Northampton seeking new recycling vendors

Northampton County is seeking a new vendor to handle recycling at its convenience centers after the current company, Tidewater Fibre Corporation, informed the County they will no longer be providing services to the Eastern Shore.

Tidewater Fibre told Northampton County overall increases in the costs of doing business and difficulty marketing recycled materials no longer made it feasible for their operations to continue on this side of the Chesapeake Bay.

Currently, Northampton’s Convenience Centers recycle cardboard, plastic, cans and glass. When glass breaks, it becomes embedded into the other recycled materials. When that happens, the glass is extremely difficult to separate out at the plants. The recycling market has changed over the last several years. Initially recyclers said they would take glass as long as it was separated from other recycling. Then several years later they said the glass could be mixed with other recycling. The customers of the recycling companies now are no longer willing to take the mixed products.

County Administrator Charlie Kolakowski said they are seeking other companies to take over the recycling and are also exploring a joint project with Accomack County. They have found a potential company in Toano who may handle the glass recycling. A time frame is not yet available on a final decision.