for residential customers, which includes those living in the Village by the Sea. He asked the council to consider providing a letter of support, which the council did not do.

Recycling, he explained, keeps upwards of 2,400 tons per year out of landfills, helping to extend their lifespans. It also conserves natural resources, reduces pollution and has economic impacts like creating more jobs for Island County residents.

Island Disposal has proposed a bundled garbage and recycling program, which means customers would receive a 96-gallon commingle container for biweekly pick-up and the cost would be an additional $6.50 per month.

Glass will not be accepted because of its tendency to break, contaminating other recyclables and damaging sorting machinery.

Langley currently has curbside recycling for commercial customers, which was rolled out a year and a half ago and Riggs said surprisingly isn’t utilized by more businesses.

Councilmember Chris Carlson read aloud some questions from Langley’s Climate Crisis Action Committee, which included a query about whether Island Disposal would provide the city with a bin to collect glass so locals don’t have to drive to recycling centers in Bayview and Freeland. Riggs responded that he believed something could be worked out, although finding a place to take glass on the mainland might be easier said than done.

Carlson said any increase in cost will have an impact on older residents living on fixed incomes. He asked how to mitigate those cost increases and if any grant programs might exist. Though he wondered if charging customers more for bigger containers would incentivize them to switch to the smaller ones, Riggs said this was not possible because rate structures are regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission.

Councilmember Gail Fleming said she’s so used to sorting her recycling and taking it to the centers that she probably won’t take advantage of curbside recycling.

Councilmember Craig Cyr asked what the options are if the new program gets approved by the Island County commissioners. Riggs responded that customers could choose to discontinue garbage collection service and forgo the $6.50 monthly increase, or the city of Langley could decide to remove itself from the tariff area. With the latter option, citizens would have to collect the material themselves or the city could enter into a contract with another hauler.

Cyr echoed Carlson’s concerns about members of the community not being able to afford the increases, given the feedback he’s received recently about the city adopting a sales tax increase to alleviate its dire financial situation.

Several Langley residents spoke out against the program and voiced their preference for the recycling centers.

Ed Anderson expressed concern about single-stream recycling leading to contamination. Holly Harlan worried about the new curbside containers reducing the beauty of Langley and said she would miss the sense of community she feels from taking her materials to the recycling center. Judy Hucka and Dominique Emerson also urged the city to not support the proposal.

The council did not express interest in taking any action during the meeting.

In an email, Riggs said there are approximately 450 residential curbside customers within the city limits of Langley. Of that number, 75% have 35-gallon garbage bins serviced weekly.

Island Disposal trucks generate a carbon footprint of around 150 to 170 kilograms of carbon dioxide per day and pick up about five tons of recycling every day, Riggs explained. The average carbon dioxide savings per ton of commingled recycling is 3,645 kilograms, which means a net positive carbon footprint of 18,055 kilograms of carbon dioxide per day.

The recyclable material that Island Disposal collects is taken to Pioneer Recycling in Tacoma, which Riggs said has a recovery rate of 82% for the recyclable commodities accepted.

The county commissioners are expected to review the company’s curbside recycling proposal sometime in 2025.