The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners issued a statement on Wednesday night regarding the recycling situation in Okaloosa County.

On Tuesday, Get The Coast republished a clip of Commissioner Nathan Boyles and Commissioner Graham Fountain talking about the Board’s 4-1 vote to continue to keep recycling bins at homes but that the items inside the bins would go to the same landfill as the trash.

Below is their statement:

“The recycling market has deteriorated quickly in the last 24 months, meaning huge changes in how the world – and how Okaloosa County recycles.”

“China has eliminated the importation of recyclables because it simply is no longer financially feasible. This is what drove your Okaloosa County Commissioners to act on your behalf to protect your environmental and economic issues. “

“Okaloosa County did not get rid of recycling. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection allows counties to keep a recycling credit if they use refuse collected by our recycling program to create a renewable energy source. The recyclables Okaloosa County collects are taken to the Springhill Waste-to-Energy landfill where they collect methane gas that is converted to energy.”

“This decision also allows us to stay ready for an upswing in the recyclable market. By taking this option, we are able to keep recycling bins out – reducing recycling bins deployment costs and saving money.”

“Continuing to send material to a recycling facility would have cost the County 50% more than the waste-to-energy facility. The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners has a Fiduciary responsibility to steward your money, while we continue to monitor the recyclables market.”