Cutchogue recycling center project wins county tax breaks

The county Industrial Development Agency has approved an incentive package including property tax savings of more than $228,000 over the next ten years, IDA director Anthony Manetta said.

Peconic Recycling & Transfer Corp., a subsidiary of Mattituck Sanitation, first pitched the project to Southold Town in 2007. With support from the town the project received state Department of Environmental Conservation approval in 2010. The company requested IDA support earlier this year.

The 34,200-square-foot facility on Commerce Drive would separate and process plastics, metal, paper and other recyclables for resale. It would rely on the town’s neighboring waste transfer center to dispose of residual trash, Peconic Recycling’s community affairs director Bob Kern said.

The recycling center will run entirely on solar energy and be opened to the public year-round, according to the company. The facility could create up to 30 full-time jobs within the next several years, Mr. Kern said. He added that the center will offer educational programs for school children and an apprenticeship program with Suffolk County Community College.

“There is nothing like this on the East End,” Mr. Kern said. “Our idea is to do recycling 100%. That includes being off the grid. We are very excited. We can’t build it fast enough.”

The project’s benefits to the community made it an excellent candidate for the incentive package, Mr. Manetta said.

“We view this as a very positive project with strong environmental benefits,” he said. “Plus, the amount of jobs it will provide led the county to support the applicant.”