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11 <br /> SWMD staff has contacted all processors in the region to investigate what recycling options exist. <br /> With current conditions, the only feasible option is for Orange County to split shipments of recyclable <br /> material between two processors, both located in Raleigh. Neither processor, at this time, is able to <br /> handle the full quantity. Both processors will continue to provide the County with information on <br /> processing costs, as the ports and mills are repaired and conditions change. SWMD staff anticipates <br /> recycling costs may lessen in two (2) to six (6) months. Table 2 above assumes the repairs will take <br /> six(6) months, with no adjustment for the already depressed marketplace. <br /> The County is committed to providing high-quality recycling services. That said, there is a tipping <br /> point where the economic costs outweigh the environmental benefit. If the recycling processing fee <br /> continues to exceed $60 per ton, SWMD recommends discussions with the County Manager, BOCC, <br /> SWAG, and community members be had, to determine whether a portion of collected recycling <br /> material should be disposed of in a landfill on a temporary basis, especially if our processors are <br /> landfilling indirectly. Landfilling also incurs a cost, both in the short term and in terms of used landfill <br /> space for future generations, but in the immediate term the rate of financial loss would be lower. <br /> SWMD will continue to monitor and report on recycling processing fees both as it relates to the <br /> commodity markets and the outfall of Hurricane Florence. <br /> I <br /> E <br />