ORLANDO, Fla. – The City Beautiful has plans to become more sustainable, and it wants the community's input.
A code amendment that was proposed Monday outlines a plan to add recycling services to multifamily developments and commercial properties in Orlando within the next few years. City code does not currently require recycling at those facilities.
"Since 2012, the City of Orlando has seen a 20 percent increase in residential recycling and we’ve heard from many residents who live in multifamily housing and people who work in office buildings who want an option for recycling," the city wrote on its website.
Aside from the positive impact more accessible recycling options would have on the environment, the city noted that recycling is about 50 percent cheaper than garbage service and could save businesses between 10 and 30 percent on monthly waste bills.
The proposal, if approved, would be implemented in four phases.
Phase one would require all new construction projects and properties doing major renovations to add recycling bins before a certificate of occupancy can be obtained.
As part of phase two, large multifamily developments of more than 250 units and commercial buildings over 200,000 square feet would need to have recycling services within one year of the effective date of the ordinance.
Phase three would include medium-sized properties of 75-249 units or 100,000 – 199,000 square feet. Those properties would have two years to provide tenants with recycling options.
For the fourth and final phase, all other properties would need a recycling plan implemented within three years.
The community is being asked to weigh in on this plan before any further steps are taken.
"This process depends on input from the community and outreach, so we will be working on that for several months before bringing anything forward," city press secretary Cassandra Anne Lafser said.
The City’s Solid Waste Division is available to give presentations on the proposal and meet with companies, developers, building owners and residents to solicit input and feedback.
Meetings can be scheduled by contacting Joseph England at 407-254-4500, ext.4977 or joseph.england@cityoforlando.net.