Lee tops all Florida counties in recycling for 2021 by reusing 1.6 million tons of trash
Lee County has again claimed the top spot in the state when it comes to recycling.
Out of Florida's 67 counties, Lee finished with the highest tonnage of recycled goods, reusing 1.6 million tons of the 2.6 million tons of waste generated locally.
That's a rate of 81%, and 2021 makes the sixth time Lee has finished at the top spot in the state since Florida began tracking these types of records in 2000.
"We have the total quantity of debris generated and the tons recycled which gives you the recycling rate," said Katherine Kallas, recycling coordinator for the county's solid waste department. "We've been in the top five for at least the past decade."
Lee's program predates state records by about a decade.
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The county started with a test recycling project in 1990, and it's since grown into the most efficient in the Sunshine State.
"We started with a pilot program: one neighborhood and one truck and about 800 homes," Kallas said. "From there we now have the whole county recycling and we have about a 90% recycling rate for residents and businesses."
The program is voluntary for residents but mandatory for businesses, Kallas said.
One of five counties to reach at least a 75% recycling rate, Collier County recycled 1.5 million tons out of 2 million tons generated last year.
Kallas said people here have a desire to recycle, and that recycling is one relatively easy way to combat growing environmental issues.
"People really want to recycle in Lee County," Kallas said. "We have people calling all the time asking how they can do it better. They want to do a really good job and our businesses participate."
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The solid waste department, along with contracted workers, provide services for nearly 790,000 residents in the county, and thousands more businesses.
About 120 people work in the department.
One challenge, Kallas said, is that some residents want to recycle, basically, everything.
"People want to recycle so much that they do what we call 'wish' cycling," Kallas said. "Our program is a container program and we need five things in that bin and that's it. We need metal cans, we need plastic and glass bottles jugs and jars and paper and cardboard."
The top problem for the department and the recycling effort, Kallas said, is people try to recycle plastic bags.
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"Keep the plastic bags out of the recycling," Kallas said. "That's probably the worst thing. (Plastic bags) can get wrapped around the equipment and shut the whole plant down."
Kallas said when in doubt, throw it out with the garbage.
"A little bit of trash in the recycling can be a big thing but a little bit of recycling in the trash is just fine," she said.
Trish Fancher, executive director of the non-profit Keep Lee County Beautiful, said living in a county that is the top in the state for recycling only makes her group's mission more meaningful.
"It helps validate our mission because while we work on reducing litter and beautification, reducing waste is part of our mission," Fancher said. "People are hearing the message that we need to protect our natural resources and our communities."
Keep Lee County Beautiful will hold is annual coastal cleanup on Sept. 17.
Connect with this reporter: @ChadEugene on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee County is top in Florida when it comes to recycling
