CLEARWATER, Fla. — The city of Clearwater launched its new website and recycling dashboard to show residents how much is actually being recycled every month along with contamination rates.
After news broke back in January of the city not properly processing any residential recycling since June 2022, this seems to be a way for residents to keep track of whether their items are actually being recycled or going with the rest of the trash.
Throughout the month of April, Clearwater crews collected 692.17 tons of recycling from residents and delivered it to the city's recycling processor – Waste Connections in St. Petersburg.
Of the amount of recycling collected, 670.86 tons – which is 96.9% – were accepted and processed. The other 21.31 tons, or 2.1 percent, of recycling, were rejected because of contamination.
The website is set to be updated every month with new numbers.
"In addition, the city is working with a consultant to help us secure a long-term single-stream recycling contract that preferably includes revenue sharing," city leaders explain in a news release. "The current short-term contract with Waste Connections does not.
"The consultant will also examine and address efficiency issues with our routes if they exist."
Residents will be able to find past and current updates about the city's handling of recyclables on the new website. They can also subscribe for webpage updates at the bottom of the page.
The city of Safety Harbor and the town of Belleair are reportedly no longer using Clearwater to process their recycling.
Anyone interested in seeing the new site can click here.