Mount Holly suspends recycling program starting July 1 to avoid increasing fees for private households

Mount Holly, NC – During the City Council work session on Monday, June 24, the Mount Holly City Council made the difficult decision to suspend the city’s contracted recycling program. The City Council unanimously rejected a proposal that would have increased residential recycling rates by 87% in the coming fiscal year. Currently, residents living within the city limits pay $5.18 per month for bi-monthly curbside recycling pickup. Under the proposed one-year agreement, the cost would have increased to $9.71 monthly.

The proposed fee increase placed an unsustainable financial burden on the city budget and residents, prompting the City Council to seek more cost-effective alternatives. During the meeting, Council members discussed the impact of the proposed fee increase and concluded that suspending the recycling program was the most prudent course of action at this time.

Effective July 1, 2024, the City will no longer offer recycling pickup services. Residents are encouraged to bring their recycling to the Riverbend Recycling Center at 146 Mountain Island Road, Mount Holly, NC 28120. For more information about recycling in Gaston County, visit the website.

Due to a market change in 2018, curbside recycling programs experienced instability and a decline in demand for recyclable materials. Before 2018, one-third of scrap recycled in the U.S. was exported, and China was the largest buyer. However, China began insisting on higher-quality recycled materials after bales became riddled with contaminants. These changes due to contamination in the industry have made recycling less profitable. Nearby cities such as Gastonia, Shelby, Kings Mountain and Bessemer City have all recently ended their curbside recycling efforts for similar reasons.

The City will not be collecting blue recycling bins at this time, and residents should keep them with them until further notice. Regular garbage collection for residents’ green bins will not be interrupted during this time.

For more information and a list of frequently asked questions, visit the city’s website.