Nesquehoning residents will soon be able to separate their recyclables from their trash.

On Wednesday, borough council, in a split 4-3 vote, with Mayor Sam Kitchko breaking the tie, voted to enter into a five-year, $349,000 contract for curbside recycling through Tamaqua Transfer.

“I’m not in big favor of recycling,” Councilman George Sabol III said prior to the vote.

Councilmen Michael Radocha and Frank Jacobs echoed Sabol’s thoughts, while council members Rosemary Porembo and Mary Fox and council President David Hawk spoke about hearing from residents who said they wanted the service to return to the borough and felt it should come back.

“The borough did bulk drop-off recycling for several years, but the borough dropped it after the price became prohibitive,” Hawk said. “A lot of citizens were requesting the return of recycling.”

Councilman David DeMelfi was absent from the meeting.

Larry Wittig of Tamaqua Transfer also weighed in before the vote, saying that “recycling is a loser right now and in the foreseeable future” because of the rising cost to get rid of it.

He said that since speaking to council a few weeks ago, the cost per ton has increased $7.

“It costs much more to get rid of recycling than trash,” Wittig said.

Fox said that she felt it was a good decision because the people want it and the sanitation fund is in good enough shape that it will not require the borough increase the sanitation bill for homeowners for the added service.

Council then asked for a roll-call vote in the matter and following the tie, Kitchko said that because it will not cost the homeowners anything more in the sanitation bill, he would vote for the contract.

Recycling will now be picked up twice a month on a different day than the trash. The day will be determined closer to the beginning of the contract, which goes into effect Oct. 1.

Residents will be required to put their recyclables in either clear plastic bags or a recycling or trash can without bags so that it can be seen.

Recyclables should be rinsed out and items such as pizza boxes should not be recycled.

Wittig said that one of the big problems is contamination in recycling because if there is any contamination, using pizza boxes as an example, the whole load cannot be accepted at a recycling center.

Further information about the new curbside recycling will be sent to residents as details become available.