How Much Do We Pay For That? Waste Collection in the Town of Brookhaven

Last week, news broke that the in revenue via a recycling scheme carried out by two waste management contractor employees and the owner of a salvage company.

The garbage carter tied to the scheme was Medford-based Jody Enterprises, which has active contracts with four garbage collection districts in the Town of Brookhaven, but which has not been cited for any misconduct.

Collectively, 11 different contractors haul trash, recyclables, and yard waste for the Town of Brookhaven's 35 garbage collection districts at a cost in the millions. On average, those contractors haul 185,000 tons of residential municipal solid waste per year for the Town of Brookhaven.

How much do Brookhaven residents pay for the removal of trash, yard waste and recyclables?

The short answer: approximately $372 per single family home per year, called the "residential garbage fee," which is separate from taxes.

Looking at the costs of hauling and disposing the actual refuse:

• The cost to operate the waste transfer station and haul waste/refuse: $96.64 per ton
• The cost to the town to haul yard waste: $59.60 per ton
• The cost to the town to take recyclables: approximately $1.8 million per year
• Total cost per year to haul trash, yard waste, and recycling in Brookhaven: approximately $30.7 million per year

How much does it cost to pick up waste in our area?

Notes:

• Recyclables are sent to the town's Material Recycling Facility, where they are processed and sent to market. The town said it recoups some revenue from the selling of recyclable materials, earning back approximately $3 to $3.5 million per year. The revenue goes to the Waste Management budget, which is part of the town's general fund.
• Household waste is tipped at the town's transfer station in Brookhaven hamlet, then sent to Covanta in the Town of Hempstead for processing via waste-to-energy incineration.
• Yard waste comes through the town scales (at the landfill in Yaphank) and is then sent to LI Compost (located across the street from the landfill).
• According to the Town of Brookhaven website, incorporated villages, condos, co-ops, multi-family housing units, businesses, schools, and institutions do not qualify for collection of garbage, recyclables, and yard waste. Villages are considered separate planning units, while commercial establishments and housing developments generally contract with a local commercial carter.
• Read more about the Town of Brookhaven's waste management facilities here.