Youngsville Borough has formally ended its curb-side recycling program.

Borough council voted unanimously on Monday to discontinue its recycling pickup after months of discussion and years of the service.

It was a question of cost.

“Since 2018, the recycling charges from Advanced Disposal have gone from no charge to $112 per ton,” Borough Manager Lisa Hagberg said in a letter to borough residents.

“Cost is the main factor,” Hagberg said Tuesday of the Monday decision.

The cost per ton at the end of 2018 was $45, she said. “I had a discussion with Advanced Disposal regarding our recycling charges at the time and any increase that we should plan for in 2019. At that time, there were no increases planned.”

“In April we received a letter stating that tonnage fees would increase to $61 on May 1,” she said. In August we received a letter stating tonnage fees would increase to $92 on Sept. 1, and in late December we received notice that our tonnage fee would increase to $112 per ton on Jan. 1.”

Based on $112 per ton, the borough was looking at $6,500 this year.

The payment to Advanced was not the only cost to the borough. There were three workers spending two days each month on collection and the truck used for that duty required fuel and maintenance.

Faced with multiple dramatic increases in a year, the council has discontinued that service.

“We did our last pick-up on Jan. 8,” Hagberg said. “We are discontinuing effective today. This was not a decision that was made lightly.”

Although the borough will not collect recycling, residents may still recycle.

“Advanced will allow the customers to take their recyclables to their bin at the transfer station in Pittsfield at no cost,” Hagberg said. Recyclables do not need to be sorted, but Advanced asks that cardboard be broken down.

“At this point, residents may deliver to the Warren County Transfer Station residential only recycle materials,” Advanced Disposal General Manager Ed Yahner said.

The transfer station is located at 32870 Route 6.

Anyone who would like to discuss the situation or has questions about it may contact Hagberg at 563-4604 extension 2 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.