Study: Recycling in Southold is Up 14 Percent Since Late '90s

Residents of are recycling more than they were in the 1990s, according to a study released on Tuesday by.  

The study reveals that recycling increased in 2009 by 14 percent since 1998, a trend that is opposite of the rest of Long Island, where recycling rates fell to 24 percent of total waste in 2009 compared to 29 percent in 1998. 

At the , Southold residents recycled 12,199 tons of material in 2009, up 14 percent from the amount recycled in 1998, according to the study. The waste transfer station took in a total of 22,178 tons of waste — and the amount recycled of that was 55 percent. The study also found that on average, residents recycled about 5.24 pounds of material per day.

Though the overall drop in recycling on Long Island as a whole may set off alarms, the study's authors said many factors were at play, including a move toward lighter packaging materials in the past decade and better tracking for recycling programs.

“Our study showed a decrease in all curbside recycling programs, which is at least partially the result of more precise accounting of recycling, and changes in materials—for example, the substitution of plastic for heavier materials and lighter packaging in general,” said study co-author R. Lawrence Swanson of the Waste Reduction and Management Institute in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook, in a statement.

Yard waste makes up the bulk of what is recycled at the waste facility in Southold Town, which covers 53.8 square miles. According to the study, 8,527 tons of natural material such as branches and leaves were processed in 2009 at the Cutchogue facility’s composting division. Paper recycling amounted to 1,977 tons, while recycled glass, metal, plastic containers and concrete added up to 1,695 tons.

Southold town’s waster transfer station accepts wastes from all generators and private haulers. The town does not provide collection services but does pick up yard waste during fall and spring clean up periods. Competing private carters such as have created controversy within Southold Town during recent months.

In 2009, recyclables from Southold Town were brought to the following locations:

• Town of Islip Resource Recovery Agency in Islip and Gershow Recycling in Coram for paper

•  Gershow Recycling and PK Metals in Coram for bulk metals

•  The Town's Transfer Station manages glass containers itself            

•  Omni Recycling in Babylon for commingled containers

•  E-Scrap Destruction in Islandia for e-waste

•  Pegasus in Deer Park for tires

•  PK Metals in Coram for car batteries

•  Strebel’s Waste Oil in Westhampton Beach for waste oil

Click here for the full recycling report from Stony Brook University: Recycling on Long Island 2009: A report on municipal programs in Nassau and Suffolk Counties